According to the World Economic Forum, the average professional changes jobs about 12 times before they are 55. Many of these people end up with thriving careers, while some find themselves stuck and do not see much success when switching jobs. The difference between the two is strategic planning. Whether you are seeking better compensation, an improved work-life balance, or new challenges, a well-executed career transition requires more than updating your CV. This blueprint will guide you through the critical step, ensuring you make your next career move confidently and purposely.
Self-Assessment and Initial Preparations
If you are considering switching jobs, you likely already have a position or company in mind. While the initial steps should include updating your CV or creating a new one using a blank CV template as a starting point, there is much more to do at this stage.
Many professionals advise that you start identifying your career goals. You should know what you want from the new position and the direction you want your career to head. This is also a great time to evaluate your skills and experience gaps.
You do not need to do this if you already have a position in mind, but making a list of your skills and experience, which you can do while revamping your CV or creating a new one, can help you identify which jobs would be the best fit and which ones not to spend your time on.
As you do this, you should also be listing your non-negotiables. These can include location, work arrangements, work-life balance, and salary. Ideally, you should know what you do not want in your new job from your past job, but it is always a good idea to do a new assessment.
Do Market Research and Prepare
This step is for anyone who has not yet settled on the positions to apply for or companies they would like to work for. Your strategic career change plan should include market research that entails looking into different companies and roles. At this point, consider whether you will be going for a lateral or vertical move.
A lateral career move entails transferring to a different role within the same level or rank in the same or a different organisation. A vertical move, on the other hand, is where you seek a higher position, which essentially makes it a promotion.
Once you have a list of organisations and roles, the next step should be updating your LinkedIn profile. You can include your latest role plus all your achievements within your current organisation. Some experts advise that you update the titles from your past roles to better match what you are looking for.
However, do not embellish or mischaracterise your roles as you do this because a competent recruiter or manager will look into them. You do not want them to discover you misrepresented yourself or these roles.
Lastly, consider setting up alerts on different platforms for the roles you are looking for. Doing this will help you create a database of roles and companies you can narrow down in the future.
Manage Your Current Job
There are several things you can do at your current position and at this stage to help with the transition. Some important ones include documenting current processes and projects and gathering performance reviews and achievements. You will likely discuss these during your interview, so having them is always a good idea.
Also, consider collecting important work samples. However, be careful when doing this so you do not break confidentiality or collect documents the company does not want you to share with outside parties.
Prepare for Interviews
How you prepare for interviews will vary depending on your industry, but the steps are largely the same. You should start the process by collecting common interview questions in your field or that align with your desired roles.
The good news is that numerous online resources can help you with this. Some platforms also allow you to do mock interviews or work with an interview coach to see how well you would do and what you still need to know or learn.
You should also take some time to prepare your elevator speech and questions for potential employers. Interviewers want to know you and to see that you are excited to learn more about the company. Both of these will help.
If you will be attending virtual interviews, set up a professional interview space. First impressions matter, and whatever is behind or around you during these interviews will say a lot about you.
Having a plan and being adequately prepared are two of the most important things you can do when planning a career switch. The steps above should help, but you should also think of things like financial planning and timing your move right so you have a smooth transition.
