Your questions about making a career change answered
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What should I consider before starting my career change?
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How do I prepare myself to be competitive in a new industry?
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How can I make my career change feel less overwhelming and more manageable?
At some point in your career, you may feel the natural desire to make a career switch, be it driven by dissatisfaction with your existing role, or the urge to challenge yourself to learn new skills. However, making that leap to a new role can seem overwhelming at first – especially if you don’t know where to start.
Before diving into the logistics of a career change, take time to deeply understand your motivations and define clear goals. Ask yourself fundamental questions: What specifically is driving this desire for change? Are you seeking better work-life balance, higher compensation, more meaningful work, or new challenges?
Set both short-term and long-term career goals. Short-term goals might include acquiring specific skills or networking within your target industry, whilst long-term goals could involve reaching a particular role or salary level within five years.
Remember, a successful career change isn’t just about escaping what you don’t like—it’s about moving towards something that genuinely excites and fulfils you.
Career change tips to get you started
1. Understand what the future of jobs looks like
The digital revolution is well and truly here, and it’s rapidly changing the nature of work across all industries, especially in our post-pandemic world. Understanding which skills are in demand enables you to gain the right skillsets and experiences to stay relevant.
Based on the Future of Jobs Survey conducted by the World Economic Forum, the job roles experiencing the highest demand are digital, such as data analytics, digital marketing, digital transformation and AI. Specifically for Singapore, this translates to the need for an additional 1.2 million digital workers by 2025, according to a report by Amazon Web Services.
In line with this finding, more and more companies are looking to hire candidates with strong tech and digital capabilities. OCBC Bank, for instance, announced in March 2022 that they are looking to hire 1,500 tech professionals over the next three years to support their digital transformation efforts.
Additionally, digital/tech roles have seen the highest salary increases in the past year. In fact, in 2022, 85% of firms in Singapore’s tech industry are giving pay raises. Overall, taking a moment to align your new career path with the trends within the economy is key to a successful career switch.
2. Leverage your strengths and adopt a growth mindset
Changing your career does not necessarily mean starting over from square one.
It is important to pause and reflect on the skills and experience you have accrued thus far. More often than not, successful career pivots require leveraging your existing strengths but re-contextualised by adding new skills and capabilities. This will allow you to change your career trajectory more easily than someone who is just switching careers impulsively.
Similarly, once you have acknowledged your foundation of both hard and soft skills, adopting a growth mindset is the next key step. Individuals with a growth mindset see the obstacles of career switching as a journey, embrace challenges, and learn from mistakes to springboard and supercharge their development.
Setbacks will be inevitable, but how you react and respond will play a vital role in your success. With this mindset in place, you can then focus on understanding exactly what your target industry requires.
Thorough industry research is crucial before making your move. Start by examining job descriptions for roles you’re interested in, paying close attention to required qualifications, preferred experience, and key responsibilities. This will help you identify any skills gaps you need to address and understand what employers truly value.
Investigate salary expectations using resources like government salary surveys, industry reports, and professional networking platforms. Connect with professionals already working in your target field through informational interviews or industry events. This firsthand insight into company cultures, career progression paths, and daily realities will help you make informed decisions and avoid costly mistakes.
3. Upskill yourself with the skills and experience employers are looking for
Recruiter and hirers primarily look for two things – the right experience and the right skills. As a starting point, WSG provides resources such as Job Transformation Maps (JTM) that outline the impact of key technologies and map the requisite skills for various job roles. Keep in mind that while hard skills are heavily sought after, soft skills are also equally important in employers’ eyes, so don’t neglect that aspect!
After identifying the skills and experiences needed, you can consider undertaking formal learning such as going to a graduate school or enrolling in Government-subsidized courses like RISE by DigitalBCG Academy. Other avenues include free online courses, listening to educational podcasts, and embarking on an internship.
Beyond acquiring new skills, successful career transitions require strategic planning and organisation. Transform your career change from an overwhelming prospect into manageable steps by creating a detailed action plan with specific timelines and milestones. Break down your transition into phases: preparation (3-6 months), active job searching (3-4 months), and settling into your new role (first 90 days).
Set monthly milestones such as completing a certification course, attending two industry networking events, or updating your CV and LinkedIn profile. Create weekly targets like applying to a specific number of positions or reaching out to new professional contacts. Having concrete deadlines creates accountability and maintains momentum during your transition.
So good luck to taking your first steps to a successful career change!
This article is contributed by BCG Singapore.
