When a lot of the news about the economy is anything but positive, many people focus on making sure that there is stability in their lives. In an economic downturn, after all, there is ample stress about keeping the job that a person has – particularly in industries in which there are a number of cutbacks; it hardly seems like a great time to make a career change.
One of the things that you will find, however, is that an economic downturn creates opportunities for those who are looking for a career change. Those who have been working in investments and banking, many auto workers and others, for example, will find that looking into a career change doesn’t just give them a chance to come closer to reaching their goals; instead, making a more dramatic change actually helps to ensure that they have a number of great options available to them – options that might otherwise not be there.
Ultimately, making a career change in an economic downturn isn’t for everyone; in addition to the stresses of a job search, there’s the realization that not only are they competing with others for jobs, but they realize that they are competing with others who seem more qualified. Therefore, there are a few important things to keep in mind:
1. Maintain your confidence. Whether you are looking into changing your career because you’ve been downsized or because you are looking for a change, you need to believe that you’re ready to make the transition.
2. Look into any training that you may need. No matter what change you are thinking about making, it’s important to know that you have the skills that you need to help you move forward. If that means looking at taking a course or even volunteering in order to get experience in the field they want to break into.
3. In an economic downturn, there are a number of people who will be looking for any given position; if you don’t hear back right away, it’s not necessarily a sign that you shouldn’t keep trying; it’s instead an indication that it’s not the right position.
The more that you are able to draw on your experience and the more that you are able to determine whether or not you are committed to making a career change, the better the position that you will be in overall. Remember that there is training available, and keep in mind that if you are in a great position to make a fresh start, everything will fall into place – provided you do the necessary footwork.
Changing your career goals can be the best decision that you’ve made – regardless of whether or not the country is in an economic downturn; if it’s something that you are willing to work for, you’ll find that no time is the wrong time to start moving in a direction that you feel great about. The resources that you need are readily available to you; it’s up to you to take advantage of them.
Copyright 2009, Cecile Peterkin. All rights reserved.
