There are many reasons to consider retraining. Whether it’s to turn a passion into a profession, to reinvent yourself or following the loss of a job, retraining always marks a major turning point in your life. That’s why this project needs to be carefully thought through to ensure its success. Discover our tips for a successful career change.
Draw up an action plan
Whether you’re in a difficult professional situation or want to reinvent yourself, you’ve decided to make a career change. The first step in implementing this major project is to draw up an action plan. This will help you to see things more clearly and pursue your goal with greater peace of mind.
To be comprehensive, your action plan should consist of 4 stages:
- Identify your motivations. Although this may seem unnecessary, it is in reality important to set out in writing the reasons for the change and the expected benefits.
- Shed light on the realities of the profession by networking with people from the sector, former students of a school…
- List the various steps you need to take: how to terminate your employment contract, the training you need, how to apply for grants and subsidies, etc. There’s no point in staying in the dark – it’s much more comfortable to know what you’re getting into.
- Assess the impact of your career change on the day-to-day running of the household: financial investment and loss of income, change of pace, support from your partner, etc.
Training for your new job
Although it may be possible, depending on your plans, it’s rare to be able to undertake a career change without any training whatsoever.
Whether the training lasts a few days, several weeks or even a few months, you need to choose it carefully so that it is recognised by professionals in the sector and gives you legitimacy in your new job.
For example, you can take an in-person course at the “Centre Romand en Formation Continue” or at the University of Geneva. You can also take a remote training course, which might fit in better with your current pace. You can register with thee-learning training institute from the University of Geneva or use MOOCs such as EDX or Coursera.
Create your own network!
Once you’ve been trained, your hard task will be to create a network that will enable you either to get a job or find your first customers. To do this, you can reactivate the contacts you used for your action plan, but to network with new people, don’t hesitate to attend conferences or trade fairs targeted at your new sector of activity. For example, if you work in the digital sector, the Ecom trade fair in Geneva is a must. On its side, the ILMAC in Basel will give you a head start in pharmacy, chemistry and biotechnology. There are many specialist trade fairs throughout Switzerland all year round, so all you have to do is find the ones that match your new career.
Opt for gradual change
If you’ve always been an employee and now want to become self-employed, you’ll no doubt have some concerns. If you’re looking to make a gradual change and move on to a new career with peace of mind, have you considered wage portage (portage salarial)?
Under this status, you will act in the same way as if you were self-employed, but you will actually be an employee of the wag eportage company. This means that you will enjoy the same benefits as an employee and will have no need to set up a company involving legal status, accounting etc. If you’d like to find out more about wage portage, take a look at our previous article or contact us directly.
This will allow you to start your new business at your own pace, with missions that are close to your objectives. Supported by the wage portage company, like MITC. You’ll gain credibility with your prospects, who will have complete confidence in you.
Once you’ve gained experience and built up a good customer base, it’s up to you whether you stay with this system or set up your own business for good.
Believe in your project
To make a success of your career change, you need to believe in yourself and in the success of your project. It’s your passion and confidence that will enable you to take each step towards a successful career change. If you don’t believe in yourself or your project, you risk giving up at the first hurdle.
Don’t hesitate to talk about your project with friends and family, who will undoubtedly support you if they realise how important it is to you. Similarly, your contacts will only trust you if they are convinced that they are dealing with someone who is destined to succeed, and only you can convince them of this.
In short, if your project is complete and you are confident in your ability to succeed, there is no doubt that your retraining will be a success. If you want to go through your career change safely, don’t hesitate to turn to MITC, and you’ll quickly see the benefits.
