Are you considering a change of career?
Most people consider a career change of some kind at some point in their career. Even if they don’t consider it for very long, they wonder what would have happened to them if they had chosen a different career path. In London, where almost every conceivable business and industry is represented, you are spoilt for choice in terms of the different career options.
From London healthcare industry with its famous hospitals of Guys, St Barts and St Thomas’s to the financial district with towers of glass and steel, there are an infinite number of career paths that you can choose from.
So if you do have the itch for a career change, where do you start?
As with most things in life and a career change is no different, a problem shared is a problem halved. The best place to start, if you are considering some kind of career change, is to talk to a professional career advisor.
These days, you don’t have to fork out a fortune and travel to their expensive city centre office. You can do a quick on-line search and then contact them. When you do your online searches, make sure the company has a good knowledge of the City of London. If you work and/or live in London, you will know by now how diverse and different each London borough is. That is what makes this great City so exciting to work in. Around every street corner there is something new to be found.
So, just like choosing a London taxi driver, make sure your career coach and advisor knows about your industry and sector.
Life coaching versus career coaching
Next make sure you make a distinction between what a life coach offers and what a career coach offers. Of course, there is a grey area between the two. Career Consultants career coaches offer both career coaching and life coaching. However, the focus is different. If you are thinking of changing job or profession, you are looking for a career coach. If you have just won the lottery or inherited a fortune, then you are better off talking to life coach.
Career Advice Service vs Career Coach
More than likely you will recall being at school and being offered the support of the Career Advice Service. Most career advice services offer fairly simplistic indicators at to a career that you would be most suited to. A professional London-based career coaching service, like the one offered by Career Consultants, is different. Although we help students straight out of University or college, most of our clients are mid-career or mid-career plus and hence the advice is more detailed and technical. The main issue is usually related to minimising any loss of earnings. We will share with you techniques that use something called a bridge field to make a smooth and almost effortless change from one profession to another.
Convincing employers that your career move is rational
You may decide that your change in career is totally logical and sensible. However, unless you are going the self-employed route, you will be dependent upon employers to see the move as being positive for them. This process is likely to involve rethinking your CV and how you present yourself to employers.
In Sarah Berry’s best-selling book on the subject of ‘How to Plan Your Career’ she describes in detail the different stages that you need to consider. Why not talk to Sarah directly about your next career move by simply filling on the form and sharing with her what would like to achieve within the next few years of your career.
