PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR MAKING A CAREER CHANGE

Although geography, culture, and age play a role in career decisions, many people worldwide are moving
away from the job-for-life mentality. We’re embracing gig economies and, in many cases, developing
new skills in order to change careers.

In Britain, 46% of workers quit their jobs in order to retrain and embark on new career paths at some
point. In the U.S., Baby Boomers will work an average of 12.3 jobs in their lives. And for Millennials,
that number is bound to be much higher.
India is changing too with the online revolutions. This decade will see a big change.
One survey showed that young workers are comfortable job hopping and even believe changing jobs
often advances their careers.

All these statistics point to one thing: changing jobs, and even career paths, is normal. That doesn’t mean
it’s necessarily easy. Many factors play a role in how difficult transitioning careers will be.

Some variables to consider are:

• Your age. Changing jobs can become more difficult as you get older, since you have fewer
working years to develop new skills and are more likely to be entrenched in your current
career. However, changing careers is possible at any age. Read more about transitioning
careers in your thirties, forties, and fifties.
• Your current income and financial responsibilities. This is perhaps the most challenging
aspect of a career change. Your financial responsibilities may narrow your job options. If
you are at a high-income level currently, it can be difficult to earn the same pay in a new
career.
• Your skills. Accountants can’t transform into astronauts overnight. Understanding your
skillset and how it can transfer to a new career is essential. (Hint: use the tool above to get
started!)
• The economy. When determining which career to pursue, you’ll need to consider the
viability of each career option in the current and projected economy.

jobs@hiprofile.co.in
 PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR MAKING A CAREER CHANGE

• The career and industry you want to pursue. Will you need to learn new skills, take
courses, or work an internship before you’re able to land a job in your desired field? Careers
that require niche skills can be much harder to break into.

R EA SO N S TO C H A N G E C A R EER S

People change careers for many reasons, including financial opportunity, work-life balance, and changing
economies. Your reasons for making a career change could influence how you approach your search.
Here we’ve listed some of the most common reasons people change careers.

• Long term financial opportunity

• Immediate financial needs

• Better work-life balance

• A loss of interest

• A new interest

• The changing economic landscape

Evaluating your personal reasons for changing careers is important and will inform your job search.

WH I C H C A R EER I S R I G H T FO R Y O U ? TH E TH R EE Q U ESTI O N S O F
ALIGNMENT.

If you’ve evaluated your reasons for changing careers, you may have a good idea of which jobs you want
to pursue. You may, however, only have a vague idea of which direction you’re headed. Consider the
three questions below when beginning your search.

jobs@hiprofile.co.in
 PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR MAKING A CAREER CHANGE

1 WH I C H C A R EER S A LI G N WI TH Y O U R I N TER ESTS A N D

PER SO N A LI TY ?

On your journey to finding the best career for you, you must consider your personality type, preferred
working environment, and interests. At this point in your professional life, you may now understand
yourself and your ideal working environment much better than you did when you were younger. Let this
knowledge guide your search. If you’re unsure about your nature and how it affects your working style,
you can take a career assessment online.

2 WH I C H C A R EER S A LI G N WI TH Y O U R N EED S?

This question will take you back to the above section, where you evaluated your reasons for transitioning
careers. Now that you know what your needs are, you’ll have to find out which careers match up.
Consider reserving time to research different careers and industries and talk to people already in those
careers, whether they’re friends or someone you connect with at a networking event or on LinkedIn.

3 WH I C H C A R EER S A LI G N WI TH Y O U R SK I LLS A N D EX PER I EN C E?

C O N N E C T W I T H U S A T J O B S @ H I P R OF I L E .C O. I N

jobs@hiprofile.co.in