Changing Careers

A recent discussion with a client, about to embark on a major career change, got me thinking about my own career change and whether, in retrospect,  it was a good thing to do.

I worked in education for many years but gave up a permanent job that I enjoyed for the unstable income that comes from being a self-employed consultant. Madness perhaps? More a seeking of self-actualisation, a desire to create and face my own challenges and the need to prove to myself that I could survive in the business world. It's the best but most challenging decision I ever made!

Making a smooth career change comes down to eleven key points.

1. Listen to your dreams - They tell you a lot about yourself. 2. Reality Check - What are you really trying to achieve by this career change? 3. Research - You need to be fully informed about jobs, your chosen industry, networking opportunities etc. 4. Be smooth - A career transition that uses skills you already have or which is in an industry/organisation where you already have a great reputation, is the smoothest way to change careers. 5. Product YOU - What skills and qualities do you bring to the marketplace? 6. Goal setting - Set Goals that are specific and make yourself accountable. 7. What's your plan? Create an action plan to ensure you do everything that needs to be done to achieve your goals. 8. Take action - Yes, you have to do something about this or it isn't going to happen. 9. Resilience - Often a career change doesn't go as smoothly as expected. You have to be ready to pick yourself up and keep going. 10. Motivation and mind set - Being positive and believing in yourself has probably never been more important than when you are making a career change. 11. Celebrate! Celebrate your achievements along the way, then really celebrate reaching your goal of a successful career change.

Good luck with your career change.  You deserve to find fulfillment in your work.