Gone are the days where you could predict your career path or expect to work for the same company until the day you retired. In today’s workforce, employees have greater flexibility and opportunity to alter the course of their career. They can even transition to completely new fields of work with a career change.
Starting a new career is about more than just finding a new job. It’s about finding a career path that will meet your expectations now and into the future. It’s about finding a renewed purpose. It’s about living your best life.
Whether you’d like to earn more, are seeking more or less responsibility, want to change your working conditions or you’re just need a change, there are some telltale signs that now could be the perfect time to take action.
1. You want to make a greater impact
If your current career doesn’t allow you to focus on what truly matters to you, then it could be time to take stock. What are your priorities, motivations and values? A career that allows you to add value to your workplace, community or even the world can offer rewards that even the biggest pay cheque can’t.
Working in retail but dreaming of a job where you’re out in the field all day? Stuck behind a desk crunching numbers but would rather be talking with and helping people all day? If you’re feeling at odds with what you do during your working hours, it’s a sign you could be ready for a career change that lets you align your job with your personal traits and goals.
Understanding who you are and what you value is the first step to finding meaningful work. Think of a small change you can make today to move take the first step towards your dream career. It could be researching the types of roles that excite you and finding out what qualifications you need for them. Let’s not sugar-coat it – changing careers takes determination, perseverance and hard work. Charles Sturt University has flexible courses and personalised support to prepare you for a career that will allow you to make a real impact in the workforce, create change in communities, develop new technologies and help industry thrive. And most importantly, put you in the career you’ve been dreaming of. No matter how big or small your career aspirations may be, Charles Sturt University is here to help.
“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” – Seth Godin
2. You want to reinvent your working life with a career change
Think back to when you first decided what you would be when you grew up. Did you go on to smash that goal and now you’re ready for a new challenge? Or did you change your mind and end up taking a different path?
If your interests and priorities have shifted or the passion you had for something during your school days has returned, now could be the perfect time to take the leap.
One of the best things about the world today is that a change of mind at any stage of your career is possible. And the skills and knowledge acquired through university courses give you a foundation in the transferable soft skills you’ll need to make transitions between jobs and sectors. The average person makes a career change approximately five to seven times during their working life, so you’re going to need to be agile and ready.
If 17-year-old you mapped out a career climbing the ranks of the corporate sector but grown-up you sees your true calling to be working with communities in developing nations, improving environmental sustainability in regional areas or developing a treatment or cure for illness, it’s never too late to make the change.
You could even test the waters through single subject study and build your degree one subject at a time as you discover your true passion.
“It is never too late to be who you might have been.” – George Eliot
3. You feel restless or uninspired
There will always be those days where we feel a little less motivated than perhaps we should. But if those days turn into weeks and months you might be ready to shake things up with a career change.
Maybe you raced to the top of your industry and you’ve hit the ceiling. Or maybe you’ve outgrown your current role and no longer feel challenged. Postgraduate study can open up doors to specialised roles that can give your existing career a boost, or you could even start afresh in a completely new direction.
The ever-changing workforce is constantly dishing up new and exciting careers that align with tomorrow’s needs, so there’s never been a better time to add another string to your bow. Broadening your skill set through postgraduate study is one of the best ways to reinvigorate your passion, increase your likelihood of promotion and expand your earning capacity. Whether you want to keep up with new technologies, develop leadership and management skills to take your career to the next level, or make a successful transition to a completely new area, Charles Sturt University can get you there with our broad range of postgrad courses. And most of them can be studied online because we know, well, you’ve got a life. We make every effort so you can study however works for you.
“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” – Maya Angelou
Ready to make a career change?
If you’re ready, are friendly advisers are on hand to chat through your options. They’ll help you discover the best pathway to get you to where you want to go. Book a one-to-one virtual consult and take the first step towards an enriching and rewarding career.