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Planning a new direction

You are never too old to retrain for a new career, provided you plan carefully, says Alison Jenkins

Changing career direction is a tempting option for many nurses whose skills are in huge demand right across the health jobs market. Although nurses may retrain for a different career, others may want to expand their personal portfolio by exploring new areas of nursing. Others may be looking to rebalance their work and family lives.

As life changes, so too do our professional and personal needs. I love clinical nursing but with a young family, I find I cannot easily combine my life and career. Rather than stop work completely, I made a conscious decision to retrain in two new careers, allowing me to work from home during school hours.

Both writing and career counselling rely heavily on my nursing skills, yet allow me to develop new ones and tailor my work around my family. Once you have decided what direction your career will take, consider how you can make your aims a reality.

• Find out what additional training or areas of knowledge would be useful for your career change. An enthusiasm to learn shows prospective employers that you are serious about changing direction. When I decided to switch from being a midwife to a practice nurse, I studied a training pack on health promotion so that I understood the principles of the job.
• Circulate your CV to prospective employers without waiting for jobs to be advertised. Usually, employers are delighted to be approached as it shows that the putative employee is keen and eager to learn.
• Show prospective employers your flexibility, perseverance, and autonomy. You may not have all the skills that are required for your new career, but personal and life qualities are advantageous to any future employer. A willingness to learn is fundamental to any career change.
  "It takes courage to retrain for a new career.”
  Whether your plans are in your head or in writing, it is essential to know how to achieve your ultimate goal. Make sure you are familiar with each step that needs to be taken:
• Talk to people who have already made the career choice and find out what helped and hindered them.
• Take advice from experienced colleagues who have no alternative agenda. Bounce ideas around with friends and colleagues, as others will often shed a different point of view that you had not considered.

Ultimately, use your intuition to finalise your plans. Set realistic targets for completing each step and never be afraid to revise your steps or timeframe.

It takes courage to retrain for a new career, whether in or out of nursing. Ultimately, people who plan carefully find the job satisfaction they are looking for. Do not remain stuck in a rut simply because you are too frightened to face a move. I can honestly say that I have not made a career change that I have ever regretted.

Alison Jenkins is a freelance nursing writer.