3 Tips for Carving a New Career Path

Embarking on a new career is both frightening and exhilarating. Be prepared for a veritable whirlwind of emotions, but also be prepared – in the long run – for a deeper sense of workplace satisfaction and a renewed sense of purpose.

In other words: although the prospect may be scary, the end result is definitely worth it.

You may find yourself at the “precipice stage” of your journey toward a new career. In this stage, you know that you don’t want to continue your current career trajectory, but you aren’t yet sure what career you actually want. Maybe you’re considering swapping your office job out and entering into one of the trade school programs to learn to be a mechanic, for example. You’re feeling the “push” factor away from your current job, but aren’t yet feeling a “pull” factor toward another.

Don’t worry. It’s a perfectly normal place to be. In this article, to help you make those tenuous first steps toward your eventual dream career, let’s look at a few tips you can use throughout the process.

Find Your “Why”

It’s an axiom you’ll find bandied around many self-help corners of the internet, but there is a lot of merit in it: to find your dream career, start by finding your “why”. It’s easy enough to do. Follow these three simple steps:

• Start by thinking back to the times in your life when you were thrilled, energized, and happy. What were you doing? Were you helping others? Working on a project alone? Were you being creative, methodical, silly, or serious?
• Next, list what you believe to be your inherent skills and talents. Be as specific or as broad as you like.
• Finally, write down a personal mission statement, something you believe adequately summarizes your value system.

With these steps completed and questions answered, you should gain a clearer picture of the direction you need to go. It’s on to the next step.

Set Progressive, Achievable Goals

With your “why” determined and your end goal in mind, it’s time to set goals. Setting a single, ultimate goal won’t work for most people. To simply set a goal to “become an engineer”, for instance, obfuscates all the small, progressive goals you must achieve along the way.

Instead, be cognizant of all the small goals you must achieve along the way: the school courses you must complete, the accreditation you must receive, the networking you must do, etc. Breaking your goal up into small, achievable, progressive goals will help keep you motivated throughout the process.

Make Your Education Work for You

Going back to high school to finish a diploma or gain prerequisite course credits doesn’t have to be daunting or disruptive. Many people contemplating a career shift are still working their current job, and need a way to learn that doesn’t disrupt their work or compromise their income. Luckily, through online high schools, you can complete your classes from your home and at your own pace.

With the guidance of an online teacher, you’ll be able to complete your assignments, take your tests, and meet your personal deadlines according to a schedule that works for you. This self-paced learning experience ensures that the transition is smooth and that your goals are easily accomplishable.

With the right self-analysis, the right goals and the right education, carving out a new career path should be easily navigable and richly rewarding.