4 Ways on How to Start Working in a Completely New Field
There is no deadline in one’s life for choosing a career. Even after graduating from a university and becoming an employee, one can realize they want to engage in a different professional activity. Hence, it means starting a profession that may appear intimidating. However, the accessibility of educational and career resources can make switching easier. So, if you are determined to change your career, here are some tips that will make it easier to land a job in a new field.
What to expect from changing the field?
If you need to start your path from scratch, you will have to build your professional image anew. For that reason, you will again face the challenges that young professionals come across in their job search. Here are the main challenges that are most common among job seekers in a new field.
- Lack of theoretical knowledge. Naturally, acquiring a new profession starts with learning, but if your knowledge is only theoretical, it may impact your confidence.
- Lack of experience. Usually, this is the most common factor in switching. Gaining experiences to get more interviews is a shared challenge for switchers.
- Compiling a resume and writing a job application.
Naturally, the extreme of the challenge will depend on how different the new field is from the old one. If you only need to change the environment and go for an online job, professional CV services will help you with the application in no time. Yet, for a total switch, there must be ways to gain the qualification and improve one’s key skills.
Where to gain the experience?
Starting in a new field may feel hard, and total switching may feel like a leap of faith. To get the needed experience, impress the hiring manager, and land an interview, find the activity where you can find it.
Freelance
If it is your hobby or your craft you want to dedicate all your time to, you can gain the experience remotely. For people who work mostly with their computers, there are plenty of opportunities to find clients online. Such a freelance format will not only improve one’s skills in what they do. This format trains organizational, managerial, and negotiation skills, as a person manages both their workload and their income by themselves.
Freelancing is a good way to build a portfolio, which in the future can help you craft a winning application for a team. In the future, such teams will help improve your skills further.
Volunteering
Another way of getting practical experience is to just start doing it for free. If there is a cause you care about, look for volunteering opportunities in this field. If you go for such a way of getting experience in the field, it will probably be one of the most effective strategies. The skills gained at volunteering are acquired easily due to the high motivation this activity requires.
Apart from obtaining the skills and experience you need for your career, you will also feel accomplished working for the cause you believe in.
Internship
If you are certain about the field, business, or even a company you aim at, look for internship opportunities in this field. The main disadvantage of such learning and practice is that it is not paid well. However, all the time one spends as an intern is fully dedicated to learning. Another advantage of an internship is that you have space for mistakes, and your mentors aim to improve your professional skills and give you their expertise.
When faced with an opportunity to earn work experience as an intern, be sure to apply for it. To be more certain about your request, you can use the help of affordable resume writers at any time. The internship will be a big contribution to your future career.
The sphere from scratch
If one is willing to go all the way, they can have plenty of opportunities just entering the field from the very initial position. The challenge of this path is about working at a simple job at first and climbing the career ladder from its very bottom. However, one of the primary benefits of such an approach is that applicants have more chances of landing a position with minimal experience. Such a path is for people who can dedicate a certain amount of time to working at the initial positions and are willing to go through all the stages of professional growth.
What to do with previously gained skills?
Remember, if you want to start a profession anew, it does not mean all your previous experiences are still relevant, even if they are gained in a different sphere. The thing you should remember while drafting your CV for a changed job is that the related experience from your past life is applicable in the new field as well.
All you need to do is present your old skills in the context required by the new occupation. When you look at your skills like that, you will realize you are not as green for the new job.
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Changing the occupation may seem like an unbeatable challenge. But once you start working towards your goal, you can get professional step by step. Even without professional experience, you can find opportunities to gain and grow them. Define your interests and objectives to find the opportunity that will serve, and do not be afraid to change.
