Will Changing The Workplace Create New Opportunities?
Changing the field of work and adopting a new domain in professional life is a common trend for new graduates and professionals. In the past years, the pandemic disaster and layoffs in companies due to the recession made it the need of the hour and then due to upskilling courses, it started looking easy.
If this is understood from the statistics, then according to LinkedIn India, the chances of people changing their career and adopting a new field in India, to get a job is 50 percent.
That is, now if you have prepared better, then starting a new career that is different from your current field of work is not that impossible. But before doing so it is necessary to consider some things.
1. List Your Skills
Make a list of all your skills to see how many of them can help you in your new career and how many new skills you will need to learn. This is a very important step to capture the good opportunities in that area. Be sure to get information about the courses, institutes etc. of those skills and start learning.
2. Keep Your Resume Updated
Always keep your resume updated. Create multiple versions of your resume based on skills and industry, as a new opportunity may arise at any time.
If you are doing this as a professional, then create a resume that highlights your current work experience and related skills. Effectively explain your transferable skills, i.e. skills that will be useful in that industry.
In order to ensure that your resume is included in the online application tracking system in the context of an online application, include important keywords in it.
3. Strengthen The Network
If you change your workplace in the middle of your career, there will be more pressure, but there are many benefits too. Your professional network becomes stronger. If you are a fresher, increase your network. You can take help from these contacts while choosing to work in a new area. You can learn about your favourite sector from them.
4. Psychological Preparation Is Necessary
If you want to change your field of work during your professional life, then be prepared to be a young officer, take responsibility for a different work culture and initially for tasks that are less than your capacity.
If you’re a young graduate who gets a job in a field other than your degree, then have a learning attitude in the beginning. Invest time in improving your relationships with your team and learning from them.
Understand the technical language of that field of work, so that your understanding of the meeting discussions increases and you’ll be able to explain things in a better way. Whereas those making mid-life career changes are familiar with the ways of working life, this is very useful in adjusting to the new workplace.
5. Advice From Experts
A career expert’s perspective, different from your work experience, helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses. An expert also helps you in preparing an effective and accurate strategy for your new career, which includes everything from choosing a new job to all the preparations required for it.
These options are becoming preferred in the changing field of work.
AI experts, event management, dietitians, and HR managers are some of the work fields in which people are more interested. If various surveys are assessed, then these fields are a good option for changing careers in this era.
In Technology: Data Analyst, Data Science, Software Engineer, Web Development, Cloud Architect, Cyber Security, Block Chain Developer, Machine Learning
In Business: Digital Marketing, Product Management, Project Management, Business Analyst, Sales Management, Human Resource Recruiter
Healthcare: Nurse, Pharmacist, Medical Technician, Healthcare Administrator
Education: Online Teaching, Trainer, Educational Consultant
Creative: Content Writer, Designer, UX Designer, Animator, Videographer
Ask Yourself These Questions
• Will the new area suit your goals?
• What are your financial needs and how much will you fulfil them seamlessly?
• Why are you taking this decision? How much impact will the decision have on your personal life?
How to Increase Your Ability?
■ Get a professional degree: related to the field you want to break into. Take courses and degrees online or offline. Some people take long leave from their current job and do offline courses.
■ Do a bootcamp: If you have a technical background, boot camps are very helpful in building your skills quickly in any new field. Bootcamps are short-term programs for upskilling. Scaler Academy, Masai School, and Simplilearn are some of the popular boot camp platforms. These are organised not only for technology but also for courses in subjects like business and finance. Share about these in your network, online forums or in the industry.
■ Take courses and certification: Learn skills through online courses and get certified. Many boot camps offer certification for their programs. Certification will strengthen your case in your resume.
■ Build experience: Try doing work related to the field you want to pursue. Get involved in projects, and go to conferences, and workshops. This will create a network. This way you will be able to include it in your resume and also you will have an idea of how you will feel joining the desired field.
■ Transferable skills will be useful: Soft skills like reasoning, creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, and adaptability come in this. While technical skills are important to get started, transferable skills are vital to changing industries and moving forward in your career.
Conclusion
Be it a starting job or better earning opportunities, trying yourself in a field different from your expertise is now a common trend in professional life. This step will be right for your career only when the preparation is right.