In 20 years of professional career coaching, I’ve had the privilege of helping thousands of individuals explore their career options and answer the question, “What do I want to be now that I’ve grown up?”
Along the way, I've found that many of the traditional guidelines, books and resources on the subject of career change have reached the point where they're slightly (at times, significantly) past their shelf life. Given the extraordinary pace of change in today's market, along with the explosion of career tools and information sources available via the Web, the process of exploring one's occupational options has evolved quite a bit compared to the advice given in decades past.
So for better or worse, let me offer my own unique perspective on the realities of making a career change today, based on what I've seen work (and not work) out on the front lines of the modern job market.
Here are five key guidelines to ponder, accompanied by recommendations for a few of my favorite resources on the subject.
- Beware the passion trap.
While I realize this observation won't win me a popularity contest, the simple truth is that "following one's bliss" doesn't always produce the career stability and sustainable income stream most people are seeking. Pragmatism and market realities have to be factored into the equation as well.
So if you're one of the lucky few who have a crystal-clear picture in mind of what you want to spend your life doing, go for it, and don't let anything stand in your way. But if you're like most of us, your hobbies may not be compelling or defined enough to center your whole career around.
Rather than torture yourself endlessly, seeking some way to integrate your outside interests into your daily work routine, keep in mind that it's perfectly okay to choose a more practical path that will get your basic needs met (income, benefits, camaraderie) and thus allow you to pursue your passions, with gusto, outside of the office.
Matt’s Favorite Resource:So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport
- Prepare to work your butt off.
Let's not beat around the bush. Breaking into a brand new field isn't easy, especially in today's competitive market where it can be hard enough, at times, to find work in areas where you already have marketable experience. But changing careers isn't impossible, either.
If you can get past the initial trepidation and tap into the motivation needed to truly reinvent yourself, the rewards can be substantial. Typically, this will involve putting together a 12–24 month game plan where you bear down, do your homework and start acquiring the skills, knowledge and credentials that your research indicates are most valued by employers in your target field.
Don't expect instant gratification. Allow yourself enough time to “get smart” on your new field and build up your confidence to the point where you have a serious shot at convincing somebody to take a chance on you.
Matt’s Favorite Resource:Working Identity by Herminia Ibarra
- Get over yourself.
Despite what many experts might suggest, I urge you to never lose sight of the fact that picking a viable new career path is not all about you. It's also about your customer – the marketplace – and what employers today (the ones who create jobs) will actually pay to have somebody come in and accomplish for them.
So get it out of your head that exploring a new career opportunity is an utterly introspective process that centers around an exploration of your own strengths, skills and interests. That’s only half the equation. You need to put equal weight on talking to people and reviewing hard data on what employers say they need done today, as well as the specific, specialized skills they demand.
If you factor the laws of supply and demand into your decision-making process, there's a much higher likelihood of your career investment efforts paying off down the road.
Matt’s Favorite Resource: The Trends tool on Indeed.com
- Emphasize tools and technology.
Along the lines of tip three above, one trend that can't be overlooked in today's job market is the incredible premium companies in most fields now place on knowing a particular tool, piece of software or information system. Picking up skills in these areas is virtually guaranteed to improve your career prospects faster than acquiring more generalized capabilities.
What's more, given the speed at which technology evolves, you can be assured that there's always some hot new credential that employers are dying to find on the resumes of potential candidates – allowing you to leapfrog your competition.
So shy away from acquiring squishy qualifications like people skills and creative problem-solving abilities; almost anybody can claim these hard-to-measure skills, giving them little actionable value in the hiring process. Instead, latch on to an emerging technology or methodology like SharePoint, Epic medical software, 3D printer systems, Six Sigma and the like. Nothing will get the attention of would-be employers faster than being able to demonstrate a cutting-edge grasp of the latest and greatest tools and technologies in their field.
Matt’s Favorite Resource: The Skills & Expertise section on LinkedIn.com
- Get involved, wear the T-shirt.
The most successful career changers don't just sit in a class and absorb rote information about a new profession or industry, hoping this knowledge will suddenly translate into an exciting job prospect once they graduate. That was the old paradigm. Now, you've got to get a jump on the process early and show some moxie, commitment and hustle.
Immerse yourself in all the relevant books you can find on your desired future profession. Follow the blogs of thought leaders in your target field. Join any and all groups (both offline and online) where professionals in your industry congregate. These are the kinds of activities that will help you build the relationships you'll need once you're ready to fire up your job search in earnest; they'll also demonstrate your sincere interest in making a change into the field in question.
Just saying, "Yeah, I took a few classes on that," isn't going to impress a recruiter or hiring manager. Walking them through the concerted effort you've made to learn about your new field, however, might convince them you're serious enough to bring on board. Who knows? You might even uncover some trends, knowledge or industry gossip along the way that the employer wasn't aware of – making them really glad they took a meeting with you!
Matt’s Favorite Resource:The Seattle Networking Guide located at iloveseattle.org