Navigating Career Shifts: How to Successfully Transition to a New Career

Find your new job!

Look for your perfect career match with the Jobillico job search!

Search Now!

You can succeed at navigating career shifts by knowing how to successfully transition to a new career. 

Dreams evolve, and situations change, so naturally, the career you chose before may not feel like the right fit anymore. Luckily, it’s never too late to make a change and follow a path that feels more fitting for where you’re at in your life.

In fact, the average person changes jobs or careers 12 times in their life, and 29% of people have completely changed careers since starting their first job out of college. 

In this article, we’ll discuss how to navigate career shifts. We’ll start by reviewing why professionals might want to transition to a new career path. From there, we’ll discuss some actionable steps for a successful career transition.

Why Make a Career Shift?

For many reasons, someone might want to transition to a new career path. Here are a few of the top reasons why you may want to make a career shift. 

1. Change of passions

Career aspirations change as people’s passions evolve. You may have a brilliant career, but if it no longer lights your world on fire, it’s normal to want something different.

This passion change may be inspired by an experience you’ve had, a cause that’s dear to your heart, or simply because of a personal evolution.

2. Burnout

Burnout is a major trigger for many career changes when people are overworked, overwhelmed, or overstimulated in their jobs.

Think about those whose jobs were heavily affected by the pandemic, such as medical professionals and educators. Although very different from one another, professionals in these two fields were forced to change how they operated day-to-day drastically. 

This situation created an industry-wide burnout that left many people searching for roles that were better for their mental health.

3. Desire to earn more

Another reason people seek new career opportunities is to make more money. There are lots of things that spark the desire to make more money, whether that be to live more comfortably, support your family, or prepare for an early retirement.

4. Desire to make a greater impact

Some people are left unfulfilled by their careers, so they want to embark on a career change that makes a more significant impact. This desire manifests in different ways for different people.

For example, one person may want to leave their corporate job to become a social worker because they want to help those who are vulnerable. Another person may want to leave a career as an educator to become a politician to influence lives at scale.

Even if your current job felt meaningful to you in the past or is currently meaningful to your colleagues, it’s perfectly normal to dream of another career that feels more impactful to you.

5. Industry shifts

Industry shifts can leave professionals looking for something different. This is especially prevalent in industries where new technology is rapidly evolving.

Consider the case of gym trainers, who traditionally help individuals achieve their fitness goals through exercise and nutrition guidance. As innovations and breakthroughs in health and wellness emerge, these professionals may decide to expand their careers or choose another path altogether.

In the future, gym trainers might find themselves transitioning into roles that work alongside innovative pharmaceutical companies like Henry Meds. These companies are at the forefront of medical advancements. For instance, trainers may embrace weight-loss medication and take it as an opportunity to expand their careers to offer comprehensive weight-loss plans that combine traditional methods and modern medicine.

Creating new professions ensures that individuals can explore diverse career options, aligning their expertise with emerging fields that resonate with their passions and values. It is a powerful reminder that the world of work is dynamic, and each career shift represents a new journey for personal and professional growth.

4 Ways to Transition to a New Career

Now that you’re familiar with some common reasons people seek career shifts, let’s explore some techniques that will help you to successfully transition to a new career. 

1. Go back to school

A great first step for transitioning to a new career is returning to school. Whether it’s a degree or a certificate, continuing your education in a relevant field will help you gain the knowledge to shift gears and build a career.

2. Invest in career development

Career development is a great way to prepare for a career change. Career development is different for everyone, but the gist is to develop the skills you need to be successful in your desired career.

If you don’t want to invest in a career coach, you might consider seeking a mentor. The best mentors are those driven by the desire to help others succeed rather than by the idea of making money. 

With that in mind, it’s a good idea to find a mentor you trust who follows a similar journey or career path. Find someone who embodies the success you’d like to achieve.

3. Keep an eye on job boards

Online job boards are fantastic resources for job seekers looking to make a career shift. Typically, these tools let you search thousands of jobs based on different criteria. For example, you can do a job keyword search or search by the level of experience required.

Luckily, there are a lot of job search tools available on the internet. Jobillico is an excellent place for Canadians embarking on a career change job search. Indeed and LinkedIn are great options for those in the United States.

4. Volunteer

If you want to build a career in another industry but are unsure where to start, explore volunteer opportunities in related fields.

There are a few reasons for this. For starters, volunteering helps to expose you to the field you’re interested in to see if it’s genuinely a good fit. The hands-on experience will tell you more than you could learn from researching.

Another reason for volunteering is to build industry connections that could come in handy when seeking a new job.

Of course, not every industry will have volunteer opportunities for hands-on interaction. However, in those situations, you may be able to look for opportunities to shadow professionals in your desired field.

Final Thoughts

Knowing how to successfully transition to a new career is an important aspect of navigating a career shift that will lead to a better professional future. No matter what your reason for wanting to change career paths, there are plenty of tools and techniques to help you make that transition successfully. Even if you’ve been in a specific industry for decades, it’s never too late to pivot to a dream career you’ve always wanted to try. 

Are you ready to shift gears in your career?