You’ve been doing the same job for nearly a decade now. You tell yourself that you are content with what you have. The workplace, though, has changed over the last two years, and your new manager is never willing to appreciate your contribution to the company.
However, you still keep telling yourself that you are content with your job and wherever you are in your professional life.
This happens when the unwillingness to thrive and grow as a professional is not there from the get-go. Everything around you begins to change as the years' pass, but you still are the same.
You fail to cope with the sudden transformation in your work environment.
Be it the new work culture at your office, as mentioned above, or a new manager, you no longer feel valued and appreciated. But there still is a way out that can help you give yourself a new lease of life. It’s called career transition.
Career transition is a step that people are sometimes too scared to take. Those who want to go ahead with it are also talked out of it by their friends and colleagues. But as the famous saying goes, it is a valid aspect of life:
"Change is the only constant."
As the old saying states, change is the only constant. At some point, we have to accept that this change is bound to happen if we are not happy about where our career is moving.
But is career transition a risky professional step to take? Or is it just the fear of consequences that is stopping you? Can someone else help you through it? Can a professional help you with your career transition? Let’s dig deeper and find out.
Table of topics
- What Is Career Transition?
- Identifying The Reasons For Career Transition.
- Who Are Career Transition Specialists?
- What Do Career Transition Specialists Do?
- Never Too Late For A Positive Change.
What Is Career Transition?
There are no strict definitions for ‘career transition’, but it should not be confused with a simple job change. When you change a job within the same industry and perform more or less the same functions, it is just a job change.
On the other hand, it is a career transition when you take up a job where your job functions are entirely different or an entirely different industry. The reason could be anything — voluntary or due to some external factor.
Another critical difference between a job change and a career transition is the impact of the two. A simple job change is improbable to cause a lot of disruption in your life. On the other hand, a career transition can bring about many differences in your professional life, impacting your personal life.
Identifying The Reasons For Career Transition
The reasons for switching careers could either stem from external factors or one’s instinct. External factors could be government regulations, recession, or simply due to changes in technology.
On the other hand, internal disruptions stem from our hobbies, passions, or simply because we are not content with what we are doing. Whatever the reason, one needs a career transition specialist for guidance as it is a big deal for anyone and everyone.
Laura Sheehan is one such Career Strategist who herself went through a career transition. She speaks about her journey at length in this video:
When you have watched the video, you will know what questions you should be asking yourself before taking the big step. You don’t need to be harsh on yourself or adapt to someone else’s career transition journey, as it will be different for different people. And there are indeed going to be various disruptions.
To avoid disruptions or, at the very least, minimize their impact, you need to make sure your career transition is carried out smoothly. This is where career transition specialists come in.
Who Are Career Transition Specialists?
As the name suggests, a career transition specialist is a professional who works with you to help you go through a smooth transition in your career. As already mentioned above, career transition is not an easy process to go through.
Be they the probable consequences of a career transition or the effects it has on your life, going about it without any professional help can turn out to be risky.
Hence, having a career transition specialist see it through for you can prove to be a brilliant decision. But what do career transition specialists do to make sure your career goes through a smooth transition?
What Do Career Transition Specialists Do?
Whether you’re entering the workforce as a fresher or you’ve been working for a long time, a career transition specialist provides you all the help you need.
After all, it is never too late to be looking for a positive change in your professional life, irrespective of your experience level.
But what is this help that they provide? Let us further explore the functions of a career transition specialist.
Analyze a Different Industry
Helping professionals moving from one stage of their career to another or moving to a different industry.
Job Search
To begin with, career transition specialists help you search for jobs. They look at your qualifications; analyze your professional background and set of skills to find a path that would be most suited to you.
Resume Adaptation
At the practical end, a career transition specialist might also help you write a better resume or conduct mock interviews to prepare you for making the big career switch.
Personality Analysis
They interact with you and try to sketch the professional aspects of your personality. Based on this knowledge, they look for job opportunities and transitions that would better suit you. This includes assessing your goals, aspirations, and how you look at your career from the very beginning. Similar to what a career counselor would do.
Customized Assistance
The best career transition specialists ensure that they provide their clients with personalized assistance rather than following the one size fits all approach. After all, every individual has their own needs and desires that stem from the goals they’ve set for themselves. And the job of an able career transition specialist is to understand your goals and the inspiration that motivates you for them.
Pace Your Career Trajectory
Your professional future is all about making the right choices today. Individuals often mistake either being too slow with their career or going too fast, which leads to unpredictable results. But when you have a career transition specialist with you, it becomes easier to pace your career trajectory correctly.
Ensure a Smooth and Beneficial Process
Lastly, a career transition specialist who knows what she/he is doing will make sure that your career transition turns out to be beneficial for you. The entire process is based on education, awareness, and discovery that the specialist goes through to understand your personality type and aspirations.
How Can Career Transition Specialists Help You?
Now that you know the functions fulfilled by a career transition specialist, it is clear that a career transition involves a lot of innovative work. Yes, it isn’t as much about hard work as it is about making smart decisions, and this is where a career transition specialist comes in to help.
A career transition specialist will help you understand the ‘Why’ and the ‘How’ of this phase. Their advice can help you make efficient decisions. Here’s a video from a career advisor where she talks about the important factors to consider when making a career change:
The biggest mistake you can make is mess up the beginning of the career transition process. Hence, seeking help from career transition specialists isn’t just a wise option to take but a necessity in today’s competitive world where one wrong professional decision can cost you a lot.
And to avoid making this wrong decision, consulting a career transition specialist is what you need to do.
After all, a career transition can turn out to be the decision that could pace up your career trajectory. And consulting a career transition specialist is has to be your best chance of making an informed and analyzed industry switch.
Never Too Late For A Positive Change
Planning your career isn’t just about moving from one job to another. It might help you explore your set of skills and look for switching industries to grow professionally.
Hence, a career transition isn’t just good for disgruntled employees who wish to find an industry where they’re valued and a great opportunity for those who keep on setting new goals for themselves.
Starting right from helping you adjusting your new resume, job searching, or preparing yourself for a job interview, you need guidance from a career transition specialist.
After all, even during the job search part of the transition, a lot will depend on your qualifications, skills, and personality; and these are the things that a career transition specialist analyzes and potentializes to aid you in your career transition.
Christian has over ten years of experience in marketing agencies. Currently, he has been dedicating his time to a tech startup and also writing for major publications. He loves podcasts and reading to keep up with the latest trends in marketing.