Making a career change can feel pretty daunting. You may feel that you have limited options, or you may feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of possible directions you could take. You may have no idea where to start, or you may have a good sense of what it will take to change careers but you’re stuck in the comfortable routine of your present life.

How ever you are feeling about making a career change, know that it is absolutely possible, but it must but done with some smart planning. Before you quit your current job to chase your dream, do some good research, preparation and strategic planning.

1. Determine what skills, education and experience employers expect from new employees in your new field.

2. Determine whether you have adequate skills, qualifications and experience to be marketable and competitive in your new field. If you do not, map out a plan for acquiring the skills and experience you need.

3. Talk to people who currently do the job you’d like to do. Find out what their day to day tasks involve and ensure the job is really what you imagine it to be.

4. Determine whether employers are currently hiring in your new field. Look for advertised jobs and talk to people in the field to determine the current labor market conditions in the industry.

5. Find out how much money you can expect to make in the new job and ensure the salary meets your needs and expectations. If you’ll need to take a pay cut to launch your new career, try living on that much money for a few months so there will be no big financial surprises.

Making a mid life career change is common and can be very rewarding. I have written several tips on making a career change at my main site, you can find more career change advice and tips here.