New Year, New Career: Learn How to Find New Career Opportunities in 2020

January is a popular time for people to quit their jobs and explore new career opportunities. Our experts share insights on how to find a career that makes you happy.

If you’re already dreading trudging back to a job that leaves you feeling unmotivated, rather than raring to go, then it could be time to move on to greener pastures. But first, it is important to identify whether this career dissatisfaction is permanent or a seasonal whim.

A new study from YouGov and Fiverr shows that a majority of American workers (59%) are looking to make positive changes in their careers in the new year, including the company they work for, the industry they work in, or the location of their job. In addition to this, employees are starting to think about finding a new career they’re actually passionate about.

Getting a job when everybody else wants to take the leap seems difficult, but it’s possible. In fact, January is one of the busiest job searching months, according to job site Monster, as well as when the most new jobs are posted. For those contemplating a change in career direction, now is the time for you to step up and get ahead of the competition.

Focus on the why

It’s important to ask yourself a few questions as undertake this journey to find a new career. If you think about getting a new job and the very idea of doing more of what you’re right now makes your stomach curdle, then you might be in the wrong field.

Yiorgos Boudouris, talent attraction manager at GetJobber, suggests asking yourself these revealing questions:

• Why don’t you enjoy your current role?
• What do you think will be more motivating about this new career path?
• What are your transferable skills?
• How will you measure whether the change is successful?

Some of these you might be able to answer right away, others might make you take a step back as you evaluate what sort of life you want and what role your passion will play in it.

This is when it is time to acknowledge something that perhaps hasn’t crossed your mind before – maybe you simply dislike certain aspects of your job, says Boudouris. “This doesn’t mean you aren’t passionate about the actual work itself. It’s better to get your head clear on what you’re looking for next.”

Explore new career opportunities that excite you!

Finding our passion often feels so daunting because we primarily reflect on our hobbies and interests. As a result, if we identify our passion, we might not know how to best utilize our skills and experiences, and perfectly align those with who we are and what we want from the future.

Marti Konstant, workplace futurist and best-selling author of Activate Your Agile Career, suggests embracing career agility. “An agile career is a self-reflective, incremental career path, guided by response to change, evolving job roles, and designed to optimize creativity, growth, and happiness,” says Konstant.

We’re two decades into the 21^st century and the waves of automation are fast and strong. It will be helpful to be armed with career agility to leap the gaps created by workplace automation.

With career agility, you can –

• Learn to find a career that aligns perfectly with your natural talents
• Give yourself a competitive edge with the right skills and experience
• Be able to adapt to the evolving career requirements and the job market

In order words, choosing a new career means finding a path forward. A career that makes your future look brighter ten years down the road.

Network like a boss

In a tough jobs market, where thousands of people chase lucrative vacancies, career experts emphasize on the importance of career networking. You never know when a promising career opportunity will strike. It could be at an industry conference, a friend’s brunch, or just a chance encounter at an airport lounge. Networking is the key to find potential contacts in the industry you want to move into. It’s the key to success when you’re chasing new career opportunities.

“The most connected people are often the most successful in their respective careers,” says Pete Newsome, president of 4 Corner Resources. “Networking will help you cultivate and enhance your skills, keep up-to-date on the latest trends in your industry, remain in the know about the job market, meet prospective mentors, and gain access to resources that will bolster your career development.”

Tidy up your personal brand

Maria Kraimer, a professor of human resource management at Rutgers University, believes it’s important to start building your reputation in your desired career field before you quit your current job. “This personal brand equity you have built over the years may not be transferable to a new career field or organization. Thus, to make a career transition more successful, it’s important to start building your personal brand prior to fully making the transition,” she says.

It seems like unnecessary work, but creating your personal brand is just what you to explore new career opportunities in the chosen field. Think about it – your personal brand could act as a cover letter. It could tie your values, relevant skills, and evolving interests and distinguish you from all other resumes in the pile.

It can be hard not to take a rejection personally but at some stage of looking for a new career opportunity, chances are you’ll hear “No” from a potential employer. But if you’re determined to succeed, you really can transform your career in just one month by discovering more about yourself and enhancing your job search technique. With persistence and a positive outlook, your dream career could be around the corner!

The post New Year, New Career: Learn How to Find New Career Opportunities in 2020 appeared first on The HR Digest.

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