How to Switch Careers

Switching careers can be an overwhelming experience. But it’s also a good chance to experience something entirely new while gaining a sense of fulfilment.

Everyone has reasons for switching up their career. Whether it’s wanting more flexible work or to earn a higher salary, changing your career trajectory can prove beneficial for your resume, and improve your overall personal and professional wellbeing.

So how do you get started?

No matter if you want to go from construction to communications, or hospitality to customer service recruitment agencies are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to switching careers.

In this blog, we’re going to explore what you need to do to make it happen.

Decide if you’re happy in your current position

Before jumping the gun and resigning from your current workplace, ask yourself if you’re happy in the job you’re working now. You can keep a diary or mood tracker to help you have a record of how you feel about your current working arrangements. 

Once you’ve answered this question, have an honest self-assessment. This can help you identify what you want out of your career, your strengths and weaknesses, as well as the things you’re willing to sacrifice to make that happen.

These elements can establish the foundations of your career change, as it can help you determine if you want to work part-time or full-time, as an example.

Consider a different industry

While you may want to jump ship to another company that’s within your current industry, you should also explore careers in other industries. Why? It allows you to branch out and see how you can apply your prior experience and skill set in a different way. 

Talking to your trusted friends and family, who might work in different injuries, is a great way to seek an honest opinion from a reliable source. Another person you could talk to would be a recruiter – they have extensive experience in pairing candidates to jobs, so they’re an excellent source to use during your career change.

Planning is key

Planning is essential for a successful career change. Define clear goals that you can work towards during your career change. For instance, you might set a goal of how many jobs to apply for each week.

You can also plan around the type of industry you want to shift into. This can look like gaining new qualifications and skills, attending networking events, or even volunteering at businesses within your next industry of choice.

Do a bit of rebranding

Giving your brand a bit of a makeover before committing yourself to a career change can go a long way. Having a shiny, new brand for your resume, cover letter and social media profiles can help you feel like you’re starting a fresh new chapter, but it can also appeal to potential employers too.

Rebranding also presents a great opportunity to investigate other platforms to market yourself. As an example, if you’re in marketing and find yourself lacking an Instagram or TikTok, then set up an account for your personal brand. This allows you to connect with like-minded people over social media.

Get in touch with Woods & Co

Here at Woods & Co, we’re experts on helping people successfully change their career, no matter which industry they want to work in.

Want to learn more about how you can successfully change careers? Then get in touch with our recruitment experts today.