Thinking of changing careers? Lots of people hesitate to make the jump for various reasons. For instance, if you have been in a particular career for a while, you may have fears about starting from scratch in another or may doubt your ability to learn new skills at an advanced age.

These concerns are valid, but shouldn’t stop you from making your dream move. In this article, we’ll discuss how to navigate a career change—these tips will work at any stage of your career!

Step 1: Make Sure You're Ready for a Career Change

A man in a suit giving a thumbs up

You might feel stuck or unfulfilled in your current job, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that a career change is a good move.

As a career change will likely have a major impact on your life, it might be smart to spend some time testing the idea before you implement it. Here are three steps to consider before you decide on a career change.

Change Jobs

If you’re frustrated and seeking a new challenge, look out for more signs that it's time to change your current job—not necessarily your career. You can try exploring a similar position at a different organization or a slightly different job at the same one. If nothing changes, try the next idea.

Change Industries

Changing industries entirely while retaining the same job description can be a clever idea to get out of a rut. For example, being a programmer in a core tech company and being a programmer in an IT support unit of a big consulting firm will likely come with very different conditions, cultures, and so on. Changing industries can help you get out of an environment where you’re not at your best, and into one where you’ll thrive.

Consider Taking Some Time Off

Taking an extended break from your current job can be a helpful way of rebooting. Just as you occasionally need to defragment your hard drive or reboot your computer from time to time, you sometimes need to push the reset button on work.

Perhaps an extended vacation will help you feel rested and raring to go again! But if none of these work, a career change might be just what the doctor ordered. Read on to see the steps to take!

Step 2: Learn a New Skill

A child learning how to mold from a lady on a computer

In some cases, you can use your existing skills in a different career. For example, a business major with 10 years of experience in marketing won’t likely have too many difficulties with transiting into a career in human resources.

However, most people looking to make a career shift are generally looking to take a leap into a completely different field. For example, you might have a Law degree but may consider a career in programming to be the best bet for your next move.

If you’re in a similar position, you’ll have to learn new skills. Now, if the thought of going back to college makes you cringe, there’s some good news. You can learn valuable skills like programming online and for free these days!

While learning a new skill often costs little or nothing, as we've just pointed out, it will require a significant investment in time and effort. Before you get started, then, it is important to be sure of what you want to learn.

If you aren't sure what to learn just yet, you may consider getting started with some top skills to learn in 2022. These skills will likely be relevant for many years, so you can't go wrong here.

Step 3: Get Some Experience With Personal Projects and Volunteering Work

An elderly man working on a laptop

Learning a new skill will only be step one. If you’re a mid-career professional, you won’t probably want to start from entry-level all over again.

You may be able to leverage your experience in other fields, but you will also need to show some experience in the area of your new skill.

If you’re learning to program, for example, you will want to show examples of websites you have built. Consider working on a few personal projects or volunteering for causes close to your heart.

You can even try volunteering online from home, allowing you to put in your volunteer hours in your free time.

Step 4: Consider Starting a Business

A lady working on a laptop in a cafe

Changing careers may not always mean seeking a new job and having to start over. Like many people do these days, you can decide to take matters into your own hands by starting a business or offering freelance services.

This way, you don’t have to prove your experience in a rigid recruitment process—instead, you only need to prove that you have the skills your prospective clients are looking for.

Step 5: Start Small

A woman supporting a walking toddler

Making the leap from one career to another will be a big change not only for your career but also in your personal life. This is why we advise that you approach your new career in baby steps, rather than simply quitting your job all at once.

This will give you some time to make the transition comfortably. So while we’ve recommended starting a business as one of the ways to launch a new career, you don’t necessarily need to quit your job immediately.

You can start your new business as a side hustle while you save enough money and importantly, garner enough experience at your new skill.

Step 6: Find a Mentor

A woman talking to another woman with a laptop in front of them

A good mentor is a person who has achieved success in the area of your new career. Having a good mentor may spare you a lot of trouble, as they will be able to advise you on the pitfalls of certain steps even before you encounter them. This will help you to plan ahead effectively. While you may find suitable mentors from within your personal network, or you try finding a mentor online.

Get Started With Your New Career

A career change can be a big change to both your professional and personal life. However, if you approach it right, you will find the transition much easier and less disruptive.