4 Career-Change Disasters you should Avoid.

Are you ready to take your career in a different direction? Whether your current job is a bad fit or you're looking for an industry with a better future, finding a new line of work can be both incredibly satisfying and personally profitable.
But switching career tracks can also be a high-stakes gamble. Before striking out on your own, learn how to avoid these four classic career-change disasters.

Disaster No. 1: Jumping into a new career to escape a bad job. If your job makes you want to curl up under your desk and cry, it's tempting to leave it all behind and head for a new industry. But changing careers is a drastic reaction to a bad work situation.
Job unhappiness may be related to a specific co-worker, a negative attitude, an outside-of-work stressor, or a whole lot of other problems that won't be fixed by jumping into a new career area. Instead, focus on pinpointing what part of your situation needs to change for you to be happier at work.

Disaster No. 2: Not doing your research. When you're considering a career change, it's all too easy to limit yourself to careers that are familiar or popular. But switching your path is about finding a new direction
that's right for you. And that pursuit can take you farther off the beaten track. Take time to research, discover, and brainstorm about your full range of potential career matches.
Disaster No. 3: Caving to outside pressure. Don't change careers to make other people happy. It's your life. It's your time. You deserve to find a new career that fits what you need, value, and care about.

Disaster No. 4: Not investing in the right training. Not all career changes require a whole new degree, but most career changers do need to ramp up new skills. "The best reason to go back to school for job changers is to get required technical skills or specific job skills that are in demand." Going back to school without a strong focus can be a costly mistake, but the right education can be an investment in your future that can pay big time.

Posted in: Career Advice