Four Steps to Building a New Career
It's never to late to start a new career. Many people decide in later life that they would like to try something new, or would like to pursue a dream career that they've always thought about, but practical matters often interfere. Here are some suggestions to help you overcome obstacles and turn your dream career into a reality.
Decide what you want to do
You may already know what you want to do, but if you are having trouble deciding or have only a vague idea, it can help to visualise your ideal career.
Think about what you enjoy doing. What are your hobbies and your interests? What would make you feel fulfilled? What is important to you? What do you feel most passionate about? If you struggle to answer these questions, try thinking back to your childhood – what did you want to be? What did you want to do with your life? What did you enjoy doing as a child?
Let your imagination run free. Don’t be constricted by what you think you can and can’t do, or practical concerns such as age, qualifications or circumstances. Be as fanciful as you can, and imagine what it would be like to have your dream career.
Once you have an image of your ideal career, analyze it to work out what appeals to you about this line of work. Does it give a sense of purpose? If so, what kind of purpose is it? What is it that feels good to you about this career? Analyzing your dream career will help you to understand what you want from your career, and give you an idea of the elements that are important to you. Once you know what these elements are, you will have a guide to help you decide on a realistic, and achievable, career path.
Research your chosen career field
Once you know which field you want to work in, research the various career options available, and make notes of the positives and negatives of each option. Find out as much as you can about what the job entails and what the entry requirements are.
Are there limitations, for example, age or fitness restrictions, on people wanting to start a career in your chosen field? If so, is it something you can overcome?
Which skills and qualities are needed in order to do the job? Do you believe you possess these? If not, think about how you might be able to develop them.
Will you need qualifications or specific work experience? If so, and you don’t already have these, think about how you could gain them.
How much (if any) training is required? How long will it take and how much will it cost? Is there funding available to help with the cost of training?
If possible, speak to someone who has already built a similar career to the one you want, or talk to a careers advisor to help you explore your options. Once you have a better idea of what is involved, you will be able to decide which career path you would like to pursue.
Assess your situation
Being aware of your strengths and weaknesses can help you to plan ahead and anticipate obstacles that could hold you back. Once you have a clear idea of what they are, you can plan ahead and formulate solutions.
Consider your personal situation. What responsibilities do you have? If you have children or dependents, can someone else help you to look after them so you can have more free time to work on your career? If you want to retrain but financial constraints cause a problem, is there any funding available to help you?
Think about what qualifications, experience and skills you already have. These don’t have to be things you learnt in a classroom or in a work place - many useful skills are learnt just through living life. For example, if you have brought up children, you will have had to use many skills such as teaching, communication, time-keeping and organisational skills, to name but a few. Think about what skills you have developed throughout your life so far. What are you good at?
Make a list of what you need to do
Think about how you can help to prepare yourself for the challenges ahead, and make a list of what you need to do. If your chosen career path requires a high level of fitness, consider joining a gym or working out an exercise plan you can fit into your lifestyle. If you need specific qualifications that you don’t already have, seek advice on how you can gain them. If there are skills you will need, but don’t feel you already have, think about how you can gain them. If you have been out of work for a long time and need to boost your confidence, consider trying some voluntary work first to help you get used to working again.
There will be many obstacles along the way, but planning ahead and finding ways to overcome them, will give you the best chance of success, and you will also be able to add problem-solving to your list of skills.
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