Are you thinking of changing your career? For a lot of people, the career they are currently in is the one they started when they left college or university – five, ten or fifteen years later, it may be time to try something different.
Changing careers can seem a little scary at first, but with the right determination and by taking the right steps, it’s very much possible. When you ask around, you may be surprised at the number of people you know who have already changed their careers because they wanted to do something different. Maybe they were a teacher turned accountant or a nurse who decided to retrain and work within central lab services – with the right mindset anything is possible.
From volunteering or signing up for online courses to considering open university, there are a number of ways you can change your career. Below we have put together our guide on three ways to change your career.
Online Courses
Online courses are a great place to start if you are looking to change your career. There is almost an online course for any passion that you would like to pursue. By doing an online course you can study in the comfort of your own home, whilst taking it at your own pace. They are more affordable and whilst we hope you enjoy doing an online course, if you don’t you can simply do a different one.
Volunteering
If you want to get hands-on and gain some experience in the new career that you would like to pursue, volunteering could be an option. You can volunteer in your evenings or on the weekend and see if the job you are interested in is something you will enjoy. Volunteering gives you the best possible chance of landing the job, should the company you are volunteering for need to recruit someone full-time. Once you have volunteered for a few months, you may even find they will pay you for the time you are spending with them, helping you make some money.
Open University
Certain careers will require you to have a certain level of qualification – nurses and doctors will need you to have a degree. If you are not able to go back to full-time education, you could turn to open university. By doing open university, you can study in the evenings and take your exams in your spare time. Achieving the degree does take more time than if you went back to full-time education, however, it is slightly more affordable and you can continue to work and earn money.
Changing your career doesn’t have to be a huge jump, with the right guidance you can do it and be a success. We hope our three tips have given you some inspiration. What advice would you give to someone looking to change their career? Which of the above tips did you find most useful? Is there anything we haven’t included that you think should be in our guide? Let us know in the comment box below, we would love to hear from you.