Are you looking to make a career change at 30, but aren’t sure where to get started?
While it may feel like a big risk to make a career change at 30, the truth is, this is the perfect age to do so. By the time you’re 30, you’ll have a lot better idea of what you want out of life than when you were 20. Additionally, you’ll have enough professional experience under your belt for recruiters to take you seriously, even if you plan on entering a completely different industry.
But, how do you make the change?
Check out this guide to discover how to make a career change at 30.
1. Decide On a New Career
You may already know the field you want to transfer into. But, if you don’t, then the first thing you need to do is think about what you want your new career to be.
One major thing you need to consider is whether or not you’re switching careers because you dislike your current one, or you’re switching careers because you dislike your current job/role.
It may be that you don’t need to switch careers at all, and rather, you just need to find a different company to work for. However, if you find that a career switch is right for you, here are some tips to help you find the right field:
- Make a list of your strengths and interests and see what fields line up with them
- Work with a recruiter
- Take a career aptitude test
- Research occupations that have always appealed to you but you’ve never looked into
- Think about how you like to spend your free time and if you could translate that into a career
Once you’ve figured out what you want your career to be, make sure you understand how feasible it is to make a transition into that field.
2. Figure Out if You Need to Go Back to School
Once you’ve chosen your new career path, it’s time to figure out if you need to go back to school. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that if they’re switching to a new field, they should go back to school no matter what.
However, this certainly isn’t always the case. For example, if you previously worked in sales and are now interested in a career in marketing, it’s probably not necessary to go back to school and earn a degree in marketing or communications. A lot of the same skills you use as a salesperson can be applied to marketing roles.
However, there are some career paths where it’s absolutely necessary to go back to school, such as:
- Nursing/most healthcare jobs
- Accounting
- Massage therapy
- Teaching
- Social work
- Engineering
- Law
Before heading back to school, make sure you understand the costs associated with the degree and the amount of time it’ll take to complete it. If you have a desire to work in the medical field but don’t want to devote 10+ years of your life to training to be a doctor, then you may want to consider a career as a nurse or medical coder.
3. Obtain the Necessary Skills You Need to Switch Careers
When making a career transition, it’s very important that you obtain the necessary skills for your line of work. The best way to find out what skills you need for your new career is to browse job postings online. You can also ask people you know in your chosen field what skills and you’re missing in order to land a job.
Nowadays, there are many career fields that allow you to gain the skills you need through non-traditional methods. For example, if you’re interested in breaking into web design, there are a number of different web designing courses you can take online and at your own pace.
4. Gain Experience Wherever You Can
One of the biggest struggles people have when transitioning careers is coming across job postings that require years and years of experience to even be considered for the job.
But, if you’re just starting out, how are you supposed to gain experience?
Luckily, there are plenty of ways you can gain experience for your new career, including:
- Volunteering
- Interning
- Offering to do freelance work for a family member, friend, or non-profit organization
- Taking part in an apprenticeship
How you choose to gain experience will really depend on your new line of work. For example, if you decide to go into nursing and you have no experience in the healthcare field, you may want to consider earning your CNA certification and working as a nurse’s aide part-time while attending school.
If you want to become a web designer, you can offer to design a nonprofit’s website for free so you can build your portfolio.
5. Revamp Your Resume
Of course, switching careers at 30 also requires you to revamp your resume.
But, this doesn’t mean you need to start from zero and throw all of your previous job experience out the window. Besides knowing the tricks of the trade, recruiters want to see that you’re dedicated and motivated to get the job done. Discussing your previous work accomplishments is the perfect way to show recruiters that you’re the right person for the job.
Also, make sure that when applying for a job, you highlight in your cover letter how your previous career is an asset to your new career and not a hindrance.
Are You Ready to Make a Career Change at 30?
Now that you know how to make a career change at 30, it’s time to get started. Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying life with your new career.
Be sure to check back in with our blog for more career-related tips and tricks.