Changing Careers: Step Three - Talk to an Expert

By now you should have a pretty good idea of the new career(s) that you're interested in.  If you've taken the  time to follow our suggestions you should have the following information:

• salary information
• job duties
• future job outlook
• opportunities in your area or online

If you're still interested in your choices, it's now time to take things more seriously.  One of the best ways to find out more details about your potential career is to talk to an expert.

Who qualifies as an expert?  Anyone who has worked in that profession within the last few years.  You may already know someone or have a friend or family member who does.  If not, see if you can find someone in a job forum or in a local networking group.  

If you still can't find someone, post a question on LinkedIn.  It's free to sign up and they have a forum where you can post a wide variety of questions.  Post a general question at first, something like - "I'm considering a career in ...., can someone knowledgeable in that profession answer a few questions for me?"  Once you have some responses, you can contact those individuals separately and ask your questions via email or whatever method of contact you agree to.

It will be important for you to come up with a list of questions that you can ask them.  Ask questions like:

• How long have/did you work in that profession?
• What is a typical day like?
• What do you like about the job?
• What don't you like about the job?

Try to be respectful of their personal information like salary and compensation but some may be forthcoming without even asking.  By asking someone who already knows about what it's like to work in that profession, you can get some insightful information on what your new career will be like.

Tomorrow we'll talk about some final steps in your research and how you can get started in your new career.

Let us know how your research is going.  Share your stories with us in the comments section below.