No matter what you tell yourself, it’s never too late to start again. According to the Bayt.com ‘Career Reinvention and the MENA Workplace’ poll, May 2011, more than 80% of Middle East professionals are looking to switch their career path. In fact, we’ve seen many investment bankers turn internet gurus, lawyers turn businessmen, businessmen turn real estate developers, engineers turn designers and the list is endless.
So if you’re feeling completely unfulfilled with your career and know that changing jobs, companies or locations won’t change that, don’t fret. It’s never too late to start afresh, providing you plan ahead and follow a few basic rules.
Here, a number of specialists tell you how to know if it’s time for a career change on Bayt.com Specialties. Below are some myths about career shifts along with tips from Bayt.com on how to overcome them to ease you through your career transition:
Myth 1: It’s too much work to change careers. Where would I ever begin?
Bayt.com Tip: The first step in considering a career change is to think carefully about what really drives you. It’s important to first discover your primary interests and passions as this can open doors to careers that you might not have considered. Bayt.com offers Psychometric Evaluation to identify your key strengths and help you make the best career choices. Once you have that foundation, you can start fine tuning your search for the right career. You may be surprised at how you can fit your passions into a new career!
Myth 2: I’m too old to make a career change.
Bayt.com Tip: If you have worked for a number of years, you may feel that you’ve put too much time and effort into your career to change midstream. Or you may be concerned about retirement and health benefits. However, the more you’ve worked, the more likely you are to have skills that can transfer to a new career. Transferable skills are those skills you’ve learned not only from your job but also from hobbies, volunteering, or any other life experiences. Employers look for these skills when they’re interviewing you.
Myth 3: The past dictates the future.
Bayt.com Tip: The biggest limiting belief that comes into play when someone is attempting to make a career change is the belief that they are stuck in their current career simply because that is what they’ve always done. It takes a mindset shift to realize that your job title is only a tiny piece of the unique experiences that make you ‘You’. Once you’ve settled on your new career path, identify any gaps and make a plan to obtain those new required skills. Making a dramatic change is difficult, but being armed with the confidence and knowledge that you are uniquely qualified will make it easier to keep going when things get tough.
Myth 4: It will be impossible for me to learn new skills.
Bayt.com Tip: Of course there will be a learning curve to any new career you try. But isn’t having a new professional challenge part of why you seek this change? The goal is to find a career that taps into your innate strengths and interests, as for the aspects of the job that may intimidate you (such as becoming tech savvy), accept that getting proficient in these skills may be frustrating and difficult, making mastery of these challenges even more gratifying.
Myth 5: If I make a career change, I’ll be starting over at the bottom.
Bayt.com Tip: Not necessarily. You’re not the newbie you were when you entered the job market. You’ve gained an extensive array of skills, plus you have professional wisdom and perspective which is acquired only through time. The key to bypassing entry-level status is to market these assets in your next interview. Again, the skills that made you successful may be ‘transferable’ to your dream job. Believing and convincing yourself, and your interviewer, of your ability to reinvent yourself will put you ahead of younger competition. These pointers should help you overcome common myths about career shifts and go about this shift in the smartest way possible. Good luck!
