If you’ve decided to make a career change, congratulations, that is no easy feat. Making the choice to invest in yourself and pursue the unknown is the first step towards a successful and satisfying career. Before you officially make any deciding factors, however, it is important to first establish a transition plan that will allow you to make this choice and still be stable and secure. Keep reading for our recommendations on the best way to go about this. 

Identify Your Goals 

If you are at the beginning of your transitional journey, you’ll want to first start out by identifying some goals you may have for this switch. As it is quite a disruption to daily life, you’ll likely not want to go through such a large transition soon after, so really make sure you sit down and take some time to think about exactly what it is that you are missing and also what you want. 

Potential goals could include certain financial goals you may have, personal goals of fulfillment, or unpursued dreams, whatever they may be, it is important to lay these out beforehand, so you can properly plan your following steps. 

Research Your New Industry 

 Once you have decided what industry you would like to pursue, take some time to do some research and familiarize yourself with what you’ll need to do to be successful within it. Especially if it is an industry that you are not previously familiar with, or haven’t worked in for a considerable amount of time. Staying up to date with what is currently happening in the industry, how it’s changed, and how it’s predicted to change will allow you to clearly see a path you need to follow to have success in your transition. 

Develop New Skills 

Once you’ve done some research and established what you need to do to be able to effectively work in your industry, focus on developing your new skills. This can involve anything from signing up for a class or simply studying materials found on the internet, you’d be surprised how far a YouTube video and some determination can take you. 

Focus on developing skills that may make up for your lack of experience or time away from the industry. Employers will likely ask you why you think you’d make a good fit for their company when you may not have as much experience as another candidate. Being able to address this question and show that you’ve put work in to prove yourself will go very far in the workplace. 

Additionally, look into certain programs or classes that may be offered to people who are pursuing a new career with little background. The Advanced Manufacturing Training Expansion Program (AMTEP) was designed for just such individuals in mind. Specified for the manufacturing industry, AMTEP provides opportunities to those who are inexperienced or unskilled to attend trainings at little to no cost. These students are then able to participate in apprenticeships which jumpstart them into their professional career. If you are considering switching into the manufacturing industry, contact AMTEP today. 

Network and Make Connections 

Making the decision to switch into a new career later in life is a daunting one that will obviously come with some challenges. Making sure that you put in the extra effort to give yourself a head start will be incredibly beneficial to you. One way to do this is by spending some time to network and put out connections before you begin your job search. This can be as simple as going on linked in and connecting with professionals in your local area, or as complex as sending out your resume and asking people to have a meeting with you over coffee. 

No matter what venue you take to establish these connections, they will serve you well going forward with your job hunt. Some connections you make may even be able to land you a job or interview when the time is right. The age old adage- “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” is all too true in most areas of business, even in the modern day. 

Polish Up Your Resume and Cover Letter

Before you begin your job hunt, you’ll want to focus some genuine time on fixing up your resume. This may include updating it with recent employment, or shifting the lens of focus if you are going into a vastly different industry than the one you have worked in recently. Making sure your contacts are up to date, relevant work experience is included, and the overall format is attractive and modern are all important factors (and absolutely no spelling errors)! 

Brushing up on your cover letter writing skills will also be helpful, especially within the context of a new industry. Certain sectors of work require certain formats and explanations, so knowing that you are sending employers exactly what they want to see will help you be more confident in your application process.  

Be Patient and Persistent 

When you are finally ready to pursue your new career, remember to be patient and persistent. The reality of the situation is that you will likely receive a lot of rejection, especially as someone with an unconventional work history. Remember to hold your head up and move forward with the knowledge that the right opportunity will present itself eventually. 

It is imperative to not give up, consistently remind yourself that you made this decision for the better, despite the challenges it may present. As long as you stay consistent in your search and confident in yourself, you will eventually be presented with the path that is meant for you. It is no easy task to completely switch your life around, especially when you are in a comfortable routine. 

Cover Your Bases 

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is to properly cover your bases when making a career switch. Regardless of anything else, be sure you are financially and mentally secure before making a big leap. Although it can be an incredibly empowering experience to switch careers, be sure that you are not doing anything impulsive that may have negative consequences in the long run. 

Properly preparing for the transition can look like anything from restricting spending the months leading up to saving a bit more money for a cushion, to preparing family and friends for the large transition in your life. No matter how you define it, covering your bases can ensure that you do not become overwhelmed and slip into dangerous territory during your transition.