Could a career for life be on the way out? School-leavers have long since considered further and higher education courses in the context of their career, but we all know people who have pivoted from one profession to related – or even very different – areas. So, how feasible is it to change career?
“There are many people in the workplace today who made choices before the economic boom and before social media,” says Sinéad Brady, a career psychologist and author of Total Reset: Quit Living to Work and Start Working to Live.
“The range of jobs that were open at that point was so much narrower. There are so many options today – indeed, there has been an explosion of new roles, and many of them involve transferable skills that enable people to move job or career.”
Dr Colin Hughes, head of the Graduate Business School at TU Dublin, agrees. Changing from a familiar profession or role to something completely new is a big move, he says, but don’t that put you off.
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“People usually have transferable skills that serve them well in a multitude of environments – they just don’t realise it,” says Hughes. “We usually refer to these as transversal skills, and employers have started to place more emphasis on these skills in recent years. Education definitely helps people to transition.
“It not only strengthens their CV so that they are eligible for roles, it also develops their confidence. For instance, on many of our part-time programmes people will learn from fellow learners that things are not always very different in other industry sectors and that their skill set is transferable. We see lots of our graduates change sector or profession after they graduate.”
Geraldine Carroll, associate vice-president for graduate and professional studies at the University of Limerick, and a member of the Irish University Association’s micro-credentials steering committee, says there is much to consider when it comes to switching careers.
“People have established families and lifestyles, and changing career may require an initial income reduction,” she says. “We are seeing many people make diagonal moves into related or semi-related careers. People understand that longevity is essential, and that they don’t want to go to an area where their skills become obsolete.”
So, what should guide someone looking at a career change?
“You have picked your chosen career for a reason, so ask yourself: what aspects of this job do I like?” advises Carroll. “That may be, for instance, working with people, so keep that in mind when moving. Also, ask yourself what you are passionate about and what motivates you.”
Hughes suggests that people looking at change think about the nature of any role, the knowledge and skills required and the likely working arrangements.
“Some people who are early in their career will sometimes decide to reskill and also take a slight step back in terms of seniority or salary in order to move into a new career area,” he says. “They take a longer-term view. With a strong economy, there are lots of great opportunities for Irish employees, both in Ireland and internationally, on a remote basis.
“It can be very helpful to chat with people working in areas that might seem attractive, to get a better picture of what roles entail. It can also be useful to chat with those in your network, or career coaches, to help clarify what it is that you are looking for in a new career.”
Many people scale the ladder and progress in their career but become disconnected from their role and what originally drew them to it, says Brady. Is there a way out?
One way out is by joining a company such as Kirby Group Engineering, that seeks to hire from outside of its industry.
“We actively recruit people looking to change sectors and would support them in their journey to achieving the qualifications they need, alongside mentoring, training and coaching,” says group HR director Fergus Barry. “At our core are talented, resilient people who are focused on achieving results, have attention to detail, serve and build relationships of value with our valued customers, and work positively and collaboratively in a team environment.”
Employees can apply for scholarships through Kirby if they are seeking to enhance their qualifications, Barry adds. “We have paid for people to undertake barrister training, engineering degrees, management training – and the list goes on.”
Hughes advises that people considering a change in career need an “exit strategy”. “This involves establishing connections through, for instance, industry events, networking and meeting people,” he says. “It doesn’t happen overnight.”
He points out that there has been significant investment in part-time education in recent years, through Skillnet, Springboard, the Human Capital Initiative and a range of other programmes.
“This support has enabled a lot of people to upskill or reskill in a very cost-effective manner,” he says. “For instance, we run a very successful postgraduate programme in sustainability leadership, and people often leave that programme with the skill set, toolkit and confidence to take on a role within sustainability, which for obvious reasons is a growth area.
“Conversion programmes have become more popular in recent years and are a really great way for people to transition from their undergraduate specialism to another, new area.”
Micro-credentials – short, accredited courses that allow participants to learn in bursts while still having time for personal, professional and family commitments – are a popular option, says Carroll.
“They are for people who want to gain a competency right now, whereas a participant on a master’s programme is more career-oriented,” she adds.
Micro-credentials are credit-bearing, allowing learners to bank these credits and potentially acquire a full degree over time.
TU Dublin is seeing increasing demand for part-time courses across a number of areas including sustainability, digital leadership and transformation, product management, project management, marketing and more, according to Hughes.
Of course, when it comes to changing career, some people know they want a change but aren’t clear about what exactly they want to do.
“Get help from a career professional,” Brady advises. “Seek support to engage in self-reflection and understand how what you have done so far may influence your next step. Beware of psychometric tests that tell you what job you should do. Don’t make a change on a whim and remember that there may be employee assistance programmes in your organisation.”