I’m writing this blog for those who are thinking of changing their career and are looking for a new, interesting or different role.
Examples here may be:
- following your hobbies, such as if you are into baking – opening up a café or bakery
- going for a career you may have thought of in the past, but have been putting off
- finding something new and different, just as a complete contrast to what you’ve been doing previously. For example: teaching English as a foreign language, becoming a counsellor, or a career coach
- starting your own business
Know what you want to do
Firstly, it’s important to know what you want to do and what your priorities are. You can complete a values exercise and also think about the balance wheel tool. Don’t just change your career on a whim. It’s important to have a clear intention of what you want to do. It also is important to have a good knowledge of your skills and what you are capable of and a strong self-belief.
Intention is a great concept. I have written about this in a previous blog. It can really help with moving forward towards achieving all that you set out to do.
Need retraining?
If you’re looking for a new role, it’s important to set out a) the time needed and b) finances required. This is to see whether you will have to have an outlay to make before you can get into your desired new career.
You’ll need to complete a thorough investigation to make sure that you are completing the right sort of training for the role you’d like to move into. It’s best to speak to people that are already doing the role, several of them, if possible. This is so that you are going into the new career with your eyes open. I have found that LinkedIn can often be a good source for finding people that are already doing what you are thinking of going into.
What other support is there?
If you’re looking for a new role, it’s also a good idea to find out if there is any support out there that can help you. This could be in the shape of financial backing or moral support from like-minded individuals.
You might find financial support. For example, some training courses or master’s might be partly or wholly funded by the government, by your work or through other sources. Some guidance on funding is found on the Prospect’s website.
You may be provided with moral support via the events organised by professional bodies, by the organisation you’ve done your course/training with, or by business networking groups. There’s no doubt that connecting with like-minded individual is helpful, as they will have gone, or be going through the same sort of challenges that you will be.
Deciding whether to be in employment or work for your own business
This is a decision if you are wondering about a career change. There’s also the possibility of working part-time and owning a business. In some cases, the decision will be made for you, by the nature of the new type of work you’ll be undertaking.
For example, even if you are freelancing, you may be counted as an employee for tax purposes. Prospects have written a blog about freelancing, if you are interested in going into this. You may also find my blog on portfolio careers useful. It’s aimed at NHS Staff, but useful for everyone considering this move.
Alternative employed roles to consider for a career change
Finally, I have written an article on alternative roles for someone who is considering a career change. These roles are all mostly included on the national UK careers service website. They are roles where the requirement for training is not too expensive or lengthy. If you know of any other roles that it might be good to include, please do let me know.
You might also be interested in my blog on assessing options.