So, you’re ready for a career change! Though this can be a stressful time, it should also be exciting. You’re beginning your next chapter. As you begin to progress, you may find yourself faced with some adversity. And while we’re sure it’s nothing you can’t handle, we would like to provide you with these 5 essential tips you need to know about before you make the big switch. But first, there are some things you need to think about.

Is it really time for a career change?

Changing careers is a big move, and we aren’t trying to talk you out of it. But depending on what stage you are at in your career, there’s a lot of things it could affect. First, you should be asking yourself why you want to change careers. Are you feeling unhappy in your current career choice? Are you not pursuing your lifelong dream? If yes, then you are probably ready for a drastic change.

However, if you’re simply feeling like you aren’t being challenged enough in your current job, you may instead want to consider asking for a promotion, which we’ve covered here. Or if you actually just hate the company you work for, then it isn’t a new career you need, it’s a new job!

If you have decided that the big switch is what you’re looking for (and no, we aren’t talking about the Nintendo version), then BrandResumes is here to help you prepare.

1. You’re going to need a new resume

This was probably one of the first things you realized when you began searching up those job listings. This was probably also the point in which you may have started to panic and googled how to switch careers. And understandably so!

Your resume is one of the first things hiring managers are going to use to make an impression of you. There’s a lot riding on just a simple piece of paper. When beginning to revamp your resume, aim to align your experiences with the job you’re interested in applying for by incorporating keywords and phrases as best you can. But don’t embellish! If you need help and don’t know where to begin, contact our team for more help.

2. Skills are transferable, even if your experience isn’t

While the titles included on your resume may not match those that you’re seeking, that doesn’t mean the skills you gained while holding that title can’t also relate to the responsibilities of the one you want. I’ll say it again, skills are transferable.

Most jobs require a lot of the same skills when you actually break it down. Below are some of the most common transferable skills:

• Communication
• Leadership
• Research and analytics
• Time management
• Teamwork
• Strategic planning

Each of these can be useful to have regardless of your title, industry, or stature. Now, we don’t recommend including these skills within their own section so long as you can build them naturally into your bullet points.

3. Look into industry software and certifications

The internet is a beautiful thing, and one of the reasons why is that it can allow you to do your research and teach yourself skills, usually for free. When looking into job listings, take special notice of what type of hard skills they’re looking for.

Do they want candidates who are proficient in Adobe Photoshop or candidates who can read HTML? Once you know the type of skills the job requires, try and make yourself as much of an expert in it as you can. Watch YouTube videos, download free trials, and even try and take free online courses to earn certifications.

When looking to switch careers, you need to be as prepared as possible for what the job actually entails. Take things into your own hands and put in the time for it. You’ll be thankful you did when you accept that new job offer. To help give you a head start in honing your new skills, check out our articles here and here.

4. Prepare for a pay cut

This one is the ugliest of all the truths. If you’re looking to completely switch careers, that also probably means you’re probably looking for entry-level jobs. If you’re early on in your career, this may not be too much of an issue for you. But if you’re at a mid-career level, this aspect could really affect you.

Again, this one all depends on your unique situation, which you know better than us. Whether it’s putting money away in savings or budgeting differently, only you know the best way for yourself to prepare for this type of change. If you have no idea what kind of pay cut to expect, search up your desired role on online tools like Glassdoor, which will show you the average salary of those job roles.

5. It isn’t going to be easy

We’re sure you probably already knew this one as well. Completely changing your career can be an uphill battle, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a battle worth fighting. For whatever reason you chose to change careers, we promise it’ll be worth it in the end. As the saying goes, nothing worth having ever comes easy.

Not only do we want to wish you the best of luck as you take on this journey, but we also want you to know you should feel proud to be doing it. It isn’t easy to take big risks such as this one, but the rewards are usually well worth it. No matter what stage in the job hunt you’re in, BrandResumes is here to help. Look into our services here and don’t forget to check in every Tuesday and Thursday for new articles.