Making a career transition – where to start
Are you unsatisfied in your current career? Do you wish you could do something more meaningful in your working life?
Mature workers often start to rethink their life priorities and their interests in mid to late career and as a consequence consider a new career direction. While they might want to make a change, sometimes, figuring out exactly what they want to do isn’t that clear to them. Our WoWT online career transition program can help with that, but here are some tips to get you thinking.
- Understand what brings you satisfaction
A good place to start is identifying the tasks and challenges in your current job that give you the most pleasure or fulfilment or that you find frustrating. This should also help you get a better understanding of your work and life values – what is important in a job at this life stage. Make a detailed list of pros and cons to help you figure out what you want from a new role.
- Understanding transferable skills
Moving in a completely new direction requires a deep understanding of your transferable skills, as these are what will most likely get you that sought-after position. Transferable skills go beyond good communication or interpersonal skills which are often the immediate skills that come to mind. But transferable skills can provide a much more nuanced view of what you have to offer, for example cultural intelligence, reading the room, innovativeness, active listening, collaboration, critical thinking to name but a few. It is worth taking the time to really reflect on your transferable skills and then focus on the ones that will be most relevant to any new position once you decide on a direction.
- Make a list of possible jobs or new career options
Be expansive when making this list and be open to completely new ideas. You may find this Australian Skills Classification site useful It not only lists a comprehensive range of occupations, but also provides a list of the skills you need to be successful in each position. Once you have your list, try to narrow it down to the top 3 or 5 and then do a deep dive into each to get a better understanding of your options. Are there businesses or not-for-profits in each sector that align with your values?
- Network, network, network
Do you know anyone in the sectors or industries you have chosen? Do you know someone who might know someone in those sectors? Start by asking your own network for advice. This can be a daunting task, but you will usually find that your contacts are happy to help or connect you with others. Be prepared to organise (and cover the costs of) a lot of coffees as you investigate the best career option for you. Have questions prepared and seek information rather than favours, though hopefully the latter will be forthcoming. This process will not only provide valuable insights into what’s out there in the job market but may also help you narrow down your work preferences and most important values as you reflect on what you learn.