Upskilling, Reskilling, Side Entrances and More! 5 Tips for Making a Successful Career Change

When I took my first full time job out of college, I had one mission: to help people. I’d just finished my degree in psychology, and I intended to continue my education to become a counselor. People had always told me what a good listener I was and how easy it was to talk to me. I took those tiny little scraps of praise and tried to parlay them into a career in health and human services. Annnnd, I immediately failed. Or at least, I felt like I failed.

I was working for a government agency trying to get aid to struggling families. In retrospect, I can think of few jobs that could crush a tender little soul like mine so effectively. I wanted to help people who desperately needed more help than I was authorized to give. My intentions were good. Honestly, the intentions of almost everyone involved were good. But the reality was hard, and my own mental health deteriorated pretty quickly.

After a year of stomach aches, tension headaches, and more tears shed in a bathroom stall than I care to remember, I found another job in a university library. It was much less money, zero benefits, and very little promise of advancement. And I was thrilled! I was also shocked (honestly, truly shocked) when my manager at the health and human services job told me she was sorry I was leaving, that I’d been a good worker, and she thought I had a lot of promise. Certainly, she had never said those things to me before I gave my notice. Would it have made a difference if she had? Probably not. Maybe I would have stayed longer and toughed it out, but I doubt it would have ever been a good fit for me.

We often say people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers. My manager was not ideal, but I definitely left that job.

What went wrong? How did I go from actually helping people in a career that aligned with my education to (what felt like) hiding in the massive labyrinth of stacks of a university library?

Well, like many things that don’t work out as planned, it was just a misunderstanding. A couple of misunderstandings, really.

I didn’t understand myself.
I didn’t understand the job.

I wanted to help people, and that job was literally and directly helping people. But it also required me to be tough. I needed to set boundaries, tell people things they didn’t want to hear, and advocate strongly for them if something didn’t go right within the system. I was getting trampled on from all sides because I just was not assertive. (I’m still not that assertive, but when I think about the sweet summer child that I was back then… just wow.)

People always said I was a good listener. Well, newsflash: that was because I was NOT a talker. Want to know what 75% of this job was? Talking. Multiple daily meetings, giving long presentations. Nonstop phone interactions. Interviews, follow-ups. It was exhausting to me.

Guess what people also always said about me: “You’re so patient!” And it’s true (except when I’m in traffic or waiting for the internet to come back up). I have a ton of stamina for long projects, and I follow through. I once walked an entire marathon – 26.2 miles! What they didn’t say about me ever was, “You’re so fast!” Did I mention I walked an entire marathon? It’s rare to be both patient and quick, and I was not. That job was nonstop hustle and involved constant change. I felt like I could never catch my breath.

The most important thing I lacked was resilience. Every aspect of that job was a misfit for me, but I blamed myself for not keeping my head above water, even though I had almost no support, was offered no tools to help me stay organized, and given no real training to deal with the emotionally taxing aspects of the position. I didn’t fit, and there was nobody helping me fit. And somehow, I decided that was my own fault. How was I ever going to feel okay in that situation?

In retrospect, I wouldn’t recommend to everyone the kind of career transition I made, but it turned out well, and I inadvertently did some things right.

If you’re considering a change in careers, here are some tips from a former sweet summer child.

1. Self-reflect and respect your emotions.

As my Omnia coworker Alaina mentioned in her recent blog, “…a role that requires you to work against your intrinsic behaviors can cause frustration and discontent.” There is always a learning curve to new jobs, and it can feel horrible while you’re still learning. But if you’re still constantly anxious, filled with dread, and/or experiencing the physical signs of stress after you’ve been on the job for a few months, there is a good chance you and your job are not a match. It’s not you. It’s the job! Understanding and respecting your behavioral preferences and motivational tendencies can help you find the right match.

2. Follow your passion.

My mission was to help people, but my passion was, and always has been, the written word. Of course, I didn’t realize that until I was done with college! Seeing the listing for the library job was such an “Aha!” moment for me. I had always loved the idea of working in a library, but I didn’t need to abandon my mission to help people. I did help many students get the information they needed to succeed in school.

3. Look for a side entrance.

After you’ve determined where you want to go next, you may encounter high barriers in the way of getting your foot in the door. Experience is often a critical aspect of starting a new career. But it’s not the only way in.

Seek out chances to reskill at your current job. You can do this by volunteering for projects, applying for internal opportunities, or asking to cross-train in other areas. With the right internal opportunities, you may find you don’t need to change careers at all. You may just need to change your focus a little.
Consider temping. The library position was a temporary one, only meant to last while the building was being renovated. I was a hard worker who was eager to learn, and I truly loved working there. After a few months, I was hired for a full-time position. If I had applied for the job opening that I eventually filled while I was in my old job, I wouldn’t have even gotten a call, since I had no experience.
Find a referral. Check in with friends, family and former coworkers, people who know you and can vouch for you. Many companies offer rewards for referrals. Why? Because having someone they already trust recommend someone else makes the hiring process much less risky!

4. Be willing to work your way up in a new field (if you need to and can afford to).

This isn’t always necessary. You may find that the skills you’ve learned at your current job are easily transferable to a field that is more compatible to your personality type. If so, awesome! If not, you may need to start a little lower and work your way up. Just make sure there is a viable path to get back to your current level and beyond.

5. Upskill while you’re waiting and searching.

Once you have a general idea where you’d like to go next, train while you search. There are so many affordable educational opportunities out there. From free or low-cost online classes and online certifications to community colleges and free classes given at your local public library, there are chances to upskill for every kind of learner. Without specific experience, your additional education will give you an advantage over other entry-level applicants.

In the end, I didn’t stay in the library business, but I spent five great years there. Then, I took what I learned from that career change to transition again and become an Omnia Analyst, where my love of the written word, education in psychology, and mission to help people all came together in a career that has matched my personality and kept me engaged for a long time.

If you’re sure you’re not where you need to be but aren’t sure where to go from here, why not try a behavioral assessment? The Omnia Group offers a Professional Development Assessment, a behavioral assessment providing a wealth of information on job task preferences, motivators, challenges, and development opportunities. We also offer our CareerMaze assessment, which helps evaluate your vocational strengths and weaknesses, interests, and capabilities. Contact us today for more information about how The Omnia Group’s behavioral assessments can help you take your next career step.