Is a Career Change Right for You?

Are you considering changing careers? It’s a brave choice. Lots of people spend their whole lives working in a job that they don’t hate, but don’t love either and just get on with, counting down the days until the weekend. But if you aren’t happy, you might be thinking about changing your career. Before you do, here’s a few questions to ask yourself.

Are you really unhappy with your current situation?

There’s a big difference between the kind of Monday morning blues that everyone feels, and your job making you so miserable every day feels like Monday and you really can’t drag yourself out of bed for it. Are there ways you can improve your current situation in your job that don’t involve changing your career?

Have you talked to your boss?

If you’ve tried making the most of your current work situation, and nothing has helped, then you could try having an honest conversation with your boss. Ask if there are more opportunities, additional responsibilities, that you could take on. There might also be mentorship or secondment possibilities within your organization. You could be assigned a colleague to mentor you and help you work through your career frustrations. Or there might be the chance to shadow someone from a different department. If you work for a big company, this is a great chance to see an entirely different side of the business, whilst also investigating whether an alternative path might be right for you.

Have you tried different things? 

Work experience schemes are incredibly competitive, but you might be able to shadow someone who does a job you think you might want. If you can’t do this within your own company, then try and find one you know a bit about. Talk to your friends and family – find out exactly what they do, then start drafting emails.

Can you upskill?

Even if you haven’t identified exactly what it is you would prefer to do, it is worth making a list of everything you don’t like, or don’t want to continue with in your current position. There are certain skills in the business world that are always going to be useful and will be sellable skills. If you get a bookkeeper certification, for example, that will always stand you in good stead for finding work in most economic climates. It’s worth checking if these are qualifications you might be able to get through your current employment. Training can be expensive and if your employer will fund it, then that’s a great start!

What courses or training could you do?

It’s difficult to change career without any work experience in your new profession, so getting a certificate or qualification can really help you find a new job. If you can, think about learning while you work, even if you’re self-funding. This means that you’ll still have a steady income while you’re studying. It can be tricky to balance work with study, so make sure you’re prepared for the emotional commitment of this before you decide to go for it.