Are you considering a career change? What happens when we think of career changes? Do your thoughts turn to the “logical next step” given your experience or are you thinking outside your box, outside your comfort zone? How do you even begin to consider other options?
Many people have an all or nothing attitude toward a career change.
The thinking is typically “how can I quit my job and start all over from the beginning?” Take the two parts of that previous sentence and modify it. Stay in your present job while building skills for your new career. In the process of building those skills, you gain experience as well and you are not starting from scratch. How do you do that?
Perhaps you enjoy caring and comforting people and have long-thought that you would be good at nursing. The first step would be to confirm that you actually do enjoy nursing. Volunteer, try it out…EXPLORE first! You will gain valuable insight that will only come from doing, not dreaming. You will also help others along the way.
Now that you have confirmed that you enjoy nursing, enroll in school. Begin earning your qualifications and gaining the necessary skills to move into this area. What? Go to school and continue working? Yes. You are not willing or able to quit your current job to attend school full-time, so you are going to have to do what so many do and attend part-time. This also provides the opportunity for you to reconfirm your enjoyment of this new career. You will also be building valuable contacts through your professors and classmates that will be important when you are ready to make the transition.
A voluntary career change doesn’t happen overnight and you will need the support of family, friends, a mentor or a coach. You will face doubt, fear and a host of other emotions as you transition. Successfully facing these will make you even stronger in your commitment to change and lead to great satisfaction and confidence in your next new thing! Let me know how I can support you.