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Make your career change at 30 easy by going through this guide on choosing a new career and what to consider before taking the plunge!
6 Things you should know before career change at 30 to make your career change easy by going through this guide on choosing a new career and what to consider before taking the plunge!
Career change is something that crosses our minds at some time or the other. However, when it comes to a career change at 30, you have already got several years of work experience behind you and are still capable of learning and adapting new ideas and concepts. This is why the age of 30 may be one of the best times to make a career shift. Even I made a career change when I turned 30.
I gave up my job as a hotelier and chose to take up writing as a profession. While the change was exciting, I soon learned that with every significant change comes its share of risks and pitfalls. A heads-up on these would help make your career change easy.
To make your job easier, we have listed some points you need to consider before making the big shift!
Changing careers can prove to be quite a challenge as it has the potential to affect your personal life, financial security and sense of stability. However, by the time you are 30, you will be experienced enough to know what you want and what you are good at.
You are also young enough, so a lack of experience will not hinder your chances much. As they reach 30, many people realize that their initial career choices and educational qualifications led to them to take up a job they were not passionate about.
Fortunately, a career change at 30 is a good time to amend this and pursue a career of your choice.
At the age of 30, you are still not burdened with numerous responsibilities in comparison to when you will turn 40 or older. Your youth, energy levels and ability to quickly adapt to new environments are still on your side at 30, making a career shift much more manageable than at any other age.
This is often the first stage, and you will need to figure out why you are looking at a career change. Ask questions about what it is that you dislike about your current job
The more questions you ask, the better you can understand your situation. This will ensure that you avoid similar mistakes when choosing a new career.
In most cases, when people are looking for a change, they already have an alternate new career in mind. Often, the new career would be more attractive and be the main reason for people to consider leaving their jobs. You need to identify what it is that your new career choice offers:
As you look for a career change at 30, you will realize that your professional network consists mainly of those involved in your current field of work. But you may have also met people in the desired fields of work that would have made you consider their line of work a suitable career choice.
Try to reach out to these people and check if they will answer your questions. Find out from them the necessary skills and qualifications one must possess to enter their field and how to break into this new field.
Apart from your professional network, you can also rely on your personal network of family and friends, who might be able to connect you with someone who knows a lot about your desired career.
Your new career choice may require some skills and experience that you will need to develop. This may involve further education, attending training programmes and creating a new skill set.
It may also be that you already possess the required skill set, but have not used them in some time. So, you will have to spend some time redeveloping them. When researching your new field, you will need to discover all these things.
A definite advantage of doing research is that you may find that there is more than one way of entering your new field of work. E.g., you may need to rejoin university and get a certain degree to pursue the career of your choice.
However, during your research, you may find out that this may be unnecessary, and there are other ways to acquire the required skills like joining as an intern at places relevant to your field. You might even be reimbursed as you pick up new skills.
There are also dedicated courses you can study in the evenings and on weekends that will allow you to work in your current job and remain financially self-sufficient until you decide to leave. Find out as much as possible about the various opportunities your new career can offer.
Even after acquiring the necessary skill set, you may realize that you need some experience for your new employer to consider you suitable for the new job.
If you are still holding on to your current job, you can freelance side by side to acquire the required skills. This will generate extra income and allow you to maintain your current job. However, you also must take up a new job as an intern or fresher to gain relevant experience.
At 30, you would have probably updated and rewritten your resume several times for different jobs. However, when you are looking for a complete career change at 30, you will need to reorient your CV for the employer in your new field to consider you for the job.
Your previous work experience may prove to be useful as it would have equipped you with a set of valuable transferrable skills.
A crucial part of rewriting your CV would include highlighting the different aspects of your previous job that would be relevant to your new career. Check out job advertisements and online job portals to find the keywords and skills that employers list.
Changing careers may take more time than expected. You may need to persevere for some time. But remember that all the additional time you spend on finding a new job is not a waste of time. You can use this time to upskill yourself or try out freelance work opportunities.
Changing careers is a process and may take a long time, but if you have done your research, know what you want, have developed a new skill set and have the zeal and enthusiasm, you will surely achieve what you want.
We hope that this guide on making a career change at 30 will help make the challenges involved in a career shift easier to handle. Research, networking and other tips will help you make the best decisions to secure a job in your desired field.
The possibilities are limitless, so ensure you verify your assumptions and have a beginner’s mindset, as you may have to start from scratch. Remember to make career changes that feel natural to you and do not quit.
Image source: vingrean via Getty Images and keepicon free and edited on CanvaPro
I am a mom who works from home and dabbles with writing when time permits.An avid reader since childhood, blogging and writing helps me de-stress.My five year old keeps me on my read more...
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