CAREER SMARTS: THE TRUTH ABOUT CAREER CHANGE RISKS AND 10 THINGS YOU CAN DO

Posted by Grace Clapham In Career Change With Career Change tags With 0 Comments

One of the biggest challenge people face when considering a career change is inertia – resisting to take that first step out of fear of the risks involved. 

Whether you’re thinking about a major career change, starting your own business, or pursuing your passion, it’s normal to feel weary and hesitant about the potential risks involved. 

It also doesn’t help that traditional job market mechanisms and career advice don’t encourage or facilitate career change either. Most of us have been taught to follow the conventional, linear career path: graduate from school (ideally with a masters or above for a higher pay grade); get an entry-level job in a viable sector/industry; work to climb the corporate ladder and eventually retire with a healthy savings for your ‘future’ (hmm…)

There are plenty of legitimate concerns around career change. For one, there’s the uncertainty of leaving familiarity behind and moving beyond your comfort zone. There’s also the possibility of having to make financial or lifestyle adjustments. And of course, there’s the likelihood of making mistakes. 

Now, let’s take a moment to consider the FACTS. 


What are the real risks involved with career change? 

 

… See what I did there? 
 

Risks are just perceptions - your fears and doubts at their very best, challenging your courage and bold aspirations. The only real risk of career change is not taking any risk, and believing that life’s risks can ever be avoided completely. 

Instead, get proactive. Consider the potential risks involved with your career move and the steps you can immediately take to minimise your risks and maximise results - with a little forward planning and steady action. 

It’s all about your MINDSET.


When it comes to your career, risk-management is about being proactive. The right attitude and action steps are critical to filling any gaps that are holding you back. 

Maybe you lack knowledge, experience, or a specific skills. Maybe you’re seeking advice, mentorship or insights to a new career direction. Or maybe you’re needing tools and guidance to repurpose your skills or reposition yourself. Well the good news is, we’ve got all of that for you. 

The real news is, you must commit to putting in the work and taking action. 

If you’re IN, we’re here to help get you there. 

 

Here’s 10 things you’ll need to get CAREER SMART about your bold career move: 

  1. Know yourself, WELL. This is essential. Make a list of your best traits, skills, and achievements. Then, list all the areas or skills you want to develop. The first step to your career change is knowing your personal and professional assets AND your opportunities to further improve and grow. It’s also about having an honest conversation with yourself about your appetite for risk - how much risk can you accept, and, what’s not negotiable?

  2. Focus on how / where you can CREATE VALUE. Your career journey has taught you more than you may realise. What are the challenges businesses or industries you’re interested in are facing? Where are the opportunities? Where can you apply (and/or further develop) your knowledge, talents and experience to add value to processes, communities, teams or systems?

  3. Stay on top of INDUSTRY TRENDS. In today’s competitive landscape, it’s not enough to be ‘good’ at what you do. Future readiness is about staying abreast of trends, innovations, technology and new markets, in order to identify and leverage opportunities.  

  4. Build and nurture YOUR TRIBE. A common mistake is to neglect ‘networking’ until we need something - new business leads, job opportunities, social clout, etc. Giving more than you take, and doing this consistently, will build trust, reciprocity and more meaningful connection in your personal and professional relationships. Cultivating positive relationships makes for a stronger support system.

  5. Never stop LEARNING and GROWING. Career transition presents the perfect opportunity to develop new skills and experiences - investing in yourself is the surest way to building confidence and getting noticed. Whether you decide to change jobs or not, choose to seek out opportunities that challenge, inspire and fulfil you personally and professionally. 

  6. Pursue PARALLEL STRATEGIES. Even if you’re in a job, don’t take your sense of ‘security’ for granted. Nothing is guaranteed, there will always be change. Whether you’re considering a side-hustle, passion project, or start-up business, putting your eggs in more than one basket is always a good idea.  

  7. Embrace the opportunity to REINVENT YOU. Career change and transition is excitingwhen you make the shift away from negative thinking and toward possibilities. Your career aspirations are a vision of where you can go, who you can be. So, start now. This is your chance to start creating the best version of you. Take a closer look, what you can start building today?

  8. Utilise AVAILABLE RESOURCES. Everything you need is available at your fingertips. Carve an hour a day to research companies, events, people you can reach out to for insights or new connections. Opportunities don’t just land on your lap. As the famous Rumi quote goes: What you seek is seeking you.

  9. Manage your FINANCES wisely. This is essential for going through career transition with ease and practical consideration. Know your fixed costs and pay attention to where you can make adjustments, with a view to stretch your runway, know your timeline, and not let the urgency of paying the bills become the deciding factor of your next career move. When we eliminate distractions, we enable ourselves to make better decisions based on the things we value most. 

  10. Lean in to THE UNKNOWN. Uncertainty is always discomforting. But on the flip side, it can be enticing and inspiring because there are no limits to what’s possible. Learning to enjoy the journey, trusting the process, embracing the value of making mistakes and persisting anyway … these are choices we invite you to make. Step into the unknown and start creating your future. 

 

If you’re still reading this and revved up for more, you won’t want to miss our FREE ONLINE Masterclass on How To Manage and Minimise Career Change Risks.