Making a move into another career is a something we may have all thought about at some point. But some things tend to stand in the way of accomplishing this goal. Having the necessary qualifications tends to be the wall that we need to scale to get there. But when you’re looking at changing a career you need to do some soul searching and ask yourself many questions. People start to worry if they’ve been in one job for so long that they will get stuck. That is not the case. Here are some tips if you are thinking about jumping ship from where you are to start over again.
Do I Need To Retrain?
You don’t necessarily need to retrain if you decide to work in certain industries. For example, if you go online and search for construction jobs you will see that many jobs don’t require any qualifications. In fact, working in an environment such as construction gives you the ability to progress from a manual job to running the site. Which brings me onto the next point…
Starting From The Bottom Is Not A Terrible Thing
One aspect of changing careers without retraining may mean that to get on the right career ladder you will need to start out right down the bottom. It can be incredibly off-putting, especially if you are that bit older when you change careers. It may feel demoralizing to wash dishes in a restaurant, or running errands on a film set. But you have the idea of the long game in mind, and making sure that you knuckle down and do the work will give you a better idea of the workspace. That way, you can start to see opportunities where they come up.
Do Your Research
If you are unhappy in your current job, you can get carried away with flights of fancy. You can daydream about a life where you can work from home, or you call the shots somewhere. But is that all you’ve thought about when it comes to this new career you’d like to try? Websites like Prospects and TargetJobs have career planning tools, so you can at least try to plan your trajectory. Make sure what you are leaving your job for is what you truly want. So ask questions, research the finite details of the role you would like. You may find that it is not suited to your personality. There are many personality quizzes online where you can find your type and what occupations are the best fit for this kind.
Don’t Think You Only Have One Shot!
If you’ve changed career, it’s very easy to think that this could be your last chance. Thinking like that is not healthy for you! It is adding unnecessary pressure to think about life purposes or what your true calling is. If you find that it is not for you, at least you have learned from it. Changing a career is a big gamble, but it will be one that pays off with varying amounts of trial and error. So think twice, but if you want it, then go for it!
Have you made a career move or are you considering one? Let us know your experience in the comments.
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