How to cultivate career changing opportunities

Thinking about changing career? Do a SWOT Analysis first!

In a changing uncertain and diverse world, it’s vital to play to your strengths and adapt to survive. But just how do you maximise your strengths if you don’t know what they are? Every job has a number of transferable skills and desirable personality traits which are common to every role. So starting with a SWOT analysis on what you have to offer in terms of skills, personality and experience. A SWOT analysis will highlight strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Play to your strengths

These strengths could be your focus and determination, hard work and willingness to learn, your qualifications and experience, or your job specific skills or academic background. Harnessing your strengths will be easier if you are intimately acquainted with them. So don’t skip this step and look for hidden strengths. For example, parents of young children who have been out of work or in part time work, often underestimate the skills they’ve had to develop when running a household. Time management and multi-tasking are very valuable skills to help you stand out in a crowd. Remember, there’s always a positive to be made out of a negative. You may lack experience in the work place, but if you look at the life management skills you’ve built up you will be able to positively spin your cv to your advantage.

Minimise your weaknesses

If your chosen career is as a chef and your current role is as a kitchen assistant with experience of food handling, you’re not entirely out of the running. It is a weakness that you’re not a qualified chef, but, becoming a chef is not out of your reach. For example, you may be able to prove your ability by doing unpaid chef trials. So if you’re already know you have the ability, someone might just see your enthusiasm and spark and agree to take you on on a trial basis for a lower salary or wage. Being willing to take a pay cut for a period of time demonstrates how keen you are to make the most of the opportunity and will impress even more. You’d be surprised how a cheeky, but respectful approach to a pub or restaurant can make you stand out from the crowd. Challenging someone to give you a chance is sometimes irresistible to an employer. Everyone remembers that sliding door moment when they too had that opportunity that changed their life, or a mentor who encouraged them to greater things.

Go back to college!

If you’re not able to brazen it out and take chances, why not go back to college and do a night class or part time class in something which will get you closer to your chosen career. Showing commitment to a course, can sometimes land you the job despite your lack of experience because it shows willing and the drive to learn new skills. You’ll also gain valuable qualifications which prove to an employer you’ve got the smarts and ability to do the job even if you haven’t necessarily got the experience.

Build opportunities

Never burn your bridges with former employers. If you’ve left jobs on good terms, you can always approach your former employers for a reference or a testimonial. They might even have contacts in an industry that you’re trying to get into and be able to advise you how to get the edge on other candidates or specific skills that are required to get a foot in the door. They might even be able to get you an interview or maybe even recommend you for a post you hadn’t even thought of simply because they spot strengths, skills or certain personality traits which would be useful in that role.

Work is good for the soul

Another golden nougat of advice is, never to leave a job unless you have a job to go to. If you’re employed, even if it’s in a role you’re not happy in, it proves to a future employer that you are a reliable prospect. Moreover, you may actually spot opportunities within an organisation that you’re currently in and be able to transfer across to a new role and new career. What’s more it’s more likely if you’ve built up a good reputation as a hard worker, that you’ll be given a chance above other external candidates. Lots of jobs have similar skill sets which are transferable, for example transferring from admin to marketing isn’t a huge leap because you may already have great ideas on how to market products or services within your company. Likewise moving from dog groomer to veterinary assistant, also isn’t an improbable jump. So why not sit down and think of some possible sideways or upwards moves you could make? If you don’t have a dream, then how can you make it come true?

Threats or opportunities

In order to neutralise any threats which may exist for your career change, you must first be aware of them. Threats may include other candidates, their qualifications or experience. Threats could also be your own thoughts and lack of confidence at interviews. Threats can also be external, such as environmental political or economic factors which are beyond your control. The threat of recession for example can mean risks of redundancy or indeed fewer job.

Either way, it’s important to understand how these may prevent you from taking your career to the next level. Threats may even be a double edged sword, for example, you may have the threat of redundancy hanging over you, but, that may also represent an opportunity because it means that you’ve nothing to lose by a possible career change. Who knows, it might even mean you have a redundancy payment to fund your new career.

Believe in yourself - You won’t know unless you try.

One major issue for people who are wishing to change career can often be a lack of confidence and self-belief. The inner narrative that we feed ourselves can be very damaging and can often prevent us from taking action to change career. We may be told by an abusive employer that we are “useless”, or be made to feel “less than” by other employees. So, it’s a very useful exercise to work with a personal development coach who can objectively help you to examine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats you possess and how you can mould your cv and interview patter to impress and land your dream career. Having a contingency plan and thinking ahead by doing a regular SWOT analysis will really boost your ability to visualise how you should advance your skills to maximise your career development options.