The royal wedding brings about a career change

29/04/11 - The royal wedding brings about a career change

The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton will result in some extraordinary changes for the couple. Kate will have to get used to being called "Catherine" again, along with a change in her role and her life's direction.

For Kate and William, the journey is just beginning. (Rather them than me.) The world's attention will be on how this modern down-to-earth bride and groom will fit into old-school role of prince and princess. It's fascinating and I am, of course, caught up as much as everyone else.

Kate's life and role is about to be further drastically altered. In the space of a day her title will change, her "career" as a fledgling photographer will change to princess and her "private" life will become even more public. She has accepted a very different career that will no doubt come with enormous responsibilities, invasion of privacy and emotional and physical pressures.

But she's not the only person in the world making a bit of a career change. At my own office, my new PA has recently made a change from being a highly qualified accountant in a leading media company to become executive assistant in my agency. It's a change that requires patience, good communication, tolerance a new outlook and a life change!

While Sandra's situation may be removed from the public glare, like Kate she is learning the ropes and dealing with new expectations, pressures and experiences. The process of career change is a brave one. It's a stressful and difficult process but it could be a eureka moment for Sandra. But it is still a gamble.

Indeed, with the staff turnover rate at an average of 18.5 percent across all organisations in Australia, experiencing a turning point in your career is not such a rare phenomenon.

So how can you deal with entering a new workplace or role when making a career change? From my and Sandra's experiences, we've got a handful of tips to share with you.

Don't rush

Contemplating career changes can be a lengthy process and may take months to finally action. A well thought-out plan where you weigh the pros and cons for your current and aspired position is a good thing. Take lots of advice. Talk to people you want to emulate in the positions and careers you want to work in. Thoroughly research of the new industry — it may not be all it's cracked up to be.

Know yourself

Confucius said, "Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life." It's one of my favourite mantras. Use this to create a "likes" and "dislikes" list. Knowing what you like, what your passion is, will help you lead you to the right position that aligns with your values, energy and strengths, regardless of salary.

Transferable skills

Utilise what you've learnt through your current position or what you have learnt at university and apply it to the position you are seeking. I am an advocate of work experience, but many of our skills are learned in team sport or through hobbies and interaction with others. Applicants, who have done creative things outside normal work, can be an attractive bet and show discipline and maturity. If need be, update your skills or refine them with crash courses, reading, industry bodies, internet research or firsthand experiences through volunteering or part-time positions in the industry.

Prepare for rejection

"Paradise is flawed" is one of my mother's favourite sayings. A fortunate few find their career change with a lucky break, but normal life doesn't always work that way. What does tend to work is passion and drive not to give up, particularly when the going gets tough.

Support

Transferring from one career to another is impossible without having the right support. So it helps to surround yourself with people who will openly give you positive feedback and encouragement. My team and I are encouraging Sandra during the ups and downs she may face in the new role. Surrounding yourself with people who want things to work helps you stay motivated.

I'm sure Kate and William have been given oodles of advice in this crucial time of change. The bottom line is, I guess, with passion and commitment anything is possible.

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