As an employment agency, we’re incredibly aware of just how daunting changing careers or even job changes can be. Securing a position which provides you with what you need in terms of company culture and ensuring that you are happy at work is something we value greatly, and something we recognise is often overlooked. At DiscoverWork, we strive to give members a comprehensive view of the vacancies and companies available, so you can see if they are going to suit you personally, before diving into the interview journey. If you’re currently in the process of deciding if a role or career change is for you, we’re here with a rundown of top tips on how to make sure a career change really works for and not against you!
Work-life Balance
While you might not be able to expect a raise in salary when entering a new career, you can weigh up what you want from the role in other ways, and a fairer work-life balance is in increasing demand. The benefits you wish to reap from your new career, of course, partly depend upon your reasons for wanting to make the change. Consider the reasons why you wish to pursue a career change in the first place and look to find or negotiate them in your new role. In the case of work-life balance, this is becoming easier for new hires in an environment which is increasingly offering flexible and remote working as part of employee wellbeing. This CIPD survey shows that employers recognise the desire and benefits of flexible working, with 76% saying it had a positive effect on retention, 73% saying it improved motivation and 72% reporting positive effects on employee engagement! Looking after employees is beneficial for both businesses and employees, so negotiating this may even be easier than you think!
Repurpose Your Skills
Your already established and well-practised skills could be of completely different value in your new role; this does not, however, mean that they are worthless, we would argue quite the opposite! Whatever industry you are coming from, there will be management, communication, logistical, budgeting or any other number of transferable skills that you can bring your new role and even improve processes already in place. These skills could be exactly what a new employer is looking for, so make them work to your advantage and give you an edge!
New Learning Opportunities
A new working environment is an ideal opportunity to source new stimulation and learn new skills. Surrounded by new people, skill sets and operational techniques; all you need to do is be proactive to benefit from the knowledge of others. It’s also an excellent opportunity to find a mentor to learn from, a senior member of a team who has valuable experience which you can tap into.
Learning or training opportunities may also be something you’d like to take into consideration when negotiating your role and benefits as they can be continually invaluable throughout your career.
New Challenges
A new environment, a new job, in any circumstance, presents its challenges: finding your rhythm, communication styles, adapting to the company culture and new colleagues, as well as any additional tasks and processes to which you’re not accustomed. A different career can offer up even more, but these kinds of challenges are the perfect opportunity to explore and grow and add value to your skills and the business you are joining.
Learning Is Your Superpower
We all know that learning is healthy for the brain; retraining and learning completely new skills can be hugely beneficial. If your career change is one which you have had to retrain for, then your brain will have been more active while learning new information. When we learn new skills, the brain creates new pathways, and levels of concentration and attention are heightened until this skill becomes so well practised that we no longer need to ‘think’ about it. It is argued that an active mind is a more open mind. This, coupled with the up to date information from any recent retraining, will ensure that your approach to your new role will be more motivated and full of ideas than many of your new colleagues.
As they say, a change is as good as a rest. So while any job has its ups and downs, you do have the opportunity to harness all of the positive energy which comes with a new position. It’s an opportunity to identify new skills you can learn, put into practice those you have already learnt, to make new friends, secure new benefits and new routines and to really give the best you have to offer! When you’re ready to make the change, the DiscoverWork platform is here to help you on your journey and find the perfect match; you can sign up to the platform today to stay informed!
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