Bored of your job? Try this 3-step career change strategy.

1. Know yourself.

The challenge most people face when approaching a career change is that they don't know the type of job they actually want. To work around this, they take a scattergun approach, apply to a variety of roles, and see what sticks. This is a mistake. Generally speaking, we are far too externally focused when it comes to looking for a new job. We look at what's out there, not what's inside of us.

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This is why it's so important to take some time to really know yourself. What are you best at, which skills do you most enjoy using, and what fields are you truly interested in? When you know this, it becomes so much easier to find roles that you'd enjoy, and be successful at. In essence, it allows you to filter out the irrelevant jobs, and gives you specific keywords to search for on job boards, or LinkedIn.

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Know yourself, and what you truly want. That's step one.

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2. Market yourself.

Once you've got an idea of the types of roles or industries you want to work in, the next step is to market yourself. This means presenting yourself in a way that will be attractive to the employers you want to work with. Highlight the skills you have that will be most valuable to them. Revamp your professional image to suit the industry you're targeting. Give off the impression of being the person who can solve the problems the top companies are facing.

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First and foremost, make sure your LinkedIn profile checks all these boxes. Take a suitable profile picture, highlight industry keywords and phrases in your headline, and write a bio that tells your career story, explaining how you ended up with a passion for the role you're targeting. Take inspiration from profiles of people in the field you want to work in.

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Once your LinkedIn is in top shape, think about other methods for building your reputation. Create your own personal website, and develop a personal brand to build consistency across the different channels where you market yourself. Be active in industry-related conversations on social media. Join relevant groups. Do as much as you can to be visible, and share your personal insights.

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3. Approach the right employers.

Once you've raised your visibility, and enhanced your professional image, it's time to start targeting the people you want to work for. Don't sit back and wait for job offers to come to you, or for your ideal job to appear on Indeed by chance. You need to be proactive. Again, LinkedIn is a great place to invest your time.

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Build connections with people in your industry of choice. Do this through mutual connections, or by commenting on peoples posts within groups you've joined, then sending them a message explaining why you'd like to connect. It's likely that the connections you build will be connected with hiring managers in the industry. This allows you to get a warmer introduction to them.

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When you find hiring managers you'd like to work for, reach out to them directly. Think about the problems that would be keeping them up at night. The challenges they're facing in their job. Position yourself as someone who can solve these problems. They might already be looking to hire someone. If not, there's a good chance they'll think of you when they are.

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Closing thoughts.

The approach we've just outlined is far more proactive than what most people do when trying to make a career change. As a result, it's much more effective. The fact that most people don't use this method with give you a competitive edge if you do. So, take our advice: know yourself, market yourself, and approach the right employers. We're sure you'll find the job you want if you do!

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If you're in need of support, and in-depth guidance, to apply this career strategy — we're here to help. You can start our online career coaching programme for free by clicking the button at the bottom of this page. Alternatively, you can contact our team and arrange a free consultation. At NINETY, it's our mission to help people create a working life worth living.

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If you're ready to make a career change, we're ready to lead the way!