Changing careers is a huge step, but are you really happy with the road you’re on? If you think you deserve more, then maybe it’s time for you to follow a roadmap to success and start moving in a better direction. Before you can change careers, you need to think about what you’re good at and how you learn. Do you like sitting in a classroom or would you rather learn by doing? Career assessment tests can help you narrow in on the types of careers that might be a good match to your skills and strengths. You can also learn a lot about careers by observing what others do. When you see someone working on cars, do you think: I could be an automotive technician? Or when you visit the doctor’s office do you find yourself wondering what a career in healthcare might be like? Watching others at work in their careers can show you some options that could be available to you.

Do the research and don’t procrastinate. Once you’ve started to consider the different career options that are out there, it’s time to start your research. Talk to people who do the jobs you think you’d like and ask them how they got where they are. Research career training programs that can help you achieve your goals. At Porter and Chester Institute, we have programs in automotive technology, computers, healthcare and the trades.

Get some experience with good hands-on training, externships, part-time jobs and even volunteer positions. Do whatever you can now to start becoming a good fit to your future. Volunteering at a hospital shows that you really want a career helping others in healthcare. Maintaining your own car can teach you what you do and don’t know about auto mechanics. An externship can give you the opportunity to observe what really happens in your new career. And all of your part-time jobs give you a chance to try out the professionalism you could use in your new career.

Learn the soft skills that will make you a valuable asset to your next employer. At Porter and Chester Institute, we teach you the foundation for your new career –and a whole lot more. We focus in on the soft skills that area employers say they look for in job candidates. A positive attitude, professionalism, and good problem-solving and communication skills are just a few of the soft skills we emphasize at Porter and Chester Institute.

If you’re ready for a new career, check out all Porter and Chester Institute has to offer at our nine campus locations in Connecticut and Massachusetts today. Classes are enrolling soon.