Resources

Making a Career Transition

Did you know that most new professionals will change careers up to 8 times over their working life? At PrideStaff, we consistently work with job seekers throughout Las Vegas looking to enter a different field. In fact, our owner Bob Daniel taught career planning at The Watson Management Development Center in Armonk, NY.

While embarking on a new path can certainly be a challenge, there are a number of key ways to help make the transition easier.

Here are a few of our best tips and strategies for making a career change:

Start with an assessment.
Before you can get to where to you’re going, you need to find out where you’re starting from! Take the time to conduct a career assessment (call us if you need help—it’s what we do and it doesn’t cost you a penny!). This will help you hone in on your skills and interests and set the foundation for your career transition plan.

Work backwards.
This tip but might sound backwards but here us out! By looking at the career goal, you can work backwards and define the key milestones and steps you need to take to find success.

Know your goals.
When you begin considering a new career, it’s important to fully assess your current situation and to have a specific end goal in mind for the transition. Is the change motivated by a desire for more professional satisfaction? Are you simply looking to earn more money? Do you feel as though your skills aren’t being utilized in your current role?

Answering these questions for yourself will allow you determine why you’re looking to make a change and what you hope to get out of it. This will help you during the initial job search process. It will also help you better explain your career goals if you choose to work with a staffing company or recruitment agency.

Tell your career story.
Start thinking of your work history as part of your overall career story. While changing careers is more common now than ever, you still want to ensure that your work experience paints a rich picture of who you are professionally. Even if your past positions seem unrelated, it’s worth spending some time writing out a narrative of how you’ve grown and evolved through your various roles—and how your work history has led you to this new career path.

This will help you write much stronger cover letters as you begin applying for new positions. It will also really pay off when you get to the interview process.

Research. Research. Research.
Once you’ve determined why you’re seeking a change and how your past experience has brought you to this point, it’s time to research your desired career/industry. Spend some quality time learning as much as possible about the industry and its current trends. Identify the companies that are the industry leaders. Use websites like LinkedIn to review professionals currently working in the field and review their professional/educational background.

The more knowledge you gain, the better prepared you’ll be to enter a new career.

Looking for more great tips on how to make a smooth career transition?
PrideStaff LasVegas specializes in matching skilled professionals with rewarding careers. We’d be happy to discuss your needs with you. Contact us today to learn more and view our current Las Vegas job openings.