4 Top Things To Consider Before Making A Career Change

“I have been in the sales field for close to seven years. I feel I have exhausted the field and I would like to change my career to Administration. I can’t seem to break it even in the admin sector, where am I going wrong?” This was a question from one of our readers.

We are going to discuss how Michelle and many others like her can overcome the roadblocks they are facing in the new field they look to venture into. First, you will need to know what is important to hiring managers in the new field, what skills and experience will set you up well and if you have what it takes.

Here are four top things to consider before making a career change 

1. Get new academic qualifications

Moving from one career to another is not an easy task as one has to probably start from the bottom and grow.for your career change to easily take off, you will need to have the required academic qualifications. We’ve all seen job adverts requirements for academic qualifications, “The ideal candidate should have a degree in HR & Administration from a recognized university”.

Melody Mwendwa, career coaching manager at Corporate Staffing Services says, “Academic qualifications will go a long way in ensuring that you have your foot in the door in any organization”. If you are looking to change careers within the same organization, this can be easy, says Melody. For example, Michelle can easily change her career within the current organization, she has dealt with the company’s clients as a sales person and it will be easy to transition into admin as she has knowledge of some of the organizational processes and she can feel in two positions making her an asset.

2. Get experience

Having gotten the academic qualifications, it’s time to get some experience. To perform the new function, you will need to get hands on experience where at the time you will be required to work long hours for very little pay. We’ve seen how job adverts ask for many years of experience “The ideal candidate must have 2 years of work experience”.

Many of us always think this is just something we can bypass, you cannot. Carolyne Kariuki, a Recruitment manager at Corporate Staffing Services, says “When I’m shortlisting, I adhere to the guidelines I stated in the advert, if I need a candidate with 2 years of experience, I will not consider applications with less than 2 years”. Get an internship opportunity and gain experience as that will move you from the very little pay bracket to a place you can live off your salary comfortably. Volunteer over the weekends to gain experience and become marketable.

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3. Evaluate your skills

You may not have direct experience in the field you are looking to venture in, but perhaps there are some skills that you possess that can be transferred into your new career. Research on what skills are most sought after by employers in the new field and compare to what you have. Your personality and abilities can go a long way in making your prospective employer view you in a different light depending on how you package them, says Melody.

Take time and research about the new career path you wish to pursue and know it inside out. What issues are most pressing for the industry and how suitable are your skills in offering possible solutions for the industry.

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4. Network

Once you have identified the above pointers, it’s time to know who you need to network with, as well as identify a mentor in the industry. Attend conferences, events and even trade shows where you can meet with people and network for your own career advantage. Networking will be sure to guide you on coming up with an action plan which will provide you with guidance on the new career path. Document each milestone and be sure to reward yourself when you achieve something.

See Also>>>Top 5 Ways To Boost Your Career In 2017 

The above are 4 key pointers for you to consider before making a career change. You will require to put in some work, thought and time if you want to make it work. Talk to a career coach, manager today and get to be in the clear about your career move do’s and don’t’s.

The writer is a Communications Officer at Corporate Staffing Services, a leading Recruitment firm that offers CV Writing, Job Placement & Career Advice.  Email: Elizabeth@corporatestaffing.co.ke