Want to change careers but do not know where to start? Start here.

‘I have trained as a nurse/ teacher/ architect, I do not know what other jobs are out there’

‘I have been out of work for so long for family reasons, how do I get back into the workplace?’

‘I have no interest in what I am doing but I do not know what other jobs I have the skillset for.’

These are all common concerns of my clients before they start working with me. They are under-challenged and bored, or overworked and stressed, and they realise there is more to life than slaving away doing a job you hate for another 20 years.

By the time we have trained in one career, started a family and finished formal education, it usually means we have a family to consider and just quitting or going to work in a supermarket until you find something more suitable, is not really an option. Deciding that the career we trained in, is not the one for our future is a scary decision to make and fear and Imposter Syndrome are most likely to enter your world. Financial worries creep in, our subconscious mind tells us we cannot do it and we slip back in to feeling our current role may not be that bad. But, it is all lies – you CAN definitely find a job or career that suits you better, pays better or gives you a better work/ life balance. You just have to fight through the negative thoughts and keep believing you are capable.

So, how do we find a way to change career when our experience in another field is limited to none? Try not to focus on skillsets or qualifications until you have done this first process:

• Think it
• Believe it
• Visualise it
• Feel into it
• Be it and do it

Step one

If something is possible for someone else, it is 100% possible for you. (I would even argue that even some things that have never been possible for others, can be possible for you but that is a whole other blog!) The first thing to do is find others in your community or on social media that you can follow and be inspired by. Once you have the thought that career change is possible, it is the first step in making it happen.

Step two

This is where people usually hit a roadblock; believing it. You may see others and think they have more money than you, more qualifications, a better passport or better looks, but it does not matter. If you, deep down, can get yourself to believe that you deserve a new job, new career or something more fulfilling in life, you are half way there. Make a conscious effort to ignore your subconscious mind which will try to keep you safe in your comfort zone, and push through the fear to believing that you too, can achieve this.

Step three

Start to think about where, when, how and with whom you want to work and visualize it. Imagine the new office, your home office, your colleagues, the clothes you will wear, your new haircut and the commute to work. Create a picture of the new house you will buy with the pay rise, the holidays you will go on and the friends you will have. Having a clear vision of what you want will help you find the job you are seeking. You can do this on a vision board, on Pinterest, in your mind, but see yourself in that image and believe it will happen for you.

Step four

When we want something from life, whether it is a new job, a family, a partner or a certain amount of money, it is usually the EMOTION behind the ‘thing we want’ more than the thing itself. What I mean is that, usually if we desire more money, the feeling is security, safety or comfort. If we want a partner or a family, it is usually love that we are searching for. In this case, is it challenge, fulfillment, purpose, contentment, success? What is the feeling you will get by securing this new job and try spend a few minutes each day feeling into it as if you have it now.

Step five

Be it and do it. By this I mean, act as if you are this person now, and take action to become this person now. You can connect with people in these roles to surround yourself with the right people. You can create a Pinterest board of the clothes you will wear in the new role. You can research companies you would like to work for online. You can make connections with people who work there on LinkedIn, and you can start that training course or new qualification to become this person.

Once you have these steps down to a tee, the next one is to work out what kind of job or career you want to have and then taking the steps to get it and that, is a whole separate blog…coming soon.