In today’s world, a few fundamental aspects of an individual’s career have changed. Our parents were supposed to take up a field and make their career in it, but the millennials have it much better. We have the freedom to choose our field of career and change it whenever we want. In this day, doctors quitting their jobs to become actors or bank employees switching to stand-up comedy is not at all surprising. Are you looking for such a switch in your life? Here are 7 pointers you must keep in mind.

• Have a Good Reason

In India, the career switch is mainly to pursue a lost passion. Frustrated engineering graduates find themselves in the seat of bank managers and curse themselves. The most important question here is “Is this all worth it?” there are two ways to look at it. One is, that you are not happy in your current environment and the transition will change your life for the better. The second is the financial aspect. One must be mentally prepared to live a life where the pay is less, and that shouldn’t result in another breakdown.

• Find Believers

There will be a lot of naysayers. That is not what you need in your life right now. This doesn’t mean that you cast them out of your life. This simply means that you find people that believe in you and don’t stop reminding you to have “the talk” with your boss until you have actually done so.

• Plan

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Do not give up your current job in exchange for nothing. Planning is going to be the medium for you to make your transition well. Keep a track of the market, educate yourself before doing anything. Your plan may not play out exactly as you originally thought, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t valuable.

• Minimize Risk

Collect enough money to pay your bills for the next few months or possibly a year. Make sure that all your efforts in this period of transition are target oriented and that you never derail from this path. Do not dive into uncharted waters. Taking risks is a good thing and can change your life for the better, but it is always good to have an insight.

• Start Part Time

It would be very impractical to simply walk out on your current job and pursue your new venture. Instead, start part time and test the waters. Identify your mistakes and shortcomings.  Besides this, if you are a fresher, your current job might provide you with invaluable skills of marketing, distribution and advertisement.

• Create Ties

Have someone to always help you out. In fact, the more the merrier. Create ties in the field you want to pursue and you will flourish in your new job. Your progress will be faster.

• Make the Ask

When starting out in a new field, you are basically a new comer with no experience. However, that shouldn’t stop you from sending cold mails to prominent people from the field, asking people if you can work for them or if they know someone from that field with a job opening.

If you find yourself in what can be called a quarter life crisis, where you always think that others have it all figured out, do not worry. It is never too late and the grass is always greener on the other side. While everyone continues living in the misery of an unsatisfying job, saying that they are going to quit, be the person who takes initiative and actually does so. It all starts with you.