Changing careers is an exciting but nerve-wracking experience. You may find yourself doubting your decision or wondering if you have the necessary skills needed to succeed in your new role.
Making the choice to pivot careers can open up a world of opportunities. But a new job comes with new responsibilities, some that will be made clear before you start and others that will reveal themselves as you become more accustomed to the role.
Before you start your new career, it can be useful to upskill and reskill, both in the areas needed for your new position and also across a range of transversal skills, that is, the talents that can be applied in a wide variety of work and life situations.
Leadership
There is virtually no career route you could take where leadership skills would not be a useful and highly advantageous talent. Transversal leadership skills enablesprofessionals to transcend departmental barriers, build important connections with different teams and work towards common goals.
An effective leader knows how to collaborate, problem-solve, delegate and listen to the people they work with and both life and work will give you ample opportunity to practise these skills.
Digital proficiency
We live in a computerised world and a knowledge of all things technical could help you segue into a wide range of industries and careers.
Programming languages for example could prove useful if you foresee a career pivot into software engineering. Professionals skilled in popular languages such as SQL, Python and Java are often in demand and there are a plenty of free online resources to aid you. An aptitude for data analytics will also open doors, as most businesses, regardless of the industry, depend on analytics to identify weaknesses and amplify strongpoints.
Proficiency with Word and Excel documents, presentation tools and communication apps are an absolute must have if you want to broadly upskill.
Presentation
It is nigh on impossible to navigate your life without having to engage in some form of public speaking. Workplace presentations may be your idea of hell but unfortunately at some point it is likely that you will have to put yourself out there.
Learning how to properly present is a lifelong skill that you can apply in any scenario that requires it and is a talent that you can practise in both your professional and private life, just by engaging and pushing yourself a little bit more each time.
There are a range of online resources and in-person classes that can boost your confidence and give you the fundamentals of public speaking and presenting.
Artificial intelligence
AI is making its mark on a number of industries, altering the very fabric of working life. As of yet, it is not possible to fully predict how AI is going to shape the future of work, but it is clear that those with an understanding of AI and the ability to apply it, are going to be a step ahead on the career ladder.
AI transcends industries and jobs, so if you are looking to upskill with a future career pivot in mind, this is an ideal place to start. Who knows what exciting jobs will exist in this sphere five years from now?
Interpersonal
Unless you have secured a job in the most northern region of the Arctic Circle, you are going to need a wide spectrum of interpersonal skills, regardless of the industry you choose. The ability to work well with people, cultivate trust and respect, and deal with conflict appropriately will take you far.
This is another skill that, regardless of the many resources available online, you can practise yourself, by virtue of the many conversations and scenarios you find yourself in daily.
Social media
Love it or hate it, if you don’t exist to some degree online, companies may query whether you are the best representative for their business. Nowadays social media is viewed as a means to further promote a company’s agenda and reach a specific audience.
Social media literacy and the ability to create your own professional, engaging and clued-in content, is a desired skill among professionals and likely one that will be second nature to Gen Z and Gen Alpha as they enter the workforce.
Similar to AI, social media is an evolving medium that translates well to the majority of industries and is also generating new careers, so this is definitely an area that anyone aiming for a career pivot should consider upskilling in.
Parting advice
Upskilling and reskilling is key to a successful career pivot into a new or unknown industry, but even if you aren’t 100pc certain that you are ready to take the leap and leave your current role, there is no reason why you can’t still develop yourself professionally, with the future in mind.
There are a number of ways for you to level up, be it through online courses, in-person classes, mentorship from a colleague, third-level degrees and more, so why not do a little research or speak to your employer about the best ways to add to your skillset.
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