What changing careers actually means, and what it costs
Changing careers means moving from one type of work to a different one — not just switching employers in the same field. You might move from retail to accounting, from teaching to software development, or from nursing to project management. The shift usually requires new skills, credentials, or both, and it almost always means a period where your income drops or stays flat while you learn.
The real cost is time and money: tuition or training fees (which vary from nothing to tens of thousands of dollars), lost wages during retraining, and the risk that you spend months preparing only to find the new field doesn't suit you. Some career changes take three months; others take two years. The timeline depends on what you're moving toward, what you already know, and whether you can train while working.
Before you commit, be clear about why you're leaving your current field. If it's the specific job that's wrong — the boss, the commute, the hours — changing careers may not fix it. If it's the work itself, the industry, or the pay ceiling, a career change makes sense. That distinction matters because it changes what you should do next.
Key Takeaways
- Career changes usually require new training or credentials, which take time and money whether you pursue a degree, certificate, bootcamp, or self-study path.
- You can train while working, train full-time, or combine both — each path has different costs in money and time, and different risks if you change your mind.
- Your existing skills often transfer to a new field even if the job title doesn't, and employers in your target field can tell you which ones matter most.
- Networking in your target field before you finish training makes the job search faster and often reveals positions that don't appear online.
- Starting salaries in a new field are usually lower than what you earned in your old one, even if the field pays well overall.
Figure out what skills and credentials your target field actually requires
Before you spend money on training, find out what people in your target field actually need to know. Job postings tell part of the story, but they're written by hiring managers who often list everything they'd like rather than everything they require. A better source is people already doing the work.
Reach out to three to five people in your target field — through LinkedIn, professional associations, alumni networks, or friends of friends — and ask them two questions: What did you need to learn before you got your first job in this field? What do you wish you'd known before you started? Their answers will tell you whether you need a degree, a certificate, a portfolio, or just hands-on experience. They'll also tell you which skills from your current job transfer over.
Look at job postings for entry-level positions in your target field and note what appears in almost every posting. That's your baseline. Then look at postings for positions two or three years in — that's where you're headed, and it shows you what you'll need to learn after your first role. This prevents you from training for a dead-end position.
Choose a training path based on time, money, and risk
You have four main routes: a degree program (usually two to four years), a certificate or bootcamp (usually three months to two years), self-study with a portfolio (usually six months to two years), or on-the-job training after you land an entry-level role (usually one to three years). Each has different costs and different odds of success.
Degree programs take the longest and cost the most, but they open doors in fields that legally require credentials (nursing, engineering, accounting) or where employers strongly prefer them (many corporate jobs). They also give you time to change your mind without having wasted money. The downside: you're not earning, and you're taking on debt unless you have savings or scholarships.
Bootcamps and certificates are faster and cheaper than degrees, and they're designed to teach you what employers actually want. They work well for fields like coding, data analysis, UX design, and digital marketing where a portfolio matters more than a degree. The risk is higher — if you hate the field after three months, you've spent money and time with nothing to show an employer. Many bootcamps have job guarantees or money-back promises, but read the fine print: they often require you to finish the program and do job searches for a set period before the may provide kicks in.
Self-study costs the least money (often just the price of online courses or books) but requires the most discipline. It works if you're moving into a field where a portfolio replaces a credential — design, writing, coding, marketing. It doesn't work if employers expect a certificate or degree. The advantage is you can test whether you actually like the work before committing money.
On-the-job training means landing an entry-level role in your target field and learning as you go. This is possible in some fields (sales, customer service, many administrative roles) but not others (medicine, law, engineering). The advantage: you earn while you learn, and you know immediately whether the work suits you. The disadvantage: you're competing for entry-level jobs against people who have no work history in that field, so you need either a credential, a strong portfolio, or a connection to someone inside the company.
Decide whether to train while working or train full-time
If you have savings, dependents, or debt, training full-time may not be possible. If you train while working, you're adding 10 to 20 hours a week of study to your current job — that's sustainable for six months to a year, but it burns people out if it goes longer. Training full-time means no income for months, which works only if you have savings or can borrow money.
The hybrid approach — working part-time while training part-time — stretches the timeline but reduces financial risk. Some people reduce their current job to part-time, others pick up freelance or gig work that's flexible, and others take a leave of absence if their employer allows it. This path takes longer but lets you test whether you like the new field before you've burned through your savings.
Be honest about what you can sustain. Training while working full-time works for three to six months; after that, most people either drop out or burn out. If your target field requires a degree, full-time study is usually faster and cheaper than part-time, even if you have to borrow money. If it requires a certificate or bootcamp, part-time options exist and may be worth the longer timeline.
Build a portfolio or network before you finish training
The moment you start training, start building proof that you can do the work. In fields where a portfolio matters — design, writing, coding, marketing — this means creating real projects, even small ones. A designer builds three to five pieces for fictional clients. A writer publishes blog posts or Medium articles. A coder builds a GitHub portfolio with real projects. A marketer runs a small campaign for a nonprofit or friend's business.
Employers in your target field will look at your portfolio before they look at your resume. A strong portfolio from someone with no experience in the field often beats a weak one from someone with years in it. Start building it as soon as you know what field you're entering.
At the same time, start networking in your target field. Attend industry meetups, join online communities, follow people in the field on LinkedIn, and reach out to people for informational interviews. This serves two purposes: you learn what the field is really like, and you build relationships that often lead to job opportunities. Many positions are filled through referrals before they're posted online, so the people you meet during training often become your first leads when you're job searching.
Prepare for lower pay in your first role
Even if your target field pays well overall, your starting salary will likely be lower than what you earned in your previous career. You're entering as a junior, not at the level you left. This is true even if you're older, more experienced in other fields, or more educated than other entry-level hires. Employers pay for experience in their field, not for how much you earned before.
Budget for this reality before you make the switch. If you need to earn a certain amount to cover your expenses, a career change may not be possible right now — or you may need to find a way to train while keeping your current income. Some people take a lower-paying job in their target field while keeping a second part-time job; others negotiate for a higher starting salary by emphasizing skills that transfer (project management, customer relationships, technical knowledge) and offering to prove themselves on a trial basis.
The pay gap usually closes within two to five years as you gain experience in the new field. But in year one, expect to earn less than you did before, sometimes significantly less.
Handle the job search in your new field
Job searching in a new field is harder than moving to a new employer in your current one because you don't have the credential or experience employers usually want. You have three advantages: your portfolio (if your field requires one), your network (the people you met during training), and your transferable skills (project management, communication, problem-solving, technical knowledge from your previous work).
Target entry-level positions and junior roles explicitly. Don't apply for mid-level jobs and hope they'll overlook your lack of experience — they won't. Look for positions that say "entry-level," "junior," "no experience required," or "career changer welcome." Some companies actively hire people changing careers because they value the maturity and work ethic that comes with it.
In your cover letter and resume, translate your previous experience into language your target field understands. If you managed a team in retail and you're moving to project management, say so. If you solved customer problems in one field and you're moving to user experience design, make that connection explicit. Employers want to know that you understand the work and that you've thought seriously about the move.
Use your network first. Reach out to people you met during training, people in your target field you interviewed, and anyone who works at companies you're interested in. A referral from someone inside the company often gets your resume in front of a hiring manager faster than applying online.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a career change usually take?
It depends on your path. A bootcamp or certificate takes three months to two years. A degree takes two to four years. Self-study with a portfolio takes six months to two years. Add three to six months for job searching in your new field. Most people spend one to three years total from decision to first job in the new career.
Can I change careers without getting a degree or certificate?
Yes, if your target field values a portfolio or on-the-job learning over credentials. Design, writing, coding, marketing, and sales often hire people without formal credentials if they can prove they can do the work. Fields like nursing, law, engineering, and accounting require degrees or licenses. Ask people in your target field whether a credential is required or just preferred.
What if I start training and realize I hate the new field?
This is why testing matters. If you're self-studying or in a short bootcamp, you can stop without much loss. If you're halfway through a degree, you have a harder choice. Before you commit to a long program, spend time doing the actual work — volunteer, intern, take on a small project, or talk to people doing it every day. The more you know before you start, the less likely you are to waste time and money.
Should I tell my current employer I'm planning to leave?
Not until you're ready to leave. If you're training while working, keep it private unless you need flexibility (a schedule change, time off for exams). Once you've landed a job in your new field, give standard notice — usually two weeks, sometimes more if you're in a senior role. Your current employer doesn't need to know about your plans until you're certain.
How do I know if a bootcamp or certificate program is worth the money?
Look at job placement rates (what percentage of graduates get jobs in the field within six months), talk to alumni about whether they found work, and check whether the program has a money-back may provide or job may provide. Read the fine print on guarantees — many require you to finish the program, do job searches for a set period, and meet other conditions. Compare the cost to the starting salary in your target field; if the program costs more than you'll earn in your first year, think carefully about whether it's worth it.