5 steps for successfully switching careers in 2021 amid COVID-19 crisis

There are many different reasons why people want to change careers and making a switch means investing both your time and money. However, before, thinking about making a career change, you need to analyse whether you actually need one or not. Let us have a llok at what all factors need to be looked into before arriving on to a decision.

Clear thinking

To achieve our goals we must be specific, in other words be more precise, he or she must have a clarity of mind as to what you one want's to achieve. For starters, make a list of the do's and the dont's, including the type of work environments in which you operate best, the type of team you’d like to work with and overall company culture.

Refresh your professional brand

Once you have a clear idea, of the industry you would like to work the next step is all about working on your resume and online appearance. Both these aspects are vital in making a  successfully career transition. For instance, all your online profile, be it Linkedin, or social media needs to have a uniformity, and should indicate that your are ready for a transition. For example, if you’re working in finance as a program manager and your goal is to become a product manager in tech, thenyou should research tech companies and see what their job descriptions look like. That way you can create a resume that mirrors what your target companies are looking for. Notable, career experts Ariel Lopez says, looking at other people’s LinkedIn profiles that are in the role that you’re trying to transition into is one way of going about smoothly. From the words they use when discussing their experience, to the organizations they’re part of to the career bootcamps they’ve participated in, Lopez says all of these things will help to “paint a better scope of what your trajectory could look like and how you should be communicating that to recruiters.”

Understand the type qualification that is required

Before deciding on a career shift, understanding the field your are shifting to is key, as having a decent knowledge can keep in you in a good headspace. It is important to chalk out a plan in the sense that “how much time, energy and financial resources will be required to make a smooth transition. Currently, there are many companies, including online education platforms that offer, free courses and tech training to workers who have been laid off as a result of the pandemic. Tech giant Google is also offering 100,000 scholarships for online certificates in data analytics, project management and UX.

Critical thinking and effective communication skills

While making a career switch, it is important for a individual to explain why he or she is leaving their earlier career choice. While making a career change, proper communication skills always holds the key and having such a quality adds its weight in gold. Thus higlighting your communication skills, and critical thinking along with ability to work with people creatively always gives the candidate an extra edge during interview. 

Networking

In today's day and age staying connected is always easy, so adding people to your network becomes very important. In other word, online networking holds everything if your trying to make inroads to a new industry. In such a scenario, a Linkedin connection can be very handy in the sense that you can always connect with someone who is working in the industry or job you’re looking to transition into. Moreover, be open to the idea of sending DMs, and try to engage in a conversation with other people,  who have made the change which can understably boost your confidence.