How to Change Careers
Thinking of a career change? There are lots of ways to navigate the process of switching to a new line of work – follow our tips for success!
First you need to consider how different your new career is from your current role, and if your current employer offers the type of position you aspire to. Then you can consider the following options:
- Change companies in the same career. This is a two-step process. First you need to find a role in your current role with a company that also hires for your aspirational role, then you’re on track for the second option, which is:
- Change careers within the same company. If your company has a track record of promoting from within, and of developing staff that have proven themselves to be valuable, you are in an excellent position to leverage your current employer in your aspirations. Discuss your goals with the HR team and understand what you specifically need to be eligible for a role in the new department.
- Look for a job in your desired position, in a new company. This is the most difficult path to take. If you have many years as a bookkeeper, and apply for a completely different position in a new company, you need to convince the recruitment team and the hiring manager to take a chance on someone with no relevant job history. You will likely need to take a significant pay cut which disregards your previous work experience.
Let’s look at examples of the first two options.
Jojo is a bookkeeper, and he aspires to be a nurse. He currently works in a firm with no connection to the medical profession. Jojo is studying nursing part time and while his company is moderately supportive of his ambitions, they’ve made it clear that there are no options in the company for him to transition into nursing.
Jojo’s best option is to move to a new company as a bookkeeper, and to select a company that also has nurses on staff. This may be any large company with an in-house nurse, or it could be a hospital or medical centre. Jojo may need to learn a little about medical bookkeeping before making the switch.
Once in a company with roles in both his source and target career, he can transition within the firm when he has the requisite education. If Jojo has established himself as diligent and responsive as a bookkeeper, a smart employer will be supportive of his career change.
On the other hand, Anna is a help desk analyst and she aspires to be an accountant. Her current company has an inhouse finance department with a team of accountants.
Anna is in a great position to seek support from her employer for her career change. If she has proven herself as hard working and is a valued employee, her company will recognize the benefits of retaining and retraining her into a new role. While in her role as a help desk analyst, she can make contact with the finance team, informally learn more about the systems and processes they use and the culture of the department, and focus her education in these areas.
Looking to enhance your career with a new company? Yempo is a premium employer in the Philippines of talent in a range of industries and professions. Follow our blog for more tips on managing your career, and check out our vacancies at www.yempo.ph