You dread going to work every morning. You feel bored, and you think that your skills are not being valued. You do not see personal and professional growth in the future.
If these describe you, then it is time for a career change. However, transitioning to a new job, let alone entering a new field, is not easy. In many industries, a college degree and related working experiences are required.
Luckily, some careers would not require you to go back to university.
Paralegal
To enter the legal profession, it is not mandatory to earn a paralegal certification. Even in big cities like Chicago and New York where demand is pretty high and continuously rising, there are no legal requirements to work as a paralegal.
Some employers offer on-site training and experience. They allow new employees to work closely with lawyers and other paralegals so they could have a better understanding of what’s required for the job. However, if you want to be better equipped to assist a lawyer or improve your chances of getting a job in the field, there are also paralegal certificate programs available in various educational institutions.
You would need to earn 18-60 semester units, which could take around one to two years, to complete the paralegal certificate program. You should consider this option if you have an associate or baccalaureate degree.
Salesperson
Becoming a salesperson typically does not require any background in sales or a license to sell your product. If you have the right skill set, you could become successful in the field.
According to Inc, the best salespeople have these six traits: they are good listeners, agile, critical thinkers, empathetic, agile and persistent. Of course, you also need to have people skills. You need to talk to people from all walks of life, and you need to have great interpersonal skills to make the exchange productive.
To further improve your new career in sales, you should also expand your resume by adding skills that are currently in-demand, such as social media management.
Developer
If you have always had an interest in technology, then why not try your luck in the tech industry. Google, Apple, IBM, and other big digital tech companies no longer requiring college degrees from employees and applicants. As long as you can deliver results, your chances of landing a job are very high.
While it would take some time to gain the necessary skills, there are several options to learn software development. There are free and paid online classes that can teach you how to code as well as programs that seek to diversify STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).
Consultant
You can use your prior experience and become a consultant and offer your expert advice on a certain field to a group of people. Some provide other services, such as one-time training and ongoing coaching.
If, for example, you came from the financial industry, you can use your experience to become a financial consultant. If you have a background in healthcare, you should be a healthcare consultant.
In this case, you should already be an expert in a subject or field before you start giving strategic advice or provide strategies.
Remember that if you are unhappy with your current career, it is not too late to shift to another profession. In most cases, you would to begin at the bottom and work harder than you have ever had to gain relevant experiences.
