Changing Career

• Make sure you are clear on what your key skills are and what interests you and that these are well suited to the type of role you are looking for - not much point trying to become an accountant if you are not numerically adept
• Speak to someone who works in a similar career and find out how they got started
• There are a multitude of career advice resources available - make good use of them
• Moving into a new role and new industry at the same time can be made easier in two stages i.e. move to a similar job in a different industry to gain sector experience first or to a similar role in your current industry if applicable
• Tailor your C.V. and covering letter to every single position you apply for, highlighting relevant experience and any transferable skills
• Be selective in your applications as a more targeted and higher quality approach can often lead to more effective results than a “shotgun” approach
• Find out what training prospective employers might provide before committing to paying for any retraining yourself
• Check to see if there is any free or subsidised training support available that could help you improve relevant skills
• Be realistic about the timeframe as changing career direction may not always be easy and can often take time, but should be worth effort in the long run