Changing career can seem like a very daunting prospect, particularly if you have been in the same job for a long time. Follow our seven steps to make sure you get it right and make the transition as smooth as possible:

1.         Motivation, Not Money

Think about what is driving you to change careers and focus on it. Job satisfaction is the key to success and will keep you motivated to do well at your job, raring to return to work rather than dragging yourself in each day.

2.         Determine Skills

Write down what you are good at, what you enjoy and conduct your research from there. If you take a career in something that you are skilled in you are much more likely to enjoy it and get more out of it than something that you struggle with.

3.         Explore your Options

Take each skill one by one and look into the careers that can use them to the best ability. Link these to things that you enjoy doing and you will be amazed at the vast range of jobs available to you!

4.         Make “The List”

From the variety of options that have stemmed from your research, you can now start to make a short list of jobs that you would like to do. Concentrate on every possible aspect; location, hours worked, transport, training and anything else which may affect the reality of you obtaining your new career path.

5.         Contact the Professionals

Business Networking meetings are popular in all areas and are a great way to connect with people from your chosen career. Alternatively look online to see if you can find any organised events surrounding your chosen job.

6.         Watch and Learn

Where possible see if you can contact businesses directly and ask for advice; most will admire your determination and be happy to help. Ask if you can ‘shadow’ someone to get a better idea of the job and to learn more about how to do it.

7.         Try it out!

The only way to find out if you will enjoy a job is to give it a try. Lots of careers have a way of volunteering to see whether the job is suited, or if your career path is suitable, try part-time freelancing to build up a portfolio before taking the plunge.

There are several reasons why someone might want to change career, level of job satisfaction, a chance to learn new skills, a change in life circumstances and many other determining factors. Whatever your reason, make sure you are prepared and weigh up all of your options; then go for it!

Simon Appleton is CEO at Workcircle.