If you’ve clicked on this article then you’re probably contemplating a career change. If you’re contemplating a career change, the chances are high that you’re not completely satisfied with the job or the field you’re currently working in. Perhaps, you are thinking down the road and don’t see much of an opportunity for advancement in your current position. For whatever reason, you feel you could be more fulfilled on another career path, and there’s no point in me trying to talk you out of it.
Instead, with this short article, we’ll take a look at some of the things you should consider as you embark on this new chapter in your life. Change can be great. But it can also be intimidating and daunting at the same time. The better prepared you are, the more thoroughly you’ve done your due diligence, and the more you’ve thought through all the implications, the better your chances will be of success.
Identify Your Priorities
What’s important to you in your 30s is likely not the exact same as what was important to you 5 or 10 years ago. You’re probably also experiencing a certain amount of pressure – from your friends, family, and society as a whole – to be someone or do something that doesn’t best reflect who you are or who you want to be.
Faced with so much external pressure in regard to your career choice, the only way to navigate those treacherous waters is by having a solid idea of your priorities. A change in careers will most likely mean a pay cut in the short term. It will also most likely require stepping out of your comfort zone, learning new skills, and getting comfortable working in a new field.
Test the Waters With Courses or Career Training
There is no guarantee that you’ll be happier or better off in your new career than you were in your old or current one. The only way you can be truly certain that the move is right for you is by doing it. But there is a way you can get your toes wet, as it were, and “try out” a career before you make the plunge – training.
There are many resources available online – many of them free or available through a free trial – aimed at providing training or courses on a specific job, field of activity, or career. Taking a few of these classes will give you a better idea of whether you are truly cut out for the job and if you even want to do it. Some online courses can be completed in a matter of hours. And in some cases, that’s enough time to find out if you want to invest in this pursuit seriously.
Make an Honest Self-Assessment
Even if changing careers in your 30s might mean that you will have to start at an entry-level position or similar, you still shouldn’t go into your new career underestimating your value. The fact is that with your work experience and your transferable skills such as teamwork, communication, organization, problem-solving, analytics, etc., you possess many of the skills recruiters and prospective employers are looking for.
Make a self-assessment: learn what you’re worth. Determine what attributes have enabled you to succeed in your past or current job and identify the attributes you lack to be more successful.
An honest and accurate self-assessment will help you determine what fields or domains you are likely to enjoy working in and be successful in.
Some Fields Worth Considering
While virtually all fields are open to anyone wishing to make a career change, some fields are worth considering more than others. Below is a partial list of some of the best jobs for a successful career change at 30.
Healthcare
This field enjoys a tremendous amount of stability. People will always get sick or injured, and there will always be a demand for workers in the healthcare industry. This includes the subdomain of elderly care. As the population ages and life expectancy increases, more and more people will live to an age where they are likely to require assistance. This is a booming field with much of the demand concentrates in specific regions.
Education
Whether it’s through public institutions or private learning facilities, there will always be a demand for education. This is a particularly interesting field for people who enjoy contact with others. There are also a number of entrepreneurial opportunities in the field of education.
Social Media
This could consist of marketing or content creation. The field is booming and expanding as people are discovering and inventing new ways to exploit and monetize social media platforms. There are plenty of entrepreneurial opportunities in this field as well.
The Bottom Line
In today’s labor market, it is quite common – even expected – that people change jobs or careers. If you take into consideration the transferable skills (or “soft skills”) you possess and have demonstrated in prior jobs, you will understand that you can successfully change careers without necessarily having to start at an entry-level position.
Know what you’re worth. Know what you want. Seek out opportunities. And if they’re not there for you, make them.
