10 Things to Consider Before Changing Your Career

One of the most challenging decisions to make in life is changing a career. It becomes tougher, especially, if one has worked in the same field for years, building portfolios and making names. To take such a critical decision, it is important to plan properly and ensure that it truly need a change in career.

While changing a career can be an approach toward career progress, it can also bring a great setback to one's success in life. What determines whether such a step is a positive move or a bad one bounds back to how one handles it. Career change can result from different factors but it makes sense to always think about our discissions, especially, on important subjects like career progress.

When Do You Need to Change Your Career

While changing a career is a hard thing to do, it can be very necessary for the following instances: 

• When you have not made much progress in your current career after years of service.
• If your current career or profession does not meet your income needs.
• If there is health risk in your current career.
• When you move to a new location that does not favor your previous work.
• When there is a change in the job market.

What to Consider Before Changing Your Career

These are things to consider and questions to ask yourself before changing your career:

1. What are the things you hate about my current job?

Consider why you want to change your career path. What do you like or hate about your current job? When you analyze this two factors and realize that your current job gives you more pain over happiness, it can be a positive sign to go ahead with your change. However, if your feelings still like the current career over the one you are moving into, then you have to think about it. While money is good, it should not be traded with your happiness and peace of mind.

2. Is your dream career the best one for me?

You don't need to change your career all the time. It will not help your career progress, portfolio or job integrity. Therefore, you have to consider if your dream career is the best alternative for you before you go ahead. If you still have doubt over your career choice, you need to find other careers out them and make comparative analysis.

3. What are your hobbies and things that give me joy?

There is a sense of satisfaction and leisure when you are doing what you like to do. Think about things that give you joy and compare with your current job as well as the one you are going into.

People who have passion for gardening and natural environment will find is favorable to build career in the agro-sector. For those who prefer working under air-conditioning, white collar job is the best choice. If you love sport, and physical activities, you can have a good career prospect in athletics over people who cannot even run 50m. This is why it is important to consider your hobbies and what you like doing before making a career choice.

4. What are you  good at?

You don't just make a career decision without first considering your skills. It is best to chose a career path on the area that you can perform better. Even though you can easily learn a new skills, it is still a long process. Instead, you can begin to learn about your new career and receive required skills before the switch.

5. How old are you and how many years is left for me to retire?

The best time to change a career is when you are still young in the field. When you are close to the retirement age, it may not be the best decision. If you are to change career at old age, it should be that you are pursuing personal dreams. Once you reach 50 years of age, begin to prepare for retirement and ensure your career decision align with your retirement plans. You can learn how to make money from home and other personal finance tips such as budgeting and savings. 

6. Does your prospective career path meet current market demand? 

Some jobs are outdated. When choosing a new career path, consider the market value of that career. Leaving a functional field to a career path that does not have current market value is a bad decision. Go into areas that top the current job market such as those relating to tech, AI and others.

7. What do you want to accomplish in the new career?

Setting career goals is important even before getting into it. I helps you to know is such goals are accomplishable. Knowing this will enable you understand if such career is good for you to venture into. Meanwhile, research for the right goal-setting framework that is best for your career plan and see if there is a way you can actualize your dream in your new career. If what you want accomplish in your prospective career is realistic and time-bound, then you can switch to the new career path.

8. What are your major concerns  in your current career?

Certain workplaces can make one lose focus in the current career path. It could be your current workplace that makes you not to enjoy or progress in your career. Before trying to change your career, think about the possibility of seeing better opportunities in your current feel. If after considering that it still does not feel good, then go ahead with your decision.

9. Consider the availability of your prospective career opportunities

You do not just accept aa new career because you feel like doing so or because you love it. You choice should not even just rely on your skills and the money such career opportunities can bring. When choosing a new career, think about the available opportunities in the new career. Without high career opportunities, your career prospect has to be re-examined before your change your current career.

10. What do you consider to be important in your life?

Work-life-balance is a very important subject in the professional world and career discussions. It focuses on the fact that there are other things that matter in your life besides job, work and office. Therefore when considering a career change you have to consider the possible impact of your new career on your current activities, schedules, relationships and extra-curricular activities. Where your career prospect is a kind that might negative affect things that matter to you, then it makes sense to rethink.

Conclusion

Changing your current career can be a good decision based on your priorities and your life objectives. It can also become a necessary decision where you cannot find job in your current field. However, it is advisable for you to consider different factors before reaching your final discission. The above are some of the considerable questions you need to ask yourself before continuing your career change plan.