Lockdown Got You Feeling Like A New Career? These Tips Can Help
Everyone has a kind of crisis sometimes where they question their life choices. These include various elements of life, but one of the most prominent is that of the career. The amount of people who want to swap is huge. Unfortunately, the amount who actually does is probably quite low. People continue working in an industry they may not exactly like. The reasons are multiple.
For a start, some might enjoy the pay but hate the work. Others might think it gives a good work life balance but hate the content. The problem is it’s different for everyone, yet continuing to stay in something you don’t want to do is bad for your mental health. It’s probably bad for your family too. Lockdown, for some, has given a unique time to reflect on your career and whether as a worker it’s right for you. If it isn’t, it might be time for a change. These tips can help you realize your desire. All industries are different, but these tips can at least help you change your perspective and help you realize career change is always possible.
Study For Change
One of the best ways to get a new career is to study your way towards it. You won’t always have to do this, but if you want to start on a similar or better salary you may have to. You need to properly work out what you need to study to be successful. This will require some research on your part but it’s time well spent.
You might want to study something niche, like a community association manager license to move into a new field. Or you could study something generic like law to ensure you get into the right area you want to move in, while keeping your options open for future moves. You might find it hard to find time to study, but you can do it if you try. It might mean cutting back on a hobby, or on hours at work. Once you’ve got your family on board it is a lot easier. Just don’t jump in too far. Meaning you don’t want to pay for an expensive course just to find out that you don’t want to pursue it. Try something easier to start off with just to ease you into the subject and field.
Speak To Your Boss
Sometimes you don’t need a complete career change but instead a change in your day to day role. They might be able to give you some more responsibility or perhaps more leeway in other areas. Maybe you just need to be a bit more challenged. If they know you feel like this, a good boss will be able to find something different for you. If this doesn’t happen, then you know yourself that you’ll need to move on at some point. At least you’ll know you gave it a try. Make sure you book some time in their calendar instead of just catching them in the hallway. This shows it’s serious and isn’t just an off the cuff conversation. Treat it like a professional discussion and be as honest as you can.
Speak To People Inside The New Industry
To find out what the new industry you want to move into is like it’s often best to talk to insiders. Your knowledge was likely piqued by something which gave you an interest in the new area. If this is the case, you might know a friend or acquaintance who is in the area in question. Talk to them. Ask them what it’s like. Make sure you focus on what you don’t like at your current place, so that you’re not just walking into something which is exactly the same. Doing this can give you a nice heads up before you focus on something else and leave your job. Better safe than sorry and talking to an insider will be much better than doing some research on the side.
Talk To Your Family
They will need to know how you feel and what you want to do. They should be behind you as long as your motivations are clear. They may need to understand that you won’t be able to give them as much of your time as before. They may also need to be told there might be less money coming in, so long as you can survive it shouldn’t be a problem. If this kind of thing is really affecting your mental health then say so. It’s always better to talk about something so impactful.