A daunting career change - but it worked!

by Sharon
(UK)

I made a career change in late 2007. I worked in museums as a result of my degree, and although I liked the work it was very poorly paid, there was no prospect for promotion, and the work was insecure; every time my contract was renewed, it got shorter until I was only offered my job on a month by month basis depending on whether they could pay me for the month ahead.

It was very unsettling to work in these circumstances and it took most of the pleasure out of my job. Other museum work was hard to get and similarly insecure and poorly paid, so I thought I would look for something else instead.

A career in higher education seemed the obvious answer to using my skills, given I had loads of experience as a student and doing part-time work for my university in admin and library roles. I started hunting for higher education jobs online on specialist websites, and fortunately it wasn't long before I started getting interviews.

The job I was eventually offered meant relocating, but paid 40% more than my museum job and was permanent! I am much more settled in my new job, and I have been given all sorts of opportunities I would never otherwise have had.

Making a career change was worth the effort of moving.

I would suggest that anyone thinking of changing career should first start thinking about other roles where they could use some or all of their current skills and knowledge - it will help you to apply and be less intimidating than trying to work in a completely new area.

Adapt your new CV to reflect this new approach, as you may need to flag up different things to the CV you used when applying for your current career. Good luck!