Passion for your role and thorough research are key when looking for a new roleThe start of the year causes many to resolute to making some important changes that contribute to a happier and healthier lifestyle. A new job is often on peoples lists as a resolution hoping to bring improved well-being and job satisfaction.
The Institute for Optimum Nutrition recently conducted a careers study and found that only 5% of the UK are currently in their dream job. The results found that the anxieties of financial uncertainty, embarrassment of being at the bottom of the career ladder and the fear of unsupportive family and friends often deters individuals from looking for a new role. One fifth of people were also concerned an age barrier may impact their likelihood of securing a new job and 10 per cent said they lacked the confidence to job hunt.
Kin Communications tracked down two people who have taken the plunge and never looked back.
Clemmie Macpherson, was severely ill after the diagnosis of Ulcerative Colitis which resulted in life saving surgery to save her colon. After moving to London and beginning a stressful career in PR, she fell ill again, feeling nauseous and bloated whenever she ate, she worryingly began to lose weight and her hair. Desperate to find an effective treatment, Clemmie turned to nutrition as a possible cure. She discovered that she could transform her digestion and overall health through diet and lifestyle medicine. The experience was so powerful and significant, Clemmie gained the confidence to quit her PR job and retrain as a registered nutritional therapist at the Institute for Optimum Nutrition. Now, she has set up her own clinic specialising in digestive health. Clemmie explains how working in a job that she finds rewarding has altered her outlook on working life: “I am now in a career that I love, and I can see myself doing for the rest of my life. I am helping to change people’s lives on a daily basis which is incredibly rewarding. I was scared and daunted about starting all over again and that I would be behind all my peers in terms of career progression. The thought of having to retrain for three years seemed like such a long time but it flew by.”
Mike Murphy, who also took the leap of faith and changed his career, is now a registered Nutritional Therapist and the Executive Health Coach and Founder of Saffron Wellness. Prior to this, for over 25 years Mike worked in international sales and marketing for various US companies. After completing a diploma with the Institute for Optimum Nutrition and setting up his own company, Mike talks about how his decision to change his career has impacted his life: “I absolutely love the diversity of work that I am involved in; one day I’m working on a writing project, the next I’m preparing a health talk for a charity or researching a complex condition to help a client. I find it very empowering to be 100% in charge of my work schedule. My main concern when changing my career was becoming self- employed and accumulating a cliental that would generate income. However, with the high demand for nutritional therapists, this fear faded.”
Here are Mike and Clemmie’s top tips on how to secure your dream job:
1. Make sure you are passionate about the career you want to go into, changing careers is not easy; it takes time, money and determination so you’ve got to really want it.
2. Think about that job you want to do and then do your research really thoroughly about how to get there. Explore all the different avenues so you can make an informed decision.
3. Talk to as many different people as you can in the industry you want to go into, to give you an idea of what it’s really like, how they got to where they are, and what they recommend to someone just starting out.
4. When you follow a passion-driven career it doesn’t really feel like you’re working because you love what you do. But that can be a trap, make sure you have clear boundaries between your work and the other aspects of your life.
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