Draw a Map

You know what you want to do and what you'll have to do to get there. Now it's time to draw a map.

We don't mean a physical map – although, if you're a visual person and a physical map would help you more than words would, by all means draw one. But what we have in mind is a figurative map. You should write up a list of what you need to do to accomplish your career change and at least a rough schedule of the order you need to do things in.

The first step in making your career change map is to write down the name of the position or work you want to move into. This is your destination. Then make a note about where you are now. Then fill in the space between the two with notes about the qualifications, experience, and contacts you will need to move from where you are to where you want to be.

Some of the things you should include in your map are:

• An inventory of the transferable skills you already have

• A list of additional skills you need, and how you will get them

• A list of any formal training or education you need

• Notes about volunteer, part-time, or entry-level work that will help you move toward your goal

• Notes about where and how you can meet people working in your target field

• Realistic estimates of how long it will take you to complete the stages of this 'trip'

Keep track of where you are on your map as you move along it. A career change is a gradual and sometimes long-term process. It's easy to get discouraged and to think that you'll never achieve what you want to. This career map can help you stay focused on what you are achieving and remind you that every step you take, no matter how modest, is a step toward your ultimate goal.

Return to the Career Change home page.