What's the Key to a Successful Career Change?

Are you interested in changing your career? 

Don't worry - probably you are not alone! Before you head out of the office, ready to embark on your new ambition, do some well-grounded research!

Muovo has found the article below, which was first published by The Guardian, a most interesting read. Your comments are welcome!

The are two ways of finding a better career, says Harry Freedman in The Guardian. One is a reactive approach, the other is proactive.

In a reactive search, you look at every job advert you possibly can, pick out opportunities that you think you might enjoy and that you have some chance of being offered and you fire off your applications. In other words, you react to whatever opportunities come your way. Although you might get lucky, and end up with the job of your dreams, there is no guarantee that you will find a more rewarding or satisfying job than the one you just had.

In a proactive search, you take a step back to look at your skills, experience, interests and anything else relevant to your career. You have in-depth conversations with friends, your partner or even career professionals, trying to work out which career will be right for you. Then, when you have made a decision, you concentrate your job search in that area. If you do this systematically and thoroughly you stand a better chance of finding a more satisfying career. But, again, it is only a chance – there is still a possibility that your new career may be little better than your old one.

The missing ingredient in both these approaches is REsearch. Without good research you will never know if you're making the right decision.

Career research operates on many levels.

It first start with searching job titles and sectors.

If you are moving into a new industry, or if you are hoping to do a completely different job, it's essential to fully understand what the change might involve.

You need to look at the tasks you'll be expected to do, the knowledge you'll need, the shape of your working day, the sort of people you'll be working with, and the reputation and prospects of the sector.

Good luck with your job REsearch!

Nikita Pisani at Muovo