How do you go about finding a new career path without first quitting your job?
This appears to be a question on more than 50 percent of employees’ minds according to a recent survey. Most workers are somewhat unsettled and do not find their jobs fulfilling. While unemployment remains high, those who are employed are thinking about new career paths.
Discussing different career paths and taking the time to explore interests before making a job change can bring a sense of empowerment. In fact, taking a proactive stance gives you time to make a good decision when you are ready to strike out in a new career direction.
Finding a new career path is based on information that leads to good decision making — not rumors or unrealistic wishes — but insights from those already working in your new field of interest.
While it can be easy to grumble and stay unhappy in a job for years, if you are serious about making a change, it helps to start by identifying fields of interest.
Once you have chosen an area of interest, identify people currently working in the field. This is where networking plays a role in connecting one person to another for information-gathering and social media sites can be a good source for gathering referral leads.
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The key to having good fact-finding meetings is to be genuine in your approach. Don’t use the pretense of gathering information to get the meeting, then ask for a job. This makes you appear manipulative. Your goal is to focus on gathering information that will help broaden your understanding of the industry and help you make good decisions about changing your career path.
Most people are pleasantly surprised to discover they have more skills than they realized when transitioning to a new career. Simply going back for a continuing-education course or two might be all you need to land your dream job. Here’s the good news: When you prepare for a new career without being under pressure to find a job, you can plan and take classes a step at a time.
Here are some guidelines in preparing for your fact-finding meetings:
• Provide a clear agenda for the meeting. Think about why you want the meeting, what your background means in the new field, why you are interested in exploring this field, and how you can gain the necessary skills.
• Gathering information by asking questions is the point of your meeting, but remember to ask about other resources, such as professional associations, trade publications or newsletters your contact could recommend.
• One of the goals of a fact-finding meeting is expanding your networking contacts by asking for referrals who could offer additional information. Often people are willing to help, they just need to know what type of information to provide.
• Inquire about latest industry trends and what skills employers look for in job candidates in this field.
• Ask a targeted question, such as “now that you know about my interests and background, would this industry be a good match for me?” This helps the other person share their point of view, which can easily lead to more questions that can help you identify key skills.
• Expressing gratitude is very important. It not only shows professional respect, it forms a lasting impression that can continue throughout your career.
After you have gathered information, the next steps make the difference in whether you pursue your new career path or continue to think about it. Information is great, but if you don’t take action, you are back at square one.
Have you found fact-finding meetings helpful to you in making a career decision?
