Acknowledge your skills. Make a list of all the things you love to do and things you’re very good at. More often than not, the two categories will overlap. Don’t think about any jobs just yet. Only think about your skills, your talents and your most enjoyable activities.
Don’t be afraid to list even those things you like to do but you don’t think they will earn you money.
Think about how other people perceive you. If your peers think you’re great at researching different species of plants, for instance, add this to your list.
Make a list of all talents and skills those activities require – researching plants requires attention to detail and fine observation skills.
List your training and your experience. Even volunteering and short classes matter. List all things you know something about, no matter how small.
Now it’s time to think about getting a new job. What occupations call for your skills and talents? This interesting read from ICON talk about their clinical research services, an interesting career choice.
Search the web to identify different job skills, career skills, and learning curve.
Narrow down your list to a handful of jobs – ideally, try to jolt it down to three or four items. Keep adjusting your list until you feel 100% confident that you’d enjoy working in any of those fields, and that you’d be good at doing your job. Next, pick one career and focus solely on that one.
Learn as much as you can about this new career you want to embrace.
Use the Internet to find information.
Go to your local library and ask the librarians to help you gain a better understanding of your chosen career.
Go to your local government employment office and learn about all job opportunities in this new career. Ask whether there are any training programs available.
Talk to people who already work in your chosen industry or area of activity. Remember that you’re not seeking for employment but rather for information about the career itself. What do successful people love about that? What skills they consider to be the most important? How do they feel about their work?
If there’s a union, reach out to them to seek for more information.
Don’t you like this idea any longer? That’s fine. Go back to step 3 or 4 and repeat the process. Your efforts will pay off in the long run. When you’re sure you’ve found your ideal career, move on to the next step.
Don’t quit your old job just yet, if possible.
Apparently, you have more chances to be employed if you’re already working. Consider a lower-level job in your desired industry to learn the ropes of the trade.
Do you need additional training?
Check out colleges and courses in your area. Find out everything you can about specific training opportunities and about the job placement services they provide, if any. Ask about night or weekend classes that you can pursue while still keeping your old job.
You can’t find any training in your area? Reach out to the HR departments of companies that hire in your new career and ask them whether they provide on-the-job training. Treat this endeavor as if it were a job interview, even though it isn’t.
As soon as you have the skills you need to do the work, start searching for jobs.
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