A career change may be a daunting idea, but many who have taken the leap say it can also be a way to find more fulfilment and better work life balance. So, is it ever too late to change careers?
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00:00Well, it's really interesting because we don't expect it.
00:04The anecdotal evidence has always said that there's 17 jobs and five different careers.
00:09But since 2023, we've seen about a 1.3% drop in people transitioning to new jobs.
00:15Now mostly it's still young candidates that are making the move, but it's older candidates
00:20that are staying put.
00:22And there's a variety of reasons for that.
00:24Job security being one of the most important ones, if COVID taught us anything, is that
00:30no job is 100% secure.
00:32So that's a reason to stay where you are for older candidates.
00:36And if we really look at that, ageism is a difficult thing.
00:40When you're going into an interview with a management team that is 10 to 15 years younger
00:45than you, that's a difficult dynamic to manage really well.
00:50One of the other things is that having a side hustle now is quite an accepted thing
00:54to do.
00:55Whereas back in the day, having a side hustle was like competition to your core employer.
01:00So you can stay in your current role and still have that side hustle.
01:04So what are some of the factors coming into play, prompting some people to make the move?
01:10Look, I think it's really important that these days people are looking at their core motivations.
01:18What is my motivation?
01:19What do I enjoy about work?
01:20What do I want to get out of it for the next 10 to 20 years?
01:24And they're going, we want to look at something that really means something to us.
01:27So that's one of the real motivations for changing roles.
01:31But I would say that you need to do a lot of research, a lot of research as to what
01:36the actual job is on a day-to-day basis.
01:38So talk to somebody who's doing that role and really understand what the role is made
01:45of on a day-to-day basis.
01:47But also do that retraining, retraining before you make the career change so that you're
01:53ahead of the game, because there's a lot of competition out there.
01:56So I think it's really important to understand those things about yourself and the realities
01:59of any new industry and any new career.
02:02Yeah.
02:03And so what should people take into account when choosing the different career, including,
02:07as you say, being really realistic and practical about what the realities are going to be?
02:12Well, look, money's got to be one of them.
02:15We're starting usually at the bottom in a new industry, sometimes a little bit higher
02:19up.
02:20So the financial plan has to be incredibly important.
02:24We all get used to, in our current roles, some of the flexibility that we have.
02:28So you might lose some of that flexibility.
02:31One of the really interesting things is that you might lose a little bit of your career
02:36identity as you're transitioning.
02:38We're all sort of embedded in the identity of our careers.
02:41So it's really important to understand that that may take a step back and you have to
02:45redefine who you are in that particular arena.
02:49And are there some good options around now with free education, for example, with TAFE?
02:55There are.
02:56There's a whole new Commonwealth and state government relationship where they're promoting
03:02free TAFE.
03:03Now, like anything in life, as you know, Joe, that nothing is free.
03:07So whilst this is a great benefit to going into different roles, there are diplomas,
03:12there are cert ones to fours, there are all sorts of things available.
03:16You've got to look at the fine print and go, what are the actual day-to-day costs of taking
03:20on this training program?
03:22So do your research.
03:25And what are you?
03:26You're an interview coach.
03:27So what are your tips in terms of the CV?
03:30Are CVs still a thing?
03:32I'm kind of still back in the 80s.
03:33Are CVs still a thing?
03:34And or are they PowerPoint presentations now?
03:39And what are your tips in the interview setup?
03:43Well, it depends what industry you're in.
03:44So CVs are still a thing, but sometimes you're applying through an app.
03:49Sometimes you're applying through a video or, as you say, a PowerPoint.
03:53PowerPoint's a little bit old school now, I'd say.
03:56But it's like anything, you've got to put in facts and evidence around what you can
04:00achieve for that employer.
04:01So I always say, switch seats, put yourself in the seat of the employer or the interview
04:07team and say, OK, what do they need from me?
04:09What do they want to see?
04:10And I'm going to give them evidence around those, because most people put sort of general,
04:15you know, comments and general statements in their resumes and they don't really mean
04:19anything to somebody that doesn't know you.
04:22Yeah. And what about in the interview situation?
04:27Well, preparation's key.
04:29All right. We don't go into an interview and fly by the seat of our pants, just like
04:33we don't go into a to a job and fly by the seat of our pants.
04:36So make sure that you understand what type of interview you're facing, because it could
04:40be a remote interview such as this.
04:42It could be an in-person panel interview.
04:46It could be a group interview.
04:47So know what to expect and prepare, prepare, prepare with evidence.
04:53I always say, if you don't know what you have to offer, how is anybody else going to know?
04:58And don't go in too gregarious.
05:01Well, it's not right. There's nothing wrong with having a personality.
05:04In fact, that's a really good point.
05:06Authenticity is one of the key things that employers are seeking.
05:10So I actually do want them, all candidates, to go in with a sense of who they are and
05:15with that authenticity.
05:16They don't have to do a song and a dance, but they have to be true to who they are,
05:20because the interview team is sitting there thinking, I've got to work with this person
05:24on a day to day basis.
05:25Do I get a sense of who they are?
05:28And Kirsty, have you stuck with your career for your entire working life or have you swapped
05:33around a bit?
05:34No, I have not.
05:36I've been in government.
05:39I've been in advertising and media.
05:41I've been in aviation.
05:43I've been in publishing.
05:45I've been in loads and loads of different things.
05:46But the last 22 years, I've run this business, which is an interview coaching and
05:52preparation business.
05:53And what do you say about that experience of moving around so frequently as you did
05:58early on and then settling into something that you really loved?
06:02Well, I think it helps you discover who you are and how you work.
06:05That how word is incredibly important.
06:07How you work is what people are going to hire.
06:09So if you if you go through all these different roles, you're going to take skills,
06:13you're going to take experiences with you that are going to benefit other industries.
06:18So when you're under under 40, I think you should change jobs as often as you can to get
06:23that level of experience in that variety because you're bringing all of that into your
06:28final career life or the final third of your career life.
06:31And it's those life skills, those real human skills that are invaluable.