Changing Careers

Maybe you are a nurse who wants to teach, a banker drawn to farming, or a mineworker who wants to start a trade. Changing careers can feel exciting one day and terrifying the next, especially with bills to pay and people depending on you. Both feelings make sense.

What is happening

A career change is a big life transition, not just a new job. It touches money, identity, family and confidence. The most successful changes are usually tested and planned, not sudden leaps.

A few South African realities matter:

• Money: if you resign rather than being retrenched, you generally cannot claim UIF unemployment benefits, so you need your own buffer.
• Retirement savings: since September 2024, the two-pot system lets you access part of your retirement savings, but withdrawals are taxed and reduce your future income. Do not use it to fund a career change without advice from an FSCA-authorised financial adviser.
• Qualifications: some careers need registration with a professional body, for example health, law, engineering or teaching. Check what is required, how long it takes, and that any course is properly accredited.
• Notice: when you resign, you still have to give notice, usually at least what your contract or the Basic Conditions of Employment Act requires.

Many people change careers step by step: studying part-time, volunteering, doing weekend work in the new field, or moving sideways inside their company first.

Is this you?

• You keep coming back to the same idea for a different kind of work.
• You have skills or interests your current job does not use.
• You have started researching courses or new fields.
• Your current career is shrinking or changing because of technology.
• You are over 35 and worry it is "too late".
• Your family has doubts and you do not know how to talk about it.

30-second self-check

Answer yes or no.

• Have you spoken to at least two people who do the work you want?
• Do you know what qualifications or registration the new career needs?
• Do you have savings to cover at least three months of essential costs?
• Have you tried the work in some form, like volunteering or a side project?
• Does your household know and broadly support the plan?
• Could you start the change part-time while still earning?

0-1 yes: It is still an idea. That is fine: start by researching and testing it.
2-3 yes: You are on the way. Close the gaps before you resign.
4 or more yes: You have done solid groundwork. Set a clear timeline and a fallback plan.

What you can do next

• Today: Write down why you want to change, and what you are moving towards, not just what you are escaping.
• This week: Find two people in the field and ask them about the real day-to-day, the pay and the entry routes.
• This month: Test the work in a small way: a short course, job shadowing, volunteering or a weekend gig. Build a budget for the transition, including a lower income for a while.
• List your transferable skills. Managing people, handling cash, customer service, safety compliance and problem-solving move across many fields.
• Check that any course or institution is registered through SAQA before you pay.
• Agree a "decision point" date with yourself, and a plan B if things take longer.

Your tool

Career Satisfaction Score - see which parts of your current work you want to keep and which you need to leave behind, so your new direction solves the right problem.

When to get professional help

If you are unsure which direction fits you, a career coach or industrial psychologist can assess your interests, strengths and options. If money is tight or you are considering using retirement savings, get advice from an FSCA-authorised financial adviser first. If fear or low mood is stopping you from deciding, a counsellor can help.
Who can help: Career coach, industrial psychologist, FSCA-authorised financial adviser, counsellor.

Getting help in South Africa

• SAQA (saqa.org.za): verify qualifications and registered providers.
• FSCA (fsca.co.za): check that a financial adviser is authorised before taking advice.
• Your sector's SETA: learnerships and skills programmes that can help you move into a new field.
• Department of Employment and Labour (labour.gov.za): employment services and job information.
• Cleared Mind 24-hour Careline 0800 212 146: support with the stress and uncertainty of a big change.