Get Your Career Back on Track

Jason Elrick

August 25, 2015

The other day, I met with a candidate who wanted advice on how to reroute his career. He had an engineering degree, yet his previous career had gone down a different track, including only roles in sales positions. Now, after more than ten years in sales, he wanted to get back into the engineering field but was wondering how to make the switch.  You can probably relate to his frustration if you have agonized over whether to stay or go in your own current career. The idea of changing industries, positions, locations, or especially starting over in a whole new job field can seem like an overwhelming task. If so, where should you begin to get your career back on track? Here are some basic ways to help jumpstart your career.

1. Update all profiles on LinkedIn, CareerBuilder, Monster, Indeed, and anywhere else that has your career information. Make sure to elaborate your desire to enter the specific field you want to pursue, and include any experience you have that may relate to that field.
2. Start networking. Become very involved with every person inside your network, as well as the people they know. It’s also great to find companies in your new field and ask to connect with department heads and people in your specific area of interest. This will enable you to connect with new professionals in the desired field.
3. Take additional training or schooling. Do you need to update your skills? Consider pursuing a specific certification or even a degree in the new field.
4. Be patient and persistent. You must want this new career more than anything. Just as your previous career probably didn’t take off overnight, you may now need to spend 5+ hours a day to help land this new dream role.

Business psychologist Sharon Peake of CareerShifters.org. specializes in giving career change advice. She encourages career shifters to embrace false starts–in other words, look at the previous career you’ve had, not as a waste, but as a teacher of valuable lessons. She encourages, “Being able to identify what you don’t like is equally as valuable as learning what you do like, and can help you to narrow down your vision of where you’d really like to be with your career. In addition, chances are you will have gained a number of transferable skills that will be helpful to you in your next move.”

Taking your career in a new direction may take a lot of effort, but now is the time to get your career back on track. Updating your profiles, networking, getting additional training, and being persistent will eventually lead you where you want to go. Be patient and keep going–your strong efforts will be rewarded when you land a job in your new field.

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Did you know that when you refer a friend or colleague whose qualifications are a good fit for one of our open positions, you may be eligible for our Candidate Referral Program? Ask your Amtec recruiter for details.