How to Change a Career in your 20s: 10 Tips

Get rid of expectations from society, family, and yourself

A lot of people in their 20s are still trying to satisfy the expectations of others. Not just in life (like we all do) but specifically when it comes to education and career paths. 

For example, if you earned a degree in architecture, you might feel like you have to be an architect. 

Obviously, you have the requisite education to become one and it makes sense to go into a field that you just spent a few years of your life studying in, but if your heart is not in that profession you likely will burn out, sometimes in a spectacular way. 

Either that, or you will spend potentially decades going through life doing something that you don’t truly love and that can be a scary place to end up.

In fact, not pursuing a passion is one of the most prominent career regrets.

This is why it is so important to cast away any expectations that you may feel from others or even from yourself. 

It doesn’t matter what you went to college for or what everyone always thought you were “supposed” to be while you were in high school. 

It’s up to you to decide what you truly love to do and you owe it to yourself to pursue that.

So one of the first steps in changing your careers during your 20s is to not be afraid to chase your passions.

“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” ― Steve Jobs

Use your education to your advantage

For many employers, soft skills matter more than your college major. 

As pointed out by Forbes, ”93% of employers believe that critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills are more important than a job candidate’s undergraduate field of study.” 

But as a young person changing careers, if you excelled in school – whether it was high school, community college, or university – you want to squeeze as much value out of that as you can. 

If you were a standout student try to leverage that as much as possible.

While it is true that education only means so much and that if you are jumping into a new field, your degree credentials may have limited relevance, you’d be surprised how much they still might matter.

For example, if you graduated from a reputable university or college there’s a certain amount of credibility you’ll have regardless of what type of industry you’re trying to get into.

Don’t be afraid to draw attention to your academic achievements because they could help you stand out when you’re trying to break into a new career.

Utilize your “fresh” network

The other great thing about being recently out of college is that your network may be stronger than it ever will be, at least when it comes to your fellow classmates. 

It’s often the case that you begin to drift apart from members of your graduating class as each year goes by. 

But because you will be fresh out of school by only a few years, you can utilize those relationships before they weaken.

Start reaching out to people on LinkedIn and making connections to anyone you think that might have value to add in your new career change.

In particular, try to find people who have been working in the field you want to go into for around five years. They should have enough experience to give you some real insight.

Also, don't forget to reach out to former professors. They can provide a lot of valuable career advice.

Use courses to jumpstart your learnings

You may have already spent several years in school during your 20s but I’m here to tell you that you don’t always have to dedicate yourself to your education for years to get something meaningful out of it.

Often, you can take short courses that can fast track you into certain careers or at least provide you with the foundation to build upon. 

Unmudl helps you find courses that connect you with jobs so that is a wonderful place to start.

On the other side, maybe you have not pursued education and now you are ready to do so.

A great place to start might be enrolling in a local community college. 

You’ll be able to save a lot of money while you figure out what you want to do. If you want some tips on applying to community college, check out our guide here.

The power of your youth

Your youth can be a powerful asset when exploring career changes.

When I started working at a law firm in my early 20s, I remember working really long days and putting in 80 hour weeks like it was just the norm. 

Now, in my mid 30s putting in that type of effort just does not sound appealing.

But there’s something about your 20s that just allows you to grind hard.

And not just that but you also often have a fresh perspective on things.

You can use that energy, enthusiasm, and unique perspective to propel you during your career change job search and make yourself appeal more to employers.

Don’t underestimate your ability to be an expert

To be a true expert at anything it takes experience and experience takes time. 

The thing is, time does not apply equally to everybody when it comes to building expertise.

And no, I’m not talking about Einstein’s famous theory of relativity. 

Some people are fast learners, some people are just more dedicated to the craft than others, and some people just have a natural talent for certain types of work.

Just because you’re in your 20s, that does not mean that you cannot be a bona-fide expert in your given field.

How do you know you’re an expert or are approaching expert level status? 

Answer these questions:

• Do you regularly have insights that others don’t have in your field?
• Are you able to carry on in-depth conversations about your field effortlessly?
• Do people come to you for advice to solve problems in your field?
• Have you established any type of online presence in your field?
• When listening to experts in your field, do you find their advice “obvious?”
• Do you constantly feel like you’re more qualified than your managers?
• Are you giving any talks or presentations in your field?

These are all signs that you could be an expert even if you are still in your 20s.

If you happen to identify as an expert in a given field and you feel passionate about working in that space, consider yourself lucky.

That is a recipe for long-term success and if you can begin building that foundation in your 20s by the time you are in your 30s, your trajectory will be amazing.