Yes, you CAN change career... at any age

IT is immensely pessimistic to have the belief that you cannot change career, whatever the decade you find yourself in - thirties, forties, fifties, and so on.

People change career all the time. The approaches may change depending on where you are at with your current career.

You change cars, houses, and holiday destinations all the time, so to change career, you need self-belief and confidence coupled with knowledge and action.

Many people I meet at Careerhub.ie are actively seeking other roles and different careers. There seems to be a growing dissatisfaction with work and people want to change. Covid-19 has spurred on a shift in values, with people wanting to combine the world of work with family life.

I meet people wanting to change careers in their thirties as they are unhappy. People who have had children seek change, people who are returning to work maybe after raising a family, people in high-powered corporate roles who now wish to shift gears and change roles, or people in an industry rut who want new feelings of empowerment and job satisfaction.

"It is a natural progression in Ireland. You do your Leaving Cert, pick a course, get a job, earn money, buy a house/car… However, boredom or disillusionment can set in for some."

Whatever the scenario you face, you must give yourself the chance to pivot and change that direction, or at the very least to explore your feelings and options on career change.

This is especially true if you are consumed with feelings of boredom, fatigue, ‘going through the motions’, or can see no way of changing.

Too many times at careerhub.ie, I hear people say that they felt unhappy or stuck in a rut, but chose to ignore it because they didn’t know where to start with changing roles or career. Uncertainty, doubt and whisperings of ‘what next’ or ‘how will I change’ or ‘what if I don’t like it’ can take over.

Beginning change

Career clarity and a career audit.

Yes, without doubt it can seem like a daunting endeavour. You need to be challenged and explore questions to ascertain what it is you want from life.

You need to look at new and existing values, what type of environment you want. Do you seek flexibility, more responsibility, or a role where you feel more energised?

"Establishing what you really want from life and your work life is vital."

You also need to assess the skills and experience you have to bring to the new career change. Creating this career audit is very insightful and surprising for many.

You may need to upskill, retrain and there are many possibilities to do that now. Changing to a new industry without a qualification may be challenging, but not without opportunities.

People I work with at Careerhub.ie tend to feel they don’t know where to begin. When a client gets clarity, it’s then movement to information and options.

People seek out the help of career guidance advisors whose expertise lies in course options and pathways to a career/new career.

Clients have chosen conversion courses, some have gone back to embark on a new degree programme. Others apply for add-on courses, masters degrees or engage with the new initiatives from Springboard+ and the Human Capital initiative.

Some go on to reposition themselves in of CV rebranding, targeting applications, interview skills for positions, negotiation tactics and confidence-building.

To highlight a real story, a recent client at careerhub.ie who was working in agriculture - a natural progression after completing a degree in agricultural science - engaged in a career change programme involving exploration of values, ions, and testing. This pointed towards to roles like engineering and architecture.

After discussion and pathway building, he now is applying via the CAO as a mature student for architecture in UCD. Others apply using PLCs and QQI pathways. It is most definitely about being informed of all choices available to you and then choosing what suits your own needs.

Springboard+ is a government initiative that provides a 90% funded higher education. There are many options that allay fears of cost and flexibility, especially in 2023-2024, with 8,291 places across 252 courses.

The Human Capital Initiative Pillar 1 2023-2024 has 2,922 places available across 105 courses. These are a fantastic opportunity to allow you access a new career path or upskill.

"Areas like digital marketing, sales, HRM, engineering, pensions and insurance, sustainability, procurement management are being offered in all different college locations including Corks UCC and MTU."

Options range from Level 6 to level 9 on the NFQ. Cost and expense can tend to be a barrier for people in of returning to undertake a new degree programme, postgraduate study or conversion courses. With the Springboard+ - if you are employed there is a 10% course fee contribution. If unemployed courses are free.

These are just examples of initiatives that allow people to seek change with low cost and flexibility at the core.

It’s important to state that career change doesn’t happen overnight, or without thought, commitment and advice. What’s great about engaging it is is a new feeling of excitement, self-worth and motivation. It is important to remove the stigma of ‘I’m too old for a career change’ or ‘that has ed me by’. It hasn’t.