Changing careers

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Top 3 Reasons Why People Want To Change Careers (And Tips For How To Make The Transition)

There are many reasons why people want to change careers. But can you guess the top three reasons why a professional might consider a career change today? What is the driving force behind making such a big life decision?

A recent FlexJobs survey announced the common reasons why people are changing careers. Here are the top three, and tips for how to successfully make a career change.

Why People Want To Change Careers

Based on the FlexJobs survey mentioned above, these are the top three reasons for wanting to change careers:

Better work-life balance (56%)
Higher pay (50%)
More meaningful or fulfilling career (49%)

Better Work-Life Balance vs. Higher Pay: What Would You Choose?

Man holding laptop happy at work after changing careers

If you want to make a career change, you're probably doing so for at least one of the top three reasons listed above. What's most surprising about this survey is that the top reason professionals are changing careers is because they want a better work-life balance, beating out the desire for higher pay by 6%.

Another interesting finding is that two out of the top three reasons why people want to change careers aren't based on money or benefits or any other career advancement factors. They are based on personal growth and fulfillment.

Even though we are often told throughout our lives that money can't buy happiness, it seems as though more and more people are taking this advice to heart and are realizing that a higher salary would not make them happier; having the time and space to do what they truly love and focus on what really matters would.

Think about it. If you wake up in the morning feeling miserable and dreading work, it's most likely because you do not have anything in your life that excites youânothing that sparks joy or gives your life meaning or purpose. When you think about the day ahead, you're not looking forward to anything. How do you solve this problem? Well, if you change careers, you could achieve a better work-life balance, which would give you time to pursue hobbies and interests outside of work. You could also find a job that excites you, working for a company with a mission you're passionate about, where the work has a purpose and it feels fulfilling. Does a higher salary have more value than that? Most career changers say no.

So, why are you (or why would you be) motivated to change careers? For better work-life balance? Or for higher pay? If you had to pick one, which sounds more appealing?

5 Tips For Successfully Changing Careers

It's important to have a strategy in place when you decide to change careers. Making a career change isn't easy, but there are certain things you can do to increase your chances of success. Here are five tips for successfully changing careers:

1. Inventory your skills

What are your transferable skills? What other skills do you have that are in demand in your target career and industry? Write them down, and make sure to include them on your LinkedIn profile.

2. Create a bucket list of companies that you want to work for

Are you passionate about a company's product or service? Do you connect with an organization's mission or values? What companies would you love to work for? Write those down too. This is your interview bucket list, and it is essential for all job seekers, not just career changers.

3. Make new connections

It's true. In your job search, it's all about who you know. If you want to successfully change careers, you'll have to step up your networking efforts. Connect with people at your dream companies from your interview bucket list and start a conversation with them on LinkedIn. Then, be sure to consistently offer value to your professional network. You never know who will contact you with a job opportunity.

4. Update your resume

Write a targeted resume with your ideal career in mind. Focus on your transferable skills and quantifying your work experience. Also, be sure to customize your resume for each position that you apply for. An optimized resume is invaluable, especially for career changers.

5. Be ready to tell your story

The most important tool in your job search as a career changer is a disruptive cover letter, which will allow you to tell your story and stand out to employers. Storytelling is incredibly powerful. In order to successfully change careers, you need to connect with the companies you're applying to and the people who work at those companiesâand the best, most effective way to do this is by telling a compelling story.

As a professional, you've probably thought about changing careers at some point in your life, either seriously or just out of curiosity. Nowadays, most people are making the change because they want a better work-life balance. If this sounds like you, follow the five tips above to get started on your career change today. A better career (and life) awaits!

Need more help with your career change?

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Acquiring Job Advance Your Career Career Changing Careers and Employment Education Internship

Top 3 Reasons Why People Want To …

Writing a career change resume can be tricky. How can you effectively market yourself to employers in a different industry when you don't have nearly enough experience as the average candidate applying for the same job as you?

If you're looking to make a career change, optimizing your resume becomes even more important than it normally is. It's also critical to write a disruptive cover letter and make strategic networking and intentional branding the priority.

Follow these five tips for an effective career change resume so you can land your dream job in a new industry.

1. Create An Interview Bucket List

An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Before beginning your job search as a career changer, having an interview bucket list is a must.

How can you identify the right companies to add to your interview bucket list? Well, it's simpler than it sounds. Think about the companies you admireâfor their mission, the product or service they provide, or both. Then, determine whether you could find an opportunity at these companies that aligns with your career change goals.

When creating your interview bucket list, you're ultimately looking for companies you connect with. Why are you passionate about working for them? Tell that connection story in your disruptive cover letter. Then, you'll be able to tailor your resume for specific job openings at these companies, customizing it for each position that you apply for. This leads to our next tip for a career change resume...

2. Highlight Your Transferable Skills

Transferable skills are hard skills that are in demand across many different roles and industries. As a career changer, highlighting your transferable skills on your resume is the key to looking as qualified as possible for the position you're applying for.

Never include soft skills on your resume. It doesn't matter whether you're changing careers or not. Soft skills cannot be quantified. Therefore, they do not belong on your resume.

For example, "detail-oriented" is a soft skill, and "project management" is a transferable skill. You may not have experience managing the types of projects in the industry you're looking to get a job in, but if you have the skill, you'll likely be able to transition into a role that requires project management smoothly.

3. Focus On Your Accomplishments

In the "Work History" section of your resume, you'll want to focus on what you accomplished in previous roles, keeping your transferable skills in mind. For each role you list, you should have at least three bullet points detailing your quantifiable accomplishments.

Employers want to see what you accomplished in your previous roles and how those accomplishments could translate to success in their industry. They don't care what your tasks or responsibilities were. That won't tell them the value you provide as a business-of-one.

What accomplishments are you most proud of in your career? Write those down. Hiring managers will probably be impressed by them too.

4. Avoid Irrelevant Information

Any irrelevant information you include on your career change resume will hurt your chances of getting an interview. Hiring managers spend only seconds reviewing each resume that comes across their desk. If they can't easily identify relevant information, they'll assume you aren't qualified for the position and toss your resume.

Only including relevant information on your resume will be difficult if you're changing careers. But if you follow the tips above, you should be on the right track.

5. Use The "Additional Experience" Section To Your Advantage

The "Additional Experience" section of your resume is the perfect place to showcase more relevant work or volunteer experience for the industry you're looking to switch to.

Did you volunteer at an organization within the same industry? Have you worked on special projects that involved the industry in some way? This section is where you should include any remaining relevant information you believe makes you qualified for the job you're applying for.

These five tips will help you write an effective career change resume. Just remember the importance of strategic networking and intentional branding in your job search as well.

To get your resume in front of hiring managers, you'll likely need to go around the ATS and focus on networking your way into companies by connecting with current employees of these companies on LinkedIn. Customizing your resume, writing a disruptive cover letter, and having a solid networking strategy will help you successfully change careers.

Need more help with your career change resume?

Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Acquiring Job Advance Your Career Career Changing Careers and Employment Education Internship

5 Tips For A Career Change Resume

You might be wondering if it's possible to change industries as a manager. Of course it is. But is it easy? Well, not to people who don't know how to do it.

Here's the good news: you already have management experience. It's actually harder, in my opinion, to go from an independent contributor role to a manager role when you're switching companies, and it's even harder when you're changing industries.

But when you're changing industries as a manager, you already have management experience. And that's the most important thing employers are looking for.

Show Employers You Have The Management Experience And Can Learn The Rest.

@j.t.odonnell Replying to @nicflemrn How to switch industries as a manager. #jobsearch #manager #switchjobs #switchcareer #careerswitch #careerhelp #careeradvice #careerchange â¬ original sound - J.T. O'Donnell

You have management experience. Now you have to connect the dots for the hiring managers in that industry. You have to show them that, in spite of not having their exact industry experience, your management experience is so important and you can learn the rest.

So how do you do that?

Well, you start with informational interviews. Find five managers who are managing in that industry. Ask them to coffee or to lunch or a virtual meeting and say, "Look, I'm not asking you for help getting a job. What I'm trying to understand is where my gaps are and what I'm going to need to do to close those gaps so that I could get a management job in this industry."

People are happy to help you like that. They're happy to sit down, talk it through, and give you advice and tips. That's going to help you. But you're also networking in the industry so that when their company has a management position open up, you can message them and say:

"Hey, I just applied to the open position on your company's site. I'm so grateful I had that conversation with you because it really helped me prepare. And I've done a few things since. And, hopefully, the hiring manager might take a look at me for the position."

What's going to happen?

Well, first of all, this person is going to love that. You said they were helpful. Second of all, since they got to know you, they might walk down the hall or message the hiring manager and tell them they should pull your resume from the pile because you're actually worth looking at as an applicant.

Only 25% of applicants are usually qualified for the role. Not everybody has the experience. But what employers need most is people who have the right personality and some of the key skills (like management experience) more so than industry experience.

So, if you do the informational interviewing, you're going to build a network. You're going to find out where your gaps are so that you can close them. And then you'll stand out to employers as a great job candidate despite not having the exact industry experience.

This is how you change industries as a manager. It all comes down to that management experience.

You can do this, my friend. Go get 'em!

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Acquiring Job Advance Your Career Career Changing Careers and Employment Education Internship

How To Change Industries As A Manager

As a professional, career development can be a difficult concept to grasp, and an even harder one to put into action. I'm here to simplify it for you: there are four phases of career development every professional should know, and they are the keys to building a successful and satisfying career.

4 Phases Of Career Development (And How To Make The Cycle Easier)

@j.t.odonnell 98% of people make this career mistake #careermistake #careermistakes #careeradvice #careermode #career #careertiktok #careerhelp #careerchoicehelp #careerchoice #chooseyourcareer â¬ original sound - J.T. O'Donnell

Here are the four phases of career development you should know:

Phase 1: Choosing a Career Path or Direction
Phase 2: Getting a Job
Phase 3: Developing Your Career
Phase 4: Deciding to Change Jobs or Make a Career Change

Once you complete the fourth phase, the cycle starts over again. So at any given point, you will be in one of these four phases from the time you start working until the time you retire.

The key to making this cycle easier is to narrow in on two things:

A problem that's bigger than yourself that you would love to solve
Your unique combination of professional strengths that could help solve it

When you dial into these two factors, you will be able to catapult your success and satisfaction because you'll be doing work that matters to you, and you'll be so amazing at that work that people will take notice and you will grow and you will get what you want.

So how do you do this? Well, it starts with that first phase.

Most people were never taught how to properly choose a career path or direction. So, as a result, we usually make the mistake of falling victim to "the first job that comes along" syndrome. We take the first job that comes along that seems reasonably exciting and a match, and then we quickly figure out the job is not for us. So we look for a new job, and we make the same mistake again, and again, and again.

Fast forward five years, a decade, 15 years, and suddenly we're in a career crisis because we know we want to do something else but we have all this experience doing one thing. And the kind of experience we have usually dictates what kind of job we can get going forward.

I want you to avoid this cycle. And if you're in this cycle, I want you to break it.

Now, the best way to do that is to go through a free, hour-long workshop called "How To Choose Your Career (In 5 Simple Steps)." It's going to help you understand what you have to assess about yourself and then how to narrow in on those options so that you can make an informed decision and choose a career path that will work for you.

I know you're stuck. I know you're frustrated. And I know it's because you didn't get Phase 1 right. And we're going to fix it now. Let's do this together. Go get 'em.

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The 4 Phases Of Career Development: Which …

If you're in a career you hate and you haven't been able to figure out how to get out of it, you've come to the right place. As a career coach for over 20 years, I've worked with thousands of people in your position. The good news is that there are a couple of simple steps you can follow to successfully get out of a career you hate and into one you love.

You Don't Have To Climb The Hill Anymore

@j.t.odonnell How to get out of a career you HATE. ð¤¢ #careertiktok #jobtiktok #careeradvice #jobtok #careertok #job #career #jobshopper #workitdaily #jobsearchtips #careerchange #changecareers â¬ original sound - J.T. O'Donnell

âImagine there are two roads in front of you.

The first road is a huge hill. You would have to go up this hill to see what's on the other side.

The second road is a straight, flat path. It would be easy to take. It's really long. But at the very end of it, far off in the distance, you can see a beautiful house, your dream house. You know if you just got on this path and followed it step by step at your own pace, you would eventually get to this beautiful home.

Which road are you going to take? The huge hill where you don't know what's on the other side? Or the straight path that might take some time to travel, but you can see exactly what you're going to get? Obviously, the straight path.

But here's the thing: you've been climbing the hill because that's what people told you to do, right? Climb that hill, get to the top, and then you weren't happy. So you climbed another hill, got to the top, and weren't happy again. Why would you ever want to do that again?

You don't have to climb the hill. The problem is that school never taught us this. They never taught us how to fix career dissatisfaction. And your employer is never going to teach it to you because that would mean you'd probably leave your job.

So where are you going to learn how to do this? Where do you figure out how to have a straight path to the destination you're looking for?

How To Get Out Of A Career You Hate (In 2 Easy Steps)

Woman on laptop learns how to get out of a career she hates

1. Embrace Microlearning

The first step to getting out of a career you hate is embracing microlearning. Microlearning is a concept that involves taking five to 15 minutes out of your day (every day) to learn something new. These small, but consistent, chunks of time you're dedicating to learning something new are rewiring your brain to help you understand and close your knowledge gaps so that you can get what you want out of your career.

With microlearning, you start at a really slow walk. But over time, you start to get addicted to it. It's exciting, and it becomes a habit. You start to feel empowered and you go from a slow walk to a full-on run, and that's how you get to your destination faster.

2. Tap Into Your Professional Strengths

The second step to getting out of a career you hate is tapping into your unique combination of professional strengths. You need to know how you like to create value on the job. When you understand how you like to create value, you can build a personal brand that you can then use to market to the right employers to land your dream opportunities.

This is how you go from being a random job seeker (climbing a hill) to being a focused job shopper who's getting exactly what he or she wants (straight path). That's the difference.

Want to learn your professional strengths and gain access to a platform built for microlearning?

Become a Work It Daily member. It's time to get out of a career you hate and find one you'll love.

Acquiring Job Advance Your Career Career Changing Careers and Employment Education Internship

How To Get Out Of A Career …

As we all know, most of us will reach a time in our work life when we have to reinvent our careers for an evolving economy. Some of us go back to school while others enter new businesses.

The first thing you want to do when considering a career change is to stop thinking of yourself as just a job title, whether that be financial analyst, human resources specialist, manager, teacher, or homemaker. No matter how you spend the first part of your career, whether it's coaching soccer or fully entrenched in corporate America, we all end up developing specific expertise.

If you start your own independent business from scratch, you will need to know something about every aspect of the business, from managing staff to selling your product or service.

If you're interested in switching to a new industry, you might want to consider a franchise, which comes with a tried-and-true business model, a brand name, and marketing expertise, as well as a training program and ongoing support. With a franchise, you get to operate your own business while having a team of experts behind you.

To accurately gauge your preparedness for any new endeavor, you should consider all the skills you have accumulated that can be transferred to a new career.

As you take inventory of your transferable skills, you want to dive deep into the details of your day to accurately assess your strengths for a successful career change.

1. List What You Do In An Average Workday

Person writes down their transferable skills

Make a list of all the activities you perform on any given workday over a week, since not everything you do happens daily. And don't skip anything you may consider "a no-brainer" or insignificant because these little things can add up to a very significant skill that could transfer to another industry seamlessly.

So, if you sometimes have to field phone calls from disgruntled clients, and you've discovered you're really good at calming people's nerves, that's a valuable skill. Even if your job title is "financial analyst."

You never know what skill could make all the difference in your career change.

2. Realistically Assess Your Personal Strengths

Woman on laptop thinks about her personal strengths while trying to make a career change

You don't need to be good at everything, but if cold-calling is an essential aspect of the company you want to apply to in your career change, you need to know you can do this day in and day out.

Consider core skills such as communications, business acumen, managing people, marketing, and so on. Be honest with yourself and stay clear of jobs that rely on skills that are not among your strengths. Changing careers is a lot easier when you know all of your strengths and how they can help you succeed in your next job.

3. Are You Detail-Oriented Or More The Big-Picture Thinker?

If you're a numbers person and love tabulating figures, you may want to find a business that can capitalize on this valuable skill. Or maybe you prefer creating strategies that can make the whole operation run more smoothly.

Being detail-oriented or a big-picture thinker aren't hard skills. They're just adjectives and definitely DON'T belong on your resume. But knowing which category you fall under should help you identify the hard skills you possess that make you one or the other.

4. Do You Have Good Follow-Through?

Female executive leads a meeting after successfully changing careers

Building a clientele involves not only making good connections but following through to convert these new contacts into lasting relationships. Follow-through can also be an essential attribute in managing staff. A good franchise program can help you learn this skill.

While you don't want to state you have good follow-through on your resume, you should quantify your work experiences so that employers will get that impression when they read your job application. When trying to change careers, quantifiable skills and accomplishments are a necessity.

5. Are You A People Person?

Man smiles at his new job after making a career change

Do you love being around and meeting new people? Do you strike up conversations easily and enjoy learning about other people's interests and goals? Many businesses require a whole range of people skills in hiring and managing staff and attracting and keeping customers, but there are lots of businesses where the role of the owner mainly involves working alone at your computer.

No matter where you end up after your career change, you will have to deal with people in some way, shape, or form. But if you don't want a customer-facing role, it's good to know that so you can choose which transferable skills to highlight in your resume and which to omit.

With personal skills inventory in hand, you're now ready to begin researching businesses that would best match your skills and interests. A career change can be scary. But if you're confident about the skills you've developed in your career up to this point, you'll be just fine.

Need more help with your career change?

Become a member to learn how to successfully change careers and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Acquiring Job Advance Your Career Career Changing Careers and Employment Education Internship

Reinventing Your Career? 5 Steps To Assess …

#1 Secret To Successfully Changing Careers

I'm going to let you in on a little secret about successful career changes. So many people spend years not being able to pivot their career into a new industry or a new skill set because they haven't done the most vital part of the process.

The most important part of the career change process is the professional strengths assessment. That's the secret to successfully changing careers. Without going through the professional strengths assessment, you won't know which career direction is right for you.

Discovering Your Professional Strengths Helps You Understand Your Intrinsic Motivation

@j.t.odonnell Replying to @luciahawleynutrition No. 1 SECRET to changing careers, or finding a new, better job is to do proper professional strengths assessment. #strengths #strengthsandweaknesses #knowyourworth #knowyourstrengths #careers #jobs #career #job #careertok #jobtiktok #careertiktok #jobsearchtips #jobsearch #workitdaily #howto #work â¬ original sound - J.T. O'Donnell

School never taught you this. They never taught you how to properly assess your professional strengths. And, just so you know, employers will never teach you this either. And that's because when you understand your intrinsic motivation (how you like to create value and what makes you feel insanely productive on the job), when you tap into that and understand your unique combination of professional strengths, you will be able to identify careers that are a fit for you. You will know what to say during interviews. You'll be able to market yourself. And, better yet, you will be much happier on the job, which leads to career growth and success.

Ask anyone who's dialed into their career. They'll tell you they have a very clear sense of their intrinsic motivation and the value they create through their professional strengths.

Now, how do you inventory this? How do you discover your professional strengths and understand your intrinsic motivation?

You use a set of FREE tools:

If you're serious about changing careers, take the free quizzes above and sign up for my Professional Strengths Bootcamp. In this bootcamp, I walk you through the professional strengths assessment so that you can take a step back, understand your strengths, and then translate those into what you want to do next. When you can do that, everything gets easierâjob search, career growth, networking, everything.

You can do this. You can successfully change careers. And it starts with unlocking your professional strengths. So, I hope you follow my advice above. Go get 'em!

Need more help with your professional strengths assessment?

Become a member to learn how to UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

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#1 Secret To Successfully Changing Careers

This is for all the teachers who are thinking about making a career change and aren't sure what to do with their transferable skills.

In my experience working with teachers inside the Work It Daily community, these are the best jobs for teachers leaving education:

Strategic Or Conceptual Selling Jobs

@j.t.odonnell Replying to @patsrimbau Job For Teachers Leaving Education #teachersoftiktok #teacher #education #job #jobtok #career #careertok â¬ original sound - J.T. O'Donnell

Not every teacher, but many teachers are really good at what we call strategic or conceptual selling. This isn't the sales where you're cold-calling or knocking on doors. This is complex selling where you listen to the customer's needs and then help them envision and understand how your software, product, serviceâwhatever you're sellingâwill work for them.

Strategic or conceptual selling jobs require somebody to be great at educating and they need to have the right personality. Teachers have usually dealt with kids their whole life, so dealing with adult learners seems easier to them and they end up excelling in these roles. I can't tell you how many teachers I've seen leave teaching and make big money doing this. Strategic or conceptual selling might not be right for every teacher making a career change, but it might be right for you.

If you want to know if you're a fit for strategic or conceptual selling, I built a FREE 20-question quiz that you can take that helps you determine your top workplace personas. Your workplace personas are how you like to create value on the job and how you'll feel satisfied doing work. Those will dictate the kinds of careers that you're fit for. And if you get educator and then other things like visionary or super connector in your quiz results, those kinds of combinations make you ideal for strategic or conceptual selling.

You are never too old to switch careers, but you need to know how you like to create value to get out there and sell those transferable skills to employers. Because again, they're going to have to understand that value and they're not going to just see it on a piece of paper like a resume. You're going to have to explain it to them. And this kind of quiz can help.

Need more help with your career change?

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The Best Jobs For Teachers Leaving Education

How To Successfully Change Careers After A Layoff

For most workers, being laid off or furloughed is a scary thought, and, unfortunately, this scary thought became a reality for many professionals who had their jobs impacted by COVID-19 and the recession that followed. However, for some, losing their job is the push they need to make a career change.

It's not as crazy as it sounds!

Some people need a change but are too afraid to make one, and losing their job is the perfect opportunity to do so. In addition, many workers who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 crisis may find it difficult to get back into the industries they were working in.

Making a career change isn't easy, but with an organized approach, it can be done successfully. It won't happen overnight, but with patience and commitment, you can ultimately end up in a better place.

Here's what you need to know about the career change process as you embark on the job hunt after a layoff...

Commit To A Career Change Plan

Before committing to a career change, make sure you're ready to close the door on your current career.

A career change should not be an impulse decision or strictly driven by the trauma of a layoff. So, it's important to take some time to really think things over.

But if your decision comes from a prolonged period of career unhappiness, then the time may be right.

Identify the new industry that you're looking to get into and then create an interview bucket list of 10-12 companies where you would like to work. Take a self-inventory of yourself and identify the transferable skills you possess that would also apply well to this new industry. Identify where you need to upskill.

What skills are you missing for this new position? Come up with a plan for gaining these skills. Attend training courses, workshops, classes, or certification opportunities.

Changing Careers Is About Who You Know

Man talks to a colleague about making a career change

Now that you've drafted a career change plan, the real challenge begins: building your network.

When applying to a new industry, it's not enough to just apply online and pray that you'll get an interview. You have to put the work in.

Go to the company's website or LinkedIn account to identify the human resources manager and the company's key players. Try to make an actual connection. Tap into your current network to see if you already know someone working at the company or have a friend who knows a current employee.

Use any connection you make to learn more about the company and to tell your career storyâwhere you've been, and why you are choosing to change careers. Any connection that you make is a foot in the door.

This is a much more efficient way to conduct a job search, rather than just applying for every online job posting (spraying and praying). Most resumes don't even make it past the applicant tracking system (ATS).

In addition to trying to secure an interview, putting in this work will also help you build networking skills and expand your professional network. No matter where you are in your career, it always pays to network. This would also be a good time to update your LinkedIn profile, too.

Ease Your Way To Your Dream Job

Young professional moves into her new office after getting a new job

What if you could get a job at the company you want to work for, just not in the position that you wanted?

That would actually be a career victory. When it comes to career changes, very rarely can you just switch lanes and land your dream job. Sometimes you need to ease your way in.

If you're struggling to get the position you want within a certain company, research other positions at that company to see if there are any positions that better fit your current skill sets. If there is, apply for that position. That way you at least get a job at the company.

From there, you can figure out a way to gain the skills that you need, so that you can one day move into your dream position.

Beware! Career Changes Come With Salary Implications

Confused businessman ponders whether or not he should take a cut in salary

This may be hard to believe, but when it comes to a career change, sometimes salary is the last thing that you think about.

That's because the career change process is so involved. It takes a lot of effort to come up with a plan and eventually secure an interview. Salary considerations are something that gets placed on the temporary back burner.

But if you've reached the point in the process where it's time to discuss salary, you've done something right and don't want things to unravel.

Depending on the type of industry you're going into, you'll be looking at either a salary increase, decrease, or match. It's essential that you do your research about the position and the average salary for such a position in your geographical area. Websites such as Salary.com and Glassdoor can be good resources for this information.

Having this information could be helpful in salary negotiations or, at the very least, mentally prepare you, particularly if you're facing a salary decrease.

It's also important not to lie when asked about your current salary in order to get a higher salary. It never pays to be dishonest.

Being laid off and then deciding to change careers is a lot to take on. If you're organized and committed, you can do it, but you don't have to do it alone!

Need more help making a career change after a layoff?

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How To Successfully Change Careers After A …

15 Questions To Ask Before Making A Career Change

In case you are contemplating a major career modify, you may find the particular process a little mind-boggling at first. To assist organize your opinions and thoughts on the topic, inquire yourself the following 12-15 questions.

Inquiries to Ask Just before Making A Career Modify

Woman thinks about making a fabulous career change

Be sure you answer considerately and honestly. This will be for your eyes just. Also, be sure for you to write your answers straight down. Putting abstract thoughts and even feelings into words can assist you identify what's really taking place and it adds some sort of tangible element to typically the reflection process.

1. The facts about our current career that is not working?

two. What does this fresh career offer that my personal current career doesn't?

3. What will this new career fire up in my soul?

4. How really does the brand new career align together with my core values ?

5. What exactly are the long-term possibilities associated with this brand-new career?

six. What skills or sources will I actually need to take good thing about these long-term opportunities?

7. Who must i know who is currently within this career and could give me a respectable "insider's" perspective?

eight. Will my friends together with family support this completely new career endeavor?

9. How long will certainly it take to produce a comfortable living in this kind of new career?

10. Will i have this financial resources to create the new career work? In case not, how could i get exactly what I need to really feel secure?

eleven. What struggles can My partner and i predict in my changeover to this new career?

12. Just what exactly can I do right now to minimize these possible struggles?

13. What particular experience do you hope to help gain in this career move?

fourteen. How will my earlier experience help me inside this new role?

15. Are these claims career move one step up a good larger plan? If therefore, how much does this new career need to provide throughout order to help me personally move forward?

Now that you possess all your answers towards these questions, you can easily better position yourself regarding a successful career alter! It's exactly about being truthful with yourself and achieving obvious on your goals. As soon as you do that, the entire process becomes so a lot easier.

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This particular article was originally released at an earlier day.

Acquiring Job Advance Your Career Career Changing Careers and Employment Education Internship

15 Questions To Ask Before Making A …

You're ready to make a change in your career and have secured a new job (hopefully!). Now, it's time to quit your current job.

First things first: Unless we're talking about an extreme circumstance, you should never walk into your boss' office and say "I quit!" That's unprofessional and could have severe professional consequences in the future.

It's important to maintain your personal brand as a hardworking professional. The way you end this career chapter is part of that brand.

Here's how to be professional when you quit your job:

Give A Proper Notice

Since we're talking about being professional, we should probably say "resign" instead of "quit." If you do things right, you won't leave the company high and dry. Instead, you'll give your team proper notice so they can plan accordingly.

A proper notice of resignation is typically two weeks. Sometimes people are in a position to give a longer notice and sometimes people give a shorter notice, depending on the company policy and what you've negotiated for as part of your new job.

If you're in a position where you have to give a shorter notice, such as one week, make sure to clearly explain the situation to your boss, apologize for the inconvenience, and ask if there's anything extra you can do in your last week to help ease their transition.

Be Polite And Grateful

Young professional giving resignation to boss during a meeting

Resignations should always be done in person. That said, you'll want to have a paper trail to cover your bases if anything happens, so be sure to email your boss your resignation letter immediately following your conversation.

Once you're face-to-face with your boss, explain that you felt the time was right to make a change and you came across a new opportunity that you ultimately thought would be a better fit. Be humble and thank your boss for the opportunity to work with the company and wish your boss and company well.

In many ways, your conversation with your boss will mirror your resignation letter: short and to the point.

If you have concerns or complaints about the company, avoid airing them out during your resignation. Unless there's a terrible reason for your leaving that could put others in harm's way, don't bring up your drama.

If your boss asks for feedback, keep it constructive, short, and to the point. If you can offer some minor feedback that may improve the company, then give it a try, but there's no need to dissect every issue the company may have.

Finish The Job Strong

Coworkers talk while they work on a project

As legendary New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick would say, "Do your job!"

Just because you're leaving the company doesn't mean you should slack off. Continue to work hard and be fully engaged with the job until the very end.

It's important to leave the job on a positive note because you want to have some professional references for future job searches.

In addition, former bosses and colleagues are great people to have in your professional network. You never know when a past professional connection could help you score a new job in the future.

Be Sure To Say Goodbye

Woman packs up her desk before leaving her job

The last day on the job is a good time to sew up future professional references and discuss ways to keep in touch with former co-workers. Some jobs require exit interviews. But if that's not the case with your job, make an effort to visit your boss one last time.

It's a good idea to again express gratitude for the opportunity to work at the company.

Leave on good terms with as many people as possible.

Positivity and professionalism are the keys to leaving any job. Jobs are temporary but the legacy you leave behind as an employee remains.

Whenever possible, you want to enter and leave each opportunity on a positive note because each experience tells a story about yourself as a professional.

With career changes happening more frequently now, it's more important than ever to have a strong background of positive experiences with former employers. Follow the tips above to properly quit your job and leave on a good note.

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How To Properly Quit Your Job

When you begin the job application process, you need to make sure your resume is optimized and ready to be sent out to employers. The struggle isn't so much finding enough things to include on your resume. Rather, it's choosing what skills, experiences, and accomplishments to include on your resume to boost your likelihood of landing an interview.

Choosing the right skills to include on your resume is easier said than done. What skills will really stand out to recruiters and hiring managers? What skills demonstrate why you'd be a great fit for the position? What skills best represent what you bring to the table?

Fortunately, there's an easy process you can follow to ensure you're answering these questions and setting yourself up for job opportunities.

Here are four steps for choosing the right skills to include on your resume:

1. Decode Job Descriptions

Before you hit "apply" on a job posting, it's important to read through the job description and understand what the job actually entails.

What is this company really looking for in a candidate?
What responsibilities are listed?
What skills are they asking for?

You have to analyze the job description, then think about how you would fit into this "mold" of an employee that they have in mind for the position. Start to think about the core responsibilities you've had in your previous jobs.

Do your previous core responsibilities translate into skills that this job posting is asking forâskills that would make you a great fit for the position?

2. Ask Yourself "Can I Quantify That?"

Once you've decoded the job description and determined if you have the skills the employer is asking for, it's time to think about which skills you should include on your resume (because you can't include them all).

The key to getting your resume past the ATS is to include only hard skills on your resume.

Hard skills (skills that tie directly to core responsibilities) are what applicant tracking systems (ATS) and hiring managers want to see. They're quantifiable. If you can't quantify it, it's probably a soft skill. Soft skills DO NOT belong on your resume.

So, when deciding what skills you should include on your resume, ask yourself, "Can I quantify that?" If you can, it's a hard skill, and it belongs on your resume.

Both industry-specific and transferable hard skills can go on your resume. After decoding the job description, you will know which hard skills the employer is looking for.

3. Think About Your Brand

The next step in deciding which skills should go on your resume deals with personal branding. You want to make sure you are "branding" yourself correctly for job opportunities.

By that, we mean knowing what type of service you provide for a companyâand what skill sets support that service.

After all, here at Work It Daily, we know every job seeker is a business-of-one. Are you branding your business (yourself) correctly in order to attract customers (employers looking to invest in you)?

Know your brand, and own it!

4. Customize, Customize, Customize

The last step in deciding which skills should go on your resume is customization.

Customizing your resume is very important. You'll probably have to highlight different skills for the different jobs you apply for. That means customizing your resume for each job application.

What projects did you work on?
What expertise did you gain?
What skills should you be emphasizing?

If you ask yourself these questions for each job you apply for, your answers will most likely differ. That's how you'll know you're customizing your resume correctly and giving yourself the best chance to land an interview.

As you're thinking about your resume, remember you have more skills than you realize. Your job is to make it easy for employers to see the connection between your skill sets and the skill sets needed to do the job. When in doubt, ask yourself, "Can I quantify that?"

The goal at this stage in the job search process is to get an interview. You can only worry about getting the job after you know you're in the running. What skills are going to get you in the door?

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As you're thinking about your resume, remember you have more skills than you realize. Your job is to make it easy for employers to see the connection between your skill sets and the skill sets needed to do the job. When in doubt, ask yourself, "Can I quantify that?"

The goal at this stage in the job search process is to get an interview. You can only worry about getting the job after you know you're in the running. What's going to get you in the door?

Acquiring Job Advance Your Career Career Changing Careers and Employment Education Internship