Are you yearning to redefine or breathe new life into your career? If so, you’re not alone. Embarking on a career change is a courageous leap, especially in midlife. You may be factoring in family and lifestyle considerations or worry about the financial implications of ‘getting it wrong’.
In my role as a Career Coach, I meet a lot of professionals who are stuck in the ideas phase of a career change. They come to me because they don’t know how to get past uncertainty. If this is where you find yourself in your career change journey, consider this blog post as a gentle invitation to find the solutions you need to move beyond stuckness.
You see, it’s not always possible to ‘get certain’ about career ideas without having a grounded sense of what they mean for you in reality. Without this, each one might just stay as a ‘nice idea’.
Read on for 10 ways to take action to bring your career idea to life, and in doing so, get closer to making a clear career change decision.
1. Define your career priorities
Most of my clients start this process by understanding their career values, interests, priorities and what they want from the next phase of their life. Speaking to a Career Coach (like me!) can help you to get clear about these areas, and explore specific career ideas in the context of your life.
2. Research career pathways thoroughly
Understanding the entry requirements, skills and qualifications necessary for a career is essential if you are going to plan and achieve a successful career move. Trustworthy sources of information include the National Careers Service and industry publications. To apply this information to your life, however, you’ll need to consider the practicalities of pursuing specific career ideas. Questions to ask yourself might be ‘Will I need a budget for upskilling?’, ‘What timeframe is realistic for me to achieve this?’ and ‘Do I have the support and resources I need?’
3. Expand your subject knowledge
You may feel uncertain about committing to a career change when you haven’t yet developed expertise in your desired field. One way to overcome this is to expand your knowledge through training or an introductory course. Ideally, it will whet your appetite and still afford you the time to explore other options. Of course, you may wish to undertake a more substantial course at a later stage. Some sources of introductory courses are your local college, Open University, FutureLearn and even Eventbrite.
4. Take a skills-based course
Alternatively, why not learn and try out some of the skills you’d use in a possible new career? Learning applicable skills, like coding or public speaking, provides an opportunity for you to gain practical experience and help you answer questions like ‘Do I want to develop and use these skills?’, ‘Does this hold my interest?’, and ‘Can I see myself using these skills regularly?’ Of course, a skills-based course might not be relevant to all career ideas, but if it applies to yours, it may be what you need to inch closer to making an informed career decision.
5. Reach out to industry insiders
Another way in which potential career changers get stuck is in wanting to know what to expect from the work culture in a different industry or company. Clients often tell me how important this aspect of their work is to them, but they don’t know how to evaluate it without industry experience. If this unmet need is slowing up your career change decision-making process, be sure to take appropriate action. Beneficial steps can be following industry experts on LinkedIn and conducting informational interviews with suitable contacts. Good questions to ask them are ‘What does your average workday look like?’, and ‘What advice would you give to someone wanting to enter the industry?’
6. Explore work environments
Volunteering, shadowing, work placements and taking secondments enable you to ‘try out’ new work environments. These experiences, whether in different departments or industries, provide an opportunity to explore what it is like in each setting, including its internal culture and daily processes. If your motive for changing careers is to fulfil specific workplace needs, finding the right opportunity to explore a new work environment may be beneficial. It may help you to answer questions like ‘Does the pace of work suit me?’, and ‘Can I see myself excelling in a workplace like this?’ It’s also important to bear in mind that your experiences may not represent other organisations.
7. Seek out role models
Are you someone who wants to change careers and also enjoys learning from others? You might find it useful to seek out inspiring people who have already achieved your aspirational goal. These can be mentors and also role models you don’t have a personal connection with. Consider adding their published biographies, editorials, LinkedIn and expert columns to your research list. How did they develop their careers? What traits did they need to succeed? Although their personal journey is subjective, they may offer unique career insights.
8. Watch ‘A Day in the Life’ interviews
Influencers and celebrities aren’t the only ones who have something to say about their field of work. There are multiple interviews on careers websites and YouTube featuring a wide range of professionals talking about their typical workdays and career development. A couple of examples are LinkedIn’s YouTube channel covering many atypical career fields, and Indeed’s ‘A Day in the Life’ playlist. It’s worth exploring this type of interview to get a peek inside the everyday experience of different professionals.
9. Test out a side hustle
If your career idea is entrepreneurial, why not test it out on a small scale? One way to do this is through freelancing. There are many sites such as Freelancer, Fiver and Upwork where you can find customers for a range of professional services. A few happy customers might be all you need to clarify the next steps for your long-term business goals.
10. Get curious about your future self
Whichever career change idea you choose to pursue, it will be your future self who will be doing the work! Help your decision-making process by getting really clear about what qualities you would need to embody to become that person. What can you do now to support your future self’s success?
In conclusion, moving from career ideas to a firm career change decision can involve multiple approaches.
Remember to keep an open mind, and embrace going outside of your comfort zone to take different action steps. If you trust in yourself and the process, eventually, a successful career change can become your reality.
© 2023 Katie Brown / Katie B Coaching UK
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Do you want to change careers? For professional 1:1 support, book a free 30-minute consultation call with me and gain a free Introduction to Career Coaching PDF.
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