What Are the Essential Steps for Women to Take Before Making a Major Career Change?

Before a career change, assess skills and passions, research deeply, update qualifications, and network in the target field. Gain related experience, refresh your resume and LinkedIn, prepare financially, seek mentorship, set realistic goals, and stay positive. Always adapt and learn.

Before a career change, assess skills and passions, research deeply, update qualifications, and network in the target field. Gain related experience, refresh your resume and LinkedIn, prepare financially, seek mentorship, set realistic goals, and stay positive. Always adapt and learn.

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Louise Neil
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Assess Your Skills and Passions

Before making a significant career change, evaluate your current skills, strengths, and areas you are passionate about. Understanding what you excel at and what you love doing is crucial in finding a career that will be fulfilling in the long term.

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Janeth Ramón
🤖 AI-Driven Woman Entrepreneur at S@TI

From my experience, it's very important to do a SWOT analysis to understand your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This exercise helped me to know myself much better and make the determination to advance in my professional career.

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prashanthi chinthala
Cloud Support Engineer at AWS

When targeting a new career, thorough preparation is key to success and peace of mind. Begin by identifying specific courses and certifications that align with your desired position. Invest time in learning these skills deeply, not just for the certificate, but to gain genuine expertise. As you progress, tailor your resume to highlight these new competencies and how they relate to the target role. Critically assess your comfort level with the potential new position and company culture. Research extensively to ensure the job aligns with your values and long-term goals. Carefully review job descriptions to confirm you meet the essential criteria, identifying any gaps that need addressing. Throughout this process, prioritize your mental well-being. A calm, focused mind is crucial for effective learning and decision-making. Practice stress-management techniques and maintain a balanced approach to your career transition, allowing yourself time to adapt and grow into your new professional identity.

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Roxana Blăgescu
CEO Founder at SpeakUp Dynamics

From my point of view, running a career is similar to running a business. Before making a significant career change, it is important to know your WHY and identify a clear answer. Then knowing your motivation and values. And where your energy is. A 360 degree assessment might bring you clarity together with behavioural assessments or skills assessments. Of course, it also depends on the position you intend to apply for. But I believe that the key is to know where you what to go, what you want to do, what kind of culture you are looking for, what industry, what field, where. If it is about another different industry or job, how relevant are your skills? I believe nowadays it does not relay fully on skills. It is much more. It is about environment, culture, flexibility, values, learning and development. And being ready to be out of your comfort zone, to be stretched. How ready are you? Sometimes, you are not up for a career change because of this fear. A career change is about marketing yourself. Making you visible through linkedin, networking, conferences. Understanding what you excel at is only one of the keys.

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Zainab Hyderi
Strategy and Business Operations Program Lead/Philanthrophy Advocate

Its firstly important to believe in yourself and know that the road could be rocky. Just hold your ground strong. The rest will follow.

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Syedun Nessa
CEO at Bee Technology & Research Hub

Before making a significant career move, it’s essential to pause and reflect on your strengths and passions. Ask yourself: What skills do I excel at and enjoy using? Which tasks energize me, and which ones drain me? What am I most passionate about, inside and outside of work? Understanding the intersection between what you’re good at and what you love doing is key to choosing a career path that feels both fulfilling and sustainable. When your work aligns with your strengths and passions, it doesn’t just build confidence—it creates long-term motivation and growth. ✨ Remember: A successful career change isn’t just about moving into something new—it’s about moving into something that truly fits you.

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Conduct Thorough Research

Research the industry you’re interested in transitioning into. Look into the required qualifications, the industry's future outlook, potential salary ranges, and the daily responsibilities of your desired role. Knowledge about your chosen field will guide you in making an informed decision.

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Syedun Nessa
CEO at Bee Technology & Research Hub

If you’re considering a career change, take time to truly understand the field you want to move into. Explore: Required qualifications: What skills, certifications, or experiences are necessary to be competitive? Industry outlook: Is the field growing, stable, or shrinking in demand? Salary ranges: Do compensation levels align with your financial goals and needs? Daily responsibilities: What does the role actually look like day-to-day, beyond the job title? The more you know, the more confident and intentional your career move will be. Research empowers you to plan ahead, identify gaps you need to fill, and avoid surprises along the way. ✨ Remember: Informed decisions are powerful decisions. The time you invest in research now can save you years of uncertainty later.

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Update Your Qualifications

Depending on the new career path, you may need additional qualifications or certifications. Identify any gaps in your skillset and consider enrolling in courses or obtaining certifications that will make you more competitive in your new field.

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Suman Agarwal
Co- Founder at Image Consulting Business Institute

Pursuing certification as a soft skills or image consulting trainer can open doors to a fulfilling career. It helps you bridge skill gaps and positions you as a trusted professional in a growing industry.

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Build a Network in Your New Field

Start networking with professionals who are already working in your target industry. Attend industry-specific events, join relevant online communities, and even reach out for informational interviews. Networking can provide valuable insights and open doors to new opportunities.

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Irsa S
Social Media Manager at WomenTech Network

Honestly, your online presence is a big deal, sometimes even more than your resume. Start showing up in the spaces your future industry hangs out. Comment on LinkedIn posts, share an article you found interesting, or talk about a small project you’ve worked on that relates to your new field. People notice when you’re consistently part of the conversation, and by the time you’re ready to make the jump, they might already see you as “one of us.”

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Gain Experience

If possible, gain some experience in your new field before making a full transition. This could be through volunteering, internships, or part-time work. Relevant experience will not only bolster your resume but also give you a clearer idea of whether this career change is right for you.

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Kelly Huang
Career Pivot Coach at CoachKellyHuang.com

In coaching those returning to work after taking a break, one of my best tip is to do "Value-added Volunteering." When you are looking to join a new industry or take on a new role, look for ways to help out at a conference where you get to meet those in the new industry, "rehearse" for the new role by substituting for those that are out of the office/on leave, or bring together luminaries you'd like to meet by setting up a lunch and learn.

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Update Your Resume and LinkedIn Profile

Craft your resume and LinkedIn profile to reflect your new career direction. Highlight transferable skills and any relevant experience, even if it's not directly related to your new field. Tailor your professional narrative to showcase your enthusiasm and capability for this career pivot.

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Prepare for Financial Implications

A career change may involve a period of reduced income or the need for further education. It's important to review your finances and possibly set aside a financial cushion to support yourself during this transition period. Planning ahead financially can alleviate stress and focus on your career goals.

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Seek Mentorship

Find a mentor who has successfully navigated a similar career change or who is established in your desired field. A mentor can offer invaluable advice, encouragement, and potentially even facilitate networking opportunities or job leads.

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Joana Veiga
Product Design Leader at IKEA

As someone who lived, studied and worked in four different countries, I have to highlight the crucial added value that mentorship can bring. I have changed roles many times and mentors helped me to think decisions through and to consider options I haven’t identified. Two brains is always better than one. Apart from approaching people directly on LinkedIn, I have mentored via dedicated platforms such as SheSays London or now the global ADPlist.org. Luckily, both as a mentor and a Mentee I have found helpful people that truly have supported me and helped me grow/ empower me in my decisions and ultimately my professional career.

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Set Realistic Goals and Expectations

Be realistic about what this career change entails, including the potential challenges and the time it may take to fully transition into your new role. Setting clear, achievable goals can help maintain focus and momentum.

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Veronika Lukyanchuk
Learning and Development Specialist at Forte Group

I would pinpoint the idea of not being skeptical about setting SMART goals. Monitor whether you make your goal specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time - bound. But moreover, let the SMARTER goal - setting approach come into play. It will definitely take your goal - setting process to a whole new level or even become a game changer for your career. If you Evaluate your progress from time to time, you may see whether you need to Readjust your goal. And if you do, readjustment may surely save up your time and efforts. You will have to try different approaches until you find yourself getting closer and closer to your goals. If you don’t evaluate, you can’t measure your progress.

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Stay Positive and Resilient

A major career change is a significant life decision that may come with setbacks or challenges. Maintaining a positive attitude and resilience in the face of adversity is crucial. Be prepared to adapt and learn from any situation, keeping your ultimate career goals in sight.

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Roxana Blăgescu
CEO Founder at SpeakUp Dynamics

When it comes to me, a major career change is definitely a significant life decision. Especially if you start this career in another industry, field, country or position. Or you decide to exit the company and to work for your self. No matter the change, I consider that mindset is the key. While you are taking this major career change, you have shift your mindset too. Especially if you decide to open your own business. Because here it is another story. And be prepared to be out of your comfort zone. I believe key elements in a career change are mindset, resilience, adaptability, open mind, be ready to be stretched, learning, and savings or a back up plan.

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What else to take into account

This section is for sharing any additional examples, stories, or insights that do not fit into previous sections. Is there anything else you'd like to add?

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Louise Neil
Career Empowerment Coach, Founder at Pivoting Point Career Solutions

These are all reall good steps to consider but it gets hard to update your resmue or LinkedIn before you know what you want. Start with Network and Explore by actively engaging to gain real-life insights and firsthand information about your desired field. Then assess what you really want. Reflect on what’s working and what isn’t in your current role. Remember, the grass isn't always greener on the other side; it’s greener where you water it. Get yourself some real-life data! Seek opportunities for job shadowing, internships, or volunteer work to experience the daily realities of your new career path.

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