How to make a career change

Flick through any lifestyle magazine and you'll read about people who have found fulfilment by downsizing their careers or realising long-held professional ambitions. Indeed, with sea and tree changes the order of the day, a new career often comes with the territory. But what should you consider before making a career change? And how do you make it happen?

1. Check your motivations
Before you dive into planning your career change, assess your motivations so you can be sure that you’re doing it for the right reasons. If you’re reacting to poor management, then you may want to forgo a career change and switch employers instead. Or, if it's a response to personal challenges or change, a rethink might be wise.

2. Get brainstorming
If you’re having trouble coming up with career alternatives, then consider using brainstorming techniques and psychometric assessments for greater inspiration. It's common for people to generate a number of potential new careers before settling on the one that’s most suited to their skills, interests, and personality.

3. Do your research
Researching careers online and talking to industry experts will give you a greater understanding of any professional qualifications, memberships or certificates that are required. And if you want to get to the grit beneath the glitter of your new career, shadowing someone in their job for a day will give you a greater understanding of what’s involved.

4. Start preparing
Solid preparation makes a successful career change more likely. To this end, consider polishing your resume and interview skills. This can be done in workshops where presentations, role plays, case studies and written quizzes will get you up to speed. Or, if you don't have time to fit a class into your busy schedule, look out for helpful books or articles.

5. Plan your transition
One secret to making a successful career change is to identify the steps required to make it work for you. This can be achieved using a career coach or your own initiative. Make a list of what you want to achieve and then use SMART goal setting to ensure that they’re specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.

6. Take active steps
Remember, your career change won’t happen by itself. The best way to achieve it is through commitment, action and sheer hard work. Also, the more structured your career change, the greater your chances are of you pulling it off, so, where possible, follow your plan to a tee.