Many people make educational and career choices early on in their lives and then suffer the consequences for decades afterward.
They choose to do a particular subject at school when they are fifteen years old which locks them into a particular job for decades later on.
The system doesn’t mean to do things this way, but we currently live in an economy where teenagers are essentially deciding what jobs everyone does. And that can’t be right.
As a consequence, there is a growing number of people who want to start totally new careers. Workers are looking for jobs that let them live out their passions, do something useful, and earn more money. They want to spend more time with other successful people and feel challenged every day. And they need a new purpose, a reason for getting up in the morning that’s different from what they’re used to.
If you’re planning on switching careers, the prospect can be quite daunting. While it sounds easy in theory, it is much harder in practice. Here’s what you need to do:
Consider What You Really Enjoy Doing
Many people have grand visions of what their careers should be like. They imagine being doctors, treating the sick and saving lives, or lawyers, arguing for their clients in court.
But while these jobs sound glamorous, the opposite is often the case. The long hours, difficult work, and lack of rest mean that many high-flying professionals are deeply unhappy with their roles.
The trick here is to carefully consider what it is that you actually enjoy doing (and want to do). You’ll need to write down what makes you tick and how you would like to change your current role if you could. Eventually, this should give you an idea of what constitutes your perfect career, not someone else’s.
Give Yourself A Financial Cushion
Chances are that if you’re changing careers, you won’t be able to make as much money as you did in your last job. Equalising your previous rate of pay often takes years. And, depending on the industry you get into, you may never reach it at all.
Because of this, it’s a good idea to give yourself a substantial financial cushion. You need to be able to absorb the drop in your income without causing too much disruption to your life.
One simple, quick and easy way to do this is through equity release. Instead of saving up for years, you just go to a lender and ask them to give you some of the cash stored up in your home.
The other option is to create a sizable emergency fund. But this can take months which isn’t ideal if you want to move fast,
Learn The Skills
Radical career changes require you to learn new skills. Therefore, before you consider new career options, you’ll want to complete the necessary training for the field you want to get into.
Depending on what it is, this could be a two-day course or a seven-year doctorate. There are lots of free courses available on sites such as Udemy or Coursera available as 'tasters' so you can explore your chosen career fields before making a longer commitment to a longer course.
Find people already working in your chosen career through talking to friends and family in the first instance - our personal networks often amount to hundreds of people, so one of your connections is bound to know someone in the field you want to get into.
Did you start a totally new career after thinking you were settled for life? We'd love to hear your stories! Please comment below.
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