Feeling stuck, bored or burned out at work is common, and wanting something different is nothing to be ashamed of. People change careers at every age, from their twenties to their sixties, and many find more meaning and higher pay on the other side. The key is to plan the move rather than leap blindly. This step-by-step guide shows you how.

Signs It Might Be Time for a Change

  • You dread Mondays for months, not just occasionally.
  • Your work no longer matches your values or interests.
  • Your industry is shrinking or being heavily automated.
  • You've hit a ceiling with no growth opportunities.
  • You're drawn to a field you keep reading about in your free time.

Before you change careers, check whether the problem is your career, your employer or your manager. Sometimes a new company in the same field solves the issue.

Step 1: Understand What You Want

Reflect on these questions and write your answers down:

  • Which tasks energise you, and which drain you?
  • What are you naturally good at?
  • What values matter most: income, flexibility, creativity, stability, helping others?
  • What working environment suits you: remote, office, outdoors, team-based, independent?
  • What income do you need, and how long could you manage on less during a transition?

Personality and career assessments can offer ideas, but your own experience is the best guide.

Step 2: Research Possible Careers

Create a shortlist of three to five options. For each, research:

  • typical tasks and a "day in the life",
  • required skills and qualifications,
  • salary ranges and job demand in your area or remotely,
  • growth prospects over the next decade.

Browse job boards, read industry blogs and watch "day in the life" videos. Our list of high-income skills may spark ideas.

Step 3: Talk to People in the Field

Informational interviews are short, informal conversations with people doing the job you're considering. Reach out on LinkedIn:

Hi Tolu, I'm a nurse exploring a move into health data analysis. I'd love to hear about your experience. Would you be open to a 15-minute call?

Ask what they enjoy, what's challenging, how they got in and what they'd recommend. Most people are happy to help, and these conversations often lead to referrals.

Step 4: Identify Your Transferable Skills

You're not starting from zero. Transferable skills carry across industries:

  • communication and presentation,
  • project management and organisation,
  • customer service and relationship building,
  • problem-solving and analysis,
  • leadership and training,
  • budgeting and numeracy,
  • technology and software skills.

For example, a teacher moving into corporate training already knows how to plan sessions, explain complex ideas and manage groups.

Step 5: Fill the Skill Gaps

List the skills your target role needs that you don't have yet. Then choose the fastest, most affordable way to gain them:

  • free online courses and tutorials,
  • professional certifications,
  • part-time or evening classes,
  • bootcamps for intensive training,
  • apprenticeships or trainee schemes.

Avoid expensive degrees unless the field genuinely requires one.

Step 6: Get Practical Experience

Employers want proof. Build experience before you apply:

  • volunteer your new skills for a charity,
  • take small freelance projects,
  • create personal projects and a portfolio,
  • take on related tasks in your current job,
  • shadow someone or take a short internship.

Step 7: Rebrand Yourself

Update your CV, LinkedIn profile and elevator pitch to focus on your new direction:

  • write a summary that explains your move and highlights transferable skills,
  • put relevant projects and training near the top,
  • reframe past achievements in terms your new field values.

Our guides on writing a CV and LinkedIn profile tips will help.

Step 8: Plan Your Finances

A career change may mean a temporary pay cut or training costs. Prepare by:

  • building an emergency fund of three to six months' expenses,
  • cutting unnecessary spending,
  • keeping your current job while you retrain, if possible,
  • considering a phased move, such as going part-time.

Step 9: Apply Strategically

  • Target entry or mid-level roles that value your transferable skills.
  • Use your network for referrals.
  • Explain your career change positively in cover letters and interviews: focus on what attracts you to the new field, not what you're escaping.
  • Be patient. Career changes often take six months to two years.

How to Explain Why You Want to Change Careers

Interviewers will ask. A strong answer includes what drew you to the new field, the steps you've taken to prepare and how your background makes you valuable.

After eight years in retail management, I realised the part of my job I loved most was analysing sales data to make decisions. I completed a data analytics certificate, built three projects using real retail data and now want to do this full-time. My retail background means I understand the business questions behind the numbers.

Common Career Change Mistakes

  • Quitting before having a plan or savings.
  • Choosing a field based only on salary.
  • Overlooking transferable skills.
  • Spending heavily on training before testing the field.
  • Expecting to start at your current seniority immediately.

Final Thoughts

It's never too late to change careers. Clarify what you want, research options, talk to people in the field, build skills and experience step by step, and manage your finances carefully. A planned transition reduces risk and dramatically increases your chances of success. Find more guidance in our careers section.