Best Career Change Advice: Target & Plan

April 18th, 2011 by Susan P. Joyce

Looking back at my career, I have probably made more career changes than many people – at least 9 of them - from officer in the United States Marine Corps to president of my own company, including 2 layoffs.

And, I think it was a very educational process, but I wish I’d done a better job of planning and managing my crazy career.  So, here’s how you can learn from my mistakes…

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Most of us don’t do much research into what we enjoy doing or what we would succeed at doing.  We just leap into the job market, feet first, landing on the first job offer we receive.

Understandable to accept the first offer received, particularly for that first job or when unemployment has stretched out longer than expected.  Definitely understandable.  However…

For the long term,  smart people look ahead carefully, and don’t just jump at the first opportunity.  So, for your next career change, try these 3 steps:

1.  Do some research to pick a good target.

Yes, I know this takes time!  But, research usually pays off in a better outcome – more career/job satisfaction for sure and possibly more money, too.  We didn’t often do much research in the past because it took so much time and effort.  Now, the Internet offers amazing resources for you, so take advantage of those resources to really examine your options.

Read “What Color Is Your Parachute?” – the classic career book by Dick Bolles which he updates, himself, every year.  Very smart man.  VERY helpful book!  If you aren’t sure what you want to do, this book will help you figure it out.  Do all of the exercises in the book – do NOT skip this step!  You can do this in a couple of afternoons, and it will pay off for you.  You probably don’t know yourself as well as you think you do!

Then, research your options.  The US Department of Labor has some fabulous resources for career changers:

And Job-Hunt has large sections of excellent information and advice (plus free ebooks) on careers and career change written by experts:

2.  Make a plan.

Think of a logical “career path” to get you from point A (where you are now) to Point B (your target). Perhaps you can jump directly to your target job or, more likely, you’ll reach your target through one or two transitional jobs.

Consider what “next” jobs, on your career path, could be leveraged from what you already know to help you reach your target - your skills and experience plus the people (network!), products, services, players, politics, companies, and other organizations you have worked  or interacted with and/or learned about.

For example:

  • Teacher to corporate management: move to (1) a school administration position, then from school administration to (2) corporate administration, followed by a move from corporate administration to (3) corporate management.  Career change in 3 steps.
  • Sales to customer service: move to (1) a sales support position and then from sales support to (2) customer support/service.   Career change in 2 steps.
  • Truck driver to fleet management: move to (1) a position in fleet scheduling, etc.  Career change in 1 or 2 steps, depending on how high in fleet management the target is.
  • Law to marketing: move to (1) a position marketing to attorneys, law firms, or the law community.  Career change in 1 step.

Your current, or your next, employer may have the career path open to you, or you may need to change employers more than once.

This all depends, of course, on the industries and opportunities around you as well as your interests and skills.

3.  Implement your plan.

If your finances are stretched to the limit, you may not be able to be as picky as you would like to be about that next job.  However, targeting your job search to jobs on your planned career path will be a big help and should, actually, help you land that next job more quickly:

  • Targeted networking – when you know what you want, you can describe it so that people in your network can help you more easily than if you just answered “a paycheck” when they ask what you are looking for.  And, you can focus your attention on networking events and venues that will do more than take up your time.
    See Job-Hunt’s Job Search Networking section for many articles by experts Liz Ryan and Robyn Greenspan, and also check out this free ebook Job Search Networking for Introvertsby Wendy Gelberg (New window will open.)  
  • Targeted resume - highlighting your skills, experiences, and accomplishments that work for that next job without showing that you are headed in a slightly different direction.
    Check out Resume for Mom Returning to Work & Changing Careers by Susan Ireland.
  • Targeted social media - your resume, LinkedIn Profile, and even Facebook page are all “singing the same tune” so no one is confused about what you want or how to help you.
    Another free ebook, Branding and Your LinkedIn Profile by Meg Guiseppi (New window will open.)

Bottom Line

Your mileage may vary, and your target may change, too, as you travel along your career path.  But, you can’t get from Point A to Point B without knowing where you are, where you are going, and how to get there.

Good luck with your job search!

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Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce, USMC veteran, has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 1998, her company, NETability, Inc. purchased Job-Hunt.org, and Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt since then. Follow Susan on Twitter at @JobHuntOrg.

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Posted Monday, April 18th, 2011 at 11:52 pm in Career Collective.

12 Comments to “Best Career Change Advice: Target & Plan”

  1. April 2011 Career Collective Posts says:
    April 19, 2011 at 6:31 am

    [...] 10-Step Plan to Career Change, @KatCareerGal When it’s Time to Recycle Your Career, @WalterAkana Best Career Change Advice: Target & Plan, @JobHuntOrg How social media can help you change careers, @keppie_careers Expat Careers: You Are [...]

  2. Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter (@ValueIntoWords) says:
    April 19, 2011 at 7:02 am

    Hi Susan,
    Great post!

    I especially appreciate the ‘logical career path’ suggestion: leveraging you ‘skills and experience plus the people (network!), products, services, players, politics, companies, and other organizations you have worked or interacted with and/or learned about.’

    I frequently help facilitate this path with my clients who want something different, a ‘change’ if you will, but who are not quite clear how to get there. It’s amazing the opportunities to tap a plethora of experience to gradually steer one’s career ship a new direction.

    As you wisely pointed out, this takes time, introspection, research and preparation — but the work is worth it for more satisfying, sustainable career results!

    Wonderful post! Thank you for your continued involvement in Career Collective!

    Jacqui

  3. Ed Han says:
    April 19, 2011 at 9:01 am

    Susan, I love that your advice is rooted as much in your personal experience and the lessons you took from the difficulty you encountered. That gives your advice added resonance. Thank you!

  4. Susan P. Joyce says:
    April 19, 2011 at 12:32 pm

    Thanks, Ed! Hope that it helps anyone thinking about career change or realizing that they may have made a bad move that it is all survivable, long term.

    Susan

  5. Susan P. Joyce says:
    April 19, 2011 at 12:33 pm

    Thank you for that very thoughtful response, Jacqui! And, thank you for co-creating the Career Collective!

  6. Susan P. Joyce says:
    April 19, 2011 at 3:59 pm

    Thank you for the nice comment, Debra. Multi-step plans can be very effective when that direct jump to the new career is not working out. And, often those steps can be very interesting and educational.

    Susan

  7. Megan Fitzgerald says:
    April 20, 2011 at 5:13 pm

    Susan,

    Fantastic post. I agree with Jacqui that mapping out a course of action as you have to make the transition between where you are now and where you want to be certainly must provide hope to a career changer that does not see how to get from point A to point B if they are quite different.

    A wonderful set of resource you’ve shared to help people start thinking about possibilities as well.

    Targeted targeted targeted – agreed! A critical key to success for the career changer.

    It’s fantastic to be a part of a group with such a wealth of resources and wisdom about careers.

    My best,
    Megan

  8. Susan P. Joyce says:
    April 20, 2011 at 6:41 pm

    Thank you for the very kind words, Megan. Wonderful career experts have contributed excellent information to Job-Hunt, and, when I link to it, I’m always amazed at the quantity and excellent quality. Much like Career Collective!

    Susan

  9. Miriam Salpeter, Keppie Careers says:
    April 24, 2011 at 10:20 pm

    Susan -
    YES! Research, plan and implement — such great and important advice, and so often, job seekers miss important steps. Of course, the resources are terrific, as they always are from you and Job-Hunt! Thanks for all your help with the Career Collective and for your insightful and valuable post!

  10. Susan P. Joyce says:
    April 24, 2011 at 10:51 pm

    Thank you for the kind words, Miriam! And great points about career change, too.

    Career Collective is a great group, and I enjoy participating in it.

    Susan

  11. Paul Chernish says:
    May 8, 2011 at 5:11 pm

    Excellent point about social media and resume all be on the same page. Errors or confusing information can look like fibs – certainly not a selling feature!

  12. Changing Careers: Not for the Faint Hearted | The Executive Brand says:
    August 16, 2011 at 1:27 am

    [...] Best Career Change Advice: Target & Plan, @JobHuntOrg [...]

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