10 Incredibly Useful Tips To Get You Started on Finding a New Profession  

You’ve probably heard that a person changes careers seven times in their lifetime. Some may find that statistic questionable, while some may naively believe it just to get through a career change of our own. I am a believer. I am a lawyer and I will always be a lawyer (i.e. I’ll keep my law license), but that doesn’t mean I want to practice law forever. I am in the midst of a career change and I want to share what has and has not worked for me so far:

Get to Know Thyself 
If you have ever had a lingering feeling that you no longer liked your job or career, you may want to confront it or acknowledge it. It’s not always a bad idea to question your career choice. Among the reasons to change your career are boredom, lack of engagement, you don’t like the people you work with, your ideas are ignored, you’re losing sleep over it, or you don’t feel special (yes, that matters). If any of the above apply to you, you need to go on a self-discovery mission before you make a big change. Step 1 is figuring out why you’re not longer happy and what would actually make you happy. Is it a better environment, work life balance, or an entirely new career? There are several tools online that could help find your strengths and weaknesses including Talent Today and Strengthfinder. Complete some of the assessments and find what works for you and what motivates you.

It’s Okay Not to Know Everything 
Even if after you complete the assessments, you still don’t know what you want to do, it’s okay. You’re still a step closer than you were before. The whole point is to discover yourself and make the change strategically, not just because you’re unhappy one day. It should be a strategic and deliberate move, not one based on frustration or anger. So plan it and execute accordingly.

Try Something New
There’s a saying that “all those who wander are not lost.” Just because you don’t know what to do right now, doesn’t mean you should not do anything. Go out and explore. Try a new class, a new business idea, learn a new skill, do the thing you loved to do in high school or college again. See what gets you motivated and excited and see if you can turn it into a career. Some of the things you’ll try will be utter failures, others you’ll love and continue doing. The point is to find your way and have some fun in the process. You’ll try new and daring things you would never be able to do if you stayed in your current career that no longer excites you.

You Will Drive People Crazy 
While you’re exploring, you may drive your significant other, or your friends and family crazy.  You may come up with a dozen business idea before you decide to proceed with one, you may change titles, careers, and make alternative plans all in a matter of weeks, and everyone in your life  may just not be interested in them.  The lesson is: wander, but keep it to yourself for a little while. When you narrow it down, then share your plans.

Ask for Help 
All your wandering may lead you to one inevitable conclusion: You need help! There is no shame in that. In fact, if you hit a dead-end, it’s recommended that you seek help form a career coach. But just as with a job search, do your research. Don’t pick the first person you find online. Do a background check, read the reviews, and then meet with them. There are several things to keep in mind when hiring a career coach. Career coaches can help you find your strengths and weaknesses, make recommendations on how to acquire or fine-tune your skills, and what positions may be good for you. While they will not find you a new job, they can guide you on a new path towards finding one.

Narrow it Down 
Whether you choose to figure things out on your own or hire a career coach, the next step is to narrow your search. Come up with a few titles that interest you, and then research them. See what sticks out that you like, and what you don’t like. Narrowing it down helps you focus, and helps guide the rest of your transition. Now that you know what you want to be, the next step is figuring out how to get there.

Create a Plan 
The best thing to do is create a plan. Even if it’s a one-page outline of steps to take to get to your new role, it’ll help you focus. Outline what you like, what you don’t like, and what titles and industries you like. There are a number of things to think about: your current position, how long you’ll stay, how much you should have in your savings before you leave, creating your personal brand, revising your resume, tapping into what skills you have that you can use for your next role and what skills you still need to develop and how.

Create a Timeline 
A part of your plan is a timeline. Pick a number that makes you feel comfortable, whether it’s 30 days, 60, 90 or 365. In other words, whatever gives you a deadline but also enough time to execute on your plan. Use the plan you created, and incorporate it into your timeline. Give yourself a realistic time period to accomplish everything. For instance, your resume will take about a week to rewrite, a week to get reviewed by one person, another week by another, and a few days to format and fine-tune. So give yourself a month to revamp your resume alone. Add a networking event to every single week, and a networking call at least once a week, plus any courses you’re taking to your timeline.

Get in the right mindset 
The key thing to remember during a career transition is that patience is key. If you’re changing careers, it will take time to change your resume, to get interviews, and even to get noticed. You need to prepare for it. Whatever period you have in your mind, double it! If you gave yourself 3 months to get everything done,  save enough money for 6, just in case. Also, your first 30 days of networking, researching and implementing your plan will be a discovery process. You will not know everything about the position and you will learn a lot! Be patient with it and absorb it all like a sponge.

Go for it! 
Now that you have a plan, go for it! Start networking, start creating your personal brand, go on every job site imaginable and upload your resume, check out other people’s resumes, look at LinkedIn profiles of people who have your role and see what they’ve done and try to replicate it, take courses, go to Meetups, go to lunch meetings, and make some calls. It’s exhausting and sometimes discouraging, but if you have your timeline and a checklist, it will keep you going and make you feel like you’re still accomplishing something. Keep your goal and vision in mind, and get it done sister!

Here are some other resources:

• Angel.co – startup job site
• Indeed.com – job board
• Glassdoor.com – job board and a great resource for interview questions and salary information
• LinkedIn – great for networking, job search, salary information (with a paid account).
• Lynda.com – owned by Linkedin. Great online courses to hone your skills. Also, check out Coursera.org and Generalassembly.com
• Canva.com – build a unique resume that will stand out
• Themuse.com – great job listing and career advice

Other tips and tricks:

• Spell check your resume!!! Can’t emphasize that enough!
• Make sure your LinkedIn profile matches your resume
• Make sure you can provide an example of everything you’ve done that you included on your resume
• Have your resume reviewed by other people who are in that role
• Prepare answers to possible interview questions (use Glassdoor.com to look up interview questions at various companies)
• Lastly: Stay strong! And good luck!