How to prepare for a career change

I want a career change

If you’re ready to make a big career change, it’s important to know why you’re feeling this way. Ask yourself why you’re looking for a new career and get an idea about what it is you’re not enjoying about your current situation.

Jot down a few points for and against making a move. Pros would be things like increased earning potential, change in lifestyle or the chance to pursue something that interests you. Cons would be decreased earning potential, needing to retrain or having to start from scratch. 

If you’re nervous about what’s on your pros list, consider moving up or sideways in your current career instead of going for the full career change. You can quickly gain the skills needed to make a smaller move by taking one of our short courses to upskill and retool quickly.

Looking for career change ideas  

You’ve probably already got a pretty good idea about what you want from a career change but it might be worth drilling down into the specifics. If you want to work with children, do you want to be a teacher or do you want to be an entertainer? If you want to work in hospitality, do you want to take the reins of a hotel or get on the pans in a kitchen. If you’re interested in design, do you want to specialise in UX and web design, branded fashion or animation? 
Look at career opportunities within your field of interest, expected pay brackets and – importantly – what kind of training you’ll need to do to be able to reach your goals. 

Learn new skills for a new career

You’ll almost certainly have to do some further training to enter a whole new career. Our range of courses span from undergraduate courses and degrees all the way up to higher degrees by research. 

The essential transferable skills required by any industry are the smart skills, such as leadership, negotiation and teamwork. No matter which direction your career is going, these are skills that will help you on your journey. 

Explore our range of Digital Badges, which are a suite of five or six on-demand short courses designed to enhance your strengths, to find one that suits your needs. For example, if you’re finally ready to take the plunge into starting your own business, you may find the Leadership Essentials Digital Badge a practical and invaluable asset on your journey. Complete six Digital Badges and earn a credit towards a longer qualification that will enhance your career prospects further. 

If you need help deciding on the right course to get you on the path to change career path, our Future Student Advisors are on hand to help you make that big decision. 

Get some experience

If you don’t have any experience in your future industry, it’s important to get some before you start looking for work. If you’re having trouble getting a job at the level that you want, consider alternative entries: volunteering, interning and work experience through your course are all good options. 

Our courses are all industry focused and offer an element of experience through live briefs, work placements and student-led enterprises.

Ready to make the move to an exciting new career? Start by developing your transferable smart skills to prepare you for any role, with our Smart Skills Digital Badges.

Or contact us to find out which course is right for you.