Want a career change, don't know where to start

danielley

Hi there,

I have been with my current employer for 11 & 1/2 years and I have been considering a career change for the past couple of years, but haven't got the confidence to do anything about it!

Part of what is holidng me back is that due to the length of service coupled with it being a relatively small company and me being employed from the start, I have a very good salary for what I do.

I am currently employed as a business analyst, and that involves managing any changes to the business, from concept to inception. I used to be in the finance team and I managed staff but the new role (past 3 years) was a promotion of sorts, as my salary didn't change, but my responsibility decreased.

I really dont enjoy my current job, I find the work tedious and the office politics are so frustrating. I know that all offices/workplaces are the same, so I think it is that I dont find enjoyment in the work that is the main issue.

My only qualifications are 10 GCSES's (all C and above)
NVQ 2 & 3 AAT (I completed exams for Level 4, but didn't complete 1 module)
NVQ 3 Management.

When I was younger, I wanted to be a primary school teacher, but I dropped out at A Level stage (I had depression) also I was worried about the cost of funding University myself and having student debts (Thats was 1997 and I look back now at the costs of courses then and wonder what I was worrying about!)

Another thing holding me back is that I have a mortgage! I know this sounds like an excuse, but I need to earn a certain amount each month to pay the bills.

Also I am a 32 year old woman, who has not of yet had children, and I worry that it is silly to change jobs when I might want maternity leave in the next couple of years.

As you can see, I put plenty of mental obstacles in my way!

I know that it is a luxury to have a job that you enjoy, but as you are at work for the majority of your waking hours, I would really enjoy the chance to work in a role that offers me some real satisfaction. I really am a people person, and working in an office seems like a waste of my skills.

I think harking back to my initial desire to teach, I would definitely find satisfaction in a caring role, teaching, nursing, social work, but unfortunately these all require degress. I have been thinking of support roles in these fields, but with the government cuts, roles seem few and far between.

Going to Uni full time isn't an option (my partner said he wouldn't support me, boo!) but I would consider the OU.

I wonder if anyone can offer any advice.

Thank you so much in advance and I do hope that I haven't come across as annoying to people, I know that I am lucky to have a job, but I have suffered from depression in the past and I know that if I dont make a change soon, this will bring me down, so I am trying to be proactive.

pawsies

I think you should apply for jobs whilst your in this job. Mainly because you've got nothing to lose, if you get another job you've got a choice and if you can't get another job then no big deal!

danielley

Thanks Pawsies, I wont hand my notice in, until I have something else, but I am looking for some inspiration on how to make the change and what kind of roles people think I should be looking at, based on what I have said in my OP.

I'm going to buy JobsNorthwest on Friday, I'm old school, searching on the internet is too overwhelming!

danielley

Bump.

Anyone have any ideas or stories about how they made a big career change?

NigeWick

danielley wrote: »

I wonder if anyone can offer any advice.

Think about what you would enjoy doing, exactly. Do not compromise on what it is you want. When you have thought about that, make the decision to find something that fits what you want and go for it.

I joined the Army at 16 as a line of least resistance after I was too lazy at school and failed nearly all the 'O' levels I took. It was OK while I was single but when the children came along, I wanted out. I joined the Police and enjoyed that for a few years but became disenchanted and was handcuffed there by the pension scheme. I retired and did some work selling mortgages & insurance. That would have been alright apart from the fact that the company did not offer THE cheapest as they told me. I sacked them. I worked for Everest for a few months but they are too much like hard sell for my taste. Then I found schools! Brainwashing our yoof into being happy and successful was such a joy. I worked in a school for five years and have just taken voluntary redundancy because I can just about afford to live on my police pension. My wife says she has jobs for me to do round the house and so I looked for something else. I applied for a part time job at B&Q as I did some research an found they are good to work for. Not only that, they have the same sort of ethics as me. I went for assessment a few weeks ago and won an interview. On Monday I got a phone call offering me a job at 16 hours per week. That'll do me. I am also learning about internet marketing so that I can get a recurring income stream going. If anybody's interested, https://www.challenge.co will be starting in four or five weeks or so's time. I did it last year and will undertake the free training again this year. It takes ages for earnings to even start but I do believe it's going to be worth it.

Bottom line:- Find something you will enjoy doing and don't stop working towards it until you get what you want.

Oldernotwiser

danielley wrote: »

Bump.

Anyone have any ideas or stories about how they made a big career change?

I was a Careers Adviser working with adults and I've seen many people making major career changes and people going in to teaching starting from the point of having far fewer qualifications than you do.

https://nextstep.direct.gov.uk/Pages/Home.aspx

You sound like an ideal candidate for the OU. Getting a degree could help you progress in any future career as well as getting you to the position where you can train to teach. Have you looked at their website yet?

http://www.open.ac.uk/

ppolly

The best piece of advice I can give is to get a little work experience in the areas that you are interested. (You don't have to be young to get work experience) If you are interested in working in a school, for example, then see if you can arrange a day or two getting some experience there and see what it is really like. Whilst thinking about a career change you could also consult Barbara Sher's 'Wishcraft' which is great for generating ideas and drawing out your skills. You may find that you can do a degree part-time at your local University. Have fun exploring the options and take a little time before deciding.