Whether you feel it’s time for a fresh start or you’ve become a victim of the redundancy fairy, a career change is often an enormously positive experience, and one that can help you live a far richer, more interesting life

Visit a recruitment agency
Yes, it’s true that we might have our reasons for saying this. And those reasons are that the right recruitment agency – with well-trained, experienced staff – will be able to give you the impartial opinion and positive guidance you need at a time when emotions may be running high and self esteem in short supply. They can help give your CV a makeover, identify transferable skills and – when it comes down to it – find you a new job, even if it’s a temporary one while you sort out which direction you want to go in.

Are you ready to go solo?
Setting up as a freelancer is tempting for many, but if it’s become a serious consideration you must have a very candid and serious chat with yourself before making any hasty decisions. This is assuming that you’re actively choosing to freelance: many fall into it after redundancy, preferring to risk the life of a gun-for-hire rather than get made redundant again – and potentially again after that. But if you’re in a profession you love but an environment you hate, convinced that when you’re king of everything cakes will be free and everyone will ride round the office on scooters, you’ve got to be sure you have what it takes to make your dream a reality. Essential requirements include high levels of personal motivation that will enable you to actively and continuously seek new work; do all your own accounts and admin (until you make enough to hire an accountant); market yourself; accept regular rejection when you don’t win pitches; and actually do the work itself. You might also want to ensure you’ve built up some savings beforehand, for times when clients are thin on the ground or attempt to dodge your invoices.

Can you afford it?
If you’ve been made redundant but received a decent payout, it can help to bankroll a fresh venture. However, if you want to quit your job to do something different, you’re going to need cash to keep paying the bills. It sounds like a no-brainer, but make sure you discuss your plans in detail with your partner, to make sure he or she is happy with what you have in mind and feels you can cope with a reduced income. An alternative is to start your new business slowly, working weekends and evenings until you’ve built up enough of a client base, not to mention regular income, to go it alone.

Be realistic…
It’s nice to be positive, and of course ‘never say never’, but if you want to stop being an accountant after 20 years and become an 18-30 holiday club rep… well, perhaps prepare for disappointment. There will be plenty of instances when the many skills you’ve acquired over the course of your career will find an employer to value them – these ‘transferable skills’ can be your secret weapon when you’re desperate for a change of scene and want to try something new. But do be realistic. Is veterinary surgeon a good idea if fur makes you sneeze? Is trapeze artist a good choice if standing on a milk crate gives you vertigo? Don’t make yourself miserable chasing unattainable goals; think about what you’re good at as a starting point, and go from there.

Don’t you want me, baby?
It’s heartbreaking to read blogs and articles by people who strived for years in education or training, only to find that the jobs just weren’t there in great enough numbers to provide them with stability or an income when they were finally ready to seek employment. It’s tough, because working hard to become the best you can be at something is a fantastically fulfilling and worthwhile endeavour. But if your purpose is to earn a living from what you do, then you must make sure that the market can support your choice

What’s in your toolbox?
Most people build up a whole array of skills almost without realising. It’s only when they sit down to think about what they achieve day-to-day that they see just how much experience they’ve gained. Transferable skills include such things as budgeting; people management; project management; supply and contractor management – to name just a few. If you’ve worked running a team and making key decisions in an office, then it’s more than possible you’d be a real asset running a team and making key decisions in a chocolate factory in the Bahamas. Just putting it out there…

Skilling up
As you consider your career change, you may find that your transferable skills are great and will get you more than part-way, but you’ll still need extra training. This can happen in a variety of ways, and it could be that you’ve already started forging the contacts that will help you. Volunteering can be a great way to learn the ropes for entry into paid work with a charity, or offering to start at the bottom in a trade if you make the tea and sweep up. Check nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk in the first instance for help and advice if you know you’ll need formal training, as they can help not just with courses but advice regarding financial help, too