3 Ways to Avoid Information Overload During Career Transition
3 Ways to Avoid Information Overload During Career Transition
Whether or not you feel that career transition is a choice, it can be an opportunity to reflect on what's most important to you, where you really want to go in your career. However, there is often a lot of pressure to act quickly. Do you find yourself jumping right into researching opportunities?
Is your research helping you get where you want to go? In the short term, taking action by researching what's out there may reduce your feelings of anxiety. But if you spend time and effort looking for information without really knowing what you are looking for, it's likely that you'll soon begin to feel frustrated and overwhelmed. Follow the 3 research tips below to move towards your career goals more easily and with less stress.
1. Spend time assessing yourself first
It may be that you need both a long term and a short term strategy. A short term strategy might be a bridge job to meet immediate financial and other needs. This will involve using skills that you already have and can put to use right away. If this is your situation, your first priority is to review your existing skills and experience so that you are prepared to communicate them with those who are seeking your skills.
A longer term strategy is required if you intend to change direction and need to find out what opportunities are available, and where you want to go next. In this case, it is essential that you take the time to assess yourself first. Once you have a clear idea of your stengths, how you want to contribute, and your priorities, you are in a much better position to begin researching opportunities.
2. Don't begin your research until you have identified your question
Early on in the process, your questions may be general. This is to be expected. After all, if you knew the answers you wouldn't need to do research. Beginning with reliable sources is important at this stage.
Say, for instance, you are interested in moving into the healthcare field, but you're not sure which professions might be a good fit for you. Begin with an information source that gives you an overview of different opportunties within this field and allows you to make comparisons. The Dictionary of Occupational Titles might be helpful here.
If you don't know where to begin, asking an information specialist at your library or college careers center can save you a lot of time. There are also several career-related portals, LinkedIn groups, and other areas where you can ask career professionals specific questions.
3. Match your method to your question
Different research approaches are appropriate for answering different questions. Early in the process, when you are looking for factual information, such as required qualifications, job functions, and skills, reading published information from a reliable source can be both efficient and effective.
However, when you need more in-depth information, such as finding out what work is really like on a day to day basis, a different approach is required. You will need to find opportunities for conversations with people with personal experience in the field you are interested in. List your questions and set up informational interviews. Work shadowing or volunteering can also be very helpful in getting this type of information first hand.
Researching career opportunities can be both time-consuming and frustrating. It can also open the door to your future career. Use these 3 tips to avoid some common obstacles to finding the information you need to take the next step in your career.
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