6 Things You Must Know About Changing Careers

6 Things You Must Know About Changing CareersIf youre switching to a whole new career (or are just thinking about it), there are some things that will be true no matter what your field is. Keeping these in mind can help you get that crucial foot in the door in your new career. Here are 6 things you must know about changing careers. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) 1. Youll need to shift your mindset.Change is the mantra here. Youll be the same you, but everything elseyour day-to-day, how you apply your skills, the challenges you face on the jobwill be different. Part of what makes a career change so appealing is that everything is new aspect. Embracing that freedom, where anything could happen, is a big parte of being ready to make the switch.2. Your resume needs an overhaul.You might think a few find and replace tweaks will cover your resume as you start sending it out to a new field of job openings. After all, your history is your histo ry, and theyve never seen it before, right? Its all new to them Not quite.The best thing to do is to build your resume from scratch so that it fits for your anticipated industry. The way you interpret your past jobs and your current skills may be different for this new field, so take the time to think about a) what the industry needs are and b) how to give your skills and experience a makeover for that brave new world.3. Even if you dont have experience, you have skills.It may seem like youre totally starting over. But guess what? Even if your experience doesnt really translate to your next professional life, youve also built up a stash of abilities that could serve you well no matter what. Focus on the kinds of skills that transfer well across job lines, like communication skills, problem solving skills, and leadership skills.4. You should think big industry, elend job description.I usually recommend that you tailor your resume for a specific job description. But as you get started on a new career path, where you may not be as familiar with the ins and outs of that industry, its better to approach it on a macro level. This is especially true if you dont have some of the necessary experience. Focus on what the company does, what it provides, their audience/consumers, and what you can offer in those areas.5. Its okay that theres a lot you dont know (yet).If you have a strong background of skills and experience behind you, it can be tempting to let that translate into swagger, even if youre walking into an all-new professional world. The whole point of switching careers is the challenge of learning new things, and taking a different direction. So bring that eagerness to grow, not the I know everything confidence, into the process with you.6. There will be disappointments.Changing careers can be a really hard process. Youre leaving behind a very familiar world for a field you likely dont know as well. You might be leaving behind a reputation, and sets of skills t hat you worked hard to build. When you take a risk like that, it can be doubly frustrating when things dont happen right away, or you dont get the level of job or salary that you were hoping for. So as you go into it, take a deep breath and understand that there will be challenges.Changing career lanes is a brave thing to do. It involves making the best decision for yourself in the long term, even knowing that the short term may be a bumpy transition. The mora prepared you are for these challenges, the readier youll be to face them and move on to your next great opportunity.