Changing Career

Are you thinking about changing career? It's a big step, and can often seem daunting, but the reality is that these days most people change their path at least once - indeed, some people will end up changing their career several times before they find the thing that is just right for them.

Having said that, it's not something you want to do every week, so changing career does need to be a carefully thought out process, something that you don't do lightly. Rather, you need to ask a lot of questions, both of yourself and others, and get as much information as possible before you leap into something new.

The first question you need to ask yourself is why you are changing career. What is it about your current job that is bothering you? Do you want more money, better prospects, a different environment, to work fewer hours? Or are you just having a bad week?

This is a really important question, because it is crucial that whatever is bothering you in your current position will not still be a problem if you change. There's no point changing from one job that means you are away from home three days a week if you wind up with something else that has the same work pattern.

Once you have made up your mind to look at different areas, knowledge is king. You need to find out as much as possible about any areas you are interested in, so that you go in with your eyes wide open.

Think of your current position - how much did you really know about it before you started? You should therefore get advice, not just from careers experts, but also people who are actually working in the field you are considering.

You'll want to know not just what the pay and hours are, but also the training you need, the career prospects, and what it's actually like to do the job on a day-to-day basis.

When you have gathered all your information, it is still a good idea not to just leap into something - why not start off small by shadowing someone for a few days? Maybe you could do a training course while still keeping your current job, or maybe there are opportunities to get first hand knowledge of the work by volunteering, or working part time.

Moving from one area to another is a big step, so it pays to learn as much as possible before you take that big step.