Career Change

3 Things for Mid-Careerists To Consider Before a Job Change

3 Things for Mid-Careerists To Consider Before a Job Change

So, you’ve been working at a company for approximately 15 years and you’re ready for a change. Carefully consider these three things before sending off your cover letter and resume to a hiring manager or recruiter at another company. Related: Career Transition For Middle-Aged Professionals


1. Know what you want.

Let’s face it--today’s society is fast paced, and nobody can afford to waste any time. One way to cut back on wasting time in your job search is to know exactly what you want your job to be. By figuring out precisely what you want to be doing in your career, you’ll save yourself and potential employers an enormous amount of time. ‘‘It is important to determine exactly what works for you and what you are looking for in your next position before you spend time interviewing for new roles,” said Diane Nicholas, a consultant of WK Advisors. “It is never easy to tell a potential employer that you are not interested in working for them after you have spent time interviewing and talking with them.” By interviewing and talking to a potential employer and then backing out, you’re wasting precious time. On the other hand, by self assessing, and knowing what you want before you send out cover letters and resumes, you have become much more efficient in your job hunt.

2. Know your skills.

Knowing what skills you have can make it much easier to match yourself to a job opportunity. Also, it is very important to realize that your skills need to match the job that you wish to have. “A sound assessment of your skill sets, and what you are looking for helps you determine if an opportunity is right for you,” said Nicholas. “Making a sound assessment of yourself and what you are looking for saves you time and helps you identify a role that is really right for you.” You are the only person who knows exactly what your skills are. By knowing your own skills, you’ll be able to more easily find a job opportunity that is the perfect fit for you. Use this to your advantage.

3. Be cautious in choosing a new job.

Everytime you change jobs, you’ll have to add a new line in the ‘work history’ portion of your resume. If you’re not cautious in choosing your new job, you may end up with an excessive work history section on your resume, which can be a major turn-off for hiring managers and recruiters. "Every move you make on your resume counts,” said Nicholas. “Making a move that turns out to be the wrong one can cost you later in your career. You want your resume to show strategic advances and as few job hops as possible. Hiring managers and recruiters look carefully at these parts of your resume.” Being cautious when choosing your new job may seem unimportant in the short-term, but choosing the wrong job can potentially cause issues later on your career path. Hopefully by using these three tips, you’ll be able to smoothly and successfully transition into a new job that is the right fit for you!

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About the author

Sarah Lynch is an intern for CAREEREALISM Media. She is a senior Mass Communications Major with a minor in Public Relations at Lander University in Greenwood, South Carolina. Connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on Twitter.   Photo Credit: Shutterstock
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