Movin’ on out?
A third of jobseekers are rethinking their career. But jumping ship isn’t a decision to be made lightly, writes Esther Taunton.
Kay Aish has always followed her passions. Now in the final semester of a New Zealand Diploma in Architectural Technology at UCOL, Aish is taking on a part-time junior architectural technician role while she finishes her studies.
It’s the next step on a career path that has seen the mother-of-three teach at, and manage, early childhood centres for 14 years before running her own beauty therapy business.
‘‘When I was younger I loved working with kids, so I worked as a nanny and then went into early childhood education,’’ she said.
‘‘When I started having my own children, I wanted to do something different and came across a beauty therapy course.’’
Beauty therapy appealed as a work-from-home option, but as the children grew and Aish completed a home renovation with her husband, another career move took shape.
‘‘I had always loved playing with house plans. Our three kids were getting bigger, so we wanted to push some walls out to make larger rooms for them.
‘‘I spent a year drawing up house plans and figuring out the best way to do it. I loved the whole process,’’ she said.
When her husband jokingly suggested she start ‘‘spending other people’s money doing this stuff instead of ours’’, Aish began to seriously consider architecture.
‘‘It seems like a big change from where I started, but it has all happened naturally. Each change in my career has worked for the different times in my life.’’
Like Aish, a growing number of Kiwis are currently considering a career change – either by choice or Covid-related necessity.
Independent research conducted for Seek found one in three jobseekers are rethinking their career in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
But while the thought of a fresh start in a new industry can be exciting, experts warn there are some important things to think about before taking the leap.
What’s driving the change?
Although there are plenty of valid reasons to try something new – if you’re struggling with the work itself or lack the necessary skills – there are others that shouldn’t necessarily drive a career change.
If you don’t like your manager or co-workers, or have problems with the location or hours, could those issues be resolved in a new role or are they likely to be industry-wide?
Heather Lowery-Kappes, president of the Career Development Association of New Zealand, said it was important to consider whether you really need a change or if the move was a knee-jerk reaction.
‘‘Could a small refocus of direction or skill use mean new avenues open up for you?’’
How will it really impact you?
It’s easy to romanticise another role while you’re slogging it out in one you don’t like. But are you really – physically and mentally – up to a career change?
Richard Rowley, innovation adviser at Tech Futures Lab, said some changes can be too confrontational and it’s ‘‘not nearly as simple as saying, ‘Oh well, I’ll go be a farmer.’’’
‘‘Can a flight attendant in their 40s picture him or herself in a muddy paddock at 5 o’clock in the morning, in the rain? They – and others like them in the tourist sector – would know they’re starting at the bottom, and many will find it difficult to match their current skills to some of the new careers proposed.’’
Rowley advised people who think they may be forced into a career change to prioritise attitude and willingness to learn over experience or hard skills.
How will it impact others?
Learning the ropes in a new role can be demanding. It can also mean less time with friends and family.
On the flip side, moving to a job with less responsibility can also mean reduced stress and more time with loved ones.
Lowery-Kappes suggests looking at current commitments and lifestyle, and weighing up how they could be impacted.
‘‘What do you need to maintain them or are you willing to change?’’
How will you support yourself
– and your family – during the transition?
Changing careers generally means starting over at the bottom of the pay scale, and it’s important to plan for a drop in income.
Whether you’re providing for yourself or a family, if you don’t already have access to funds to cover any potential shortfall, consider staying put until you have enough of a buffer in the bank.
Where can you get (impartial) advice?
Career advice has never been easier to access. As well as a wealth of information online, including the Government’s careers website, the Direct Career Service offers free over-the-phone advice.
Launched in October as part of the Government’s Covid-19 response, the service is a partnership between Careers NZ and CDANZ, designed to help Kiwis back into work by identifying their current skills and how they can be transferred to other industries.
Job seekers can develop a clear plan and take the next steps into work or education by talking one-toone with a qualified professional.
The Direct Career Service is available until March 12.
Can you take a career test drive somehow?
If you’re not 100 per cent certain about your potential new career, volunteering or shadowing someone in the industry can provide clarity.
If your current situation allows, a part-time job in the field can be an even better indication, as physiotherapist-turned-farmer Thomas Chatfield discovered.
Raised in Tauranga, Chatfield studied physiotherapy at Otago University in Dunedin and Wellington and began his career in his hometown.
A stint in London followed before he returned to New Zealand and stayed on a friend’s farm while planning a move across the Tasman.
But his Australian adventure wasn’t to be, with the opportunity to work part-time on a dairy farm too tempting to pass up.
‘‘The idea was to work as a physio part-time and dairy farm part-time, but within six weeks I was fulltime on the farm and have never looked back,’’ he said.
Although initially unsure how he would adapt to farm life, Chatfield quickly found his feet.
After six weeks, he’d landed a fulltime job as a farm assistant in the eastern Bay of Plenty.
In his first season, he entered and won the Bay of Plenty Dairy Trainee of the Year.
He went on to finish second in the national competition.
His success put any lingering doubts to rest and Chatfield went on to win the Bay of Plenty regional Dairy Manager of the Year title in 2016, as well as the national award.
‘‘After I had won Trainee of the Year and got through the particularly tough challenges of farming in the first year, such as calving, it became clear that I had made the right decision,’’ he said.
‘‘It was a risk but one that paid off.’’