Keys to successfully changing careers

When changing careers, there are a few keys to success. I have based this blog on a person who wanted to change his career to a producer/artist working in the games industry. These rules apply for any major career change.

1) Learn the language of the new role. Live it speak it, understand it deeply and be guaranteed that even though you thought you knew every conceivable term related to that field, that you've probably only learned about half. Be comfortable with that and you might make it through the first interview (probably not, but by the third or fourth, you'll be OK).

2) Learn about key players in that industry. You must know the names of a few movers and shakers and some details about what they've done. John Carmack - made Quake and Doom, John Romero - helped Carmack on Quake and Doom and formed IonStorm, etc.

3) Put together a portfolio and you should be able to demonstrate a basic skillset.
For producers, it's schedules, planning, Gantt charts, and deep knowledge to waterfall and scrum. Better know how to navigate politics, manage expectations, and motivate.
For artists, its pointillism, texture mapping, animation, Maya, 3DS, Poser, and ZBrush. Better know how to sketch, do environments, model a creature.

4) Tailor your resume to closely match the career you are seeking. You have done work before and if you have done anything that looks like producing or art, put that on the resume. If you do it right, you could end up looking like you've built a career on what you want to do. DO NOT BE DISHONEST. Making things up will hardly ever work and earns you a bad rap with people who will never hire you later. But be interpretive with your accomplishments and you'll probably find something in there that matches the job you want.

5) Read everything that you can on the topic. Blogs, Gamasutra, the Maya help page, management books (I recommend "Growing Great Employees" and "Good to Great")... everything you can... stay focused on the goal.

6) Stop saying "I wanna be a ..." and start saying "I am a ...". Play act the role (this is highly recommended) by yourself or with a SO or friend... this is called visualization. Imagine yourself doing this job everyday. Then try to imagine the hard parts of that role... what would really suck to be stuck with doing? (firing people, doing art for some porn game). At the end of the day, this is a job and we all live for the 10% interesting stuff where 90% of the stuff at most jobs is just stuff to do.

7) Create a linked in profile and update it regularly when you feel that you've acquired new skills.

8) Profit

Good luck