(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- Before starting a new career, consider the likely challenges.
① Get your head on straight. Be confident and clear about what you want. “Know yourself, know your value added, and be open to how that might translate,” says Ariel Schur, chief executive officer of ABS Staffing Solutions LLC.
② Identify the required expertise. Do you need a doctorate, or would classes at online learning platform Udemy cover it? Would language immersion help? “People in their 30s or older typically go to school in the evening or do online programs,” says Robin Ryan, a career counselor in Seattle and author of 60 Seconds & You’re Hired! Young people generally do full-time coursework.
③ Accept that your pay and title will take a hit. Salary drops stall many career changes before they start. “A lot of people have a lifestyle they’re not willing to change,” says Ryan, who suggests looking at salaries at PayScale and making a budget plan. “If you were making $125,000 in your old job and your new job pays $70,000, are you willing to do that?” A few years of lower salary is a common cost of entry for a new career, she says.
④ Weigh the economics. “What happens if the economy goes south?” Ryan asks. “Would your business go under?”
⑤ Prepare to be busy. While you’re transitioning, Schur suggests, devote at least five hours per weekend to your new field—networking and researching, or doing part-time work or consulting. “If you’re going to do this, something will need to give,” she says. “You can do a lot in five hours and still have most of your weekend free.”
To contact the author of this story: Arianne Cohen in New York at arianne@gmail.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Eric Gelman at egelman3@bloomberg.net, Bret Begun
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