You might have decided to take the plunge and switch over to a new career. While you might be both excited and a bit scared, there are many steps you can take to make sure that your transition is smooth without affecting your personal life. With many diversified job opportunities available, it has become more common for people to make career changes. In fact, every adult makes about 5 to 7 career transitions during their professional lives.
Making a career change might cause a lot of stress in adults. However, these few simple steps from career guidance professionals will help make the transition smoother.
Research Thoroughly
Knowing the job and the field that you about to enter will you help deal with the anxiety and stress of making the shift. Research the company, the position that you will be taking up, and the kind of role you will be fulfilling in the company. Talk to others in the field and ask about their experience and how they adjusted to the daily routine of the new job. Do not hesitate to ask questions during your interview.
Rethink Passion
A lot of us put pressure on ourselves to find the ‘perfect’ job. With a lot of discussion in the media about following one’s passion, we find ourselves in the impossible situation of finding a job that fits into our passion. However, according to various studies, it has been found that there are certain general traits of a job that can elevate satisfaction. These include respect, autonomy, a sense of impact, creativity, and recognition. These can be found in any job and you shouldn’t pressure yourself into finding the ‘right’ job.
Good Financial Health
Ensuring that you have good financial reserves when making your transition is one of the most prudent career tips you will ever receive. Check your bank balance and make sure that you have enough to tide you over the initial salary. You should also create a budget where you can see what things you can cut back on and what your essential expenses are. There are several apps and software available that will help you streamline your financial health.
Break It Down
If you are making a major career change where you are required to make a lot of changes, you can find yourself overwhelmed by the magnitude of the change. Instead, you should try to break down the task into smaller, more achievable tasks and focus on them one at a time. This will help you focus without getting anxious about the big picture.
Exercise Away
One of the best ways to deal with stress and anxiety is to exercise regularly. Studies have shown that an elevated heart rate can significantly impact your mood. Find out what type of exercise you like to do and then commit to doing it for at least an hour, three days a week. Once you get into the groove, increase it to five times a week.
Lean On Others
The period of a career transition can be stressful for everyone. Let the people around you know that you are making changes to your life that will benefit you in the long run. Ask for help beyond career advice and make sure that you get your loved ones on board. Ask your partner to step in if you are unable to fix breakfast due to a longer commute or plan a date night if you find yourself working on the weekends.
Take A Time Out
In the initial days of a career shift, you might be very enthusiastic about doing well and learning as much as you can. However, burnout is a real thing and you should be mindful of doing only how much you can. Set aside sometime in the week to spend quality time with your family or to exercise. You should also allow yourself to relax and catch your breath while you evaluate your progress.
Define Your Success
Too many times we catch ourselves measuring our success by how others do. When you make a career change, it might feel like you are starting out from the bottom all over again. This is where you need to pause and give yourself some credit. Not many people are brave enough to admit that they are in the wrong career let alone do something about it. Decide your own goals that are not influenced by the norm.
A career advisor might not think it prudent that you abandon a job that you’ve spent years training for. However, with the simple tips mentioned above, you will be able to deal with the stress and anxiety when it comes to it.
Tag: career advice
Life-Hacks: 3 Skills to Master Before You Turn 30
These days, there is a rising trend in the corporate world. This trend basically refers to the demand for professionals who are trained, not only academically, but also possess skills which are expected by the particular industries. There was recently a study conducted which concluded that about 35% of the HR Managers are still unable to find candidates suitable for a certain position, not because of their educational qualifications, but their inability to understand and relate to the soft skills that any industry would be in search of.
This is the reason why a number of fresh graduates have collectively taken to being groomed so as to ensure they have the skill set to enter the industry as well as the corporate world. Imarticus Learning is focused on providing candidates professional training, as well assisting them in achieving all the industry-endorsed skills which are expected out of them. Most of the candidates attending these courses are looking to have a career change. Individuals, who have freshly graduated, have a long way of learning to go through before they are able to master the corporate world.
Here’s three skills that these young graduates must master.
Honesty
Although the most beaten down of all the values that one is taught throughout their lives, honesty is one soft skill which will take you a long way, in the corporate world. Instead of thinking of making excuses either when a deadline isn’t met, or when you are late for presentation, follow the advice of the experts and be honest. While you wouldn’t be expected to tell all of the details of your misgivings, you certainly will gain much more credibility if you truthfully state down the reasons, for your incompetency, instead of threading a web of lies.
Ability to Receive Criticism
This is one soft skill, which everyone needs to cultivate regardless of their age. It is always easy to turn your nose up, or be extremely resentful towards anyone, who is trying to find out the mistakes in your work. While no likes being shown that they are wrong, it is a necessary to cultivate certain amounts of empathy within oneself, only then would you be able to openly accept any kind of criticism that comes your way.
Communication
The ability to communicate with anyone and everyone is certainly something worth possessing. While some may be lucky enough to possess the gift of the gab, others are unfortunate enough, to be repetitive victims of the foot-in-mouth syndrome. Communication does not mean only verbal communication, it may also refer to writing a mail, being a participant in a meeting, or giving a presentation to a roomful of onlookers. For those who have the gift of the gab, consider tweaking yourself in order to sound more refined and come across as someone who can hold their own. While for those shy people, it becomes necessary to challenge yourself and try and find new ways to communicate more effectively.