The 7 things you must know about making a successful career change

  1. 1

    It is possible to do what you love and still pay the bills

    This is not some pie-in-the-sky theory. We’re saying this because we’ve seen hundreds of people like us – like you – make a shift into work they love and still pay the bills. Yes, even with families to take care of; yes, even without a huge income; yes, even without the ‘right’ qualifications. It’s not always easy. It can take time. But it is absolutely possible. Don’t think you can do it? Read some of the dozens of success stories on our site. And look at us, the founders of Careershifters. We’re not geniuses or wunderkinds, but we’ve done it.

  2. 2

    It’s scary and it’s emotional

    Let’s not mince words. Career change is a scary business. It’s going to feel like you’re putting everything on the line – especially money. You’re sometimes going to wonder what the hell you’re doing. You’re likely to hear a lot of negative talk from people around you. You’re also likely to feel like you’re on an emotional rollercoaster. But inside, you’re going to know that this is the right thing for you. The biggest barrier to you making a change won’t be anything outside you. It’ll be your own fear. This fear won’t go away. But there are practical ways that we’ll be showing you about how you can manage it and go beyond it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. 6

    You must put a supportive team around you

    This is critical. You could almost certainly make the change alone, but it’s going to be way harder, longer and more stressful than putting a supportive team around you. What does this mean? Find people who've made career changes that inspire you and learn from their experiences (there are a whole bunch in our Success Stories section); find people that can hold you to account (ie kick your butt when you haven't done the things you said you would); and find people you can lean on when the going gets tough.

  2. 7

    You must take action

    If there’s only one point you take away from this list, take this one. You can talk about a change, you can whinge to your mates down the pub, you can make plans in your head all you like. But if you don’t take action, nothing’s going to happen. Nada. Zippo. And a year from now you’ll be in the same position, feeling equally miserable, feeling equally frustrated. You HAVE to take some action. Today. And then tomorrow. And then the day after. It can be as small as making one call; or writing an email; or asking for an introduction via a friend to someone who’s in a career you find interesting. But you have to do something. Take that step now.

      

Ready to take action? Find out more about our London Workshops.


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What people are saying about Careershifters

"This website has been a lifesaver for me over the past year!"

Lindsey

"The Careershifters workshop started me on the path to changing from the Practice Manager of a GP Practice to Community Engagement work that meets the needs I identified at the workshop."

Diane Cassidy

"Careershifters helped me realise that there were many small steps I could take towards improving my job satisfaction. Gaining greater focus has given me a renewed enthusiasm for my work, giving me the confidence to negotiate a one year sabbatical."



Cath Rooney

"The Careershifters workshop helped me realise that it’s never too late to change your career, that these advances take time and, I am confident that if I stick with my ‘plan’ I won’t make another wrong career move."

Claire Coveney

"I had a career in sales and now I run my own sales training company.  The Careershifters workshop gave me the motivation to get on and do things, as well as some good direction with regards to the sort of activities I needed to put in place."

Matt Hayden

“Thanks to Careershifters I'm shifting my career! Have been thinking for a while about the direction I'm going in and after looking at your website and reading some of the advice I realised that I've got to go for it.”

Justine

"For 17 years I worked in the travel industry. In the period of unemployment and after attending the Careershifters workshop I retrained and am now employed as a trainer and coach. I'd recommend the workshop to anyone who may not know what they want to do."

Paul Kensett

“After attending a Careershifters workshop I had the energy and drive to start researching how to get into teaching. I applied for a course, had an interview, got a place and left my old job in less than a week. It was so easy when I finally decided to go for it.”

Nikki

“As of yesterday, I officially have a new career and start my new and exciting role next week! So a massive THANK YOU to all of you at Careershifters for your support. You really do deserve every success in what you're doing.”

Liz

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