Switching to a Different Career Path: How to Recognize When It’s Time to Pivot, and What to Do Next

Looking for a new job can be a challenging and stressful experience, particularly when you’re not sure that you’re on the career right path to begin with. Whether there’s been a shift in the job market, changes in your industry, a series of layoffs, personal life changes, or even just a desire to do something different—it’s natural to wonder how to ace a career pivot.

Signals That It’s Time for a Career Change

Before you tell your boss to take your job and… well, you know… take a breath and evaluate what’s happening. Are you simply having a bad day? Or is there a deeper problem that’s making it necessary to shift not just your employer, but your whole career? Here are a few reasons a career pivot may be necessary:

1. Your current career no longer feels like a fit.

If you’re like most people, then your first job is not the job you’d like to have for the rest of your life. The desire to evolve, learn more, take on more challenges, and rise in the ranks is normal—which means that at some point, you’ll outgrow your existing job.

For some of us, this simply means looking for your next promotion—but sometimes it means changing careers. If you’re not fulfilled, aren’t performing well in your role, or feel disenchanted with the idea of continuing in your existing career, these are signs you may be better suited by pursuing a different type of role entirely.

2. Your passion and motivation have gone AWOL.

While we may not always think about it, having a sense of purpose matters to most of us. When you don’t feel you’re having a positive impact through your work, it can create a host of problems—like underperformance, lack of commitment, and discontentment.

If mentally checking out has become the norm for you, ask yourself what’s happening. Is the issue related to your current position? A mismatch between you and your current employer? A dissatisfaction with your industry? Is it career burnout? If you can’t see yourself enjoying a similar role elsewhere, it may be that your current career needs to change.

3. There are limited (or no) opportunities for growth or advancement.

Many jobs of yesterday no longer exist today. When’s the last time you’ve seen someone delivering milk or ice to homeowners? Not since the 1950s, right? This trend toward seeing some careers fall by the wayside, to be replaced by other careers, is nothing new. But it’s something you should keep in mind as you plan your next career moves.

Take a look at your current role and your industry. Can you see a bright future awaiting you? Or do you foresee that in a few years or a decade, your role won’t even exist anymore? If you’re seeing job opportunities shrink as AI, robotics, other new technologies or economic needs are evolving, the time is now to make a shift to a career that will be more sustainable over the long term.

4. Structural changes within your industry are closing doors for you.

Let’s face it—today’s economic landscape is going through major upheavals, and none of us are fully immune from it. Layoffs, mergers, and other forms of instability can easily push you out of your current position.

If you’re in a field that’s not as highly in demand these days, or if you’re in a career that tends to be vulnerable to repeated layoffs—such as Learning & Development—then it’s time to futureproof your career. Ask yourself how you can professionally reinvent yourself by changing career paths to something that’s more sustainable.

5. Your personal priorities have shifted.

Beyond the basic economics of needing to pay your bills, there are a host of other reasons you may be ready for making a career transition. To evaluate this need, ask yourself some key questions:

• Are you undergoing major changes in your family, health, or lifestyle that aren’t sustainable if you stay in your current career?
• Do you have a growing desire for more flexibility, autonomy, or meaning that your current career allows?
• Do you feel an increased longing for purpose and fulfillment that would be better met if you change careers?
• Would a different career path allow you to achieve financial goals or other needs that your current industry doesn’t provide?

If you’re answering yes to any of these questions, you’re likely ready to think about transitioning into a totally different type of role or industry.

How to Successfully Approach a Career Pivot

So, now that you’ve considered your work life, if you’re seeing that a career transition makes sense, how do you make it happen? We have some tips to guide you:

Gain clarity on your big-picture goals.

Changing careers is a major life decision, and you should treat it that way. As you think about what to do next, look at the big picture first. After all, you have a chance to shape your lifestyle considerably by switching up your job path in this way, so make the most of it.

What to do:

Take time to think through what you’re good at, what you enjoy doing, and what skills you have that you’d like to lean into more often. Consider what you’d like your life to look like: More travel or less? Better pay? More chances for promotion? Less stress? More family time? Look for careers that meet those needs.

Additional tips:

• Journal it out to capture your thinking and feelings about the type of career that would suit you at this point in your life.
• Take a self-assessment or personality test to generate ideas for jobs you’d excel at.

Explore your new career options.

As you make this significant shift from one type of employment to another, remember that knowledge is power. Give yourself time to do thorough research into the opportunities that are out there. Ideally, you want a match between your personal and professional interests, as well as a career with longevity.

What to do:

Make use of resources that dig into the labor force and reveal current and future forecasts and trends in work. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a good place to see what careers are predicted to remain stable or grow (or decline) over the next decade. Tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity can help you generate ideas and research questions to investigate as you consider your options.

Additional tips:

• Explore possibilities by conducting informational interviews or shadowing people in the job you’re interested in.
• Look at job descriptions to ensure the role, skills, expectations, and average salary all align with your goals.

Focus on transferable skills, re-skilling, and developing your potential.

Finding a new career path doesn’t mean you have to throw aside everything you’ve learned in your current role. Just the opposite! Much of what makes you a valuable employee in past jobs can be just as advantageous in a different career—so lean into what you already know, and get excited about what you can learn.

What to do:

Make a list of your soft skills, and search for jobs where those abilities are highly prized. Also, look at job descriptions for the career you’re planning to shift into, and make note of any requirements you don’t yet have. Those are the skills you’ll have to gain, but don’t be discouraged! Local (and online) community colleges, trade schools, and business organizations offer bootcamps, certificates, and courses to help you learn new skills you can add to your resume.

Additional tips:

• Look for an internship or volunteer role to gain needed career skills.
• Find and leverage retraining programs that support career pivoters, which are often offered by local colleges, libraries, and business organizations.

Summing It Up

Making a change to your chosen career involves time and creativity, but at the end of the day, you’ll be glad you found a way forward to keeps you engaged at work and happy with the lifestyle it’s opened up for you. Layoffs, mergers, changing demands, AI tools… None of these things have to hold you back from finding long-term success in a new and satisfying field of employment.

Ready to explore your next career move? The team at inTulsa is here to make the process of landing your ideal new role easier. Sign up for custom job alerts in your new career through our Talent Network, and join in one of our Elevate Your Career events for webinars, networking events, and resources that help you gain career success.