Are you considering a career change? Maybe you want a fresh start, or to do something a little different. Maybe you want a career that’s more in line with your skills and your interests.
One of the biggest benefits of a career change later in life is that you’ll be more engaged with your job. By changing into a career that interests you, you’ll be happier and more fulfilled. Through a career change, you’ll open up many more job opportunities, and potentially strengthen your job security.
Fortunately, you don’t need another degree to change your career. Let’s look at how to change your career, the benefits of adult training, and 7 possible career options for you.
Career Changes that Don’t Require Another Degree
Transfer Skills
For the best midlife career change, you want to draw on your transferable skills. These are skills you gained in previous roles that can be reapplied to a new job.
Transferable skills might include “soft skills.” These allow you to interact and work harmoniously with others through communication, empathy, creativity, and time management. Other soft skills include the ability to negotiate, to lead a team, and to be self-motivated.
Alternatively, you might be able to transfer industry skills from one job to another. For example, if you have experience in warehousing, you could transfer many of your skills into a management role.
Similarly, you can transfer skills across industries. For example, you could apply the management skills you’ve gained in a previous role into a whole new industry.
Upskill
Another way to change careers is by upskilling. The good news is that you don’t have to go back to a university, or even stop working, to upskill. You could enroll in adult education courses.
Adult learning courses are less demanding, more flexible, and more affordable than university degrees. Many adult education courses, such as those offered at the College for Adult Learning are delivered online. No need to attend classes, tutorials or lectures. You simply login to your portal to study when and where you want to.
Because online adult learning courses are so flexible, you don’t have to take time away from your job or your family to do them. They offer a 24-month enrollment period, so you can study at your own pace. There are no difficult assignment and examination deadlines to meet, which relieves a lot of pressure.
Now that we’ve discussed the benefits of a career change, and shown you how to upskill through adult education courses, it’s time to look at 7 careers you can change to without getting another degree.
7 Careers you can change without getting another degree
#1 Manager
Do you have strong leadership and organizational skills? If you’ve been a team leader or supervisor, you could be manager material. Upskill through adult learning courses like the Diploma of Business Administration.
#2 Project Manager
A project manager plans and executes a project. This is a vital job within many industries, but there is a huge demand for project managers in construction, healthcare, and finance.
#3 Human Resources Professional
Working in human resources offers a dynamic career in which you work closely with people. If you have good soft skills you could change to human resources. Make your resume look even better by upskilling through adult training. You could do a Certificate IV in Human Resources of a Diploma of Human Resources Management.
#4 Supply Chain Manager
Do you have experience in warehousing, transportation, manufacturing, or retail? You could draw from your transferable skills and move into supply chain management. In this industry, you could perform the role of procurement officer, production manager, materials scheduler, or many others. Upskill through adult training with a Diploma of Logistics or Diploma of Purchasing.
#5 Business Owner
Have you always fantasized about being your own boss? As a business owner, you’d need strong leadership and communication skills. To become a business owner, transfer the soft skills you’ve developed in your previous roles, and strengthen your knowledge with a Diploma of Business.
#6 Auditor
Auditing is another job which is important in many industries. If you’ve done quality auditing in one industry, chances are you could side-step into another. Industries with a high demand for quality auditors include food safety, manufacturing, and technology. You don’t need another degree to become a quality auditor, but you could do adult training online such as the Diploma of Quality Auditing.
#7 Practice Manager
If you have a passion for healthcare, you might like to become a practice manager. In this role, you’d use your leadership and business skills to set up your own medical clinic. Take an online adult education course such as the Diploma of Practice Management and you could work with general practitioners or specialists.
Remember: For the best midlife career change, choose something you’re passionate about and suited to. Draw on your transferable skills and upskill through online adult training.
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Author Bio
Helen Sabell works for the College for Adult Learning, she is passionate about adult learning. She has developed and authored many workplace leadership programs, both in Australia and overseas.
