Are you changing
jobs or changing careers? It's worth bearing in mind that there is a range
within the description "job/career change".
1. There is a
“simple” job change where you move from one organization to another, but still
do a similar job in the same industry or profession.
2. There is a
slightly more complicated but still relatively straightforward field change
where you switch fields but remain in the same occupation. You may want to
remain an accountant and switch from manufacturing to the hotel trade.
3. It is also
relatively straightforward to change occupations but remain within the same
field (you might remain in secondary-school education but become an
administrator rather than a teacher).
4. The hardest
shift is career re-invention: to change both occupation and field at the same
time. Sometimes it is worth thinking about a stepping-stone approach - change
one element now and another in, say, 12 months' time when you have gained some
relevant experience. That is not always possible, of course.
Career reinvention
is a major transition. The difference between a job change and a career
re-invention lies in a depth of personal transformation that is largely
invisible to an outside observer.
Note: many of the pages in
Changing Jobs
will also be helpful for those thinking about Career Changes.
