Tips for Career Change Decision-Making

Thinking about a career change? Here’s how to actually make it happen, step by step. I’ve spoken with hundreds of people stuck between “I don’t want to do this anymore” and “But where do I even start?” Here’s the truth: Changing careers isn’t about starting over. It’s about repackaging what you already know, and proving you can solve a new set of problems. Here’s how to do it (with examples): 1. Start with your story. What’s pulling you away from your current path—and what’s pulling you forward? ✅ Example: “I’ve spent 6 years in education, but what I really loved was designing systems and learning tools. I’m now pivoting into UX design for edtech.” Make the shift clear and intentional. 2. Identify your transferable skills. You’ve built real value, name it. ✅ Example: Sales → Relationship-building, persuasion, handling objections Ops → Process design, cross-functional collaboration, execution List your strongest 4–6 skills and align them with your new target role. 3. Learn the language of the new industry. Every field has its own lingo. Start speaking it. ✅ Tip: Search 10 job listings in your target role. Write down the top 5 repeated words/phrases. Mirror those in your LinkedIn, resume, and pitch. 4. Rewrite your resume to match the direction, not the past. Lead with relevance, not chronology. ✅ Example: Add a “Career Summary” section: “Operations leader transitioning into product management, with 7+ years leading cross-functional teams, driving process improvements, and delivering results.” 5. Build proof fast. Don’t wait to get hired to show your skills. ✅ Options: Freelance Volunteer Build your own project Take a short course and create a case study Demonstrate that you’re not just interested, but also taking action. 6. Apply smart, not just often. Instead of applying everywhere, focus on quality roles in flexible environments. ✅ Pro tip: Use DailyRemote to find legit, remote-friendly roles across industries. It’s especially helpful for career changers who want fresh opportunities and a bit more breathing room. 7. Network with purpose. Start with conversations, not asks. ✅ DM example: “Hi Alex, I saw your post about transitioning into UX. I’m making a similar shift from content strategy. Would love to hear about your journey, no pressure at all.” Career changes take courage. But they’re absolutely possible. You’re not starting from scratch. You’re starting from experience. Now package it with purpose, and go get what’s next.

Embracing a new career path after 45 might seem daunting, but it's never too late to embark on a fresh journey. Whether you're seeking fulfillment, growth, or a new challenge, these tips will guide you through the process of reinventing yourself professionally. 1. Self-Assessment: Reflect on your strengths, passions, and values. Identify transferrable skills from your past roles that align with your new career direction. 2. Skill Upgrade: Invest in learning. Take courses, attend workshops, and earn certifications to bridge the gap between your current skills and the requirements of your desired role. 3. Network Power: Leverage your network. Connect with professionals in your target field, attend industry events, and engage in conversations that showcase your genuine interest. 4. Resume Revamp: Craft a tailored resume. Emphasize your transferable skills, highlight relevant accomplishments, and focus on your adaptability and willingness to learn. 5. Volunteer or Intern: Gain experience in your desired field through volunteering or interning. Practical exposure can help you understand the industry better and add value to your resume. 6. Personal Branding: Create a strong online presence. Use LinkedIn to showcase your journey, share insights, and connect with industry professionals. 7. Informational Interviews: Reach out to professionals in your new field for informational interviews. Learn about the industry from insiders and gather valuable insights. 8. Embrace Flexibility: Be open to entry-level positions. Starting from the ground up can provide you with the hands-on experience you need to thrive. 9. Interview Prep: Prepare for interviews by focusing on how your skills and experience align with the role. Highlight your adaptability and eagerness to contribute. 10. Confidence Matters: Believe in yourself. Your wealth of experience and skills are assets. Show your potential employers that you're a valuable addition to their team. Remember, a career change at any age is an opportunity for growth and reinvention. Embrace the journey with enthusiasm and tenacity. Your wealth of life experience can be your greatest advantage on this new path. Have you successfully navigated a career change? Share your story and inspire others!

3 powerful tips for a successful career change: Pause. Consider. Investigate. When we decide we want a career change, it's tempting to jump right into applying for opportunities. Taking time upfront to deeply consider the possibilities pays major dividends. Use the IKIGAI framework to clarify your criteria: - What do you WANT in your next role? - What skills/experience do you have that the world NEEDS? - What are you truly GOOD at? - What can you realistically get PAID for? One way to refine your possibilities is by networking with people in the types of roles you think you want. Ask about their real experiences, challenges and advice. Not everyone will give you their time. But for the ones who are willing to take a chance on you, don’t ask them for a referral or for an interview, ask for their perspective. Build a relationship. The clarity and insights you'll gain can help you figure out what you don’t want and get closer to what you do want. Building these relationships might also help you begin to develop your frame of reference on the industry and the role you seek. By investing this time upfront, you'll enter your search laser-focused and well-informed, ready to do the hard work required to land the RIGHT next opportunity.

Thinking about a career change? Then you must consider these 5 things. 1. Due diligence →Ask for time from the people who do the job →Fully understand the possible compensation →Understand the best path to success 2. It's not an overnight process →Thinking about taking the plunge is doable but takes time →Just like marathon training, ya gotta put in some miles in the new space →Expect you'll need to build up to it 3. Check your finances →Not every pivot requires a downshift in funds →But you need to understand what you're willing to sacrifice →What's the lowest you can go w/o being stressed 4. Be sure you want it →Shadow a person doing the work →Understand yourself FULLY (values, strengths, motivations) →Enthusiasm is very attractive and can trump experience 5. Learn how to transfer your experience →You must be able to articulate your previous experience →And why it matters in the new role →Be confident in the above Changing careers is absolutely possible, but winging it will hurt more than your current job. Be sure you're going into it as strategically as possible. This will lead you to the most success and the least amount of pay gap. ------------------------------------------------- I'm a certified coach helping you find and do work you love. Founder of The Career Builder Association. Ex-Corporate Sr. Sales Exec ♻ Repost if you know someone who is wanting to make a career change.

Many of us come to the conclusion that the career we began with isn’t the career with which we want to end. Or even have in the middle of our working lives. Which means we start thinking about making a career change. They aren’t easy: most employees aren’t very good at making the leap from one career that’s actually related to the career to which we want to change, such as from marketing to product management, for example. It's even harder if you decide to move from – as an extreme example – cosmetologist to administrative assistant. But hard doesn’t mean impossible. So rather than focusing on the skills you’ve made over the years, it’s best to focus on your attitude and willingness to learn new things-quickly! Some tips for you to help you convince a hiring manager in an industry in which you have little to no experience that you have the attitude and attributes to make the switch. (Also understand that you more than likely will need to start in our new career at one or even two “levels” lower than at which you’re currently working-Again, it doesn’t mean you absolutely cannot move into a similar level; it means you should be prepared to move to a lower one…with lower pay.) · Study the new field deeply. Research it for several months. Talk to as many people as you know who work in it to discover what it’s like and how your current skills could transfer. · Make sure you understand the challenges people in the field face and how your background makes you a good fit to handle them. · Understand the skills you’ll need and either start gaining them now and/or start thinking how your current skills could transfer. (And then start figuring out how you’ll explain to a hiring manager how your current skills will transfer.) · Network, network and network some more. Reach out to people you know on LinkedIn and then reach out to the people THEY know on LinkedIn. · Attend industry events. · Reach out to people you admire and ask for informational interviews. · Revamp your cover letter and resume. Take the knowledge you’ve gained from people who work in the sector now and highlight how your skills and experience transfer to the industry to which you want to move. · Your cover letter should pretty much start out by explaining how you’re looking to change careers. Don’t be shy about this. Finally, understand that it will take you longer to find a job in a different career. That’s why I HIGHLY recommend that you keep your current position until you have a new one. #CareerChange #JobSearch ##JobSearchAdvice

Career change is a lot like making a cake Add eggs while mixing = great cake Add eggs after baking = total flop (and gross) The order in which you do things matters. --------------------------------------------- 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿: 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 Pick one. Get good at it. Understand it. Don't bake brownies, cookies, and a cake all at the same time. When you put lots of things in an oven at the same time, everything comes out half cooked. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 Look at job postings. What's critical to the role? 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 What transferrable skills do you have (and what are your examples)? What are your gaps (how will you solve for these?) 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 Use Steps 2 and 3 to build your resume, then update your LinkedIn 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟱: 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 I'm loving a combo of networking and direct applying with reactive networking right now. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟲: 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 Find your core stories. Practice them. Be ready before the interview lands in your lap. ---------------------------------------- I've been a career changer myself...twice! 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: It is SO TEMPTING to want to throw the eggless cake in the oven with a few other things. Hurry it up. Get to the eating the cake part. And for good reason. Cake is delicious. But pause for a second... And think about it: 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳-𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗸𝗲. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗸𝗲. And that requires following the steps. Give yourself permission to hold out for the good cake. P.S. My team and I are all career changers who've been in your shoes. Curious about some help with your career change? Let's talk. Link in comments.

Networking can help you make ANY career transition ↔️ I've made a handful of small/minor career pivots myself, and I have friends & family who have made even BIGGER career pivots. There is one common element that helped each career pivot/transition story, and that is NETWORKING ✨. This Forbes article by career expert Caroline Castrillon captures this element perfectly and discusses how strategic networking efforts can help you make a career change or pivot! Remember, networking should be a consistent effort, almost like a habit. Don't just start when you need a job or when you have some obvious agenda. When you try to network with an alternative or hidden agenda, it comes across as inauthentic and disingenuous. With that said, here are the high-level of Caroline's five tips for networking for a career transition and my take on them + real stories of how they actually work 💁🏻♀️ ~ 1️⃣ Give contacts a chance to help. Reach out to people you already know and let them know that you're transitioning, or even make a post about it on LinkedIn! Let the world and the universe know your status and what you're up to! You'd be amazed at the people that come out of the woodwork and want to help you. When I started putting it out into the world that I wanted to do more speaking engagements, opportunities started coming my way! Just try it and see what happens! 2️⃣ Get valuable career advice. When my Dad realized that law school was something of interest, after a full engineering career (30+ years, 2x PE & MBA), he talked to lawyers he knew, including one of his former colleagues at his previous job. A good question to ask, specifically if you're making a career change, is, "If you were just starting out, what actions would you take to kickstart your career?" 3️⃣ Meet other career changers. Talk to other people who have transitioned into your target career, and if you can, find someone with a similar path/trajectory i.e SWE ➡️ PM. This way, you can learn about proven, tested strategies that have actually worked for people. 4️⃣ Practice your transition statement. I like to think of this as an edited, curated version of your "elevator speech," and remember to frame it as a story. Storytelling is crucial in interviews, and when you're making a career change, it's important to tell that story in a compelling way. 5️⃣ Build confidence. I think Caroline captured it perfectly when she said, "...confidence is not an innate, fixed characteristic. It’s a skill that can be developed." When my mom was transitioning from civil engineering to real estate sales, she built her confidence by working under another broker and building her resume. I built my confidence through a product fellowship and 2 product management internships! TL;DR Build confidence through experience and projects! https://lnkd.in/gA8ihBtu