Change of career is a natural part of professional progress. This can be true whether you are moving into a new industry, with a new position, or are starting from scratch in a brand new field. Quite frankly, the secret to success during this shift is in how you plan and adapt. Read on for some practical tips to make your career transitions smooth and confident.

1. Reflect on Your Why

Before you make any dramatic career break, be sure to work out your motives. Do you want to bring better outcomes, better growth opportunities, have better work-life balance, or want to chase your dream? What we have here is clarity around your “why,” which will let you make an informed choice and stay in sync with your end goal.

Pro Tip: Talking to a mentor or journaling will help you find and articulate the reasons that led you to the change.

2. Research Thoroughly
To get into a new field or role, you have to understand the landscape. Check the skills, qualifications, and market trends of your target industry. Networking events, online courses, and informational interviews with people in your field of interest will be an eye opener.

Pro Tip: If you are transitioning to a new career field, LinkedIn is a great way to reach out to people in your industry who have been there and done that.

3. Upgrade Your Skills
However, there often is a gap in skills during a transition. Find out what the competencies required in your new role are and learn how to acquire them. It could be signing up for certification courses, going to workshops, or getting hands-on experience with freelancing or volunteering.

Pro Tip: Industry-relevant courses that have become available on platforms such as Coursera, Udemy, and edX are often affordable, flexible, and at the same time industry-relevant.

4. Revamp Your Personal Brand
Your professional storefront is your resume, LinkedIn profile, and your portfolio. Have them updated with the skills, experience, and goals you had at this point while in your new career path. Show parts of your previous role that highlight transferrable skills that show you were a dynamo in this new field.

Pro Tip: By making small adjustments, your resume can be targeted similarly to how lawyers target their arguments for their clients; this way, you can customize your resume for every job application by tailoring keywords from the job description.

5. Network Strategically
When you have good professional connections, career transition can be easier. Go to industry events, post in online communities, and reach out to ex-colleagues. You can then build a relationship and potentially mend into mentorship, referrals, or even a job offer.

Pro Tip: The great thing about networking is that it’s always about picking mutual benefit, so offer help and insights when you can.

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6. Embrace a Growth Mindset
If you step into a new domain, you will certainly face challenges: you will feel out of your depth, and you will face rejections. It's important to be positive, learn from setbacks, and make it for the long run.

Pro Tip: Encourage yourself by celebrating a small win here and there, but a big, illusive win is always the motivator to keep you going. Keep track of your progress so you can see how you’re succeeding, which will inspire you to work harder and prove any doubters wrong.

7. Financial Preparation is Key
Getting into a new career is often a career transition, and say be a starting salary, or starting out with some unpaid time off to retrain. Make sure you have a financial safety net of some type that is able to cover the basics during this time. It’s all about the budget and saving in advance so you don’t get stressed and can focus on your goal.

Pro Tip: If you’re unsure how to plan for this phase, consult a financial advisor.

8. Seek Professional Guidance
Your career coaches, mentor, and counselor can tailor advice just for you. Objectivity is what they bring to you to enable you to make informed decisions without you falling into common pitfalls when making transitions.

Pro Tip: The best guidance will come from professionals in your target industry or role.

9. Stay Patient and Persistent
Changing careers is never easy and requires time and effort. There may be skills gaps, competition, or self-doubt getting in your way. It’s ok to get nervous, to doubt yourself, trust the process, stay committed, and remember that each step gets you closer to a new career.

Pro Tip: Break down your transition to actionable milestones to stay focused and give compliments on your progress.

10. Be Open to Experimentation
Not all opportunities come from where you think they’ll come. If you are new to a field, be willing to take on freelance projects, internships, or part-time because it will help you build credibility in your field.

Pro Tip: If the new experience doesn’t perfectly align with your long-term vision, no problem; view every new experience as a stepping stone.

Final Thoughts
Career transitions are an opportunity to become, learn and adjust success to your terms. If you have the right planning, the right attitude, and the persistence to do it, you can make this difficult time fruitful. But remember, there is never a time it is too late or too early to steer your professional ship.