Gearing up for a fresh career

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”

-- George Eliot

Age is no bar for a new career. If that be so, no particular age limit can be stipulated to attend training courses to prepare you for it. All you need to have in you is willpower, staying power and grit to train and pursue a career of your dreams, even at an advanced age.

            While many people are reluctant to switch over to new careers, those who take a plunge do so after taking into account many factors. The more common reasons for a career change are pecuniary considerations, differences with employers and colleagues, alterations brought about in aspirations or requirement to move to another location. You could possibly be prompted by one or more of them. Nevertheless, it is still imperative for you to be familiar with various concerns that should be compulsorily addressed if you have to fare well in training yourself for the new career selected by you. These are:

·   Establish your objectives:  Prior to subscribing to a re-training schedule, you should find out the rationale and prime reason that prompted you to change your career. You should also clear about the model career that you intend to chase. Therefore, you need to query yourself about some pertinent issues so that you are mentally and physically geared up for the change that is impending in your life. You ought to know what appeals to you in a job and if it will be possible to keep serving till such time you superannuate. In addition, you should be clear whether the job that you are getting into has some something special attached to it or if the training you are going to go through should equip you for other jobs as well. An important point to consider is whether you will take the re-training while still in your current job or do so post-resignation. The availability of adequate finances to see you through the period till you get your first salary in your new career should also be considered with due seriousness.

·   Maintain lead over others:  Your decision to change careers and go in for a retraining programme is independent of the competitive prevailing in the job market. But you cannot totally ignore the contests and struggle that form the very fibre of the society that we live in. As things exist, a single job has several candidates contending for it; hence it is necessary that you prove yourself to better than others. And this lead has to be maintained from your retraining stage itself. You have to work hard and come out with flying colours so that on completion of the training schedule, you grab a good position.  

·   Have money up your sleeves for a rainy day:  Retraining, like any other training is not with costs. It could be expensive both in terms of time and money. Regular programmes are indeed high-priced and beyond the reach of an average person. What is the alternative then? You could use the internet to subscribe to a course; such lessons may not be costly. The advantage in joining up with courses through the internet is that you can pursue them from the comfort of your home. 

If you enroll for a retraining programme, it does not imply that you are going to engage yourself in a different domain or discipline altogether. Most employers favour training their existing staff for acquisition of new or upgrading of skills; and generally avoid new recruitment. They view doing so as a chance to reinforce bonds, build shared trust and mutual respect. It is possible that your current employer has scheduled learning and development programmes; you could well volunteer to attend any one. An assurance on your part that you will be better geared to serve the organization after retraining will find favour for sure.

Remember that a fresh career will require you to bid adios to your comfort zone. It also calls for some courage to clinch unfamiliar matters and determination to carry on with the new job regardless. If you follow your passion, success will follow you.