1. Resourcefulness.
Stepping out of a linear career path moves you into a less conventional career. This means you may need to take a less conventional and more creative approach to opening up opportunities. For example, instead of relying on traditional job boards or recruiters who tend to favor traditional candidates, you may need to focus more on building connections through networking.
2. Resilience.
When you step away from your current career, be prepared to face external judgment from colleagues, friends, family, and other professionals in your industry. Most people who want change are usually motivated by internal values and priorities that others don't necessarily see, for example, more time with family, more fulfilling work, more personal growth. For example, landing a cushy promotion is easy to spot. However, gaining more personal fulfillment might be less obvious to the casual observer. This means you can't be too confused by external judgment or criticism from outsiders who think your career seems off track.
Related: 5 lessons on how to make a successful career change
3. Drive.
Changing careers is not for the faint of heart. It takes dedication and a persistent commitment to creating the change you desire. It means keeping moving forward even if you feel like you've exhausted all your options and making another phone call, going to another networking event, or applying for one more position. Often that last push is what makes the difference, and it takes commitment and drive, staying focused on lasering where you're trying to go, and not staying too long at obstacles along the way. /P>
4. Patience.
Change takes time, so the idea of moving from one profession to another overnight is not realistic. Intermediate steps may be necessary. For example, enrolling in an evening class while maintaining a full-time job, working toward certification over time, or taking on a side project that may not yield desired returns in the short term. Being realistic about the time it will take to make a major change avoids frustration when progress takes longer than you had hoped.
5. Bravery.
Starting over almost always involves making a decision with an element of risk. Every time you walk away from everything you've invested time in, you really never know if you're going to discover something better or worse than your current situation. This is why moving on is often harder than hanging on. At some point, however, you must be ready to take a brave leap in order to pursue more meaningful work. It's often not enough to play it safe to make the big changes that make a real difference to your situation.
Related: How to start over
This article originally appeared in the June 2017 issue of SUCCESS magazine.
