According to a recent study, the average adult will go through 3-7 different careers before they retire. This means that if you’ve been wanting to quit your job and seek out something new for some time, you aren’t alone.
Of course, this doesn’t make the process any less daunting. Changing careers often means taking a step back from both stability and comfort, which can be more complex and more challenging to do as we get older. However, as we spend the majority of our adult lives working, you should at least enjoy what you do.
With that in mind, here are some top tips for navigating a change in career!
Identify your passions
When switching careers, ensure you are on a path that excites or interests you. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself right back where you started again in a few years (or even months). The easiest way to achieve this goal is to figure out what you are passionate about, as you can then seek out careers that align with this.
For example, if you are caring and considerate, and are passionate about making a difference in the lives of others, you may want to consider a career within Ambulance Services. Alternatively, if you’ve always loved spending time in the gym, you may want to consider working as a personal trainer or fitness instructor.
Either way, identifying what makes your heart sing will allow you to turn passions into profits!
Explore the concept of ikigai
When thinking about your passions, it’s helpful to go deeper than “what do I like to do?” and explore what truly gives you purpose. This is where the Japanese concept of ikigai (????) comes in.
Ikigai roughly translates to “a reason for being” or “a reason to live.” It is the intersection of four key elements:
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What you love (your passions)
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What you are good at (your talents and skills)
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What the world needs (a sense of contribution or service)
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What you can be paid for (sustainability and livelihood)
When these overlap, you find your ikigai—a career path or life direction that not only pays the bills but also brings joy, meaning, and fulfillment.
For instance, someone who loves cooking, has strong culinary skills, enjoys serving others, and can make a living as a chef may find that hospitality aligns perfectly with their ikigai. Another person might love mentoring, have natural leadership abilities, see the world’s need for strong guidance, and earn a salary as a coach or teacher.
By using ikigai as a framework, you can avoid making a career move that only solves one piece of the puzzle (like money or passion alone) and instead aim for a path that brings balance, purpose, and long-term satisfaction.
Identify your transferable skills
Believe it or not, changing careers always require you to start from scratch. In fact, you’ve likely developed a range of transferable skills throughout your working life that can be applied to your new job, such as your ability to work as part of a team. As such, you should make sure to clearly feature them within any CV or job application you send out, even if you feel as though they are pretty obvious.
Go back to school
While you may be able to switch between comparable careers without needing additional qualifications, you should also be willing to ‘go back to school’ when necessary. There’s no shame in this, as you are never too old to learn something new. Not only that, but it will increase your earning potential moving forward, making the extra studying well worth the effort.
While studying, keep an eye out for potential mentorship or trainee programs within your industry of choice. This will provide you with hands-on experience that helps you decide your next move after receiving the qualification. Alternatively, you may reach out to those working within your chosen industry to ask them for guidance moving forward.
Changing careers is daunting, but it can also be gratifying. After all, it often puts you on the path toward professional fulfilment, meaning that you will actually be happy to go into the office each day. This will enhance all aspects of your life, especially if it gives you the opportunity to do something you enjoy every single day!
