2. A strong growth mindset

A growth mindset is the belief that your current skills and capabilities are not at their maximum limit. That is, you have the means to be better and go further than where you are today.

Growth mindsets have long been correlated to career success, as well as career
switching. This is because someone with a growth mindset actively seeks out new possibilities, if the time comes when they have to change careers, they’re already equipped with the skills (and sometimes social connections) to make the change easily.

This sets them far ahead of employees who only start to re-skill at the last minute. If you wait till your job is threatened or lost before trying to switch careers, you have a much smaller chance of making a career switch.

So don’t “settle” for your currently are in your skills and capabilities – trust that you can go further, and take the time to push your boundaries.

3. Resilience and optimism

Those who make successful career changes start off with self-belief, or confidence that they can manage it. If you believe yourself unequal to the task, you will probably lack motivation and persistence.

A good support network can be helpful here, so gather friends and family who are willing to rally behind you. Successful career-changers are careful to avoid having too many doomsayers (i.e., people who exaggerate challenges, without offering solutions).

Optimism and confidence are correlated to resilience. Making a career change requires you to repeat certain tasks, again and again, until you develop proficiency; you must be willing to do this regardless of repeated failure. it’s no different from learning to play an instrument, taking up a new sport, etc. But perhaps the most important element of resilience is being coping with rejection.

Making a career change involves hearing the word “no” from new clients or prospective employers; perhaps for months on end. Those who succeed are the ones who soldier through these rejections.

4. Humility in seeking new mentors

Humility is essential in both advancing your career, and making a career switch. Most successful people are careful to remain humble – this ensures they don’t brush off any potential learning experiences. Never assume that anyone – even an intern – is so unimportant you can’t learn something useful from them.

In terms of career change, accepting a new mentor can be a tough pill to swallow. If you’re in your mid-forties and used to be in a management position, for example, it can seem humiliating to be taking on a 25-year-old fresh graduate as a mentor.

Likewise, it can be a human reaction to resent others who are successful or popular; especially if we feel we have more work experience, or have put in more effort. But successful career-changers acknowledge a fundamental truth: if someone is more successful at what they do, they probably know something that you don’t.

Successful career-changers swallow their pride, and learn from the top performers; it’s how they make it there as well.

5. Acceptance of certain sacrifices

When making a career change, common questions include:

• Will it affect my income?
• Will it affect my lifestyle?
• Will it affect how much time I have with my family?

And the list goes on. To be blunt, the answer to all such questions is almost certainly yes. Taking up a new career is a major commitment; it almost invariably affects your lifestyle and income (although the faster can you adapt, the less painful the impact will be).

Successful career-changers don’t just know the price of what they seek; they’re also ready and willing to pay it. They know some sacrifices are going to be unavoidable. If you try to find ways around these (e.g., skipping training courses to save time, or refusing to take an entry level job to get started), your career-switch will probably end up taking even longer, and causing more disruption.

Before you attempt a career change, find out the cost in time and money. Mentally prepare yourself, and communicate with your family on expected changes.

6. A hands-on mentality

“To know and not do, is not to know” – Goethe

A successful career change is defined by getting certificates, diplomas, or other paper qualifications. Getting those are just one part of the process. A successful career change also means following-through after your training, and actually doing the job.

Successful career-changers seize the initiative to get hands-on, and actively ask for opportunities to use their skills. This means approaching their current – or even prospective – employers and asking for a chance to do a new job. They don’t just wait in the hopes that someone will notice they’re trained.

Developing one of these traits leads to developing the others

Don’t worry if you don’t have all of these traits. They’re interrelated, so cultivating
even one of them will also develop the others:

Being open will lead to accepting new mentors. New mentors will provide support, and give you a growth mindset by showing you what’s truly possible. Both these factors can result in better persistence and resilience, and so forth.

Focus on nurturing the traits you already possess. Feel free to approach us at Midcareers.sg for help, if you’re considering a job switch, or want to explore different
areas of growth. Another good place to start is with our online personality profiles, which can help to highlight new potential avenues.