Workplace Wellbeing: Tips for springing into a new career

Whatever the circumstances, confronting the need to switch careers can be challenging, but it is achievable and can be hugely rewarding and beneficial.

Shelley Coleman is excited about her career plan. Pictures: Julien Behal

Shelly Coleman always dreamed of working in TV and film. But having a daughter at 21 meant there were bills to be paid and the now 43-year-old from Tallaght decided that working in administration and human
resources offered more security.

Coleman went on to have a son, but her interest in the creative industries persisted. During the pandemic, she found herself wondering if it wasn’t too late for a career change.

“Covid made me realise life was short,” she says. “My kids were growing up and didn’t need me as much anymore. It was time for me to give it a go.”

She jokes that “Instagram must have heard my thoughts because an ad for a screenwriting course popped up the following day”. She enrolled and has since taken other courses, the most recent of which was an online diploma in screen production skills from the Technological
University of the Shannon.

“I was able to do that course alongside my full-time job,” she says. “And since completing it, I’ve gained work experience on several productions and even secured paid work as a production assistant. I still have the day job, but I’m building experience and connections in an industry I love.”

Like Coleman, Megan Killeen has deviated from her original career path. The 32-year-old Dubliner trained as a photographer but says working in that field taught her she “wasn’t cut out for the pressure”.

Megan Killeen has deviated from her original career path.

Unsure of what to do instead, she went travelling and spent time teaching English in Vietnam.

“When I returned home in 2024, I knew I wasn’t going back to photography,” says Killeen. “I also knew that while I’d enjoyed teaching, I didn’t want to do it full-time. After some reflection, I thought academic management might be a good fit for me.”

She signed up for a graduate diploma programme at University College Dublin’s Innovation Academy. Killeen says, “It helped me identify the type of career I’d like to have and
bolstered my confidence to put myself forward for new opportunities. I’m now an assistant director of studies for young learners at an
English language school.”

While many commit to a career in their 20s and follow it until they reach retirement, others have career paths that twist, turn, and even swerve off course entirely. Such change can result from choice or redundancy. Whatever the circumstances, confronting the need to switch careers can be challenging, says organisational psychologist and career transition consultant Vera Costello.

Vera Costello: Career change can happen more easily if you have a strategy.

“Later in life, people have responsibilities like mortgages to pay,” she says. “If they’ve been made redundant, their confidence is likely to have been knocked. The idea of moving from one career path to another can seem overwhelming, particularly when you factor in everything else people are dealing with in middle age.”

Springboard+ is a government initiative that offers free and heavily subsidised training courses. It conducted a survey of 1,000 adults in Ireland in April to identify the barriers people face when considering upskilling or changing career later in life.

Almost half said they couldn’t afford to learn new skills. Some 40% cited a lack of time, and 32% feared they would struggle with the stress of learning. Yet 93% believed that new skills could open doors to new opportunities.

What would help people overcome the barriers to embracing these opportunities? Sinéad Brady, a career and counselling psychologist and the author of Total Reset: Quit Living to Work and Start Working to Live, believes it would be beneficial to start by accepting that career change is normal.

Sinéad Brady: Career change should not be equated with starting over.

“When you stop to think about it, it’s inevitable that for many, the career they choose in their teens is going to differ from what they want in their 30s, 40s and 50s,” she says.

Brady also urges people not to equate career change with starting over. “That’s not what you’re doing,” she says. “You’ve gained skills and experiences. Now you’re learning how to apply those skills and experience in a new way.”

When she advises clients, she tells them about ‘the 3Ts’.

The first is your job title, which she says “belongs to the organisation you have left or are considering leaving. Your title shouldn’t be your focus when looking for new jobs”.

What you should focus on instead are the two other Ts — your technical and transferable skills. “Technical skills are the particular skills required for a role, and unless you’re planning to become a surgeon or something that requires a full retrain, it’s usually possible to gain technical skills pretty quickly,” says Brady.

“Transferable skills are your most valuable asset. They include skills like strategic thinking or communication and you bring them with you to any new organisation or role.”

Any career change should begin with identifying transferable skills, says Brady. The next step is clarifying the new direction you’d like your career to take.

“There’s more to consider than examining industries and roles. You need to understand what you want from your career at every level. What are your financial needs? Are you limited by geographical location or would you work remotely or travel for work? Are there aspects of your current or previous jobs that you do or don’t want in future ones? And what about changes like AI? There’s no point moving into an industry that is going to be upended by technological developments.

“It’s not as simple as handing in your P45. Plan your move carefully so you don’t end up regretting your decision at a later stage.”

Costello recommends resources to guide people through this process. “Books like Working Identity by Herminia Ibarra, What Colour is Your Parachute? by Richard N Bolles and Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans offer strategies and self-assessment exercises that help people figure out what they want,” she says. “The viacharacter.org website is good for recognising strengths, and the O*NET online website is useful for matching up interests and competencies with possible career paths.”

Once you have decided where you would like your career to go, Costello recommends networking as a way of helping you get there. She says that “studies estimate that 55% of jobs aren’t advertised but filled through networking, employee referrals and recruitment agencies. It’s a lot about who you know, so tell people what you have to offer in terms of skills, expertise and life experience.”

A career change can also happen more easily if you have a strategy. Costello compares it to eating an elephant. “What seems impossible becomes possible by breaking it into bite-sized steps. Figure out what you want and then work backwards, identifying the steps you need to take and the people and resources who can help you take them.”

Brady’s final tip is to remember that career change is usually a slow process. “So be realistic about it. You may need to spend time and money getting new qualifications. You might have to step sideways or backwards to grow or progress in a new direction.

“Or perhaps you’ll require the services of a coach or career advisor. Give yourself time to think about what you want from your career and formulate a plan. That plan will keep you on track to your chosen destination.”

Coleman is excited about her career plan. “I may have been late starting out on this path, but I’m going for it,” she says. “I’ve already helped writers with applications for funding, and if their films go ahead, I’ll be their producer. I’d encourage anyone who’s dissatisfied with their careers to check out their options.

“There are so many training courses now, many of which are subsidised and delivered online. They can fit around other commitments and can change people’s lives and careers entirely.”

Give yourself time to think about what you want from your career and formulate a plan. That plan will keep you on track

•  Springboard+ courses support adults seeking to upskill or change career direction through flexible, part-time online training options that are heavily subsidised. More than 7,200 course places across 244 programmes are delivered nationwide. See: springboardcourses.ie for details