How women can successfully retrain for a new career at any stage of life
Do you sense a career crossroads on the horizon?
Professional growth doesn’t stop after you graduate or land your first career. In fact, breaking the linear career norm is one of the bravest choices you can make for yourself. Instead of ignoring your gut intuition that’s calling for change, think critically about it.
Build a career transition toolset, complete with new skills and an action plan for time management, job security, and financing for your new role. Smart planning will help increase your confidence and the likelihood of a smooth transition.
Consider the following steps for your checklist.
Map a stable career route
It’s true: with age comes wisdom. Focusing on stability in your career transition will open more doors to opportunity at any age.
Many stable careers, like healthcare assisting, offer personal fulfillment through care. This intersection may be just what your gut intuition has been telling you.
Professional training in medical assisting, billing, and coding provides the necessary certification and demonstrated experience you need for the industry. You can enroll in career training programs through institutions like Berks Technical Institute, which also offers stable career training in IT support.
You can complete these training programs in a matter of months.
Managing the logistics of career transitions
Creating a plan for logistics like time management, program financing, and job searching will help alleviate some of the stress of a career change. One of the best things you can do is to get the ball rolling early.
Fortunately, many training programs are flexible, offering evening and weekend classes, hybrid courses, and online training. Working around your work schedule will allow you to keep your current job.
Next is financing.
Luckily, vocational training is a fraction of the cost of a 4-year college degree. You can still find grants for vocational training, like Pell grants and state-level grants. These programs are short and often pay for themselves within a year after landing a new job.
Planning your job search early can help alleviate the stress of job hunting after graduation.
Build your resume as you go, demonstrating hands-on experience in your chosen field. Create a list of companies you’d like to work at. Create a LinkedIn profile to grow your professional network.
Graduating with an industry certification will go a long way, too.
How to overcome your fear
Fear of switching careers stems from a variety of issues, from domestic responsibilities to volatile job markets. Taking a practical approach that involves certified retraining ensures you have the marketable skills needed for a stable job market.
Succeeding in your training courses will help alleviate feelings of imposter syndrome. Breaking down your plan into manageable steps also instills a real sense of progress and confidence in your path.
Embrace change
An informed plan will help you overcome the fear of change by providing a practical and actionable route toward a new career.
Start by researching stable job markets with certification programs. Organize your path into manageable goals to maintain confidence and progress. Grow your network early to attract more prospects by the time you graduate.
