Changing Career in Your Twenties: A Guide
Making the decision to change your career is a daunting task at any age, but there’s no denying that making the leap in your twenties presents its own unique challenges and opportunities. Perhaps you don’t feel like you’ve been in your current role or industry long enough to make a change, or maybe you worry that you don’t have the skills needed to dive headfirst into something new. You might still be discovering who you are and what makes you tick, and you might not have had the chance to develop much of a network yet, all things that can make exploring a career change tricky.
But there are so many reasons why your twenties can be a brilliant time to consider a career change. During this decade, you’re generally more adaptable and open to change, and you haven’t been in the workforce for long enough to feel too entrenched in any one path. You might have fewer financial or personal commitments which can make pivoting feel easier, and you still have plenty of career ahead of you - making a change in your twenties gives you the best shot at building a long career in something that you love. You’re also more likely to possess the skills that organisations are looking for, whether that be knowing your way around the latest technologies or being resilient and adaptable in the face of change.
If you’re considering a career change in your twenties, this guide will show you to start, help you to harness your previous skills and experience most effectively, and navigate the process in the most stress-free way possible.
Changing Career in Your Twenties: A Guide
Step 1: Understand your motivation
The first step to making a successful career change is to get clear on your motivations. Understanding why you want to make a change will help you to be more focused in your search and will increase your chances of fulfilment once you’ve pivoted. Are you looking for better pay, more meaningful work, a healthier work-life balance, or opportunities for growth?
A great place to start is by reflecting on the pros and cons of your current role. What feels good right now and what are you itching to change? What skills feel underutilised? Your answers should help you to pinpoint what’s driving your desire for change, which is crucial for helping you to make informed decisions and avoid jumping into another unsatisfying role or industry.
Step 2: Get clear on your strengths and skills
Next up, get clear on your strengths and skills - especially the transferable ones. If you’ve always been in the same industry or job, it can be hard to imagine how these skills could be used in other roles, but most strengths can be used in plenty of different ways. For example, if you currently work in marketing, chances are that you’re great at communicating and telling compelling stories - these are skills that are also used by teachers, writers, counsellors, journalists and countless other professionals.
Don’t forget to also include skills you might have developed outside of the workplace too. Think about those you have developed throughout your education, in extra-curricular activities or in volunteering roles - so long as you can demonstrate that you have the skills, it doesn’t matter too much where you developed them. And if you’re struggling to identify your strengths, ask your colleagues or loved ones - they might be able to spot them more easily than you.
Step 3: Know your values
Knowing what your strengths and skills are is a vital part of gaining clarity when it comes to exploring a career change in your twenties, but it’s also really important to know what your values are. So often, the reason why people are dissatisfied in their chosen career or job role is because it is either in direct conflict with their values, or it doesn’t give them the opportunity to align as fully with their values as they’d like.
Take some time to consider what is important to you in the way that you live and work. Think about what you’re passionate about, how you’re motivated, what your biggest priorities are. What are the things that give you a deep sense of pride? What do you want to be known for? Considering all of these things will help you to connect with your values, which will give you an extra lens to look through when you’re considering your career change.
Step 4: Get researching
Once you’re clear on your motivations, your skills and strengths and your values, you should have enough information to start doing some research. This can sometimes feel like a bit of a challenge if you haven’t had tonnes of experience and don’t know what's out there, but try to approach the task with a curious and inquisitive mind.
You can use resources like LinkedIn or Glassdoor to help you get started, but don’t be afraid to broaden your search. Listening to careers podcasts and consuming career-related content on social media can also give you an idea of what’s possible. Another action you could take is to set up a chat with people in industries or roles you’re interested in - you’d be surprised how many people are more than happy to help and getting to ask for the information that isn’t always on the job description will help you to get a better sense of what’s involved.
Step 5: Fill in the gaps
You might find as you do more research that you have some gaps in your experience or knowledge that you need to fill before putting in an application. Don’t let this put you off - the beauty of changing careers in your twenties is that you still have plenty of time to plug those gaps, and doing so is often easier than you might realise.
Start by exploring whether there’s an opportunity for you to fill in any of the gaps in your current role. You could do this by asking to shadow other team members, setting up a networking group or applying to take a training course that your organisation offers. If there are skills or experience you can’t gain in your current role, make a plan to fill them in another way - perhaps you want to take a course in your spare time, or maybe you could apply for a volunteering position that will help you to broaden your skills. You could also check out any classes or opportunities for upskilling that are offered by your local council.
Step 6: Get applying
The next step is to get applying! This can seem daunting when you’re applying for roles in a new industry or organisation, but don’t let fear hold you back. The key to putting in a good application is ensuring you highlight the transferable skills you have developed so far that make you a strong candidate. Don’t worry if you haven’t developed those skills in the industry you want to work in - most hiring managers will be able to see past that, and having a fresh perspective might actually give you an advantage over other candidates.
It can also help to focus on accomplishments and outcomes as opposed to simply listing job duties as this will help to demonstrate your attitude and approach, which is also something that hiring managers will place a lot of importance on. And finally, don’t be afraid to add some of your personality! Sharing your passions and interests could help your application to stand out.
Step 7: Prepare to shine
Once you’ve got a cracking application in, it’s time to focus on shining in the interview. This can sometimes feel challenging, especially if you lack direct experience in the field or role you’re applying for, but doing some prep can really help. Focus on emphasising your transferable skills, share your passion and enthusiasm for the industry, and demonstrate your willingness to learn. Be prepared to explain why you’re changing careers and how your background could set you up to succeed in your new role.
And remember, interviews are a two way process, especially when you’re changing careers! They’re just as much an opportunity for you to figure out if the role and organisation feels like a good fit for you as they are an opportunity for them to review your skills and experiences. Prepare some questions to help you understand the company values and culture so that you can get a sense of whether it’s somewhere you’d thrive.
Step 8: Know that you can keep on evolving
The final tip if you’re considering a career change in your twenties is to remember that you have plenty of career ahead of you! Don’t put pressure on yourself to identify your perfect career path right now - instead, make it your goal to make a change that improves your sense of fulfilment and gets you closer to those motivations we discussed in step 1.
You have got plenty of time to keep on evolving and growing, and the more experience you get, the clearer your passion and purpose will become, so don’t wait until you’ve got all of the answers to make a change. Not having that time pressure is a real gift, so focus on the actions that will help you to open more doors and gather more experience and self-awareness.
Some extra tips for changing careers in your twenties
Remember that your passion, energy and enthusiasm is a sought after quality in and of itself - don’t dismiss it or play it down.
Stay open to opportunities - sometimes the best career moves don’t arrive in the way you’d expect them to.
Focus on building your network, either by attending networking events or connecting with like minded people online. It’s hard to overstate how much of an impact the people you know can have on your career.
If you’re struggling to identify your strengths and values, consider working with a coach who will help you to get clearer on this.