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How to decide when it is time for a career change and how to go about it

Many people in the course of a lifetime will be faced with a career change. Many fear a career change mostly because they don't know how to go about it. It is wise for all considering a career change to arm themselves with some tips before approaching the task. One can be actually very successful in making a career change if it is handled properly. Here are some tips to consider:

.  Evaluate your transferable skills. Many skills learned in one career can be transferred to a skill required in another career. Sometimes this happens when the nature of your job changes and you need to adapt to another career. An example of this could be if you have a degree in business. You can do many things with that business education from being a web designer to a retail buyer. Actually, you could be a retail buyer for a local department store and decide to start traveling on your own and be a buyer of exotic goods to import and sell in your home country. The skills are somewhat transferable.

.  Try freelancing on a part-time basis to determine what you might like to do. For example, a computer programmer once became unhappy in his career over time and evaluated his skills. He determined that since he had education and skills in another language, he tries some freelance document translations and had some success. Later on, he became a professional full-time translator.

.  The importance of educating yourself in the new career field you are thinking of entering cannot be stressed enough. Don't depend on a prospective employer or client to train you. If you are too busy to return to school then get a book. There are actually many free education resources on the internet.

.  Evaluate the opportunities in the new career field you are thinking of entering. While you may have to take a small step backward as far as pay, don't go too far or you will be quickly unhappy. Make sure that the career field you are about to enter is truly an improvement.

.  Look for volunteer opportunities in the field you are about to enter if they exist before quitting your current career. This way you can truly evaluate if you would like to work in the new field. Keep in mind however that the workings of volunteer organizations differ somewhat from the workings of professional organizations.

For more information and tips on making a career change, please visit the following sites:

http://www.quintcareers.com/career_change-dos-donts.html

http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/careerresources/a/10steps.htm

http://www.mftrou.com/midlife-career-change.html