Have You Got the Stomach?

Its estimated that on average an individual will change careers approximately 5 times in their working lives. However making the move into a different career area is not always easy and can require significant effort and perseverance. The sixty million dollar question - 'how long does it take to change careers?' depends very much on the type of change you pursue. For example if you're simply looking to change industries but do pretty much the same type of job then with some targeted marketing the transition should be relatively fast and straight forward. However if you're looking to completely change career direction and work in a different industry then the transition can take around six months (and longer if you need to retrain or up skill). The general rule of thumb is the greater the gap between your old and new career, the more challenging a successful career change will be. Of course not only is time a factor but so too is money - for some changing careers involves reducing remuneration expectations and requires considerable resilience.

Factors to consider:

Anticipate a longer search: though some people might be lucky enough to make a career change quickly, generally it takes longer to make a successful career change as opposed to simply changing jobs. Carefully consider your financial situation and make sure you can both afford the time and effort required as well as a potential drop in salary.

Be realistic: Though you might daydream about becoming a famous actor or neurosurgeon you'll need to ask 'how attainable is this and am I likely to succeed in this area'? If you're heart's set on becoming a neurosurgeon, how long is this likely to take and can you afford the time and training required? How easy or difficult will it be to secure employment in your chosen area of work, does it make sense to you given your stage in life and will this occupation match your career values?

Remember your 'soft' and transferable skills: Regardless of your career direction it's likely you'll possess many skills that are transferrable to your chosen area, as well as have many soft skills. These should be strongly marketed to potential employers and have prominence in your resume.

Don't rely on traditional job search methods: Changing careers is considerably harder than simply switching jobs and you'll have to think laterally about how you might target yourself to prospective employers. Focussing on newspaper job advertisements or recruitment agencies alone may be fruitless. For example recruitment agencies generally find it difficult to place career changers as they get paid by employers to find experienced talent, not to help career changers.

Network network, network: you chances of successfully changing careers will most likely be though a referral or contact. Get yourself out there and meet as many people as possible (preferably within your chosen targeted career). Even if you don't know anyone specifically within your targeted career remember the six degrees of separation. You might also want to consider attending industry conventions or trade shows or joining a professional group in your targeted area.

Speak the language: usually each career field has its own language or jargon and culture; get to know these and adjust your image and behaviour accordingly so that you are seen as 'one of us' rather than 'one of them'! Ensure your highlighted skills are translated into the industry speak/language.

Consider volunteering: Though not practical for everyone - volunteering is a great to increase your skills, give you exposure to different types of work and increase networks. There are 1000s of volunteer opportunities at Australian VolunteerSearch. Remember however if you decide to volunteer make sure you leave enough time to focus on securing paid work.

Despite the effort required changing careers can be both satisfying and rewarding. Persistence, patience and a passionate belief in what you're doing will go a long way in ensuring you success.