Making a Career Change? 3 Pitfalls to Avoid

After three years as an urban planner, Caleb started feeling restless in his job. He had progressed steadily in his career, and at 36, he loved being a new dad. Still, he felt constrained by financial obligations in his growing household. He trolled job boards in search of exciting opportunities in his field, but nothing caught his eye.

“I wanted to make a difference in climate change, but I didn’t see a direct line from my position to that realm,” he confessed.

Caleb is typical of a sector switcher in many ways:

• He yearned for something more meaningful, but his passion didn’t align with his current role.
• He stifled his restlessness, thinking that a major change was out of the question.
• His unhappiness at work crept into his personal life, and he found himself taking frustration out on the people closest to him.

Within months of committing to explore new avenues (and sectors), Caleb landed an offer with a nonprofit that supports local green energy projects and was able to bridge the gap between a stagnant career path and his dream of contributing in a bigger way.

If you have aspirations that are similar to Caleb’s, here are some common career change mistakes to avoid as you search for the perfect nonprofit job opportunity.

Mistake #1: Waiting until your plan is "perfect"

Perfectionism casts a long shadow across a career changer’s dreams. Most people strive to draw a detailed pathway from the “you are here” spot on their personal map to a place they covet, and only when they have each step carefully marked, are they ready to take action.

The problem with this approach is that no one can anticipate and plan for everything! Everything looks pretty on paper when there are no moving parts, cranky children, or economic downturns.

Mistake #2: Counting on graduate school as your doorway to certainty

Graduate school offers wonderful opportunities for a dramatic career change, and it’s a viable and rewarding path for many. But before taking the plunge, it’s important to be sure that it’s right for you.

For some, graduate school can equip you with the specific skills, knowledge, and experiences that make you successful and effective in a social-impact career. You will also develop your resume and make vital connections via this route.

For others, graduate school isn’t a realistic option. Nothing is guaranteed, so you'll have to really consider whether the time and financial commitment is worth it. It's important to assess a grad school's fit, costs, and deliverables before you head in that direction.

Pro Tip: For those considering grad school, speak directly with admissions representatives at Idealist's free grad school fair in NYC this October! Learn more here.

Mistake #3: Focusing too heavily on your resume at the expense of developing new relationships

Instead of revamping his resume right away, Caleb set up a series of informational interviews with people who were serving in jobs he coveted.

“It was a scary process for me because I didn’t know what to expect, and some people were short with me or brushed me off,” he said. “Plus, I’m an introvert, so it sounded like a process that wouldn’t work for me. But most of the people I met were really nice. They genuinely wanted to help me.”

Don't underestimate the importance of old-fashioned personal connections—most of your breakthroughs will come from contact with people in the fields you want to enter. You may receive a recommendation to attend a conference, drop in on a Meetup, explore a graduate program or a certificate, or meet with other professionals that your contacts connect you with.

Then, in addition to meeting people face-to-face and expanding your network with purpose, it’s important to polish your resume and tailor it to fit every submission.

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If you dream about making a change, start now with small steps that give you data about whether your direction fits your expectations. Research target organizations using Idealist’s job listings (there are more than 150,000 organizations there to explore!) to start your journey.