Reflect on These Two Areas When Job Hunting
You’ve decided to transition to a new career field, and are excited to start applying for jobs straight away. But caution! I’d advise you to do a bit of soul-searching and research first.
This is a follow up to last week’s post about why I chose instructional design.
There are two areas in which you need to investigate before applying to jobs: roles, and organizations:
For roles, reflect on what you like to do throughout the work day. What tasks are particularly fun or meaningful? What type of work drains you? Writing down all of these attributes and then matching them to job postings on LinkedIn can help you narrow down your intended new role.
For organizations, think about the type of company that appeals to you. What type of working arrangement are you comfortable with? Research Glassdoor reviews and company values. Do you have a priority for the industry, or specific benefits that matter most?
When you are applying for jobs in a new field, you need to get clear on both the role AND type of organization that are your goal.
I could work at my dream company, but if I’m not excited about the job itself, it could ruin the experience. Same goes for the other way around; you might have a great position that speaks to your skillset, but if the workplace is toxic, it will drag you down.
Once you’ve done your research and narrowed down roles and types of organizations, THEN you can begin to tailor your application materials. Starting this step too early could waste your time, so make sure to finish your exploratory phase first.
