Career Planning Tips: Planning a Second Career Strategy

These days, many people plan to change careers. Their current career turns out to be unsatisfying or the market recession drives them to look for a new career – they start planning a second career.
As with every change in life that requires a plan and strategy, so is with a second career – a second career strategy has to be planned.
Clearly, one needs to make a priority list of his career choices and prepare a financial/business plan before taking a decision on which career to choose.
This article discusses several aspects that are generally involved in planning a second career strategy.

Preparation:
Many of these second career jumpers would want to start their own business adventure. If one is not ready financially, mentally and personally this new adventure might be risky.

Mental Aspects:
Mental preparation is part of the second career strategy. As life is subjected to changes, mentally accepting the new career changes is necessary. One may feel ambivalent about various career options and it is OK. Still, a good personal practice may help eliminating unwanted fears. And when hard times arrive, one can always think of the favorable satisfying things that this chosen new career may bring.

Research:
Why not to look for fields where there is a new/strong market demand for jobs? The 20th century technology brings many fields to the scene, like – internet marketing, health-care, technical consulting services and many other niches.

Current Career As a Factor:
One common mistake committed by most people who think of a second career as an option is that they consider avoiding the expertise they built through years. Your gained experience might be one of the strengths for your new/second career. Some difficulties are definitely going to occur and you are going to use your past experience to overcome hurdles.
Additionally, no matter what career you choose, there is a thin or thick line connection between your previous career and the new career. More often, many people choose a second career that is similar to their previous career – it is a natural move.

Network:
It always helps to connect with people having the same interests – people who already started their 2nd career. You can get assistance, learn from their experiences and share your thoughts. The Internet forums are a great place to start building your network.

Skills and Education:
Unless you choose a niche in your current career, you will need to learn new skills. If possible, don’t leave your current job before taking the courses you need.

Competency Level:
The new career choice depends on the competency level for any given career. As any job hiring focuses on the skilled people at the very first instance, you have to make sure that you have the qualifications required to get into the second career. This aspect also includes people who wish to have their own new business as their second career they should possess the required abilities.

Finances Matters:
Another important career planning tip is regarding your finance. Most probably, as the incomes are going to decrease (unless you have other pay sources), you should adjust your standard of living. Therefore, it would be wise to prepare a financial plan – i.e. the second career financial planning.

Your Age As a Factor:
It is never too late to start a second career. There are many examples of late-ages people who made it. The issue is not your age but your spirit – your mental health and your energy level.

The Right Direction:
Everyone who looks out for a second career would agree to the fact that no two people have the same performance level. You might assume that the reason some people succeed in their career is that they improved their abilities to a great extent – not necessarily. They surely took their career path into the right direction and might utilize some abilities of others – coworkers or hired-workers. Therefore, plan your career path carefully and use your strengths wisely.

Time:
Needless to say, when opting for a second career one has to learn new skills and gain experience by investing fair amount of time. If a person doesn’t have the time and the will to go through the required stages, then he should stay in his current career.

Satisfaction:
Another key tip is that you must be inspired and motivated while planning your second career – refer to the article your career aspiration.
what is your 2nd career aspiration? Why did you choose this career? When thinking of a second career, make sure that the new/second career has the potential of giving you more joy as compared to the previous career.