Changing careers can be exciting and scary. Maybe you know exactly what you want to do or perhaps you are exploring careers that help animals. Just think--you get to figure you what you really want to do--maybe even for the first time. Here are tips that can make it easier for you.

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When applying for a job:​

• Show that you can do the job (as any job seeker would). "Duh," right. It is harder than it sounds. Employers tend to play it safe when they hire. They are concerned that the candidate might be a problem hire. So, think like an employer when you write your cover letter and resume (and LinkedIn profile).

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• Read the cover letter/resume page for ways to direct your cover letter and resume. You will focus on "transferable skills," that is, skills you have that are also needed in your new career. By doing so you will build a "compelling reason" for being hired. 

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•  What if you lack experience? Experience is more than employment. Applicable volunteer experience counts. In fact, you can have a section on your resume entitled "Experience," in which you list your relevant experience--paid and unpaid. What you may have learned on your own is also critical. There's a way to write that on a resume.

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• I wrote a blog about free online webinars that can help you get more skills. You can jumpstart your career with these webinars. You can include a section on your resume entitled "Training" or "Webinars." Include the title, the sponsoring entity and the speaker(s). Add the date if it was a live webinar, Make it clear if it was a webinar.

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• It is essential that you network and research the field. I wrote a great two-part blog on networking. That term makes some people anxious--they don't think they know anyone or know what to do. Read the blog--I'll show you how to do it and you will realize that you have more connections than you think.

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How Networking Works

Say you found a career that you may want to go into. You've read everything that you can about it, but you want more information. By networking, you have the opportunity to talk to someone in that job who can answer your questions. You can ask questions such as: "What do you like the most about your job? "What advice do you have for someone getting started? Is there anyone else you recommend I speak with? I list other questions in my networking blogs. Don't ask anything that you can easily find the answer to (that's really important). In the networking blogs you will also learn how to find people who can help you and how to contact them.

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