Changing careers can be an exciting but scary prospect.

If you have been feeling burned out at your current occupation, it may be time for a change to give you that excitement for your career. However, you may not want to start all over back at entry-level in your new career either for pay or for responsibility.

The key is to consider industries that hire people changing careers and utilize their current knowledge in a new way.

Consulting

Consultants are in high demand, especially from companies that are seeking to grow and expand.

Use the knowledge you have gained in your previous field to help others. This is an ideal career choice if you once loved your job but were tired of some aspects.

Your knowledge comes at a good price, especially if you were in a management role or other high-level position.

Information Technology

As the following article shows, another of the industries that hire people making a career change is computer and network security or information technology. You often don't need a special degree since many departments prefer to train you on their own.

 A background working with computers, especially if you know a little coding, could be enough to get your foot in the door.

Even though you may start out in a lower position, you often see higher salaries because of the industry. It is easy to promote up in the ranks if you have good basic skills and learn quickly.

Online Media and Marketing

If you have a background that is compatible, you will find a wealth of jobs in this industry.

From journalism to advertising to public relations to web design, there are many aspects of your former career that can give you the edge over the competition.

The key with this industry is to look for an online version of your prior job.

For example, you can find jobs in IT management working from a remote location. If you worked in sales, transfer that knowledge to internet marketing.

Teaching

More people are involved in virtual learning than ever before. This allows you to use your background to teach others online.

Traditional colleges offer online classes and often look for teachers dedicated to that aspect rather than having one teacher manage both physical and virtual classrooms.

Other educational sites hire people to write and teach courses as part of programs they offer to businesses.

The subjects are vast and can be generalized like how to be a good manager, or they may be specific to an industry. You often can set your own hours and work as much or as little as you want.

Making the Change

Before you quit your job, find out what options are available in a new career.

Consider using some of what you have been doing in your current job to give you an advantage over others. Don't forget to consider volunteer experience as well as your previous career.

It's never too late to find a job that you love, so don't hesitate to switch careers.

Just make a game plan and know where you are going.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Mister GC at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Joyce Morse is an author who writes on a variety of topics, including business and careers.