Have you ever become overwhelmed with the humdrum of everyday life? Or have you reached the point in your career where you would like to make some major changes and want to boldly enter a new field? Many working professionals ask themselves these very questions but are unsure of where to begin.

You may have grown bored with you current job, unsatisfied with your pay rate, or simply feel that you are not valued in your current company. These feelings can be frustrating, but remember: you have the power to bring about change!

You’ve Got Options

There are several options that you can use to help break the cycle. You can either

1) acquire new skills that will help to advance your existing career, or

2) obtain training that will enable you to enter a new field.

Fortunately, advances in technology have made it easier than ever to take courses online or even complete a graduate degree program!

The Internet has made a distance learning degree a reality and is ideal for working adults. Classes are held online and have message boards where students hold discussions, ask questions, and post assignments. Additional training will give you skills that you can use to market yourself or ask for a pay raise. Continuing education programs are the building blocks for future endeavors. Knowledge is power – so get yours today.

Whether you want to jump start a new career or breathe life into your old one, education and training is the way to go.

Today I want to share you my answer to a question asked by a reader – let’s call him Joe. Joe wrote a letter asking advice on how to seek a new career field – he found himself lost in a sea of information. I hope Joe doesn’t mind I share his story to other readers as they can enjoy the benefits as well.

Joe is at his 47, holds a B.S. in Psychology and is a very intelligent person. He had taken several career tests with social service, writing, and teaching were all that came backs. As these career choices were nowhere near to his current experiences (automobile dealership) he then checked into training and education options. Unfortunately, a graduate program was very expensive and he had no idea of the outcome of a professional certification for the job market.

My Career Change Advice

Seeking a perfect career is easy for some but the same endeavor may mean confusion and stress to others. Some people are lucky enough to find and enjoy their job at their early career — at their fist attempt or two. If you don’t belong to this group or you have to work hard to discover the dream occupation, don’t worry. You will eventually find what you are looking for. Just don’t give up and be patient with yourself.

Are your career test results always refer you to career related to social service, writing and teaching? If so then compare them with your strengths. Strengths relate to tasks that we’re confident doing and are usually reinforced by appreciations of those who have used our services. For example, my ability in using words is my strength because I am used to get compliments from others related to the quality of my written and spoken words.

Once you discover a career that closely correlates with your strengths then you can start building network with people who have already worked your target career. Have limited time for networking? No problem. You can join online forums where professionals in the industry that you want to enter mingled. Just make friends with them and don’t be shy to ask questions.

Now you are ready for more opportunities to get to know the new career. And my favorite advice is to take part time or temporary job for a position that you can easily qualify for. This is a bit tricky because employers might see you as overqualified but you can creatively offer reasons they can’t refuse during interviews.

Great! Now What?

Take your time to learn whether the industry is for you as well as to probe whether your target field will be enjoyable for relatively long time. From the “on the job training” you will know more about the requirements of your ideal career and whether the industry suits you best. You may then reconsider further career training and education that are more affordable and offer better return on investment.

This is a low risk strategy and it works especially if you are not very sure about the industry and profession that you want to enter.

So, make your career change plan simple. Take an easy, small action every day by focusing on what you can do to help employers. Make sure you do your best to help employers get what they want and you will get your best career.

Click here if you want to learn about my career change path.