The Benefits of Changing Career and How to Change It in 9 Easy Steps

A lot of people dream of changing careers but aren’t really sure how to go about it. Whether you dream of having flexible working hours or just plainly hate your job, a career change is possible by making little tweaks to your job search strategy.

Changing jobs can be a little scary and risky. But the younger you are, the easier it will be to make a career change. Digital workers have the edge over people in other careers. According to a recent JobStreet Global Talent Survey, four in ten digital workers are job hunting now, and 73% plan to look for a new job within the next two to three years. Planning a career change can bring about doubts and uncertainties and a whole range of issues which can be difficult to deal with. The benefits of truly enjoying your new job and a career you really love may be well worth the risk.

Benefits of changing careers

While better pay and opportunities are good reasons to change careers, many who change careers do so to keep their skills up to date, remain competitive in the workforce, or they’re simply up for a new challenge. Maybe the passion for your career has stopped. Others cite the need for better work-life balance or too stressful a work environment.

Though it can be scary, there are many benefits to changing careers. Many find themselves more satisfied and less stressed. A new or rekindled passion for your work can also make you feel more fulfilled at work.

JobStreet’s Global Talent Survey cites the top five reasons why employees want to change careers:

• Better career opportunities in other roles: 63%
• Looking for a new challenge: 49%
• Feeling undervalued in my current role: 36%
• Work-life balance no longer matches my standards: 29%
• Looking for a company that is more aligned with my personal beliefs 24%

Now, if you want to change careers and you’re not sure how, start by following these nine easy steps!

Nine easy steps to change careers

1. Determine what’s motivating you to make a career change

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people think work should be done. Before the pandemic, almost half of all workers in Malaysia preferred to work at the office. After 2020, 68% of Malaysian workers would prefer a hybrid situation where one can work from home or the office.

Have you always dreamt of doing something but thought it was too unstable or risky? Have you recently started feeling like the career you are currently pursuing is not right for you? Or have you been scared of trying something new because of the financial constraints that it may cause?

Try to think about the things that you would do or the type of career that you would pursue if finances weren’t a concern. Make a list of your top skills as well. Through a process of elimination, determine which careers would match up with your top skills and see which ones are the most practical skills considering your current situation.

2. Decide on what’s realistic for you

Determining what’s realistic for you doesn’t only require matching skills with possible careers. You also need to be realistic about the circumstances that may factor in with your plans to change careers. Determine how much it will cost you to update your skills and get a new job. See if you can afford to take a few months off from work for a training course. More often than not, going through a career change will require some significant life changes, and you have a better chance of succeeding if you really know what you want and are amenable to making some sacrifices. Try taking psychometric and career-exploring tests such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. These tests are designed to reveal your career interests and aptitude that you may not even know about yourself.

Try JobStreet’s Career Development Planner to help you grow as you navigate your new career path

3. Take as much time as you need

Big changes mean making big decisions, so remember to take your time. Don’t rush yourself. Sometimes, in your desire to shift career paths, you might feel the desire to do it right away without much regard to the factors that may come into play. Remember, you are not only changing jobs; you are changing careers. Once you make the decision to make a career change, be patient and persevere to get the basic qualifications you need to make the switch.

Our Career Resources Hub can help you learn more about a certain profession, or need some guidance

4. Always do your research

A huge part of planning and preparing for your career switch should be put into research. If you’re an IT Technician and just wake up one day realising that your true calling is to be a writer, you won’t really get anywhere without doing some research. Conducting research beforehand will help you figure out what you actually need to become a writer or to pursue whichever career you want. Talk to people who are already in the industry or field that you want to break into so that you can get more information.

Visit industry websites, read related news, and research about the qualifications needed for the position you want.

5. Prepare to make some sacrifices

If planning a career change is easy, everyone should have done it already. Realistically, however, you’ll have to make certain sacrifices (and compromises) to get what you want. One would be the possibility of starting closer to the bottom of the career ladder. It can also mean taking a pay cut, having fewer benefits, and losing tenure or seniority. Lifestyle changes may also come as a needed compromise. The thing is, you might be facing a possible downgrade when changing careers. Be ready for it.

6. Set the groundwork for your new career

You may need to update your knowledge and skills to increase your chances of success in your chosen career. 61% of Malaysians who would like to consider an entirely new career path are willing to retrain themselves to gain better expertise.

You might need to go back to school for further education, enrol in a training programme, or gain basic experience through part-time or volunteer work. You’ll also have to start networking with other industry professionals to gain valuable insights and successfully make the transition from one career to another.

Pro Tip: Update your JobStreet profile and make sure your information is current.

7. Network with industry professionals

If you’re making a career change, the last thing that might cross your mind is networking. What most career changers don’t realise is that networking is even more critical to your success when trying to look for a new job – more so when trying to forge a brand new career path.

Before making the switch, find time to talk to your current networks to see if anyone is in the field you want to be in. Attend professional networking events if you can find any and set up informational interviews with people in the industry. Even a casual chat with friends who belong to the industry that you want to break into will go a long way in giving you more realistic expectations.

(Read more: Networking the right way: 6 tips that will work for your career )

8. Start looking for a job

After careful planning and preparation, you now need to focus on searching for a new job. The initial planning stages are considerably easier compared to the actual job search, so try not to be caught off guard. Looking for a job comes with its own unique set of challenges. But if you are prepared, nothing can stop you from getting the job that you want. The fact that you need to make certain sacrifices or compromises deserves reiterating. So again, you might end up settling for a little less than the job that you currently have, but take it as a small price to pay for following your desired career path.

9. Make the change

When it feels like everything is already in place, then it’s time for you to make the switch.

Making a career change is a big life decision—one that takes a whole lot of planning and heaps of courage to carry out. Planning ahead and taking it one step at a time instead of jumping into it can make a career change more manageable.  At the end of the day, the benefits of successfully changing careers and finally getting to do what you really want are really priceless.

Are you ready to finally make a career change? #Let’sGetToWork now!