We’re fast approaching the end of the year, and the beginning of 2018. New Years resolutions are prevalent, along with hopes of a successful and prosperous year ahead. People often contemplate if they really are happy in their current career, and whether a change of career could equal more fulfillment, where the grass is greener and the sky bluer? Are you stuck in a job that’s not for you? Are you ready for a career change, but have no idea what to do or how to do it?

When you’re stuck in a rut and dreading each day of work,

a change of career seems to be the answer. But is it….

 

When thinking about a career change there are many factors to consider. These are my top 5 crucial considerations of making a change, which may help evaluate your position and view the prospect of change with a steady gaze:-

  • Your financial situation

    Dramatically changing careers (such as moving into a different industry) usually means some financial impact. Often the change impacts role seniority and effectively remuneration, at least initially.

 

  • The risk associated with that change

    lets face it, a lot of questions will stem from fear of change and the unknown road ahead. Will I like my new chosen career? Will it meet my future needs? Will I be happy (happier)? Any move is risky, but doing your research will help.

 

  • Change of network

    One thing I had not considered prior to one of my major career changes, is the loss of network from the previous career and the lack of network in the new field. It makes a big difference, so I found out. You really appreciate the power of your network when its not there anymore.

 

  • Your portability (or transferable skills)

    Your portability to a new role depends on how broad your transferable skill range is as opposed to your industry specific skills. If, for example, you are an engineer who does not have a network, but a history of project focused delivery activity and you want to move into sales role, then your transferable skills to the new role may be limited and you would struggle to demonstrate you have the capacity to demonstrate those skills without the previous job history. Plus you’d be going up against people who do have those skills. If, on the other hand, you are a General Manager, then your broad range of transferable skills are likely to align with a wider range of options.

 

  • Barriers of entry

    are the amount of effort you will need to physically and possibly financially put into a major career change. If I wanted to change my career to become a Doctor, for example, there are a number of barriers of entry I would need to consider, primarily admission, attending and passing a medical degree, just for starters. We have had a candidate come through our program who at 30 moved into the medical field after a number of years working on the mines, one could argue that the medical degree was her career plan all along and the mine job was her financial backing. The barriers of entry to some new careers can be quite daunting, but with the right attitude and consideration, anything is possible. And the reality is, you were making these decision at 18 anyway, they just seem that much more challenging now when you’re married with kids, with commitments in terms of mortgages etc., a whole network in your chosen field, a secured income and a known quantity (in terms of your current job).

So, yes, you can change careers, yes it will come at a cost, but with

one life to live why waste it doing something you hate

or

leaving this world without trying something you love.

 

At any stage of your career you can switch. I’ve changed careers several times over my life, and some of those changes have been quite dramatic. The complexity comes into it when you look at your personal circumstances and the extent of the career change.

Talking to a qualified Career Coach at Career Life Transitions can help you walk through the questions and answers of career change. It may actually be easier than you think. Contact us for a confidential career conversation….

 

About the Author

Peter James

Peter James is a professional career coach, with expertise in the areas of strategic and ‘hands-on’ change management, coaching, group facilitation, leadership development and organisational design and change. Peter James is director at Career Life Transitions & Harrogate Consulting.