New Job 101: What to Expect While Changing Careers
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, today’s average worker will change jobs somewhere between ten and fifteen times in their lifetime. Some of these job changes may be within the same field; others may be complete career switches. Although it can be a daunting prospect, especially for young people, a career change is no longer all that uncommon.
With the economy booming and unemployment falling to an eighteen-year low of 3.9%, now is the ideal moment to make a career switch. Companies are hiring, and many of them are more interested in transferable skills than experience within that career path. For those of you considering this path, below we will discuss what to expect while changing careers.
You Will be Asked Why
If you start down this path, you will inevitably find yourself in an interview and be asked why you decided to make the switch. This is something you’ve likely thought about but perhaps have yet to put into words.
Take the time to consider your reasons and prepare a thorough answer. Your job is to convince them that you would be a better asset at this new place than the last, a weak or wishy-washy answer to this will not incentivize businesses to take the risk on hiring you. People change careers for a variety of reasons, including:
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- Avoiding a company’s geographical move
- Wanting to work for a company whose personal values align with their own
- Limited upward mobility in current job
- Changing career focus
- Wanting less stress
- Wanting to be your own boss
- Fleeing a bad boss
- Increased pay opportunity
- Improper recognition for a job well done
- Layoffs
- Wish for more interesting or fulfilling work
- Relocation to a different city, state, or country
- Skills do not align with the current position
- Establishing a better balance between work and life
It’s Competitive Out There
Because businesses are thriving and hiring, you will likely be facing plenty of competition even when it comes to landing an interview. Apply regularly and often.
Take steps to leverage tools such as LinkedIn in creative ways to make yourself stand out amongst the crowd. Consider signing up with a recruiting service like ZipRecruiter or reaching out to a temp agency in your area.
Companies Likely Screen Your Background
Companies that are looking to hire care about the character of their potential employees. Especially in a social media age when any scandalous story can go viral, companies can use tools like ShareAble for Hires to perform background and credit checks.
If you do have past run-ins with the law or a bad credit score, it would be wise to disclose that information upfront, so that companies can take that into account. Companies will be far more likely to trust you and take a risk than they would be to find out this information on their own.
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Your Resume Is Important
Your resume is quite often a hiring staff’s introduction to who you are as a person and a worker. When changing careers, it is vital your resume show that your past work translates towards this new career path.
Recruiters look for specific things on a resume that illustrate how you make an ideal asset to the team. If they are considering hiring you on, your past experience should reflect why you’d be a good fit, even if it was a completely different career path.
Automated Hiring Software is More Common Than You Think
These days, AI is regularly used in the hiring process to screen candidates. This new tech acts as a filtering process, looking for specific words, phrases, or patterns in resumes, cover letters, and video interviews. This an additional reason why a relevant resume matters.
You Will Likely Face Rejection
Very few people make a career switch and then land their dream job. For most people looking to take this path, it can be demoralizing. You will likely be rejected for at least one job in favor of a more experienced candidate. Hearing that might sting, but it should not be a surprise.
Keep on going! Rejection builds character. The more you practice, the better you will get at interviewing.
Conclusion
Changing careers is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep in mind why you decided to change careers and continue to hone your resume and interviewing skills. Perhaps you might need to change some bad habits you developed in college. Regardless, keep on pushing, keep on fighting, and you will eventually land that perfect new career.
Matt discovered his talent for writing at the University of Texas and calls Austin his “home base”. Since then, his writing talent turned into a passion which enabled him to lead a travel-family life and visit countries across the globe. From the villages above Phuket to the poshest places in Milan, Matt’s exposure to diverse culture makes his lifestyle and travel blog appeal to a wide audience. He can speak about a wide array of topics with the same confidence, from fine French fromageries to the simple peace of mind found lounging in the sand. His proficiency in three languages helps him communicate with the locals and learn the best eats and least crowded beaches, hidden gems and well-kept secrets. When Matt is home in Austin, he upkeeps his writing by sharing his fitness routine and helping bloggers achieve his same success.
