How many careers would you say you have had to date? One? Two or more? In America, our parent’s generation seldom considered changing careers. The career model for their time was to join a company, work their way up through the ranks by virtue of promotions and retire with a great pension. Loyalty to the company was the byword, with an expectation that this quality would be valued by the company. At their retirement party, they might even get a gold watch and be sent on their way to care-free golden years. Changing careers was not even on the radar screen for most professionals back then.

Today, companies see a potential issue if a professional has not changed careers at least once. By careers I mean moving from one field to another, or moving to different industries and functional positions within a field.

Sure, programmers may transition to technical leads and technical leads to project managers or system architects. But they may also transition from computer technician to marketing manager. They may apply their skills to manufacturing industries at one time in their work life and to a law firm in the next. This is a fairly standard practice in the career track of today’s professional worker, but these transitions should always be planned if they are to be a successful.

Quite often, however, when considering a career change the totality of the responsibilities of the new position are largely unknown. Happily, there are several methods currently used by corporations that enable employees to "try on" a position before making the career change. For example, you can "shadow" someone who works in the field you wish to move to thus enabling you to see what a typical day or week is really like in that job. Sometimes, you will find on closer inspection that the job is nothing like you thought or the requirements are such that further education or longer work hours are required. This method allows you to see in advance what the job is really like without having to give up your current position. Indeed, this style of checking out a career change first is a good idea if you are not quite sure which position is right for you.

I once undertook an interesting research exercise during my undergrad studies that required each student to thoroughly research their "dream job". If you didn’t have to worry about the time, money, or emotional support needed to get there, what would be your "dream job"? What do people who have such jobs really do every day? The most fascinating aspect of this assignment was to hear many of my classmates adopt a newfound appreciation for what was really involved in the doing of their "dream job", and then to proclaim that, "This is no longer something I want to do."

Sometimes additional training is required for the career move and it behooves the person making the change to do a thorough investigation prior to executing the investment of time and money. Your company may be prepared to pay for your training since your improved skills will benefit you both. In order for the company to remain competitive in the marketplace, they realize they need up to date skills. Similarly, benefits like additional training cuts down on attrition, which can be very costly.

Another alternative is to seek out a mentor in an association or professional organization who already works in the field of interest, and spark a conversation to determine the personality characteristics required for the position. For example, a systems developer who is considering moving to call center work may find that interaction with the public in a customer service role is not compatible with their personality. Whereas a continued role in the development area, moving to architect of a software module, for instance, more naturally suits their personality and style of working.

Each individual must find their own motivation and determine whether the desire to change careers is based on sound reasoning. Among other things, people need to verify whether they are in the wrong career or if the motivation to change careers is based solely on monetary compensation or because something is amiss in their personal lives.

Prior to executing a career change I suggest that you put together a list of your career expectations. For instance, if you could have any job you want, what would it be?

Put together a list of things you would like to do that are unmet in your current position. Look around your present company to see what position could provide you with more job satisfaction. Then thoroughly research it to see if the job is what you think it is. Then if you are still interested put the word out and let managers and department heads know you are ready to take the next step.

Excerpt from "Self Creation: 10 Powerful Principles for Changing Your Life" by Yvonne F. Brown

Yvonne Brown is an international expert in the field of performance improvement and the empowerment of women. A specialist in leadership and team building Yvonne is a sought after speaker and trainer who helps people be more productive and contribute more to the bottom line. She is also a popular keynote speaker and the author of "Self Creation: 10 Powerful Principles for Changing Your Life." To find out more about Yvonne and her work call 312-953-2126 or visit her website http://www.jadcommunications.com and sign up for the newsletter to receive a free report on "How to get promoted."