What resources can you use to make a successful career change?

If you are thinking about a career change, I always recommend starting with using the 5-WHYS technique to uncover the real reason you are either feeling unhappy, uninspired, or unfulfilled in your current job role or career. For example: 1. "Why am I feeling so unhappy at work?" 2. "Why is my answer to #1 causing me grief? 3. "Why is my answer to #2 causing a concern? 4. "Why is my answer to #3 a problem for me? 5. "Why is my answer to #4 a key issue? This will uncover the root cause of the problem you should be solving with your next move and better inform you what your desired outcome should be in order to feel more happy, inspired, or fulfilled.

Para un cambio de carrera exitoso, puedes utilizar recursos como evaluaciones de carrera para identificar tus habilidades e intereses, cursos de formación y certificaciones para adquirir nuevas competencias, redes de contacto y eventos de networking para conocer profesionales en tu nuevo campo, mentorías y coaching de carrera para obtener orientación, y plataformas de búsqueda de empleo para encontrar oportunidades en tu nueva área de interés.

One of my favorite tools is the O*Net interest profiler. It's a free, online tool that assesses your career interests and recommends specific job titles to you. Each job comes with a job profile, outlook, educational requirements and pay expectations. While it is based on the US job market, a lot of information is applicable internationally, too.

If you're new to LinkedIn do these 5 things to your profile before you start networking: 1/ Include a quality headshot and smile. 2/ Use canva.com for a "free linkedin banner" 3/ Update your headline (below your name) with your version of "I help X, accomplish Y, by doing Z" 4/ Make your "About" section concise and compelling. 5/ Update your "Skills" section to include 50 skills and stack rank them in order of importance to the work you do or the jobs you want. Invest a bit of time early into your profile so it attracts the right audience and supports your personal and professional brand. Now get out there and start finding, following, and engaging with people to collect conversations, not connections.

One of my favorite networking activities is informational interviews. Imagine an interview, but the roles are reversed: you get to ask a professional about their job and experiences to see if that career path is right for you. Send a message and connection to someone on LinkedIn who you admire and ask, "I think I want to move into X career like you. Would you be open to meeting for 30 minutes to talk about your career journey and give me advice on how I can move into X role?"

When updating your LinkedIn profile, cover letter, and resume you need to remember one simple thing: You are writing for your intended audience, not yourself.

Before spending your hard earned money on upskilling or going back to school for a new job do this first: 1/ Speak with people who already work in the industry and/or job you desire. 2/ Find out what their journey entailed and ask them what to avoid and what to focus on to get there. 3/ Read job descriptions for the roles you covet and pay attention to "must have" vs "nice to have" qualifications. If, after doing that research up front, you find that you have skill or credential gaps, then go ahead and make the best decision for you on whether or not to pursue paid learning. If it's simply knowledge you seek, then heed the advice in this article re: podcasts, webinars, books, and volunteering. Stay away from internships if you like $$.

Hiring a coach is like having an impartial partner in your career journey. As a coach, I help my clients explore, examine, and reflect on what career move is best for them. Additionally, hiring a coach can help you explore options you have yet to consider depending on what assessments or skills inventory they utilize in their coaching practice. Lastly, one of the benefits of career coaching is to help you gain greater career clarity about what you want to do and why you want to do it. Once you have that career clarity, you will see your career decisions and trajectory take off in greater directions, leading you to new jobs, increased responsibilities, and, most likely, more compensation.

Don't forget that your career transition, however personal it can feel, probably affects others close to you - be it family, friends, or even current colleagues who pick up your workload when you leave. If you have the opportunity to do so, consider speaking with those closest to you to share your thoughts and feelings about your transition. Chances are high that they will be a strong supporter of your goals and help you get where you need to be faster than you would on your own. And if they act like crabs in a bucket and try to keep you down, just keep your goal in mind and surround yourself with people who share your growth vibes. Onward!