It doesn’t matter what you’re doing right now. It is possible to move your career in a completely different direction. If you know your life is meant to be spent looking after children, then you should follow your heart. The trouble with switching careers is that you need to keep the money coming in, and it can be hard if you lead a busy life. So how on earth can you make big moves without ending up in financial trouble? The key to a successful, new career is making the right decisions the first time. This involves taking stock and making certain you’re ready and willing to put in what it takes:
STOP… And Take Your Time
Any decisions you make need to be right for you and your family. Any actions you take need to carefully considered, especially if you’re relying on your current income. Make a list of the jobs that are interesting you right now. It doesn’t matter if you don’t think they’re related to what you’re doing. Transferable skills are always there – we’ll talk about those in a moment. The key areas of work you might be considering are education (teaching), early years work, pediatric nursing and health care, or play and activity coordination. There is no doubt that working with children will make an enormous and positive difference to those children’s lives.
Know What You Need
Each of those work areas requires different qualifications. However, one thing they all have in common is a need for patience and organization. List the parts of your current work where those skills are needed – chances are it’s quite a long list! Now you need to figure out what formal qualifications you should have. If you’re interested in educating children, consider which age group you would be most suited to. Early years education, in particular, has changed a lot. This means a career in this field could be highly rewarding, and your skills and qualifications may be in high demand.
Finding The Money
Investing in your career should always be a priority. Training and education can be quite costly, but online qualifications might offer you a better approach. Some of the costs of a degree earned this way are removed. You might find that you’re better able to manage to fit this kind of course around your lifestyle. As it won’t interfere with your regular working day, you can keep earning with your current job. Have you considered asking your current employer for sponsorship or an interest-free loan to help pay for your education? Many big firms have bursaries and funds for their employees, even if it’s not related to the work you do for them.
Completing The Course
No matter how busy your life is, you can add thirty minutes or an hour a day to pursue your continued studies. Public transport commutes are ideal for this. So are lunch breaks. What about getting up thirty minutes early and tackling a little reading before breakfast? Ditch your favorite show and use that time slot for completing assignments. It is possible. All it takes is a solid commitment! And this applies to any career change. Good luck.
Photo Credits: Pixabay, Pexels
