Brilliant Career Finder

brilliant
career
finder
brilliant
career
finder
how to find the right career for you
Josephine Monroe
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First published in Great Britain in 2003
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About the author

Josephine Monroe is a freelance journalist and author who has
written about media, the workplace and business for the Observer,
the Guardian, Time Out and The Times. This is her sixth book.
Contents
part 1 introduction
1
2
3
background to career changes 3

why people look for another career
and why they dont 15
11
part 2 seven steps to changing your career

4
5
6
7
8
9
10
step 1 working out what you want work to do

for you 21
step 2 getting to know yourself 35
step 3 working out what you want to do 53
step 4 working out what youre qualified to do
step 5 getting to know your destination 83
step 6 map making 93
step 7 getting that job 109
part 3 quick ways to change your career

11
12
13
14
15
the easiest ways to change career

the voluntary sector 131
the public sector 135
getting a trade 141
predicting the future 147
125
123
19
67
part 4 sector-by-sector information for

career changers 151
agriculture and environmental work 153

banking and finance 155
consultancy 156
crafts and trades 158
education 160
engineering, surveying and architecture 161
government and voluntary sector 163
health, beauty and well-being 164
information technology 166
law 167
marketing and sales 169
media 171
property, interiors and estate agency 172
recruitment 174
retail 175
social sciences 177
therapy 178
training 180
travel and leisure 181
writing, art and the performing arts 183
part one
introduction
Background to career
changes
If you reach for the snooze button rather than head for the shower, if
Tuesdays feel like Thursdays, or if the only time you come alive at work
is when you get a chance to moan about your employer, the chances
are that youre in the wrong job. If its any consolation though, you are
not alone. In fact, a recent survey of graduates estimated that up to 75
per cent were misemployed ten years after graduation.
Its no wonder. A career for most of us is a chain of choices and
opportunities that we dont control, which is why most workers arent
where theyd imagined theyd be five
years ago. We head off happily in one
Many people fall into their
direction and get manoeuvred by circumfirst job without too much
stance onto other paths. This is assumthought.
ing, of course, that we set out on the right
path in the first place.
Many people fall into their first job without too much thought.
Whether its the need to start earning money straight away or uncertainty about which field to enter, many workers take the first job
theyre offered and dont stop to examine the consequences for years.
Without noticing, some find theyre in a position theyre unsuited to,
unqualified for and unable to endure with grace. The truth is, very few
people have a clear idea where they want to be or what they want to
be doing there. Consequently, they land jobs by default.
This book aims to take the uncertainty out of career planning. By
following a clear seven-point plan it will give you the tools to uncover
your innate talents, your hearts desire and the right path to follow. It
introduction
will then hold up a few road signs to get your new career journey off
to the best possible start.
The career has changed

One of the reasons there is a need for this book is that many 21stcentury workers want more from their working lives than their
20th-century counterparts ever dreamed of. The generic career itself
has changed. No longer do we enter a corporation on graduation from
school or university with enticements of incremental promotions and
a pension to keep us loyal. Whoever we work for these days, most
workers understand that ultimately they are working for themselves.
Work, weve been encouraged to believe, should be rewarding, fulfilling and possibly even fun.
Its still shocking to some people, but work should be fun. Work
should inspire and sustain you, challenge and reward you. Put simply,
work should bring out the best in you.
If you consider that many of todays
Its still shocking to some
workers will remain in the office until
people, but work should
their seventies before theyll have built
be fun. Work should
up a pension big enough to provide for
inspire and sustain you,
their retirement, you can see why you
challenge and reward
need to make the time now to engineer a
you.
career that works for you.
Many books about career changes help
readers find jobs in new professions that is not the only aim of this
book. The tests, tips and tools in this book are designed to bring you
satisfaction in the work place. Its not about what you can do but what
you want to do and how you achieve those aims. Now that might
mean striking out on your own for a while, sacrificing a regular salary
for contract work, freelancing or study. Twenty-first-century careers
arent as straightforward as we might have hoped.
Weve been raised to see a career as a ladder a linear structure
heading ever upwards. Pension contributions are calculated on the
belief that you will earn more at 40 than you did at 20, that you will
background to career changes
stay in the workforce until youre 65, and the ideal that you want a
comfortable retirement. Well, work just isnt like that any more. We
live in the Age of Entitlement and we all feel that we have a right to
be happy and rich. While its certainly not a right happiness and
wealth almost always require endeavour and maintenance its never
been more achievable for ordinary workers who are prepared to create
their dream career.
The new structure for the 21st-century career looks a bit like a
childs drawing of a flower: it has you at the centre of it and each petal
represents one of your skillsets, your ambitions, your abilities and your
desires. Its not about progress, its about happiness.
AMBITIONS
EX
PE
RIE
LS
IL
SK
NC
YOU
AT
T
ES
ITI
RIB
APTITUDES
IL
AB
UT
ES
If you change the labels, each petal could represent the different
ways you earn money. Perhaps you will earn part of your income from
one employer and some from freelancing or moonlighting for several
employers.
It may also help if you start to see a career change as a gradual progression, not a 180-degree turn that will give you whiplash! As you
read this book and start to look around for new directions, keep in
introduction
mind that you might not just be looking for one job maybe there are
several little ones that would suit you better. The smaller the moves
you make for instance grafting on a bit of moonlighting to shift your
horizons slightly the easier it is to proceed with confidence.
The reason so many people now find themselves in careers that
dont excite them is that they chose a career based on the old ladder
model. Encouraged by old-school thinking into entry-level jobs in sectors that
People in linear careers
employed people with their qualificatend to get concerned
tions, a high percentage of the workwith promotions, pay
force finds itself wondering whether the
rises and impressive job
grass might be greener somewhere else.
titles.
People in linear careers tend to get concerned with promotions, pay rises and
impressive job titles and sometimes these can seem more important
than their actual day-to-day work.
Career counselling
If you were lucky enough to have career counselling at school or university, the chances are you were asked the kind of questions that lead
to poor career choices. If a career counsellor ever asked you What do
you want to do?, you can be fairly sure that you were given bad advice.
For most people its simply unanswerable most of us just dont know
and asking an 18-year-old to commit to a path hes expected to
follow happily for the rest of his natural sounds like a particularly
chilling edition of the The X Files.
Sure, there are a few people who know for sure that they want to
be a footballer, a forensic scientist or a model, but most young people
dont know enough about the world of work to make a sensible decision. If you think about it, the only professions todays teens really
understand are those their parents are in, those in teaching, those in
the entertainment industry and possibly those featured in TV dramas
such as ER and The Bill. Its no wonder then that it takes most of us a
few more years to work out what we want from work.
This book aims to play the part of your personal career counsellor,
and from time to time will have to ask some pretty personal questions.
It will be worth your while not to answer immediately and to take your
time to work out your replies to questions such as What do you
enjoy?, How hard are you prepared to work? and How much risk can
you tolerate?
By answering different sorts of questions, you will build up a clearer
picture of the work you were born to do. And by using every one of
your talents and acknowledging every
one of your dreams, you will build a fully
Prepare yourself for the
rounded career, a life of satisfaction and
possibility that you might
emotional gratification as well as finanend up taking on work
cial reward just dont expect your next
that doesnt look and feel
job to be a logical step forward to a higher
like a proper job.
salary because the career ladder got left
in the 20th century. Prepare yourself for
the possibility that you might end up taking on work that doesnt look
and feel like a proper job.
Dont worry, this isnt the hippy manifesto for Peace At Work. Of
course, one of the major if not the major reasons most people think
about changing career is the desire to earn more money. If thats the
reward youre most interested in getting from work then this book will
give you the information you need to climb aboard the Big Salary
Express. But be warned: one of the major
reasons there are so many career changThe key to making your
ers and potential career changers out
career work for you is to
there is because they were lured into the
uncover your hidden
wrong profession in the first place by the
desires and secret
false promises of big salaries. A lot of
ambitions, as this enables
people quickly become demoralized and
you to unlock what you
disillusioned if theyre only in it for the
really, really want.
money.
Nevertheless, if thats all you want,
its within your power to attain it. The key to making your career work
for you is to uncover your hidden desires and secret ambitions, as this
enables you to unlock what you really, really want. This book will take
introduction
you through a series of prompts and tests that are designed to uncover
your true desires and whether the thing you want most from work is
money, a good time or a sense of purpose, the techniques are the same.
Good time to move

The good news for career changers is that there has never been a better
time to start over, do a career U-turn, lateral sashay or downshift. We
live in a time of virtually full employment: mostly, there is work out
there for those who want it. This means employers are having to
change the way they view their staff. No longer is a companys major
asset its products, its headquarters or its brand names its the talent
that walks out of the door every evening.
Recruiting and retaining staff is one of the biggest challenges facing
employers now, and that creates opportunities for workers to build jobs
for themselves outside of conventional job descriptions. Smart employers now actively seek to accommodate the needs of smart job seekers.
So whether youre looking to work part time, work flexitime or get day
release for training or moonlighting, things are looking good.
Another factor in career changers favour is that its no longer
unusual to change careers mothers returning to the workforce have
trailblazed the notion for decades and most employers are now willing to look at candidates with a few
kinks in their CVs. It will be your ability
It will be your ability to
to demonstrate enthusiasm for the comdemonstrate enthusiasm
pany and your role within it that is likely
for the company and your
to impress an employer most.
role within it that is likely
Another boost for job seekers of the
to impress an employer
unconventional kind is that the concept
most.
of transferable skills is now well understood, and management, computer or
book-keeping skills learned in one sector are rarely any different from
those used in another sector. If an employer is looking for a good
people manager, they wont care too much where you learned to
manage people, just how well you do it.
So although its daunting, you can see there are plenty of reasons to
be enthusiastic and expectant of a glittering new career opening up to
you over the next few months.
Career changer profile

Hilary, 44, teacher to fundraiser
I had only gone into teaching as the hours were convenient when my
kids were small. But as my children got older, getting home early and
having the summer holidays off was less important than it had been
and I realized I didnt want to be a teacher for the rest of my life.
I started to look around for something else, not having a clue about
what I wanted. So I went to a careers advice service where I was given
some psychometric tests to do they all suggested I had management
skills and leadership potential, but while that gave me confidence to
look for something else, they didnt show me where to look.
At the time, the only thing I could think to do was to get a qualification in something else, but having three kids meant I didnt have the
financial option of going back to college. Nor did I have the time. My
only option was to do some courses at nightschool.
The first course I took was a GSCE in law. To this day Im not really
sure why, I had never wanted to be a lawyer but I guess I thought it
might be useful and interesting. The following year I did another GSCE,
this time in business studies, which I found absolutely fascinating.
During this time I also kept an eye on the job market to see what sorts
of opportunities came up for a single mum, approaching middle age,
with three kids. Funnily enough there werent that many and I really
couldnt see a way forward for a long time.
I had been the union rep at my school and this had brought me into
contact with some officials at the local council but I had no idea at the
time that this would be key to finding a new career. I was vaguely aware
10
introduction
that the charitable sector was more accepting of people with less experience and so I had started to look at recruitment ads in this sector. One
day I read an ad for a local charity for single mums that needed someone with business experience and knowledge of how the council
worked to get a new drop-in centre off the ground. Although I wasnt
perfectly qualified, I thought my status as a single mum, my council
contacts and GCSEs would give me a chance. As it turned out the low
salary meant very few people applied and, as I got on well with the
interview panel, I was offered the job.
I stayed there for two years, applying for grants and dealing with the
council, and finally got the centre up and running. I discovered the bit
of the job I enjoyed the most dealt with raising finance it was much
more interesting than general administration and when the time was
right to move on I looked for specialized fundraising jobs. I have now
been working in fundraising for ten years and have worked for three different charities. Its very challenging, very hard work but incredibly
rewarding. Im also quite good at it. There was no way I could have
known it would work out so well, but sometimes you have to put one
foot in front of the other and just see where you end up.
Why people look for

another career
Circumstances change
Weve already looked at why many workers fall into jobs and companies not ideally suited to them. While thats understandable, its
amazing that so many never look to make changes and end up staying
misemployed for longer than theyd care to remember. For some, the
motivation to look for a new line of work strikes only when the job
theyve been unhappy in for years is taken away from them. But
whether theyve been laid off or given the boot, luckily for them the
scrap heap often provides a good vantage point from which to spot
new opportunities.
Others dont need quite such a decisive kick up the backside to get
their careers on the right track. Increasingly workers are recognizing
that their grumpiness in the morning, in
the office and in the pub has a root in
For some, the motivation
their job. And instead of just moaning
to look for a new line of
about it, they are starting to look around.
work strikes only when
Encouraged by entrepreneurs who
the job theyve been
changed the British working culture so
unhappy in for years is
much during the dotcom boom, and
taken away from them.
intrigued by talk of free agents and Me
Plc, a greater number of workers than
ever are recognizing that work should sustain and fulfil them, and are
finding the correct outlet for their professional frustration a career
change.
11
12
introduction
While these background factors encourage some, they also make

others jealous. When the papers are full of self-made millionaires, big
City bonuses and second homes in the country, its not surprising that
so many of us think we went into the wrong profession. If youve got
friends who always get sent to conferences in exotic places, get to
work from home or take home five times the salary you do, its only
human to feel a little envious.
Money, money, money

As the huge price rises in the UK property market in the past decade
have locked out more and more first-time buyers, the only way to get
on the property ladder has been to earn more money. While the need
to earn more each month is a major motivation for changing career, its certainly
While the need to earn
not the only factor. A 2002 survey of NHS
more each month is a
workers in the UK found that while the
major motivation for
low wages were a major reason that so
changing career, its
many were looking to leave the profescertainly not the only
sion, the lack of opportunity for advancefactor.
ment also came in the top five reasons, as
did feeling undervalued by their managers and the public. Of course, these factors affect workers in all professions, not just the public sector.
There are some more practical reasons why many workers are
forced to look for something new. Like miners in a coal town where the
pit has been closed, there is often no option to remain in your old line
of work. For instance, in Britain the manufacturing sector has
declined rapidly (as have other sectors) and manufacturing workers
have had to acquire the communication and computer skills required
to work in the service sector, an area of the economy that now employs
almost three-quarters of British workers.
Even in buoyant areas of the economy, the constant march of technology continues to make some roles redundant. As an example, a secretary who can only take dictation and type letters isnt very useful any
why people look for another career
13
more in a culture where bosses send memos by e-mail and synchronize their diaries in Outlook. The secretary has become the PA and the skills of
Even in buoyant areas of
the PA include sorting out technical
the economy, the constant
glitches and developing a good relationmarch of technology
ship with the bosss childminder, while
continues to make some
in other professions the internet has cut
roles redundant.
out middlemen and allowed workers all
over the world to share the same information, forcing several service suppliers into the ground.
and why they

dont
Its just your imagination

Despite the many and varied reasons why people might need to seek
out alternative employment, many of them dont. And thats because
for every reason to look for something new, theres a factor that convinces them to stick with the devil they know.
The reason to stay put may be a simple case of lack of imagination
they just cant see themselves on any other path. Most probably,
though, its a case of an overactive imagination. Human beings have a
safety valve that generally stops them from doing anything reckless.
We have the ability to imagine the future and to protect us from
endangering ourselves our subconscious has a tendency to dwell on
the worst-case scenario in the hope that well stay safely where we are.
What our subconscious often overlooks, however, is that where we
are isnt always the safest place to be. If our sector is shrinking, or
technology is taking our jobs away from
us, that scary place in the future might
Fear of the unknown is
well end up being a safer haven than our
probably the biggest
current rut. Nevertheless, fear of the
reason why people stay in
unknown is probably the biggest reason
jobs that make them
why people stay in jobs that make them
miserable.
miserable.
First they have to overcome the fear of
failure what happens if their career adventure backfires and they
have to return to their old profession with their tail between their legs?
15
16
introduction
Well, the chances are theyd get a lot of respect for having taken a risk
and sticking their necks out: employers are always looking to hold on
to people with drive and imagination. But as their negative minds conspire against them, this isnt the reaction they choose to imagine.
Then they have to deal with the fear of poverty. Very often a change
in career means, in the short term, a drop in salary. Thats because
people leave sectors where they have several years experience (not to
mention the associated accrued pay rises) for entry-level jobs in their
new sector. For older workers with the trappings of age children,
mortgages and a taste for the good life returning to the salary of a
20-year-old is either not feasible or not desirable. Thats one of the reasons why this book will encourage you where possible to make your
career change in smaller steps, getting the experience that commands
a decent salary through freelancing and moonlighting.
Of course, a job doesnt just supply you with money. Leaving your
job requires leaving behind all the other things it gives you as well
friends, familiarity, status and contacts
as well as things such as pension contriSometimes, common
butions and share option schemes.
sense contrives to keep
Sometimes, common sense contrives to
us where we are.
keep us where we are.
The single biggest reason, however,
why people dont manoeuvre themselves out of jobs that fail to fulfil
them is that they just dont know what they want. Either they cant decide
between several exciting options Shall I run a pub or be a beauty
contest judge? or they have no way of knowing how their skills
would be valued in other professions. The aim of this book is to remove
all the barriers we put between ourselves and the work we were born
to do.
The seven steps

This book will give you the tools you need to assess your worth to
unfamiliar employers and aims to remove as much of the fear of
breaking out as possible. The path to a fear-free move is paved with
and why they dont
17
seven stepping stones and this book will explain all of them simply
and concisely.
1 When people rush into a career change they often overlook the first
step and thats working out what you want work to do for you.
Most career books start from the perspective of what work do you
want to do? and as weve already discussed, this rarely produces a
useful answer. By starting at an even more fundamental level, we
will build a better launch pad for your new career.
2 Before we get carried away, however, we need to make sure we
know ourselves, and a little psychometric profiling may reveal
hidden or latent talents that youve never offered to an employer
before. The better you know yourself, the better youll be able to sell
yourself to a new employer, client or customer.
3 The next step is to use a series of prompts and tests to divine what
you really want to do. Well then set about some practical tasks that
will prepare you for progress.
4 Unfortunately, what we want to do isnt always possible (sadly,
beer guts tend to get in the way of playing for England and a love
of music doesnt mean youve got the talent to make a career out of
it) so we need to assess what you are qualified to do. The results of
the CV exercises in Step 4 may surprise you you should end up
feeling qualified for almost anything!
5 Using all the information youve gathered in the first four steps,
youll identify the areas you want to work in and start investigating them.
6 When youre starting out on a journey, especially a tricky one, it
helps if you have a map and this step is all about drawing that map.
Youll establish a plan that marks out the route from where you are
to where you want to be.
7 In the final step, we will discover the best ways to approach new
employers and the best ways to impress them when you meet them
the vital finishing touches required to secure the future you want.
part two
seven steps
to
changing
your career
Step 1 working out

what you want work
to do for you
When people start thinking about changing career, the first thing most
want to decide on is which exciting sector to look for work in. Either
they have a clear idea of where they want
to go or they have the anywhere but
When people start
here attitude and believe any job would
thinking about changing
be better than the one they currently
career, the first thing
have.
most want to decide on is
But as Glinda, the good witch of the
which exciting sector to
North, said to Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz
look for work in.
as she started out on the Yellow Brick
Road: Its always best to start at the
beginning and thinking about your next job is not the beginning. To
lay good foundations for your career change (and hopefully to avoid
another one in the future) you have to start by looking at the job you
have now and work out why it isnt making you happy.
Begin by looking at this random list of good things people often say
their work gives them. (If youre wondering why there isnt a list of
the bad things a job offers, its because all jobs consist of inconvenience, annoyances and paperwork. Sorry.) Put them in order of
importance to you and discard the benefits and corollaries of work
that mean nothing to you:
n
money
status
power
21
22
seven steps to changing your career
satisfaction
a sense of purpose
friends
thrills
challenges
long-term security
fun
opportunity for growth
creative freedom
autonomy
material rewards.
Your list should give you a snapshot of the benefits and rewards you
most want your next job to give you. Now, ask yourself how many of
these benefits your current job supplies you with. If it isnt very many,
its easy to see why youve been feeling restless and unfulfilled.
But this short, incomplete list doesnt reveal what really motivates
and drives you at work. The next survey, however, has been designed
to uncover your unconscious ambitions for work.
Career motivation survey

The following eight sections of questions will help you discover the
things you really want from work. Right now you might be thinking
that all you want is a big salary or to do
something meaningful in 20 minutes,
Right now you might be
though, you might realize thats not
thinking that all you want
really what you want, or its only part of
is a big salary or to do
the story.
something meaningful.
The instructions for completing the
survey are relatively simple. Each section
consists of nine statements; your task is to allocate 15 points among
the nine statements. You could give all 15 points to one statement or
step 1 working out what you want work to do for you
23
spread them fairly evenly across the statements depending on how

strongly you agree with them. For the results to be accurate though,
your total points for each section must be exactly 15. No more, no less.
When you have completed all eight sections, fill in the category
column (categories run from A to I) from the data in the results section at the end. Finally add up the points you have awarded to each
category.
Section 1
i
Wherever I work I always have a prestigious

position
ii Friendships at work would make it hard for me to
move on
iii Work should enrich my personal development
iv I dislike being a small cog in a big machine
v I want all the symbols of wealth
vi I want to do something distinctive
vii I want my colleagues to look to me for leadership
viii I get worried when I cant see where my job is
heading
ix The ability to make meaningful contributions at
work gives me a great deal of satisfaction
Section 2
i
ii
iii
iv
Id like a relationship outside work with my

colleagues
Doing meaningful work is more important than a big
salary
I want to be wealthy
Deciding how to spend my time gives me
satisfaction
Points
Category
24
I want to create things that people will associate

with me
vi Recognition as part of The Establishment would
thrill me
vii I want to feel I have worked for my expertise
viii I want to be a leader
ix Job security is important to me
Section 3
i
ii
I want my work to carry my name

I wont feel a sense of achievement unless I have
material possessions
iii I prefer being my own boss
iv I want public recognition for my work
v Work is part of a search to find meaning in life
vi I want to feel I will always be all right in the
future
vii Id like a role that gives me influence over my
co-workers
viii Professionally, I want an opportunity to
demonstrate that I really know my stuff
ix Friendship with people at my work is important
to me
Section 4
i
ii
iii
iv
Id like to be seen as a specialist in my field

I see my career as part of a search for greater
meaning in my life
I want to use my personal creativity in my
work
I know I like to take responsibility for my
decisions
Points
Category
v
vi
I want to be able to buy anything I want

I get satisfaction from working closely with other
people
vii Id only ever relax if I was in a secure career
viii Telling colleagues what to do is important to
me
ix Status is an important motivator for me
Section 5
i
I would find great comfort in knowing how well off

I will be when I retire
ii Being close to colleagues is important to me
iii If I believed my job was worthwhile I would devote
myself to it
iv I want to innovate at work
v Its important that I have the ability to choose my
own tasks
vi Id like to be known as an expert
vii I want to be able to spend money easily
viii I like jobs that give me power over how co-workers
perform
ix Id like formal recognition from others for my
achievements
Section 6
i
ii
iii
iv
v
vi
Having a status job would give me satisfaction

I want to do things no one has done before
Usually, I take the safe option
I dont want to be watched over too closely by my
boss
I want to be in charge of people and money
I want to get to know people through work
Points
25
Category
26
vii
I want to be one of those people with valuable

specialist knowledge
viii Theres not much I wouldnt do for money and
status
ix More often than not, I do what I believe is right
rather than the things that would further my
career
Section 7
i
ii
iii
iv
I want to be creative at work

Its important that I like the people I work with
Id like to influence the people I work with
Choosing my work myself would bring
satisfaction
v I want financial security
vi It feels good when people look up to me
vii Only a high standard of living will give me
satisfaction
viii I want to be the best in my field
ix I will only be satisfied if my job delivers real
value
Section 8
i
ii
iii
iv
v
vi
It would please me if I didnt have to answer to

others
Im happier in charge
I want the things I produce to bear my name
Work without meaning is not worth doing
A secure future is attractive to me
I would enjoy the status that comes with a senior
position
Points
Category
vii High standards of living attract me

viii I want to be an expert in my field
ix If Im lucky enough to work with friends, nothing
else matters
Points
Category
Results
Match the number of each statement (iix) to a category (AI) as follows:
Section 1
i=D, ii=G, iii=B, iv=F, v=E vi=A, vii=F, viii=H, ix= I
Section 2
i=G, ii=B, iii=E, iv=F, v=A, vi=D, vii=I, viii=C, ix=H
Section 3
i=A, ii=E, iii=F, iv=D, v=B, vi=H, vii=C, viii=I, ix=G
Section 4
i=I, ii=B, iii=A, iv=F, v=E, vi=G, vii=H, viii=C, ix=D
Section 5
i=H, ii=G, iii=B, iv=A, v=F, vi=I, vii=E, viii=C, ix=D
Section 6
i=D, ii=A, iii=H, iv=F, v=C, vi=G, vii=I, viii=E, ix=B
Section 7
i=A, ii=G, iii=C, iv=F, v=H, vi=D, vii=E, viii=I, ix=B
Section 8
i=F, ii=C, iii=A, iv=B, v=H, vi=D, vii=E, viii=I, ix=G
Now fill in your totals for each category below. To check your results are
accurate, make sure the total adds up to exactly 120.
A + B + C + D + E + F + G + H + I = 120
Then turn over to find out what motivates you.
27
28
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
If you scored highly in this category you are motivated by the

opportunity to be creative.
If you scored highly in this category you are motivated by work that
gives you a sense of purpose and offers meaning.
If you scored highly in this category you are motivated by the chance
to exert power and influence.
If you scored highly in this category you are motivated by status.
If you scored highly in this category you are motivated by material
rewards.
If you scored highly in this category you are motivated by work where
you can be independent.
If you scored highly in this category you are motivated in jobs where
you have a good working relationship with your colleagues.
If you scored highly in this category you are motivated by the need for
security.
If you scored highly in this category you are motivated by opportunities
to use your expertise and specialist knowledge.
How to use the information

The benefits of your results from this survey might not be immediately
apparent after all, what good is knowing that youre motivated by
status when youre looking to take an entry-level position somewhere?
Well, the information youve just gleaned should help you start to
identify moves that would be right for you and at the very least stop
you choosing the wrong career. For instance, theres no point hankering after a City salary if youve just realized that youre intolerant of
insecurity: in the City your job is only as safe as market performances
allow. The survey results might also guide you into the right kind of job
you know you want to have a bit of power, but now maybe you know
youd rather have power over creative output rather than people.
Looking for a new career is a bit like looking for a new partner. But
instead of wondering what you have to offer the way most people
29
write a lonelyheart ad looking for work starts with working out

which career offers you your hearts desire. For your change of career
to be a success, you want to make sure your ambitions for work dovetail perfectly with your ambitions for life (see the next exercise).
Once youve looked at what a career can offer you, you need to look
as you would at a potential partner at how it will treat you over the
years. If you have just discovered autonomy is a major driver for you, then headLooking for a new career
ing into a job where youre likely to get
is a bit like looking for a
pushed around will clearly not make you
new partner.
happy. Now is the time to work out what
you need your job to give you is it status,
camaraderie or an easy commute? Perhaps you are one of those workers who could do a number of jobs but would thrive in, say, a small
company or a corporate atmosphere. Environment is often as important as salary and duties. Considering these sorts of factors before you
start looking for a new career will guide you onto the right path.
Before we move on to discuss your ideal job, take a few minutes to
fill in the ambitions chart overleaf. It asks you to fill in your ambitions
for every part of your life because satisfaction rarely comes from work
alone. For each column, write your goals and aspirations and include
everything from your desire for a season ticket at Highbury to a large
family or a happy retirement.
30
Ambitions chart
Home
Family
Leisure/Travel
Money
Work
Community
Retirement
Status
Health
31
32
Analyzing your chart will give you more information about the kind
of career youre best suited to. If, for example, under home you
described a rural idyll far from civilization, perhaps you might want to
reconsider your ambitions to work in
city-centred professions like the media or
finance. The point of this chart is to highA good career isnt one
light the must-haves your new career
that pays well or
has to offer you. Each one is a brick in the
impresses your mates, its
one that makes you
well-laid foundations of your new life.
happy.
Building up a profile of a new career
brick by brick is a much more organic
way of getting the job you want and is far
more likely to produce the right result than the I think Ill have a go
at law today approach. Focusing on the small essentials is also much
less daunting than creating a whole new life for yourself out of little
more than thin air.
While this book is about finding work, its also about finding happiness. To ensure you get both you need to be certain about the commitment youre prepared to make to work before you begin your career
search. A good career isnt one that pays well or impresses your mates,
its one that makes you happy.

Jerry, 32, housing officer to web designer
I had only ever gone into housing benefits by chance it was certainly
never an ambition of mine. My dream had always been to work in the
music industry so I took any job that allowed me to work part time so I
could pursue my music. But, you know how it is, the music hadnt progressed, I was still in housing after ten years, and I realized if I didnt
actively make changes I was going to be a housing benefits officer for
the rest of my career.
33
At about this time it was 1997 I read an article in the music press
about the impact the internet would have on the music industry. This
was in the very early days of the web and the music industry was
scared about artists selling music directly to the public. The article
pretty much concluded that the music industry was about to be
replaced by the internet industry. I thought that if I could get myself proficient at using internet technology I might be able to negotiate myself
a new career.
There werent many courses available outside universities in 1997,
so I had to cobble together as much training as I could. I found a course
on HTML at one college and a design course at another, both of which
I did part time for a year. But the internet was moving much faster than
any college course could cope with, so most of my time was spent
reading specialist magazines and trawling newsgroups and chat rooms
for ideas, tips and experimental bits of software. It didnt take long for
me to realize that with most people still unaware of the internet and
those who did use it connecting at slow speeds, it would be years
before anyone would access my music online.
By 1998, the internet boom was just getting off the ground and more
people were planning and starting dotcoms than knew how to code
HTML. It dawned on me that, almost by chance, I was one of the most
knowledgeable people in the city when it came to the web and it was
likely I could land myself a really good job.
I got in touch with my local web networking organization a monthly
function where web entrepreneurs met with venture capitalists and
went along to see whether there were any opportunities. I went home
that night with four job offers!
I resigned immediately and started with a new dotcom straight away
as their chief technical officer, a position I felt unqualified for even
though I recognized my technical knowledge was as good as most
34
peoples at that time. It was a baptism of fire I was thrown into management, decision making, hiring and spending huge sums of money
on PCs and software.
As the dotcom bubble grew, so did my salary as I changed jobs three
times in a year and by the time the bubble burst I was one of the most
qualified people in my sector and was able to withstand the crash. Im
now on my seventh web job and still learning and loving it.
Step 2 getting to
know yourself
There is a concept every sales rep understands implicitly: you have to

know your product inside out to sell it effectively. As you are about to
start selling yourself, you need to get to know your strengths and your
weaknesses so you know a) which roles suit you best, and b) which
attributes you most want to tell your new employer about.
When you combine the information you collated in the first step
what you want work to do for you and the information youll pull
together in this chapter what you have to offer you will have the
best possible starting point from which to find a new career.
The object is to find your perfect
career, something ideally suited to you.
To do that we need to work through some
The object is to find your
perfect career, something
more exercises to find out what the founideally suited to you.
dation stones of your career will be the
unshakable qualities you offer and your
non-negotiable desires for work.
Some career advisors call this establishing your palette, ie working
out your personal colours from which you can paint your own personal
career picture. You might be eager to move straight to the chapters
concerning getting a new job, but rest assured your patience with
these early, crucial steps will bear juicy fruit when you get there.
35
36
What kind of worker are you?

No matter which field you end up entering, most jobs, roles and tasks
will be the same. Whether youre in law, nursing or town planning
youll still work with managers, researchers, specialists, assistants, etc,
not to mention eccentrics, Luddites, motivators or misery guts. Practically every work place in the world is made up of the same types of
people doing the same types of job. This next section will help you
uncover which job types best suit you.
Most of us have worked for a bad manager at some point, or with
an over-ambitious junior member of staff. Generally, when we have a
problem with people at work its not
because they are bad people, its because
Generally, when we have
they are in the wrong role. When we
a problem with people at
work in positions were not naturally talwork its not because they
ented at we make mistakes, we get
are bad people, its
demoralized and it affects our relationbecause they are in the
ships with our co-workers. So its imporwrong role.
tant to work out where your natural
talents and abilities lie as this will help
you understand what kind of roles you will flourish in and therefore
be happy in.
Knowing your strengths and aptitudes will help you seek new roles
with greater confidence, and that confidence will help you win over
new employers.
Discovering the true you

This next exercise has its roots in a couple of well-known and wellused team role and personality tests developed by Dr Meredith Belbin,
and Isabel Briggs Myers and Katharine C. Briggs. Detailed and personalized tests are widely available online, and for a small fee and five
minutes in the company of your favourite search engine you can easily
get yourself psychometrically tested.
step 2 getting to know yourself
37
Many tests come to black-and-white conclusions and run the risk

of labelling participants as capable of working well only in a narrow
field. This one has been structured to give broader results, as most
workers are capable of performing many roles in the work place.
Completing the survey is relatively straightforward. There are 28
pairs of statements and you must allocate three points to each pair
you can give all three points to one statement and none to the other,
or split them 2:1 between the statements depending on how strongly
you agree with them. When youve finished, add up the points youve
awarded to each letter.
1
When plans change, I am good at spotting the opportunities
and benefits the new situation offers.
Im good at knowing when people have something to offer

and can encourage them to join in.
2
I can work well with anyone.
The success of the project is more important than my

co-workers liking me.
3
I am capable of seeing projects through to the very end.
I produce ideas effortlessly.
38
4
I have the ability to sense what will work in most situations.
I am fair-minded and suggest proposals without bias if I think

they will work.
5
I come alive in meetings when new ideas are being discussed. A
I find it difficult to take the lead.
6
In a meeting, I like to feel every viewpoint has been expressed. B
Often Im too objective about all the options to be enthusiastic
about any one in particular.
7
People sometimes think Im pushy when Im just trying to get
the job done.
Sometimes I lose concentration when I get excited about my

latest plan.
8
Colleagues often tell me Im thinking too much about the
detail and not about the big picture.
I like meetings to be well structured and to stick to the

agenda.
9
I am reliable and can be trusted to see all tasks are attended
to.
Im happier working towards a common goal.
10
Im good to have on a project because I spot mistakes that
would otherwise cause trouble.
I think my colleagues trust my judgement I have a reputation

for being fair.
11
I get frustrated when meetings lose direction and I try to bring
them back on track.
I seem to be good at influencing people.
12
I like being first with new developments and information.
I liven up meetings by contributing something unexpected and

original.
39
40
13
I hate leaving loose ends at the end of projects my
colleagues say I am a perfectionist.
Im comfortable holding unpopular views and will challenge

colleagues when I think they are wrong.
14
Although I like to hear what people have to say, I find it easy
to make up my own mind.
Getting to know my colleagues gives me pleasure.
15
Im capable of seeing how ideas might benefit other
departments and companies.
I have a talent for sticking to the brief and getting the job
done.
16
Im good at dousing down outrageous and unworkable
suggestions from others.
Im happiest at work when Im using my imagination.
17
I find weighing up all the options and possibilities satisfying.
Meeting new people with something to offer should be one of

the perks of any job I do.
18
Im good at finding consensus and a way forward.
Im attracted to the unusual option rather than the safe one.
19
Sometimes I hold up proceedings while I make sure everything
has been done properly.
It feels good to know Im building friendships with clients and

colleagues.
20
Im open to meetings going off at tangents just to see what
ideas get thrown up.
My integrity and need to do a job well means I usually

complete projects on time.
41
42
21
I make good decisions under pressure.
Being able to devote myself to a project gives me satisfaction. E
22
When meetings become difficult, I like to go to the toilet or the
watercooler to work out solutions to problems.
Sometimes I find it hard to get complex points across.
23
I am able to influence decisions and outcomes.
I am pleased when I solve practical problems.
24
If a project loses direction I am able to take control and bring
it to fruition.
I can keep my cool and think straight in difficult situations.
25
Unless I have a clear goal or task I find it difficult to get
started.
I am comfortable asking people to do things that I cannot do

myself.
26
Others may think I lack intuition or imagination.
I find it exciting to work with brilliant people, even if they are

a bit difficult.
27
I bore easily and need sparky colleagues to bounce off.
Sometimes I must seem impatient when progress is slow or

disrupted.
28
When everyones talking in meetings I find it difficult to get my
point across.
Explaining and clarifying detail is not one of my strong points. F
Write your totals for each letter below, making sure the grand
total comes to 84.
A + B + C + D + E + F + G + H = 84
Then turn over to see what type of worker you are.
43
44
Category A = INDUSTRIALIST
You are the kind of worker who can get on with tasks
unsupervised with just the sketchiest of briefs. You are a fantastic
researcher and can uncover solutions through inspired
investigation and diligence. Your tendency for hard work
compensates for shortcomings in imagination and you keep
projects moving.
Category B = TEAM CAPTAIN

You are by nature both a collaborator and a decision maker. You
understand the benefits of teamwork and are good at recognizing
other peoples strengths. You see the big picture and
communicate well with all types of people. You have the ability to
encourage your co-workers and gain their respect. Your weakness
is that you do not work well on your own as you lack flair.
Category C = MIDFIELDER
You are great at following the plan. You are practical and have a
systematic approach to work. You are known for your common
sense and discipline and generally find a place for yourself in
most teams. However, you do not cope well with change and can
become flustered and demoralized when plans change or the
goalposts are moved.
Category D = GARDENER
Your speciality is taking someone elses idea and bringing it to
fruition. You grasp concepts easily and also have the intelligence
to improve ideas. Although you may not be vocal in meetings,
when projects are finished they clearly bear your stamp as you
have a talent for influencing the people around you. Your natural
drive and self-confidence are often responsible for getting
complex projects off the ground. While you are invaluable, you
are not necessarily well liked as you can be snappy with slower
colleagues if you think they are being obstructive.
Category E = PERFECTIONIST
It is your attention to detail that often saves colleagues and
projects from ending up in the mire. You are fastidious your
perfectionism often bores colleagues who think you are holding
them back and well suited to detailed work and ensuring
deadlines arent forgotten. You are the sweeper and you make
sure nothing gets past you. Even though you are incredibly
valuable to any team, you do not make friends easily as you are
seen as self-controlled and intolerant of flamboyant co-workers.
Category F = INVENTOR
You are the kind of worker who is almost useless for most of your
45
46
working day. However, you are responsible for the ideas that drive
companies forward and your moments of inspiration transform
projects, teams and results. You are happier working on big,
headline projects and enjoy problem solving. You are
independent, imaginative and intelligent but have a tendency to
think all your ideas are fantastic and you need co-workers to
calculate their true merits. You can be impractical and coworkers may think you are a dreamer.
Category G = ANALYST
You can process and evaluate data, situations and problems and
have the ability to weigh up several options. You bring balance
and a level head to most situations. Your colleagues may see you
as a bit of a pessimist as you can spot where projects will go
awry. While they may also see you as critical, it is just your
critical thinking that ensures success. You may find it difficult to
have many social relationships with co-workers.
Category H = PRAGMATIST
You are the doubting Thomas of any team. You need proof that
something will work before you are confident about moving
forward, but once you have that confidence you are good at
implementation and sticking to the brief. You prefer
47
communication to be in black and white rather than proceed on a

nod and a wink. You have self-control and buckets of common
sense, but you can come across as unenthusiastic and inflexible.
How to use the results

Most respondents find that they score highly in one category while
three or four tie in second place, with just a few points between the
remaining categories. Fairly obviously, your leading category is the one
you are most naturally suited to. But as we might already be working
with a Team Captain we sometimes seek out another role for ourselves
within the work environment to avoid conflict and this is when we
work well in any of our second-place categories.
On the surface, some of the categories such as Team Captain, for
example seem more glamorous than others. However, every category
is equally valid and companies cannot be successful unless they
employ people in every category. In this instance though, you are not
looking to create the perfect team (the
reason why most employers submit their
If your natural talent is for
staff to similar tests) but to find out
creativity, you should start
where your natural talents lie. Happiness
looking for work that will
comes from playing to your strengths
let you express it.
and the information you now have will
help you identify roles you would thrive
in. Of course, job ads never read Perfectionist required to balance out
Inventor-heavy team and the purpose of the survey is not so you can
say Right, Im going to be a Gardener but to learn more about your
strengths. If, for example, it is becoming clear that you dont have
great communication skills but you still crave a senior position, perhaps youd be happier in a role where you manage data rather than
people. Or if your natural talent is for creativity, you should start looking for work that will let you express it.
48
Hopefully the results of your survey will have confirmed things that
you kind of knew about yourself and will give you the confidence to
tell prospective employers that you are excellent at idea generation,
paying attention to detail or being trusted to follow the brief. Any candidate who can be sure of what they have to offer is attractive to
employers even though someone else might have more relevant
work experience, you will have the edge if you can convince an
employer of your worth. If youre not worth anything, you wont be
valued. Therefore knowing and communicating your worth puts you
in a strong position.
Your weaknesses
Your survey results might also have revealed something about your
weaknesses perhaps your tendency to overlook details or unwillingness to embrace new ideas. This is still information you can use to
guide you away from unsuitable positions. Simply knowing that you
have a tendency to be dogmatic or flamboyant might help you recognize that there are times when enthusiasm and caution are called for.
This knowledge will help you perform better and get more job satisfaction.
If youve just learned that youre a born leader but you have no
leadership experience, then you have just discovered a weakness
undermining a strength. If you want to seek a leadership role in the
future, you need to address the hole in
your work experience. Its not enough to
Its not enough to believe
believe you should be in control youre
you should be in control
going to have to prove your aptitude and
youre going to have to
ability to cope with the associated presprove your aptitude and
sure. In Step 4 well cover this in much
ability to cope with the
more detail, but for the time being you
associated pressure.
should be examining your career so far to
find examples of times when you have
taken the lead. Maybe it was just in one meeting, or when you volunteered to organize the Christmas party, but start looking for ways of
49
illustrating your innate talents. No matter what strengths youve just

uncovered, HR departments and employers will disregard them if you
cant back them up with a few facts.
This survey wont have uncovered all your shortcomings of course,
but part of knowing yourself well is coming to terms with the things
that are just beyond you. Your preparations for a new career involve
eliminating the weaknesses that will keep you and your dream career
apart. Your next task involves assessing your shortcomings and then
addressing them.
If you already know what field you want to work in, or what kind
of job youd like to do, then this exercise examining recruitment ads
will be a little easier. But if you dont, dont worry as most recruitment
ads ask for the same thing anyway.
Recruitment ads
For job hunters, looking at recruitment ads can be dispiriting no one
ever seems to be offering a job theyre interested in or one that requires
their skills. Weve known for a long time that looking for a job in the
Situations Vacant column can be frustrating as employers seek amazingly well-qualified candidates for remarkably small salaries.
However, recruitment ads can be very valuable to career changers as
they act as signposts down unfamiliar paths. By analyzing their content, you can identify what employers are
looking for. The idea of this exercise is to
compare what employers seek with what
If youre desperate to
enter a particular field, go
you offer to enable you to identify the
out and buy the trade
holes in your professional repertoire. The
publication for your
aim is to address as many of your profesdesired profession.
sional weaknesses as possible before you
head too far down an unsuitable road.
Gather together all the publications you have lying around your
home or your office that carry recruitment advertising. If youre desperate to enter a particular field, go out and buy the trade publication
for your desired profession and include the recruitment advertising
50
from that. If youre open-minded about what path youll take next,
choose from a broad spectrum of publications.
Find between ten and twenty adverts for jobs that you would consider doing these do not have to be jobs you are qualified for or are
in your field or have any bearing on what youve done so far. In a sense
you are creating a beauty pageant of desirable jobs. Some of them
might even be roles you dont hope to apply for until much further
down the line.
Examine them closely to see whether there is a particular qualification they want candidates to have, or whether they are looking for a
certain type of work experience or desirable qualities ideal candidates
should be able to demonstrate. Now, ask yourself which of their
demands you cannot meet. These are the weaknesses that might stop
you getting your dream job.
Dont be disheartened though if you are honest with yourself you
have given yourself the best opportunity to address your weaknesses,
deal with them and eliminate them. While you might be several years
away from applying for some of the positions youve just scrutinized,
you now know what skills, qualifications and experience you need to
acquire to be able to reach your desired goal. In the meantime, knowing your desires, your strengths and your weaknesses will lead you in
the right direction.

Steve, 27, electrician to journalist
I left school at 15 with no qualifications to work with my dad who was
an electrician. I dont remember ever talking to anyone about what
career I wanted, nor do I remember that it was expected that I would
automatically follow in my fathers footsteps. I ended up working with
him through lack of imagination and effort: I think its fair to say I never
gave careers a first thought, let alone a second, until I was 22.
The thing about being an electrician is theres nowhere to go. Youre
either self-employed and get paid a lot or you get regular work for a
51
construction firm and get paid less. But thats it. Theres no senior electrician, no promotion and you know as much as youre going to know
after a couple of years in the business. So after seven years I was really,
really bored and fancied trying something a bit more glamorous.
I remember thinking that journalism seemed very exotic, like a cross
between being a detective and an artist, and I decided fairly quickly that
it was the career for me. I approached several local newspapers for
work but I never even got a letter acknowledging receipt of my CV. I also
applied for a couple of journalism courses but didnt get anywhere with
those either I hadnt realized what a competitive field journalism was.
It was pretty clear that no newspaper or magazine was going to take
a chance on an electrician with no qualifications, so I tried a change of
tack. I started submitting reviews of gigs to the entertainment editor of
my local newspaper and he occasionally printed one. I didnt get paid
for it, but I was starting to get my name in print.
When a new local paper launched I approached the publisher and
persuaded him that I could run the entertainment section. He actually
thought he was getting one over on his rival by poaching one of their
entertainment reporters! I never told him that Id never even been inside
The Heralds office, but then he never asked.
Working on a launch was a fantastic chance to learn about newspapers we were understaffed and underfunded so we all mucked in
and I found out about advertising, marketing and publishing. After a
couple of years I moved to London and freelanced for some magazines
there and slowly established myself as someone reliable. I got regular
work and eventually that led to a full-time job working on a trade
magazine for the TV industry.
Its interesting being in a profession where few people have done
anything else almost all my colleagues did media studies at university and went straight into journalism, all they know about is the media.
52
I think my background gives me an edge because not everyone we

interview works in the media and I get the impression some interviewees find most journalists a bit precious and they like being
interviewed by someone a bit more down to earth.
Step 3 working out

what you want to do
Career clarity
As weve already discussed, most of us dont have a smart answer to
the question What do you want to do? If you do happen to know
what kind of work you want, congratulations, you are very rare and
very lucky. Very few people ever have a clear idea of what career theyd
like to follow and their lack of clarity often stops them from moving
forward. The purpose of this chapter is to turn hunches, dreams and
possibilities into career reality. Because if you find a career you really,
really want, you will look four times as hard for your next job. And the
harder you look, the more you increase your chances of finding the
work you were born to do.
One of the dangers with the What do you want to do? question is
that it implies you have to stick to something for the rest of your life. Thats one
reason why so many people find it so
The harder you look, the
hard to answer. Another danger is that it
more you increase your
forces you to choose one option over
chances of finding the
work you were born to do.
another few of us are so driven that we
have only one thing that really matters to
us. The question can produce better
results if we take some of the implied pressure out of it and rephrase
it as What do you want to do today? Or for the next few years? You
might also find its easier to work out what you want to do if you
broaden the question to What are some of the things you really want
to do with your life? By breaking down the big questions into fath53
54
omable sizes, this chapter hopes to elicit some genuine answers from
your subconscious.
If youve ever had any career counselling its possible youve filled
in questionnaires about your abilities and aptitudes which have
enabled profiling software to probe your subconscious to suggest a
career as a pottery glazer or a livestock auctioneer. It never fails to
amuse just how specific these programs are they dont just suggest
you look for work as a designer but seem to know youd really enjoy
designing costume jewellery! As they never ring true and book printing technology doesnt allow for such interactivity, there are no tests
of that ilk here. If you want to try one, however, there are plenty
online, some you have to pay for, some you dont. Try www.cascaid.co.uk
for a potted version of a software program favoured by UK career
counsellors. Another good free one is at schoolfinder.com its been
designed for Canadians looking for colleges, but its still relevant to the
UK career market and its good fun. You have to register your details
first but it doesnt take long.
Part of the problem with the results of such career profiling tests is
that its very difficult to feel that you would enjoy jewellery design
unless you have some experience or knowledge of it. The software
could throw up 20 suggestions, but unless you understand what a
career in that area involves, its impossible to be enthusiastic. Its a bit
like shopping for clothes with your mother: she keeps on holding up
jumpers you cant see yourself wearing while saying Whats wrong
with this one?
A far more effective way of uncovering the field and position thats
right for you is to let the certainties you know about yourself and what
you want from work to guide you to a natural conclusion. The exercises and devices in this chapter are designed to propel you to that conclusion a little faster.
A vine-ripened career
If youre wondering why were taking such a basic approach, talk to
any gardener you know. They will tell you the fruits and vegetables
step 3 working out what you want to do
55
they grow themselves taste better than anything you can buy in the
supermarket. It may not be because they actually do taste better but
because the gardener gets pleasure from reaping what he sows anything youve tended with care and worked hard for always tastes good
because it tastes of satisfaction.
By taking control of your career, by making decisions that will make
you happy, by accepting responsibility, you will be tending to your
career like a gardener does his produce.
And the fruits of your labour will be even
This methodical approach
sweeter if you dont harvest your decito career finding will pay
sion too soon some things taste better
better dividends in the
when theyve been left to ripen on the
long run as great careers
vine. So rest assured, this methodical
can only follow on from
approach to career finding will pay better
great decisions.
dividends in the long run as great careers
can only follow on from great decisions.
Over the next few pages, were going to put all your potential
careers in the greenhouse, germinate the seeds, weed out the seedlings
that dont feel right and tend to those that have a future. Were then
going to hothouse them until were left with career options that excite
and satisfy you.
Asking the right questions

So if asking What do you want to do? doesnt work, what questions
are the right kind to ask? Generally, theyre the ones that make you
analyze how you feel about specific options, that force you to answer
in concrete terms rather than vaguely, and that make you consider the
same problem from a slightly different angle. This chapter has several
sections of questions all designed to prompt slightly different
responses to myriad employment options. As you work through each
section you should start to build up a list of things youre good at,
things you want and things you enjoy. Keeping all this information in
mind, youll then move on to a series of questions designed to help you
discover career paths you might not have considered before.
56
This book cant tell you what career is right for you there isnt a
magic formula so its up to you to look carefully at your answers to
spot the patterns and clues that will lead you to a natural conclusion.
There are no prizes for answering these questions quickly and experience tells us that your first answer is not always your best its generally the one youre used to giving. So take your time to break habits
and consider unconventional responses there are no wrong answers.
Lets start with a series of questions that, in a roundabout way, replace
the dreaded What do you want to do?
What comes naturally to me?
How hard am I prepared to work?
What do I enjoy doing?
What aspects of work have I enjoyed the most?
What do I find most meaningful about the world?
How much risk can I tolerate?
What kind of work place best suits my talents, personality, values,

passions and lifestyle?
Whats important to me?
What do I most value?
10
What gives me satisfaction?
If you need to, take your time to think about your answers as they
might provide clues to your new career. They might also help you put
your new career into perspective: while you fathom out what your new
career might be you are giving it a disproportionate amount of attention and its easy to lose sight of what really matters. If your answers
indicate that work isnt the be-all and end-all of your life, you might
want to consider looking for a career or working pattern that allows
57
you to concentrate on the activities that bring you pleasure and satisfaction.
The next set of questions is designed to get you dreaming. Whether
or not we ever achieve our dreams, they are important as they inspire
us and inform our choices. They act as a marker on the horizon and are
something to walk towards you make much faster progress if youre
aiming for a specific destination. And who knows what youll discover
on the way? As you read these questions, let your imagination run
wild this is not the time to dismiss outlandish ideas or half-baked
fantasies, this is the moment to imagine yourself attaining your
hearts desire.
When I was a child, what did I think I would grow up to do?
What did other people think I would grow up to do?
What work do the people I most admire do?
In the movies, which jobs seem the most exciting to me?
If all jobs paid the same, which area would I choose to work in?
What kind of people would I like to work with?
What would I wear to my ideal place of work?
If I could get up tomorrow and do any job I chose, what would that
be?
How do I see work fitting into my life in a years time? Five years
time? Twenty years time?
What do you enjoy?

While your answer to the above question should be a massive clue to a
career that would give you pleasure, its incredibly hard to answer. Its
one of those nightmare interview or dinner party questions, isnt it?
58
So, what do you enjoy doing then? Should you mention your love of
newts and Stoke City or should you lie and mention opera and voluntary work with disadvantaged kids? A bit like the What do you want
to do? question we encountered earlier, as its one of those posers for
which few us have a neat answer. Most people um and er and answer
vaguely. The truth is most of us enjoy doing pretty ordinary things like
spending time with our families and shopping for new clothes/gadgets/toys not the kind of information that indicates a future career
option.
The way to get meaningful information is by asking the question in
ways that demand specific responses. See how you get on with these.
I was happiest at work when . . .
Do I prefer spending my free time reading the paper and doing the
crossword or am I happier outdoors playing sport or doing exercise?
Do I prefer my own company or big crowds, seeing friends one to

one or in a gang?
I notice I start talking quickly and loudly whenever the conversation

gets on to which subject/s?
Do I enjoy arguing the toss or am I happier just to listen?
Am I happier going to see a show or putting it on?
Do l enjoy being the centre of attention?
What events in my diary help me leap out of bed?
What makes me so excited I cant get to sleep?
59
Another way of uncovering what you enjoy doing the most is to look
at the choices you make in your day-to-day life. For instance . . .
When you are buying a newspaper, what stories or special offers

persuade you to buy a particular paper?
When you read a newspaper, which sections do you enjoy reading

the most?
When youre looking through the TV listings, what sort of programmes attract you?
Which subjects make the most interesting documentaries?
If you were in a doctors surgery, what sort of magazine would you

choose to read while you were waiting?
What would be an ideal way to spend a holiday?
If the weekend was three days long, what would you do with the
third day?
If you were to study at night school for pleasure, what would you
like to learn?
By taking your time to answer these questions thoughtfully and fully,

you should be starting to build up a list of areas that interest and excite
you as well as the kind of activities and encounters that bring out the
best in you. The aim is for you to discover:
n
what you like
what you want
what environment youre suited to
what roles you are happiest playing.
60
Getting specific
Hopefully these questions are helping you to understand yourself
better and to reconnect you with the attributes and desires that are
unique to you. They are also designed to widen the scope of what you
consider work to be as well as put your search for work into a wider
context. What they dont do, however, is suggest possible career routes
to you that arent already paths leading off the one youre on. By contrast these next questions are designed to prompt specific responses so
you can work out how you feel about specific careers.
Scroll through your phone book and answer the question: What do
your friends do for a living?
Which of those friends enjoys their work?
Would you like any of your friends jobs? If yes, then think about
why.
Who seems to get the most out of their job? Why is that?
What makes you envious about other peoples jobs? (Salary, conditions, co-workers, room for growth, etc.)
Looking at all the departments in your company, which would you

most like to work in?
Who has the best job in your current place of work? Why is that?
Flick through a newspaper and see who is featured (consider

everyone from the man in the street asked for his opinion to professionals quoted in articles to people selling their stories about
illicit nights with footballers or wolves) and see what jobs they do.
Which sound the most interesting to you?
61
Turn to the directory at the back of this book offering sector by

sector analysis of job opportunities. Ignoring salaries, level of
opportunity, etc, which sectors interest you most?
10
Buy a newspaper on a day its packed with a variety of recruitment

adverts. Ignore for a moment your suitability and qualifications
which jobs sound the most desirable?
If youve answered these questions thoughtfully, you should now be in

possession of a bunch of fields and positions that interest you. Hopefully you will consider that a few of those options are worthy of further investigation. If youre still feeling a bit clueless, perhaps your
answers to the next list of questions will stimulate some more possibilities.
Do you want to work . . .
n
with computers?
with children or animals?
with creative people?
with disadvantaged people?
in a big office?
for a small company?
in a smart suit?
in casual clothes?
for yourself?
abroad?
on practical projects?
on creative projects?
outdoors?
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alone?
in a city centre?
from home?
How to use this information

By now you should have a clear image of yourself in your next job. You
should be able to close your eyes and see what sort of clothes you wear
to work, what kind of office you work in, how you fit in with the
people around you and the kind of work you do. You should also be
starting to understand how your new career will make you feel positive, satisfied, and enjoying each day. If work felt like a grey drudge
before, it should now be a colourful kaleidoscope of opportunity and
possibility.
The next stage is to take this information and turn it into viable
career options through careful research. Think of yourself as a career
detective following up leads there may
be some very obvious lines of enquiry,
Think of yourself as a
but it might be the long shots or glossedcareer detective following
over clues that provide your route to solvup leads.
ing your career nightmare. At this stage
you dont want to rule out any suspects
keep your mind open and your research as wide ranging as possible.
If you have discovered that your natural talents and abilities are
leading you towards a field of which you have little knowledge or
experience, you need to start investigating that field as soon as possible: when
Your research will be the
youre ready to look for work you will be
pole you use to vault over
competing with people who have experithe competition and into a
ence of that sector. Your research will be
peachy job.
the pole you use to vault over the competition and into a peachy job.
A good place to start your research at this stage is the recruitment section of relevant trade publications. While youre unlikely to land a job
63
through an advert (very, very few people do, especially career changers),
its the easiest way of seeing what kinds of positions are available in
your new field. You may find of course that none of the jobs advertised
appeals at all just because youve found a career that is theoretically
perfect for you, it doesnt mean it actually exists and it might be that
your only way to get that career is to create it yourself. If employers
arent offering the opportunities and benefits you want, you should
come to terms with the possibility that you may have to (temporarily)
leave the PAYE nest and freelance to get the career thats right for you.
Hopefully, now that youre looking in the right areas, you will find
a range of jobs you could see yourself performing, so use the recruitment adverts to see what employers offer and what skills they are
looking for.
The best career changes take place where the skills fit the opportunity. At this stage you want to be looking at opportunities that are right
for you. If you really cant see a way into your desired profession,
nows the time to work out how you can add to your skillset, your professional repertoire, and look for ways to make sure your skills fit the
opportunities that are out there.

Paul, 35, accountant to flooring specialist
My career started out very traditionally for a public schoolboy. I went to
Oxford where I read Chemistry and upon graduation took the corporate
dollar at KPMG where I trained for two years to be an accountant. They
paid well and it felt like a natural path for a boy like me to follow.
But I hated it. Really, truly despised it. The work was tedious, the
clients bullish and the atmosphere in the office was so competitive.
While I was very happy playing around with a spreadsheet I found
almost every other aspect of being an accountant soul destroying. Yet
somehow I managed to stay there for eight years.
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To this day I dont know why it took me so long to leave. I think I had
grown up viewing work as something you did for money or security or
status not fulfilment or fun. The catalyst finally came when I was
having some work done on my house and I was talking to the builder
who mentioned he was about to go on the most luxurious and expensive holiday. In a flash I realized two things: first, that my salary wasnt
that great after all, and second, that the guy I was talking to was doing
something he loved.
Over the next few months I couldnt get this conversation out of my
head and I started looking around at other sorts of jobs. I was quite scientific about it thats how my brain works and realized that the
people I knew who earned the most were not City high flyers but the
plumbers and tilers who were working on my house. I analyzed why
they could command such high fees and worked out it was because
their work combined a reasonable level of skill with a job that was just
beyond the capabilities of most DIYers. Their jobs were dirty and difficult the kind of work people like me were happy to pay a premium for
in exchange for cleanliness and convenience.
I became quite convinced that I should set up in business on my own
as some kind of specialist craftsman the difficult bit was working out
what that speciality should be. I had worked on enough business plans
at KPMG to know a few things I wanted to go into an area where there
wasnt any competition, I wanted to offer a service that offered maximum benefit for minimum outlay and effort, and it had to be something
that most people wouldnt attempt to do themselves.
After talking it over with friends I realized a lot of people had tried
sanding floorboards themselves and after doing one room vowed
theyd never do another as it was so frustrating. This seemed to be my
niche. It only required an outlay of a few hundred pounds to buy a
sander and clients came easily through friends recommendations. I
65
also benefited from the fact that clients had no idea what the going rate
was and I was able to charge for the convenience rather than the service.
I havent worn a suit for six years now, I earn more money than I did
in the City and I can take time off whenever I like. The only thing that
threatens my business is the possibility of shagpile coming back into
fashion.
Step 4 working out

what youre qualified
to do
Youre more qualified than you think

Its a common mistake for career changers to think they possess only
a few skills in a narrow field and are therefore not particularly qualified to do much more than they do already. After all, if youve worked
in only one area for no more than a few years, how many skills are you
likely to have?
The first mistake is to think that skills are the only kind of qualification. Your personality, attributes and talents are also qualities that
make you suitable for a position. So even
without any new training you might,
The first mistake is to
naturally, be very well qualified for a
think that skills are the
number of new careers.
only kind of qualification.
The other mistake many career changers make is to fail to recognize the scope
of their skills and qualifications. For instance, someone who has been
working as a teacher for the past few years might believe all they can
offer is the ability to teach. What theyre neglecting to mention is their
superb time management skills, their ability to deal with pressure,
their knack of bringing people out of their shells and nipping trouble
in the bud all of which are attributes employers are constantly on the
look-out for.
The aims of this chapter are twofold: first, through a series of exercises using the old stalwart of job seeking the CV youre going to
multiply the number of skills and attributes you have to offer (and
67
68
therefore multiply the number of jobs youre qualified for); and

second, you are going to realize, without any training, research or
even very much effort, just how many jobs you are already qualified
for.
If you felt new horizons opened up in Step 3, this chapter should
open up even more as you realize just how employable, desirable and
damn well qualified you are without changing a thing. A word of warning though: to get the most out of this chapter you cant skip your
homework the CV exercises dont work nearly so well if you just try
to imagine the results!
The CV always lies

Its an open secret that everybody lies on their CV, and in this chapter
youre about to find out just how much! Because people gloss over
periods of unemployment or embellish achievements, some people
have said that the CV has been devalued as a useful tool for recruiters
and job hunters alike. Although its fashionable to say that job seekers
secure new posts through networking, opportunism and force of personality alone, its inaccurate to say the CV is useless. Especially to the
career changer.
The reason why CVs always lie is not just because people have a tendency to inflate their successes and mislay their failures, but because
they fail to list the full range of their qualifications. It is exactly this
shortcoming that the exercises in the chapter will exploit.
These exercises are based on a concept with which youre probably
familiar rewriting your CV in different ways when applying for different jobs. For some positions you might want to flag up your academic qualifications while for others you might want to highlight your
experience, say, of handling large budgets. If this concept is new to you
(welcome to our deceitful little planet, by the way) it might help you
to look at the CV as a marketing tool, one that can be re-nosed to
appeal to different audiences. Just like cleaning fluid manufacturers
will use different techniques to market their product to single men
69
than to housewives, you can use your CV to market your product

yourself to different employers.
But thats not the point at this stage. The object here is to convince
you and not any potential employer of your many and varied skills. As
weve said already, the better you know your product, the better youll
be able to sell it. So over the next few pages youre going to be encouraged to write your CV like youve never written it before and you can
tell as many lies as you like as you are the only person whos ever going
to see it. Remember, in this chapter you only need to convince yourself, so you can forget about trying to impress an employer or writing
what you think an employer wants to read. In fact, you can forget
everything youve ever been told about writing CVs.
This chapter is about working out what youre qualified to do and
the simplest way to do this is to list
everything youve ever done, ie everyThe easiest way to
thing youve got experience in, knowlremember everything
edge of or a talent for. The easiest way to
youve ever done is to use
remember everything youve ever done is
an aide memoire.
to use an aide memoire. And thats going
to be your CV. As the CV breaks down
nicely into jobs, years, studying and interests, its the perfect vehicle
for prompting your brain to remember things its got stored away but
hasnt used for ages.
Exercise 1 the longest CV in the world

If you were applying for a job, you would tailor your CV to suit your application.
Youd keep things short and to the point. You might even condense a few roles
into one for clarity. In this exercise youre going to do the exact opposite
youre going to write a version of your CV that contains as much information
as possible. Instead of just writing what your role was and what your duties
were, youre going to include everything you can remember about your past
jobs. The reasons and benefits will become clear in subsequent exercises.
70
Things to include might be:
1 How you got the job in the first place.

2 Why you stayed in it/left so soon.
3 What you enjoyed about the job.
4 What you did that your boss never recognized.
5 The wider role you played within the company.
6 What aspects of your personality were utilized.
7 The times you felt unrewarded.
8 The reasons why you took the job.
To give you an idea of how to rewrite your CV, heres an example.
Version 1 the traditional CV
Stationery Manager, Acme Inc
19971999
Was responsible for overseeing the stationery supplies for the whole
company. Managed a staff of two and a budget of 500,000. Liaised with
management and department heads to ensure all stationery needs were
met. Was responsible for securing the best price from suppliers.
Version 2 the real story
19971999
I was promoted to the position of Stationery Manager after striking up a

friendship with the Head of Supplies.1 My first task was to assess the
workload2 and I quickly realized we needed another member of staff.3
Management said there was no money for another member of staff so I
found the money from my own budget4 while working late.5 I then looked
to employ a new member of staff from within the company as there was
no budget to advertise.6
71
As stationery was not a top priority within the company, getting managements attention was difficult and mine was an area management
always looked to when cutting costs. I therefore found the best way to
work with management was on an informal, non-confrontational basis,
getting consent for change incrementally.7 By the end of my two years8 as
manager the department was 20 per cent more efficient and the stationery bill had been reduced by 35 per cent through tough negotiations
with suppliers.9 To reduce costs further I suggested we move to a paperless environment.10 I was heavily involved in the introduction of the paperless system and chaired meetings,11 wrote agendas and contact reports12
and persuaded the Luddites of the need for change.13
This enabled me to get to know most of the people in the company,
which suited my bubbly personality well. People came to me for advice
and a gossip,14 which I liked although I worried my boss might think I was
skiving,15 and I played the role of an informal personnel offficer.16
As you can see, this stationery manager knows an awful lot more than how to
order pens in every colour. And of course we could go into even more detail,
but theres enough here to show how most CVs are neglectful of the whole
truth.
To complete Exercise 1, you need to rewrite your CV in this fashion. Include
every job youve ever had (including Saturday jobs as a teenager), volunteer
work, study (at school, evening classes, university, wherever). As you remember more detail, write it in and keep adding to your CV until your memory bank
has been fully exhausted.
When youve done this it will become clear how limiting and insufficient traditional job titles are just because youve been employed as an auditor, it
doesnt mean all you do is audit.
72
Exercise 2 the spin doctor

To make the most of your newly uncovered skills, you have to be able to promote them coherently to an employer and thats what Exercise 2 is about. It
involves interpreting the work you did in Exercise 1 for maximum benefit
doing the CV equivalent of a spin doctor in politics. Sticking with the example
above, lets look at how this stationery manager can transform his or her job
prospects with a cunning reinterpretation of the CV. In case you were wondering, each number inserted into the text denotes a skill in need of a label.
I was promoted to the position of Stationery Manager after striking up a friendship with the Head of Supplies 1 . . .
Skill 1: Good networking and interpersonal relationship development skills.
My first task was to assess the workload 2 . . .
Skill 2: Evaluation and judgement skills that could be deployed in any situation.
and quickly realized we needed another member of staff 3 . . .
Skill 3: Problem solving and decision making.
Management said there was no money for another member of staff so I found
the money from my own budget 4 . . .
Skill 4: Resourceful and practical, confident with budgeting procedures and
capable of making important decisions.
while working late5 . . .
Skill 5: Commitment to get the job done whatever is required.
73
I then looked to employ a new member of staff from within the company as
there was no budget to advertise 6 . . .
Skill 6: Ingenious, budget-aware, practical.
As stationery was not a top priority within the company, getting managements
attention was difficult and mine was an area management always looked to
when cutting costs. I therefore found the best way to work with management
was on an informal, non-confrontational basis, getting consent for change
incrementally 7 . . .
Skill 7: The ability to see the big picture and understand the importance of
being a cog in a big machine. Positivity, always looking for consensus and
solution.
By the end of my two years 8 . . .
Skill 8: Commitment and staying power to see through change.
. . . as manager the department was 20 per cent more efficient and the
stationery bill had been reduced by 35 per cent through tough negotiations
with suppliers 9 . . .
Skill 9: Proven track record of improving efficiency and reducing costs.
Negotiation skills that have been proven to get results.
To reduce costs further I suggested we move to a paperless environment 10 . . .
Skill 10: The ability to innovate, the desire for progress.
I was heavily involved in the introduction of the paperless system and chaired
meetings 11 . . .
Skill 11: Capable of taking a leadership role when required.
74
. . . wrote agendas and contact reports 12 . . .

Skill 12: Organized. Methodical approach to paperwork.
. . . and persuaded the Luddites of the need for change 13 . . .
Skill 13: The ability to build consensus and create influence.
This enabled me to get to know most of the people in the company,
which suited my bubbly personality well. People came to me for advice and a
gossip 14 . . .
Skill 14: Good inter-personal skills. The ability to get on with colleagues. A
level head.
. . . which I liked although I worried my boss might think I was skiving 15 . . .
Skill 15: The ability to see situations from other peoples points of view.
. . . and I played the role of an informal personnel offficer.16
Skill 16: The ability to earn and deserve trust, the ability to be discreet, willingness to take on unpaid work if it benefits colleagues and the company.
Exercise 3 putting it into practice

Now you have labelled your previously overlooked or neglected qualities and
skills, its time to rewrite your original CV to bring to the fore the qualities,
attributes and abilities that qualify you for a wider range of positions. Compare
the original CV entry with the reworded one.
75
Version 1
19971999
Was responsible for overseeing the stationery supplies for the whole
company. Managed a staff of two and a budget of 500,000. Liaised with
management and department heads to ensure all stationery needs were
met. Was responsible for securing the best price from suppliers.
Version 2
19971999
During my time as Stationery Manager I was able to use my negotiation

skills (to reduce suppliers bills), diplomacy skills (to persuade the company to adopt new procedures) and leadership ability to implement a new
paperless system that I had identified would benefit the company. My
judgement was trusted by management and co-workers alike in a wide
range of situations (eg reassessing stationery needs or the best way to
treat staff). I was seen as a hard-working manager capable of taking
tough decisions and capable of finding imaginative solutions to problems.
Changes I implemented resulted in a reduced budget and greater efficiency.
Hopefully you can now see how this stationery manager, with a rewriting of his
or her CV, has qualified himself or herself for much more than just managing
stationery. Rewriting your CV in this way will give you the chance to apply for
a greater range of jobs for the following reasons:
n
Seeing your qualifications in black and white helps you believe in them.
If you can demonstrate your qualities and successes its easier to sell
them.
76
You see how skills used in one area can be transferred to another.
When you do these exercises for every job youve ever done its easier to
spot patterns and natural talents that might never otherwise be given clarity.
Exercise 4 ready for anything

Now that weve demonstrated that its possible to rummage through your CV
and pull out some forgotten or hidden assets, the next exercise aims to show
that its possible to continue rummaging until you come up with something
useful. The idea here is to make a case that proves you are qualified to enter
almost any field you choose.
Most jobs involve the same groups of skills leadership, diplomacy, problem solving, persuasion, decision making, responsibility, etc. No matter what
you do or where you do it, you can be sure you are using the same skills as
someone in a completely different job in a completely different sector. This
exercise exploits this universal truth.
Lets stay with our stationery manager. If he or she wanted to get out of the
stationery game and into marketing, for instance, how might the CV look then?
Acme Inc
19971999
While in charge of the companys internal supplies division, I implemented a new paperless office system. This involved a major internal
marketing plan that had two aims: a) to convince management of the
need for the new system and gain their support for the implementation,
and b) to convince a reluctant staff of the benefits of adopting the new
technology. I prepared presentations for internal meetings with management and staff using various visual aids and PowerPoint. Awareness was
77
built up over time in the office through a series of posters, meetings,

memos and leaflets. The new scheme was successfully implemented on
time and on budget.
Lets understand whats gone on here. This person isnt lying about having
marketing experience, they are only accurately highlighting the marketing
work they have done and the success they experienced using their marketing
skills.
By avoiding the label of stationery manager they have instantly broadened
the scope of their responsibilities. This allows whoever is reading their CV to
put their own label on this candidates time at Acme Inc and if they were considering them for a marketing position they might well infer that this candidate
has marketing experience. Which they do.
Now imagine that our candidate has highlighted the marketing work they
have undertaken throughout their career in several different jobs. Their finished CV would be a clear and structured document stating their qualification
as a candidate with marketing experience and know-how. If that was backed
up with, say, a course at night school in marketing or extensive reading of marketing books, this candidate would be looking like a plausible marketing
recruit. And if their CV was combined with a good interview during which the
candidate engineered the conversation to make sure they talked about their
love of marketing, its easy to see how this stationery manager could make a
seamless move into their chosen career.
To complete Exercise 4, do exactly the same with your CV and rework it to
highlight the experiences you have in situations that would impress an
employer in your new field. Do this with every position youve ever held and,
like a barrister, build up a compelling case for your candidacy for your dream
job.
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Exercise 5 pushing the boundaries

If youre still undecided about what you want to do or are just interested in
seeing how far your flexible CV could take you, why dont you try rewriting your
CV for a variety of fields and positions (for a list of possible fields, check the
sector-by-sector information at the back of the book) or see if you can rewrite
your CV to bring any of the following to the fore:
n
management experience
technical ability
team work
problem solving
leadership
diligence
creativity
administration
specialist/sector knowledge
sales skills
communication skills
autonomy.
Of course, these are just suggestions. If theyre not relevant to your field or
dreams, pick any skill, attribute or theme and make it stand out in your CV.
Skills and opportunity

If youre still doubtful about your suitability for a wide range of jobs,
theres another way to give you the confidence you need to seek your
dream job with passion recruitment adverts.
Weve just shown how the much maligned CV can be a useful tool
for a career changer in search of inspiration and confidence. Now
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were going to show how that other old-fashioned job-hunting tool is

relevant for career changers.
As weve discussed, the best careers are the product of the confluence of skills and opportunity. Wherever the skills fit the opportunity
you find a motivated worker who takes home satisfaction along with
a pay packet.
Your
skills
Your
Their
opportunities opportunities
As this diagram shows, you are not qualified for every job advertised, nor will all your skills be utilized in every job, but where your
skills do match the jobs advertised the opportunities thats where
youll find a job match. Obviously, the bigger you can make the dark
shaded area, the greater number of jobs you can go for.
To do this, gather together a pile of papers with recruitment sections and plough through them finding ten or twenty jobs youre
interested in, even if its only hypothetically. Now make two lists, one
of the qualities and skills the advertisers are looking for and another
of the skills and attributes you offer. For example:
They want
Ability to work under pressure
Easy-going personality
Shift work
Qualification in business
No fear of technology
Familiarity with accountancy practice
Analytical skills
I offer
Reputation for meeting deadlines
Flexibility
Ability to get on with colleagues
Extensive computer skills
Hardworking nature
Two years management experience
Proven problem solving ability
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There is a near match between this candidate and this position, in

fact its just really a business qualification the candidate is lacking. But
the candidate has two years management experience, which may
compensate for the lack of a formal qualification. With a well-crafted
application its plausible that this opportunity moves from the lightly
shaded area to the dark shaded part of the diagram.
Look carefully at the job adverts youve selected. With a little bit of
persuasion and a recrafted CV, how many could you shift into the dark
shaded area?
Very often, there is one thing that stops career changers moving
advertisers opportunities into their shaded area and thats specialist
knowledge. If you keep coming up against this obstacle, you need to
find a way to persuade employers this
isnt the barrier they think it is. Perhaps
The crucial thing at this
youre a fast learner, a voracious reader
stage is not to rule out
(who could acquire knowledge quickly)
dream jobs because your
or you could bring something else to the
skills dont perfectly
bargain in compensation. The crucial
match those that the
thing at this stage is not to rule out
employer is seeking.
dream jobs because your skills dont perfectly match those that the employer is
seeking. Its quite likely that the advertiser doesnt expect candidates
to be able to tick every box they were simply advertising their wish
list. A good application can compensate for most shortcomings.
Hopefully, you can see that by making a creative application or by
acquiring just one new skill you will be able to move a whole swathe
of jobs into your dark shaded area. At this stage you should realize
how nearly qualified you are for a range of jobs you had previously
considered beyond your grasp. By spotting the barrier often something that can be overcome through part-time study or making
the most of your current position you make yourself even more
marketable.
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Gurinder, 43, media technician to teacher
I worked hard to get where I did in a competitive field where few women
stayed for long. I looked after editing and technical equipment for
media companies and although I got a lot of pleasure out of being good
at my job, after 15 years I was starting to get frustrated with being
treated as part of the furniture. My clients only ever noticed me when
things went wrong and never thought to thank me, or anyone else in
the department, when things went right.
My enthusiasm for the work waned simultaneously with my enthusiasm for London, and my husband and I started talking about leaving
the capital. Although wed occasionally talked about it in the past there
werent many job opportunities in my field outside London so wed
never seriously considered the move before.
In the end I think it was turning 40 that was the kick in the pants I
needed I just realized Id got all I was going to get out of London and
the media. I decided not to be afraid about moving on and losing
income as I had got to the point where I felt I had more to lose by staying where I was. I knew I had to make changes. The problem is that
there arent many options for a 40-year-old woman without setting up
your own business, and that just isnt me.
I had often thought about teaching as a possible career as I had
always liked the idea of working with kids, so I started to do a bit of
research. The first thing I found out was that I needed to get my maths
GCSE, which was a bit of a shock. I had hated maths at school I was
useless at it and I was really quite unsure whether I would be able to
get a GCSE in it. It took two attempts and that meant two years
studying after work.
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My husband and I had decided to move to the South Coast, so I

approached education authorities there about starting training. There is
such a teaching shortage that getting a place wasnt a problem now
that I had my maths GCSE. The PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) took a year, but I had been saving up for two years to compensate for the drop in salary. On completion I was offered two jobs at
primary schools within half an hour of our new house.
Changing careers and location at the same time is a massive
upheaval and my first year in teaching was incredibly tough. Being on
my feet all day, coping with all that noise and all that after-school work
I often wondered whether I had done the right thing. However, I am
now starting my third year in teaching and loving it. I know its a clich
but it is so rewarding and therefore so completely different from what
I did before.
Step 5 getting to
know your destination
Tickets, money, passport

At this stage in the career searching process you should have a good
idea of what you want from work, what you can offer an employer and
the direction in which you want to head. If you liken changing career
to going on holiday, your bags are packed (you know what youre
taking with you), youve got the right visa (youve checked the entry
criteria) and you think youve got a handle on your destination.
But before you get on the boat, plane or train, you need to do some
research. You wouldnt go on holiday to a new destination without
finding out what the hotels are like,
what activities are on offer and how long
Research can be tedious,
it takes to get there. Nor should you
but the benefits are
embark on your career journey without
countless.
doing a little background reading.
Research can be tedious, but the benefits
are countless. Careful research stops you
from making mistakes, informs you of choices you wouldnt otherwise
know about and allows you to make your move with confidence.
There are three stages to effective career research. Your initial
enquiries should enable you to determine things such as salaries, entry
points and possible career paths in your chosen profession. The next
level of research is about identifying likely employers and getting to
know their needs. The third level involves identifying the areas in
those companies that you would best fit into making sure the oppor-
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84
tunity fits your skills. The chart below details the information you
need to have to hand before you start applying for jobs.
Research chart
Level 1
Identify starting and potential salaries
Entry points into the profession
Likely and possible paths within the profession
Number of positions that become available each year
Whether recruitment is seasonal
Level 2
Research companies in your chosen field
Find out future plans for those companies whos expanding, whos in
trouble
Investigate hiring procedures
Identify the people who do the hiring
Decide which companies most interest you
Level 3
Analyze research to spot trends and opportunities
Work out whether your best way forward is as an employee, self-employed or
a part-time contractor
Marry your reseach into companies with your research into yourself and identify areas where your skills fit their opportunities
step 5 getting to know your destination
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Methods of research
There are a number of ways of getting to know your destination, some
of them more obvious than others. To build up a fully informed picture
you need to gather information from a variety of sources. If you rely on
just one articles in the press, for example you can never be sure
your information is accurate. Its smart to keep in mind that the best
kind of research is the kind that fewer people know, ie information you
get from personal contacts, as this gives you an advantage over job
seekers who get their facts from the media.
Newspapers
Broadsheet newspapers carry weekly supplements on major areas of
employment, such as media, law, charities and medicine. One of the
motivations for newspapers to invest in such specialist journalism is
the income these supplements generate from recruitment advertising.
This means there are two reasons for picking up a broadsheet on the
day it features your area news and vacancies. Generally, newspaper
articles carry great weight in the industries to which they relate, which means if
Even on days when the
you dont know about them or about the
papers dont carry
people or events they profile, you will
specialized sections, its
seem incompetent and out of touch. It
still important to keep
really is essential reading, so its worth
abreast of general news.
annoying your newsagent and flicking
through the broadsheets to make sure
youre not missing out on vital information.
Even on days when the papers dont carry specialized sections, its
still important to keep abreast of general news. The business pages are
full of job leads every day companies that are expanding, old contacts
moving to positions of power, or changes in policy or direction that
might create opportunities.
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Trade press
Whether you want to be a professional cricketer or a marine biologist,
there will be a trade publication for your industry. Trade magazines
and newspapers are the noticeboards for their fields and carry a
broader range of stories, most of which are too specialized to make it
into national newspapers. New appointments, new technology, annual
reports and industry events are all given prominence, making trade
magazines a job hunters information goldmine. Even the adverts in
trade magazines can provide useful leads for things like websites and
seminars that can help further your research.
Its important to read the relevant trade publication regularly. Over
time you will build up a sense of the problems facing your industry, the
people whose star is on the ascendant, and areas to be avoided. Its the
best source of information for identifying
suitable companies and finding out the
Its important to read the
names of people to approach within comrelevant trade publication
panies. If you read about someone interregularly.
esting, or with whom you agree or
disagree, dont be afraid to get in touch.
Send them an e-mail congratulating them on their award/promotion/point of view. Its a gentle way of adding to your contacts book and
an easy way of increasing the ways you will hear about job vacancies.
Avid reading of trade magazines some industries have several is
the best way of compensating for lack of professional experience in
your chosen sector. You can pick up knowledge, contacts and tips
through reading and often the information you absorb is more relevant and up to date than information you get at colleges or in books.
Reading is the homework you cant fake.
As there are so many trade publications not many are stocked by
newsagents even large city-centre branches carry only a narrow
selection. The best way of getting hold of them is by subscription,
although many are given away free (they make their money through
recruitment advertising) at industry events and in the lobbies of key
companies. If youre not sure of the name of the magazine for your
sector, have a look at the website for the Audit Bureau of Circulations
87
(www.abc.org.uk) or a magazine retail site like Cheapest Magazines

(www.cheapestmagazines.co.uk). Alternatively, flick through the latest
media yearbook at your local library or bookshop.
Internet
The internet is a fantastic resource for career changers hungry for
information. Most companies now have websites, so when you want
to find out more about a particular company, visit its site where it
might advertise vacancies, give you biographies of key members of
staff or set out its plans for the next year.
As well as company sites, most industries have online news services
(sometimes just web versions of trade
magazines) that are worth subscribing
The internet is a fantastic
to. But as well as checking out official
resource for career
sites, surf to see whether there are any
changers hungry for
unofficial sites where the gossip might be
information.
a little fresher, a little more scurrilous
and therefore a bit more useful. If youre
interested in a major company, its quite likely it will have a listing on
a service like Vault (www.vault.com) where employees past and present
bitch and backstab about their bosses.
Dont forget to register with an online recruitment service that can
either let you know about vacancies or put you forward for them.
Books and reports

As a career changer, the chances are that you are never going to be
exactly what a recruiter is looking for. You therefore need to use every
bit of nous you have to compensate for your CV imperfections. The
best way to do that is to have more information at your fingertips than
your rivals and that means going the extra mile to get hold of annual
reports and programmes for upcoming industry events and maybe
even reading the biographies of the leaders in your field. You can pick
up lots of good personal information about the people you will be
88
approaching for work their interests and specialisms and if you can
talk to them about their favourite subject youll make a good impression.
Extensive reading about your new profession can make up for the years you
Extensive reading about
were concentrating on another field. By
your new profession can
swotting up you can make yourself as
make up for the years you
knowledgeable as someone who has
were concentrating on
another field.
worked in the industry all their lives.
Seminars and conferences

If youve never worked in an industry before, a really good way of getting a feel for it is to attend relevant seminars and conferences. Not
only do you get to pick up lots of literature and leaflets about speakers
and issues, you also get to see your future colleagues in action. Each
industry operates in a different way some are driven by personalities,
others by technology, others by legislation and mixing with your
potential new colleagues will help you work out what drives that
industry.
Its also the best way of making contacts, and as a career changer
you are more likely to find work through recommendation and inside
information than you are through a recruitment agency. Your ability to
network at a conference or industry
event will have a hugely positive effect
Dont be afraid of
on your job hunt. Even if you lack the
approaching people.
confidence to walk up to strangers and
ask them outright for a job (which is
unlikely to impress them anyway), you can approach them subsequently through e-mail or a letter asking for clarification or a chance
to discuss a certain issue or opportunity with them. Dont be afraid of
approaching people they attend or speak at conferences to raise their
profile and a little flattery will no doubt get most peoples attention.
89
Friends
Obviously you dont want to jeopardize the position youre currently
in, but if its judicious you should tell as many people as possible about
your plans to switch careers. Your friends and family might well have
contacts in your target area but unless you express an interest in that
area to them you may never know. And even if your address book isnt
filled with usefully well-connected friends, perhaps they will have
read something of use or can now be on the look-out for useful articles
and information.
If you have friends in your target industry but are embarrassed
about telling them of your plans, try a little flattery. Most people love
telling others information as it makes them feel established, knowledgeable and generous. Psychology is on the side of the novice make
it work for you.
Work experience
Once you have narrowed down the area you want to work in, you
might want to think about doing a little work experience. Traditionally, work experience placements are
arranged by students trying out profesTraditionally, work
sions while still at college. Although an
experience placements
older work experience candidate is
are arranged by students
unusual, you will no doubt be welcomed
trying out professions
with open arms after all, who would
while still at college.
you rather have in your office, a spotty
youth who doesnt know how to make
tea or a keen job changer with a genuine interest in the company?
If you can find the time its well worth approaching companies
youre interested in to see whether you could work with them for a
week or two. Not only will you get to meet (and pick the brains of)
people who do the job you want to do, you will make excellent contacts
and get a feel for the industry from the inside. Best of all, you get to
make sure that this is a move you really want to make!
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Making your research count

Once you have thoroughly researched and observed your target industry, return to the research chart at the beginning of this chapter. Have
you been able to deduce what your starting salary might be, or what
the potential earnings might be? Do you have an idea of how your
career might progress? And crucially, have you spotted a way in, either
a contact or an opportunity that you can exploit to get your foot in the
door?
Before you approach the person who hires in the company of your
choice, you need to work out why they need you. Not just anybody, but
you. What can you offer, what do you know, how can you help? You
need to match your skills to their opportunity so you can convince
them to take you on.

Geena, 38, receptionist to interior designer
I had always wanted to work as an artist but when I finished my degree
I never managed to find work. I think there were just too many of us
living cheaply, flying off to India or Thailand every winter and smoking
dope all summer to care too much about finding work. We were just
having fun.
I took receptionist work because it was easy to get and easy to leave.
But by the time I got to my late twenties and realized I was looking a bit
pathetic in my sarong and sandals it was the only thing anyone would
employ me to do. Even though it was soul destroying I still managed to
do it full time for four years before I had a word with myself. I reached
a point where it was driving me crazy and I felt very strongly that I had
to make changes or else Id end up going to the big reception desk in
the sky.
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I had done decorating work for friends for years for a bit of cash,
trading on the fact that I had an art degree. I had never thought of
making a career of it, but when I looked at my options it seemed like a
smart way to head. I started by telling all my friends that decorating was
something I wanted to do full time and I began to get a few recommendations. I was charging peanuts but was able to keep the reception work going part time.
The more decorating work I did, the more I realized how little I knew.
My only source for supplies was B&Q and I didnt have the contacts to
offer specialist services. So I wrote to several interior design companies
asking for work experience. I only got one reply I think people didnt
know how to handle a woman in her thirties on work experience so I
said yes when they asked me to help out for a couple of weeks. I actually ended up staying with them part time for six months unpaid
except for expenses and I made the most fantastic contacts with suppliers and craftsmen. I also got to see how professional interior designers behave, what their quoting procedure is, how they invoice, how
they interact with clients. That kind of research was invaluable,
although by the end of it I really felt I was doing them a favour working
for free.
I left the interiors company when a friend of mine bought an old
house that needed a lot of work. He basically bankrolled me for six
months and waited patiently as I single-handedly transformed his
house for about the tenth of the price anyone else would have charged.
After that, I got enough recommendations to avoid going back to reception work. I also put an ad in my local paper for work and that brings in
about a client a month.
Im still not earning very much money, but that wasnt why I got out
of reception work. I did it to be creative, to be my own boss, and Im
really enjoying what I do.
Step 6 map making
Getting there from here

No matter what kind of journey youre taking, its much easier to
reach your destination if you have a map. Thats why this step is all
about making a map that sets out the route from your present job to
your dream career.
A career map has many advantages. Firstly, it breaks down a really
big shift in your life into manageable stages. So whenever the journey
ahead daunts you, the map reassures you that youre on the right path.
There might be many times over the next few months when you
wonder whether you took the right turn and if this happens, your
career map will help dispel your doubts.
Another benefit of a career map is that by breaking down your
career change into manageable steps it makes the big leap more plausible. If anyone asks how youre going to
transform yourself from a media librarian to a marine biologist, youll be able to
Breaking down your move
into smaller steps also
show them. The more plausible you can
helps you visualize the
make your career change, the more conproblems you may come
viction you will have that you will reach
up against as you change
your destination. Breaking down your
career and therefore
move into smaller steps also helps you
anticipate them.
visualize the problems you may come up
against as you change career and therefore anticipate them. It will also help you to see that career changes
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94
dont happen overnight you might not be able to get to your destination in one move and it may help you now to recognize that your
next job will just be a stepping stone to your dream job. Some career
changes happen quickly, others take years to complete.
One of the reasons youre encouraged to take your time preparing
your career map is that not only does it help you believe you will attain
the career of your dreams, it also serves as a personal career counsellor when youre feeling unsure about the decisions youve made. Your
career map will motivate you by reminding you of the progress youve
made, the reasons you started making changes and the benefits that
your career change will bring you.
So what is a career map then? Essentially its a personal business
plan that puts your move into the context of the industry youre
moving into. If youve ever been involved in starting a business the
chances are you may have had to prepare
a business plan a document created to
By methodically
lay out a new companys purpose and
predicting the likely
development. Careful planning at this
course of your career
stage can help you work out what hapchange you greatly
pens if you have a couple of months
increase your chances of
without a salary, or need to timetable a
making a success of it.
series of smaller steps that must take
place in the right order. By methodically
predicting the likely course of your career change you greatly increase
your chances of making a success of it.
Now that youve worked out where you want to go, youll no doubt
be eager to hit the road and the thought of sitting down to do yet more
paperwork probably sounds very dull. But even if your career change
is relatively straightforward, its worth setting aside time to sketch out
a career map as it helps you anticipate obstacles before you crash into
them at speed.
Your career map doesnt need to be a lengthy document nothing
here should take more than a side of A4 but that wont stop it being
a comprehensive guide book for the journey youre about to embark
on. At the end of this chapter you will have a nine-page document that
step 6 map making
95
will inspire and sustain you and prevent you from taking any wrong
turns.
Outline of a career map

The following is a basic template for your career map.
1 The mantra
This is the line you will keep repeating to yourself when things get
tough or muddled. It replaces the standard executive summary of
business plans and doubles as an elevator pitch (a memorable and
convincing statement of intent that can convince someone of your
ability in the time it takes to ride to the 23rd floor). Your mantra can
be reeled out to convince you or anyone who asks of the purpose
and plausibility of your career change. Your mantra should inspire and
encourage you.
2 Background
In this section of the map you will set out the reasons why youve
come to the conclusion that you need to change careers. After all, its
much easier to work out where youre going if you know where youve
been.
3 Skills, attributes and assets

Here you will make an inventory of what you have to offer as an
employee or a free agent.
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4 Your back-up
Its much easier to succeed if you have people who believe in you
cheering you on from the sidelines. This section of the career map outlines your support system and encourages you to find friends who can
support and mentor you through your career change. Its the career
change equivalent of an advisory board.
5 The opportunity
This section will assess the job market in the sector you want to get
into. By thinking laterally about your options you will hopefully discover other opportunities in the right field.
6 Your marketing plan

After the mantra, this section is the most important as it sets out how
you are going to let potential employers know about you, as well as
what you are going to tell them about yourself.
7 A financial plan
This will break down your finances to ensure that your career change
wont leave you short. And if it does, it will help you prepare and plan
for financial bridging.
8 A timetable
Its not always possible to timetable a career change sometimes you
just have to wait for opportunities but if you dont put a deadline on
certain milestones or decisions, its amazing how easy it is to let good
intentions go to waste.
step 6 map making
97
9 The map
Using all the information youve prepared so far, youll now draw a
diagram of your career change. This visual tool will enable you to see
at a glance whether your career change is going to plan.
1 The mantra
Your mantra is a sentence or two that sums up your decision to change
careers. It should tell someone whos never met you where you worked
before, why that wasnt enough, what
your new ambition is and how the
Your mantra is a tool of
change youre undertaking will help you
self-belief.
realize that ambition. It should convince
you of the worth of your undertaking
and it should convince other people (whether in dinner party banter
or at a job interview) of your commitment to your chosen path. Your
mantra is a tool of self-belief. Here are a few examples:
n
I am changing careers to ensure that I find work that brings me

*pleasure/satisfaction/money. I believe work in this field will suit
my natural talents and interests and sustain me for years to come.
I will do anything to get into profession x as my previous work

experience has taught me that I need *intellectual stimulation/a
sense of purpose/to feel rewarded in order to get satisfaction out of
work.
As a child I always wanted *certain things for myself but somehow

I have ended up on another path. It is my intention to create an
opportunity for myself to realize my childhood dreams.
I am devoting the next 12 months to retraining and expanding my

skills so I will be qualified for work in a field I love.
* Substitute whatever is appropriate
Your mantra can take any form. It can be precise ie I want to practise medicine in Malawi by next September or it can make more of
98
an emotional statement of intent. Whats important is that when you

read it back to yourself you feel inspired, determined, focused and in
control. If you have a weak spot perhaps youre bad at time keeping
or liable to lose focus then address it in your mantra. Include a deadline or a reward for sticking to your guns.
Writing your mantra may take moments, or it may be something
you need to develop over a couple of weeks. Once you are happy with
it, write it on a piece of paper you can
carry with you perhaps you could keep
Writing your mantra may
it in your wallet or travel card holder, or
take moments, or it may
maybe stick it to the fridge or the dashbe something you need to
board. Whenever you have a bad day at
develop over a couple of
work, or youre having trouble motivatweeks.
ing yourself to leave the house, it will
remind you of the positive changes you
are making and the feelings of satisfaction that await you at your destination.
Generally, the happier you are with your mantra, the easier it is to
write the rest of your career map. So take your time if you need to.
2 Background
You dont need to write your life story in this section, just make a list
of the things you have learned about work. Whether you know you
never want to work with computers ever again or know you must find
a way of not letting work take over your life, these are the kinds of
things you want to include here.
In some respects this section could be the basis of your leaving
speech from your current job. It should acknowledge what youve
learned, what youll take with you and why this is the right time to
move on. Of course, you might detest your current position so much
that theres no way youd spend five minutes saying goodbye if you
had somewhere to run to, in which case this section should read like
the speech youd love to give. Let rip. Write down why you cant stand
it any more, why you have to do something better with your life.
step 6 map making
99
The purpose of this background section is to remind you of the path

youve taken to get to this point and to reiterate the reasons why
youve decided to make change. You dont have to write much, just
enough to be reassured that youre making the right decision at the
right time.
3 Skills, attributes and assets

This section is all about itemizing what you have to offer the
weapons and supplies you carry with you as you travel along the career
path, the things that will ease your passage and help you reach your
destination. While your skills might be easy to list perhaps because
youve got a qualification or a track record some of your more valuable assets might not be immediately obvious.
Start with your skills the things you can do better, quicker or more
easily than most people. Whether its taking shorthand, grooming
ponies or backing winners, if its something you do well be sure to
write it down.
When it comes to your attributes it might help to refer to the questionnaire in Step 2. What did you learn about yourself thats worth
mentioning here? If youre good with the
detail or the big picture, if its a quality an
Your assets are anything
employer will need and value then add it
that will help you get from
to the list.
here to there.
Your assets are anything that will help
you get from here to there. That might be
a traditional asset perhaps enough cash to see you through retraining or a drop in salary or it might be a contact in a useful position, a
supportive partner or a piece of knowledge an employer will prize
highly. When youve completed this section you should feel very capable of making your career change and very confident that youve got
something any employer would be lucky to have.
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4 Your back-up
Changing careers can be difficult and stressful often it doesnt go to
plan, takes longer than youd hoped and involves some form of financial sacrifice. At times you might even wonder whether its worth the
hassle, and thats why you need back-up.
If you were starting a business you would be encouraged to form an
advisory board, a collection of wise contacts with a range of expertise
and knowledge who could see you through your start-up. While
changing careers isnt as complicated as launching a business, it will
help you if you have a couple of people you trust to lean on for advice
and moral support.
The sort of people you should be thinking about approaching for
advice are friends who have changed careers and know about the insecurities and problems that occasionally
arise. And it would be good to know that
The sort of people you
you had someone in your new field who
should be thinking about
you could call on when you hit brick
approaching for advice
walls. Perhaps someone who could make
are friends who have
phone calls or introductions for you.
changed careers and
know about the
Tell relevant people that youre underinsecurities and problems
taking a career change and ask them for
that occasionally arise.
advice, and ask them also whether you
can call them in the future if you need to
talk things through. Most people will be enormously flattered and will
gladly put themselves out for you if they can help in any way. Knowing youve got good people around you will be another confidence
boost and when you flick through your nine-page career map, seeing
the names of people who have been there and can help will remind
you that success isnt far away.
5 The opportunity
In this section you should collate information youve gleaned from
your research into your new field to outline the openings and oppor-
step 6 map making
101
tunities youve spotted. The opportunity might be an expanding sector,

a new company coming to town, or a change in technology or legislation that has created a gap for you.
More likely, however, is that the opportunity is something you not
external forces will create. This is the time to think about all the ways
you can get your foot in the door, by marrying the talents and skills
you reaffirmed on page 3 of your career map with the contacts and
research you carried out in Step 5 getting to know your destination.
If you are going into a very competitive field, you should consider
here the ways you can force open doors
that are locked or open just a crack. What
are your routes in maybe freelancing or
The list you create here
should be full of smart
volunteer work that will create further
answers that can prove
opportunities in the future? It might
any doubters wrong.
help to see the things you write down for
this section as a defence against a cynic
telling you youll never get where you
want to be. The list you create here should be full of smart answers
that can prove any doubters wrong. Essentially youre telling someone: I will reach my destination because I have found this unique
route.
By really paying attention to the ways in which you will approach
potential employers, you will hopefully run into new ideas about the
ways in which you can be of service in your chosen field, department
or company.
6 Your marketing plan

Imagine you have to raise finance to see you into your new career and
you are taking your career map to your bank manager. The section to
which he or she would pay closest attention would be your marketing
plan. The way you market yourself, the methods you use to get your
message to the right employers, will be more important than whether
or not youve got a degree in the right field or a burning passion for
your chosen profession. After all, if no one knows you exist it doesnt
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matter how talented, committed or perfect you are.

The standard way a job hunter markets themselves is by sending off
their CV to recruitment agencies, but that just isnt enough for career
changers. You need to express your enthusiasm, experience and
wisdom to an employer, not just your availability, so you are going to
have to be more imaginative in your approach.
There are two aspects of marketing you need to keep in mind: your
message and your medium. Your message should be a clear and concise picture
There are two aspects of
of yourself (the work youve condensed
marketing you need to
elsewhere in this career map should
keep in mind: your
help), your abilities and your desires. It
message and your
should be consistent no matter which
medium.
medium you use to approach people.
Answering the following questions
should help you develop your message:
1 If you think of yourself as a brand, what would be the values you

want your brand to embody?
2 If theres just one thing you want people to remember about you,
what would it be?
3 What do you stand for?

4 Why are you better?
5 Why should someone choose you?
There are some tips in Step 7 about reaching employers through
unconventional methods and it might help to return to this section
when youve read it. To summarize though, here are some of the ways
a career changer can get their message across:
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Approaching potential employers with an idea that will help their

business.
Making a name for yourself in the trade press.
Getting an introduction from a contact.
Meeting potential employers at conferences and seminars.
step 6 map making
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Businesses often outsource their marketing and employ professional

agencies to get their message across. Unfortunately there is no equivalent option for a career changer as recruitment agencies the people
who should be able to market you to employers are briefed by
unimaginative employers to find people
with such specific skills that youre
unlikely to fare well next to conventional
The truth is you do a
competition. If its any consolation,
better sales job if you do
it yourself.
recruitment agencies dont have a great
reputation for accurately selling the benefits of either candidate or company to
the relevant party. The truth is you do a better sales job if you do it
yourself.
7 A financial plan
In order to proceed with your career change with confidence, it might
help to be sure that your finances can cope with the detours your
money will have to make before you settle into a regular salary again.
Its not necessary to prepare a detailed spreadsheet allocating your tax
and Christmas club money for the next financial year, but it is important to make sure your financial assets are robust enough to get you
from here to there.
The first thing to do is to work out how much you need to earn each
month. To do this make a list of your outgoings. Make sure you include
things such as mobile phone vouchers, service charges and occasional
costs that are easy to overlook.
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Outgoing
Amount
Mortgage/rent
Bills
Car/travel
Loans
Leisure
Family commitments
Pension
Food
Total
Once you have a total you will know the minimum you need to survive
each month. If your research has shown that you will need to go back
to study, work part time or take a drop in salary, you need to assess
whether you have the financial muscle to power through the lean
times.
If you see a monthly deficit of 200 for, say, the first year of your
new career, then you need to have 12 months worth of 200 saved up
to meet your shortfall. If you dont have
2,400 in savings to carry you through,
If your career change
you must consider staying where you are
does come with a
until youve banked enough to provide
financial penalty, dont let
the necessary financial cushion. If thats
that prevent you from
not possible, maybe you need to reduce
following the path thats
your outgoings, rely on a partner or
right for you.
family member or be prepared to take on
a little debt to see you through.
If your career change does come with a financial penalty, dont let
that prevent you from following the path thats right for you. Its
important to look at a long-term picture maybe in a years time you
can earn a promotion, take on more hours or move to a more generous
step 6 map making
105
employer. And in ten years time you will have repaid any debt and be
in a career that brings you greater happiness than your current salary.
Its common for career changers to experience hairy months with the
bank manager being prepared for them is the best way of enduring
the lean times with confidence and belief.
8 A timetable
With something as complex as a career change its practically impossible to say how long it will take. What can be stated with certainty,
however, is that if you dont draw up a timetable with deadlines and
milestones it will take longer than if you do. Writing down the ideal
sequence in which you need things to happen will help you plan more
efficiently and help bring about the desired results at the desired time.
Whether youre giving yourself six months to get out of a job you
hate or waiting for the new term to start before your career transformation can get under way, there are usually two or three dates you can
put in your diary to remind you of your decision and help you keep
track of your progress. If there are certain events that must take place
in a certain order for instance attending a seminar before sending
out your CV to useful delegates then a timetable will help you plan
each step and task.
You dont have to fill every page of your diary with career change
activities, but it might help to know when certain things will take
place. These are some of things you might want to put a date to:
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Getting a qualification.
Building up a slush fund.
Rewriting your CV.
Background reading.
Waiting for everyone to get back from summer or Christmas holidays.
Making contacts.
Approaching employers.
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Chasing up employers.
Going on holiday (it makes sense to plan one before you start a new
career!).
Some things cant happen until other tasks have been performed, and
thats why making a timetable of the most efficient order in which you
need things to happen is important. It helps you keep a perspective on
your progress, especially if you feel youre not making any. Putting a
few dates to a few milestones has the effect of laying paving slabs on
your new career path suddenly you can see your future roll out in
front of you and it helps you move forward.
Its important to see your timetable as a guide rather than a master.
Its almost impossible to timetable a career change as mostly you are
relying on other people to make decisions or create opportunities, so dont get
Its important to see your
too disappointed if milestones pass withtimetable as a guide
out progress being made. Timetables can
rather than a master.
be rewritten to accommodate almost all
eventualities, but the benefit of doing
them in the first place is to make sure that things get under way rather
than forgotten.
9 The map
Your career map can be nothing more than a flow chart marking out
the sequence of events that will mark your path a simple visual aid
that illustrates your journey and enables you to see at a glance
whether your career change is going to plan. As you pass through each
milestone you can cross it off and feel a sense of progress. Some people
like to be creative with their maps and there are certain benefits to
illustrating a difficult problem as a rickety bridge complete with tollcharging troll! If you can find visual gimmicks that create a sense of excitement
Some peoples career
maps look like something
and adventure about your career change,
out of a pirate story.
that helps keep things moving.
step 6 map making
107
Some peoples career maps look like something out of a pirate story
detailed and picturesque interpretations that show theres treasure
at the end of the quest. Thats not necessary, but creating a diagrammatic interpretation of the work youve done elsewhere in this chapter and linking areas together really does simplify a complex journey.
If its possible, make a miniature version of your map and keep it
with your mantra. Combining your map with your mantra is a powerful motivator the mantra is the carrot to the maps stick and
together they serve to keep you focused on reaching your goal.

Julian, 33, commercial designer to property developer
Graphic design was actually my second career. I started out in architecture but, in the end, couldnt stick the seven years it took to qualify,
so I looked around for something else that used my design skills.
I worked for several design agencies, working my way up from little
more than tea boy to heading projects as varied as advertising campaigns and new shapes for perfume bottles. I earned good money,
worked in nice offices and liked the people I worked with. It would be
very wrong to say I was unhappy with my choice of career, I was just
unhappy with working full time and in an office. The usual route for disgruntled designers is to go freelance, but I didnt see there was any
challenge in that as I would probably work on less exciting design projects if I left the agency.
My interest in architecture never waned and all the time I was in
design I made money from property. I had a couple of rental investments but I also bought wrecks to live in and did them up making use
of my architecture training and contacts. One day I realized that I was
making much more from my houses than I did at work. I also realized
that I got a lot more pleasure from working the property market than I
did from designing prototypes for sauce bottles.
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I planned my move into full-time property work carefully. First of all

I rearranged the mortgages on my rental investments to ensure the
rental income would give me enough profit to live on. I then sold my
house and bought a small flat, which freed up much of my capital that
I then used to buy another wreck to turn around for profit.
It sounds very simple talking about it now, but I was extremely
scared about leaving full-time employment. I had had a salary for over
ten years and its difficult to adjust your brain to earning a years
amount of money in one go. Even that sounds like its easy, but with
every property deal theres the fear that it might be your last. If the
property market nosedives, maybe there will be no profit to make the
following year I keep worrying that the money Ive got in the bank may
have to last me for several years.
Im finding that Im using my design skills every day. Having the ability to imagine how properties will look after renovation is invaluable. Ive
also learned about colour schemes and know about design trends, and
this really helps when it comes to resale. In many ways I dont feel like
Ive changed careers at all. I know on paper it must seem like a huge
shift, but to me it feels like a natural progression, or maybe just a fantastic promotion. The only difference is that instead of designing something eight inches tall Im working on a much bigger scale.
10
Step 7 getting that

job
Recognizing the size of the task ahead

Looking to change career is a lot harder than just looking for a new job.
As a career changer you are about to come up against barriers and prejudices that most job hunters never encounter. The best way to deal
with this frustration is to try to understand its roots.
Its important for career changers to realize, and accept, that
recruiters often find it difficult to find jobs for candidates with
unusual CVs. Theyre not dumb, they know that what you lack in
sector experience you make up for with enthusiasm, maturity and
wisdom, but they still feel happier giving jobs to people they can
pigeonhole, or whose career paths reflect their own. In this chapter
were going to look at ways career changers can compensate for the
shortcomings of the traditional recruitment system. First though, its
important to understand the various reasons why doors often dont
open easily for career changers.
As a career changer, the chances are that you are trying to enter a
profession at the same level as someone
younger than you. This is one of the
greatest difficulties career changers face:
As a career changer, the
employers would rather go for someone
chances are that you are
trying to enter a
younger because theyre almost always
profession at the same
cheaper. Not only that but they tend to
level as someone younger
have fewer family commitments no
than you.
leaving early to pick up the kids from
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110
school and are generally happier to work longer hours. Its also possible that your new manager in your new job will be younger than you,
and many poorly trained managers feel uncomfortable telling their
elders what to do. Consequently, they often plump for the safe option
the younger candidate.
Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of job seeking for career changers is that recruiters just dont know how to value their experience.
While you have spent months researching your new field and understand how
Recruiting is one of those
your skills are relevant, its likely the
skills everyone thinks is
person interviewing you has no knowleasy.
edge of your old sector and therefore
cannot assess your achievements and talents. This isnt helped by the fact that very few managers have
received any recruitment training. Recruiting is one of those skills
everyone thinks is easy, yet very often the only experience of recruitment the person who sifts through CVs or conducts interviews has had
has been when they were job hunting themselves.
Compounding this is the fact that no one likes to think their job is
easy or that their skills are easy to come by. So giving a job to someone
who lacks directly relevant experience implies that their job could be
done by anyone. Therefore, out of ego, most recruiters like to employ
people whose background maintains the illusion that their jobs are
specialized or difficult.
Recruitment agencies and HR departments

A problem all job hunters face is getting past the CV sifters in recruitment agencies and HR departments. So understanding how they work
will help you in your quest.
Employers often turn to their personnel department or outside
agency only as a last resort their first choice is almost always to hire
someone they know or someone who has been recommended. If you
imagine a conversation between a manager looking for a new sales
step 7 getting that job
111
exec and someone from the companys HR department, it might go

something like this:
Manager: I just want someone bright, who can pick things up
quickly and get on with the clients.
HR: If I put that in an advert Ill get half the population applying.
Well have to narrow it down a bit.
Manager: OK.
HR: Do you want someone with experience of widgets?.
Manager: Thatd be nice, but widgets arent rocket science.
HR: What software do you use?
Manager: Sage and Excel.
HR: Presumably you dont want a teenager.
Manager: I guess the average age of the department is 24.
HR (making notes): Thatll be a second jobber then. Now, whats
the most valuable thing a new recruit could offer?
Manager: In an ideal world? New sales leads I guess, anything that
helps the department perform better.
The HR exec then goes away and writes an advert that reads: Acme Corp
seeks experienced sales exec to join their widget department. Must be literate in
Sage and Excel, have transportable client portfolio and at least three years experience in the field.
The advert is then placed in a newspaper and lots of people whom
the sales manager would have considered are put off applying. The HR
exec then collates and filters the applications from people who havent
been put off and weeds out candidates who dont meet the specified
criteria. The HR exec then hands the sales manager the cream of the
crop maybe only ten CVs from which to select even fewer candidates
for interview.
Clearly, then, the traditional recruitment procedure fails career
changers on two fronts: a) adverts are often filled with discouraging
wish lists rather than essential criteria; and b) to make life easier, HR
departments usually filter out candidates whose CVs dont tick every
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box. Whats also clear is that career

changers greatly enhance their chances
of job success by avoiding recruitment
adverts and impersonal personnel
departments.
If, for example, a career changer
wanted to get a job selling widgets, their
best bet would be to make direct contact
with the sales manager. If you can get hold of the right person, convince him or her of your love of widgets and your ability to sell them
maybe on a commission-only basis at first to prove that you can do it
then the next time a vacancy comes up you can bet the sales manager would rather call you than their officious HR exec. To successfully
change careers you need to avoid traditional recruitment procedures.
There are three main ways of finding jobs through unconventional
means:
Career changers greatly
enhance their chances of
job success by avoiding
recruitment adverts and
impersonal personnel
departments.
1 through personal contacts

2 by using research to spot opportunities
3. by persuading companies to create a job especially for you.
Getting and using contacts

Contacts, as youll almost certainly have learned in your old job, are
just about the most valuable career currency you can carry. The more contacts
A contact isnt just
you have, the richer your career will be. If
someone influential who
you think youre a little poor in the concan make things happen;
tacts department, heres a sure-fire way
a contact is just about
to achieve overnight wealth just redeanyone youve ever met!
fine your notion of what a contact is. A
contact isnt just someone influential
who can make things happen; a contact is just about anyone youve
ever met!
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You need to start seeing yourself at the centre of an ever-growing

contacts web and realize that your contacts have contacts of their own.
If you have five people you can call on for a favour or information, its
quite likely that they also have five people they can call on. That means
youre just a phone call away from 25 people who could be useful to
you in any manner of situations.
If you can rekindle old acquaintances you can also add to the
entries in your phone book. Getting in touch with people you havent
spoken to for some time can be difficult, if not embarrassing. But its
much easier if youre getting in touch for a reason, and its possible
your career change could be that reason. If youve heard, for example,
that someone you went to college with is now in the profession you
covet, calling them up for some advice or help might be easier than
just calling up for a chat.
As a contact is one of the most likely ways that you are going to
find the job you want, its imperative you make every contact you
have count. So if that means asking a mate to put you in touch with
someone useful they know, or using www.friendsreunited.co.uk to hook
up with old school friends, thats what you have to do.
Even people who you think are at the other end of the useful scale
are worth getting in touch with because you dont know who they
know. As soon as you know where you want to get to, you should be
telling as many trusted people as possible
just in case they know someone who
knows someone.
Even people who you
think are at the other end
You should also be starting to network
of the useful scale are
and adding new contacts to your address
worth getting in touch
book every week. You can network at
with because you dont
social events, but you would do better
know who they know.
targeting your contact gathering at
industry events. If you bother to show up
at a seminar or conference in the right field you are guaranteed to meet
people who can help you. It can be scary going to a conference if youre
new to the profession and dont know anyone, but the following tips
should help turn a nerve-wracking experience into a fruitful one:
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Always make a point of introducing yourself whenever youre in a

new environment, be that a friends dinner party or visiting the
waste disposal department in your company for the first time.
The more people know who you are and what you do, the more
they can think of you for opportunities that might arise. Shyness,
unfortunately, is not an option, so make sure people know who you
are.
Make the effort to go to conferences, parties or exhibitions and

always wear your name badge. Delegates attend these events to
meet people its perfectly acceptable to walk up to a stranger in
this environment because you recognize them from an article in
the trade press, youre interested in their company or you heard
them speak.
Get introductions. Make the organizers of seminars and conferences work for their money. Its their job to matchmake, so if you
recognize a name in the guest book, ask one of the hosts to introduce you. And when youre talking to contacts and they happen to
mention someone else, ask for an introduction the act of introduction acts as an endorsement and helps create an air of professionalism.
Always carry a business card. If your current position does you no

favours whatsoever, get private cards printed stating your name,
number and e-mail address. Of course, theres no point having
cards if you dont use them, so make sure everyone you meet at an
event gets a card before you part.
Maintain your network. Always find a reason to keep in touch with

people you meet whom you think might be useful. If you read an
article about them, send them an e-mail to give them feedback. Or
if you hear about a promotion, send an e-mail congratulating
them. Alternatively, if you read something that you think a contact
might be interested in, send it to them. Its crucial to keep finding
ways to remind people not only that you exist but that youre
thoughtful, on the ball and available.
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Obviously the influential contacts, perhaps people who have the

power to hire, are the best to have. But nearly as good to know are the
people who just know about vacancies. Contacts dont have to be chief
executives they are anyone who can give you information you cant
get elsewhere. That information could be about job opportunities in
their organization, or it might be simply that their company is changing direction slightly and that might be enough for you to create your
own role in that company (see the section below about persuading a
company to create a job for you).
Naturally, wed all prefer it if a contact would phone us up and say:
Ive put your name forward for this fantastic position thats just come up. Sadly,
You need to communicate
this is about as likely to happen as an
your needs, let people
alien invasion, but you can absolutely
know that youre in the
guarantee it wont happen if you dont
market, give them some
tell people what your plans are. You need
idea of your capabilities.
to communicate your needs, let people
know that youre in the market, give
them some idea of your capabilities. After all, theres little point
having contacts if you cant make them work for you.
Some of your contacts may not even know that much themselves,
but they may be able to help you access information thats unavailable
to your rival job hunters. The kinds of things even poorly connected
contacts can do for you are:
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pass you copies of in-house newsletters so you can see internal

adverts and exclusive news
get you a password to access company websites, often good sources

of company news and vacancies
put up an advert offering your services on the company noticeboard.
The point is, whatever someone does, if they do it in the right place
then they are a contact you want to nurture . . . and then exploit.
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Spotting opportunities
The next best way for career changers to leapfrog conventional job
candidates is by spotting opportunities before they are advertised.
With careful and dedicated research you can always make sure you are
in the right place at the right time.
To do this you need to keep reading trade magazines and talking to
contacts, constantly looking for clues to potential opportunities. For
instance, if you read that a company is setting up a new division
theres a chance that it will need new staff. If the article mentions the
name of the new division head, send him or her an e-mail.
The kinds of information that suggest opportunity might be around
the corner include:
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a company expansion
a change in legislation
the launch of a company
the launch of a rival company
a new boss (this is often the trigger for a wave of resignations that
makes way for new blood)
the launch of a new product
the development of a new technology
a merger or acquisition.
Just sending your CV is unlikely to get you an interview. If you think

of it from the new division heads point of view, yours is probably one
of a handful of CVs theyve been sent
since the article appeared. Sending an eWhen you make contact
mail saying Hi, I believe youre expandwith a potential employer
ing and heres my CV makes you seem
for the first time, its
important that you come
arrogant and opportunist. When you
across as a serious
make contact with a potential employer
candidate.
for the first time, its important that you
come across as a serious candidate. The
more time you spend writing your covering letter or e-mail, the more
serious you will seem.
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Always make sure that your covering letter expresses:

n
your interest in the project
your enthusiasm for the subject/product/area
your knowledge of the subject
your willingness to meet informally to discuss opportunities that

may arise
your belief that youve got something to offer,
. . . and glosses over

n
your lack of relevant experience or contacts
the fact that this would represent a career change for you
your desperation to get into this field.
All correspondence should be professional, not overly friendly, spelt

correctly with good grammar and presented soberly gimmicks
involving fancy paper and unusual fonts are more likely to irritate than
entice. Make absolutely sure that the person you are writing to knows
how to get in touch with you always add your contact details (home
phone, mobile, e-mail, address).
The same procedure works if someone tells you about a new development that might lead somewhere. If you cant persuade your contact to make the introduction for you, approach the relevant person in
the same way knowing full well that the very fact you know about the
development makes you look good as you seem well connected.
Persuading companies to create a job for

you
This is perhaps harder than the other methods of finding work outlined above, but it is still more likely to bring about results than relying on recruitment adverts and agencies. Although it sounds bold, the
procedures arent really that much different from the advice in the
spotting opportunities section. The big difference is that instead of
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just expressing an interest in the new venture or direction, you are

explicit about how you could help.
For instance, if a company is moving into an area in which you have
some skills, contacts or knowledge, perhaps you could help it through
the transition. Or if you can see that an existing company could
expand into an area with which you are
familiar, thats an opportunity to put
Most business owners
yourself forward as someone to lead the
and managers are willing
business in a fresh direction.
to consider suggestions
Wherever you feel you can add somethat make their company
thing
to someones existing business you
or more probably just
should feel comfortable about suggestthem look good.
ing a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Most business owners and managers are
willing to consider suggestions that make their company or more
probably just them look good. The equation is pretty simple . . .
You + company = more successful company
. . . and wherever you can create success you create a job opportunity
for yourself. Career changers can make this method work to their
advantage if they are encouraging a company to move towards the
field they are hoping to leave. Your track record in your current profession could give you the credibility a new employer will look for. You
then use your new job as a bridge between two fields and look to complete your journey in a few years time.
Preparing to meet your new employer

Whether youve landed a formal interview or you are meeting to talk
generally about possibilities with a potential employer, there are some
questions career changers are bound to be asked. Employers are often
suspicious of career changers sometimes simply because you are an
outsider, but also because they think your change of heart might mean
you are flaky so you need to prepare for some tough questions.
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As a career changer, the things you

Many employers never
have to offer an employer that they are
employ the best
likely to value most are your ability to
candidate they employ
understand their needs, the maturity
the person they like the
work experience brings and your ability
most.
to get on with colleagues. Many employers never employ the best candidate
they employ the person they like the most. That means coming across
as curious but knowledgeable, likeable without being eccentric and
professional without being dull. So, in
addition to researching all you can about
Your answers will enable
the company, the person youre meeting
you to compensate for the
and the industry youre entering, you
direct experience thats
need to think carefully about your
missing from your CV.
answers to some of the questions below.
Your answers will enable you to compensate for the direct experience thats missing from your CV.
Why are you leaving your old profession?

You have to expect to be asked this, but you need to be careful how you
answer it. Saying that you werent earning enough, getting promoted
or having enough fun are very negative answers and they create the
impression of a dour and bitter candidate. You must find a way of
answering positively. I realized that there was better growth potential
in this industry, or There was no clear path for me to build a future,
or The market was changing and that provided the opportunity to
look around for something I felt could sustain me for the rest of my
career are all much more positive answers.
Why did you go into your old profession?

Again, it is almost guaranteed that you will be asked this and again
you should answer as positively as possible. Dont mention that you
drifted into it by accident or took the first offer you got after studying.
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Try saying something along the lines of At the time that sector seemed
to be going somewhere, or It was a perfect fit for me at the time, but
as Ive got older my lifestyle has changed, or It felt like the natural
choice for someone with my qualifications.
What was missing from your last job?

Your answer shouldnt be negative about the profession or company
and you should keep your reply focused on what was missing for you.
For example, the opportunity for progress, the chance to make a
meaningful contribution or a sense of purpose all help to make you
sound measured and sincere, as opposed to negative and pedantic.
Why have you chosen this profession?

Its always a good idea to prefix your answer with something like
Well, where would you like me to start? or There are so many reasons
Im not sure where to begin. Make it sound like you have found a profession you can commit to for a long time, but make sure your reasons
arent glib. Something like Well its a lot more glamorous/better paid
than my last job wont impress. Try something along the lines of My
research showed this was a field I could commit to and where there
was going to be a lot of growth in the future. Alternatively, I felt this
is where my skills and talents would be best used, isnt bad. Dont
forget to add that your research has also shown that the company
youre talking to looked like a winner, not just the industry. And make
sure you dont sound too wistful about not having chosen this profession sooner, perhaps even saying that youre glad youve had the experience in your current field as you think it will help you get more out
of your new field.
You dont seem to be qualified for this position

There are two things employers look for in candidates experience
and potential. The trick to getting round this difficulty is to persuade
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your interviewer that your potential greatly outweighs someone elses

experience. You might try saying Perhaps I dont have direct relevant
work experience, but perhaps you should also consider my experience
gained in volunteer work/study/general management, etc, or Perhaps
you would consider that my success in my past field indicates my
potential in this one.
What do you hope to get from this meeting?

If youre having an informal chat and not being interviewed for a particular job this can be a tricky question to answer. To get into your
chosen career you might have to accept
an appointment that is not ideal perTo get into your chosen
haps part time or at a level more junior
career you might have to
than youd like but you dont want to
accept an appointment
sound desperate. A good answer is to be
that is not ideal.
vague, in the most positive way possible!
Id like to be kept in mind for any suitable positions that come up. Of course Im open-minded about what
that might be and would be interested to hear your thoughts.
Given your lack of experience, you realize that we couldnt

pay you the going rate?
While career changers do often have to take a drop in salary there is no
reason why you shouldnt be paid what you are worth. Many employers will try unfairly to make you take a low salary and if this question
does come up, a smart way to deal with it is by saying I accept I may
not command the highest salary but I expect it to be within the range
normally offered to people who take this position. This makes you
seem realistic yet not a pushover without negotiation skills.
part three
quick ways
to
change
your career
11
the easiest ways to

change career
Although changing career can be one of the more arduous tasks

you undertake in your working life, there are a few tricks that can
make the transition faster and easier. They fall into four main
categories:
1 Staying in the same company but moving to a different department
or role.
2 Staying in the same role but moving to a different sector.
3 Staying in the same job but rewriting your job description to bring
about change.
4 Coat-tailing talent into a new position.
If you think of your career as a path, then these devices are vehicles
that can propel you along it a lot faster! It may help here to look again
at the career map you drew in Step 6. As you study it, look to see how
you can speed up each step what contacts have you got that enable
you to queue jump?
Same company, different job

Most companies employ people with very different skills to perform
different tasks. You may work for a company that produces, say, furniture, but that doesnt mean you work only with cabinet makers.
There are likely to be other professionals with other crafts on the payroll upholsterers, glaziers, paint specialists as well as accountants,
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quick ways to change your career
marketeers, sales staff, managers, technicians. Quite clearly, then,

there are several careers being followed in every company.
If you fancy moving out of one career but dont know where to head
for, often the solution can be right under your nose. After all, why
spend months researching and retraining when you share a coffee
machine with the people you need to make the switch? A career
change could be as simple as bumping into the right person in the lift.
Could be.
The chances are it might be a bit more involved than that. But if you
think this might prove to be a good route for you, you need to start getting yourself noticed by the people working in the department youre interested
A career change could be
in. The best way might not be to boldly
as simple as bumping into
declare your intention to join them this
the right person in the lift.
will only make people feel threatened
and see you as misguided or arrogant.
Wherever possible make friends with people in the department you
covet. Take an interest in their projects, ask them about their work and
ask whether they could advise you on making the move into their area.
If your department overlaps with theirs, volunteer for projects and
assignments that would see you working more closely with your target
department. Get to know as much about how they operate as possible.
Laying this ground work will enable you to approach the person
who hires in that department as someone who is thought well of.
When you have their respect you should
tell them youd like to change careers and
The good thing about
that perhaps they could keep you in mind
moving careers this way
for future opportunities after all, most
is that its not necessary
people are going to be more enthusiastic
for someone to create a
about taking on someone they know and
role especially for you.
trust. The good thing about moving
careers this way is that its not necessary
for someone to create a role specially for you. Maybe they just want
help with one project or just to cover someone elses annual leave, and
its possible to make the move more naturally.
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Same job, different company

The theory for this trick is that if you can book-keep for lion tamers you
can also book-keep for psychiatrists. Likewise, if you can write annual
reports for a company, you can probably also write articles for a journal. A skill is a skill is a skill is a skill, but the difference between working for lion tamers and psychiatrists is so great that two similar jobs
feel like they belong to different careers.
This route is also worth considering for people who want to leave
their current skill behind them. Lets just say youre an accountant
who wants to work in television. What better way to make that move
than by getting a job as an accountant at a TV company? You get to
meet lots of people in TV who love working with you because its so
refreshing to work with an accountant who cares about the programmes, not just the balance sheet. You gain their trust and respect
and get to do all the research you need without taking a drop in salary.
You can then wait for the right opportunity to take a more creative
role.
Same company, reinventing your current

job
This route can often be easier to exploit in smaller companies where
there arent specialist departments for things like marketing, sales,
production, etc. In small companies its quite normal for one employee
to wear several hats, so what you need to do is add as many hats as you
can to your collection and then start wearing the one you like the most
as much as you can!
Its quite easy to see how an employee of a small company could
start off, say, on the reception desk but take on a bit of payroll duties,
a bit more admin and suddenly theyre the most specialized personnel
professional in the company and get to call themselves human
resources director. They can then apply for jobs in other companies as
an experienced HR executive.
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If this sounds like a plausible route for you, start by volunteering to

take on extra-curricular tasks such as being a health and safety officer or becoming a union rep or take on
the responsibility for investigating new
If your small company is a
suppliers/markets/customers, etc. If your
growing one, as it
expands you could find
small company is a growing one, as it
yourself appointed to a
expands you could find yourself
specialist position in the
appointed to a specialist position in the
field of your choice.
field of your choice.
Coat-tailing
This is the route you have least control over, but if you work with
someone who is clearly destined for great things they can be your ride
to a dream job. Your loyalty, dedication, brilliance and diligence might
be rewarded when your office star is promoted or poached and they
take you with them. If you really are valued, you can ask for your
reward to be appointed to a new sector or discipline. This route cant
be banked on, but if you are lucky enough to work with someone who
is heading for the top, it might be interesting to cling on for the ride.

Tracy, 39, environmental control to project management
I left school with three average grades at A level and no clear idea of
what I wanted to do. I certainly never wanted to work for the council but
the recruitment agency I approached put me forward for a general
admin post and, somehow, I managed to hang around in various roles
for almost ten years before I finally made the decision to leave.
I think its a symptom of working for local government that you
always talk about leaving, about doing something else. Lunch-time
conversations with colleagues were always about fabulous retirements
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in Marbella and going to work for a mate who had just started a surefire winner of a company. It took a few years to realize that it was just
talk and that nobody ever left, let alone to do anything exciting or glamorous. At times it seemed the only way out was in a box.
It was actually the break-up of my marriage that made me take a
long hard look at my life. At that time I felt like I had nothing to lose by
just walking away from my job, and as I wasnt exactly thinking rationally, thats exactly what I did. I moved back in with my parents, lived
off savings and had a long hard think about what I wanted to do.
I decided to go to university. I felt I needed the stimulation of learning and I didnt feel emotionally ready to commit to any particular job or
career. I plumped for something general, business studies, and
decided to do it over four years rather than three so I could work part
time and support myself.
I used my experience at the council and the fact that I was studying
business to get a two-day-a-week job at my local Chamber of Commerce. I worked with a team of operators who offered advice and
admin support to new and existing businesses in the borough. We also
organized networking parties for local companies that I found tedious
to put together but fascinating to attend.
By coincidence, my time at university and the Chamber coincided
with the dotcom boom. I graduated at just the right time there
seemed to be five jobs for every applicant. I applied for project management jobs at a few dotcoms and new media design agencies simply
because almost every job seemed to be titled project management. It
wasnt really a phrase Id heard of before.
Surprisingly, my age actually counted in my favour so many dotcoms were started by people in their early twenties that their advisers
were recommending they hire older staff to give themselves more
credibility! At 36 I was seen as experienced even though it was my first
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job in the sector. Project management, it turned out, was pretty much
common sense and good time keeping, so when the dotcom that
employed me went under I found it was easy to get work with other
companies. After all, everyone needs someone on their team who can
kick butt and get the job done on time.
12
the voluntary sector
Creative recruitment
Many career changers have long ended up working in the charitable
sector and the factors that encouraged their commercial to charitable
migration in the past are still persuading many to make the switch
today. The voluntary sector is an obvious destination for those career
changers looking for a little more purpose and meaning from their 9
to 5, but thats often a secondary reason why career changers fare so
well in this sector.
The main reason why you stand a good chance of finding a rewarding career in the voluntary sector is that charities have always had
more flexible hiring criteria, mostly due to necessity. They have recognized that charitable work is rarely anyones dream job, which is why
the sector has never had hordes of hungry graduates fighting for jobs
in the way they do in the finance and
media sectors. Consequently, charities
have had to employ either less talented
As charities cant pay
huge salaries they have to
graduates or enthusiastic career changtake a creative approach
ers. Naturally, the latter is often preferto recruitment in order to
able.
appoint people of the
As charities cant pay huge salaries
right calibre.
they have to take a creative approach to
recruitment in order to appoint people of
the right calibre. Transferable skills have long been valued in the
voluntary sector and a much greater value is placed on your life
experience beyond work.
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132
These arent the only reasons why you should consider looking at
charities as potential employers. Careers in the voluntary sector have
changed radically in the past two decades. The image of them being
run by do-gooders and fuss-pots is out of date many charities are
now run exactly like corporations by chief executives with decades of
private sector experience handling multi-million-pound budgets.
Salaries have crept up too. You shouldnt hope to exceed the salary of
a similar job in the private sector, but nor should the salary be a reason
to turn down a job any more.
The charity challenge

The voluntary sector can provide you with the greatest challenge of
your career. Not only might you be given responsibilities you would
have to wait years for elsewhere, but the problems charities regularly
face lack of funding, public apathy mean people who work for
them have daily battles to get relatively simple tasks accomplished.
This may well sound like a nightmare and if it does then the voluntary
sector almost certainly isnt for you, but if you like a challenge youll
find youll use every skill youve got to make things happen.
It might even be that if you transferred your current job to the voluntary sector you would get career satisfaction just because the greater
challenge brings greater rewards. If you work in marketing, for example, its easier to care about and promote the latest fundraising initiative than it is the latest detergent or clothing fad. Jobs in the voluntary
sector have challenges in-built and thats why so many people report
that they find career satisfaction when they move to a charitable job.
Another reason so many charity jobs come with satisfaction is that
charities can provide an opportunity for professionals to work in areas
they are passionate about. If you think about it, most charities would
never launch, get off the ground and stay afloat if it wasnt for the dedication of the passionate people who work for them. Whether its a
charity for sick children, homeless ponies or retired footballers, it
couldnt function without the passion of its workers. And this provides
the voluntary sector
133
another route in for career changers its an obvious way to turn your
hobby into your career. If youre applying for a job at a small charity
theres a chance you will be interviewed
by one of the founders, ie someone whos
No matter what youve
passionate about the purpose of the chardone before, doing it in an
ity. If you can share his or her passion,
environment where you
you become a more desirable candidate
can live and breathe the
than someone who has no empathy with
thing that excites you the
the cause.
most will prove
No matter what youve done before,
rewarding.
doing it in an environment where you
can live and breathe the thing that
excites you the most will prove rewarding. You may even find that for
some positions your passion is more important than your experience
and you could get a more senior appointment than you would in the
private sector.
Every skill is needed

Just like private sector companies, charities need the full range of
employees. From creatives to administrators to computer engineers,
the voluntary sector offers every career you can think of. Whether
youre a writer, a teacher or an engineer, theres a charity somewhere
that needs what youve got to offer.
The voluntary sector offers just the same broad range of options as
the public and private sectors. But it has the added benefit of giving
opportunity to those who might get the
door slammed in their face elsewhere. If
No one is saying going
youre getting frustrated with HR departinto the voluntary sector
ments not recognizing your potential,
is like entering the
send your CV to a couple of charities and
Promised Land.
see how different the response is.
Of course, many charity workers complain about their jobs just like everyone else no one is saying going
into the voluntary sector is like entering the Promised Land. Charities
134
are bound by covenants to their donors, can be run by people who lack
sufficient management experience and may be hampered by a lack of
funding. Its not an easy option. But it can be thoroughly stimulating,
reasonably well paid and you get to go home at night knowing that
you did a good days work.
13
the public sector
Over the past few years its been hard to miss government advertising
aimed at recruiting people into teaching, the armed forces and the
police service. The lack of personnel in
these areas means that career changers
Many people ignore the
can do very well as people from all sorts
public sector as it has a
of backgrounds, with all kinds of job hisreputation for low salaries
tories, are given an equal chance.
and lower morale.
However, many people ignore the
public sector as it has a reputation for
low salaries and lower morale. The government is aiming to change
that by increasing salaries, adopting better recruitment procedures
and developing career structures aimed to keep staff motivated and
dedicated.
The health service

The NHS is the largest employer in the country. It has over one million
members of staff just about 5 per cent of the total working population and offers more than 70 professions, ranging from the obvious
(nursing and midwifery) to the unexpected (medical illustration and
estate management). Working for the health service is not considered
an easy option, but like the charitable sector, the challenges it provides
new recruits often lead to handsome emotional rewards.
Many jobs in the health service, particularly nursing positions,
require several years training, a fact that often deters career
135
136
changers looking for a quick solution to their present job frustrations.

However, to encourage people to enter the NHS, regardless of age or
background, the health service offers
some favourable financial aid packages
Benefits include paid
for candidates undertaking study to
course fees, a bursary
meet the entry requirements. Benefits
and paid study time.
include paid course fees, a bursary and
paid study time. There are also plenty of
auxiliary and support careers that do not require medical or nursing
training and these are outlined at www.nhscareers.nhs.uk or you can call
0845 60 60 655 for an information pack.
If you are considering a move into nursing, you should be aware
that you will remain a student nurse for two to three years on a small
salary (Grade A nurses earn 9,73512,220 outside London and
12,96315,448 in inner London), but new career structures mean
nurses who stay in the service have the possibility of earning up to
46,975 (50,903 in inner London) if they progress to the very top.
Once qualified, you dont have to stay in the NHS of course. Private
health companies may offer slightly more generous packages, and
being a qualified nurse makes it easy to find work and the necessary
visas almost anywhere in the world.
The police force

The government has ambitious targets to get thousands of new police
officers on the beat. Consequently the police force is actively recruiting people from a wide range of backgrounds and looking favourably
on career changers. The force has also developed the High Potential
Development scheme to fast track talented entrants to senior positions.
Nevertheless, the force estimates that only one in seven applicants
is successful. The main reason for rejection is a lack of fitness, but if
you think you could chase a suspect up several flights of stairs you
should know that police training starts with an Initial Recruitment
Test where your powers of observation, command of English, ability to
the public sector
137
handle numbers and logical thinking will all be assessed, as well as

your fitness.
Potential police officers have to prove that they are of good character and must be financially solvent. A criminal conviction doesnt necessarily mean you cannot become an
officer, as long as exposure of your crime
Potential police officers
doesnt make you vulnerable. You also
have to prove that they
must be a British, Irish or Commonare of good character and
wealth citizen with no restrictions on
must be financially
your ability to remain legally in the UK.
solvent.
If you make it through the first phase
you will undertake residential basic
training for 15 weeks. Following that you spend two years training
on the job before making the rank of constable (although you are
paid throughout your training). Details are available at
www.policecouldyou.co.uk. It is not possible to go straight into a specialist division like CID, but there is a wide variety of support roles from
scenes of crime work to administration that could see you working
in rewarding situations in a shorter space of time.
Officially, there is no upper age limit for applicants but as normal
retirement age for police constables and sergeants is 55 years, and
forces want to receive a reasonable return on their investment in training, you should ideally be in your forties or younger to embark
upon a second career as a police officer.
Teaching
The nation is so desperate for good teachers that there is a range of
financial incentives in place to encourage graduates and career changers alike to enter the profession. However, you do still have to be a
graduate to start teacher training this is one job vacancy where age
and experience cannot compensate for the necessary qualification.
In a special bid to win over career changers, it is now possible to do
your teacher training part time (it takes two years rather than one)
and you are entitled to half the 6,000 training bursary awarded, tax
138
free, to full-time teaching recruits. (Participants in flexible post-graduation training get their second half of the 6,000 when they qualify.)
There are additional incentives for trainees on the Fast Track programme designed to get people to senior
positions with all the necessary manIn a special bid to win
agement skills sooner. To cap it all, your
over career changers, it is
tuition fees should be paid by your local
now possible to do your
education authority. In addition to being
teacher training part time.
paid to train, if you go on to teach a subject where there is high demand maths,
sciences, languages you may get a golden hello of 4,000 on completion of your first year in the job. Full details are available from the
Teaching Information Line on 0845 6000 991 and you can start your
research at www.canteach.gov.uk.
As of April 2002, salaries for qualified teachers started at 17,595
(20,700 in inner London) for good honours graduates. Salaries then
rise on a scale depending on experience and extra responsibilities
undertaken. With five years experience a teacher outside London
could expect to earn 21,591, rising to 25,713 after seven years. If you
move into management your salary rises further, to 34,542 for a
deputy head in a small primary school to more than 80,000 for a
headteacher in a large inner city secondary school. Advanced Skills
Teachers are paid on a scale rising from 28,917 to 46,131. Up-to-date
pay details can be obtained from the DfES website (www.dfes.gov.uk).

Tony, 29, management consultant to corporate
management
I was one of those people who did a degree in the thing I enjoyed most
at school physics. Just about the only thing it qualified me to do was
to teach physics. I knew this was the last thing on earth I wanted to do
with my career but wasnt sure what else was out there. After backpacking for a couple of years I was pressurized by my family to do
the public sector
139
something so went for the best paid option I could find a graduate
trainee scheme for management consultants at one of the big City
firms.
Like most people, I had no idea what a management consultant was
until I trained to be one. Mostly, I discovered, it seemed to involve telling
companies how they could earn bigger profits by either screwing their
staff or their customers. I spent all my time analyzing spreadsheets to
see whether costs could be saved or markets expanded. After three
years I realized I knew remarkably little about business and that I had
no idea whether my recommendations helped as my firm never stayed
around long enough to witness the results of the changes we suggested.
What I did learn as a management consultant was that business fascinated me. I was mesmerised and still am by the mechanisms and
motivations of commerce, and I loved watching hungry hustlers walk
into our offices with plans to save the world and pipe ketchup or data
to every house in the country. I was in the right field, but knew I had the
wrong job.
I am lucky enough to come from a well-off family who supported,
financially, my decision to study for an MBA. They paid for me to go to
a good management school, where I worked hard and graduated third
in my class. It was enough for me to have my pick of jobs. I went to
work for an engineering company I thought my love of physics would
help somehow as director of new business. Instead of dealing with
abstract opportunities I was dealing with realities coping with unexpected resignations, surges in oil prices and clients who needed solutions yesterday and I found it enormously challenging. For 18 months
or so I thought I was really making a difference.
It took me that long to realize that I was kidding myself. While I may
have finally been involved in implementation rather than imagination, I
140
still wasnt really making a difference. Internal politics meant I had been
sidelined to minor projects, many of which never got off the ground. So
I looked around for other work and applied to work for a small firm with
a much more inclusive management agenda. I now work somewhere
where anyone can come up with the idea that propels a project or the
company forward its the inclusive, positive atmosphere here that I
find exciting. But most of all Im trusted to see projects through to their
conclusion, Im allowed to motivate my staff in the way that I want and
I get to take the credit when my team pulls rabbits out of hats. I work
with the best people I know both on the board and in my team and
I am incredibly proud to get up and go to work in the morning.
14
getting a trade
A job for life

The governments target is for 50 per cent of 18 to 30-year-olds to participate in higher education by 2010. With so many young people
being encouraged to see university as the first step towards a career,
many who traditionally would have chosen a trade end up in service
sector jobs. But the world still needs plumbers, sparkies and chippies.
We still need chefs, hairdressers and mechanics well always need
them and the shortage of people coming in at the bottom means
there are opportunities for people to enter later on in life. But thats
not the only reason why getting a trade is so appealing for career
changers.
A trade is a passport without an expiry date to the world of work. If
you can plaster walls, you can plaster walls anywhere in the world and
many people use their trade as a platform
for travel. Having a trade behind you can
A trade is a passport
give you the confidence to take on more
without an expiry date to
exciting tasks because youll always have
the world of work.
it to fall back on. A trade is a job for life.
Another aspect of getting a trade that
attracts so many career changers is that the shortage of skilled tradespeople means that, once youre qualified, you stand to make a very
decent living. The hourly rate for plumbers, electricians and mechanics is often higher than that for well-paid office workers.
Perhaps the best reason to consider getting a trade later in life is
that age is no barrier. Think about it when you call out a plumber in
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an emergency, youd prefer it if someone who didnt look like theyd

just left school turned up. Simply by understanding your customers
better because youve lived long enough to have been a customer
yourself will enable you to leapfrog over equally well-qualified whippersnappers into the affections of potential customers. If you havent
thought about getting a trade before, maybe its worth thinking about
it now.
Getting a trade
Many career changers find a trade grows out of a hobby. Lets face it,
if youve done up a few houses in your time and youve become proficient at, say, decorating, its possible your friends might ask you to decorate their houses. Soon, if you wanted
to, you might get recommended to
Sometimes you dont
enough people to be able to set up shop
need a qualification to
as a decorator. Some of the career
prove youre good enough
changer profiles in this book indicate
to do the job.
this is a credible way for an amateur to
become a professional. Sometimes you
dont need a qualification to prove youre good enough to do the job.
However, if you dont have enough amateur experience to turn a passion into cash, there are a number of established ways to get yourself
a trade.
The governments Learning and Skills Council (www.lsc.gov.uk) has
been charged with running the new Modern Apprenticeships (MA)
drive (www.realworkrealpay.info) which is open to people aged between
16 and 24 who are paid and trained in professions as disparate as
beauty therapy and agriculture. The apprenticeships are undertaken at
individual employers, not at a college, and are eligible to anyone who
meets the basic literacy and numeracy requirements. Your MA on-site
experience can also count towards NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) level I qualifications. Additional off-the-job training can take
you to NVQ level II. There are practical and theory assessments and at
the end of approximately 78 weeks, you should have achieved NVQ
getting a trade
143
level II. If youre really committed and want recognition as someone

of craftsperson status, an additional 78 weeks should see you up to
NVQ level III the mark of a professional.
Training for all the construction trades is normally approved by the
Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and candidates who are
accepted onto one of its recognized apprenticeship training schemes
are eligible for registration onto the Construction Skills Register
(CSR).
In addition to apprenticeships and NVQs, you can still study for a
City and Guilds (www.city-and-guilds.co.uk) in almost any trade you
care to mention. Whether you want to be a pastry chef or a cabinet
maker, most night schools and colleges in the country offer part-time
courses leading to a professional qualification. Course fees may even
be subsidized if you are on a low income or are unemployed. If you
can combine some amateur experience working for personal contacts
with a bonafide professional qualification such as a City and Guilds,
its hard to think of a smoother way to establish yourself in a new
profession.
Potential pitfalls
While getting a trade is one of the best ways of guaranteeing yourself
a job for life, its by no means the right route for everyone. You should
keep in mind that the later you enter the profession, the more likely it
is that you will need to be self-employed
to earn a living. Understandably, most
The trades are still very
employers prefer to take on younger
traditional, so not only do
apprentices and perhaps less underthey favour younger
standably are a bit suspicious of older
entrants, they definitely
applicants coming into the profession.
favour men, too.
The trades are still very traditional, so not
only do they favour younger entrants,
they definitely favour men, too.
While becoming self-employed can be such a release for some professionals that they actually feel like theyve changed careers when
144
they havent, you need to be honest with yourself before you decide
whether its the best option for you. Being self-employed means being
disciplined, possibly working through minor illnesses, kissing holiday
pay goodbye and taking responsibility for annoying things like your
tax affairs.
Another thing to remember is that trades move with the times.
Changes in technology and fashion can put you out of business if you
let yourself get too comfortable. Its essential to keep your skills and
training topped up.
Perhaps the real thing career changers need to bear in mind about
trades is that you cant morph yourself into a qualified anything
overnight. Generally, to move from the job youre in now to earning a
regular income in your new trade takes two to three years. If youre in
a hurry, you might need to look somewhere else.

Mat, 26, painter and decorator to tour guide
There are quite a few decorators in my family and although it wasnt a
foregone conclusion that I would join them, it was an easy option I was
happy enough with when I left school. I went to work for my uncle who
let me go to college for a day and a half each week to do my NVQ levels
I and II. After college I continued to work for him and did a couple of
jobs for myself with a view to setting up my own business.
It was all working out fine, I was earning decent money doing something I was good at, but something was missing. I just had this vision
of my life stretching out endlessly before me one magnolia wall after
another. I was still a young man and I just thought there had to be more.
I think Im lucky to have my trade behind me, and when I was telling
my mum that I was thinking of jacking it in for something a bit more
exciting, she was reassured that I could always fall back on the decorating.
getting a trade
145
I realized that I wanted a bit of adventure. Id gone straight from

school to work and really felt like Id missed out on something. Like
most people, I liked the idea of working abroad, of getting a bit of winter
sun and not being tied to a desk. The travel industry seemed like an
obvious choice and there were lots of vacancies for tour reps. However,
I remembered some of the holidays I had been on and how badly
treated the reps were. And when I found out how poorly paid they were
I was about to consider another industry.
I did some research on the travel industry and realized that being
able to speak another language completely changes your job
prospects. I wasnt about to go back to college to do that, so I just
packed my bags and went to live in Greece where friends of my parents ran a guesthouse. I worked with them for the winter and took every
opportunity I could to learn the language. By the time the season
started my Greek was good enough to get me an admin job at a local
travel agency where I mostly dealt with English-speaking clients.
After a year at the agency I had made good contacts with local tour
operators and my Greek was good enough to get me by in most situations. The next season I started work with an upmarket tour company
doing walking tours with small groups. Mostly I did clerical work
arranging airport transfers and special meal requests but I let them
know that I really wanted to lead the tour groups. The following season
I started doing the walking tours and Im getting a lot out of it meeting the kinds of people Id never have met if Id stayed in decorating. I
may go back to it one day, but hopefully not for a while.
15
predicting the future
Getting into position

If you ask a football striker the secret to scoring lots of goals, theyll
probably tell you its all about getting into position. Its just the same
if you want to hit the back of the career net you need to be able to
anticipate chances before you can seize them. If you can move into
open space and let the ball come to you, you get ahead of the game and
put yourself in a job scoring position.
Chances or opportunities are usually created by forces beyond
your control. Things like mergers and acquisitions, changes in legislation or poor stock market performances
can all exert pressures on companies to
Chances or
change direction. The secret is to be able
opportunities are
to anticipate how companies will
usually created by forces
respond to changed circumstances and
beyond your control.
acquire the skills they will need before
they even know theyll need them.
Take, for example, those who acquired web skills before companies
even realized they were going to need a website. Many of those people
had no experience with technology or design, but they got dream jobs
by gaining the knowledge their colleagues lacked.
So if youre having difficulty finding an entry point into your
desired profession, it could be because there isnt one yet. But if you
can predict the direction your chosen industry or company will take in
the future, thats where several entry points may open up to you.
147
148
Technical innovation
Many opportunities will be created by a technical innovation. Most
industries are affected by two types of technological change: generic
and specific. Generic changes include events such as the invention of
the computer that affect every company and every industry. Career
changers in the 1970s and early 1980s who acquired computer skills
found industries previously closed to them opened up virtually
overnight. If you are aware of a similar shift in technology approaching, then being the first to operate or repair the new bit of kit could
be your passport to any profession you choose.
Specific technological changes can affect either single industries or
individual companies. These opportunities can be easy to spot and
exploit if you keep up to date on your research: if you see one company
has adopted a new bit of kit that gives it an advantage, its likely that
other companies in that sector will be forced to adopt the same bit of
kit in order to compete.
However, its better if you can combine your research into what a
company needs with what technology is out there. Ideally, you want to
be the person who can marry a companys needs with a new technological
Ideally, you want to be the
solution. It will be your ability to cure a
person who can marry a
companys headache that will make you
companys needs with a
employable, rather than your track
new technological
record.
solution.
Technological innovation isnt always
related to computers. Keep your research
broad ranging and include anything thats relevant to your sector
plant machinery, printing processes, photo imaging, transport, mobile
technology, etc.
predicting the future
149
Legislative change and financial

opportunity
Whether its the lifting of a trade embargo or a new diktat from the
Department of Trade and Industry, legislative change can create
opportunities for companies and career changers alike. The key to success is understanding how best to exploit changed circumstances. If,
for example, a particular industry is starting to source materials or customers from a certain region, you might be able to create an opportunity for yourself in that industry if you speak a useful language. Or if
a change in legislation will enable a company to increase production,
maybe it will need as many new recruits as it can get its hands on.
Careful reading of the trade press should give you ideas about the sort
of opportunities that will arise and what skills you will need to acquire
in order to exploit them.
Reading the business pages and following the financial fortunes of
your sector can also give you clues as to how the future might pan out
for your target companies. Changes of personnel, the creation of new
divisions or the need to expand the number of revenue streams can all
help you identify future opportunities and give you the chance to get
into position.
In addition to these warning signs, another way career changers
can leapfrog their way into jobs is by attaining a qualification before it
becomes the industry standard. Whether its a City and Guilds or getting shorthand of 120 words a minute, when employers get nervous
they like to appoint people with qualifications as they see pieces of paper as
Use your contacts, your
guarantees that you can perform at a cerresearch and your nous to
tain level.
work out whats just
around the corner.
Use your contacts, your research and
your nous to work out whats just around
the corner. Try to anticipate potential problems and their solutions,
new markets and new technologies, and work out where your opportunity lies. Then all you need to do is improve your skills to match the
approaching opportunity and you can sit back and anticipate your
dream job becoming a reality.
part four
sector-by-sector
information
for
career changers
This part of the book analyzes the
opportunities in the 20 most popular
career sectors for career changers.
Here you will find outline information on
salaries, entry points, future career paths
and suggestions of places to look for
further information.
sector-by-sector information for career changers
153
Agriculture and environmental work

Sector overview
Although this is a relatively poorly paid sector, competition for jobs is
still fierce in some areas. Agriculture is in decline in the UK, but with
fewer and fewer children following in their parents footsteps there are
opportunities for those who want to work hard for only a modest
financial reward. As you would expect, days are long, the work is hard
and you are at the mercy of external factors (early frosts, foot and
mouth, a change in EU subsidy). As environmental work is carried out
by either voluntary agencies or the public sector, salaries remain low
even for management positions. For those wanting to work on ecoprojects overseas, its possible you will be expected to work for little
more than accommodation and travel costs. If you think that means
organizations must find it hard to fill positions, think again. Many
career changers and idealistic graduates choose this route because the
lifestyle means more than money.
Career paths
Careers in agriculture are as varied as the food we eat. Professionals as
disparate as land managers, livestock auctioneers, farriers and stable
hands are all employed or used by landowners and farmers. Horticulture, landscaping, farriery, fencing, fish farming and game conservation are other options requiring specialist knowledge. Environmental
agencies need office and support staff as well as skilled forestry workers/botanists/dry stone wallers. A career in this sector doesnt have to
mean ruddy cheeks and frozen fingers.
Entry points
Volunteer work is a standard route for career changers, but most voluntary sector agencies keep an open mind about job applicants backgrounds. Agriculture jobs are advertised locally and in the specialist
press.
153
154
Qualifications
Some environmental work in the field only ever goes to graduates with
the right degree (land management, marine biology, zoology). The less
glamorous positions tend to go to committed enthusiasts who can
demonstrate their passion for the field. There are plenty of qualifications that can be earned part time National Traineeships, Proficiency
Tests and Craftsmans Certificates, First Diploma, National Diploma
and Higher National Diploma, National Certificate, Higher National
Certificate. Check listings on www.hotcourses.com for one in your area.
Salary information
Salaries in farming have been painfully low over recent times even
large farms have difficulty paying salaries over the 10,000 mark.
Salaries seem low as jobs can come with accommodation and food
included. Environment workers in the field often find their take-home
pay is less than the office-based administrators of their organizations
15,00025,000 is typical.
Further research
New Agriculturalist Magazine www.new-agri.co.uk
Lantra www.lantra.co.uk or call 0845 707 8007 for careers information.
National Council of Voluntary Organisations www.ncvo.org.uk
155
Banking and finance

Sector overview
Career changers are still attracted to this sector because of the enormous salaries on offer. Banking is a volatile sector, subject to the whim
of the markets and greater competition. Some analysts predict there
are more takeovers to come, which would almost certainly lead to job
losses. It is a very traditional area of the economy and its still the case
that young white men who went to the right university rise highest
and fastest, although the picture is improving for female and minority
candidates.
Generally, the salaries compensate for a stressful work environment. Burn-out rates are high, working weeks can easily be 80 hours
for juniors at City firms and competition for promotion is fierce. Consequently, this is a sector to which not everyone is suited.
Career paths
You can specialize in any number of disciplines fund management,
stock broking, currency trading, corporate finance, venture capital or
you can work in a high street branch as a mortgage adviser, business
banker, etc. Often managers take entire teams with them when they
are poached and career advancement seems to have nearly as much to
do with networking as it does performance.
Entry points
Generally, this industry is geared up to recruit graduates and getting in
several years after university can be difficult without a personal recommendation. Try smaller banks as they often have a more creative
approach to recruitment. Non-graduates can take part in in-house
training schemes (normally three to five years) operated by most
banks that pay between 12,000 and 17,000 pa. You could also work
156
as a clerk maybe in a department such as settlements or funds and

earn 18,000 to 22,000 pa.
Qualifications
A 2:1 degree or higher is a standard for City jobs and generally banks
only look at candidates with at least 24 UCAS points at A-level. For
career changers, banks also look for the following qualities: problemsolving and numeracy skills, lateral thinking, good communication
and analytical skills, leadership potential.
Salary information
Starting salaries are higher than most sectors, typically around
25,000, but senior bankers earn anything up to 150,000 a year, with
an annual bonus of roughly a years salary on top of that. Top brokers
and financiers can easily earn a basic 500,000 pa.
Further research
The Chartered Institute of Bankers www.cib.org.uk
Consultancy
Sector overview
Most people think they can tell other people how to do their jobs
better. This universal truth of ego means there are plenty of people
who want to get into consultancy, either as a one-man band or by joining a City firm. The belief that consultants are well paid, do very little
work and accept no responsibility still seems to be true. Career changers tend to fare far better by going the solo route (City firms are geared
up for recruiting recent graduates) and if you have extensive enough
157
knowledge of and experience in a certain field, becoming a consultant

could be lucrative. Generally you will be self-employed and build up a
portfolio of clients for whom you will work on a project-by-project
basis or for a few days a month. Many consultants report earning more
money for working fewer hours.
Career paths
Ideally, you should be able to line up your first clients before you leave
your current job. Clients are generally built up through recommendation and networking. Career progression comes from working for
more exciting companies on more exciting projects.
Entry points
If youre looking to join a firm of consultants, your opportunity to join
the team may be pegged to them securing contracts requiring your
specialist knowledge. Alternatively, smaller and specialist consultancy
firms tend to have more liberal entry criteria and will consider candidates on aptitude and attitude as well as academic brilliance.
Qualifications
If you are working for yourself, it will be your contacts, networking
ability and experience that qualify you best for a lucrative career as a
consultant. If you want to join a firm, specialist sector knowledge and
a good degree from a good university will open a lot of doors.
Salary information
A consultant at a City firm can expect a salary of between 40,000
and 60,000 after a couple of years. Partners earn considerably
more (125,000350,000). Self-employed consultants earnings
158
depend on their sector, with rates varying from 200 a day to 200 an
hour.
Further research
Trade press can advise on sector-specific consultancies.
Management Consultancies Association www.mca.org.uk
Crafts and trades

Sector overview
This area attracts many career changers who are hoping to change
their lifestyle as well as their livelihood. While there are some big
employers in this sector, work tends to be for smaller companies or on
a self-employed basis. Generally, those who find the right speciality
and the right market can earn a good living, get plenty of job satisfaction and avoid unemployment in economic downturns. Those prepared to set up their own business have the potential to earn well.
Career paths
Those who manufacture goods (eg potters, metal workers, jewellery
makers) find their careers are only as good as their clients allow. You
need to be able to find people to buy what you make talent is not
enough and many see their talent go unrewarded as they cannot
establish a market. Those who qualify in trades (eg plumbers, electricians, gas fitters) find the market often comes to them, especially if
they work for a firm. If you can specialize (for instance in marble
rather than just ceramics) you can raise your prices, assuming you
market yourself well enough. Progression relies on the size of jobs you
are able to take on.
159
Entry points
If youre young enough (generally this means under 25) you may be
able to get taken on as an apprentice. If you study for a recognized
qualification, this may act as a passport into a firm in the right field. If
youre setting up business on your own, your entry points are really
your clients the more you acquire, the greater your chances of building a new career.
Qualifications
Most crafts and trades have recognized qualifications (eg City and
Guilds, NVQs). Its not always necessary to get the paperwork, but
most reputable firms wont hire you without it. If you want to work as
a sole trader in other peoples homes you may find it difficult to get
insurance without an appropriate qualification.
Salary information
What you earn is up to you it depends on your craft or trade, how
well you market your goods or services and how hard you work. If you
work seven days a week and find enough clients you could enjoy the
kind of income normally reserved for City bankers. Builders and specialist tradespeople often earn between 50,000 and 100,000 a year in
the South East. However, an employee of a small pottery firm in the
North West will be lucky to break through the 10,000 barrier.
Further research
City and Guilds www.city-and-guilds.co.uk
Learning and Skills Council www.lsc.gov.uk
160
Education
Sector overview
With government-backed financial incentives and a shortage of teachers, its a good time to find work in this sector. Teachers are required
at all levels, from pre-school to post graduate, with the greatest need
at inner city secondary schools. Teachers still complain there is too
much paperwork and red tape eating into time they would rather
spend in the classroom and there is a high drop-out rate. However,
qualified teachers can insure themselves against unemployment in
recessions and often get preferential visa status if they want to work
abroad. There is also the holiday factor that attracts a lot of parents
into the profession you can be off school when your kids are and save
on childcare costs. Careers in education extend beyond teaching in
schools of course and include disciplines as varied as educational psychology, TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and groundskeeping.
Career paths
With so many vacancies its possible to move up the ranks to become
a head of department or to increase take-home pay by taking on extracurricular duties. Experienced teachers may choose to apply for deputy
headships and headships. Universities also need staff and its possible
to lecture part time on specialist subjects without extensive teacher
training.
Entry points
Vacancies are frequently advertised in the national, local and specialist press. You can get (unpaid) classroom experience as a teachers
assistant in many schools.
161
Qualifications
You need a degree to start teacher training and must have your Post
Graduate Certificate in Education before you can apply for teaching
work.
Salary information
Newly qualified teachers can expect a starting salary of between
17,000 and 21,000. Teachers with seven years experience can look
to be earning more than 25,000 outside London. Head teachers of
schools that perform well in inner cities are being incentivized with
salaries up to the 80,000 mark.
Further research
The Department for Education and Skills www.dfes.gov.uk
Those who can, teach www.canteach.gov.uk
Engineering, surveying and architecture

Sector overview
Clearly these are sectors that require professional qualifications and
attract career changers who studied the relevant course at university
but never made use of their degree professionally. Department for
Education and Skills research found that the engineering industry was
likely to need as many as 270,000 additional professionals to join its
ranks over the course of the following decade. Skills shortages and
increasing international competition are fuelling a struggle among
organizations for qualified engineers which is producing some of the
highest salary increases the sector has seen.
162
Career paths
Its possible to earn a decent salary as a sole trader and as an employee
in this sector, whichever way you prefer to work. If you work for a firm,
there are the usual opportunities to move into management, but
progress really comes from the size and type of projects you get to
work on. Its also worth noting that more trained engineers run FTSE
100 companies than trained accountants. People from these disciplines are clearly valued as lateral thinkers and problems solvers.
Entry points
While experienced practitioners can operate as sole traders, they trade
on their experience at a company. You should contact the HR departments of individual organizations to find out what their policy is.
Qualifications
To reach the top of the engineering profession, youll need to have
either chartered (CEng) or incorporated (IEng) status. Architects
must fulfil seven years of study to fully qualify and get RIBA (Royal
Institute of British Architects) accreditation.
Salary information
Chartered engineers generally earn 2030 per cent more than incorporated engineers (CEngs can expect a UK average salary of 45,000
compared with 36,000 for IEngs). Architects often complain they
earn less than the builders who execute their plans, but you can expect
anything from 40,000 with a medium-sized firm to 250,000 with
one of the flash, fashionable firms.
163
Further research
The Engineering Council www.engc.org.uk
Institution of Civil Engineers www.ice.org.uk
Royal Institute of British Architects www.riba.org.uk
Government and voluntary sector

Sector overview
With increasing volatility in the private sector and stock market performance reducing the value of stock options and bonuses, many private sector professionals are seeing the public sector as an attractive
option. Backed by government initiatives, salaries have been increasing faster than the private sector for the past few years and look likely
to continue to do so for the next few. In addition to this, the public
sector is the last bastion of the final salary pension, a fact that is
attracting a lot of career changers worrying about their retirement
finances. Top-level positions for senior managers in both the public
and voluntary sectors can command six-figure salaries, but in general
pay is less than private sector equivalents.
The public sector is creating more jobs than the private sector for
the first time since 1977, according to a 2002 report from Manpower.
There is some evidence to suggest that the emotional fall-out from
September 11 2001 has prompted many people to reconsider their
careers and opt for jobs in these sectors.
Career paths
Charities and government departments need leaders and chief executives just like private companies and for those with desire and determination, some consider that its easier to reach the top in this sector
than in the more competitive private sector.
164
Entry points
You can use your existing career to move sideways into these sectors
as they are more used to accommodating applicants with unusual CVs.
You dont have to start by volunteering whatever you do in the private sector (sales, statistics, admin, etc), your skills are needed here.
Qualifications
Few positions require formal qualifications except those working with
children, animals and certain care positions.
Salary information
Senior managers in these sectors can look to earn between 40,000
and 100,000 depending on the size of the organization. Entry-level
salaries tend to be low (eg 12,000 in nursing, 18,000 in teaching,
10,00020,000 for most full-time positions in charities).
Further research
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations www.ncvo.org.uk
The Guardians Society section (out on Wednesdays)
www.society.guardian.co.uk
Health, beauty and well-being

Sector overview
The private health sector is booming private gyms, health food
shops, spa retreats and Pilates practitioners are all in demand. Its an
area that attracts a lot of career changers and looks likely to continue
to do so. Formal, nationally recognized qualifications arent required
for many aspects of work in this sector (although some training is
165
necessary), meaning you dont have to study for several years before
you can start earning. Salaries are higher than average but more
importantly so are work satisfaction levels people are attracted to
jobs in this sector because they tend to believe in the good they are
doing.
Career paths
Careers available in this area include work in beauty salons, health
farms, gyms, cruise liners and film and television make-up departments. Work can involve massage, hypnotherapy, aerobics instruction,
beauty therapy and health foods. Its possible to work freelance or for
a salary.
Entry points
Many night schools offer courses in these areas and its possible for
keen amateurs to use knowledge and contacts to become professional.
Large leisure companies expect some formal training.
Qualifications
Fitness instructors can get NVQs at college and further industry qualifications through the YMCA. Many beauty therapy careers are also
supported by NVQ training. Therapies at the new age end of the spectrum are less well regulated.
Salary information
Gym instructors can expect a starting salary of around 15,000, but
senior managers and personal trainers can easily double that. Generally, self-employed professionals earn more.
166
Further research
YMCA Fitness Training www.ymcafit.org.uk
Carlton Institute of Beauty and Holistic Therapy
www.beauty-training.co.uk
Information technology
Sector overview
According to an Office of National Statistics survey in 2001, more than
50 per cent of IT workers are under the age of 34. This is because large
companies prefer to employ recent graduates with the latest technology knowledge. Getting taken on to an in-house training scheme after
the age of 29 can be almost impossible. Salaries arent as high as
people think unless you have detailed technological knowledge of programming.
Career paths
The best routes for career changers lie on the fringes of pure IT. If there
is an area in which you can use your existing knowledge perhaps
customer relations, business analysis, implementation and combine
it with technology skills, you are more likely to find a senior position
with a higher salary.
Entry points
Candidates under the age of 30 might want to consider in-house training with a large firm. Courses last two to three years and provide a
thorough grounding. Other options are to start on help desks, marketing or sales any area that allows you to accumulate detailed knowledge.
167
Qualifications
A degree in IT is not necessary and in many cases nor is a degree of any
kind. Many people are acquiring IT skills through their general work
and this experience is often more useful than a qualification. The ability to deliver a benefit to the customer and an ability to absorb and use
complex information is more important.
Salary information
Regional discrepancies are huge in IT (workers in the South East can
earn 30 per cent more), with salaries outside of London typically
around 20,000 for starters, rising as you specialize. Freelance problem
solvers can earn up to 100 an hour.
Further research
E-Skills NTO, a government agency for the IT industry
www.e-skillsnto.org.uk
Inside Careers, specialist IT recruitment site www.insidecareers.co.uk
Law
Sector overview
On paper this is a highly attractive sector well paid, interesting work
but the reality is that many career changers find it hard to break into
law. The main problem lies in the fact that there are so many law graduates waiting to get pupillages or to start practice exams that they are
taking the paralegal jobs traditionally taken by non-law graduates.
Work is still available in the courts and in administrative roles, but
research and investigative work is becoming hard to get without a law
degree. The market is less competitive outside urban centres. You may
also want to investigate work as a legal executive dealing with con-
168
veyancing, probate, litigation and business or commercial law where

you advise clients on tax laws and company law.
Career paths
Clerks of courts and paralegals with experience and contacts are
highly valued. Its also possible to get work as court ushers, court
administrative assistants and officers. In private practice, work for
non-law graduates tends be administrative.
Entry points
You can approach your local crown or magistrates court for vacancies.
Law firms tend to advertise positions in The Times, although some
admin positions are advertised in local papers and through recruitment agencies. If your current work is in a specialized field, it may be
possible to trade on this to get work with a legal firm that has clients
in your field.
Qualifications
The minimum qualification to start the years training to become a
clerk of the court is three GCSEs, although A-levels are preferred.
Legal executives need good English and the ability to work with anxious or distressed clients. Legal executives must register with the Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX), although formal qualifications can be
avoided if you have relevant work experience. HNDs and Diplomas in
Legal Studies are also available.
Salary information
Court ushers are generally paid 9,00012,000 pa, court clerks about
20,000 and legal executives between 25,000 and 40,000.
169
Further research
The Law Society www.lawsociety.org.uk
The Law Careers Advice Network www.lcan.csu.ac.uk
Marketing and sales

Sector overview
Perhaps more than any other sector, sales and marketing are meritocracies. That means you succeed if you prove youre good enough, and
career changers get a chance to compete on a level playing field with
graduates. Although big companies HR departments will look to take
on recent graduates onto their in-house training programmes, there
are plenty of opportunities at smaller companies for those with ability.
Earnings can be high and the work can be interesting and varied. Generally, companies look for enthusiastic professionals who can understand the customer and find a way to meet their needs. A business
background can be seen as an advantage.
Career paths
Successful sales and marketing professionals can expect to be
rewarded with pay rises, promotions and greater responsibility. If you
can learn how to sell you will never be out of work. Many successful
marketing and sales managers make it to director level.
Entry points
Telesales jobs are advertised constantly and although they tend to be
difficult and thankless jobs, they provide free training and experience
with which to impress your next employer. For career changers trying
to show commitment to the field, gaining a qualification (see below)
can be a catalyst for breaking into the profession.
170
Qualifications
Certificates and degrees are not required track record is infinitely
more important but with a range of industry-standard qualifications
available for part-time study, a certificate can give you credibility.
The Institute of Sales and Marketing Management offers a Certificate in Sales and Marketing, an Advanced Certificate in Sales and a
Diploma in Key Account Management. The Institute of Professional
Sales and The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply offer similar qualifications that can be earned in two or three days.
Salary information
Junior marketing executives can expect a salary between 18,000 and
25,000. Sales executives may be offered smaller basic salaries but
with commission could earn much more. Marketing account managers typically earn about 30,000, with account directors on
45,00060,000. Very senior and experienced managers can double
this. Sales earnings depend on rates of commission and performance,
but sales professionals often earn more sooner and can look to earn
six-figure incomes in big companies.
Further research
The Chartered Institute of Marketing www.cim.co.uk
Marketing Magazine www.marketing.haynet.com
The Institute of Sales and Marketing Management www.ismm.co.uk
The Institute of Professional Sales www.iops.co.uk
The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply www.cips.org
171
Media
Sector overview
This is a highly competitive sector, but with no industry-standard
qualifications (bar technical disciplines in broadcasting) the media
opens up to talent ahead of certificates. Whether you want to work in
TV, radio, magazines, newspapers or book publishing, if youve got the
ideas and the drive you should be able to force your way ahead of the
thousands of media studies graduates who try to get into the sector
every year. It is true, however, that it is a who you know sector, with
most jobs never advertised. Networking is essential to getting ahead.
Many workers even quite senior editors are on short-term contracts
or freelance and benefits are often non-existent. However, youre quite
likely to get an expense account to make up for it.
Career paths
As long as you continue to do good work, you will generally be asked
to come back. Networking and maintaining contacts are necessary for
promotion, and your late start in the industry shouldnt be a barrier to
high-flying success.
Entry points
If you have specialist knowledge, use it. If you know about trains, then
write about trains. If youre a baker, get work experience with a cookery show. If youre interested in journalism, start by writing for the
trade magazine in your current sector. The media is very competitive
and it may be necessary to get involved in work experience to make
your initial contacts. Dont approach people empty handed always
have ideas to offer.
172
Qualifications
Most media workers tend to be university educated but few employers
specify the need for a degree or even A-levels. Its about what you can
offer and who you know to offer it to that counts.
Salary information
Junior employees are often poorly paid, especially on local papers and
in small production companies, as they are prepared to work for little
more than work experience. After a few years in the field, a salary of
about 25,000 is achievable and if you move into management
40,00075,000 is realistic. People in front of camera, columnists,
commissioning editors and senior personnel can earn several hundred
thousand pounds a year.
Further research
UK Press Gazette www.pressgazette.co.uk
Media Week www.mediaweek.co.uk
The Guardians media section (out on Mondays)
www.media.guardian.co.uk
Property, interiors and estate agency

Sector overview
The UK property boom has meant estate agents have earned huge
commissions and many people have moved into this area to cash in.
Others have realized theyve earned more with their property investment than they have in their job and have decided to concentrate on
full-time property speculation. Many people feel they have a talent for
interiors, regardless of background, and its one of the most popular
areas for setting up a business. While there is money to be made, there
are also fortunes and jobs to be lost if the market collapses. There is a
173
danger of amateurs believing they are experts because theyve done so

well with their own property in truth this is a ruthless field full of
backhanders and back scratching that can make deals and profits hard
to come by.
Career paths
Estate agency tends to be a short-lived profession typically agents
stay in the business for five years as the management structure in
many agencies (lots of negotiators, few valuers and managers) means
there is little room for promotion. Property developers fortunes are
linked to market performance and interior designers are often only as
good as their last job. To succeed you have to take risks and innovate.
Entry points
Estate agents are used to hiring older staff and many have their own
training programmes. Spending a year or two as an estate agent can
be good training for other careers in property as you get to make the
necessary contacts.
Qualifications
A degree impresses the bigger agencies but aptitude and commitment
impress more. If you want to speculate in the market, the only real
requirement is cash. And lots of it.
Salary information
London estate agents can expect a basic salary of between 15,000 and
22,000 with a top-end agency. Commission can take total take-home
pay over the 50,000 (rising to 70,000+) mark when the market performs well. Company cars are standard. Property speculators take their
profits as capital gains and if they are smart and lucky can hope to
make 2030 per cent a year.
174
Further research
Take a look at the websites of a few estate agencies to see what training programmes they offer.
Recruitment
Sector overview
This is an area more companies are taking seriously as they look to
build better teams to give them a competitive edge. Many senior HR
executives have no formal recruitment training but have been
appointed on their track record for displaying people skills, decision
making and understanding finance. Some business analysts believe
the head of HR is the single most important appointment in an organization getting the right person in position can change the fortunes
of companies. However, much of the work involves legal compliance
and administration. It is an area in which career changers do well for
two reasons: a) the lack of an industry standard qualification and b)
skills learned in other areas are readily transportable. Many professionals acquire personnel skills through the general course of hiring
and firing.
Career paths
Senior managers have been known to move sideways into HR manager roles on the basis of their ability to run departments and deliver
budgets. A more usual path is to start in a clerical position and combine promotion with additional training. Its possible to work in-house
and for third-party recruitment agencies.
175
Entry points
Most recruitment agencies offer in-house training for their employees
and welcome applications from career changers. If you are approaching a companys in-house HR department, accentuate your maturity,
people skills, negotiating skills, understanding of employment practice, etc to make a case for your candidacy.
Qualifications
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development offers hundreds of courses some only a day long that are recognized by most
employers and demonstrate your commitment to and talent for a
career in personnel.
Salary information
Personnel assistants at junior levels typically earn 15,00019,000,
but senior HR directors can easily earn six figures. If you work for an
outside agency you can expect some of your earnings to be commission-based.
Further research
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development www.cipd.co.uk
Retail
Sector overview
A lot was made in the media a few years ago about retailers such as
B&Q and Sainsburys recruiting older staff as customers preferred to
be served by them. However, despite the benefits of experience being
recognized, older staff are still not rewarded, salary-wise, in the retail
176
sector, with earnings remaining below average. Employees in this

sector are expected to be flexible about working late and it will be
impossible to avoid working weekends, something that needs to be
considered if you have family commitments. Although there are professional retail qualifications, your aptitude qualifies you best for a
career. HR departments admit that retail is not for everyone and tends
to suit outgoing people who enjoy dealing with the public. Career
changers often see a few years in retail as good research before opening their own shop.
Career paths
Careers in retail arent just on the shop floor, although mostly they
start there. Bright, competent people are often rewarded with promotion either to shop floor management or into buying or customer relations departments.
Entry points
There are sufficient positions constantly available so that a suitable
approach is through the HR department of a large chain or direct with
a manager of a local branch.
Qualifications
NVQs and Modern Apprenticeships can be obtained in the work place
if you work for a company that supports training. In addition there are
more than 40 retail degrees and a range of postgraduate courses on
offer at universities in the UK, although a smart appearance, generally
cleanliness and a smile will open most retail doors.
177
Salary information
Most shop floor workers rarely break the 20,000 barrier but their
managers and department heads can expect to earn 28,00035,000
outside of London and 30,00040,000 in top-class stores in the
capital.
Further research
British Institute of Retailing wwww.bir.co.uk
In Retail, online portal for the industry www.inretail.co.uk
Social sciences
Sector overview
If youre looking for meaning from your working life, social work provides it by the shed load. Whether youre working as a probation officer or a care assistant for the elderly, work in this sector is considered
to be as rewarding as it is difficult. That said, the drop-out rate is high
and its not for everyone. You can enter the social sector as either a
social care worker (untrained, low paid) or a qualified social worker
where salaries are on the increase. About 50 per cent of social work
involves working with children, but you can choose to work with
adults, people with disabilities, young offenders or in palliative care
for the terminally ill. Ninety per cent of jobs are with local authorities,
with the rest in the charitable sector.
Career paths
There are opportunities for social workers to get into management,
with the possibility to expand into specialist consultancy, training,
planning and strategic roles.
178
Entry points
Positions are advertised in the national and regional press. In addition,
you could approach your local councils HR department or investigate
opportunities through volunteer work.
Qualifications
No formal qualifications are needed for social care workers. Social
workers need to obtain a DipSW before seeking employment with a
local authority. This is a two-year course for which two A-levels are the
standard entry requirement; however, work experience can negate this
for career changers. Bursaries for study are available from local councils.
Salary information
Starting salaries for qualified social workers are in the region of
17,000, rising to 28,000 as you acquire experience and specialist
skills.
Further research
British Association of Social Workers www.basw.co.uk
Social Work Recruitment Campaign Site www.socialworkcareers.co.uk
Therapy
Sector overview
There are therapists for every condition known to man, but the areas
to which most career changers are attracted are at the new age end of
the spectrum, that is, careers which do not require lengthy and expensive retraining in areas without industry-wide standards. Thats not to
179
say they are charlatans, although that is often the perception. The
truth is that some disciplines are too new and experimental to have a
governing body. Most career changers looking for therapy work find it
as a result of their own encounter with the therapy be it crystals,
herbal or relationship counselling or at the fringes of their previous
profession offering advice and confidential counselling to former colleagues. Some therapy areas, such as life coaching and mentoring, are
experiencing an unprecedented boom.
Career paths
Therapists tend to be self-employed and careers are propelled forward
by client acquisition. The classier or bigger the client, the bigger the fee
and the greater the reputation.
Entry points
Likely entry points are probably already obvious to those considering
this line of work either they will have clients in mind or they will
have experience of a therapy organization that interests them.
Qualifications
Depends on the discipline, but generally there are few must-have qualifications in this sector. Most professional therapy qualifications can
be obtained through part-time study.
Salary information
Professional therapists mentors, career coaches, etc are known to
charge between 25 and 100 an hour (if you can find clients who can
put your fee on expenses you can charge more).
180
Further research
Before embarking on a career in therapy, you must thoroughly
research your market number of clients, number of competitors, etc
and extensive reading is required. www.uktherapists.com can give you
an idea of who offers what service in your area.
Training
Sector overview
This is a booming sector of the economy more and more companies
are recognizing the importance of training and the number of corporate training companies is increasing by the month. Its an area that
can prove very fruitful for career changers as trainers have to have
some work experience to be credible. Most corporate trainers are contract employees brought in only when agencies have secured work, so
there can be weeks without work followed by three weeks without an
hours rest. Many corporate training courses take place at weekends;
therefore you can expect to work unsociable hours. Clients are always
looking for trainers to give them the edge, so you will need to keep
your skills up to date.
Career paths
Most trainers are freelance and combine training while continuing to
work in some capacity in the field in which they train. Some write
books, training programmes and articles to supplement their
income/raise their profile.
Entry points
Generally training firms recruit people informally from their own
courses, although vacancies are often advertised.
181
Qualifications
To train effectively you need excellent communication skills and the
ability to stand at the front of the room and keep your clients attention for hours at a time. Presentation skills are vital and many trainers
tend to come from a sales background. Formal qualifications are rare.
Salary information
To some extent, trainers incomes depend on the financial health of
their clients (training is the first bit of the budget to be slashed in tight
economic conditions), but annual incomes outside London range
between 25,000 and 40,000 and are generally 1015 per cent higher
in the capital.
Further research
Study professional and trade magazines for articles on training and
the latest thinking as well as adverts from training companies that you
can then investigate.
Travel and leisure

Sector overview
The travel industry attracts a lot of career changers who have decided
they want a little more adventure in their work. Consolidation in the
sector has left four major operators Thomson, Thomas Cook, First
Choice and My Travel which has led to job losses. To compensate, the
independent travel sector and niche operators are expanding steadily.
Perhaps the biggest boom area in travel is the business travel market.
Candidates with business experience can do well in this sector and
career changers are widely welcomed in both customer-facing and
back-room roles. You might not get to travel as much as youd hoped,
but this is definitely a sector where you can accumulate air miles.
182
Career paths
You are likely to find yourself working for either a tour operator (the
people who put together packages), a travel agent (the people who sell
the packages), whats known as a principal (an airline, hotel, car hire
company, etc) or in some distribution or reservation role. Alternatively,
many career changers in travel have ambitions to start their own niche
company.
Entry points
This is an industry with high staff turnover (because so many staff are
young and much of the work is seasonal) so opportunities are always
advertised. If there is a company you are particularly interested in, you
are advised to contact its HR department directly. Many of the bigger
companies, such as BA, have established and highly regarded management trainee programmes for graduates.
Qualifications
Experience of life as well as of business is often more important,
especially in customer-facing roles. However, if you want a management role you will look more plausible with one of the many qualifications in this sector. There are NVQs, IATA fares and ticketing courses
and hospitality degrees, as well as specialist certificates like the Certificate in Business Travel from the Guild of British Travel Agents. You
can expect to have your application viewed on merit, and candidates
with business experience are often allowed to forego formal training.
Fluency in another language is, obviously, a big plus. ABTA can advise
on NVQs, courses for travel agency work and tour operations. Phone
01483 727321 for more information.
183
Salary information
Graduate trainees can expect salaries in the region of 17,500,
although there are perks such as cheap or free travel. If you work
abroad you can expect a lower salary as accommodation, a car and
sometimes food are included. Senior managers can see their salaries
reach the six-figure mark.
Further research
British Tourist Authority careers site www.bta-careers.org
Institute of Travel and Tourism www.itt.co.uk
Travel Weekly magazine www.travelweekly.co.uk
Writing, art and the performing arts

Sector overview
If youre looking for stability and a guaranteed income, look somewhere else. While outwardly attractive and glamorous, careers in these
professions are enormously competitive and feature long periods
without earning for many people. For every JK Rowling, Damien Hirst
and Kate Winslet there are thousands and thousands of hopefuls
barely scraping a living. That said, there is a whole swathe of midranking workers in this sector who earn a modest living doing something they love. Age is rarely a barrier to success indeed experience
somewhere else often brings credibility but shyness is.
Career paths
Linear progression is not common. You work on a deal-by-deal basis
and there is no guarantee that your next deal will be bigger than your
last. The illusion that they are one big deal away from nirvana keeps a
lot of people going.
184
Entry points
Most professionals in this sector benefit from having an agent who
can create entry points for them. If thats not an option, you need to
start small creative writing groups, drama clubs, etc and build contacts and credibility. Actors may get lucky at open auditions.
Qualifications
Talent is more important than anything you can learn. Being reasonable and reliable can also help in an industry of prima donnas.
Salary information
Anything from singing for your supper to earning 15 million for your
next movie.
Further research
Writers and Artists Yearbook, published annually, lists agents, publishers, production companies, etc.

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About the author

background to career changes 3

part 2 seven steps to changing your career

step 1 working out what you want work to do

part 3 quick ways to change your career

the easiest ways to change career

part 4 sector-by-sector information for

agriculture and environmental work 153

The career has changed

background to career changes

background to career changes

Good time to move

background to career changes

Career changer profile

Why people look for

While these background factors encourage some, they also make

Money, money, money

why people look for another career

and why they

Its just your imagination

The seven steps

and why they dont

Step 1 working out

seven steps to changing your career

opportunity for growth

Career motivation survey

step 1 working out what you want work to do for you

spread them fairly evenly across the statements depending on how

Wherever I work I always have a prestigious

Id like a relationship outside work with my

seven steps to changing your career

I want to create things that people will associate

I want my work to carry my name

Id like to be seen as a specialist in my field

step 1 working out what you want work to do for you

I want to be able to buy anything I want

I would find great comfort in knowing how well off

Having a status job would give me satisfaction

seven steps to changing your career

I want to be one of those people with valuable

I want to be creative at work

It would please me if I didnt have to answer to

step 1 working out what you want work to do for you

vii High standards of living attract me

Then turn over to find out what motivates you.

seven steps to changing your career

If you scored highly in this category you are motivated by the

How to use the information

step 1 working out what you want work to do for you

write a lonelyheart ad looking for work starts with working out

seven steps to changing your career

step 1 working out what you want work to do for you

seven steps to changing your career

Career changer profile

step 1 working out what you want work to do for you

seven steps to changing your career

There is a concept every sales rep understands implicitly: you have to

seven steps to changing your career

What kind of worker are you?

Discovering the true you

step 2 getting to know yourself