Are you considering a career change?
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What is a career change? Changing career involves refocusing on new goals and taking a completely new direction. It may require retraining, or taking a small part of an existing job and making it your main activity. It may involve becoming self-employed, or taking your skills to an entirely different sector. Commonly a career change involves a drop in pay, as you need to acquire new skills to replace some that are already in your portfolio – and earning you money.
Why might you consider a career change? Our research into careers reveals that for most people, the first decade of their working life is spent finding out what they want to do. What are you best at, what energises you? Can you refocus your career to do more of this? Once people have been in work for 5-10 years, they become more confident about the idea of carving out their own future. In your 30s or 40s, you may seek to balance your life and family by taking on roles that take less of a toll in travel or time at work. In the 50s or 60s you may seek to leave a legacy, once the immediate demands of raising a family are behind you. Futurologists also talk up the fact that the Information Revolution is creating many new jobs on an ongoing basis – it will be a rare person who finds their vocation early and never departs from it.
So if you find yourself increasingly dissatisfied with your work, and thinking of making a complete career change, what are the key questions you should be asking yourself?
1. Is now the right time?
Remember the old maxim – “Don’t make life-changing decisions at a time when you are not feeling good about yourself”. Career moves should always be running to something, not running from something. If you feel frustrated about not getting a promotion, or angry with your boss, take a deep breath and plan your route, rather than just reacting. Consider the job you want to move to. Will the job market be better in January/February than in the run up to Christmas, for example? Do you need to build up a buffer of savings to take the leap? Do you know enough about the proposed shift to make an informed decision?
2. What are the benefits, and what is the price ticket?
Are you clear on the benefits you are looking to gain from a career change? For example, when joining Talent & Potential, I was making a move to gain more family time. There was an overwhelmingly positive reason to do it and that sustained my decision throughout difficult time of, for example, saying goodbye to some great colleagues. Also, what is the likely price ticket you are prepared to pay? Few choices come without a price ticket. Who else might you be asking to share the price? Will your family need to move, or accept the consequences of a lower income? Think this through, and take time to discuss it with your partner over weeks or months. But remember that it’s not an option for you to be miserable for the prime time you spend at work, just to maintain an income level; there are some times when it is healthy to be a bit selfish.
3. Can I make the career change in the organisation I am part of already?
This is the best possible way to make a career change if you can. If you want to change the type of work you do – from Finance to General Management for example – it’s a lot easier to do in a company where you have already built up a good reputation and track record. And it’s a lot easier to learn new skills if you aren’t having to learn about a new culture and environment at the same time. Alternatively, could you make a sideways or diagonal downwards leap into an area that will provide a great bridge to your ultimate goal? For example you might need to build up your commercial knowledge, or take on responsibilities which will stand you in good stead later – perhaps moving into your company’s Corporate Social Responsibility team might pave the way for a career change into fundraising in a few years time. Remember that it’s a lot easier to change career direction inside a company where you are well-regarded. Have you explored the reactions of people around you, senior people, and those in the HR and Talent teams? Or do you plan to just surprise them with a fait accompli? Give your organisation a chance to support you in your new direction. You might be surprised at the avenues that open up.
4. Does it fit with what I’m good at?
If you want to be happy and engaged, you need to know that your career change will play much more to your strengths than your current role. Take time to find out what ‘a day in the life’ in your new career is like, and the knowledge and skills you need to do well at it. You might be attracted by the independence and commercial focus of running your own business – but underestimate the loneliness of not having a team, the structure of having a workplace, and the resilience to keep going despite repeated failures. Being mentally well-prepared is hugely important for a successful career change. I have an example in mind of an army wife who wanted to start a nursery school. Every year for 10 years, as the family was deployed around the globe, she would come back for 2 weeks to the UK and help out or shadow in a different nursery. When she finally opened the nursery, it was an instant hit – she had the right premises, the right policies drawn up, the right marketing, and knew the kind of person she needed to employ to complement her own strengths – she’d used her time well.
So make new contacts, engage in shadowing, spend some of your holiday in getting a taster of the new role. If you need to seize an opportunity fast – then consider how well you will be supported, both emotionally and financially in the first 6 months. Taking a career leap into a new field can be stressful and testing, as you will feel incompetent at the start. If you don’t yet have the required skills, then you need high levels of resilience and support while you quickly learn them. What support do you need to set up to be successful?
5. Am I prepared for failure?
The chances are that you are really good at what you do at the moment. Moving careers means that you are taking on something untested. You might not be able to do it perfectly to start with and there is a possibility that you could fail. While expecting success, make the decision in the full knowledge that you might have a bumpy road; consider and prepare for the risks and have a contingency plan in place. Even it it doesn’t work out – you will know that you gave it your best shot. And all experience is good experience!
Take Away
We may all make career changes in the 21st century – and quite possibly more than once. Trying something new is a great thing to consider and adds richness and wisdom to your life. Make your career leap thoughtfully and with preparation, to gain the biggest benefit for the smallest price ticket!
Why might you consider a career change? Our research into careers reveals that for most people, the first decade of their working life is spent finding out what they want to do. What are you best at, what energises you? Can you refocus your career to do more of this? Once people have been in work for 5-10 years, they become more confident about the idea of carving out their own future. In your 30s or 40s, you may seek to balance your life and family by taking on roles that take less of a toll in travel or time at work. In the 50s or 60s you may seek to leave a legacy, once the immediate demands of raising a family are behind you. Futurologists also talk up the fact that the Information Revolution is creating many new jobs on an ongoing basis – it will be a rare person who finds their vocation early and never departs from it.
So if you find yourself increasingly dissatisfied with your work, and thinking of making a complete career change, what are the key questions you should be asking yourself?
1. Is now the right time?
Remember the old maxim – “Don’t make life-changing decisions at a time when you are not feeling good about yourself”. Career moves should always be running to something, not running from something. If you feel frustrated about not getting a promotion, or angry with your boss, take a deep breath and plan your route, rather than just reacting. Consider the job you want to move to. Will the job market be better in January/February than in the run up to Christmas, for example? Do you need to build up a buffer of savings to take the leap? Do you know enough about the proposed shift to make an informed decision?
2. What are the benefits, and what is the price ticket?
Are you clear on the benefits you are looking to gain from a career change? For example, when joining Talent & Potential, I was making a move to gain more family time. There was an overwhelmingly positive reason to do it and that sustained my decision throughout difficult time of, for example, saying goodbye to some great colleagues. Also, what is the likely price ticket you are prepared to pay? Few choices come without a price ticket. Who else might you be asking to share the price? Will your family need to move, or accept the consequences of a lower income? Think this through, and take time to discuss it with your partner over weeks or months. But remember that it’s not an option for you to be miserable for the prime time you spend at work, just to maintain an income level; there are some times when it is healthy to be a bit selfish.
3. Can I make the career change in the organisation I am part of already?
This is the best possible way to make a career change if you can. If you want to change the type of work you do – from Finance to General Management for example – it’s a lot easier to do in a company where you have already built up a good reputation and track record. And it’s a lot easier to learn new skills if you aren’t having to learn about a new culture and environment at the same time. Alternatively, could you make a sideways or diagonal downwards leap into an area that will provide a great bridge to your ultimate goal? For example you might need to build up your commercial knowledge, or take on responsibilities which will stand you in good stead later – perhaps moving into your company’s Corporate Social Responsibility team might pave the way for a career change into fundraising in a few years time. Remember that it’s a lot easier to change career direction inside a company where you are well-regarded. Have you explored the reactions of people around you, senior people, and those in the HR and Talent teams? Or do you plan to just surprise them with a fait accompli? Give your organisation a chance to support you in your new direction. You might be surprised at the avenues that open up.
4. Does it fit with what I’m good at?
If you want to be happy and engaged, you need to know that your career change will play much more to your strengths than your current role. Take time to find out what ‘a day in the life’ in your new career is like, and the knowledge and skills you need to do well at it. You might be attracted by the independence and commercial focus of running your own business – but underestimate the loneliness of not having a team, the structure of having a workplace, and the resilience to keep going despite repeated failures. Being mentally well-prepared is hugely important for a successful career change. I have an example in mind of an army wife who wanted to start a nursery school. Every year for 10 years, as the family was deployed around the globe, she would come back for 2 weeks to the UK and help out or shadow in a different nursery. When she finally opened the nursery, it was an instant hit – she had the right premises, the right policies drawn up, the right marketing, and knew the kind of person she needed to employ to complement her own strengths – she’d used her time well.
So make new contacts, engage in shadowing, spend some of your holiday in getting a taster of the new role. If you need to seize an opportunity fast – then consider how well you will be supported, both emotionally and financially in the first 6 months. Taking a career leap into a new field can be stressful and testing, as you will feel incompetent at the start. If you don’t yet have the required skills, then you need high levels of resilience and support while you quickly learn them. What support do you need to set up to be successful?
5. Am I prepared for failure?
The chances are that you are really good at what you do at the moment. Moving careers means that you are taking on something untested. You might not be able to do it perfectly to start with and there is a possibility that you could fail. While expecting success, make the decision in the full knowledge that you might have a bumpy road; consider and prepare for the risks and have a contingency plan in place. Even it it doesn’t work out – you will know that you gave it your best shot. And all experience is good experience!
Take Away
We may all make career changes in the 21st century – and quite possibly more than once. Trying something new is a great thing to consider and adds richness and wisdom to your life. Make your career leap thoughtfully and with preparation, to gain the biggest benefit for the smallest price ticket!