How to Make a Career Change

When is it the right time to

change jobs?
There are a lot of things to consider when deciding when
and why to move on. To begin with, you need to assess
where you are now, what you have achieved and where you
want to be in a few years time.
What do you enjoy about your present job? What dont you enjoy?
What do you feel is missing? What have you enjoyed about any
previous roles you have done? How will you know when you have
achieved it?
As well as your own personal motives for wanting to change jobs,
there are plenty of other reasons out of your control that cause you
to leave your current position, including:
potential financial difficulties for your employer
your company moving into a different area of business
a collapse in communication with your manager or colleagues
Spotting when the time is right
f you do decide to leave a job, !uitting at the wrong time can hit you
in the pocket if youre not careful" #or e$ample, leaving just before
your big bonus is due is not very sensible"
ts a good idea to think about whether youre currently paid in
advance or in arrears as any change may affect your monthly cash
flow"
www.monster.ie
f youve got a holiday planned, wait until you get back before
handing in your notice" %our new employer wont take kindly to you
booking two weeks off during your probation period"
Leave in a position of strength
&nce youve made the decision to leave, make sure you have
somewhere to go before handing in your notice" 'ont be tempted to
storm off in a huff or make some sort of statement if it means leaving
yourself vulnerable"
ts much easier to find a job when you already have one" A long
period of unemployment sends out a bad signal to a future employer"
'ont ignore the conse!uences of !uitting before you have a new job
lined up, no matter how much you dislike where youre working"
Apart from looking bad as you start applying for new jobs, voluntarily
leaving your former role could compromise your eligibility for
unemployment benefits"
Money shouln!t be the only reason
f money is the overriding issue in your desire for change, have the
courage to address it before thinking about leaving" f you dont feel
youre getting paid enough, ask for more" (his can be a scary
e$perience, but it could solve your problem"
Grass is Greener eBooks
"urther #eaing
) How can manage a gap in my earnings?
) How can secure a pay rise?
How to Make a Career Change
How o $ fin a career that
will suit me?
Ask a class of schoolchildren what they want to be when
they grow up and youll receive some great answers
unfortunately most of them wont achieve their astronaut or
ballerina dreams.
As you progress through your education most of us will lean towards
the subjects that most interest us, but transferring that to a career is
not always simple"
f youve fallen into the wrong occupation and are looking to make a
change, its never too late to switch direction"
%ssessing your options
(he first thing is to get a few basics down on paper so that you can
assess them clearly" Work out your likes and dislikes and what your
main skills are" *ecause self)assessment can be a tricky process, it
might be worth using a career coach to point you in the right
direction"
+emember, its not about choosing the right answer, its about
finding out which careers are right for your personality" Assessment
tests can also help you !uantify how you relate to other people and
how you approach problem solving" Whether you feel you know
where youd like to be or not, you may find out something surprising
about yourself or a career path you hadnt previously considered"
www.monster.ie
&nce youve completed some serious soul searching and got clear
answers to those tough !uestions, be realistic about the options
open to you" ,oing to university full)time or retraining simply might
not be possible if you are a single mother, have large mortgage
payments or care for a frail relative"
-onsider whether your ideal role is in the same industry you already
have e$perience in" t is far easier to change jobs within the same
sector and you may just need to find a more e$citing company to
work for"
Another important factor to consider is the amount of progression
that a certain job or career path allows" Aiming for a job that will
satisfy your needs now may be good for the short)term, but what
about in five years time when you need to earn"
&ack yourself to succee
.ow youve identified where you want to go, get on with it" +esearch
the latest developments in your chosen industry, network as widely
as you can at industry events and talk to people who do the job you
want to do" /ake yourself an employers most attractive prospect by
proving you are motivated, informed and know what you have to
offer can benefit their business"
Grass is Greener eBooks
How to Make a Career Change
How can $ change
my career?
Do you love your job !ou should, and you certainly could.
Although many people complain about their work or see it as
a necessary evil, it doesnt need to be that way. "f you think
youd rather be somewhere else on a #onday morning, take
control and do something positive to change your situation.
Woul you o your job if you weren!t being pai?
ts a good !uestion, and one that most people would probably
answer in the negative"
magine what it would feel like to enjoy your job as much as your
leisure time, waking up every day eager to get on with the job"
(he average person will work 01 hours a week for the better part of
01 years" (hats nearly 21,111 hours of your life" 'oesnt it make
sense to spend your working time somewhere you want to be?
(he first step is tailoring your -3 for the new career youre after"
(ake a look at the different skills you have ac!uired over the years )
many of them may be useful in another industry"
"urther #eaing
) 4hould become a specialist or a generalist?
) s the public sector a good place to work?
www.monster.ie
(hese transferable skills are often overlooked by career changers
but are desired by almost every employer:
( literacy
.umeracy
5roblem)solving
+esearch and analysis
#oreign languages
5resentation skills
&rganisation and time)keeping
(his applies to achievements as well" f youve been successful in
one job, chances are you will continue the trend in another"
+emember that specific details of the tasks might not be recognised
in an alternative sector, so keep the e$amples brief"
'etting your name out there
-hanging career is not easy, but very achievable" &nce youve
convinced yourself its the best thing for you and have the hard
evidence to back this up, its going to be much easier to persuade a
potential employer"
#ind out as much as you can about your new industry by attending
conferences or networking events and keeping up)to)date with the
latest developments in the industry youre heading towards" %oull
really impress your interviewer if you can show a dedication to the
position, before youre even in it"
6nless time)travel is invented, you wont get a second chance, so
make sure you act now to create the life you want for yourself"
Grass is Greener eBooks
How to Make a Career Change
Can a step back help my
long(term career?
$limbing the corporate ladder isnt the same as it once was.
The days when working for the same company for decades
have been replaced by an average of over si% companies
throughout a working life.
What was once viewed as 7job)hopping is now often regarded as
ambition to advance ones career ) providing there arent too many
jobs on your -3 with short durations and no e$planation"
4taying with an organisation that offers little in the way of career
progression will do your career more harm than good"
And, if you have been banging on the door of management but feel
that you have e$hausted your chances of promotion, then it is
natural that you will be looking for the opportunity to progress
elsewhere"
(herefore, to get ahead, there may be times when you will have to
take one step backwards before moving two steps forward,
regardless of whether you are staying in the same field of changing
to a different career"
/uch of the negativity associated with taking a step back in your
career, is psychological" %our responsibilities will be less in
comparison to your previous job and you will probably be earning
less money"
www.monster.ie
*ut, earning less now could put you in line for a !uicker rise to the
top, especially if you move to a company renowned for allowing a
fast)track path to management"
8ook at whether the post has a strong long)term potential within an
organisation that has an enviable reputation in your industry which
could boost your overall career prospects"
-onsider what opportunities the position can offer you in terms of
learning new skills, e$periencing a different environment and
working practice"
6se the skills and knowledge that you have ac!uired throughout
your career to make you an invaluable asset to your colleagues and
management in your new position"
Whereas the road to the top used to involve working your way up
through the ranks in the same organisation, only a small percentage
of e$ecutives today have spent their entire career following this
route"
-areer e$perts predict that in the future, the senior positions in
organisations will be held by people who have come from more
diverse backgrounds"
-hoosing your career options is like playing chess" Approach your
choices with caution" Access your options" (actfully envisage how
your ne$t career move will determine your move after that" And then
play it out"
Grass is Greener eBooks
How to Make a Career Change
How can $ work out my
value in the job market?
Different jobs and industries have vastly different pay scales.
As you work out your real worth in the job you are in now or
hope to move into, do everything you can to research the
market.
)nerstaning the relationship
9ust like many areas of business, employment is a deal done on the
basis of supply and demand" (he workers with the skills and
e$perience influence supply in the job market, how rare you and
your skills are and how much your employer needs you is the
fundamental basis for calculating your worth in salary and benefits"
(he nternet is a priceless tool for salary research" 6sing an online
salary calculator will give you a rough idea of what you can e$pect
in your particular role, industry and location"
4earch through various job descriptions to benchmark your role
against" t will give you a good idea of the key attributes companies
are looking for in certain jobs, which means you can emphasise
these in your -3 to make yourself a more attractive prospect"
)sing your finings
f you:re approaching your boss for a pay increase in your current
role, you can e$pect some scepticism when you present your
results, so be ready to back them up with specific e$amples"
www.monster.ie
(here may be things you are doing that your boss is not actively
aware of, such as working unpaid overtime at home or skills you
have developed, which are a real benefit to the business"
All these can be used as e$tra leverage when you get down to the
actual numbers"
f you:re discussing the possible salary for a new job, your potential
employer will usually have a salary range in mind set by their
management team" -onsider the offer and match it up with your
research to see if it:s fair"
*udget constraints operate in every business and it:s impossible to
accommodate every pay demand from every employee" f money
really does end up as a stumbling block, consider using transferable
skills to move into a more profitable and high)paying industry or job"
-hoosing the right company to work for is an important decision at
every step of your career, and if one doesn:t appreciate your value in
the market, there will be another out there that does"
Grass is Greener eBooks
How to Make a Career Change
What is networking an
how o $ o it?
&ssentially, networking is getting to know people who can
help you develop your career prospects. !ou don't need to
be a big shot or the most outgoing person in the world to
network effectively.
(ake it a step at a time" *egin with people you know, at work and in
your social life" ;eep your ears open and listen for information that
could work to your advantage"
A lot of good jobs never make it to the pages of a recruitment
website or newspaper" (hey get filled by word of mouth and the
more senior the position, the more often it happens this way" 8ike
any other form of social behaviour, networking follows certain rules:
"irst impressions count ) both face)to)face and via the
phone or email" Always stay sharp"
*on+t ask irectly for a job ) networking is not a job fair< it:s
an opportunity to gather potentially useful information"
'ive an take ) networking is a two)way e$change< there:s
no such thing as a free lunch"
*o the grounwork ) research your contacts before meeting
them and always follow up good leads or they pass on"
www.monster.ie
=ven if you:re new to the game, you may have lots of worthwhile
contacts you hadn:t seen in that way before:
&ld school, college or university classmates
#riends and family
%our doctor, lawyer or accountant
#ormer colleagues or bosses
;eep good records of who you meet and the conversations you:ve
had ) there:s no point building a network of contacts that you then
forget" Also aim to stay in regular touch even when you:re not after
anything specific"
.etworking events and conferences are good ways to build a
network if you:re not sure where to start" /ake sure you know why
you are there and what you want out of it and make sure you have a
few copies of your -3 or business cards"
f you:re not used to the idea yet, networking can be scary< like it:s
something for super)confident types who get all the best jobs
anyway" *ut that:s not the whole story"
(he nternet has made networking a viable option for everyone and
there are many forums and business networking sites which enable
business people to share and discuss their views and knowledge,
but can never completely replace actually getting out and showing
your face"
Grass is Greener eBooks
"urther #eaing
) How do build and maintain a contact database?
) How can benefit from conferences?
How to Make a Career Change
How o $ make my job
relocation run smoothly?
#aking the decision to relocate is a massive life change and
it doesnt just affect you your friends and family will all
need to adapt to accommodate the new situation.
(he reasons for wanting to move elsewhere are numerous" /aybe
youre sick of the city and need some fresh air and countryside"
/aybe youve had troubles in other areas of your life and need a
new start"
Whatever your reasons, the methods for ensuring you relocation
runs smoothly are the same"
*eciing where to go
f the move is your idea rather than your companys, then the kind of
place you end up is going to be the biggest decision to make"
#or those of you who have no idea where you want to go, think long
and hard about whats important to you" 'o you want to stay in
reland? How close do you want to be to your family? .obody can
tell you what the perfect location for you is"
%oure highly advised to sort out your work situation in a new
location before making a move" f you think that employers will only
consider you if youre living locally, reassure them in your cover
letter that your intentions are to move once a position has been
secured"
www.monster.ie
Moving with your employer
4ometimes change is forced on us by our employer heading to
pastures new" %oure likely to be given a couple of weeks to decide
whether you want to move with them so use this time wisely to make
an informed decision" Apply all the same principles as you would if
you were choosing to move voluntarily, and dont feel under massive
pressure to move simply to keep your job"
f you do decide to move with your employer, check out what
financial support is going to be available to you to cover the great
e$pense of moving"
Settling in to your new surrounings
ts always tough building up new social networks from scratch, but
use your imagination and look for ways to get involved with your new
neighbours and the community" f you have children, youll generally
meet other parents through school activities"
%our new colleagues are an obvious group of people to get involved
in social activities with, but be careful not to come across as too
needy before youve integrated into the team"
Grass is Greener eBooks
How to Make a Career Change
How shoul my C, look if
$+m changing career?
$areer change $(s are completely different animals. !our
current $( played an effective part in getting you the job you
have now, but it might not work again in another industry.
#or this reason, you will almost certainly have to work through it and
tailor it to the needs of the sector you:re hoping to break into"
As ever, communication is vital" -heck job sites for the kind of roles
that are available, and see what skills, !ualifications or other
attributes are being asked for" Work through all your e$perience and
transferable skills, and begin to create a portrait of yourself that
potential employers will be able to relate to"
Making things clear
*ased on your research into your prospective employer:s industry,
write down a list of the !ualifications and skills you have that are
most likely to appeal to your potential employer"
*ecause your previous jobs may not have any direct relevance to
your new career, it:s worth switching your -3 around so the skills
section is the first thing a reader sees"
/ake it clear that you:re aware of the differences between your old
industry and your target one, and these skills are the reason why
your switch will be a success"
www.monster.ie
6se your imagination and common sense and e$ploit every positive
you can find to build up a picture that will appeal to your future
employer" %our lack of e$perience in their industry will be irrelevant if
the rest of the -3 proves your value"
(he job of a career change -3 is to make your switch seem like the
logical ne$t step, enabling future employers to see why they should
give you a shot at succeeding in a new field"
'etting your name out there
.etworking is of great value here, so see if you can get into a
relevant business group or club" t also pays to ask around amongst
friends and colleagues to see whether they have any contacts that
may be of help"
As every industry has its own way of doing things, these contacts will
be invaluable when it comes to giving you pointers on perfecting
your document" (hey will !uickly notice any vital information missing"
/aking prospective applications and posting your -3 on /onster will
put it in front of employers who are on the look out for new talent"
/aking the switch to a new company is always easier if they come to
you rather than you chasing after them>
Grass is Greener eBooks
"urther #eaing
) How should list my previous jobs on my -3?
) What makes a good -3 design and layout?
) How can make my -3 more effective?
How to Make a Career Change
(hey say that the grass isnt greener on the other side, but
often it is" &ur series of e*ooks brings together e$pert advice
to help you secure the job you want and build a successful
career"
#or more career tools, visit career(avice.monster.ie-