Today, more and more people are undergoing career transitions. The average worker will change careers (not jobs) anywhere from three to seven times in his or her lifetime. Thus, career changes are a natural part of life progression. Career changes are sometimes prompted by our changing interests, a change in our personal lives, or a change in our working environment.
Whatever the reason for your change, a career transition is a time to redefine your goals in a new direction. As you consider what the career transition means to you, ask yourself what the outcome will be. How will this change make things different for you?
Are you just seeking a different work environment? New challenges? More/less responsibility? Knowledge in a new discipline? Better compensation? More flexible/predictable schedule? Transitioning to a new career field challenges you to give considerable thought to all the changes you may have to make in your life.
There is no single strategy that works for every individual making a career change. Your individual circumstances, work experience, skills, interests, and values will be unique to you. However, there are some basic steps that one should consider.
Begin by going to the career-planning links (on the right-side menu) and reading through the steps that will help you begin the process of your career transition.
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Stage 2: Career Exploration and Developing Marketable Skills Stage 3: Build Experience and Network |
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Self-Assessment: What are you good at? What do you enjoy doing? In what kind of environment will you thrive? How will your values manifest at work?
Assessment instruments will NOT 'tell' you what do do with your life! Below are some fun tools to help you start generating ideas. |
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Values Sheet: If you don't value your work, you probably won't be happy for long! CareerLink: Tells which career clusters fit you and provides details about each Career Interests Game: Super fast just to get you started. Based on Holland Codes |
ONet's skills quiz: see what jobs match what you'd like to physically do all day Career Focus 2000: Rate your interest in 18 career fields Keirsey Temperament Sorter: We have books here in Career Services to relate this to careers Princeton Review: Fast self assessment |
Research: Which Occupations Suit you?
| - Occupational Outlook Handbook Learn about hiring trends, average salaries, educational requirements, etc. - Business Careers Liberal Arts & Business majors alike succeed in Business careers. - Vault In-depth information about popular career fields, free online books, plus industry & employer information |
- Occupational Information Network Search by skills, interests, values, etc. Also, take the quiz to view occupations that match what you'd prefer to physically do all day. - Careers in Library Science Assembled by Swem Library, this links provides good core information about careers in Library Science, including grad school info. In addition, Swem usually offers a workshop on Library Science careers every year. Contact the reference desk for details… |
Decision and preparation
Once you've narrowed your choices After you've researched and interned / volunteered / shadowed in the careers that interest you, you should be ready to make an informed decision about which career you want to pursue first in your life. |
Intern and Shadow: Get experience and contacts in your chosen field Research continuing ed/certification/graduate school options Join A Professional Association: Start building your professional network right now while gaining in-depth understanding of your chosen career. If at all possible, go to the conferences, workshops, seminars offered by your association--start meeting your future colleagues now! |