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[GUIDE] How to Make a Proper Career Transition

Changing careers is a big decision but it can be overwhelming when you don’t know where to begin. This guide is written especially to help you out on this journey. Here, we will discuss the key steps to take when making a career transition. We further break down each step into component sections. If you are using TaskSpur, you can treat these sections as separate tasks that you can add under your Career Transition Goal card. Let’s get started. 

1. Self-Assessment

Self-assessment is the crucial first step in any career change journey. It involves taking an honest look at your current situation, including your job satisfaction, skills, interests, and values. This process helps you understand what you want from your new career and why you're seeking a change. 

There are three key components to Self-Assessment before a career change: 

a. Evaluating your current job satisfaction 

How do you feel about your job at this point in time? What do you like about it and what things do you wish were different? Does it make you excited to get up in the morning or does it feel like a drag? 

People change careers for different reasons and sometimes, these reasons are not so obvious at first. Doing a job satisfaction evaluation will help you get the information you need to decide whether or not shifting careers is ultimately a good move forward. 

 There are many ways to assess job satisfaction including: 

  • Keeping a work journal to self-reflect, track your energy levels, and identify behavior patterns and changes over time 
  • Seeking feedback from colleagues or mentors 
  • Visualizing your ideal job and comparing it with your current situation 
  • Monitoring your work-related decisions as behaviors can be strong indicators of underlying job dis/satisfaction

b. Getting to know your strengths and weaknesses 

Are you someone who is inherently good with people or do you tend to prefer working alone? Do you consider yourself a creative? Detail-oriented? These personal qualities all impact your chances of success in any type of work. Knowing these tendencies before deciding what career path to take will help you find the kind of work that not only fits your interests but also aligns with your character traits. 

Thankfully, it’s never been easier to take personality assessments and career aptitude tests these days. 

Image by Matilda Wormwood on Pexels 

c. Conducting a life assessment 

A career change is a big step so you cannot move forward without first looking at how doing so will affect your current lifestyle. What if you need to take courses in another city? What if you need to dedicate a year off to get to the level you want to be? 

Identify areas in your life that will be affected by this change: your family, your income, your routine, etc. Talk with the important people in your life and make sure they understand how this decision affects them, your relationship, and especially the household. Then, create a plan for adjustment.  

2. Research and Exploration

Once you know what you want, it's time to explore your options. Research potential careers that align with your interests and skills, and gather information about what these jobs entail. This step often involves talking to professionals in your target field and possibly shadowing them to get a real-world perspective. 

a. Create a list of potential careers that fit your interests and skill set. 

Use resources like BLS employment projections and salary data. The CareerOneStop Skills Matcher tool also lets you rate your levels on 40 key workplace skills, and then provides career options that may be a good fit based on your skills. 

b. Conduct informational interviews.  

Reach out to professionals in your desired fields and ask them for insights on how to start. Ask them what they think about the future of the field and how that might inform you as a beginner.  

c. Attend industry events and conferences. 

Network and learn about trends in potential new fields. This is a good way to learn inside knowledge about the trends in the field you’re interested in which may be impactful but not easily accessible using other information-gathering tools. 

3. Skill Development

Identifying and developing the right skills is essential for a successful career transition. Start by recognizing your transferable skills, then focus on acquiring new skills specific to your target career. This might involve taking courses, obtaining certifications, or gaining practical experience through volunteering or freelancing. 

a. Identify your transferable skills 

What skills do you currently have that will be useful in the career path you’re interested in? Transferrable skills can be both hard skills like coding or data analysis, and soft skills like being adaptable and a team player. Most of these skills are invaluable, regardless of position, and are sought-after by many companies. 

Image by Kampus Production on Pexels 

b. Determine skills needed for new career 

Research job descriptions to identify what hiring companies are looking for. Most job requirements will entail a mix of both technical know-how and soft skills. These will be the skills you will have to develop for your career move. 

c. Pursue education or certifications 

Consider going back to school or obtaining relevant certifications.  

These days, you can easily learn almost anything online. Go to Udemy, Coursera, or other online learning platforms and just search for the skill you would like to learn. There, you can find multiple available courses that you can finish along with others or at your own pace. 

If you are already following an expert in the field you’re interested in, check if they offer courses that you can take. 

If online learning is too informal for you, you can always find classes from your local schools and universities or from independent organizations. The same goes for if you’re trying to master a skill that’s better learned in person. In these cases, you can also enter into an apprenticeship agreement with an expert.  

d. Gain experience through volunteering or freelancing 

Once you’ve finished the courses, earned the degree, or finished your apprenticeship, the next step is to build practical skills in the new field. The level of difficulty in getting a job as a beginner in a new field differs across industries so you should research on that first to know what to expect before you start feeling disappointed. 

Before anything, you might want to build a portfolio of your field-related work. You can do this through personal projects or doing work pro-bono or for a small fee. You can also always volunteer for a local organization or take your chances at doing freelance work.

4. Planning and Goal Setting

A well-structured plan is your roadmap to a new career. Set realistic, achievable goals with specific timelines to guide your transition. Remember to regard practical aspects like finances and potential lifestyle changes as you develop your career change strategy. 

a. Create an action plan 

Clearly define the specific steps you need to take and the milestones you need to achieve to break through a new industry successfully. Do not just aim to do the same job for 10 years; plan to be good at it. Outline your new career path from beginner to master — with a timeline. 

Acknowledge that change takes time and set achievable milestones. Do not overplan; make room for possibility, or else you risk feeling disappointed (or worse, a failure) when your plan doesn’t quite measure up to reality. 

Related: SMART Goal Setting: A Guide with Practical Examples (FREE Printables Included) 

Image by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels 

b. Consider financial implications 

Plan for the cost of skill development. Where will you draw it from? If you have a family, you need to talk it out with your partner first before diving in. Specifically, discuss the following financial considerations of changing careers: 

  • Potential decrease in income 
  • Loss of existing benefits 
  • Costs of training or education 
  • Potential cost of the unemployment gap   
  • Impact on the household budget 
  • Retirement savings and benefits transfer

To properly handle the money-related aspects, you need to: 

  • Evaluate your finances carefully and draft a comprehensive spending plan. 
  • Investigate typical pay scales and possible earnings shifts in your target industry. 
  • Set aside savings to support yourself during the transition. 
  • Look into ways to handle or move your retirement funds. 
  • Seek guidance from a financial expert to manage the monetary side of switching careers. 

5. Personal Branding

Rebranding yourself for a new career is about presenting your skills and experiences in a way that appeals to employers in your target field. Update your resume, cover letter, and online profiles to reflect your new career goals. Craft a compelling story that explains your career change in a positive, forward-looking way. 

a. Update resume and cover letter 

Tailor application materials to highlight relevant skills and experiences. Here are some tips for creating a resume that rocks! 

  • Create an ATS-friendly resume. An ATS-friendly resume is formatted in such a way that makes it easy for software to read the content of your document. 
  • Highlight your key accomplishments. 
  • Mention your most relevant certifications, degrees, and trainings. 
  • Incorporate keywords from the job description.

Additionally, here are some useful tips for creating a cover letter that gains a potential recruiter’s attention: 

  • Tailor your cover letter to each specific post you’re applying for 
  • Highlight how your background and skills match the role 
  • Explain the reason behind your career shift, briefly (leave room for intrigue) 
  • Emphasize your significant achievements and your transferrable skills 
  • Personalize the letter by mentioning details about the company or role being advertised 
  • Include referrals from previous employers or relevant connection 
  • Keep it concise and avoid repeating information that can be found in the actual resume

Image by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels 

b. Craft your career change story 

You are very likely to be asked about why you decided to shift career paths. Develop a compelling narrative explaining your transition. Consider framing your career transition as a natural evolution driven by your passions, skills, and desire for growth. For example: 

"During my time in [previous role], I realized I was really drawn to [aspect of the new field]. I found myself constantly reading about it and even working on some related projects in my spare time. The more I learned, the more I saw how my skills in [relevant skills] could be a great fit. So, this move isn't really about leaving my old field behind – it's more about growing into an area where I can combine what I'm good at with what I'm passionate about. I'm excited to bring my experience to this new challenge and contribute in meaningful ways. To be honest, making this change wasn't an easy decision, but I'm confident it's the right one. I'm really looking forward to diving deeper into [new field] and seeing where this path takes me." 

This narrative accomplishes several key things: 

  • It shows thoughtful consideration behind the change 
  • It highlights transferable skills 
  • It demonstrates enthusiasm for the new field 
  • It frames the transition as a positive step forward rather than a departure

c. Optimize online presence 

Update LinkedIn and other professional profiles to reflect new career goals. Update keywords in your profile to match job descriptions from potential employers, highlight your top skills and achievements, and showcase awards, projects, and certifications. Also, remember to update your profile photos and background covers.  

If you’re actively engaging and making content on LinkedIn, turn on “Creator Mode” so the algorithm will help bring your content to a relevant audience. 

You may also join LinkedIn groups to expand your network. Follow people in your field and potentially expand your network. 

And finally, make sure that you also share (or a link to) your portfolio so they can check out your work and consider you right away. 

d. Network strategically 

Connect with professionals in the desired field. Leverage existing contacts. Ask trusted people from your industry if they know someone in the field. Join clubs and online communities. And most importantly, show your value along the way. Your work is your ticket to the fold. 

Image by Rene Terp on Pexels 

6. Job Search and Transition

The final step is putting your plan into action and actively pursuing opportunities in your new field. Research job descriptions to understand what employers are looking for, and tailor your applications accordingly. Be prepared for a potentially lengthy process, and maintain patience and persistence throughout your job search and transition. 

a. Research job descriptions 

Understand requirements and expectations in the new field. This will help you assess your own readiness according to your experience in those particular areas.  The job descriptions will give you an idea of what you can expect to be asked about, and to think ahead about how to answer them.  

b. Apply for positions 

Start submitting applications for relevant roles.  

  • Use job sites like LinkedIn and Indeed to find job openings. 
  • Try to connect with the actual recruiter or hiring manager online and start a conversation. 
  • If possible, apply in person especially if you think being social is one of your strong suits.
  • Apply directly to the company. This will ensure your application goes directly to the hiring manager.

c. Prepare for interviews 

Create a list of all the potential questions you might be asked about. Be ready to discuss your career change motivation and transferable skills. Make sure you can thoroughly explain the specifics of your projects or work experience.  

d. Be patient and persistent 

Recognize that career transitions take time and maintain a positive attitude. 

Final Word

The journey is tough but rewarding. Remember, the power to change your life is within you. Take that first step today. Your future self will thank you. 

About the Author 

Bernard Boodeea is the CEO of Life Intelligence Group and the original engineer and founder of TaskSpur, a goal management app and passion project. Bernard hopes to incorporate agile principles into the design of products that help individuals achieve their goals in life.  

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