There are many reasons why you may have decided that you want a career change. Maybe you’re unable to progress in your current role, perhaps it’s a stress-related issue, or maybe you would just like a new challenge. Whatever the reason, you should be strategic about it, research your options, and assess your qualities, wants, and needs.

1. Firstly, note down the things that you enjoyed about your current/last job, as well as the things that you didn’t enjoy. This will make it clear what it is you want from your new job.
   
2. Understand why is it that you are wanting to leave your job – is the grass really greener elsewhere?
   
3. Pay close attention to what your interests are outside of work. This is a key insight into what avenue would be great to go down for a career change.
   
4. Make a list of the transferrable skills that you have. This can be from both work and life in general. For example, as a parent, you need patience, listening and negotiation skills, organisation, and you need to be a good problem solver.
   
5. Research the area/s that you are potentially interested in for your career change. Is there an industry change that means jobs are disappearing or being replaced? For example, AI (Artificial Intelligence) is slowly replacing humans in some lines of work because of how much better, faster, and more efficient these computers can be.
   
6. What are your non-negotiables? When looking for a career change, it’s important to consider your lifestyle and how this could impact the type of work you wish to get into. Consider things like pets, childcare, whether you can’t be on your feet all the time, or how you feel about a desk job.
   
7. Consider what salary range you want and/or what salary you need as a minimum. Make sure that this is reasonable, especially if you are thinking about completely changing industries.

If you feel you’re ready to now start applying for some jobs, have a read of our blog, Top tips to nail your professional CV.