People spend the majority of their adult life working but not many seem happy with where they are in their career. Financial and family responsibilities get in the way and nowadays people decide to go for a career change later in life, perhaps when their children are a bit older, or simply because they have a better understanding of what they want to do. It’s more and more common to change your working field at least once in your life and age isn’t always an issue. People take on further education mid-life and continue to have better prospects in different areas. If you are considering a career change there are certain things you need to think about in order to feel comfortable going through with it. It can seem like a huge risk and it’s hard to face it head on. Here are some strategies to help you process the idea of a career change and finally have the courage to go for it. 

Analyse your current job

Before you automatically give up on your current field take a moment to reflect. What areas of your current job do you like the best? What do you like about the working environment, the conditions, the hours and the dynamics? If you currently work in a team of people, would you like to continue to do so? Write a list of the daily tasks you complete and categorize them. Do you enjoy working with a computer, or being outdoors? What are the aspects of your job that you like? What skills have you learnt and how will these be transferable to your new career of choice? 

Know your end game

You may not be in love with your current career choice and are seeking change but do you know what you want that change to be and what you are looking to get out of the career move. It’s not always as simple as ‘I would like to be a teacher’. Are you looking for more flexibility, for example? If you are then this needs to be the priority behind any move you make and you need to consider whether you are going to get it by switching careers. Or perhaps you want more responsibility? Can your new career path offer you that? Bear in mind these changes might not happen straight away but is there capacity there to ensure you get what you want from the move at some point?

Another reason you need to know your end game is so that you can identify what it takes to get there. Perhaps you dream of having your own personal injury practice, if this is the case to make it a reality you need to identify all the steps you need to take to make it happen. Do you have legal expertise? The capital? Or even the determination and work ethic to establish yourself and run a successful practice? Alternatively, perhaps you want to opt for something completely different and become one of the best elite nightclub dancers. If so, do you possess the dance skills, the physical fitness, and the charisma required? Do you have a plan to work with a reputable agency to get the right gigs, build your reputation, and navigate the competitive entertainment industry? Understanding what you need to achieve your goals, whatever route you choose, is essential to making your dreams a reality.

Research

Do all the research you possibly can in both the field you are interested in and how other people have managed the transition of a career change. This could involve reading self-help books or autobiographies and online advice from professional gurus or even celebrities. You can find examples online of experts and video tutorials.  Ask the opinion of those closest to you as they should be able to put your ideas into perspective. Look into what the new job requires and definitely consider further education. Cross reference colleges with the field you are interested in, for example, this article lays out what you can expect and further training you will need in order to progress in the nursing profession. 

Face your fear

It’s not easy to take the leap. Don’t always assume you need a total change of pace, as mentioned before it’s advisable to think about the aspects of your current job that you like and can take with you to your new job. Whereas it’s standard to often start at the bottom again unfortunately, try to picture the end result, after the initial transitional period you could be earning much more. Test your adaptability to change by trying to alter other aspects of your routine, you might find you’re better at it than you think!