How to change careers: 5 steps from first idea to a new job

Step 1: learn what the new work involves

Start with 2 free federal sources. O*NET OnLine is an occupation database from the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration; it lists each occupation's tasks, skills, education, and wages.[1]

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes the OOH. For each occupation, it covers how to become one, pay, and job outlook.[3]

If you have no target yet, CareerOneStop, a career site sponsored by the Department of Labor, has a tool called mySkills myFuture. You tell it a job you have had, and it finds careers with similar skills.[5]

Read the task list first, because it shows the daily work. For electricians, O*NET lists tasks such as following blueprints to place wiring, pulling insulated wires through conduit, and working from ladders, scaffolds, or roofs. Keep an occupation on your list only if most of its tasks sound like work you would choose.[1]

Step 2: compare the new field's requirements with what you have

O*NET groups occupations into Job Zones by how much preparation they need: education, related experience, and training. The table compares a common starting job with a skilled trade, using O*NET's Job Zones and the OOH's own entries.[2][1]

Both wages are national medians from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for May 2025. Half the workers in each occupation earned more and half earned less. For retail sales workers, BLS says the wages include tips, sales commissions, and bonuses for meeting production targets, but not premium pay such as overtime. BLS also says these wages do not include pay for self-employed workers, because the OEWS survey does not collect it.[4][3]

O*NET's Job Zone description uses electricians as an example: 3 or 4 years of apprenticeship, or several years of vocational training. The OOH says most learn in a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship. Ask the program you would join how long it runs.[1][3]

The OOH's education and training entries cover retail sales workers, the group that includes retail salespersons. Pay also differs by state and experience, and O*NET shows state and local wages for each occupation.[4][1]

Next, compare skills. O*NET's summaries for both occupations list active listening, critical thinking, speaking, and coordination. The electrician summary adds troubleshooting, repairing, and installation, which are among the skills a retail worker would need to build.[2][1]

Check the outlook too. BLS projects employment of electricians to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations. It projects about 72,700 openings each year on average. These are national projections, and BLS expects many of the openings to come from replacing workers who change occupations or leave the labor force.[3]

Step 3: test a career change before you commit

Testing costs little and can save you from training for work you would not enjoy. Use these 2 ways before you sign up for a long program:

In each informational interview, ask about the rows of the comparison table in step 2 for your target job:

Step 4: plan the money and the timing of a career change

If the field trains through apprenticeships, look for a Registered Apprenticeship. Apprenticeship.gov describes it as paid work experience with a mentor and progressive wage increases. The program also includes classroom instruction and a portable, nationally recognized credential.[8]

In an electrician apprenticeship, you start below full pay. The OOH notes that apprentices receive less pay than fully trained electricians, and that their pay increases as they learn to do more.[3]

Before you resign, work out how long you can live on the training pay:

Timing also covers how you leave your current job. Once the new job or training place is confirmed, see how to write a resignation letter.

Before you accept a job offer in the new field, read how to negotiate a salary offer.

Step 5: rewrite your resume and your interview answer for the new field

CareerOneStop's resume guide says a combination format works well to refocus your experience for a career change. It has a summary at the top and a detailed work history.[9]

Use the skills overlap from step 2 here. Moving from retail into an electrician apprenticeship? Open the resume summary with the skills O*NET lists for both jobs: active listening, critical thinking, speaking, and coordination.[2][1]

See the career-change example in resume examples by job for the layout. Then make sure applicant tracking systems (ATS), the software many employers use to screen applications, can read it: see how to format an ATS-friendly resume.[9]

New to the field? CareerOneStop says to emphasize the transferable skills you developed in past jobs that relate to your new job goal.[10]

For interviews, the career-changer answer in how to answer "tell me about yourself" shows how to lead with the skill that carries over.

More on moving up or moving on is in the career growth guides.