Career change through professional retraining

Are you considering a change in your professional life? A yearning to fulfil your potential in another field of activity? It's possible. How to properly anticipate a professional transition, an important step in a career? IPAG Online, the distance learning business school, approaches all the key milestones in a change of career path.

What is career transition?

A professional transition is a step initiated by an employee wishing to change profession or professional status. In a changing world of work, a change of professional occupation has recently become commonplace, and even recommended. More and more people are venturing into retraining in order to evolve in a new environment, to pursue an activity that they really enjoy or to carry out a professional project.

What are the reasons for retraining?

There are a number of reasons why people decide to change careers. Sometimes career changes occur involuntarily and out of obligation, when a job does not offer any prospects, a sector is not recruiting enough or when a job disappears.

For others, the change of professional life comes from a deep desire for progression. Faced with a lack of motivation in one's job, the need for renewal, for self-fulfilment, for giving meaning to one's work, for achieving a professional project, the desire to make a living from one's passion, are all reasons for embarking on a change of direction.

Whether by choice or by constraint, conversion is an approach that requires time and thoroughness. With professional and personal experience, some people in the process of retraining turn to professions that they can master without prior training. On the other hand, sometimes, when deciding to work in another profession, switching to a new one implies going back to school and attending the training necessary for the practice of the new activity.

Professional retraining: at what age should you start?

There's no age limit for embarking on a career transition. Generally the result of a personal initiative, the urge to change careers can happen at any time. It is not rare for young graduates to change direction because their job did not respond to their expectations. Some will launch themselves halfway through their studies to change their horizons. At 30, 40, 50 years old... it doesn't matter how old you are, it's the willingness and motivation that count to achieve a successful career change.

How long does a career change last?

Starting a career change is a long process that demands time in order to prevent a lack of in-depth study and a flawed project. On average, it will take between 6 and 12 months depending on the professional project. In some cases, where a qualification is requested, the training time will increase the transition period. To effectively carry out a project to change jobs, it may be appropriate to undertake a skills assessment, to seek support and to study the different opportunities.

The steps to a successful career change

A career change is crucial and involves following several key steps to increase your chances of success.

• Understanding your motivations : such a change can not be improvised. You have to take the time to reflect on your aspirations and precisely define them.
• Do a skills assessment : to find the job that suits you. A skills review is an occasion to take a step back and assess your skills, abilities and motivations.
• Discovering the job : to confront the reality of an activity. Learning from professionals in the field and doing internships are the ideal methods for confirming or rejecting a new project.
• Training : to acquire new skills. Retraining implies selecting a course that is appropriate to the intended project.
• Getting organised : to properly define the strategy to be pursued in order to implement your career transition project. It is important to contemplate possible adjustments (change of workplace, new training, etc.) and to include those close to you in order to make the process a reality.
• Finding funding : there is financial assistance available to launch your project. It is necessary to find out about the various possibilities such as the CIF (individual training leave), the CPF (personal training account) or other schemes depending on your project.

Which profession should you choose for your professional retraining?

According to your sensibilities, your interests and your skills, different professions are being recruited and offer great opportunities on the job market, such as school teacher, nurse, baker, yoga teacher, naturopath, sports coach and many others. For some sectors of activity, professional reconversion demands a certificate, in particular to become a real estate negotiator, community manager, e-commerce product manager, brand manager or web developer. If you have an aptitude for digital and new technologies, the IPAG Online business school offers Masters of Science courses that are 100% accessible online. Take advantage of the benefits of distance learning and the quality of teaching at a business school for your career transition.

Do you want to change jobs, upgrade your skills within the company or acquire new ones with a view to a career change? Discover an online training offer focused on reskilling and upskilling.