More people are embarking on career changes later in life

ABC NEWS (Australia)

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?

Transcript

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.

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