Why do people choose to move to another line of work?
Everyone would like to have a good job and to be able to develop his/her competences. Moving to another position in a company, where we have worked for many years can be difficult and stressful. These days, we change our jobs more frequently than ever before. It is estimated that an average person will not stay on the same position for more than 5 years. Technological development and rapid changes taking place on the market make it necessary for employees to exercise increasing flexibility. We may feel the need to change our job for a number of reasons. Quite often it may result from various, overlapping causes. The most important ones are the following:
- No development prospects on the current position
When we have been working on the same position for many years, we may have reached the point, where we have learned everything there was to learn. If there are also no prospects for a promotion or participation in a projects or trainings which would stimulate our development, a natural consequence will be the desire to change one’s occupation.
- Too much stress at work and lack of motivation
The thought of moving to another line of work might emerge, when the current working environment becomes burdensome and fails to meet our expectations. In the event our current job has become burdensome for us and as a consequence we feel unmotivated, this may be a sign that the time has come to consider moving to another line of work.
- An attractive offer from another company
We often decide to quit and start working for another company or change our position when we receive an offer with a higher salary. The offer may require learning new skills, attending a course or training. Ultimately though, the effort relating to learning new things is worth our while and so we decide to change our occupation.
- Starting your own company
Individuals employed pursuant to a contract of employment, who are tired of rigid time-frames and rules, often decide to start their own company An idea for your own business may be the key factor behind the willingness to change one’s line of work. We attend courses and participate in training sessions to acquire new competences. Quite often, we learn by ourselves. In such a case, it may be particularly useful to attain qualifications in the new profession.
- A life-changing event
We may be faced with a life-changing event, e.g. moving to another location or tending to a child. In such cases, we are often forced to change our occupation.
- Inability to fit into to the labour market
Biting off more than you can chew is never a good idea. Sometimes we quit too early and we look for a new job, while expecting more money. It is another story, when we lose our job, because we lack the necessary competences or because we simply do not match the position. It may also happen that even though a candidate has successfully passed the recruitment process, he/she failed during the trial period. What companies care for are specific skills on a given position and not achievements listed in your resume.
- Boss issues
An annoying and always frustrated boss? Perhaps your personalities are not compatible with each other and hence communication problems? Development is tough when we are conflicted with people we work with. These situations cause excessive stress and hinder our productivity, which makes us think about changing our occupation or line of work.
Changing one’s occupation – which one should I choose?
Prior to making the decision about stepping on a new career path, it would be advisable to check, what your work in the new profession would be like and if it meets your expectations. In order to prevent occupational burnout in the future, your new job should, in the first place, correspond to our values and interests. Not everyone is cut out to be a computer programmer, a photographer or a company owner. Therefore, you need to be honest with yourself about what you can do and what you want to learn. Do not spend your time and money unless you are certain that a given profession will be the right choice for you. Remain cautions when making the decision regarding changing our occupation. Prior to terminating your employment contract, make sure you will be financially secured throughout the transition period.
Set your goal
What do you want to achieve? Which point do you want to reach? These are the key questions you need to ask yourself upon selecting new professional areas. If your goal is to become hired, then what do you need to know in order to meet the requirements of the employers? Let us assume that, e.g., you want to design websites but you are not entirely sure what you need to learn in order to get hired or get your first contract. It would be a smart thing to ask around among people who have been in this profession for some time – ask them how they feel in this line of work and what are the realities of this profession. An experienced individual will help you determine your development path, point you to a suitable course or private lessons. Drawing a plan will let you create a clear vision of your career path. Without it, you stand a smaller chance of achieving your goals and the learning process will definitely last longer.
Look for sources of inspiration
Fear and uncertainty may prevent you from taking steps towards the desired professional change or slow you down. When entering a new career path, it is a good idea to use people who have gone through a similar process as sources of inspiration. On the Internet, you will find numerous accounts of people who have changed their profession and now have the job they have always dreamed of. Listen to their stories – this way you will know more about the path you need to follow in order to take up a new job. Thanks to the knowledge based on other people’s experiences you can avoid rookie mistakes. The stages of learning of new competences will become clear, you will be more confident and learning will be quicker.
Start learning
Each occupation requires certain skills. Moving to another line of work is challenging and requires learning new skills. How do you know, what you need to learn in order to find employment in your new, dreamed-of career? Where can you learn that? There are many offers for training, courses or postgraduate studies designed to help us acquire the necessary knowledge, some of them will even help you prepare for the job interview. You can also ask an expert in the given field or find out which competences are required in offers of work. Your learning process has to be regular and you need to follow your plan. A good method is to set a daily time-frame devoted to learning.
Have your skills confirmed
The description of the qualification relating to the new profession can be particularly useful from the perspective of the assessment of your skills. Find the desired qualification in the Integrated Qualifications Register and check, what you need to know in order to be able to practice the given profession. If you meet the requirements, not only will you become confident about your skills on the labour market, you can also have your competences certified by undergoing the validation process, i.e. a process designed to examine what you know and can do. In the event the experts confirm you skills, you will receive the relevant certificate. The certificate will increase your chances of finding employment. The document tells a recruiter that its holder knows his trade and is up to the challenges. On the other hand, the candidate feels confident about his/her skills, as these have been assessed by professionals.
