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Next edition: 14 December 2006
Career change mistakes
Changing careers is not easy, particularly as lots of people will think that wanting to leave law means that you've lost your mind (if they didn't think that already). Regardless of how you go about changing career, here are some mistakes to try to avoid:
- Don't leap before you look. Make sure you are not escaping to another field that doesn’t fit you very well either. Think carefully about your skills, strengths and interests.
- Don't look at a field just because it is a good fit for someone you know. Just because they are doing well at it and like it, doesn’t mean that you will.
- Don't stick to possibilities that you already know about. Explore fields that you hadn’t considered before.
- Don't let money be the deciding factor. You will never be paid enough to make you happy if your job isn’t right for you. And when you are doing something you enjoy, money can seem less important.
- Don't keep your dissatisfaction to yourself or try to make the switch alone. You need support and you might hear of job options and ideas by discussing your plans with others.
- Don't go back to studying unless you've tried out the new field. You are never too old for internships and voluntary work and there are lots of ways of finding out about an industry without blindly embarking on an expensive course.
- Don't expect a careers adviser to tell you which field to enter. They can help identify your dreams and talents, but you'll have to do the research and the decision making yourself.
- Don't expect to switch career overnight as a thorough career change can take months (or longer).
If you find life coach rhetoric painful, then go and see L. Vaughan Spencer at the Comedy Store in London on Monday 5 February 2007. "L. Vaughan Spencer is to life coaching what Alan Partridge is to broadcasting" (Metro) and is the creation of comedian Neil Mullarkey. The spoof show is called "Don’t Be Needy, Be Succeedy", and is very amusing.