A career change shouldn’t be an impulsive or rash process; it should be well thought-out and purposefully carried-out. Getting it wrong can lead you into self-doubt and plenty of frustration and regrets. Of course, there’s also the possibility of losing income by way of profit of salary, if things are not put in their right place.
So, what is the first step of planning and executing a successful career change? Is it sprucing up your CV or profile, hiring a coach, taking a course or surfing the internet for ideas?
Whether you’re moving from one industry to another or making the move from employment to self-employment and vice-versa, the first point of action is called TRP: Taking Personal Responsibility.
The first action is internal before it gets external. As with any important decision and process in life, a career change begins with taking responsibility for what happens or will happen in your career.
This means that you realise that wherever you are right now in your career, you played the major role in getting yourself there. And wherever you desire to be in your career, you will also play the major role in getting there.
Certainly, your career would have been influenced to some degree by different people. Your family, friends, colleagues, organisation, coaches, mentors and even your government may have some influence on you, but they do not have the direct responsibility over your career. However, whether you realised it then or not, you made the final decision of accepting their influence.
To make a successful and effective change in your career, you get to make the decisions and carry out the actions necessary for change. You must realise that you are the most important person involved; your thoughts, words and actions have the greatest influence.
The beautiful thing about accepting responsibility is that it will help you to understand that you have the power to create whatever change you want to see.
This is the first step towards a successful career change.
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