171. Changing careers in your 20s ft. The Career Contessa
Feb 20, 2024
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Career expert, The Career Contessa, discusses changing careers in your 20s, managing financial insecurity, signs of a wrong job fit, and finding purpose. Tips include job searching, personal branding, and resilience in career transitions.
Adapting to rejection in job search is essential; focus on controllable actions like tailored resumes, networking, and staying positive.
Recognize transferable skills when changing careers; highlight them in applications to showcase value even without direct experience.
Maintain hope and resilience when changing careers; rejection is normal, stay positive, adapt strategies, and seek support for confidence.
Deep dives
Challenges in Changing Careers
Changing careers can come with challenges such as rejection, failed interviews, and unanswered inquiries. It is important to not take rejection personally and not give up after one setback. Instead, focus on what you can control, like tailoring your resume for each job application, reaching out to contacts for referrals, researching companies and interviewers, sending thank-you notes, and practicing interviews. Remember that there is no one right way to job search, so explore different strategies and approaches. Rejection is a normal part of the process, so it's important to stay positive, adapt, and keep going.
The Power of Transferable Skills
When changing careers, it is valuable to recognize the transferable skills you possess and how they can be applied in a new industry or role. For example, taking skills from a previous job, like project management or client communication, and showcasing how they can be relevant in a different field. By tailoring your resume and highlighting these transferable skills, you can demonstrate your ability to contribute in the desired role, even if you lack direct experience. Utilize the skills you have developed throughout your career and show how they can be valuable in a new context.
Maintaining Hope and Resilience
Changing careers can be a daunting process, but it's important to maintain hope and resilience. Rejection and setbacks are common, but they should not discourage you from pursuing your desired career path. Focus on the long-term goal and stay motivated. Remember that rejection is not a reflection of your worth or abilities. Stay proactive by continuously refining your job search approaches, networking, and seeking support from friends, mentors, or career coaches. By maintaining a positive mindset, adapting to challenges, and staying resilient, you can navigate the career change process with confidence.
Observing and Taking Initiative at Work
One key insight from the podcast episode is to observe and learn from your boss early on in your career. By understanding their dislikes and taking tasks off their plate, you can make a meaningful impact and contribute in a valuable way. This goes beyond job titles and descriptions and requires thinking outside the box to identify what tasks matter to your boss. By doing so, you can become an invaluable member of the team and grow your career.
Managing Expectations and Career Fulfillment
The podcast episode challenges the notion of a dream job and emphasizes the importance of managing expectations in a career. The speaker addresses the constant cycle of feeling unfulfilled by expectations that a job alone will bring happiness and satisfaction. They emphasize that a job cannot fulfill every aspect of life and that fulfillment can come from other areas. The key is to have a growth mindset, utilize networking opportunities, and pursue personal and professional branding to create opportunities, whether in a conventional or non-conventional career path.
Our 20s are one of the best times for us to change careers. Perhaps you're feeling burntout, bored, unmotivated, craving something bigger, something with purpose or better hours, a change from the life and job you currently have. In this episode we break down how we can change careers in our 20s, some of the challenges, how to manage the financial insecurity, the signs your old job is not right for you and discovering your true mission and purpose and life (even if it doesn't always revolve around your job and a pay check).
We are joined by the founder and CEO of The Career Contessa, host of the hit podcast and author, Lauren Goodwin who shares her years worth of advice and best tips.