Career shift: getting started

For those without independent means, here are some practical solutions to nudge your career towards your dream job:

• Look at how your current employer might be able to help. If they have different aspects to their operations, would retraining for a new role with them satisfy you? If your relationship is good they may be willing to invest in developing you so you can stay working for them.
  
  
• Many of the professions that are currently experiencing a shortage of skilled workers are prepared to be more flexible in their recruitment. Areas where you can get paid whilst you train include teaching, nursing and other professions in the health service.
  
  
• Where there are shortages but no formal recruitment and training schemes, you can try to set something up for yourself. If someone you'd really like to work for is having trouble finding staff, see if they'd be interested in taking you on as a trainee. Convince them by showing your knowledge of, and passion for, their business. Few employers can resist that. And even a basic trainee salary is better than no money at all or taking a loan to pay for retraining.
  
  
• Investigate part-time training, distance learning and online courses that you can combine with your present job. Doing training in your own time shows commitment and will help convince future employers that this was a decision you thought about carefully and then followed through.

Next page: more tips on how to make the shift