There comes a time in many peoples lives where they begin to become unsettled in their job and long for a new career. Perhaps they have lost the spark or the passion that initially made them want to enter that industry or field of expertise and have begun to want something more for themselves. If this sounds familiar, then it might be the right time for you to think about changing your career. Changing your career path might initially seem like a huge upheaval that you can’t possibly do at this stage in your life but, while yes, it will be a big change, it is something that is entirely possible and certainly worth doing.

Going to work, given it is where you will spend the most of your time, should be a happy experience and something that makes you want to get up and go in the morning, excited to see what this new week will bring. In this short guide, you will get some helpful tips and ideas about why you should consider a change of career direction and how to go about making that idea into a reality in ways that are easily achievable so that you can start enjoying Monday again as soon as possible.

Time for a change

The first thing you need to investigate, of course, is whether or not this is the right time for you to change your career and start a new life for yourself and, inevitably, your family and loved ones. There are several ways you can tell it is the time for a new career; for example, if you are finding that your current job is leaving you seemingly permanently tired.

Being constantly exhausted from a job is your body telling you that this job you are currently in is not challenging, and thus exciting, to you and, furthermore, that it doesn’t hold your attention. While no matter what job you work you will always have days where you are a bit tired, a career that excites and stimulates your mind will have the power the break through the fact you didn’t sleep well the night before and keep you motivated to do your best and continuously excel.

Finding a new path for yourself

Once you have taken a good, hard look at your current work life and decided you need to change things up, the next thing you need to do is work out what is next before you go and hand in your notice. Start by looking for some questions to ask yourself to decide on a new career as these will narrow down your ideas so you can make a more informed and well thought out choice. For example, start by making a list of all of the skills you have that could be used in a professional environment.

Then, make a list of everything you truly enjoy, anything from aspects of your current job you still like all the way to what you like doing in your free time. Once you have these two lists, set them side by side and ask yourself, what do these lists have in common? If you can find that some of the thing you enjoy doing match up with some of the things you are already good at, then you have the solid foundations of a good career choice ahead of you.

A new skill set

When you are finding out what you want to do with your future, you may find yourself gravitating to something completely new that requires a different set of skills or some retraining. It shouldn’t put you off if it is something you feel you would be truly good at and have the added bonus of actually enjoying what you do for a living. All you need are some ideas to get you started on your new career path so that you aren’t going in blind.

One thing you can do, to begin with, is to foster relationships with those in the field you wish to enter which you could meet through professional events and networking opportunities. You may find this could give you the contact you need to bag the job of your dreams. One thing you will need to research is whether or not you will need some additional training and work out the timescale and cost of completing this.

Affording to retrain

If you are considering a career path that would require some retraining, or even just a few refresher courses in things like computer skills, just so you can nail that interview and prove you are the very best person for the job, you need to take into consideration the financial side of this. While some employers may subsidize any extra learning you may require, it worth doing this beforehand and off your own back so that you can get your foot in the door while also showing prospective employers that you are self-motivated and passionate about getting this new job right.

One way to do afford some retraining ahead of applying for a new job is to take out a small loan. A good step is to find out about Bonsai Finance and their loan advice and services as you can be sure you are getting reliable information. The great thing about getting a loan is that you won’t have to dip into any of your hard-earned savings and the skills you gain from the loan will give you a leg up to a higher salary in the future, essentially, paying for itself.

Food for thought

Finally, there are some things to consider when working for a new employer. Make sure that, before you sign the dotted line, that you have looked through the company’s retirement plan and assessed what health insurance this new employer covers. While they may be offering your dream job, you need to make sure your basic working rights are always in place.

Changing careers might be a big step to take, regardless of what age you are and what stage of life you are in, but it doesn’t have to be scary!