Switch into a new career by following 5 steps

“You can solve any problem."

Are you looking for your next career but you routinely find yourself only considering opportunities that match your exact experience.  Are you afraid to take on new subject matter because you are too intimidated by the lack of knowledge or experience in a new area?
Most of us are afraid of the unknown and if you are one of the lucky folks that is willing to break out of your confined work skills and expand your knowledge then here is a formula for success.

1.  Clearly understand the expectation or the task that you are expected to deliver.  I am not saying that you need to be a Jedi master in the subject matter but just that you need to understand what is the objective that you are being requested to reach.

2.  Get informed on the topic that you are about to venture toward.  What are the standard definitions and terms associated to the subject?  What are the pros and cons of various positions?  Are there reference examples that you can leverage to help you understand the topic?  What are your peers or the industry saying and doing related to the topic?  During this period of education you will want to repeat these activities until you clearly describe how your objective relates to the topic.  You don't need to know the final conclusion regarding your objective but you now have a basis of understanding of the problem or opportunity as a definition so that you scope it properly.

3. Start to think about and document what are the key themes and questions that you want to raise related to your objective based upon your current understanding of the topic.  Continue to consult with a collection of peers, industry and knowledge sources including whitepapers, webinars and reference materials.  Remember to note recurring messages that you encounter from a variety of sources until you notice repetition.

4.   Start to develop your position on the topic and highlight the key parts that require more detailed attention.  Continue to develop your position while repeatedly revisiting your objective to help you focus on only what is required.  If your information is actually challenging your current objective then present an informed opinion to see if your objective needs to be redefined.

5.  Discuss your position with peers or industry and get input on how you are shaping the topic response to see if you need to add or remove any key elements to your position.  You can repeat this process until you feel confident that you have developed an informed view on how to satisfy your objective.

 

The key takeaways are:


Understand your objective


Educate yourself


Find the recurring themes


If you want to continue to evolve your career and access free university courses then http:///www.careerevovlve.com is your source for information.