When Alastair Cook, English cricket’s highest run-scorer in test match history, retired from the top tier of the game last month, he told reporters he had “never imagined doing anything else for a living.” While we all applaud his achievements, there are probably more than a few of us who feel a little envious at that. After all, who doesn’t have childhood dreams of how their career will pan out? For most, reality turns out to be a little different.
However, here’s something anyone can have in common with the quietly spoken Essex batsman. At 34, he’s now having to think about a career change. If working life hasn’t turned out quite the way you planned, there’s nothing to stop you from doing the same thing.
Making the step into healthcare
In some respects, you might find yourself in an even better position than Cook. After all, he’s spent the first part of his life doing what he always wanted, and will now transition to a career doing what will always be second best, whether that is coaching, journalism or simply working on his farm. You, on the other hand, could make the transition in the opposite direction.
Ask 50 children what they want to do when they grow up and a large proportion will talk about healthcare. There’s something about us as youngsters that makes us want to help others, and while that urge might get blunted by a combination of cynicism and false career steps, it is usually still there below the surface. Little surprise, then, that when it comes to “late career changes,” healthcare is the most popular sector to jump into.
With ongoing skills gaps and even larger concerns surrounding the potential effect of Brexit, there are more medical career opportunities, including support worker jobs in Manchester and other key locations, than ever before.
Leverage your existing skills
While the leap might sound tempting, the biggest constraint that many see is having to start again from the bottom. But perhaps you don’t have to. Critically assess your existing skills and work out how you can best apply these in the healthcare field.
It could well be the case that you can make the initial step without the need for additional training or taking a significant pay cut. For example, if you are from an administrative background, or have experience in HR or IT, there are plenty of related roles in healthcare.
Once you have switched into the sector, it is easier to move within it and take on-the-job training, if a more hand-on and patient-oriented role is what you are really dreaming of.
Market yourself, not just your skills
Related experience and knowledge are great, but it is not the be-all and end-all. In a caring profession, it is all about the people, so let your passion show through, in both your CV and if you are invited to interview. The fact that you want to make this change having given years of thought to it speaks volumes about you, so don’t be shy about it.
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