Today, I’m happy to share a guest post from my partner, Hallie Crawford. Do you know you need a career change, but you aren’t sure what path to take? Hallie specializes in helping recent college grads and boomerangs identify their ideal career paths and make it happen. Visit her site to learn more about Hallie!

By Hallie Crawford, MA, CPCC

Not happy in your current job? Thinking about making a career change? Dynamic lifestyles and an uncertain economy are just two of many reasons to consider a new occupation, or even an entirely different field than the one you’re in now. Trust me; as a career coach who has helped many people reinvent themselves professionally, I can assure you that you’re not alone!

Maybe you’ve seen some layoffs at your company and “the fear factor” has you searching for alternate options and wanting more satisfaction out of your work. Perhaps you crave a more flexible work situation, one that allows you to balance home and career more effectively. Whatever your circumstance, one thing’s for sure: you’re unhappy or unsettled in your current job and you want to do something about it.

When you start to get the itch, it’s time to make an assessment and begin to set early goals. You may wonder, am I really ready for a career transition? How can I best prepare myself for a change? But even before you delve into the components of a satisfying career, it helps immensely to cultivate a healthy and positive mental outlook. People who are successful at making a change are the ones who are willing to overcome their fears, doubts and insecurities in order to make it happen. You, too, can be one of these people…

Keep these preliminary tips in mind before forging ahead on your path to a more fulfilling and rewarding career!

1. Commit yourself to making a change.

Something that is incredibly important to any change you make in your life is your level of commitment. You have to be committed. How committed are you to finding a career that fits, on a scale from 1-10? If it’s not at a 10, what do you need to do to move it up the scale? The time to ask yourself key questions is now. Do your research, so you know what questions to keep in mind. Contact a career expert who can help you become reacquainted with your goals and dreams. Explore career websites. Take personality tests. You will find that the more time you invest in career opportunities and self-discovery, the more committed to the cause you’ll become.

2. Learn to overcome obstacles.

To be successful in changing career paths, you need to learn to overcome obstacles you will encounter along the way. The obstacles I see time and time again for people wanting to make a career change are: not knowing what to look for in a job (so they take one that is “good enough” that they don’t truly enjoy) and negative beliefs–not believing they can successfully make the change. With practice, you can retrain your mind to see past perceived limitations, which are only a figment of your imagination anyway! With sufficient self-exploration, you will be able to pinpoint the exact qualities of the ideal career for you… and even the characteristics that you don’t want in a career.

3. Get support.

I was able to very successfully make my career transition into coaching in large part because of my own coach. She helped me create my plan, remain positive, move forward, identify what I wanted to do and learn to overcome obstacles. I’m being honest when I say: It really helps to have support from a group or a coach to remind you to stay positive and focused.

4. Claim your life.

My last thought for you… is to claim your life. There never is a perfect time to make a drastic career change, and you can always come up with excuses/reasons not to. You do need to take some kind of risk and perhaps step out of your comfort zone. The key is to minimize the risk and be smart about it. Get support from a career coach like me or someone else who can provide solid guidance and the resources you need to move ahead with your plans.

Discover the essential components to a satisfying career today!

If you know what you’d like to do next, but aren’t sure where to start, Keppie Careers can help. Learn about us and how we can help you successfully land your dream job.

photo by wiscdoc