Whether you are looking for a career change or you are yet to start a career and want to know how to start a new career, the process is somewhat similar. The factors that matter most for starting a new career are your interests, qualifications, and professional needs.
Doing quick research in these areas, i.e. exploring your interests, reviewing your qualifications, identifying and setting professional goals, and acting accordingly is the best approach to start a new career. However, there can be situations when you are overwhelmed with the choices, unclear processes, and too many confusions regarding starting a new career. For instance, the following questions may pop up in your mind and some of these may keep bouncing there:
- How do I start a new job with no experience?
- How to start a new career at 20, 30, 40, or 50?
- Is 30 too old to start a new career?
- Is 40 too old to start a new career?
- Is 50 too old to start a new career?
- What is the best age to start a career?
- What age is too late to start a new career?
Well, this article will answer all your questions about how to start a new career at any age and be successful at it.
How to Start a New Career as a Fresher
Starting a career as a fresher can be overwhelming, i.e. you may find a lot of fields very tempting. It is the same in the case of a career switch when you are doing a mid-career switch and you do not have much experience in the new field.
The most common question you have at this point is “how do I start a new job with no experience?”. Let’s find the answer
How Do I Start a New Job With No Experience?
Since employers prefer experienced candidates who can help them grow their business, most freshers get demotivated with few rejections. The first thing you need to do is to keep a positive attitude and follow the steps below to start a new career with no experience.
1- Do Your Research
As discussed earlier, your interests, qualifications, and professional goals are the three key factors responsible for a successful career. Take time to do your research to understand the specific requirements.
With a little careful research and analysis, you can find a list of careers that best suits your interests, qualifications, and professional goals. Filter the options further based on the availability of those jobs, payout, and growth prospects, and finalize the one that suits you most. You can also take guidance from career coach.
2- Gain Relevant Education/Skills
The career you shortlisted in step 1 will require certain academic qualifications or skills. If you already have the skills and academic qualifications, it’s great, but if you are missing any of these, you better acquire the missing part first and gain relevant education/training and skills.
3- Gain Experience
As discussed above, most employers prefer someone with experience, and so you need to gain relevant experience. You can do it in a variety of ways, i.e. volunteering, getting an unpaid or a paid internship, getting an entry-level job, doing a part-time or a full-time project, etc.
4- Start Applying for Better Paying Jobs
The first thing is to draft a skills-based resume; quantifying your resume with your experience will be a great option. With a convincing resume in hand, you are in a better position to apply for high paying jobs with confidence.
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Quick Guides on How to Start a New Career
Following the above steps, you can start a new career at any age, but if you still have confusion, these readily available specific guides on how to start a new career might be helpful to you.
Career Change; How to Start a New Career
If you are an on-job professional and not happy with your current job, the most common question that pops up in your mind is probably, “how to start a new career”. But you are also concerned, whether changing your career at this point is a good decision or not, and you have a series of questions like;
- Is 30 too old to start a new career?
- Is 40 too old to start a new career?
- Is 50 too old to start a new career?
- What age is too late to start a new career?
- What is the best age to start a career?
What Age is Too Late to Start a New Career?
The first and most important point to keep in mind is that no one is too old for starting over, and there’s no age limit for starting a new career. If you are 60 years old and you can find a job that makes you happy and fulfilled, go for it.
Similarly, learning should never stop. So, no matter how old you are, if you are ready to learn new skills, gain new experiences, and can find a job that you are passionate about, age is irrelevant.
Below is a quick guide for you to change your career and start a new one at any age.
How to Start a New Career at 30, 40, or 50?
Starting a new career when switching careers is pretty much the same as when you start as a fresher. But here your past experience is your greatest advantage. Let’s see how to use your previous experience to your advantage.
1- Assess the Situation
Focus on interests and career goals, and analyze if your current job can get along with your interests and goals in some way. You may be able to find a balance simply by taking on new responsibilities at your current job which will not only increase your chances of getting promoted at work but will also new doors of opportunities.
2- Explore the Options
If your current career is not aligned with your professional goals and interests, a career change is inevitable. However, you must not be in a hurry and explore the possible options before making any decision.
Conduct research to find the possible career options, narrow down the options based on the availability of jobs, growth prospect, and how well they are aligned to your career goals. Once, you have figured out the best option, conduct another research to find what new skills and qualifications the new career will require or you can utilize your current skills to your advantage.
2- Plan the Transition
Now you are determined to start a new career, but don’t be in a hurry again. Go with a plan, i.e. do consider the possibility of pursuing your passion as a part-time gig. On the other hand, you might want to quit your current job and start a new one from the scratch. In that case, make sure you have enough savings to meet your expenses until your new job starts paying off really well.
The Bottom Line
Whether you are a fresher or a professional looking for a career change, starting a new career can be exciting, but overwhelming too. I am sure the above steps would have cleared your confusion and now you know how to start a new career at any age and be successful at it.
