Changing Careers Successfully

I am trying to make a career transition, and I am trying to find a way to make this as successful a transition as possible. I could really use some advice on how to go about doing this. I am planning on continuing on in my current position while I get the education that I need in order to change to the new career of my choice. That way I will still be earning money while I get my training. However, I will still need to find some contacts and some experience in areas that will help me with my new career.