BA50 TalkersIt’s easy to get stuck in a job that doesn’t inspire you or ignite any passion, especially when you’re worried about paying bills, keeping a roof over your head, and supporting a family. However, while your responsibilities need to be taken care of, you shouldn’t miss out on the opportunity to have a fulfilling career. It’s possible to get out of your work-life rut and make a career change, even later on in life. If you have been feeling fed up with your job and would like to make a change, here are some things you need to think about and prepare for before you leap.
Research
You might have a career in mind that you think you’d like to change to, and the beauty of doing this later in life is that you’ve probably got enough experience to know what’s right for you. However, things are never quite what they seem, so even if you have a job in mind that you’d like to change to, make sure you’re doing your research first. While you might feel it’s time for a change, make sure you’re giving yourself the best chance of success by looking into whether this new job will be right for you.
Recruitment
A recruitment agency can help you to develop your resume and make it stand out to prospective employers. They can also put you forward for interviews as they have these connections with employers as well, and notify you of any job vacancies that come up that you might be interested in. It’s worth considering getting help like this, as it could save you time and effort as well as increasing your chances of employment.
Education and Training
For certain career changes, it might be necessary to go back to school to receive an official qualification. If you’re worried about going back to education later in life, don’t be. There are plenty of mature students enrolling in courses at colleges and learning centers every day, and there are even options to study online if this is more suitable for you. You might even have to do this if you want to move up the career ladder in your current role, too. For example, if you’re a registered nurse who wants to take the next step, you will have to study to become a family nurse practitioner.
Whether you’re looking for a change entirely or just want to move forward in your career progression, you will have to accept the possibility of further education and training to achieve this goal.
Financial Factors
Another thing you will need to consider, if you’re looking to make a career change, is your finances. As there’s a chance you will have to take a cut in salary initially, you need to make sure that you’ll still be able to live comfortably under these new circumstances. You can always negotiate your salary with employers, and if you have a desirable skillset and some useful work experience for your new role this might be easier to do. However, changing career paths usually results in a lack of experience for that particular job, so you need to be prepared to start again from the bottom.
Part-time or Full-time?
If you’ve worked in full-time employment for the entirety of your adult life, you might be interested in reducing your time at work and taking on a part-time job instead. Alternatively, you might want or need to stay in full-time work, but what kind of jobs are on offer? Sometimes to get your foot in the door and start a role that you’re interested in you might need to accept part-time jobs if that’s all that is available. You will need to decide whether that is a viable option for you or not.
Are You Willing to Volunteer?
You’ll know by now how important work experience is and how employers love to see that a candidate has it, but it’s not always easy to get that experience through paid work. You might have to do some volunteering outside of your current job to gain that hands-on experience for that new role you’re interested in. This is also a great way to determine whether or not that kind of job is right for you.
Change can be a very positive thing, and when it comes to your career you should be doing something you care about and that makes you happy. No matter what your age, it’s never too late to change lanes and start something new, just make sure you’re prepared to take the necessary steps to get there.