Usually, when someone suggests that you change into something new, they mean an outfit. Perhaps you’ve come home from work in a suit, and they suggest you change into something more suitable for cooking dinner and watching a movie or reading a book. In this case, we’re applying the phrase to those bored with their current career and wanting to make a change. If you have worked in the same type of position since just after high school or college, perhaps the desire to do something else has come over you.
When you want to make a career change though, you don’t always know to what. Perhaps you want to explore something completely different from your current job. In this article, we’ll explore a handful of potential careers, most of which require four years or fewer of study, so you can take classes at night, and then make your big career change.
1. Plumber
Did you look at the bill from the last plumbing company you hired and think that it must be great to work one or two hours and earn hundreds of dollars? If you think a career as a plumber might suit your desire to change into something new, consider the years of schooling and on-the-job training that they undergo before jumping the gun. Plumbers attend either vocational school or trade school, earning the equivalent of a two-year college degree. This qualifies them to apply for apprenticeships.
Once they land one of these intern-like positions, their boss champions them, so they can join the union. At this point, they complete the 16-month to two-year apprenticeship and apply for a second on-the-job training position. After about a year in this second position, they take an exam to earn their license. Successfully passing it and filing the appropriate paperwork with their state earns them a plumbing license.
Plumbers often work six to seven days a week. They remain on-call during that time. Those who operate emergency plumbing services work 24 hours a day, theoretically. They accept calls all day, so they may get awakened from slumber by an emergency, such as a homeowner with burst pipes or a water main.
Individuals with an interest in mechanical things, engineering, construction, or exploring how things work may enjoy plumbing. If you enjoy problem-solving, then a career in this building trade might suit you. You can get away with not being a people person if you plan to work for another plumber, but you need an outgoing personality and experience in sales to succeed in running your own business as a plumber.
2. Mechanic or Technician
Perhaps you will enjoy talking shop with your bumper repair mechanic or working on your own vehicle. If your friends come to you for auto advice and simple repairs, you may have found your calling. If you choose a mechanic to fulfill your desire to change into something new, then locate a night school program or weekend program. Mechanics typically complete a vocational or trade school program of one year in length.
To make it simple to find a job as a mechanic, apply to automotive dealerships with an in-house service center. These manufacturer-specific shops will provide further training through the automaker they represent. Although most of the work these service centers perform consists of manufacturer-certified maintenance, these technicians still get to perform local transmission repairs and auto body work.
While it may seem more fun to run an independent repair shop, most vehicles now require computer programs and proprietary diagnostic tools to repair them. The manufacturers only make these proprietary products available to technicians at their affiliated showrooms and auto sales lots. Unless you want to specialize in classic car repair, working for a dealership offers the best option.
3. Roofer
Does your desire to change into something new stem from restoration or renovation work on your own home? Some individuals watch the roofers they hire walk the roof and lay the shingles or sheet metal, and find it interesting work. They overhear the roofing crew’s camaraderie and long for that type of team environment.
Before you join the ranks of roof metal decking companies, earn your education and licensing. Roofers attend vocational or trade schools, completing a one- to two-year program. They then apprentice with an existing roofing company for at least a year. If you don’t want to handle running a business by yourself, keep working for an established roofer.
4. Lawyer
Many individuals working in the court system, police departments, or at the municipal level decide to change into something new and become a lawyer. If you enjoy logic problems, solving mysteries, or negotiating deals, a career in law might suit you. Regardless of your interests, there’s probably an area of law related to them.
For example, individuals with an interest in finance might choose estate law or business law. Those who enjoy sports might pick sports law, and those with an interest in theater, film, or music might choose entertainment law. If you desire litigation, consider joining the ranks of local personal injury lawyers or criminal lawyers. Whatever area you choose, prepare to study a lot.
Attorneys must obtain the most lengthy of the educations on this list. On top of their bachelor’s degree, they must earn a juris doctorate, which requires three years of graduate school. After graduation, they take the bar exam in the state in which they want to practice law. Successfully completing it earns them state licensing.
While in law school, the law student works on one or more internships. In their third year, they may complete a practicum course or serve as a writer or editor in the school’s law journal. Some do both. Besides working as legal interns, some law students serve as a clerk for a judge.
Most law students go to work for a law firm or a municipality after graduation. Although their employer may hire them contingent upon their successful completion of the bar examination, to keep their job, they must pass it. Lawyers complete an annual education requirement to maintain their license, called continuing education hours.
5. Advertiser
Spotting cars, trucks, and SUVs sporting a vehicle wrap might prompt a foray into a new career. If seeing this type of advertising makes you want to change into something new, consider becoming a wrap artist. You will use a specialty printer to create these large vinyl signs that wrap over a vehicle.
Don’t worry if you lack art talent. The computer programs that create these vinyl wraps provide guidance about where to place each element. The company ordering the wrapper provides its logo as a high-resolution graphic file and its tagline. The wrap artist simply types in the information, imports the logo and then prints it.
Local businesses that sell these typically install them, too. Many of these businesses operate online, offering a website that lets the customer upload their logo and place it where they want it to appear on the wrap. Using such an interface takes most of the work out of designing these wraps. The wrap artist merely double-checks the graphic placements, prints the vinyl wrap, then packages it and ships it to the consumer.
That career only requires the purchase of the software, creation of the website, and building of business processes, unless you offer a local service. You will need to know how to advertise to enjoy customers with either business model. If you choose to install the wraps, practice putting them on your own vehicles first, and, of course, use a wrap to advertise your business.
6. Vehicle Detailer
Maybe you love cleaning and organizing but do not want to clean houses or offices. Consider the job of vehicle detailer for your change into something new. This job combines a love of automobiles and making things spotless.
While most careers require one to four years of training, auto detailing courses take only three to five days. Because you don’t repair anything, you only clean it, this course and licensing takes little time to complete. Only experience teaches you how to work around broken power windows. These courses cover things like the chemicals used, types of pads, removing paint defects, wet sanding, and liquid coating.
Some schools offer online programs. Some vocational schools offer physical, on-campus courses, which can prove helpful if you learn better when someone shows you how to do something instead of you reading it and trying it on your own. Auto detailing requires hands-on practice, so an in-person course usually offers a vehicle on which to practice techniques.
7. Mortician
Working at a funeral home offers many positions, including hearse driver, grief counselor, minister, cremation services manager, and mortician. If you want to change into something new and enjoy doing makeup and styling clothes, but lack people skills, consider a career as a mortician. This behind-the-scenes position requires creativity and talent with makeup and some special effects.
When most funerals take place, they include a viewing. The mortician readies the deceased by dressing them and applying their makeup to make them look as life-like as possible. Sometimes, this requires the use of putty or clay to cover damage caused by an accident or a shooting. If you dream of a career as a makeup artist but do not want to make small talk, a career as a mortician can provide potential fulfillment.
Morticians specializing in makeup attend a trade school, completing a course that takes about one year. Those who want to assume a different position at a funeral home typically earn an associate’s degree from a two-year college. If you dream of working your way up to funeral director, you will need to earn a four-year bachelor’s degree in mortuary science. You can earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degree online or by attending classes on a physical campus.
8. Carer/Caregiver
Perhaps you chose a first career that lacks contact with others, such as an accountant or web designer, but you consider yourself a people person. Consider developing a second career as a caregiver, also called a carer in Europe. Somewhere between a nurse and a nanny, a carer typically serves one patient at a time, either as a full-time daytime job or as a live-in caregiver. This career’s duties vary according to the patient and their needs.
Some patients need help getting to and from the toilet or assistance with bathing and dressing. Others may only need someone to stay with them to call for a doctor if something happens to them. The carer might cook meals or set up the individual’s computer and peripherals, so they can work. Some caregivers drive the patient to and from doctor’s appointments or therapy.
Pursuing this career change into something new and different does require some schooling, but not a lengthy program. Online courses take weeks to months to complete. You then earn a certification.
Launching or Changing Careers
When you want to change into something new, consider a new career. Even if you have never held a job before, you probably have talents you don’t realize. For instance, a person who has been a full-time parent throughout their child’s life could easily complete a carer program once their teen leaves for college. A teacher or college professor could become an online tutor if they don’t want to fully retire in their 60s or 70s.
An avid scrapbooker might launch a career as a decoupage artist. A musician might transition to teaching their instrument. Maybe you want a radical change though, such from actress to neuroscientist. Choose your interest, find a school, and start your education because waiting until tomorrow only delays your new career start.
Today you might work as a database designer, but tomorrow you could launch a career in estate sales planning. Make a list of your hobbies and interests. Consider which you might find exciting as a full-time endeavor. You don’t have to maintain the same career your whole life; you can add a second career to become a multi-career girl or guy, or change careers.
