Career Change Out of High-Tech Sales

Changing careers is a very common occurrence — and many career-changers go through the very same issues you are dealing with right now. Be prepared for many challenges and moments of frustration. These steps will help you with your career change:

• Step 1: Assessment of Likes and Dislikes. Make two lists and focus on careers that relate to your likes.
• Step 2: Researching New Careers. Don’t rush into anything; take the time to gather information.
• Step 3: Transferable Skills. Discover the skills you can take from your sales career and use in your new career.
• Step 4: Training and Education. Determine whether you need more education or training for your new career.
• Step 5: Networking. Establish and grow a new network of contacts in your new career field.
• Step 6: Gaining Experience. Consult, temp, or volunteer to get experience in your new career.
• Step 7: Find a Mentor. Having a trusted person to guide you and be a sounding board will help greatly.
• Step 8: Changing In or Out. Some job-seekers who love their employers are lucky enough to be able to change careers while staying employed by the same company. Most, though, end up changing employers when changing careers.
• Step 9: Job-Hunting Basics. If your job-hunting skills are not current, take the time to refresh them.
• Step 10: Be Flexible. Career-changers face numerous obstacles, so flexibility (in employment status, job title, salary, etc.) is critical.

You can read all the details of these 10 steps — along with key resources and tools — in this article published on Quintessential Careers: The 10-Step Plan to Career Change — as well as other resources in the career change resources section of Quintessential Careers.

And for all sorts of resources related to distance learning — including online education providers — go to the Distance Learning Resources section of Quintessential Careers.