Oh my goodness! You have been working in your current job for sometime and you have just realised that you have made the wrong career decision and you are unhappy! Do you have to stick it out and spend a lifetime in an industry you dislike; are you tied to the desk of a profession that does not stimulate you? Or can you gently get the skills or utilise the ones already acquired to get into an industry you would really like to follow? All is not lost, read on and I will offer some advice about moving positively in a different career direction.

Is it too late?
The simple answer to this question is ‘no.’ It is never too late to make a career change in your life, it might be more difficult for some than others, but it is possible to move into a different field of work. Age should never come into the equation, but in reality it does. As soon as you realise you have made the wrong move then start pursuing avenues to move into the direction you want to go in. The older and more established you are in an industry the more difficult it will become to make change, but remember that where there is a will, there is most definitely a way!

Tuning your existing skills to another profession
If you are passionate about moving in another direction then look at the skills you have acquired within your current position and see how they can help you to move into a new career.

David Hubbard was a Physical Education teacher at a well-known international school in Singapore. He had been in the same profession for eight years and started to feel he was ready for a change. He decided that he no longer wanted to teach children and would like to take up the challenge of working with adults. However he still wanted to have a physical job that was heavily sport orientated. He was very good at motivating people and excelled at team sports. He approached a company in Singapore that took employees from corporate companies on team building holidays, to develop team spirit and positive interaction between colleagues. Although he had never taught adults before, he knew the experience and the qualifications acquired as a teacher would be beneficial to the company. After a three-day intensive physical interview, David was offered the job at three times his former salary and with benefits he could only have dreamt of!

Convincing your Potential Employee
David’s job was related but for others, convincing the potential employee can be far more difficult, though not impossible. Stuart Wee worked in the marketing department of a regional television company in Singapore. Again, he enjoyed his job, but after ten years he wanted to take a completely different direction. He had always enjoyed teaching new staff and decided that he would like to go into lecturing or teaching or some kind. He made enquiries at the local education establishments and was rejected automatically as he did not have any experience whatsoever. He kept pushing but the rejections kept returning. He decided to be proactive about the situation and under his own expense and in his own time set up seminars at the television station for new and regular employees to help them to develop their skills in marketing and other fields he had extensive experience in. After eight months of lecturing the seminars were flourishing, the feedback was positive and he had a fine reputation. He asked one of his students who happened to be one of the Television Directors if he would act as his referee when applying for a lecturing position. Though reluctant to let such an invaluable member of the workforce go, he agreed anyway and wrote Stuart a glowing report. Stuart called the educational establishments up again and this time with his skills in marketing and his experience as an in-house lecturer they agreed to interview him. Three years later Stuart still works as a lecturer in marketing and business and is very happy.

Sometimes you don’t have to go to such lengths to convince your potential employee, but instead can focus on what you have already achieved. Rachel Lee worked as a train station attendant straight out of school. She was an intelligent girl but did not have any qualifications so better paying and advanced positions were never offered to her. Rachel excelled at art; she was extremely gifted and in her spare time would draw anything and everything she could. A position came up within the transport authority as a designer, to design public transport signs. Rachel knew she could do the job and decided to submit her work. Almost immediately she was called in for an interview and as she had already proved to be a committed employee was given a three-month probation to prove herself. Rachel is now the head of design for the transport authority and her work is plastered all over the country.

These are just a handful of stories that illustrate that you can change direction if you have the determination to do so. Never lose your dreams to find a fulfilling career and go for your goals; you will get there eventually.

Remember: No is not an option, it’s just an obstacle! Good Luck!