Sometimes change is gradual and slowly leads you around to a new way of seeing the world, new experiences and new opportunities: other times, you decide what you want and you chase it down. When a new career is what you seek, but it seems that the door is closed tight and won't let you in – it's time to get creative.



I have no skills

Amazingly, many people want to transition to an entirely new career without going through any retraining at all. It's not necessarily impossible that this could happen, but it certainly decreases your chances if you aren't able to sell yourself honestly as fully equipped to do the job.

Green employees, the new kind not the environmentally friendly kind, are a burden for six to twelve months while they slowly learn the ropes. This is no-one's fault, it just takes time to learn a new role and develop the associated technical skills. It will enhance your career transition, whatever the field, to do the ground work and get trained up before you go looking. It also demonstrates a level of commitment to your future employer, and may offset any concerns about why you are making this change and whether you might want another change in six months.

I have no experience

This can be a tricky problem to overcome due to the 'chicken and egg' nature of the question: you have no experience, but how to get experience without being given that first chance? The answer to this conundrum is to put yourself in the shoes of the employer. Ask yourself whether you would hire you: if not, why not? Ultimately, it's difficult for most people to take risks on something unknown.

You might find yourself seduced into buying something untested because of slick marketing, take a chance on a new friendship because you were won over by charm, or have sufficient proficiency and knowledge demonstrated to you by a contractor that you feel in your 'gut' that they can do the job despite the lack of a track record. Deciding to purchase services is like deciding to purchase shoes or a new washing machine; it's a complex mental process which is swayed by a variety of factors.

These examples give three great options: get your chance through charm and personality and inspire confidence through your knowledge; demonstrate that you know what you are doing even though you lack a career history in this field; and make your pitch as attractive as possible, highlighting your strengths and explaining clearly what you can offer.

Employers can also be encouraged by a value-added proposition: 'I may lack experience in bricklaying, but I am a trained electrician and can reduce costs by doing double-duty where needed'.

Leveraging a great start into a fantastic career

There's a fair gap between landing your first job and becoming a professional in the field. Take advantage of all opportunities for training and development, be smart in the choices you make and identify the next step when it's still just a flicker on the horizon.

Just getting started is half the battle won: it's onward and upward from there.