Out with the old and the repetitive—in with the new and growth

Are you stuck in your career, endlessly following the same routine every day without feeling challenged or inspired? You're not alone—37% of UK workers are searching for more meaningful work, and 36% describing their work as boring and unfulfilling*.

A career change allows you to leverage your existing skills while opening doors to new experiences, challenges, and opportunities for growth. By learning new skills and diving into uncharted areas, you can reignite your passions, find new ones, and create a more fulfilling career path.

In our "Four Perspectives" career change framework, the third perspective—"looking for learning"—is about skill development and finding growth opportunities. We've designed a simple three-step framework—Experiment, Engage, and Evaluate—to help you test new ideas, connect with inspiring people, and assess each experience with a fresh perspective.

Let's guide you through each step, following the footsteps of Kanishk Swarup , who transitioned from equity trading and investment banking to become a financial adviser via The St. James's Place Financial Adviser Academy.

What did he do and how did he do it? Read on to find out.

1. Experiment: Test new waters

Why?

Testing new waters is about stepping outside what's familiar to discover new skills, strengths, and passions. Although this may take you outside your comfort zone and seem daunting, embracing the unknown can often bring valuable new perspectives that reveal a lot about yourself and your capabilities—sometimes even more than you realise. Finding out what you don't know can be as important as expanding what you already know.

How to start:

1. Review career goals: Write down what excites you and what you’ve always wanted to try using your career self-reflection map. Does a new hobby or skill spark your curiosity? Have you always dreamed of running your own business?
2. Do your research: Once you've identified areas of interest, dive into them. Create a list of questions to answer, and dive into articles, podcasts, webinars, and networking opportunities to fill any gaps.
3. Take action: Equipped with knowledge, take small steps. This could mean signing up for a short course, shadowing someone in a role you admire, or embarking on a personal project.

What did Kanishk do?

1. Career goal: He was uncertain about his next career step, but he knew he wanted more independence: "there was an itch to do something on my own and do my own thing where I can be more in control of my destiny".
2. Research: His mentor recommended him a career in financial advice, although he had never considered this path nor knew much about it. (Did you know only 4% of UK workers have considered a career in financial advice*). Intrigued, he connected with a Partner at St. James's Place (SJP) to learn more.
3. Action: He attended an SJP event and was immediately inspired: "I could totally see myself doing this". He joined the St. James's Place Financial Adviser Academy soon after.

Top tip: Be curious and ask questions, it goes a long way.

2. Engage: Connect and learn from others

Why?

Surrounding yourself with driven, like-minded individuals can help fuel your growth and make your journey more enjoyable. Engaging with others who share similar career goals and challenges not only can accelerate your progress but also provide insights that you might miss on your own. The support and learnings you get from each other are invaluable too.

How to start:

1. Seek mentorship and guidance: Find people in your field who inspire you, and ask for advice or mentorship. Who's in your current network? Learning from their experiences can help you avoid common pitfalls.
2. Join communities: Participate in webinars, social media groups, or local meetups where people discuss the field you're exploring. This will help you expand your network and deepen your understanding of the field.
3. Collaborate: Take on new projects, volunteer, or collaborate on team initiatives to work alongside others in your desired field. Engaging with others will broaden your perspective and strengthen your confidence as you progress. What can you learn from them?

What did Kanishk do?

1. Seek mentorship and guidance: Throughout his training, he leaned on the support of his Academy Development Manager, especially early on during the challenging and lonely moments early on.
2. Join communities: Even after his training, he's still in contact with his cohort, meeting up to share experiences, exchange ideas, and provide mutual support, helping one another grow in their respective areas.
3. Collaborate: He works closely with one of his cohort members on joint cases—Kanishk brings his expertise in investment strategies, while his colleague offers deep knowledge in long-term care planning.

Top tip: Always lean in for support, never shy away.

3. Evaluate: Reflect and decide

Why?

Evaluating your progress is key to see how far you've come, what you've learned, if there are areas that still need to be developed. Only upon reflection can you make better informed decisions and also have the confidence that you're likely not to have regrets or itches to do something further down, knowing you've already explored.

How to start:

1. Reflect: Take a moment to pause and reflect on progress and experiences. What did I enjoy the most about this experience? Was I right in developing this new skill, where can I use it? Write down key milestones, affirmations, and areas for improvement.
2. Set milestones: Break down your career goals into smaller, more manageable tasks. This will help keep you stay focused and on track, giving you also tangible measures of success.
3. Make decisions: Based on your critical thinking, decide whether to pursue this particular path further or focus on another. Adjust your goals accordingly if needed.

What did Kanishk do?

1. Reflect: He regularly assessed how his new career path aligned with his values and skills. His previous background in investment banking helped him in understanding the investment side, but he took time to develop his soft skills.
2. Set milestones: He committed to obtain the necessary qualifications to give financial advice in the UK, and complete his Academy training, as well as realising his business plan. Over the last 8 years, his business has grown organically by 30% each year and he has brought on new advisers. His goal remains clear: "Keep growing" using 30% as a consistent benchmark.
3. Make decisions: Looking back, he’s confident that pursuing a career in financial advice was the right choice: "You connect the dots when looking back, never when looking forward" and that to do my own thing, "St. James's Place was the best fit" to do so.

Top tip: Trust your intuition, and remember, every journey matters.

By following the steps of 'Experiment, Engage, and Evaluate' steps, you'll have an opportunity to learn more about yourself, your capabilities, and hidden passions.

For Kanishk, he had always been interested in the financial world, starting with childhood memories of playing stock market games with his dad. After a successful career working in large corporations, he had a desire to do his own thing. It was only through curiosity, engaging in conversations, and taking a bold step, that he found fulfilment when he established his own financial advice practice with SJP.

Is this something you can relate to?

Stay tuned for our final perspective in two weeks. In the meantime, catch up on the older ones.

• First perspective
• Second perspective

Resource round-up: What's everyone engaging with?

• All eyes on Adele and Victoria Cable: What motivated them to join our Academy?
• Taking notes on why referrals matter: Your existing clients hold more value than you think
• Tuning into: Hayley Turner, the UK's most successful female jockey, on the Switch podcast: How to keep a relentless focus through tough times

Your career, your conversation:

If you're interested in finding our more about our Academy programme, take the first step today: Contact us today or request a brochure.

The St. James's Place Financial Adviser Academy is an award-winning career change programme that trains people to become financial advisers and service the growing demand for advice in the UK. Find our more here: https://www.sjp.co.uk/academy

We'll be with you every step of the way—whether you're looking to start your own financial advice practice with the support of over 2,500 dedicated professionals, or join one of 450+ established practices.

* Data from research from the collaboration between Indeed and St. James's Place Financial Adviser Academy.

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