Stop Scrolling! The Best Career Change Advice You’ll Ever Get

Thinking about switching professions and looking for career change advice? We get it — the idea can be daunting! No matter how long you’ve held your current role, stepping out into the unknown can be uncomfortable.

When you’re ready to make that big move, you’ll have plenty of questions. In years past, you might have consulted a mentor, or headed to the library to research your next step. Now, though, we’re living smack-dab in the middle of the Digital Age. It seems there’s only one place most people turn to when they need answers: Google.

While the search engine giant can be helpful in its own right, we don’t have to tell you how time-consuming it can be. You enter one query after another, only to find that you’ve spent hours scrolling. And, you’re no closer to enlightenment than you were when you started.

Look up, rub your eyes, and take a deep breath. Today, we’re going to share some real tips that can help you find career success. Yes, even if you’re starting over from scratch in a brand-new industry.

Close that tab, refill your coffee and settle in. Let’s dive right into how to make the most of your career change journey, no matter which stage you’re in.

6 key pieces of career change advice

1. Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

Let’s get one thing out of the way before we begin: Change is scary.

There’s no way around it, and we’re not going to sugarcoat it. The next few decisions you make might feel like you’ve taken off on a skydiving adventure. You’re not sure if they attached the parachute right?

Are you making the right move? Should you stay where you’re at and remain comfortable? Do the risks outweigh the potential benefits?

These are all questions that might be swirling in your head. As you read various articles and search results, you’re bound to have even more concerns.

Should you follow this guru’s tips? What about the advice of this person or that CEO? Who can you trust to guide you into this intimidating new territory?

Stop comparing your journey to someone else’s. Resist the urge to take everyone’s so-called advice” at face value. Instead of following someone else's directions and promises, look inward.

Think about the fields that interest YOU. What would you do if you could do anything?

While you’re brainstorming, don’t get too practical. Don’t think about the skills or talents you’ll need to have before you can break into that niche. Nor the million logistics that have to fall into place before you can even get started.

This first phase is about dreaming. It’s about thinking beyond what you’re familiar with. Considering all the possibilities that stand juuuust outside of your comfort zone. Even if those pursuits don’t exactly seem attainable at first, allow them to be real options for now.

Download Uvaro's Official Career Change Guide

2. Go at Your Own Pace

There’s a mantra that marathon runners often repeat to themselves. Especially when they’re on mile 25 and there’s a massive hill up ahead.

Run your own race.

In other words, don’t run to keep up with the person beside you, or to be better than someone behind you. Run for you and don’t get distracted by how fast or slow everyone else is going. When you allow yourself to get wrapped up in comparison, you’re bound to psyche yourself out.

The same applies to your decision to switch careers.

You’re bound to encounter plenty of people that encourage you to move fast. They’ll tell you to get out there! Start networking immediately! Put together a business plan, marketing campaign, and social media strategy right away. If you don’t rush to the finish line, you can guarantee your competitors will.

Then, there will be people that suggest slowing way down. They'll tell you to take the time to brainstorm every part of your next move before you make the leap.

With so much conflicting advice, you’ll start to feel stuck. You don’t want to go too fast, but you don’t want to wait too long, either. As a result, you’ll become overwhelmed with analysis paralysis and you won’t go anywhere at all.

A career change is a huge step in your journey to find Career Success. Don’t be afraid to ease into things, and approach every part of the process at a pace that feels comfortable to you. In other words, run your own race and keep your eye on the finish line.

3. Embrace Your Differences

Ah, the wonderful world of online media.

It seems like everyone is all too eager to share how they pulled themselves up by the bootstraps. You'll read stories of people turning fledgling startups into a multi-million dollar businesses. And all while only working 3 days a week.

They’re easy to find on Google, especially when you search for a phrase like career change advice”. As you read, you’ll notice certain common characteristics that helped foster success.

These folks might be experts at math or have an incredible degree of sales knowledge. Maybe they’re excellent speakers or have high-profile family connections. They may have gone to an elite university. Or studied under a well-known expert. Or even learned an advanced programming language that looks like gibberish to you.

No matter what they claimed made their journey easier, remember that it’s not your journey. When you overwhelm yourself with information about someone else’s career change, it’s easy to assume that you should follow the same path. After all, it worked for them, so why shouldn’t it work for you?

But you’re different.

You have skills, talents, and traits that no one else can claim. Once you learn to use those to your advantage, you’ll find Career Success and true contentment.

4. Test Drive Your Career

Before you dive right into the deep end, take the time to dip your toes in the baby pool, first.

Keep thinking about how to parlay your talents and passions into a new career. Try experimenting with those interests on your own time.

If you’re thinking about entering the world of freelance writing, try authoring a few guest blogs. Learn how the process works and what you can expect. Want to start your own non-profit? Volunteer with a charity that’s similar in size and scale to the one you want to build.

Job shadowing isn’t only for recent college grads. It’s a smart idea for anyone to try out” a career before they claim it as their own. This is a great way to see if the dream you’ve built in your mind actually translates in reality. You might find that the work is even better than you imagined it could be. Or you may discover that it’s not a great fit for you, after all.

It’s better to find these things out now — before you commit.

As you try out new roles and put on different hats, remember to give yourself grace. It’s OK to change your mind. This is an enlightening exercise that’s meant to bring you clarity. You’re bound to discover new and exciting things about yourself in the process.

5. Connect With Others

It’s one thing to read someone else’s career change advice or listen to their story on a podcast. It’s an entirely different thing altogether to actually meet with them and connect in person.

There are things you can learn in a conversation that you can’t glean from a one-page news article. Everyone has a story to tell, and most of them are eager to share it with someone who is seeking their input.

It might seem nerve-wracking at first, but go ahead and take networking offline! If you connect with a local business professional on LinkedIn, see if they want to meet up for coffee. Thinking about joining a new company in your city? Ask a current team member to lunch and pick their brain about what it’s like to work there.

Remember that most media sites polish and script their interviews, profiles, and stories. They rarely reflect the whole story of how someone found Career Success. Connecting in person gives you the opportunity to ask in-depth questions. And to get honest feedback.

Experts are likely to be more open when they know you aren't there to spin their remarks into a feature piece. As long as you’re honest and transparent with your request, there is a lot of knowledge to absorb in one chat.

6. Keep Learning

At every stage of your journey to Career Success, remain open to learning as much as possible. There’s inherent value in knowledge, and you can never get too much of it.

Grow your understanding of a certain topic. There are lots of FREE ways to do so, such as…

• Take an online course or workshop
• Read journal articles
• Ask questions in online forums
• Watch tutorials or on-demand content

In short, stay hungry. When you’re satisfied with your goals and you think you’ve done all that you can do, that’s when it’s easiest to fall off track. Complacency makes you too comfortable, and there’s no way to grow in that space.

Lifelong learners are among the most successful people. This is regardless of the industry they work in. They know enough to know they don’t know it all. They’re always looking for the next tidbit to make them sharper and better skilled. You can do the same, as long as you approach learning as the exciting prospect it’s meant to be.

Your Trusted Source for Career Change Advice

At Uvaro, we know that a career change can be an incredible time. This stage is full of personal and professional transformation. It can help you open new doors, build your income, and finally shake feelings of burnout.

We also know that the path to career success isn’t always smooth. It’s easy to let doubts, frustrations, and questions impede your journey.

We’re here to help you overcome those hurdles and finally achieve the career freedom you deserve.

Stop scrolling Google or consulting the internet for career change advice. Instead, download our Career Success Catalog today! Learn more about the courses, workshops, and other resources. Help us help you discover the right career path.

For advice about moving from one career to the next, take a look at our Career Change Guide. We designed this guide for professionals interested in making a move into tech sales. It’s filled with insights, resources, and downloadable assets to help you find success through every stage of your transition.

At Uvaro, we’re committed to helping you tap into your talents. We want you to discover your dream career, and grow it to unprecedented heights. It’s a journey we’ll take together, so let’s get started today!