If you are thinking about changing your career or redesigning your career path and don’t know where to start, consider the following:

1. Zeal. First things first, what are you passionate about? What do you spend your time thinking about when you’re at your current job or when you’re daydreaming? If you could shoot for that luminous spheroid of plasma in the sky, what would you aim for?
2. Expertise. What is your skill set? Are you someone who sees the beauty in numbers, patterns and proofs? Maybe you enjoy elucidating complex problems, or perhaps you love putting the metaphorical ink to paper. All careers require both soft and technical skills, and it helps to determine what you already do well and what skills you need to further develop.
3. Personality. Who are you and what is your personality type? Are you a strong-willed leader, a creative free spirit or perhaps a strategic thinker? Personality tests are a good way to provide further insight or simply confirm what you already know
4. Education. You’ve identified what you like and what you’re good at. Now to further develop your skills or learn something new, there are seemingly myriad classes to take to develop your skills.
5. Money. What are your salary requirements? Determine your range of what you’d like to make and what you need to make. (Check out Rasmussen College’s quiz for insight into skills as they relate to job clusters and salary ranges.)
6. Networking. Build your network. Start with people you know: friends, family, colleagues, classmates, and acquaintances and then work on expanding. Connect with your peers at local events, follow thought leaders in your field of interest on Linkedin, reach out to contacts from your network and join relevant associations and professional development groups.
7. Informational interviews. These are an absolute must for anyone looking to clarify or verify their career interests. Speaking with people who currently hold the position you are interested in will provide you with valuable insight that you may not be able to get anywhere else. They will be able to give it to you straight, warts and all.
8. Mentoring. These long-term relationships are often one-on-one, coach-driven or group-based and focus on supporting the development and growth of those seeking mentorship. Increasingly, organizations are using mentoring software to design, recruit, match and manage mentoring initiatives.
9. Career coaches. These experts can help guide career seekers through their job search, provide resume writing help and prepare candidates for interviews or promotions.
10. Internships. These are especially beneficial for career seekers just out of school or about to graduate with a degree or certificate. One can usually seek out internship assistance through their university or school. Likewise, companies often advertise internships through their career pages.
11. Temporary job placements. Freelance platforms and staffing agencies can be a great way to get your feet wet in your desired field. Freelance platforms help connect businesses to freelancers, and staffing agencies help place candidates in short–or long-term openings across industries and positions.