As most of us know, finding a new job can be tough. After all, there’s not only the applying and interviewing process but also the search as well. However, the biggest thing a lot of people dread is just the career path they’ve chosen in general, seeking very few options for something that will make them happy. And if this is something that you’ve been experiencing, then we’ve compiled a few tips on how to get the ball rolling with a new career. Check them out below:
See What You Can Do From Home
Working from home is perhaps one of the biggest career perks a lot of people are after. We’re constantly hearing about how companies are letting their employees telecommute more and more, but there’s an alternative way you can start doing the same–starting your own home business. Although that might sound like a daunting task, it’s much simpler than you might imagine.
Even though you might consider the projected numbers for starting an at home business to be high, they’re much more feasible to save up to than most would estimate. In fact, according to CreditDonkey, 39 percent of business owners that started their company from home did so with less than $5,000. Regardless of what your current financial status is, the goal is to look at trendy business ideas from home and decipher your runway, including rent, living expenses, and incidentals. While this can be a pretty scary leap, it’s also well worth the adventure, so don’t be afraid of chasing after being your own boss.
Get Technical With It
As one of the fastest growing fields out there, going after a tech job (specifically, coding) can be an excellent choice in restarting your career. As noted by Axios, it’s estimated that right now, there are approximately 34,000 tech jobs available (with that number steadily increasing). The best part? This is a career path in such high demand that you don’t necessarily need a college degree to go after, but a portfolio of experience.
Although it might sound intimidating, building a coding portfolio can be much easier than you might imagine. The basic goal is that as you’re learning from sites like Codecademy or MIT’s Learning Center, you are building real projects you can showcase to others (which, a good place to start is with your own portfolio website!). As coding is something everyone learns at their own pace, it’s a smart idea to take the time once a day to teach yourself a lesson and apply it to a real-life skill. Before you know it, you’ll have a portfolio of your coding skills to show employers in no time.
If You’re Going For Passion, Be Patient For That Pay Day
An admirable career change, going after your passions is something that many wish they could do, but few take the chance. While it’s not impossible to do, it is going to take some patience, especially if whatever your passionate about is something you haven’t built the portfolio or professional skill set to do. For example, let’s say you love design, which as noted by Glassdoor can bring on an average salary of $52,589; while that’s a pretty decent paycheck, it’s also going to take quite the portfolio and experience level to get there, meaning you might need to do personal or cheap work first to get there. And although this isn’t completely impossible to reach, it might take some patience.
Similar to our example of entering the tech field, a big part of developing your passion into a job will be building a portfolio day-in and day-out, collecting examples of your most recent work. The biggest thing is to show that you’ve been active, highlighting your experiences along the way. Furthermore, if you’re going the independent or freelance route, it’s important to know your worth and ability level, including how much of a price tag you can place upon yourself. Although an uphill battle, it’s also well worth the struggle as having your personal skill set or style is something that’s both irreplaceable as much as it is worth more as time goes on.
Stay Consistent With It
Finally, no matter what choice you make in taking on a new career, it’s important that you stay consistent with your work. This can be a struggle for a lot of people, as it’s pretty easy to give up or settle on something less simply because you need the paycheck. However, as your time is worth quite a bit, it’s key to put yourself in a position that will enable you to follow whatever you want; which, a big part of that is defining your worth and sticking to it.
When defining your worth, set a number and ask yourself why that’s justified based upon your experience or skill set. No matter what figure you have your eyes on, it’s good to note that the higher it is, the more patient of a process; because as noted by The Balance Careers, it takes on average one month per every $10,000 you’re aiming to earn. Remember, if this is truly your dream or something that you want, then the wait will be worth the time you put in.
What are some strategies you’ve utilized in finding a new career? Comment with your insights below!
