If you are thinking about changing your career, you are not alone. Year in, year out many people look to retrain in order to start something new – for a lot of people they have been doing the same job since they left school and want to try something different. Luckily, in today’s era, there are many ways in which you can retrain, from volunteering on the weekends at a local company to studying an online course – some courses are surprisingly very affordable online. Whether you want to be a personal trainer, work for a company like Crooton Recruitment or want to become a teacher, there are many ways in which you can do it. Below we have put together a guide on four ways to change your career.
Sign up for an online course
Online courses are a brilliant way to learn something new and study to help change your career. They can be done in the comfort of your own home, at your own pace and you can fit them around your day or evening job. There are many online courses that you can sign up for, fitness enthusiasts who would love to learn about the importance of being healthy could study a nutrition course. If you are creative you could opt for a graphic design course or web design course. The possibilities are endless! Plus, most online courses are very affordable with some even coming free. If you try one out and you don’t like it, you can request a refund and sign up for something different.
Volunteer during your free time
Sometimes the best way to learn something new is to get hands-on with it and learn on the job. If you know of any local companies who offer a service that you are interested in, then why not get in touch and offer to volunteer for them during your spare time? This gives you a chance to see if you really will like the job, you will learn the key skills needed on the job and if in the future a position becomes available they will more than likely choose you. Most companies are more than happy to accept volunteers as it doesn’t cost them to have you there, plus they may give you a reward if you are doing well when helping them. Try to volunteer on one or two of your days off, the more time you can give them, the more you will learn.
Sign up for open university
Open University gives you the chance to study a high level qualification at a time most convenient to you . Most of the courses are done in the evening with a lot of the time over the internet in the comfort of your own home – exams will take place in a university near you. The cost of going to an open university can be expensive, however there are grants and student loans that you can apply for to cover the costs. The courses will often take 4 or 5 years as they are the same length as a normal degree but studied over a longer period of time due to you doing ot part time.
Set up a job shadow
If you like the company you are in but want to change your career, then you could set up a job shadow with someone you work with. This way you can stay in the same company but learn some new skills with the idea of changing departments in the future. If you are in sales, you could shadow someone in the marketing department. If you wanted to get into finance, you could do an evening course on accounting and then job shadow someone for the finance department. By staying in the same company, you keep the knowledge of the industry but learn new skills from the department.
The above four suggestions are all great options if you are looking to change your career. Not one is better than the other, it just depends on what you are trying to achieve. For example, if you want to retrain and become a teacher, then open university may be the better option. If you like the idea of becoming a graphic designer, studying an online course from home would be a wise choice. Volunteering is great if you don’t require a lot of in depth knowledge.
What tips would you give to someone trying to change their career? Have you ever tried one of the three tips above? Is there anything you would like to share that will benefit our readers? Let us know in the comment box below.
