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Making changes in your career

Are you feeling restless and need a change? This section will help you work out whether it’s a career change you are looking for, or if there is some other area of your life that needs to change.

Thinking about making a change?

Do you feel like doing something more challenging?
Would you like to spend more time with family/whānau and friends?
Are you keen to learn new skills or gain more qualifications?
Do you want to feel motivated in your job?
Have you no choice but to make a change? For example, you may have moved towns or been made redundant.
Is it that your position needs to change, the company you work for or the career field?

Once you have considered why you want a career change then you can begin to explore the new and exciting challenges that lie ahead of you.

If you are keen for new challenges, or want a change of pace or scene but are not sure that it’s your career that needs to change, try the wheel of life exercise.

Wheel of life exercise (PDF – 84kb)

"From the moment I started I knew this job was for me. I just wished I'd known about it 20 years earlier."

Alan Parkes, Forest Mensuration Worker

Read how Alan went bush when his supermarket job was restructured

What is the right change for you?

Before you make any changes you should think about what you want.

How do you want to balance your work with family life?
What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing?
What are your values?
What aspects of work are important to you spiritually to let you lead the life you want?
What other commitments do you have in your life? Who will be affected by changes to your career?
Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?
What sacrifices are you willing to make to achieve your goal? What sacrifices are the people closest to you prepared to make?

Making a change isn't a straightforward process, but the more informed you are, the more comfortable you will be about your decision.

Feeling that your life is out of balance? Take the work-life balance quiz
Think you may be burned out? Do the burn-out quiz

Working remotely helps Maui Hudson meet whānau commitments

Maui Hudson considers himself lucky to have not only a fulfilling job, but also a flexible work arrangement that enables him to spend more time with whānau. "At home you've got the flexibility to change the way that you work. You can do things at different times - whether it’s early in the morning or late at night."

Maui Hudson

How to start making a change

Now that you've decided you're ready for a change, it's time to get things started.

Take a fresh look at yourself – your interests, skills, values and qualities.
Ask yourself, do I want to work in a new industry, for a new employer or in a new role?
Be prepared for a possible reduction in income, a change of status, responsibility and prestige, a change in lifestyle and relocation.
Gain support from your family and friends and talk your ideas through with them.

Our 'Plan your career' section has advice and activities to help you through these changes – start by getting to know yourself all over again.