Career Change: How to Try a New Direction Without Leaving Your Job

There is a step between staying and leaving

When your work no longer feels right, it is easy to see only two options: put up with it or leave. There is another way to begin: try the new direction while you still have your current income.

A small trial gives you something useful to base your next decision on — experience, rather than assumptions.

1. Turn a vague wish into something you can test

“I want something different” tells you how you feel. It does not yet tell you what to try.

Write down one possibility:

• “I might enjoy helping people develop their skills.”
• “I could use my experience of improving processes in consulting.”
• “I would like to create a digital product for a specific audience.”
• “What I want most is flexibility and less pressure, rather than a different title.”

Then ask: what small experiment would help me find out whether this is right for me?

2. Choose a small trial

You do not have to become a professional in a new field straight away. Start with something you can finish and learn from.

For example:

• a conversation with someone working in the field;
• a small volunteer or trial project;
• a short practical course with a final assignment;
• testing one service with a few people;
• a day of job shadowing;
• a sample for your portfolio;
• comparing the requirements of a real job advert with your current skills.

Choose something that will show you what the work involves, beyond reading or thinking about it.

3. Set limits around your time and energy

If you are already tired, filling every evening with a new project may leave you with even less time to rest. Before you begin, decide:

• how many hours a week you can give it;
• the one result you want to produce;
• how long the trial will last;
• what you will put aside during that time;
• how you will review what you have learned.

A few focused hours each week can be enough for a small, clearly defined trial. You do not need to build your whole next career in one month.

4. Look at the skills you already have

Changing direction does not mean leaving all your experience behind. Write down the skills you could bring with you:

• communicating with clients;
• leading a team;
• improving processes;
• analysing information and working with data;
• coordinating projects;
• creating training or documentation;
• selling and negotiating;
• solving problems.

Compare these with the requirements of the new field. You may need to learn specific things, while much of your experience remains useful.

5. Review three kinds of fit

At the end of the trial, ask:

Personal fit: Do I enjoy doing this work, as well as the idea of it?

Market fit: Is there a real need for this work among people or businesses?

Financial fit: What income might be possible, how long could it take to reach it and what would it cost?

Enjoying the trial is useful information, but it does not answer every question. Demand for the work does not automatically mean it will suit your life either.

6. Make the next small decision

You do not need to make a final career decision after one trial. Choose what happens next:

• continue and make the trial a little bigger;
• change the approach and try again;
• put the idea aside until you have more time or resources;
• stop, knowing you have learned something useful.

Finding out that a direction does not suit you is a worthwhile result. It can save you from committing much more time and money later.

A four-week trial to help you begin

If you want a change but do not know where to start, choose one small trial. Adapt this example to the time and energy you have.

Week 1 — choose one direction. Write down what you want to change in your current work and what you want to keep. Read three job adverts in a field that interests you. Note the skills you already have and one you would need to learn.

Week 2 — find out what everyday work is like. Speak with someone working in that field. Ask what an ordinary day involves, which tasks take the most time and what they find hardest.

Week 3 — try one task. Make a small work sample: a project plan, an analysis, a piece of writing or another result typical of the field. Use public or fictional information. Decide in advance how much time you will spend on it.

Week 4 — review your experience. What held your interest? What felt tiring? What feedback would help you understand the work better? Decide whether to continue, adjust the trial or explore another direction.

You do not need a new job or a final decision by the end of the month. The purpose is to gain experience that helps you choose your next step.

Bring your career trial and financial plan together

While you explore the new direction:

• work out your essential monthly expenses;
• review and build your financial cushion;
• identify likely transition costs;
• explore realistic pay in the new field;
• decide what evidence you would need before reducing your current workload;
• keep a fallback option.

This helps you connect the change you want with the practical preparation it needs.

Your next step

Complete this sentence:

“Over the next 30 days, I will explore my interest in ________ by doing ________.”

Choose a trial you can complete while keeping your job and without large upfront costs. Put a date in your diary to review it.

For the full picture, read Financial Safety: How to Build Your Financial Plan B.

If you would like to explore your options and next step in a conversation, learn more about one-to-one coaching for career change.