Switching to a new career is a drastic step. Before you pursue it, ask yourself: Is your skill becoming obsolete, or is it just in a cyclical funk?
Construction managers may be having a hard time now, but they will eventually be in demand again. A government-sponsored site, acinet.org, projects growth for various professions.
Also, do you consider your career to be your true calling, or is it something you chose almost at random? A dead-end job search may be a perfect jumping-off point to explore other industries that lead to fulfilling work.
Are you at the beginning of your career, or do you have many years of experience? Is your life flexible enough to accommodate at least a temporary salary drop, and do you have time to attend school again?
For midcareer people, it’s risky to make a wholesale career switch, said John A. Challenger, chief executive of Challenger Gray & Christmas, the outplacement firm. Unless they are at the beginning of their working lives, he said, many people can’t afford to give up the time and the income required to develop entirely new skills.
Rather than changing your function, consider changing industries, he said — for example, an accountant at a manufacturing company could apply for an accounting job at an energy business. Skills acquired in one industry can often be transferred or modified to be useful in another.
You might consider reading the industry trades and follow the blogs of a particular industry. Join user or industry groups in that field and connect with professionals there and on LinkedIn. Take some self-assessments to determine whether you need training in the new field.
Please, please, please don't just go ahead and send out your resume!
Source: The New York Times, June 19, 2011