Amy Lindgren

Second Sunday Series – Editor’s Note: This is the fifth of 12 columns on making a career change which appear the second Sunday of the month, from September through August. Last month’s column presented career change steps in your 60s, while the months before offered 10 ideas for choosing a new career; a sample timeline; and questions to consider when changing careers. 

When considering a career change, one of the first things that comes to mind is usually training. As in: Do you need training for that? And, Can I get into that without going back to school? Reasonable questions, which usually can’t be answered without research.

For some fields, you already know training would be required, but you might not be clear on the options. For example, since nursing is a licensed profession, you’d probably guess that it requires training. But how much training and what kind of licensure is required for the different levels and types of nursing? And where would one get that training?

In fields that aren’t licensed, training may not be required but it might still be necessary for any particular worker. That is, someone might be able to get hired without training if they can demonstrate the right skills — but they might need training to get those skills.

This is not a Catch-22, as the saying goes, but more of a puzzle to solve: How can you get the skills needed for the job? Would training be the simplest or fastest pathway? Whether or not the career change can be made without additional classes, there are several arguments for picking up the training. Here are five that I find compelling.

1. Candidate confidence boost: Career changes can be tough on the ego, since you’re often leaving something you’ve mastered to start fresh in something else. Even if the training replicates knowledge you already have, having the point confirmed can boost your confidence.

2. Employer confidence boost: When a candidate comes equipped with relevant training, employers also gain a confidence boost. It won’t replace in-house orientation on systems and procedures, but it assures the fundamentals are there.

3. Higher starting wage or title: Recent training can give career-changing candidates leverage in negotiating the position — especially if they also bring skills such as problem-solving or team work from their previous work.

4. Orientation to the field: The experience of starting a new career in a training setting offers the opportunity to ask questions about the field and get a big-picture perspective on the work. It can also help the candidate confirm the new career will be a fit.

5. Skills and knowledge acquired: Not to forget the obvious, but one of the best reasons to take training when pursuing a new career path is to gain relevant skills and knowledge. The more you know, the more you know. Even if the content of the training isn’t needed for your first job in the field, it could put you on a faster track to promotion.

Those are all good arguments for heading back to school if you’re changing careers. Now there’s just the small problem of choosing the training itself. And finding the time for it. And paying for it. And qualifying for it in the first place.

Yikes.

It’s daunting to have so many reasons not to do something, even when you’ve already identified the benefits. The key to tackling an issue like this is to assume nothing. Yes, it might be expensive, but do you know that? And do you know that you’d have to pay for it all yourself?

Without a closer examination, every perceived problem can become locked in as a barrier. Following these steps can keep that from happening, while helping you decide if training is the right move for your career change.

Step 1. Conduct initial research: A good place to start is CareerOneStop.org, a website operated by the U.S. Department of Labor. Here you’ll find abundant information on training and skill development.

Step 2. Talk with a counselor: Whether that’s the admissions counselor at a school, a career counselor with a government agency, or a private consultant, you’ll benefit from having someone else’s perspective and expertise.

Step 3. Imagine it happening: It’s easy to say no, and you can do that at any point. But for this step, imagine saying yes. Now work the problem to see what you’d need to make that possible. Once you’ve imagined a way to make it happen, you can go back to the decision itself: Is this a good idea? Does it fit your overall goals? If the answer is yes, there’s no time like the present to start building your career-change training plan.

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Amy Lindgren owns a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com.