If you’re an experienced professional looking to change career, good career advice is critical. It helps you make the right choices and map out a path to your dream career. The advice you receive will be multi-faceted and will include elements that are focused on finding the best job for you. Here are some key aspects to look for.
Contents
- 1 Work-Life Balance
- 2 Keep Yourself Refreshed
- 3 The Benefits of Having a Mentor
- 4 A Mentor Helps You Enrich and Advance Your Career
- 5 Finding A New Role
- 6 Assessing Your Strengths
- 7 What Are Your Strengths
- 8 Keeping Your Resume Current
- 9 Be Specific
- 10 Avoid Industry Jargon in your Resume
- 11 Finding A New Career Path
- 12 Work-life Balance is Key
Work-Life Balance
For experienced professionals, achieving work-life balance can be tough. While you may think it’s easier to achieve it on your own, you should seek out support. There are several ways to improve your work-life balance and make it less stressful. Here are a few ideas.
First, make sure to prioritize your time. Try not to work long hours if you can. This will allow you to enjoy your personal life. You should also make sure to set realistic schedules and prioritize your time for family and other priorities.
Keep Yourself Refreshed
In addition, make sure that you take regular breaks to refresh yourself. Ultimately, a good work-life balance can help you be more productive, feel more fulfilled and feel better in your career. In addition, it can make you more valuable to your employer.
Establish a morning routine. Having a morning routine is helpful to avoid procrastination. Brushing your teeth, eating breakfast, and dressing up can help you feel refreshed and ready for the day. Also, discuss your work-life balance needs with your employer. Some employers allow flexible schedules or compressed workweeks for their employees.
As an employer, it is essential to lead by example. Many employees take their cues from their managers, so it’s important to set a good example. For example, if you have a family, you should discuss parental leave options with your employees. Also, don’t neglect to promote your company’s work-life balance program among employees.
The Benefits of Having a Mentor
Having a mentor can help you make the most of your professional network. A mentor will have experience in a field that is similar to yours and access to people in that field who can help you overcome obstacles.
A mentor can also help you develop your own network. These connections may lead to business partners and job leads that you may not have had otherwise.
A mentor’s advice can help a mentee improve their professional skills, and it should be tailored to their strengths. They should be able to offer constructive criticism and give encouragement during difficult times. Ideally, a mentor should push their mentee to try new responsibilities and develop different skills.
A Mentor Helps You Enrich and Advance Your Career
In addition to offering career advice, a mentor can also assist with transitioning to a different industry. Whether you are changing industries or relocating to another city, having a mentor can help you navigate the business environment. A mentor can also provide guidance about job hunting and interview preparation.
If you’re seeking a mentor, it’s important to establish a regular meeting time with them. Make sure you are able to commit to the schedule and keep the meetings on track. A mentor should be willing to share their own experiences and personal growth journey with you. Sharing their own challenges can also be enlightening and inspire you.
Finding A New Role
The internet is a valuable tool when searching for a new role. Many companies post their job openings on social media, and you can take advantage of this to get in touch with a company’s hiring managers.
However, you should ensure that your profile is appropriate for the company, use your real name and professional image, and keep it consistent across all platforms. It is also a good idea to audit your social media accounts and remove any inappropriate posts, or delete any profiles that you do not regularly use.
When answering questions during an interview, make sure to talk positively about your previous role.
Describe how it helped you develop and improve as a professional, and how your current skill set could be beneficial to a new organization. You also need to emphasize your interest in the new role, and how you are eager to meet new challenges.
Assessing Your Strengths
Personal SWOT Analysis can help you move your career and your life forward. The key is to maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses. Your weaknesses may actually translate into strengths if you apply them in the right context. However, to make the most of your strengths, you need to continually focus your efforts and identify areas in which you can improve.
One way to assess your strengths is through a CliftonStrengths assessment. https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx These tests can be helpful in identifying your skills, interests, and values. A CliftonStrengths assessment can help you assess yourself regularly.
Because the model is circular, you can revisit and rediscover your strengths at different stages of your life. Remember, your strengths are where your skills, interests, and values overlap. They can even change with each new assessment.
What Are Your Strengths
A strength is something you are good at and enjoy doing. For example, if you enjoy drawing, you may develop a high level of attention to detail. You may also be creative and patient. These qualities can be valuable assets in many workplace situations, including teaching, graphic design, and administrative work. You should focus on your strengths rather than ignoring them.
Understanding your strengths and weaknesses will help you make more informed choices in life. Knowing your strengths will allow you to focus your energy on things you are good at and to be more resourceful in the workplace.
It will also help you take advantage of opportunities in a more efficient manner. Knowing your strengths will help you to focus on the areas in which you excel and delegate tasks to people who are better at them.
Keeping Your Resume Current
Career experts say it’s important to keep your resume up-to-date. You’ll want to include recent and relevant experience, and try to keep it concise.
However, it’s important to avoid listing jobs that are no longer relevant to the job you’re applying for. This will make your resume appear cluttered and distract from your most relevant qualifications.
Be Specific
When updating your resume, don’t forget to list specific achievements you’ve made. Although many people don’t recall specific achievements, keeping a folder of documents containing statistics and achievements is helpful. These documents can be used to update your resume.
For example, if you’re a digital marketer, list conversion and click-through rates for each campaign you’ve worked on. Or, if you’re a project manager, list the projects you’ve completed within budget and on time.
Avoid Industry Jargon in your Resume
When writing your resume, remember to avoid industry jargon. Employers value brevity. So, make your resume short and easy-to-read for the average person. In addition, keep in mind that the first person who will look at it may not be a hiring manager. Be sure that the information you include on your resume is meaningful, interesting, and accessible to anyone reading it.
As you get more experience, you will need to update your resume. It should include keywords that are critical to the job you’re applying for. If you’ve had several jobs since you graduated from college, you can list them in your resume as well. Keeping your resume up-to-date will ensure that you’re in good shape when you apply for a new job.
Finding A New Career Path
One way to find a new career path is to focus on your personal interests and strengths. Take note of the topics and projects that stir your imagination, and reflect on people and stories that inspire you. You should also pay attention to times when you are most fulfilled. It will take time and introspection to find the path that will satisfy you.
Many professionals change jobs several times during their career, sometimes to the same company or industry. Some job changes are internal, while others are more drastic, such as moving to a different type of organization.
Many people are drawn to the flexibility and ambiguity of an agile and flat organization, while others are attracted to the stable and steady nature of a traditional company.
Work-life Balance is Key
While looking for a new career, it’s best to look at the work-life balance and lifestyle benefits of the new career. Then, develop a plan and set a target date to transition. You may wish to pursue training and degree programs to help you transition smoothly. Also, try to network with people who are already working in the industry you’re considering.
Changing careers can help you find a better work-life balance and increase your salary. You can also take on a leadership role in a new company if you want.