Before You Change Careers, Consider These 10 Factors

Before You Change Careers, Consider These 10 Factors When you were young, did you imagine that youd be in the same career for your whole life?Grownups often ask kids, What do you want to be when you grow up? This isnt a great question for a bunch of reasons, but one issue is that it can make it seem as though theres only room for one career per adult lifetime. However, that simply isnt the case.The fact is, making big shifts over the course of your career isnt so uncommon these days.Its tricky to determine exactly how many times people change careers, but we do have data around how often they change jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, themedian employee tenure these days is just 4.3 years for men and 4.0 years for women. That means that workers change jobsan average of 12 times during a typical career.Changing careers can be a good thing for your professional life and overall well-being, but it is a bold move. If you want to do it right, and be successful, there are a few factors you should carefully weigh in advance.1. Do you know yourself as well as you could?You need to do some real soul-searching if youre thinking of changing careers. Career advisor Linda Spencer of theHarvard Extension School recommends self-assessment as the first step. Take some time to carefully assess your values, interests, personality and skills. She recommends looking for common themes and threads that can tell you more about what motivates and excites you.Its also a good idea to take inventory of your current job as a part of this preliminary soul-searching. Think about what you like and what you dont like. What about your current job makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning? And, what makes you want to pull the titelbilds up over your head?Spencer also recommends some online tools that can help you to better understand your abilities and your likes and dislikes. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a personality assessment tool that could proved insight. Other online self-assessments like the CAREERwise Interest Assessment and Skills Profiler could prove helpful, too.2. Do you have the time, energy and confidence to get through the transition?Transitioning from one career to anotlageher takes time, and there are challenges associated with starting over again toward the bottom of a professional track. Its important to consider these factors before deciding to make such a major change.Do you have the time and energy to put into a job search or maybe even some professional training for your new career? Are you able to accept lower pay as you gain experience in a new industry and work your way back up?Its unreasonable to expect to receive top dollar when you move into a role where you have little to no experience, says Trellis Usher, founder of the HR company T.R. Ellis Group, in an bewerbungsgesprch withForbes. In these situations its usually a longer-term play to take a cut in pay so you can make a significant jump in pay after 18 to 24 mo nths.Finally, keep in mind that a move like this takes some real self-confidence. Are you prepared to start all over again in a new career and lose the professional standing youve worked so hard to require?3. Consider occupational outlook.The job landscape is changing fast. Therefore, it makes good sense to factor in the projected wage and employment picture before making a career change. Take time to do some research about the industry youre considering leaving and the one youre thinking about going toward.Some industries are growing right now and others are declining. The same is true for pay. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook offers the projected growth rate for hundreds of jobs. Its worth taking a look to see if your chosen occupation is projected to grow and whether wages are expected to keep pace with that growth.4. Do you have the skills?Do you have the professional skills that this new career requires? Do some research to determine what skills are in demand within the new industry. Check job boards and company websites to see the job descriptions and desired skills listed there.Next, use PayScalesCareer Research Center to learn more about potential jobs in your new industry. Learn about what these professionals do, and what kind of training their jobs require. This will help you know whether or not you need to brush up on certain things or maybe even go back to school.Its important to do your homework so that you know what kinds of skills and training your new industry requires. Dont even consider cutting ties with your current employer until youve thoroughly investigated what it would really take to make the switch.5. How might your network be able to help you?Its always a good idea to carefully consider the resources available to you when youre thinking about making a big professional move. So, take some time to contemplate your personal and professional network. Do you know anyone whos currently working in the industry yo ure considering moving into? Can you reach out to them for tips and advice?It might be advantageous to let some of the folks in your network know that youre contemplating a move. Dont post anything online, of course, unless youre ready to let everyone know. But, some casual conversations with people you care about and trust might yield more useful information than you think.6. Consider your age.Your age is a factor that you ought to consider if youre thinking about changing careers. Its not that its ever too late to make a change, its just that there are different considerations to weigh at different stages of life.You might think that changing careers is easier for young workers. And, in some ways thats probably true. After all, having plenty of time to give to a second career is certainly a benefit. But, new research from the American Institute for Economic Research recently found that most older workers who seek new careers find success. Eighty-two percent of workers age 47 and o lder who attempted to change careers were ultimately successful.7. Can you afford it?Any career change comes with a certain amount of risk. Think about your current financial situation before jumping in.Ask yourself whether or not you have the money to cover any training or education that could be required. Can you afford the financial hit that could come as a result of the transition? What are your longer-term financial goals and how might this change impact them?Again, there are no hard and fast rules here. But, it is important to be honest and realistic about what youre getting into.8. Consider working with a mentor or career coach.There are so many moving pieces when youre contemplating a career change. You probably have a lot of questions, and not as many answers as youd like. In these cases,working with a career coach could be a great benefit to you.A career coach can talk you through the internal processes of deciding what you want to do. And, they can also help you on a prac tical level by providing information about how best to make the switch. Your career coach might also suggest changes for your resume and other job search materials that could help you get hired.You might also want to consider working with a mentor who has experience in your new career. And remember,working with a mentor doesnt have to be a formal process. All kinds of folks can fill this role.The important thing to keep in mind is that you dont have to go through this transition all by yourself.9. Are you open to moving?Some career changes also require a move. Certain industries are simply more popular in some areas than they are in others. Think carefully about this factor before committing to jumping in. Would you be willing to move for a new job? Would that move work for the other members of your family? How could it impact a partners career, for example?PayScales Cost of Living Calculator can help you determine how a potential move could impact your bottom line.10. What would ha ppen if you didnt make the change?If youre seriously considering a career change, youre probably spending a lot of time thinking about what your new future could look like. But, its also a good idea to honestly consider how you might feel if you dont make the change.Do some thinking about what your professional life will look like, and how youll feel, if you decide to stay in your current career. How will you feel in a year? How about 10?Changing careers definitely isnt easy. But, sometimes its a lot more pleasant than the alternative. So, be honest with yourself about what will happen if you dont make a change. Doing so could prove to be very illuminating. Gina Belli--This story originally appearedon PayScale.