8 of the Hottest Career Changes to Consider

Millennials change jobs frequently, which can be a big decision if you’ve worked in the same industry for a long time. Individuals generally choose to change careers due to a poor work-life balance, inflexible schedule, or a lack of positive work culture. 

Although changing careers can be difficult, it might be the right move if you want to earn more money, want more free time, you’re feeling burnt out, or you want to go back to school. 

Each job seeker must uncover what career fields they should pursue depending on what they’re looking for. You should get to know your motivations and reasons behind your desire to leave a job or company. And after doing job research and assessing them objectively, you can then execute applying for remote or local jobs in your area. 

The following is a list of the hottest jobs to consider for a career change that offers a good work-life balance and induces lower stress levels overall, according to Indeed.com. 

Teacher

Teachers and other service-oriented careers bring an inherent sense of calling and deeper purpose. Teachers work with children to help them learn, grow, and develop as both students and people. 

Most teachers work for private or public schools, but there is a multitude of opportunities for teachers to instruct students at home or in small groups. Making the career change to teaching might be a good move for a job seeker who wants to work with children. Additionally, teachers have one of the highest job satisfaction ratings, as their work can be extremely rewarding. 

The University of Massachusetts (UMASS) published a press release with tips on how to start your second career as a teacher. 

Sales Development Representative 

Sales development representatives contact as many potential customers as possible to quickly decide whether to move them through the sales funnel. Working as a sales development representative can be appealing, as they often earn a commission on top of a base salary.

Becoming a sales development representative is an excellent way to either begin a career after college or switch your career to the corporate world. About 20% of Fortune 500 CEOs started by working in sales, according to a Uvaro survey. 

Because there are typically no degree requirements to work as a sales development representative, this career can be a great choice if you're someone who wants to work hard and earn extra money for your efforts.

If you have an interest in sales and top-notch interpersonal skills, you may consider a sales development representative career and start learning the ins and outs of the job itself. 

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketers run a company’s social media accounts and handle a company’s online presence. Experience working with social media is a key part of becoming a manager in the field, including knowledge of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. 

In today’s modern, always-connected world, most individuals use social media in their working and personal lives. Social media marketing is a good job because it’s one of the fastest-growing career opportunities due to the increasing number of businesses expanding their online presence. 

If you're an expert in social media and want to apply those skills professionally, this career switch might be right for you. A September 2021 Career Karma blog touches on how to become a social media marketer and what the best social media marketing career path is. 

Veterinary Assistant 

Veterinary assistants work in a veterinarian's office and help perform surgery on animals and facilitate their rehabilitation. They may also help administer medicine and monitor animals while their owners are away. 

Becoming a vet assistant is best for individuals who love animals and want to work outside of an office environment. Vet assistant careers continue to experience tremendous growth, with about 10,000 new jobs hitting the market year-over-year. 

The best veterinary assistants know how to engage with pet owners genuinely and respectfully. This 2021 “how to” article explains what a vet assistant does, the requirements for becoming a vet assistant, salary expectations, and overall career outlook. 

Life Coach

Life coaches are wellness professionals who help their clients work through issues they’re facing in life. This mentor helps individuals develop important skills, set goals, and ultimately change their lives. 

Throughout the past few years, the life coaching industry has boomed. Becoming a life coach allows you to become an entrepreneur, promoting yourself and sharing your strengths and passions with your clients. 

As a life coach, you set your own schedule and can work from the comfort of your own home. A 2020 NerdWallet article mentioned seven steps to becoming a successful life coach for anyone looking to change career paths. 

Fundraiser 

Fundraisers are people who work with organizations to raise financial support for a charity, institution, or other enterprises. Fundraisers often work as part of a nonprofit team, but anyone can create a fundraising page to raise money for someone in need. 

Fundraisers typically need a bachelor’s degree and strong communication and organization skills. Employers generally prefer candidates who studied public relations, journalism, communications, English, or business. 

If you’re passionate about charity work and enjoy helping others, working as a fundraiser may be a good career change for you. Job search engine Zippia published an article with tips and tricks to becoming a professional fundraiser, as well as updated fundraiser jobs in your local area. 

Head Chef

A head chef is a person in charge of running a kitchen, including creating menus, controlling kitchen costs, and managing the kitchen staff. 

If you're passionate about food or the culinary arts, shifting careers to a head chef may be a good choice. Culinary training programs may last one to four years, but if you want to work with your hands and enjoy feeding others, it may be a rewarding profession.

In a Le Cordon Bleu article, experts talk about what it takes to become a chef, what training you need, the different types of chefs, and what a typical working week looks like. 

Freelance Photography/ Writing 

Moving into a freelance career is great for individuals who crave independence. Freelancing lets you choose whether to take on short or long-term projects and allows you to branch into new areas rather than staying in one department.

Freelance photographers are professionals who offer their services to clients typically for big events, such as weddings and graduations. This job is perfect for someone who wants to transition their photography side hustle into a full-time job. 

Freelance writers produce written content for a company and generally earn compensation by the word. Freelance writing comes in a variety of forms, including magazines, newspapers, or online companies. 

A massive plus to any freelance job is that you work for yourself, you make your own schedule, and you can focus on the work you love without the distractions of a full-time job like meetings, office politics, office distractions, etc.  

But the pros of becoming a freelance photographer or writer come with the cons of any freelance job, including filing freelance taxes, sporadic work patterns, a lack of employee benefits and resources, and isolation. 

Working as a freelance photographer can be an interesting career change if you’re passionate about photography or being your own boss. A May 2021 blog post touches on points to consider when thinking about making this job move and provides tips to individuals getting started. 

And if you’re considering starting a career as a freelance writer, it is important to learn what the job entails and how to jumpstart your independent business.