#SpotlightOn Career change

People change jobs at various stages of their careers for a variety of reasons. Whatever your reasons, stay positive and take the next steps to your new start.

8 steps to take towards changing your career

1.????Identify your transferable skills

·??????Think of a typical day at work, or a typical week. List all the tasks you do each day, both big and small.

·??????Look at your job descriptions, both past and present and list all the tasks you know you did in those jobs

·??????Review your certificates and qualifications and list the things you learned within them, and what skills you gained by doing the training.

2.????Assess the risks and benefits before you make your decision

Making a career change is a big step so it’s important to know the risks and benefits before you make the change.

3.????Find out any training and qualifications you might need

·??????If you’ve got a career idea in mind, use our?Job Information?leaflets to find out the qualifications or training you might need.

·??????Search for the different courses available in Wales Course Search.

·??????Consider an apprenticeship as an option, as the career you are looking for may have apprenticeship vacancies. Find out more about?Apprenticeships.

4. Get career ideas that match your skills and interests

You want to find a job that you'll enjoy. Finding a job that uses your skills and interests may mean that you find a job that suits you perfectly.5.Know where and how to look for jobs

5. Know where and how to look for jobs

It's important to keep all your options open to give yourself the best chance of finding many job opportunities.

Take a look at?Getting a job?to find information on job websites, finding jobs online, recruitment agency work and much more.

6. Write or refresh your CV

Making sure your CV is up to date and includes information about your most recent employment, skills and experiences is key.

Look at?Build a CV?for information on what to include in a CV and to view examples.

7. Practise your interview skills

'Practise makes perfect'. It's important to prepare before an interview to give yourself the best chance of getting the job.

Look at our advice on?Interview techniques.

8. Contact us for support

Our trained careers advisers and staff can support you through the process of making a career change. We can help you to identify your skills, find training and funding, and discuss and confirm your career ideas. We can also help you to write a CV or to improve your interview techniques.

Contact us?by phone, email, or webchat. We also work in centres around Wales so use our?interactive map?to find a location near you for a face to face discussion.