What if it were time for a new life? The idea of a career change is becoming an increasingly attractive option for many employees. In fact, nine out of ten people in France want to change career or already have. This impressive figure hides another, more revealing one within: only 28% of them have really dared to take the plunge. Changing career can be intimidating, as it implies shaking up your professional foundations. So, how can you know if it is time to change profession, how to make the right choice and where to start? We will unveil the three big stages not to be overlooked before deciding to change career.
Finding The Right Moment to Change Career
Is it the right moment from a personal point of view?
The first aspect to check is timing. Are your current circumstances conducive to a career change? People often retrain due to burnout at work or a lowering of morale, so it is important to take the time to make sure that your desire for change has not been caused by the wrong reasons! Changing career is a choice that you should reflect on long and hard, as it involves a lot of hard work and effort.
Retraining: How to Conquer The Fear of Change
Not Overlooking The Economic Circumstances
The second element not to be overlooked is whether your economic circumstances are favourable to employment. Of course, this aspect should not take precedence in your reflections, but you should not forget that getting your first job in a sector or profession that you know very little about can prove to be difficult. You should thus try to choose periods of growth or sectors that are hiring!
Assessing Your Skills
Reviewing Your Professional Objectives
If you want to retrain, this is also the perfect moment to review your professional objectives. What meaning do you want to give to your work? What activities motivate you? Changing career is a great opportunity to refocus on what is really important to you.
Knowing Your Strengths and Weaknesses
It is beneficial to make an in-depth assessment of both your professional expectations and your current skills. Skills assessments are an essential process throughout your career and involve taking stock of your professional life, skills, strengths and motivation for your professional activities.
This process is generally conducted with the help of an approved organisation that gives individual interviews, analyses skills and makes recommendations.
Skills Assessments: Pass a Milestone in Your Career
Before you embark on this process, which could turn out to belong (skills assessments generally take place over several months), you could begin with some self-reflection. Try to identify the following elements:
- external factors, such as the salary you hope for;
- internal factors, such as your feeling of fulfilment and your personal development.
Do not forget to question the way you work. For example, do you need to manage your own projects? Do you need to help others? Do you need to lead teams to success as a manager?
All of these questions will help you to define a new professional path that you should frame with the help of a retraining plan.
Defining A Retraining Plan
What is your aim?
It is essential to build a set of safeguards to make sure that you are on the right track. Start off with the choice of your future job. Which professions are growing fast? What sector are companies recruiting in? All of these questions will help you to target good retraining opportunities. Do not be afraid to search for a deeper reflection: your next job may not exist yet!
How?
Once you have set your objective, make a list of the skills and knowledge necessary to find a place in your future dream job. Your best partners in doing this are professionals already working in the sector that you are interested in. Get in touch to discuss and understand their journeys! Speaking to professionals who inspire you will help you to identify the skills you need to develop and form your plan. Your professional network is a priceless asset that you can lean on to continue your journey.
Choosing The Right Training
The final stage before delving into your new profession is learning! Your choice of career change may imply developing new skills or learning new subjects.
Joris, investing in his career with further online education
Why not study again to sharpen your profile, gain confidence and acquire the necessary knowledge for your new direction? Online learning could be useful if you do not want to leave your current job during the transition as, nowadays, this format allows you to take up studying again while continuing to work. It is an excellent way to prepare for your career change more calmly at your own pace.
Our advisors are here to help if you want to discuss your career change and find out more about online learning.
