如何确保成功换工作?

If you're looking for work and aren't having much luck in your current field, it's tempting to decide now is the time for a career change.

如果你正在找工作，并且在目前的行业也没多少希望，那这时候考虑换工作听起来就很有诱惑力了。

But although it's always good to be flexible, it's also important to be realistic.

虽然灵活一点总是好的，但是现实也是很重要的。

"There's a bigger pool of more highly qualified people who are willing to work for less money" in a downturn, says Richard Phillips, owner of Advantage Career Solutions.

Advantage Career Solutions公司的老总Richard Phillips说：“在经济低迷时期有大批比你更有资历的人愿意以更低的薪水接受工作。”

Experts such as Phillips offer these four tips for ensuring a career change will work -- before you make the leap:

Phillips等专家提供了以下四点建议，确保你换工作成功，不过要在换工作之前实行：

1）Do your homework.

做好功课。

Make sure you don't jump from one sinking industry to another. Ask, "is this a growth area?"

 要确保你不是从一个濒临死亡的产业跳到了另外一个。要弄清楚这是否是个有潜力的行业？

You can start your research online, with government publications such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook.

你可以从网上搜索资料，同时可以用《劳动统计局职业前景手册》之类的政府出版物做为辅助。

Also look at whether a particular specialty within your potential new field is in demand. For example, perhaps school districts in your area aren't hiring many elementary school teachers, but they do need specialized teachers.

另外，也要看看你要进入的行业是否有特别的专业要求。比如，你当地的学校可能不会聘请小学老师，但是却可能需要有专业技能的教师。

2）Talk to people.

和别人谈谈。

Before you make a change, you need to find out "what the career and job really involve -- not your fantasy.

在你换工作之前，你要弄清楚这项工作或该领域实际上涉及到什么，不能只是一味假想。

For example, many careers, ranging from interior design to financial planning, may involve selling your services in addition to performing them. Or you may be enticed by the high average salary of your dream job, only to find that it's a field where a few people make a lot and most people make very little.

比如说，室内设计到财政规划等很多行业，既需要你出售服务还需要你实施服务。或许你会被你理想工作的高薪吸引，最后发现原来那个行业里只有少数人才能挣到大钱，大部分的人工资都很低。

To get the real story, talk to people who work in the field you're targeting. You can find them through your college alumni association, professional associations, and schools with programs in the field.

想要知道实际情况，就和那些已经在你的理想行业工作的人士谈谈。你可以通过大学校友会，专业社团，或该行业的培训学校那里找到这样的专业人士。