Many professionals are chomping at the bit to get back to work in their chosen industry.

Whether they’ve been laid off, or simply had their jobs put on a seemingly indefinite hold, they’re eager and excited to get back to their dream jobs in the same industry they’ve just left behind!

But what if you’re not one of them?

What if you’re one of the ones who’s not so certain they want things to go back to the way they were?

What if you’re one of the ones whose industry will be so irrevocably changed by the pandemic that it will never feel the same?

Or what if you’re one of the ones who always wanted to make a change, but needed a little push to get outside your comfort zone?

Then maybe it’s time for you to change lanes so you can keep on moving forward.

But how does one go about changing careers? Especially if you hadn’t been planning on having this…ahem…opportunity?

Easy! First, you read the rest of this article. Then, you can use this advice to make it happen.

Let’s get started!

Commit to the switch

Pat Morita, as Mr. Miyagi in the cult classic “The Karate Kid”, told his student this:

“Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later, get squished just like grape”

And then, in true esoteric style, he punctuated his remark with squishing sounds to drive the point home.

While this might seem like a bit of Hollywood throwback trivia for you, it’s actually some pretty solid (not squishy) advice for a professional today. Especially if you’re one of the ones who was always interested in diving into a new career, but never took the plunge.

When it’s time to change, it’s time to put down the past and commit to what’s to come.

Changing careers can be daunting — you feel like you’re up against all the professionals who have never needed to switch tracks (yet). But the truth is that YOU are the only person you’re up against.

If you don’t put 100% of yourself into it, then whatever part of you hasn’t committed will hold you back. It could be the part of you that’s thinking “well, maybe I should go back to my old job for now…” or the one that says “I don’t know if I’m cut out for this new industry…”, or any of the doubts casting shadows on your job search.

Do your research. Find out what you need to get into your new career, and how you can acquire those tools. Talk to people who do it about what the job is really like.

Get those doubts out of the way, because when it’s time to switch, you HAVE to commit.

Add some new to your network

They say it’s not “what” you know, it’s “who” you know.

So even if you don’t know a thing about your new industry yet, you need to focus on getting to know the people in it.

Start by tapping your existing network, looking for connections to your new career. See where you can get referrals, or suggestions that can point you in the right direction.

Next, put your feelers out and meet some people in your new industry. These could be business leaders, HR reps and recruiters, or even front-line employees. Anyone you can learn from, or who can keep you in the loop.

Finally, foster those relationships. Stay in touch, or ask them to become a career mentor to you. Keep doing so even when you land your first job. The people who you build real connections with are worth more than the fanciest resume.

Not only will this approach help you gain a foothold in a new industry, it will offer you plenty of insight and expertise.

One step at a time

If every shot in golf was a hole-in-one, we wouldn’t need putters. And even the pros have putters.

Sometimes, in your career, it’s enough just to get it on the green. You can still ease your way to your goal, as long as you get yourself most of the way there.

For some, that could mean getting a job at the right company, but not in the right position. For others, it could be an apprenticeship or internship. For you, it could even be taking a training course.

Just get yourself to a place where the goal is in sight. A place where you can expose yourself to the people and processes that will help align you with your dream job.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. But it was built in Italy. So if you want to build on your own dreams, start by going to where you’ll lay the stones of your success.

Set salary expectations

Just because you’ve been dreaming about a new job doesn’t mean you can ignore the realities of the pay.

In order to make sure you don’t set yourself up for disappointment (or debt), be sure to research your new industry and the typical pay for someone with your experience in the position you want. And make sure you’re looking at the averages for the geographical region in which the job is located.

Consider any lifestyle adjustments you’d need to make in order to accommodate this change in pay, if it’s lower. Make sure you don’t overload yourself with changes — changing careers is already a big enough impact on your life.

Knowing expected salary ranges will also help you when you (fingers crossed) make it to the salary negotiation part of the hiring process!

Conclusion

Honestly, though, pay will often be the last thing on your mind when you are considering all the other exciting new things to do and prepare for!

Make sure you harness that energy and excitement. Let it be a guiding reminder that everything happens for a (good) reason.

Getting laid off isn’t easy, but when you see it as an opportunity to move onward and upward in your life, then switching careers certainly will be!