25 top tips to kick-start your career change · 2019-10-27 · your career change...

25Careershifters’

Stuck in a job you don’t like? Want to leap out

of bed looking forward to work? Feel it’s time for a change? Not sure

what to do next?

Top Tips

to kick-start your career change

Careershifters.org , the UK’s leading dedicated online career change guide, has compiled practical advice from some of the country’s top career change experts to help you make a successful shift. Whether you’re just thinking about a change or you’ve already started the process, these nuggets of expert wisdom will help you create a career that really gets you going

25Top Tips


2 of 8 Find this article on the web: www.careershifters.org/toptips v2 February 3, 2008

© Careershifters Limited 2008

Assess your current positionIf you’re unhappy in your career, it’s sometimes tempting to think that moving into a completely new arena could be the answer. However, don’t discount a less dramatic shift. You could move jobs within your company, you could find a similar role but in a different industry, or you could move to a different city or different country. Ask yourself what is it that you like and

dislike about what you do. Do you just want to do anything as long as it’s new, or is there a burning desire to follow a specific career path? What do your answers tell you?

1 Stay and negotiate

Assess your current position

and what it is about your job

that you are unhappy about. You

may realise that the job itself

isn’t the problem, but that some

things need to change for you to

start enjoying it again. Work out

what these changes are and see

what can be done. For example,

voice the issues that have been

concerning you or ask your boss if

you can work from home one day

per week.

2 Leave for a new, but similar job

You may actually enjoy the

activities and tasks involved in

your job, but find that the people

you work with, the company

culture, or the objectives of your

work don’t fit with who you feel

you are and what’s important to

you. Consider moving to a similar

job but one that feels more in line

with your values. If for example

you are a frustrated PR in a large

law firm you might find that a

new but similar role working in a

different industry brings all the

fulfilment you were looking for.

3 Leave for something completely

different... ≥

ILLUSTRATION: NEIL COLLMAN

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So you want to change career, but to do what?

4 Get to know yourself What makes you come

alive? What really motivates you?

Start by thinking outside the box.

You’ve probably only looked at

yourself from one perspective.

Step back and look from another.

Look at your interests outside

of work. What makes you feel

excited, what are you passionate

about? Listen to your heart. What

does your inner voice keep telling

you?

5 What do other people say about

you? Sometimes the work you

were born to do is so easy and

natural to you that you miss it

completely, either not seeing it

or not valuing it. Notice and listen

to what other people see as your

strengths and natural abilities.

What do people compliment you

on? What have people said about

you that you’ve dismissed in the

past, but actually may have an

element of truth?

6 Focus on your strengths

It’s a good thing to be aware

of where our performance is

less strong, but to make a real

success of your career, the most

important thing to focus on is

your strengths. What do you

find easy that other people find

hard? Understand your unique

package of skills and abilities.

Forcing yourself to “overcome”

your “weaknesses” is a drain on

your energy. Instead, concentrate

on making use of your real talents

and leave the stuff you’re not so

good at to the people who are!

7 Who are your heroes and heroines?

Think of someone whose job

you are envious of. It could be

someone you know or someone

famous. What is it about these

people’s careers or lifestyles that

appeals to you? Talk to people

with jobs you think you’d love to

have to find out what it is really

like. Too often we choose a job

that looks good on paper but

don’t think about what it will be

like day to day.

8 Believe in yourself

You may have been

conditioned not to think too

highly of yourself, think small or

even belittle yourself. You may

have thought “who am I to…?”

Your new career may be found

by recognising that you are more

significant, valuable, worthy or

important than you have believed.

9 It could be right under your nose

Have you ever said “if only I could

find someone to pay me to do

…“ Often you know what you

love to do, but you don’t know

how you could ever do it and get

paid. Or it is the thing you keep

avoiding, making excuses about,

and rationalising away. It almost

seems too good. So don’t confuse

‘I don’t know’ with ‘I don’t know

how’. Acknowledge the what, and

then figure out the how.

10 Have fun!

Change happens best

when we’re enjoying ourselves.

You can’t make a career decision

from a depressed state – which

is where we can end up when we

feel stuck in our work. Go out and

do what you enjoy, even if you

don’t think you could ever make

a living out of it. Often a creative hobby you love but haven’t

touched for months can light

your creative spark for thinking

of career options. When we feel

happy and positive, we usually

attract happy and positive events.

So give attention to making your

life fun, and let that spill over into

your quest for career change. ≥

Need more help with getting started?

Try the “Get Started” section on our website: www.careershifters.org/getstarted

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I know what I want, but how can I get there?

11 Positive thinking Instead of thinking

about what you are trying to get

away from, think about what you

want to move towards. If you’ve

ever said something along the

lines of “I really can’t stand this

job / role / project / my boss”

you’ll know what this one means.

You are more interested in how

to escape from the present than

where you’ll be escaping to. Try

changing your thought process to

‘I’m looking for a job/role/project/

relationship with my boss that

has/is X, Y, Z’. This helps you avoid

going from a bad situation to an

equally bad one. It also gives you

positive motivation and energy

for change and a far better

chance of looking in the right

places for the right opportunity

for you, then recognising it when

you see it.

12 Build your confidence

When we want to change our line

of work, we can sometimes be

overcome by inadequacy that we

don’t have the right experience.

Nurture your confidence by

focusing on what experience

you do have. What are your

strengths? What skills do you

have that would be relevant to

your new career?

13 Do your homework

To make any change as smooth as

possible do your homework about

your new chosen career. Research

what it entails and what training

you may need. Identify any

shortfall you may have skills-wise

and how you might fill in the gaps.

14 Instead of saying “I can’t have what

I want” ask “What do I need to do to get what I want”

It’s very easy to get stuck in this

belief. Yes, occasionally it’s true,

but often it’s just a convenient

excuse for not taking the actions

and risks required to get what

you want. When you look at things

more positively, you can see the

path you need to take and the

real obstacles in your way. Then

you can decide whether you are

willing to take the action you need

to get there.

15 Create a realistic time plan

It is tempting to want to rush in

once you know what you want,

but take some time to look at

the timing of the shift. What do

you need to sort out, complete

or make arrangements for in

your life to give yourself the best

chance of success? How long

does it take to gain the skills that

are necessary to make the move?

What would be the best time plan

for this move, both for you and

for those around you? Once you

begin to see the plausibility, the

more real it becomes. ≥ ILLUSTRATION: NEIL COLLMAN

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experience for when you come to

apply for a position. All of these

options will allow you to get a

much better idea of what you are

letting yourself in for – and might

also lead to job opportunities.

19 B uild your profile

Imagine telling someone (who

you don’t know) what you do.

Respond as though you have

already career shifted. Write

out a new CV. Imagine being

interviewed: develop a bank

of thoughtful, well-researched

answers. Now build a profile in

others’ eyes. Go to events where

you’ll learn and meet interesting

people. Contribute. Get involved.

It’s you as a person, as much as

you as a collection of skills and

knowledge, that’s important. Get

“you” on the radar.

20 Don’t do it alone

The idea that success is

a solo activity is one of the most

damaging myths ever created.

If you’re going for a big change,

you’re going to need a lot of

support. Get a coach, come ≥

16 Be honest around finances

Not only is a realistic time plan

necessary but so is a realistic

financial plan. Do you need to put

savings aside before you make

the move? Are extra costs going

to be incurred by this new career?

If you need extra finances for

training where can that come

from, what can you cut from your

budget, what are you prepared to

do financially to make it happen?

Do a money diary for a month and

see where your current earnings

go. Are there some cuts that can

be made? Make a solid financial

plan for the move. 17 Get out there and talk to as many

people as possible

Talk to as many people already

in the industry you want to move

into about how they got into it

and what would have made their

way easier.

18 Volunteer or try an internship

There are many ways to try a new

career. Consider a sabbatical

or internship, volunteer, go

freelance or go part time as you

make the change. If possible

volunteer in the area to gain good

ILLUSTRATION: NEIL COLLMAN

Need more help with finances?

Try the “Finances” section on our website: www.careershifters.org/ tag/finances

25Top Tips




without experiencing rejection

itself. Rejection actually shows

progress. You know you’ve really

started your job hunt when you

get your first “no”. There will

be a certain number of “nos” to

experience before you get to

the “yes”, so chart each rejection

as one less “no” you’ll need to

find. Learn what you can from

the feedback you’re getting, and

move on.

25 Focus on the progress you

have made so far instead of what you haven’t achieved There are many things you can’t

control in a job search or in career

development. Don’t waste your

time, energy or motivation levels

worrying about them. Make the

best use of your time and keep

your energy and motivation up

by tracking what you can do and

have done. When job searching

this might include contacts or

applications made, interview

practice time or completing a new

draft of your CV (not job offers

or interview offers – that’s an

external factor you can’t control).

to a Careershifters workshop

or find a friend who also wants

to make a career change. Meet

regularly with this person to get

encouragement and to make

commitments about what steps

you are going to take next.

21 Speak only to the cheerleaders

When you are in the process

of making changes in your life

only share your dreams, ideas

and plans with those who truly

support you. These are the ones

who will encourage you even if

things get tough, they will keep

you going and remind you always

of your end goal. We sometimes

have people in our lives who

outwardly look like they support

us, but in fact do not actually want

us to change. When we change

they have to change in relation to

us and that can be uncomfortable.

Identify a few true cheerleaders

and stick with them.

22 Do something today

Making a career change isn’t easy.

It can seem an overwhelming task

at times and is often a reason for

people putting it off or giving up

when they get stuck. So make

sure you do something today

and continue to take one action

towards your career change every

day, no matter how small. Put the

actions down in your diary, set

daily alarms on your mobile to

remind you to take those actions.

And step by step you’ll get there.

Overcoming common hurdles

23 What if I make the wrong

decision?

This is often the root cause of

“paralysis by analysis”. A certain

amount of thinking is valuable,

but if your decisions are slow or

nonexistent, your progress will

be too. You’ll find life much easier

and more fun if you start moving

in the right sort of direction and

enjoy the journey.

24 Don’t fear rejection

No job has ever been found, or

glittering career developed,

without overcoming this fear.

And very, very, VERY few

Need more help getting there?

Try the “Make the Change” section on our website: http://www.careershifters.org/makethechange

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About CareershiftersCareershifters.org is a groundbreaking service for anyone considering or going through a career change. Through a unique mix of free and affordable online resources, regular workshops and an online community of thousands of fellow career shifters, it helps people who are unfulfilled or at critical transition points in their careers make a successful shift.

Careershifters offers:

Inspiration from people who’ve •

successfully made changes in their own

careers

Confidence by sharing other people’s •

experiences and offering access to no-

nonsense advice from some of the best

career experts in the business

Connections, by providing links with •

professionals, with relevant institutions

and fellow career shifters

Find out more on our website:

www.careershifters.org

You can find a whole raft of useful advice and inspiring stories on our website

25Top Tips




Communication, is a graduate of Coach

University (one of the world’s oldest

coaching schools) and an accredited

member of the International Coach

Federation.

www.escape-club.org

John Lees is one of the UK’s best known

career coaches. He is also the author of the

best-selling How To Get A Job You’ll Love

(McGraw-Hill), now available in its 2007/08

edition, plus a range of other career books.

www.johnleescareers.com

Carmel McConnell is author of the

Happiness Plan and founder of children’s

charity Magic Breakfast and social

enterprise Magic Outcomes.

www.magicbreakfast.com

www.magicoutcomes.com

Jessica McGregor Johnson lives in

southern Spain and works internationally

as a life coach enabling people to follow

their dream and gain fulfillment in every

area of life.

www.jessicamcgregorjohnson.com

Jenny Ungless is the director of City Life

Coaching (www.citylifecoaching.com), a

leading provider of career coaching to

young professionals. Jenny is also the

official career coach for Monster, the

online recruitment agency.

www.citylifecoaching.com

John Williams helps people escape

conventional full-time work to create a

“Freestyle Career” - work that fits you like a

glove. It’s doing what you enjoy as much as

possible, it engages your creativity and it

pays you what you’re worth.

www.freestylesuccess.com

Nick Williams is the author of the best

selling The Work We Were Born To Do and

has helped thousands of people find and

live the work they were born for.

www.nick-williams.com

Sonia Lakshman is a career transition

coach, who helps people discover the

work they truly enjoy. Her career coaching

consultancy, One Smart Step, has great

success with clients navigating career

changes, from starting their own

businesses to nailing an interview for a

dream job.

www.onesmartstep.co.uk

Contributing coachesSue Clarke is a life, career and business

coach for the Fiona Harrold Consultancy.

Sue specialises in career management and

change, motivation, confidence building

and coaching entrepreneurs.

www.fionaharrold.com

Holly Crane is a career and business

coach. She works primarily with people

passionate about making a difference and

those wanting to find, and excel at, their

ideal work.

www.hollycrane.com

Nina Grunfeld is the founder of Life Clubs.

Life Clubs are weekly workshops around

the country where you go to make a good

life better.

www.lifeclubs.co.uk

Satu Kreula is an executive and personal

career coach. She has a Masters degree in

Organisational Behaviour and Intercultural

25 top tips to kick-start your career change · 2019-10-27 · your career change...

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