Career Transition: Evaluate Your Career Options

by Sydney Frodsham

Career Transition: Evaluate Your Career Options 

‘Tis the season to celebrate, spend time with family and friends, and potentially evaluate your career.’ 

As you prepare for the new year, you might be feeling a need for a change. Now is the perfect time to sit down and assess what you truly want out of your job and whether your needs necessitate any career adjustments. 

In our Career Transition series, we’ve covered the emotions involved in job loss, managing your finances, and assessing your skills and abilities. If you haven’t already, I recommend reading through those in preparation for our topic today: 

Evaluating your career options. 

 

Step 1: Assessment  

Step 2: Preparation 

Step 3: Action 

 

As a refresher, there are several parts of Step 1: Assessment, namely: 

 

  • Understanding the emotions you have related to your career transition. 
  • Assessing your finances. 
  • Writing down your skills and abilities. 
  • Evaluating your career options. 
  • Deciding your values, motivators, and interests. 
  • Reviewing your accomplishments. 

 

As you look for your next position or career, there are a few options you need to consider. One of these is deciding how much you want to deviate from your current industry. 

 

There are three main options: 

 

  1. Same Industry/Different Function or Different Industry/Same Function

This option is a mid-level change from your last position. 

Examples:  

You stay working for the same firm, but instead of working as a data analyst, you switch to IT. 

You’re an accountant, but you switch from working for a national organization to a start-up. 

 

  1. Same Industry/Same Function

This option is the least amount of change from your last position. 

Example:  

You stay in the same industry and job title, but perhaps you switch companies. 

 

  1. Different Industry/Different Function

This option is the greatest amount of change from your last position. 

Example: 

You do a 180. You leave your job as a marketing executive for a Fortune 500 company and go to law school. 

If a change in industry or function is appealing, you should discuss the implications with your career coach. Knowing your "transferable skills" is critical to your success, no matter which option you decide to follow. 

Take a moment to evaluate these career options in the hustle and bustle of this holiday season. It’s never too late to make a big change, but even small adjustments to your career can make a huge difference. 

 

Happy evaluating! 

Sydney 

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