It is much more common than one can think the change of career. Specially after the 40s, I can tell myself, there comes a time when one needs to explore new areas and create new activities. Sometimes for good and sometimes as experimental times. Midlife crisis calls for potential “now or never” calls.

When I need to advise for people’s career, I always start by asking them how much time they have, I mean finantially speaking. Time flyes (when you’re having fun) and finding a job in the last months running out of money forces people to take vehement decisions . Furthermore, why do we have to live with Drama when you can plan your career steps?

One can only make a career change with long time vision (i.e. two years time) and intermediate targets. Normally the career changes are always blurr visions of ourselves, essentially of the contrary jobs of what “we do not want to do”. They normally mean  a change of sector/position or sometimes what we always wanted to do. i.e. I always wanted to write a book, I always wanted to become a teacher, I always wanted to be surfing Hawaii. Radical changes are unpredictable and come from our inner us. But I strongly support radical changes, not only because they are a quick way to create an alternative profession (before robots take the world). But also radical changes are part of personal improvements, and whatever comes out of it or even if one comes back to old profession, you will be a better person.

So one step forward in the beach or a big jump into the sea? There are no rules in life, and every person has different abilities to change and adapt to new sectors and positions, but it is recommended to try both for a period of time and then see how the market behaves towards both professions. In the end we have plenty of time and motivation inside of us.

The idea is to dedicate time for searching the lateral change and time to start motivating change. More than two job searchs are not recommended considering the energy needed for it. But even the effort needed to combine lateral and radical change I still recommend it since if one fails the other is half developed.

In the case of the lateral change it is strongly important the CV and the network phase. In the case of radical change it is important to professionalize your “hobbie” by creating the profession. This means that in the case of being a teacher for example one is able to start some lectures, cooperate with some schools, etc.. the target is that after some months you can show experience. It is absurd to try to sell the others something that you do not exactly know based only in dreams. I am a very pragmatic person and you would always hear from me to try, make, create, do, support, work hard, verbs that involve movement. Walking the path step by step.

Step by step but with a clear vision with deadlines, why don’t you put a deadline in one year and a half with certain targets? If not achieved no problem, close the sails of the boat and come back to port. I think it is important to be honest with oneself all the time and during the milestones review status of the project and evolve according the needs. Constant criticism mixed with Psitivity is an asset. And Adaptation is survival. And the most important is that experience itself is the joy, do not focus only in target forgetting to enjoy it.

read more in my book Finding a Job in 6 steps