Do you feel a sense of dread each night at the thought of work the next morning? Or maybe you feel like a square peg in a round hole among your colleagues. If so, it could be time to consider a career change. But with so many career and study options out there, it can be tricky to know which path to take.

Chisholm Institute of TAFE career education co-ordinator Katharine Beech says the first step is to consider what skills you already have and how you could use them to succeed in a new role. “If you work in retail you would already have great customer skills, which are key for a pathology collector,” she says. “Transferable skills are really valuable.”

Ms Beech also recommends thinking about what jobs will fit your current life stage. “For example, if you have kids and want to work during school hours, you might consider education support.” 

And of course, don’t forget to choose something you’re passionate about and will enjoy day to day so you can avoid that feeling of dread in the future.

Once you’ve made a short list, Ms Beech suggests researching salary expectations, industry growth and job availability before planning how you’ll get from where you are to the job you want. And you can research which course to study on the Chisholm website from the comfort of your couch. With more than 300 courses on offer across eight campus locations, including Rosebud and Frankston, as well as online, you’ll find a study option to help you start working towards your new career. 

You can also learn about pathways from TAFE courses to degrees, find details about the State Government’s Free TAFE for Priority Courses initiative and start an application for Chisholm’s mid-year intake. Visit www.chisholm.edu.au

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