My friend studied Petroleum Engineering for 5 years in the University. Three years after graduation, he has been in the job market and hasn’t been able to find a decent job in his field. Now he popped this question to me just recently: “I want to change my career from engineering to a health related field, what do u think?“. Another friend that made a switch from Chemical Engineering to Information Technology said “I’ve always wanted something with computers. But I had no orientation on the course relevance“.
Career switch could mean different things to different people. I’ve seen a lot of people who studied a course and ended up working in an entirely different discipline. E.g. A microbiologist working as a cashier in the bank. All they needed was to get in with their graduate certificate and receive specialised training for the job. But what about a situation where one has to go back to Uni to gain a period of specialised training for an entirely different discipline?
Reasons people make career switch
1. Passion
Another friend did her first degree in Advertising and Marketing, worked for a few years, and now is back to Uni as an undergraduate to study Nursing. She said her interest in nursing sparked when she worked in child care and it kindled a passion to help kids. To a large extent, what becomes our career hangs on the exposure and opportunities available to us. I didn’t have interest in Internet of Things until I attended a conference in 2015 where I got exposed to a lot of fascinating information about the technology. Your light-bulb moment could be that exposure that makes you ask “why in the world am I not doing this?” which triggers a decision about what you want to do for the rest of your life. In my friend’s case, she switched to a career path that would result in the kind of impact she wanted to make—something that truly gives her the tangible fulfilment of touching lives.
2. Survival
For other people the reason to make a career switch could be to cope with the pressure of a particular situation e.g. harsh economic conditions. It could be that the course studied has become less attractive or that it is extremely competitive as at the time they got into the job market. For instance, Petroleum Engineering was very attractive back in the days and most people who went in to study it envisioned getting a 6 figure job in companies like Shell. But as more graduates were turned out, the big companies weren’t increasing in number, and worse still the crude oil was still being mined around the same region. Such specialised courses that have limited supply of jobs, and which poses difficulty for market entry, would have more competition that slims the chances of succeeding in the job market.
4 questions to ask before switching
1. Can I explore this new area in depth?
Every skill and expertise requires time to build. One thing you dont want to do is to keep exploring subjects in breadth and not in depth. At some point in your career, to become an expert and increase your market value you need to go in-depth in your particular subject-area. That’s why doctors have to specialise after they have spend years studying the general medicine.
2. Do I know enough about the post-training opportunities?
If you are switching career for survival sake you must make sure you would be able to find opportunities in your new discipline. What you don’t want is to start afresh and hit another wall and then begin to wish you stuck around much longer in your previous career.
3. Can my commitment measure up?
As one gets older, there seems to be less flexibility on what one can experiment on. When you are younger it’s more forgivable to make mistakes, go on a career adventure, try out a thing or two. But as one gets older and begins to have more responsibilities, it becomes important to be a lot more focused and directional. So you have to decide if you can go all out for this new area of training and not trying to be jack-of-all-trade.
4. Do I have the resources and the support?
Switching career could mean starting from a blank sheet so you need to make sure you can do it. If you have more responsibilities already to handle, it becomes even more challenging. Obviously you would need to think of how to fund your training. It’s also important that you have the support of your close allies as they might be the shoulder to lean on when the journey gets very tough.
Looking at the brighter side
Having to spend several years studying a course, and then switching can be a hard choice. You have invested a lot of time, and you may still want to stick around a little longer even though it isn’t working out for you. The truth is that there is nothing you cannot pick up if you only dedicate enough time to it.
- The experience you bring into your new learning
Most students are more focused as at this point they know what they are pursuing. They have identified where they want to deploy the skills they acquire unlike fresh undergraduates you may just focus on the experience and not the livelihood that comes afterwards
- Your previous study can help you connect better to your new discipline
Let’s say someone switches from Biological sciences to Data Science. While studying Artificial Intelligence, your understanding of biological neural networks can help you in the design of an algorithm. In fact, researchers at some point may have had to collaborate with other disciplines to do a more grounded work. My research group at the Data Science centre Uni of Derby, are currently working jointly with the psychology department on a research looking at how people interact with Green spaces for improving health and wellbeing. Steve Jobs said the class he attended on calligraphy inspired him in the design of Apple. So your past academic background may not be entirely a waste of time as it may come in handy for the future.
Is career switching something you are considering or might consider, and why is that? Please leave your thoughts in the comment box.
Just before you go, I am so appreciative that you supported this initiative by coming in here and reading my very first blog post. I would like you to know that this blog isn’t about me but about you. So since I’m just kicking this off, I would like to make sure to turn out content that would be relevant to you and your career.
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You never cease to amaze me. Well done girl
Thanks, Paul
We will surely eat the big elephant one bite at a time.
Kind regards
Maryleen
oh wow, you are welcome dear
Woow…quite enlightening Prof. God bless you.
Thank you, Walter
I’m glad you found the article enlightening.
‘Prof’ remains a nickname by friends and family, but I sure hope to earn the title someday
Kind regards
Maryleen
This is exciting and very educative. Please keep on keeping on. It is well…..more grace.
Thank you Sir
I’m glad you found the article helpful.
I would keep doing my best. I sincerely appreciate your support.
Kind regards
Maryleen
I’ve had and still having thoughts of a career switch. I lost interest in the course I was studying (mechanical engineering) during my undergraduate days when I discovered I had a flair and strong liking for the sciences. I’m still exploring my options.
Hi Emefon,
That would be a bold move from Mechanical Engineering to the Sciences! I must tell you that you are not alone in this journey. At the end what matters is being where you find fulfilment. I would like to see you turn these thoughts you have held since your undergraduate days into reality. If you are experiencing any difficulties in taking concrete actions then it may be time to get a more experienced person involved. If you have any questions please feel free to ask or send me an email at ndubuakumaryleen@gmail.com.
All the best in your career!
Kind regards
Maryleen