There are many reasons someone might be inspired to switch to a new career: finding something more lucrative, discovering a new passion, or seeking a job that causes less burnout. But not all career changes follow a shift in mindset or desire for personal growth. Many people change careers after being laid off, experiencing extreme stress or health issues, or feeling hopeless about their potential for success in their current field.
Whatever the reason, a career change at any stage in life might be complicated, overwhelming, and occasionally discouraging. Depending on the economic climate, it can also pose significant financial problems and risk to yourself and your family. But ultimately, being able to learn new skills and uncover hidden talents and passions can be a wonderful opportunity. With the right support, you may find it possible to create a new purpose for your life.
Because a career change can bring up mental health concerns such as anxiety, stress, worry, or depression, seeking support from a mental health professional or career counselor who has mental health training may be a helpful step during the transition process. In counseling, you can address the psychological aspects of this shift and receive career-related guidance to help you in your search for a new job. As you embark on this journey, explore GoodTherapy.org’s top picks of 2017, online resources dedicated to helping people through career changes and related transitions.
- Workplace Strategies for Mental Health: This website offers training and tools for managers who wish to improve mental health in the workplace. By ensuring workers’ psychological well-being, companies can increase productivity, retention, and morale. Those seeking to bolster their workers’ mental health can search strategies for achieving this by their specific role in the workplace.
- Return To Work: With a goal of helping people return to work after an absence related to mental health, this website offers advice to employees. People looking to go back to work can learn more about deciding to take sick leave and finding the best health care practitioner. Return To Work gives specific guidelines to other people involved in the transition, including managers, coworkers, and human resource professionals.
- Career One Stop: The United States Department of Labor created a digital platform to help people explore careers, find jobs, and get training. The website offers resources for everyone, including older workers, people who have served time, people with disabilities, and people hoping to change careers. Visitors to the site can also access information on interviews, networking, and scholarships.
- Learn How To Become: Learn How To Become is a resource that helps people determine what career they want to pursue. It offers information about following almost any career and offers tailored suggestions based on a person’s skill set. The site provides information on a job’s required education, technical skills, and certifications. It also shows each state’s average salary for the profession and has a “Get Hired” toolkit with tips on anything from searching for jobs to job interviews.
- A Career Change: This website offers articles on how to get your dream job. In addition to offering tips about training and promotion, it also provides site visitors with in-depth information about switching careers. Many articles address the practical concerns of transitioning, such as relocation, funding, unemployment, and networking.
- What’s Next: A resource and assessment website for people seeking to reinvent themselves, their careers, and their relationships, What’s Next currently offers a free self-assessment for those curious to learn about their own life values and priorities. This site has resources for people at many life stages, including caregivers reentering the workforce, people transitioning between jobs, and those looking for meaningful retirement.
- Military Connection: This website helps veterans translate their military skills to civilian careers. The website offers a free job board (mostly government positions) and information on education (scholarships, GI Bill benefits, etc.). Military Connection’s Military to Civilian Occupational Translator helps veterans learn how to best utilize their skills in civilian life. The site also offers visitors information about life skills such as cooking, housing and finance calculators, and more.
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