Finding a job can a tough one. Whether you lost your job, chose to resign from your current job, or have decided to choose a new career, the next thing on your mind is how to find a new one. Hunting for the job you like and changing a career or career transition can be an emotional struggle for a lot of people. With the increasing applicants and lower number of available jobs, career transition can get at you. Here are a few steps to help you go through career transition as smoothly as possible.
When you hunt for a new job or new career, it is like going into sales because you are trying to sell yourself. The sales process is probably something that you are not familiar with and if you do it the wrong way, you can end up weeks or months still searching for a job. Career transition can be difficult, simply because it’s a change. Change itself is most of the time difficult to get used to.
The first thing you should do is to focus. This is no time for you to panic in searching for a new job. You shouldn’t be making impulsive decisions as to take the first offer you receive. First of all, if you just quit your job because you are not happy with your work, then accepting a similar job right away won’t do you any good. Use your free time to think about your career transition. What path do you want to take?
To help you go about this big career transition, you should ask yourself several questions like what interests you the most, what is the one thing you do best, what do people commend you for, what thing you do that you are so proud of, or what can you do that most people can’t? As you write down your answers, list down the perfect jobs or careers that correspond to those skills. Now this is the most crucial part of your career transition. Decide which job suits you best. Is it the thing that you love to do? When you do it, do you get a sense of satisfaction? If the answer is yes, then you’re one step closer to your new career.
Next, create your resume. Since this is a different career than your previous job, a format that you can use is the functional format where you layout your skills before work history. Relate your skills and abilities to your new career. Check the job ads to see what skills and education are required. Ask your friends or relatives who work in that field. Then, complete your resume. Now, it’s time to search for available jobs. Don’t be frustrated if you don’t get an interview or if you didn’t get a call after the interview. Always think positive. Keep on searching. Be patient and strive harder. If you love that new career, then it will show during your interview.
Whether you want to switch jobs, get in a new industry, or do both, you will need to start planning your career transition. Change of profession can be a huge emotional deal. It’s like being in your highest of highs and lowest of lows. A Career Transition workshop is one of the best things to consider. If you can’t afford to spend on a Career Transition workshop, you can create a Career Transition workshop on your own.
Begin your Career Transition workshop by getting some paper and pen. Write step one as your road to self discovery. In this first page, write out all the good skills, abilities, and talents that you have. Here are a few questions that can help you enumerate all your abilities that even you yourself didn’t notice or didn’t pay attention to. This is a method to discover more about you. You will learn all the things that you can do.
• What do you love to do during free time? What thing do you love the best?
• What hobby or project have you made a profit from?
• What does your boss rely on you the most? Is it the creative presentations? Detailed reports?
• If your boss is out of the office, what task does he leave for you to do? Answering client’s inquiries? Reporting to a more senior boss?
• Do colleagues run to you for help? For what?
• What things do you teach new employees?
• When you’re on a long vacation leave, what do your colleagues miss about you the most? Was it, no one was here to check our codes? Or was it, no one was here to reformat or proofread the brief?
• What do your friends brag about you? What quality do they praise about you?
• What thing have you done that you are most proud of? It can be a cake you made, an artwork you’ve painted, and your personal website you made on your own.
Now, go to page two. Write there, my possible jobs. Layout page one and page two side by side. Write in page two the possible jobs from the skills you wrote in page one. Once you’re done, you have just written your possible new jobs. Now you should start crossing out those you hate to do and leave the things you love to do. Then choose one job that you’re very interested in. Imagine yourself doing it. Are you happy about it? You have just finished the most important part of a Career Transition workshop.
Now if you want to quit your job right away, consider your finances. How long can you stay unemployed? Job hunting can take months and if you have a family to feed, it is not wise to leave your job now unless you are willing to take a transition job first. The next step in your Career Transition workshop is to list down all the possible jobs that you can take while you are waiting for your dream job. It can be a waiter or waitress, cashier, or other similar jobs in your area. Now it’s time to get that resume ready and start applying!
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