How to change your career

You may be dissatisfied with the career you have at present, or you may have a dream career that you want to pursue and neither of these situations are unusual. Many people these days change their career, even in their forties or fifties. Having a portfolio of different jobs need not be seen as a negative aspect either, especially if you have achieved transferable skills and gained experience through varied employment.

The first step is to find out what new career would suit you and many working people start by using their hobbies or interests as a guide. For example, you may do voluntary work with the elderly, or perhaps you enjoy independent travelling. You might try to find out what appeals to you about these activities, how they fit in with your previous working experience and educational qualifications and how you could capitalise on any special skills you have learned.

Once you have decided on the new career you want, you should find out what it will entail. For example, will you have to attain new qualifications and how much will they cost? How will you support yourself while you retrain? What is the typical workday like for someone in the career you desire? Finally, what are the prospects in that field of work? For example, there may already be plenty of reflexologists in the town where you live.

There are careers advisers and other agencies that can help you look at the choices you might have for changing career and they can also give advice if you have decided on the course of action you wish to pursue. For example, the Sector Skills Councils can give advice about careers in particular industries.

You may need to study for a higher qualification or even an academic degree for your chosen career. There are shorter Foundation degrees and certificate or diploma courses to consider, as well as full honours degrees. Universities and colleges may not require traditional entry requirements from mature students and the best advice is to study the prospectus and then ask to talk to someone in admissions about fees and course structures. It is possible to study part-time so that you can work to supplement your income, especially if you have family commitments.

Finally, there is no time like the present, to make that change.