At this time of year many of us are thinking about our jobs and the year ahead.

Many of us would like to try different lines of work and a constant question recruiters get is how do you make a career change.

With practically any job, experience and often education is valued - so fundamentally, making a career change can be hard 😐

By making a career change you will often take a dip in salary and seniority, and need to embark on further education. But being stuck in one niche all your career is not what many people want.

So how do you it?

First, you need to be sure the new career is something you really want. How do you know that? You will need to back yourself and have a strong understanding of your own motivations and skill set, and what really interests and engages you.

You will need to understand future earnings and the employment opportunities and then you will need to create an educational road map, it’s cost in terms of time and possible loss of earnings.

If it’s all-out career change, such as being a Podiatrist training to be a Doctor, or a BDM wanting to become a Lawyer, it might be too expensive or unrealistic, but there are many other options.

The most realistic career changes are when you take quarter and half steps from your current role and evolve into something quite different.

For example if you are in accounting there are many paths you can follow by supplementing your education, maybe taking a small step back to take a big leap forward.

Contact centres are often seen as pools of talent for other company departments, and with focussed effort, relevant education and internal networking, there is no reason not to move into say the HR, Sales or Marketing Departments for example.

If you are in sales you have transferable skills and can move between different industries and perform different roles from account management to new business, to management.

To summarise, prepare and position yourself for the opportunities close to you, such as within in your own company, competitors or industry.

Be focused and realistic and take half steps, and before you know it your career will take on different and interesting new forms. 

Author: Rupert Harvey January 2024