{"id":362,"date":"2014-07-01T12:00:45","date_gmt":"2014-07-01T16:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.qcdesignschool.com\/blog\/?p=362"},"modified":"2014-07-01T12:00:45","modified_gmt":"2014-07-01T16:00:45","slug":"changing-careers-tips-for-starting-over","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qcdesignschool.com\/blog\/2014\/07\/changing-careers-tips-for-starting-over","title":{"rendered":"Changing Careers\u2014Tips for Starting Over"},"content":{"rendered":"Are you tired with the ins and outs of your current job? Are you sitting behind a desk all day counting the minutes until you get to go home?\n\nIf you\u2019re unhappy with your current job, you\u2019ve probably thought of changing careers. Many of QC\u2019s students come to us from full time corporate jobs that just aren\u2019t right for them.\n\nBut, I know what you\u2019re probably thinking. If you have a full time job that pays the bills, you\u2019re probably terrified of giving it up for the uncertainty of chasing your dreams. I don\u2019t blame you. It\u2019s incredibly scary!\n\nBut don\u2019t worry. You CAN chase your dreams without risking too much. You just need to be smart about your approach.\n<h3>Do Your Research<\/h3>\n<div class=\"column-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"half-1\">First thing\u2019s first: make sure you choose a career path that\u2019s right for you. The last thing you want is to end up in another job that you don\u2019t care for.Choose something you believe in and that\u2019s based on something you LOVE to do! Do you rearrange your living room or bedroom every two months? Interior Decorating might be right up your ally. Are you the ultimate organized person who just loves to put on a great party? Event and Wedding Planning could be for you.\n\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"half-2\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-364\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Dont-Rush.jpg\" alt=\"Design Career Change- Don't Rush\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\nBut don\u2019t just throw a dart to figure it out. If you\u2019re not sure, try getting in touch with a few professionals in your area, and talk to them about why they love their job. Find out the good and the bad, and decide if it\u2019s right for you.\n\nTake your time! I know you want to get a move on, but don\u2019t rush into it. Consider all your options.\n<h3>Get Certified<\/h3>\nIt\u2019s tough to break into any industry, especially without any form of training. You can become a certified professional in many different fields through distance education programs. These programs are easily completed even if you have a full time job.\n\nHow? Our student support team is asked this all the time.\n\nTruth is, distance learning programs are designed to fit your busy lifestyle. You don\u2019t need to travel to a campus every day and there are no hard deadlines to meet. Just work at your own pace and complete assignments when you have the time to do so.\n\nIn most of QC\u2019s courses, if you commit a few hours a week to your studies, you can complete one of our professional programs within 4-6 months. But, that\u2019s just an average. Some of our students complete their course in as little as two months, and some take a full three years to complete. The choice, ultimately, is yours!\n<h3>Don\u2019t quit your day job\u2026 yet<\/h3>\nOnce you\u2019ve been certified in your chosen field it can be tempting to quit your job and dive head-first into starting your own business. And hey, if you have the means to give it a go, then by all means, dive in!!\n\nBut, for most of us, there are bills to pay and maybe even a family to support. You can get started with your new business on a small scale, part-time, while keeping your full time job (for now), just to reduce that stress level.\n\nSlowly get your name out there by taking on a few clients whom you can work with on evenings and weekends. Build up a reputation for yourself, and save whatever earnings you make from your work, so that when you ARE ready to go at it full-time, you\u2019ll have a strong foundation to rely on.\n\n<strong>Be careful!<\/strong> If you have a day job, it can be tempting to use company time &amp; resources to work on your own projects. Don\u2019t fall into this trap. If you decide to stay at your full-time job, it deserves 100% of your focus while you\u2019re there.\n<h5>If you don\u2019t want to start a business\u2026<\/h5>\nIf owning your own business isn\u2019t your cup of tea, you can always try to get a job within a corporation who offers your services (a party planning service or a home staging firm, for example.)\n\nIf a firm or agency hires you on as a salaried employee, then there\u2019s little risk in accepting it. Just be aware of what you\u2019re signing up for. Be sure to be crystal clear on the type of work you\u2019re expected to do, and of whatever \u201cnon-compete\u201d clause they may require you to sign.\n\nOnce you\u2019re fully informed and a job offer is promising, then you\u2019re all set!\n<h3>When to spread your wings<\/h3>\nWhen you get to a point where your reputation is spreading, you\u2019re getting new clients regularly, and you could fill your entire days with your own projects, it\u2019s time to say goodbye to your day job and hello to your new, full time, dream career.\n\nHopefully, by now you\u2019ve saved up a bit of a nest egg to support your new business as it grows and expands.\n\n<strong>Don\u2019t rush!<\/strong> Don\u2019t take on more than you can handle, and give it your all. This is where you wanted to end up, and you\u2019ve made it. Now take your time and do it right!\n<h3>Give it a go!<\/h3>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-365\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Quit-your-Job.jpg\" alt=\"Career as a Professional Designer- Career Change Quit Your Job\">\nIf you\u2019re smart about it, there\u2019s very low risk in starting a new career. Take your time and don\u2019t rush into it. There\u2019s nothing wrong with going at it part-time for a few years before you take the plunge. You can build up your skills and gain some extra cash at the same time!\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">What are some of your concerns with changing careers? Let us know in a comment or contact us to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.qcdesignschool.com\/contact.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">talk to a Student Support Agent today<\/a>!<\/h3>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Considering changing careers? Read this first&#8230;","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4890,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,4],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[512],"class_list":{"0":"post-362","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"category-your-design-career"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.7 (Yoast SEO v26.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Starting over: What you need to know about leaving your job<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Changing careers and tips for starting over. You CAN chase your dreams without risking too much. 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