Posted by on Jun 20, 2017 in Career Insights | 0 questions

Everyone has times in their careers when they are ‘between’ jobs. This downtime may have been prompted by a business failure or a period of ill health. It may simply be because a fixed-term contract has come to an end you have not yet found another position.

Instead of seeing this period as a negative time in your life, look at it as an opportunity to assess where your career is going and make the changes that you need to achieve your goals.

Image source

Decide if you want a career change

If you have just lost a job that you hated, perhaps life is trying to tell you something? Perhaps it is time to re-assess where your career is going and plan for a change. These days it is common for people to change careers several times over their working life. This could be the time for you to change yours.

Think about what you enjoy doing and what your strengths are. You may have realized that you have a talent for caring for sick people when you nursed an elderly relative. You may have also realized that this was far more rewarding than your old office job where you were moving files and papers around. Perhaps it is time to switch to one of the caring professions?

Get yourself the skills that you need

It is easy to decide on a new career but it is a bit harder to get the job! You will need to do some research to find out what skills and qualifications are needed for your new role. If your English skills are not as good as they could be, you can get help from AJ Hoge. His system will let you learn naturally using your ears and by answering simple questions. Your new skills will help you achieve your new career goals and will impress a new employer in your interview.

Get some experience

Sometimes you are unable to get a job that you want because you lack experience. This is easy to rectify whilst you are between jobs. Research voluntary organizations in your area and find out which ones offer roles that will give you the experience that you need. Some will even offer you some training. Research if any local organizations offer work experiences or internships.

There are several advantages in offering your skills for free instead of sitting at home doing nothing. You are able to show future employers that you have used your time off effectively. It may also give you a chance to experience the new sector that you want to work in. You get the chance to find out if you really like it before you make a career change.

Whilst you are brushing up your skills and assessing your future career you can earn some spare cash by working from home. You can test websites or work as a remote PA. The money that you earn can be used to fund your future training.