Do you look forward to going to work every day or does each morning leave you feeling more and more uninspired?
The New Year sparks many of us into revaluating our lives; setting resolutions that aim to make our lives happier and more fulfilled. For some, the planned changes can be easily achieved such as spending more time with family and friends or eating more healthily, for others it can be an opportunity to make bigger life changes such as moving house or changing jobs!
If you are looking at changing careers, to finally follow your dreams and do a job that you love, it may involve a period of retraining. The career path you are considering will determine what this is.
Perhaps you may know the kind of area you would like to work in but are not sure of your options. If this sounds like you then read on…
- Not sure where to start? – Think about what you enjoy and don’t enjoy doing. If you don’t enjoy your current job, consider why? Is it the job, the company, the people? Figuring out what it is that you don’t like will help you to move forward.
- What are you good at? – Combining what you enjoy doing and what you’re skilled at doing will give you a good indication of what your dream job could be. Be honest with yourself about what it is you want to do and think about what it is that is stopping you; perhaps it is financial or practical reasons, or maybe you are worried about what other people will think about your choices.
- Know your options – When you have decided what you want to do – research, research research! Find out not only what it is you need to do to land your dream job, but speak to people who are already doing it to find out what your life could really be like. Spending some time work shadowing someone can be a great insight. Retraining and changing jobs is such a big decision that you need to be sure it is right for you. However, remain mindful that many people change career every year and have never looked back; perhaps only with regret they never did it sooner!
- Talk to friends and family – There is no doubt that making big changes will affect those around you. Make sure you talk through any concerns you have and discuss what support you will need both to start off on your new journey and as you progress along.
- Make it happen – Once you have a clear idea about what you want to do and you know what changes you need to make – create a plan and stick to it. Work towards your goal one step at a time. Very rarely is a journey plain sailing so be prepared for challenges and work to overcome them by keeping the end goal in sight. You really can do this!
If you are looking to change career and are thinking about undertaking a course at The College of Animal Welfare but want to speak to someone for further advice, please call our Customer Advice Team on 01480 422060 / admin@caw.ac.uk