As humans, every day we change. When we learn, expand our mind and deal with the ups and downs that life throws we can change a lot, especially over the space of years. What this means is a job that once suited us perfectly can no longer be a fit, and you might find yourself bored, unsatisfied and over or under worked in your position. If you’re no longer happy in what you do, a change of career should be on the cards since our jobs are a huge part of our lives. When you’re unhappy with your job it can affect the rest of your life too- so if you’ve been feeling this way here are some things to consider.

Should You Make The Change?

Making a career change is a huge move that will significantly affect your life. Our jobs are a large part of our identities and so it’s rarely black and white when it comes to a decision to change. You will need to step out of the realms of what is comfortable and something you’ve likely known and grown accustomed to, probably over the space of years. This takes a lot of courage! Before you resign, really thinking everything through. Even if you’re unhappy in your current job there are less severe options. You could change companies or ask for a promotion. If your heart isn’t in it at all and you know what it is you’d rather do instead, it’s probably a sign that moving to do something else makes sense.

How Can You Prepare Yourself?

If you have a think about it all and decide that a career move is for you, you will need to prepare yourself as best as you can. You could look into apprenticeship opportunities, or take on some training- voluntary or otherwise- linked to the field. You could go back to university full time, part time or study online. Aim to do as much as you can before resigning from your current job, that way you’re in the best position to not only get a job straight away but you might even be able to get one higher up. At least that way you don’t have to work from the absolute bottom, but either way it will make you stand out to employers.

Can You Afford It?

When you change career, it’s very likely that you will be moving to a much lower paid position as you will be starting from low down on the career ladder. If you’re set on moving careers as you want to do something more rewarding or to pursue your dreams, it probably doesn’t bother you that you will be earning less money especially at first. But you will have become accustomed to your current wages and your lifestyle will reflect this, so make sure you can realistically afford to live if you’re not earning as much.

Will a change of career be on the cards for you in 2018? If so, which direction do you plan on going in?