Considering a new career? You’re not alone. According to our recent Q1 2022 Staffing Survey, 28% of respondents said they plan on looking for a new job in 2022 and 78% of companies are looking to increase their total staff.
Maybe you’re not really enjoying your career though and don’t know what to do next. How do you decide what direction to go in (or not to go in)?
Here are 6 steps to help you navigate the job market and make a successful career change.
- Gauge your current job satisfaction. Get out a piece of paper and write down all of the things you enjoy about your current job and all of the things you don’t like. Are your dissatisfactions related to your daily job duties, the company culture or perhaps the people you work with? Now focus on the things you really enjoy and use that as a starting point for your next career.
- Consider your interests and skills. What do you like to do? Review past successful roles, specific projects you enjoyed, or tasks you were great at. Is your current role aligned with your skills and interests? Are there other careers that might be a better fit?
- Assess alternative careers. Brainstorm ideas for new career options that match your skillset and interests. Talk to friends or family to get their opinions and ideas of what might work for you. If you’re still struggling, our expert career consultants can help you evaluate.
- Set up a job shadow. Know someone that does work you might be interested in? Ask them if you can join them one day to get a better idea if that career path is right for you. Our recruiting experts can also tap into their network to set you up with a job shadow or two to help evaluate your career wants and needs.
- Get a certification or take a class. Perhaps the career you’re most interested in doesn’t completely align with your current skillset. Explore the idea of taking a class or getting a certification to fill in those gaps. Our career consultants can help you navigate the many options out there and determine what would be the most beneficial for the career path you want to take.
- Consider a new job in the same industry. Even though you may want to go down a different career path, that doesn’t mean you need to switch industries entirely. Consider alternative roles within your current industry which would use the industry knowledge you already have e.g. if you are a programmer who no longer wants to program, consider project management or QA/testing.