How to Change Careers Smoothly

I believe that a person should work toward a career that makes them happy, but you need to do it responsibly and never on impulse. There aren't a whole lot of things more miserable than being in a job you dislike and still needing the income, but there are some things you can do to fix the situation. I want to share with you some tips in this article on easing the transition.

1) Analyze why you want to change careers.

For some people, it may be an income situation. Your existing job isn't fitting your financial needs, and you're slipping backwards. For others it's a personality or values issue that's causing a deep inner conflict that grows over time. Then there are situations where the need for change is not pressing, but you just know you can do better in life.

My point is your motivation is going to have a major impact on your approach. You also don't want to move from one mistake right into another one if you have no idea why you want to change.

2) Take a look at your income and expenses.

Sadly, many people in our culture do not have a lot of savings set aside for situations like this, which is something that needs to happen anyway as a buffer if you're laid off from a job you like.

If you have the ability and the time, you need to look at ways of reducing your outgoing expenses on a monthly basis by getting out of debt as much as possible. Sell some stuff you don't use anymore if it will help you create any sort of a financial buffer.

Taking these steps to prepare will help reduce the pressure. The last thing you need is a career distraction and financial distractions at the same time.

3) Consider doing what you want to do part-time and easing into the change.

This has worked great with me personally. It is initially harder because you're coming home after working and then working some more, but a lot of times you're more motivated because you're doing it for yourself and your family.

Many careers can be done on a self-employed basis, especially if you have experience. As you get more and more comfortable, the transition from the old career does not seem to be as hard of a financial struggle.

Keep in mind the time frame may be 6 months or longer, but it's short-term hassle for long-term gain compared to just jumping into something that may or may not immediately take off.

More Tips:

• Taking a few hours to really explore how you want to spend your career can greatly help you. It won't be time wasted by any means.
• Never ignore the situation because you think you don't have time for change. Statistics say the average person spend 70,000+ hours of their life in some form of a career.