To change careers: (1) get clear on why you want to leave, (2) shortlist target careers that fit your skills and life, (3) map your transferable skills, (4) test the work with conversations, shadowing or a short course, (5) close skill gaps with the most efficient training, (6) plan your finances and (7) rebrand your resume and network your way into the first role.
Step 1: Get clear on why
Write down exactly what isn’t working: pay, schedule, stress, physical demands, lack of growth, boredom or values. Then write what you want instead. This list becomes your filter for every option, and helps you avoid jumping into a career with the same problems.
Step 2: Choose realistic targets
Use the Career Match Quiz and our best careers for career changers to build a shortlist of three to five careers. Then filter by:
- Training time and cost you can realistically handle
- Pay: starting and after a few years (see the salary guide)
- Demand in your area
- Fit with your energy, health and family needs
Step 3: Map your transferable skills
You’re not starting from zero. Customer service, scheduling, leadership, safety awareness, technical troubleshooting, writing and math all transfer. Our transferable skills guide shows how to find and describe yours.
Step 4: Test before you leap
- Have two or three informational interviews per target career.
- Read the career’s day-in-the-life page and take its fit quiz.
- Shadow someone or volunteer.
- Take a short, low-cost course, such as a job-title training, to learn the vocabulary and tasks.
Step 5: Close the gap efficiently
Pick the fastest credible path to employable skills:
| If the career requires… | Efficient options |
|---|---|
| A license or certification | State-approved certificate programs, apprenticeships |
| Demonstrated skills | Portfolio projects, industry certifications |
| A degree | Accelerated, online or evening programs; employer tuition assistance |
Step 6: Plan the money
Estimate training costs, any income gap and your savings runway. Our career change budget guide and budget worksheet walk you through it. Many people keep their current job while training.
Step 7: Rebrand and land the first role
- Rewrite your resume to lead with skills and relevant training (see the career change resume guide).
- Update LinkedIn with your new target title.
- Tell your network what you’re looking for. Most career changers land roles through people.
- Consider bridge roles that combine your old and new fields.
Frequently asked questions
How do I change careers with no experience?
Use transferable skills, a targeted credential and hands-on exposure (volunteering, freelancing or a bridge role) to build relevant experience quickly.
How long does a career change take?
Anywhere from a few weeks (for careers with short training) to several years (for degree-based careers). Most people need 6–18 months from decision to new job.
Careers mentioned in this guide
- Medical Assistant: Room patients, take vitals, give injections and keep clinic records accurate.
- HVAC Technician: Install, maintain and repair heating, cooling, ventilation and refrigeration systems.
- IT Support Specialist: Help people solve computer, account and network problems: the classic way into IT.
- Truck Driver: Haul freight safely across town or across the country with a CDL.
- Project Manager: Plan projects, lead teams and deliver results on time, on budget and in scope.
Keep reading
Changing Careers at 30, 40 or 50+
How to change careers in your 30s, 40s or 50s: advantages you have, common obstacles, the best careers for mid-life changers and strategies to handle money, age bias and retraining.
Transferable Skills: How to Find and Sell Yours
What transferable skills are, a list of the most valuable ones, how to identify yours from any job and how to describe them on a resume and in interviews when changing careers.
How to Write a Career Change Resume
How to write a resume when changing careers: the best format, a strong summary, leading with skills and training, translating past experience and a before-and-after example.
Budgeting for a Career Change
How to plan the finances of a career change: estimating training costs, building a savings runway, handling a temporary pay cut, funding options and when it’s safe to make the switch.