Change Is Inevitable. Prepare for It Now.
Identify Your Transferable Skills
Look at your current job to identify skill sets that can be applied across various industries. It’s also a good idea to assess/identify your values, interest, and personality traits.
Make a Values-Driven Life Change
Your once satisfying work may have lost its meaning because you've grown beyond your current position. Think about the person you are today and what you want out of life. Examine your values toward family, leisure, personal growth, health, and community to make sure you choose a field that compliments those values. Careers that conflict with your values lead to dissatisfaction.
Explore Options and Develop Career Goals
The web is a great resource for exploring various careers (www.bls.gov/oco http://www.onetonline.org/ and many others).
Research, Research, Research
Once you've identified your career goal it's time to research employers who hire people in your chosen career. There are many online resources to help you with this process. It's important to find out everything you can about potential employers so that you are making an informed choice – while it's important that they're willing to hire you, it's even more important that you want to work for that particular employer.
Develop a Resume and a Marketing Plan
Get feedback on your resume from the Center for Academic & Professional Performance, so that you are sure to include information that employers seek in job candidates. Tailor your resume to the position and industry for which you are applying. Make sure your resume is excellent, not just okay! Conducting a successful job search is a job in itself. Don't apply for more than 10 positions at one time, and employ time-saving techniques to do this effectively. It's also acceptable to approach an employer who doesn't have an advertised opening – this is called tapping the hidden job market, and it can be one of the most effective ways to identify job opportunities.
Network
Networking gets you connected by building relationships with those who can help to further your career. It is estimated that between 75-90% of job vacancies are never advertised and are part of the "hidden" job market. Networking is the best way to tap into the hidden job market. So, talk to friends, mentors, and co-workers to build your network. Ideally, your network should include people from different areas of your life who don't know one another. The value in this is the unique information and connections from different groups of people that can be shared. Your network should also be diverse – to include people from a wide range of areas: your current job, your community, your church, professional associations, family, school, and any number of other areas.
Get Ready for Interviews
Interviewing is an art - a skill to be developed. A great resume will get you an interview, but it won't get you the job. Click here for "Interviewing: Putting Your Best Foot Forward", a printable PDF document.