Making a career change is a big decision, especially if it involves not only you, but a family and loved ones as well. In order to better assess what type of job in what kind of environment suits you best, there are several questions you should ask yourself as you prepare to make a move. Asking yourself the following questions will help you realize what issues are – or aren’t – deal breakers.

Additionally, career education or career training can be invaluable as you start the job search process. The better prepared and knowledgeable you are as an individual, the more marketable you are to potential employers.

Small and emerging or large and established?

While each has its own list of pros and cons, it’s important to consider how each scenario will affect your desire to work and produce good, solid results. Emerging industries and disciplines are often found in smaller organizations but offer exciting opportunities for employees and owners alike. A more established organization, that may be larger in size, offers stable job expectations and superior, more traditional benefits.

Something else to consider when determining your ideal type and size of organization is how the decisions are made within these organizations. Is it a hierarchical organization style or a flat one? Hierarchical organization stems from the top-down model, a flat organization style tends to distribute decision-making responsibilities across many employees and individuals.

Structured and organized or flexible and casual?

Certain people thrive much better under a structured work schedule, such as a Monday through Friday, 9 to 5. They know where they need to be and when they need to be there. For others, they produce better work when given the time and space to be flexible and work when the moment strikes them.

Additionally, certain industries, such as customer service, often require job follow up and maintenance after the typical work hours are over. If you want to end your day at 5 p.m. to allow for outside-of-work activities, you’ll want to steer clear of the jobs that put you on the front lines of customer service.

Where does your passion lie?

Do you enjoy working for a nonprofit group that embodies your passion? This can be a great way to bring together your workday and weekend lives into one place. However, it’s important to remember nonprofits are usually mission, not profit-driven.

Perhaps your passion is balancing your work and family life. If so, you’ll want to take a long look at potential workplaces and companies to see how they fit in with your focus on family and downtime.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 15 years?

Deciding to change up your career is a long-term decision. As you narrow down your possibilities, be sure to consider what this means for you – and your family and loved ones – down the road.

Technology-focused organizations are becoming more and more common as we advance within that field. Having a strong understanding of technology currently and where it’s headed can make you a valuable team member and company asset.

What can career training do for you?

Making a change in careers is no easy task. But if you take some time to arm yourself, either through career training or taking online education courses, you will be better prepared to address changing careers.