With the UK unemployment rate on the up and redundancy staring in the face of workers across the country, it's not surprising that many people are thinking about a career change. For instance, if you've spent the last ten years working in the financial sector in London, the current chaos in the banking world may have driven you to think about a new line of work. On the other hand, it's possible that you're a marketing officer in a relatively stable job but the economic crisis has made you realise that you're unhappy with your present employers.
Whatever your reasons for changing career, it's important to remember that, while making the shift is likely to be difficult, your efforts will be worth it if you're realistic with your expectations, capitalise on your transferable skills and persevere through the rough patches. For starters, be brutally honest with yourself - what do you want to do with your life? It might be that you've had a lifelong ambition to be a writer that you never really attempted to make happen. Or perhaps you work in the cut-throat world of sales and you'd like a change of pace - say, as a holiday rep in Spain. One thing's for sure: your dream has to be achievable if it's to stand any chance of becoming a reality. If you're in your forties, for instance, it's probably a little too late to become a prima ballerina or a professional football player.
Once you've established your new career goals, it's time to do some dedicated research. If you've got a family member, friend or acquaintance in your desired industry, ask them about the work environment and their honest opinion on whether you'll be able to adapt. What's more, while recruiting budgets may have been cut across the country, it could be surprisingly easy to find unpaid work experience. Offices - from legal firms and insurance brokers to newspapers and media agencies - are often looking for people to do ad-hoc jobs. So even if you end up in a job that's primarily occupied by photocopying or making cups of tea, you'll still receive an insight into the way the place works.
Once you've decided on a career change that's right for you, and you're confident in your ability to fulfil your potential, searching for jobs online is the next step. A quick web search should offer you access to a range of sites that let you narrow down your quest for jobs to the geographic areas and salary that you're seeking.
And when you're applying for jobs, remember to think about your transferable skills and how they could be applicable to the new position. IT skills, for example, are valuable across the board - from finance jobs to positions in science research - so demonstrating your computer literacy effectively on your CV is essential. Other factors like time management, ability to work under pressure and leadership skills are also major factors that employers look for - so if there's anything in your previous job that may apply, don't be shy to include it.
Ultimately, it's crucial that you remain confident in your ability to change your career and that you never say never. Making such a life-changing move is definitely daunting, but being positive is half the battle - so when you finally land that dream job, you can take pleasure in the knowledge that your life-affirming attitude helped you get there.
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