Use Your Network to Make a Career Change

Use Your Network to Make a Career ChangeUse Your Network to Make a Career ChangeOne of the wonderful advantages that flexible work offers is the chance to try something new- a toe-touch onto a different career path that can offer rewards that your current career may not. It can also help you make a career change.If youve worked for years in one career field, are feeling burned out, bored, or just ready to move on, you already have a powerful tool at your disposal your network.Using the contacts youve accumulated in your career can be a smart way to try on a new career for size, to use your current skill set in a new field, or to transition to a second, part-time job. Flexible work can be especially useful for mid-career people who may have hit a wall in their current job, or who have put aside the work that they truly want to do, simply to earn a paycheck by slogging away at something they really dont enjoy.Finding ways to work your network can be just the launching pad you need to g et to the next step in your career.Here are five ways to use your network to make a career change1. Spread the word- discreetly.Let select colleagues and friends know youre thinking about making a move, and what kind of career youre thinking of trying, if you know. Never underestimate who your contacts might know who can led you a hand, offer advice, or steer you in the right direction.2. Ask for references (including from unlikely sources).It may be awkward, to say the least, to ask your current boss to recommend you for another job. Instead, think about asking people who are more in tune with what you want to do next.3. Consider lower-paying or volunteer opportunities.Unless youre lucky enough to find your dream-come-true second-career job right off the bat, offering your skills and services pro bono can be a useful way to experiment with a new career and build new contacts while youre at it. If youre like most of us and still need a paycheck, keeping your day job and squeezing i n volunteer work on weekends or in your spare time can help you begin working toward something new.4. Dream big.Nows the time to find your spark Have you done community work that you really enjoyed? Coached a youth league team? Volunteered at an arts festival? Worked with a church group? Think about the activities youve engaged in, or wanted to, and point your job-seeking efforts in that direction. Your non-work experience may not seem like much to you, but it could be just the thing that your next employer is seeking5. Hang out with the right crowd.Go to job fairs, find support groups, research online resources, or take a course with like-minded people in the field into which youre transitioning. Youll likely find new friends, new inspiration, and new ideas that can help you make a career change.Heres how to network when you dont know anyoneReaders, how do you use your network to make a career change? Tell us in the comments below