There are a lot of dissatisfied workers out there: an October 2000 survey by the Conference Board indicates that less than 51% of Americans are happy with their jobs, down from 59% five years earlier. And of those, baby boomers are the least content professionally; their job satisfaction declined the most in the past five years, from 57% down to less than 47%.

It's no wonder that Americans are changing jobs more frequently than ever and for a whole variety of reasons. Some feel that their careers are stalled or want to be able to spend more time with their families. But no matter when you decide to make a career move, there are some important considerations to take into account before changing direction. The first step is to do some thorough soul-searching. Career professionals often refer to this as a "self-assessment." Ask yourself a few basic questions first. It helps to write down your thoughts as you go through this process. Why do you want to make a transition in the first place? How will your quality of life change? What are the financial ramifications? Emotional ramifications? Brad Agry of Career Team Partners recommends the book, What Color is Your Parachute. Says Agry, "It's a pretty direct means of basically looking at the past and what you have done vocationally and have enjoyed and using it as a barometer for charting a future course." Another great resource is the self-assessment information found on JobSpectrum.

Dorothy Rodmann, who runs her own career consulting practice, says that the most successful career changers share certain characteristics. For example, career changers are risk takers, willing to deal with change, willing to take chances and go outside of their comfort zones. "You should also recognize that most transitions are unique and unplanned," says Rodmann, and that they don't follow specific rules or plans.

One person who embodies all of those characteristics is Mark Greenberg, assistant director and COO at Suburban Medical Lab in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. He's been back and forth from the private sector to academia several times and says that two things drove him to make substantial life moves are his family and the desire for challenge and to learn new things. People who are considering a career change must feel passionate about why they are making a change in the first place, he says. For Greenberg, at different times, it was the need to re-connect with students and the desire to be close with his family. He also discovered that keeping a record of his expectations and accomplishments helped tremendously at each stage of his career. "I wrote down my expectations and found this very energizing and great for measuring my success…. It's great to be able to look back over what you've accomplished and important to look back and celebrate successes."

Once you know what your motivation is and have examined your purpose, passion, and pride, you can move ahead to these practical steps for making a successful career transition:

Research Your New Field. It's important to be well informed when you are deciding to make a career transition. Learn as much as you can about your new industry or field. Read industry directories and vertical publications to get an overview of the major "players" and news suggests Agry. A great place to start is the library where you'll find publications such as Chemical and Engineering News, and discipline-specific journals such as "The Journal of Physical Chemistry." Joining one of the 33 technical divisions of the American Chemical Society (ACS) is another good way to learn about other fields; all have Web sites and offer useful member benefits.

Network. One of the best ways to find out about new opportunities and to learn what's hot and what's not in a certain field is to talk to as many people as possible. Agry recommends that you conduct informational interviews with people who functionally do what you want to do in the kind of company you would like to eventually work in.

One great source for networking opportunities is associations and organizations such as ACS. Most offer seminars, social events, and workshops. You can learn 12 tips for networking, courtesy of Ronald Krannich. For example, "Set a goal. Try to meet at least five new people. Try to find one person with whom you can set an appointment."

Re-Tool Your Skills. Once you know that you definitely want to change careers, how can you make it happen? Obviously, you'll need to take a close look at the skills you currently have and the ones you'll need in order to move forward. That could mean anything from taking a quick workshop to signing up for continuing education to going back for another degree. "Chemical scientists tend to be very linear in their thinking," says Rodmann. "They don't necessarily think about how to use their skills in different ways. It's seeing the possibilities in those skills and different ways to use those skills. For example, an analytical chemist might have certain skills such as being good at probing for information, good at interacting with people, good at evaluating and decision making. That person might consider going into forensics or handling court cases if they are quick on their feet. Or that person might be able to sell instruments or could go to work at a museum as a conservation chemist. They must understand their major chemical strengths as well as other "soft" skills such as communication and the ability to lead others. For example, if they are good at writing and editing explains Rodmann, that person could work on scientific books or journals.

Resume Makeover. Barbara Reinhold, a career counselor, says that career changers are probably better off with a functional resume. "A functional resume offers you the best opportunity to showcase skills rather than job experience -- it's a forward-looking kind of resume." Information on resume writing and sample resumes can be found in the ACS publication, Tips on Resume Preparation.

Sue Romanos, President of Florida-based CareerXchange offers these tips for a resume makeover:

• Evaluate which skills or aspects of past positions are applicable to the new position.
• Emphasize those aspects in particular when describing past job experiences.
• If you are going into a completely different field, focus on your past aptitude for learning new skills. For example, someone who has shown they can learn any new computer program quickly is even more desirable than someone who is proficient at the company's current program.
• Emphasize continuing education as it shows a past willingness to enhance your sphere of knowledge and acquire new skill sets on your own time.

Test the Waters. What if you're still not sure in what direction to head? A good way to find out is to do part-time or volunteer work that relates to your new career path. For example, you could sign up with a temporary agency and try out different types of projects. On the National Technical Services Association Web site, you can search for companies that place contractors in science-related projects. Randstad's Technical Practice group places science professionals in contract positions. (See Life as a Perma-Temp for more information.)

Related Reading:
Resouces for Career Changes

Sacha Cohen is a Washington-based business and technology writer. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, Kiplinger.com, Fast Company, Oxygen's ka-Ching and other print and online publications. Cohen has been covering Internet trends and culture since 1996.