How to change your career
Back in 2014 I left my executive job in Sydney to relocate to the United States for 6 months to attend to a family crisis. The time away gave me a chance to reflect on where I might take my career next, and mostly how my next role would not be out of desperation. I wanted to achieve a better work life balance.
When I returned to Sydney, I decided to take up some career coaching sessions to help me re-enter the workforce and work out what type of role I wanted to apply for. Within a few sessions I found that my strengths and interests aligned with becoming a career coach myself. I started taking the steps toward that career, and now I’ve been running my own coaching business for five years.
This type of story is becoming more common. Gone are the days when people would stay in the one job for life and get a gold watch when they retired! Many people these days want to move around and try different jobs, industries and careers. This might be to pursue personal interests and passions, to expand skills and expertise, work with different people or work in a different city. Through the pandemic, some people were forced to change jobs. Others saw it as an opportunity to pursue a different career path - perhaps one they had been thinking about for many years.
As a career coach, I’ve helped many clients to change careers. I’ve had a client who was a social worker who transitioned into HR, a stay-at-home mum who took a 14 year career break then became a childcare worker, a bartender who landed his dream job as a media operator at a TV station, and a woman who ditched her corporate career open her own dog training business.
So how do you change your career? There are a number of steps you can take to successfully pull off a career change. Here are my top tips.
1. Understand your strengths
When I went to see a career coach, I learned about my top strengths through the CliftonStrengths Assessment. Having an experienced coach walk me through my unique strengths profile and help me understand which types of roles and working environments I’m most suited to was a game changer.
Now I use the CliftonStrengths Assessment with all of my clients to help them identify what they are good at, and to target their job search toward roles where they can use their strengths every day. People are most fulfilled at work when their job enables them to use their natural strengths and abilities. Once you understand your strengths, you will start to understand the types of roles that will bring you joy.
2. Identify your interests and passions
Sometimes when people are really stuck and unsure what career they will love, I ask them to write down what topics they love watching online, reading about, or discussing with their friends. There’s often a theme that can be identified such as passion for cooking, beauty and self care, helping people overcome adversity or fascination with tech products.
If you dig a little deeper on what gets you excited or “in flow”, there are often clues on which careers you will love. And if you’re still not sure, ask a few people who know you these 3 questions:
What is unique about me?
What am I good at?
When have you seen me at my best?
I have counted dozens of clients who told me when they read their responses from their friends and colleagues, they cried. So try it! It might be really powerful for you.
3. Write your career change resume
Not only do you need an updated, clear and appropriately formatted resume, but you need a career change resume.
Your career change resume must include:
the reason for your career change
your transferable skills that make you a good match for the new career
powerful stories of how you’ve delivered results in previous roles.
The first page of your career change resume should only cover your career objective, your capability stories and a short career summary in a table capturing all of your previous roles. The second page should then cover your employment history in more detail. This ensures the person reading doesn’t dismiss your application immediately because they focused too quickly on your most recent job.
4. Write your career change cover letter
Like the career change resume, you will also need a cover letter that tells the person reading it that you are changing careers. A career change cover letter should include an introductory paragraph that is written in human voice, like you’re speaking to a friend. It should be authentic and emotive, and not formal.
Here’s an example:
“Honestly, I studied Social Work but I have found that this industry is fraught with human trauma. I realised that when I worked in HR recruitment I loved connecting with new people and matching them to the right jobs. I became the organiser for myself and the team, which made the team better. I am now seeking a professional job in HR recruitment where I can leverage my empathy and organisational skills to enable my employer to delight our customers.”
This got my client several call backs for interviews. In fact one interviewer gushed how much they loved her resume.
5. Identify the requirements of your ideal job
There are a few ways you can find out about the skills, training and experience that are required for the job you’re interested in. You can talk to people who do the job or work in the industry. Ask them what they like about the job, what they don’t like about the job, and maybe what they would they have done differently. These insights are super helpful in understanding the role, requirements and expectations.
When I was researching career coaching as a path for me, I requested “career advice” meetings with about 10 different career coaches that I had met through an outplacement service. They were all lovely and eager to share their ideas and suggestions. Some of the advice I received was conflicting but I managed to take up some suggestions and kept moving on others.
You can also identify job requirements by looking at online job advertisements, for example on Seek or LinkedIn. Find and save the advertisements you are interested in, and put together a list of the common skills and expertise that are requested. Work out which requirements you believe you already meet, and which ones you need to gain with further training and experience.
6. Get experience
When I was learning to be a career coach, I offered free career coaching to friends. I kept logs of my learnings and continually researched and improved the tools I used. Think about the opportunities that are available to you, or that you can create, to practice and gain experience in the type of work you are interested in. This not only helps you hone your skills, but you will also create relevant examples of work to talk about in applications and interviews.
7. Tap into your network
I know that a lot of people worry about the idea of “networking”. But it really can be as simple as contacting someone you know that’s in the job or industry you’re interested in and offering to buy them a coffee while they give you their top career tips.
Most humans genuinely want to help, and the more specifically you can describe the type of role you are interested in, the easier it is for them to help you. They may have ideas or contacts that might link you to your future job. Believe me, this happens all the time. Just remember to show gratitude and thank them for their suggestions, and keep them posted how your meeting went, even if the lead they gave you went cold.
8. Undertake training
Training is a great way to improve your skills, and show potential employers that you are committed to the subject area and network with people who have similar interests to you. Training is also a good strategy to test out the area you’re interested in and really validate your level of interest. I suggest talking to a few people in the industry for their training recommendations. Short and low cost training can be a good option to start. Some training organisations even offer free introductory webinars or workshops before committing to a course.
Because the Australian government has recognised the current skills shortage, there are a range of free and subsidised courses available as well as grants. List the training you have taken on your resume. If you are still undertaking training, add it to your resume with the “expected completion date”.
9. Be patient through the transition phase
Changing careers takes time and patience. It usually doesn't happen overnight, and people who are changing careers are often juggling their day job and home commitments. I encourage you to be persistent as you take the required steps to move into your new career. The good news is, if you are considering a career change I am here to help you cut through the confusion and opinions to figure out what is best for you. I have helped many clients successfully move into their new career with my career transition package. If you’re interested to learn more about this package and the services I offer, please book in for a free chat. I’m here to listen to your situation and needs, and guide you through your career questions.
8th August 2023