How to Make a Career Change

Clients often tell me they want to make a career change but don’t know where to start. I respond by providing the with the structure needed to conceptualize their career change, get the right information, and decide how to take the first steps. Here are 5 points to consider when conceptualizing a career change:

1. Role vs. Industry – Most people are straight up confused about how to begin. You want to consider “do I know my role” and “do I know what field/industry.” If you know your role, or if you know the field/industry, you have a start. If you know both, you are well on your way. Take some time to think about the role you want, in the field/industry you want. Researching both are the building blocks to making your change.

2. Indecisive vs. Indecision – A career change is a hard decision. Is it difficult for you because decisions in general are difficult for you? If so, you may be indecisive. Or maybe you don’t have a hard time with decision making, but you find yourself at a place of indecision. Perhaps you lack information. So identify, is your problem primarily that you are indecisive, or that you lack information so are at a place of indecision.

3. Greatest strength vs. Greatest weakness – Usually they go hand in hand. Find out what you are best at. If you can’t, figure out what you are worst at. Our best and worst strengths are usually the same personality trait playing itself out in different circumstances. For example maybe you are really generous with your time and helping others – a formidable strength. This may also be a weakness in that you never have enough time. Play up the strength in a career (teaching, guidance, training, etc.) and support your weakness with some skills building (time management, assertiveness training, etc.).

4. Interests vs. Skills – I often hear the phrase, “I have so many interests, I just can’t decide!” Okay, who said you have to? There is nothing wrong with having a variety of interests, except it can make a career path unclear. Instead, assess your transferable skills. Skills are sometimes easier to identify than interests and can make a career change more clear.

5. Environment – What environment needs your skills the most? What environments do you work best in? Small, large, traditional, innovative, calm, structured, loose, entrepreneurial, rank-and-file……the list of cultures is huge and it’s important to know which brings out the best in you.

I hope this article helps you conceptualize how to begin making a career change. There is a lot to think about and I’d love to hear your story.

Julie LaCroix, M.A.,  has a private practice in Newport Beach, CA,  which serves adults of all ages looking for help with how they got “stuck” in their careers.  Maybe it’s the wrong job, maybe it’s the wrong field altogether.  Or maybe you just don’t know what else is out there.  Her practice is designed to help you, wherever you are in your career journey. She earned a B.A. in Psychology from UCI and an M.A. in Educational Clinical Counseling from Azusa Pacific University.  Contact Julie at www.julielacroix.com.

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