Most people moving into the workforce today will have 4 or 5 different careers and employers throughout their working life. Change is becoming a constant, and the change from one career to another could be very significant. How does a worker choose a direction? And how does one sell oneself in a brand new field or for a brand new job?
Like any marketing plan, your self-marketing plan in your new (or even your current) field requires that you know your profuect: you. You have to identify what you have to offer and make it clear to potential employers how you will benefit their organization, and what features you bring that make you a better candidate than any of the others they might interview.
How to Assess Your Skills
Think back to your previous work. Don't forget the unpaid work (volunteerism, extra projects, helping friends).
What did you do well? or differently?
Even if you don't think you stood out, compare yourself to your coworkers. Were you consistently on time? Ahead of schedule? Offering more useful ideas? Better at involving teammates in a process?
What good results did you have?
Even coming from fields were results aren't directly observable, try to identify a few: happy customers; positive comments from supervisors, coworkers or clients; parts of your work turning into a finished product. If you can quantify something (ie, doubled efficiency of e-mail communication by using filters to sort the majority of incoming requests; saved $2500/year by reducing end-of-shift till counting time), that's even more powerful.
Identify transferable skills.
These are sometimes called soft skills or employability skills. Some of these might include: Writing concisely, Identifying resources, Providing support for others, Coordinating tasks, and so on. (For reference, see http://www.quintcareers.com/transferable_skills.html) That said, do not simply identify a "shopping list" of skills. Anyone can say they are "organized." How has that organization shown in your work? Improved the way you worked? Helped your organization to achieve a goal? Provide some specific detail, or the skill loses much of its power.
Choosing a Career Direction - What skills will I need?
First of all, talk to some people who work in the area you are considering. This is called Informational Interviewing. Why? It might not be what you thought it was about. People with experience in the area you are thinking of moving into may also be able to offer you advice on how to get into the area, and what training - if any - you might need to succeed at it. (See http://www.quintcareers.com/informational_interviewing.html) You're not asking for jobs - you just want the information.
Then do some market research. What are the prospects in the new area I'm exploring? What kind of training do I need and where can I get it? How much can I expect to be paid? The Government of Canada offers some great information at http://www.jobfutures.ca/ and http://www.labourmarketinformation.ca/.
Still not sure you're cut out for it? You could try some personality and interest assessment. See a career counsellor for personal assistance. Some brief online tools from the Government of Canada include http://www.jobsetc.ca/toolbox/quizzes/quizzes_home.do?&lang=e.
All of the above will help you to identify what skills you will need (many of which you will already have, others you will need to acquire) in your new area.
Conclusion
When your instincts are telling you to try something new, be it a new job or a new field, do some solid self-research and solid research of your new area before leaping into it. It's important to know what your feet will come down on when you land!
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