You’ve graduated but it is hard to find a job within your field? Or you no longer want to pursue the career that you have now?
It is not uncommon to want to switch career paths after all the plans and hard work you have put into.
Drawing on my own story, I was in a similar situation. It was the beginning of a new phase in my life and I struggled a lot.
Graduating during the oil price crash had a huge blow on the graduate job market. Even more so, reducing my chances to a single digit percentage in securing a job within my field of interest as I had initially planned.alert-success
“Change is the only constant in life.” Heraclitus.
This simple saying has led me to pivot my career to a different direction and these are the lessons I learnt along the way.
Know your reason for career change
Do a little soul-searching and figure out the real drive behind your decision to switch path. Some reasons may not need a drastic career change as it could turn out to be something within your ability to control and change. For example, taking up more interesting projects or roles if you are feeling uninspired at work.
However, chasing your true career interest or lack of job opportunities due to economic downturn are among the solid reasons to leave the seemingly dead-end and seek new beginnings.
Identify your transferable skills and interests
It is important to recognize the transferable skills you acquired during your education, extracurricular activities, internships or work experience. Also known as soft skills, they are the qualities that enable you to do your job well, whatever that job may be. Link them with your interests. Think about your core value or the type of work that will give you a deep sense of satisfaction. Combining these two components will definitely help pave the way for your next step.
Explore career options
When you already know what you want and what you can bring to the table, it is time to look for jobs that offer compatible opportunities. Aside from job satisfaction, do not be afraid to consider other benchmarks that fit your requirement, be it career development, work flexibility, location or salary package.
Build your narrative
Work on your resume – highlight all the relevant transferable and technical skills. Start making connections- connect with the people of your preferred profession and seek their insights and sharing. This will inform you of the skills that are necessary to succeed in the position you are interested in.
Pivoting your career involves a lot of work, disruption and risk. However, it is vital to reinvent yourself during the times of uncertainty. Do know that you are not defined merely by your degree nor your experience. Do your research, take a brave leap of change and explore your potentials.
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