How to Undertake a Career U-Turn

Sometimes, things don’t just work out the way you imagined they would in your career, and that’s okay. There’s nothing stopping you from opting for a change of direction if that’s what you feel is right for you. But how should you go about making that happen? It’s certainly a process that comes with plenty of challenges and hurdles that you’ll need to overcome. Here’s how to make a u-turn or change of direction successfully.

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Define Your Reasons Why

First of all, it’s a good idea to have some clear and coherent reasons as to why you’re looking to make a big shift in your career. This is important for you because you need to know that this is definitely the right move for you to make. But it’ll also help when answering these questions from other people. Future potential employers will want to know why you’ve reached this decision.

 

Research Your Retraining Options

If you’re looking to make the next big steps in your career path you might need to retrain in order to find the opportunities you’re seeking out. Of course, all this depends on what kind of career change you’re looking to make and whether the job you want to do going forward usually requires particular training or qualifications. If those things are needed, this is something you’ll need to begin as soon as possible.

 

Carefully Prepare Your CV

If you’re going to make a career u-turn, you’re going to need to start seeking out jobs and applying for them. Craft a CV that shows your skills, capabilities and experience, as well as pointing towards why you’re making a change and why you’re suited to the career niche that you’re now looking to move into. Practice Match can help you to get this right, so head over there and take a look.

 

Create a Plan of Action

Whenever you’re looking to make a big change in your career or life in general, it makes sense to have a plan in place. This plan should outline how you’re going to get from where you are right now to where you want to be in the future. There may be many steps that you have to progress through before this career change becomes a reality for you.

 

Network and Make Contacts

Networking and making contacts with people who have influence and can help you find new opportunities in your career is definitely a good idea. When you have good contacts and you make your face known, finding that first job in your new career niche will become a whole lot easier for you than it might otherwise be.

If you take each of these things into account and take the time to get them right, your career switch will go a lot more smoothly for you. It might be one of the most positive steps you ever take in your career, but it’s not something to rush into and you certainly shouldn’t push ahead without planning first.

Jeremy

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