Mistakes to Avoid When Considering a Change of Career

It’s happened to most of us at one time or another in our careers: we look around our office or at the paperwork on our desks or the computer screen filled with never-ending tasks and wonder to ourselves: is there anything else I can do for a living? We start to dream about doing something else that might be more enjoyable, more fulfilling, one that will let us put our skills to better use, travel, or maybe make more money!
 
Before you consider changing your career, there are some considerations that you need to think about. Here are some tips from those who have been there, so use these to avoid the pitfalls when it comes to looking for a new job.

Getting into a field just because it is red-hot right now, or someone says, “you would be great at this”

 Remember that, at the end of the day, outside influences are never a great idea when you are considering changing careers. Especially when it comes to something that is trendy at the moment or because someone thinks you would be good at something. Ultimately, you know yourself best: unless you are passionate about that something, letting your decisions be swayed by outside factors is never a good idea. Unless you have a passion for something, you’ll probably feel like you’re back at square one after a period of time.

Changing careers just without spending some time to understand what you really enjoy doing

Maybe you went into your present career because it is what you spent time studying at college or university. “It would be a pity to waste all that time and money I spend if I don’t do this,” you say to yourself. But ask yourself why you went to study that particular course in the first place. Unless you decide it really isn’t for you, even if you studied to become an accountant, lawyer, or software designer, you don’t have to spend the rest of your career working for an accounting or law firm doing exactly what you trained for in school. Enjoy showbiz? Find an entertainment company that is hiring talent for their accounts or legal departments. Are you a software designer? Set up your own app development side hustle on your way to bigger things.

Changing your career because you don’t like your current role

Why you ask? Isn’t that the usual reason people want to find something else to do for a living? No, it’s never a wise move to hop over to a completely new industry because you are not enjoying what you are doing at the moment. The real reason could be that you are not really getting along with the people you work with for professional or personal reasons. Maybe the culture at the company you are working at doesn’t really suit you. But that is not a good enough reason to ditch something that you may have spent time building up skills and experience doing. Instead of a career change, maybe take it one step at a time – see if you can find another company where your hard-earned skills will be better appreciated.

Letting money be the major factor in your decision

You might end up making more money than you do right now, but you might also not really like your decision. You might end up bored and in a role you don’t really enjoy, but now you’re stuck again, especially if you leveled up your lifestyle in the meantime to match your new paycheck.

Please also remember that most of us face the obstacles described by the Peter Principle in our career journey. And we face it even in our careers when we have good skills and experience in what we do. Moving on to something entirely new may always increase the risks of Peter's principle working earlier than it could. On the other hand, our decisions should not be driven by fear of failure. So, think carefully and logically before you jump over to a different role or career.

job boards such as EJable are a great place to begin your new job search; if you’re considering a change of career, remember to keep the above points in mind. Once you have decided what you would like to do, go for it! There are many job opportunities out there, especially if you would like to consider moving to a new country to start a new career.