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 Fancy A Job Change?

A recent study by the BBC found that almost half of the UK's workforce are considering changing careers. It goes without saying that there are many reasons why people want to make such a drastic change. The need for financial stability is an important one, but many others might be looking for new challenges and some of them may not even necessarily be monetary-based.

But there is also a very clear gender divide in the way people are thinking about their jobs and career change.

Women were twice as likely to say they 'want something more than a job' and twice as likely to say they are 'looking for something new' - even with children to look after. This can be attributed to the fact that women tend to negotiate lower salaries than men at every level of their career, starting from their first job, where they take lower paid positions, often working part-time or on flexible contracts. This means that from an early stage of their careers, women will have less disposable income compared to men and therefore less choice in what kind of job or career path they wish to follow.

The BBC analysis found that the jobs most likely to be held by men were in construction, engineering, information technology and science. Meanwhile, the industries most likely to be held by women were in human resources, health care and education.

While these numbers might seem negative and perhaps even surprising at first look, it is not as straightforward as it seems. After all, anybody who has successfully made transitions from one career path to another can tell you that having a choice of different jobs or career paths is a very powerful motivator indeed. What is more concerning however is that women do not seem to have this same level of choice in their career paths at the moment - whether this is due to factors inside or outside of their control.

It seems that it is primarily the women who are interested in starting a new career and changing jobs. Of course, this would make sense. Women are often the ones that have to think about the family and children's wellbeing first. This means that as we progress forward into 2011 with the economy gradually improving, women should be looking to further themselves in their careers, whilst working fewer hours and spending more time with their family.

The problem lies with how apparent these needs are to employers at the moment. Many people look at job adverts and simply see what they read there. They don't always see the skills that women have. They don't take into account the fact that they have children, so often these jobs are only open to men.

There are plenty of examples of women changing careers and breaking down barriers to do so. Kelly Osbourne for example, has carved out a successful career for herself in music and fashion, despite not being given the same opportunities as her brother Oritse Machel , who is also a singer and musician. Kelly was spotted by Machel at a party where she was performing on the piano - but she wasn't hired as his background singer. Kelly didn't let this deter her from following her passion however, and eventually signed a professional contract with American record label Hollywood Records .

Arguments about why there are more men in the workplace than women will continue to rage on, but in reality, this is often due to the fact that women are given less opportunities and choices.

If you are a woman looking to change your career and want some advice, please feel free to get in touch with us on Twitter @ AccountancyAge or Facebook , just let us know which country you are in and a bit about your background!

Title: "Shoulder To Shoulder" BBC Interview With Women Changing Careers

Source: BBC News [ARTICLE START]

She is at the stage of her life where she has an empty nest – her two children have flown the nest and many of her friends are retired.

This is the point of life when many women might be considering a change of career, but for Jean King it is too late.

"I didn't start my career until I was in my 40s and you're conditioned to think that it's all or nothing," she says.

"Once you get into a pattern in your working life, it's very hard to break out. The older you get the harder it becomes."

Jean, who lives near Bath with her husband Roger, says that she realised when her daughter left home that she had been relegated to the role of housewife and mother.

"Once you have children, you give so much to them that you lose sight of yourself. I think it's the same with a job – once you start doing it, your identity can become lost."

She adds: "It's only if you're lucky enough to have the ability to do something else that your whole personality doesn't get put on hold."

Jean is one of a growing number of women who are re-entering the workforce later in life under a programme developed by BBC Learning and funded by the government. The Ministry of Justice has provided £3m over three years for Shoulder to Shoulder , a body that works with partners including community groups, charities, private and public sector employers.

An estimated one million women leave work each year in the UK and Jean is one of them.

She has been unemployed for three years and says that she would not be able to go back into the workforce at this point.

"I've looked on the internet, but with two hours' childcare a week, I doubt I could get a job," she says. "And I'm out of date – so much has changed in those years."

In the 1980s she trained as an engineer for British Aerospace, but had to give up her job in 1995 when her baby son became seriously ill at four months old.

"I didn't have time to get back into the workplace," she says.

Jean's husband is a self-employed IT consultant who has had some periods of unemployment. He says that the recession has added pressure to the family finances and he is finding it hard to find full-time work.

"It's almost as tough for men," he adds. "A lot of women are going back into work."

The Shoulder to Shoulder programme is run by Roz Garston, a tutor with nearly 20 years' experience in adult education. The programme is run in the evening, with a mix of one-to-one and group tuition.

Her students include women who want to go into IT, business and administration. Others are looking at more creative courses including drawing and painting.

Roz says that the feedback from participants has been fantastic and that this is down to the fact that they can talk freely in a non-judgemental environment.

She adds: "I think women don't take themselves seriously enough. We give them the confidence to have a go, but ultimately it's what's inside that counts.

Conclusion

The programme is run in the evenings, with a mix of one-to-one and group tuition.

Source: BBC News [ARTICLE END]

Title: "Time To Move On" BBC Interview With Women Changing Careers

Source: BBC News [ARTICLE START]

It's not easy for women to keep their jobs once they have children and for those who do, it can be painful to watch their male colleagues progress. So when a woman loses her job it can be difficult adjusting back into the workforce again. The hours really aren't very family friendly and the burden on women is immense.