After coming out of the 2020 pandemic, one of the things that have been on many minds is a career change. Whether your job was temporarily on hold, eliminated, or you were fortunate to keep your job, shifting to a different career has been on the rise. So, what must one do to transition to a new career successfully?

Here are five simple steps to transition to a new career:

1.) Accept where you are in your career at this moment and take accountability for your career. You must be uncomfortable with where you are to make any type of change. This is not about feeling sorry for yourself; it’s about empowering yourself to know that you have the power to make the changes in your career and life.

2.) Explore what you want to do and take the limits off. At this point, don’t get caught up in what you have or don’t have… allow yourself to dream a bigger dream. Too often, we want to skip over this process because we feel it’s a waste of time. However, career exploration is a critical piece in the career transition process because this is where you find your purpose and the impact you want to have in the world.

3.) Perform a real self-Inventory, that includes your experience, education, self-management skills, and your network. It would also be beneficial to ask your colleagues, supervisors, friends what they think your strengths are and some improvement areas.

4.) Create a plan that includes S.M.A.R.T. Goals, specific, measurable, action-oriented, relevant, and time-specific. An example of a smart goal would be, “To attain a position as a Learning and Development Specialist within the next six months. Once you have set your goal, you need action steps behind it, such as updating your resume and LinkedIn profile and inform your network you are on the market for a new position. It is imperative that you have a LinkedIn profile; it’s a must in today’s job market. Ask yourself, do you need to get some additional skills, is there some just-in-time training I could take advantage of to boost my marketability.

5.) Last but not least, take direct and immediate action. Don’t allow fear to immobilize you the fear you have is real, but on the other side of it is your next career. And while you are taking action, remember to enjoy the process. You can start by being thankful for your next opportunity.