Career changers

Are you ready for a career change?

There are many reasons to consider a career change – including being dissatisfied in your current role.

Be sure your decision is not based on just one bad day at work and ask yourself what is it you’re looking for in your career? How well does your current career reflect the person you are? How suited are you to the job you are currently doing? Having answered these questions, the very key question has to be asked:

Is there a role or an organisation that would suit me better?

If the answer is yes, you are one of a growing number of people who could be – or already are – seeking a career change. You may find a career in the disability and community care sector is better aligned to your needs in life or better reflects your personal values, than your current role.

With the sector’s ability to suit the needs of very diverse career pathways, and unique journeys, this sector delivers benefits that make the move worthwhile to many people.

Take Ken for example, he was the manager of a steel powder coating plant until, at the age of 44, he acted upon an overwhelming need to do something more worthwhile – to be more involved with his community. He applied for a job at The Spastic Centre and got it. That was more than 15 years ago and that’s where he began working with Ange.

Ange has Cerebral Palsy, is in a wheelchair and cannot talk. Their main method of communicating is by using the alphabet. Ange moves her head either to the left (which means start at A) or to her right (which means start at L) Ken then calls out the alphabet A, B, C, D etc until she moves her head indicating the letter she wants, then comes the next letter, and the next and so on. It sounds time consuming, and it is, but after ten years together they’ve got it down to a fine art.

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One of Ange’s true passions is a ball game called Boccia which Ken assists her with. It is one of the very few times in Ange’s life where she has total control of what’s going on as Ken can do nothing and makes no decisions until Ange gives him an instruction. Thanks to their unique teamwork and absolute trust in each other Ange has won the national title three times in a row, but she hasn’t finished there. Now she has her eye on the biggest prize of all, a gold medal at the Paralympics. 

But perhaps the greatest reward comes to Ken as he says in his own words ”Seeing her each day and the courage she shows really helps me in my life everyday.”

Why move into the community care and disability sector?

People change careers for any number of reasons, but the following factors tend to rate highly amongst those changing careers to join the community care and disability sector:

  • Skill recognition – existing skills and life experience may well be acknowledged through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) scheme
  • Values – the sector offers the chance to align personal and professional values.
  • Development – many enjoy the opportunities for training and professional development
  • Work-life balance – the sector offers opportunities to balance work and lifestyle
  • Respect – people joining the sector are discovering that by assisting others, and by learning to have greater empathy and patience, they are developing a greater self awareness in the process
  • Mutually beneficial – it’s not just about what you can give to the job but also about what you can gain from the experiences of work

 

Is this the right move?

carecareers aims to offer you a genuine insight into the sector to help you make an informed decision. Ensure you research the sector, before you decide, and review the following:

 

Finding the right role

Analysing your reasons for seeking a career change is a great starting point. A clear-headed assessment of your likes and dislikes, your strengths and weaknesses and your overall goals is the first step.

With your self-assessment in hand, you can move through the following steps:

Ken with client Ange