How To Make A Career Change Like A Boss

Today’s post was developed in collaboration with Strayer University. As always, all opinions are my own. 

So you’re thinking about making a career change, huh? I’d say you’re at least flirting with the idea if you’re taking the time to read this.

First things first, you’re not alone. Tons of people have been in your shoes and I’m definitely one of them.

In college, I thought I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to do with my life. The overachiever in me had my future on lockdown and I was taking all the necessary steps to further my career in the healthcare industry. But then you know what happened? I WORKED in the healthcare industry…and I hated every second of it.

All those classes. All those years of planning…

Suddenly, it all seemed to be a huge mistake.

The good news, though, is that it’s never a mistake. No matter what career path you find yourself on, there’s always time to make a change. Every job you take gives you experience you can use in the future, so the only REAL mistake is staying at a job you hate for way too long.

I’m not going to lie – it won’t be easy. But here are a few steps you can take to get you closer to your dream job.

1. Accept That You Need To Make A Career Change

Denial is not your friend, people. If you’re dreading going into work every day, crying at least once a week, or slightly hoping your building catches fire (with no one in it, obviously), then yea, I think it’s safe to say you need to make a career change. Too many of us hold on to bad jobs for some really bad reasons, so if you’re really committed to finding a job you love, the first step to getting there is to accept that it’s time to make that happen.

2. Figure Out What You’d Like To Do Next

Once you’ve accepted that your current job isn’t your dream job, the next step is to figure out what you’d like to do next. Your next move doesn’t necessarily have to be your end goal – the best job ever – but it should get you one step closer to it. Spend some time learning about yourself. Do a whole lot of reflection. What do you hate about your current job? What do you actually like? What would you be doing if money wasn’t a factor? Ask yourself those kinds of questions and you’ll soon find that much needed clarity that’ll help steer you in the right direction.

3. Talk To Industry Professionals

It’s also helpful to talk to people who have jobs you might be interested in. There’s this thing called an informational interview and they can help you get a clearer picture about the jobs you THINK you want before making any big moves.

4. Develop The Skills You Need

Once you decide what your next step is, you need to focus on developing the skills you need to land that job. Once I decided healthcare wasn’t for me, I decided to explore the world of marketing and did a lot of research on my own. Sure, there are some cases where you won’t need more formal education in order to make a career change, but sometimes you will, and lucky for us there are online options like Strayer University that make it really easy to acquire the skills we need to land our dream jobs.

Nervous or scared about going back to school? Well, before you completely dismiss the idea of earning that degree you need to make a switch, here’s one of the things I love about Strayer University’s programming –  their bold, innovative and personalized learning solutions for students.

Binge-watching course content like we would The Walking Dead on Netflix? Well that’s a concept I can get behind. And that’s exactly what’s offered with Strayer Studios, an entirely revolutionary platform featuring enhanced online content that blends Emmy-Award winning film production with real-life, engaging stories.

I don’t know about you, but I hated lectures in college. Half the time I would have preferred to be sent home so I could just read whatever book my professor had us reading at the time. But had I had an option to learn via a platform like Strayer Studios, I would have been all for it. I’m a visual learner and love to see that universities are starting to offer innovative learning solutions that make learning fun.

This new content has produced impressive results indicating the success of this new platform. Student engagement and persistence rates saw an increase since the introduction of Studios content. 10 percent fewer students dropped courses that included Strayer Studios content, and using real-time data, professors have been able to track student progress and  meet student needs in real time.

Want to see what these courses look like? Check them out here.

5. Take Action

So that’s it! Any other tips you can think of in terms of making a career change? And for those of you who’ve made some moves like this before, what was the single most helpful thing that helped you make the switch?

Want more career advice? Order my book, Corporate Survival Guide For Your Twenties

And if you’re looking to start a profitable side hustle, check out my step-by-step guide (with screenshots) on how to start a blog! I’ve been blogging for six years and I’d love to walk you through the process!

Already a blogger and ready to take your blog to the next level?

Here’s an an awesome course I recommend that’ll walk you through growing your following, working with brands, and making money the first year!

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