Choosing to change careers is a huge decision you could make
in your life. It is exciting, yet it can also leave you wondering if you’re
making the right choice or not. It is necessary, therefore, that you take your
time and gather as much information as you can so you may be sure that changing careers is the best thing for
you to do.
Here are the common mistakes you should avoid at all cost:
1. Rushing things
So you’ve finally made up your mind to follow your heart and
chase your dream. While you should be happy that you’re feeling enthusiastic
about your career again, you have to realize that switching careers requires a
lot of planning and thinking for it to be successful. Rushing things is a huge
mistake you should avoid. One example of this is making changes to your CV
immediately and spreading it right away. This is just not how you recreate your
brand! This could even end up diluting your value in the marketplace.
2. Networking aimlessly
We all know how important networking is in searching for a
job or building a career. But this doesn’t mean that you could make connections
to just anybody, including those professionals who don’t have anything to do
with your profession or industry.
You should know first who you need to connect to. And before
you reach out to them, be sure you know what it is exactly you want from them.
Remember also to be professional in approaching your contacts and avoid being
too blunt in asking about job or career opportunities.
3. Making the same mistakes you made in the past
One major reason why you’re seriously thinking about
shifting careers is that you’re unhappy with your current job and career. You
are in this situation because you failed to make a career plan in the past. If
you make this mistake once again, there is a huge possibility that eventually
you will be looking to doing something different again.
Thus, you have to do some self-examination so you may figure
out what things could make you happy and unhappy about your career.
4. Setting unrealistic goals
It is very common for career changers tend to be unrealistic
about their goals. They believe that good things can happen overnight. What
they don’t realize is that it may even take them a couple of different job
moves to be able to find the one that fits them perfectly.
If you are serious about changing careers, you’ve got to have enough patience to wait until
the right time to make the switch comes. You have to be active also in looking
for career opportunities and learning about the job you’re interested in. This
is the only way you can be assured you’re heading to the right career path.
