Switching career paths at 30? Consider a Minternship!

Consider a personal retreat, a period of inner re-orientation before you take your next step. Reflect on your likes and dislikes, skills and interests, ideal work environment and find out what you want for yourself.

Studying again can help you with your change in career as it provides you an opportunity to upskill, learn the basics, providing you leverage over others.

You may even consider studying while overseas. You get to kill two birds with one stone by having a prolonged getaway and boost your knowledge. 

A minternship is one of the increasingly popular ways for millennials to break into a new career path.

It allows exploration into a new career (internal link to article: 5 High-Paying Jobs That’s Worth Switching Careers For-nov’19) and provides an opportunity for one to hit the “restart” button on his or her career to realign with career goals.

There are 3 big reasons why millennials are considering minternships:

• No job or career satisfaction
• The need for a higher salary or a career with greater prospects
• The chance to learn a new skill

Below, we’ll take you through the idea of a minternship and give you a deeper understanding of its benefit and drawbacks fit for your career aspirations!

Give yourself a “window of time” and the opportunity to explore and learn something new. Get out of the complacency of you at your old job and take an internship!

Before you make your career switch at 30, you should get hands-on experience in a new workplace environment.

By doing so, you get to find out if this new career or pathway that you have decided on offers you something that matches your updated career goals.

And whilst “having a taste” at your new job, you even get to mingle with others and build your network within the industry. You may even find out something novel and interesting related to you or your career!

Best of all, if you decide that this is the right job for you, you’ve got an advantage for a full-time position in the same company as well.

As much as a minternship provides you a leverage over what you aspire, you have to plan ahead before jumping into one as there is no guarantee of a job.

Consider the fact that you will be joining as a ‘greenhorn’ in the industry and a ‘mintern’ at that. With such consideration, two drawbacks come into play.

The first disadvantage will be your pay-cut.

Your previous career’s salary, experience and progression will not be taken into account at all.

You may not even get paid as a mintern, and if you do, it will be very little. You’ll need to endure that financial burden.

The second con will be a delay or reset of your current career climb.

You have to start from the bottom and learn things from scratch. That may mean working for somebody younger than you are. You need to prepare your mindset and outlook as you may likely experience communication problems with the age gap and switch in the hierarchy.

A minternship can be a great fit for some but it is not for everybody.

If a minternship is not for you but you would still like to join a new industry for a career switch, consider the alternative of getting a postgrad degree.

From MBA (Masters of Business Administration) to J.D (Juris Doctor) of Law, there is a wide breadth of options available to choose from.

Considering taking a postgrad degree (internal link to article: 10 Hottest Postgraduate Courses in Australia to Ignite Your Career-nov’19) that will assist you in jumping into a new job sector or new role in your current industry or organization that aligns with your career goals.

What’s more, is that you will be able to enter at a level that is commensurate with your age and expectations. You get a higher salary and a fresh new career challenge!

Now that you have a better idea of a career switch at 30, what will be your next step?

Unsure which post-grad degree course is the right one to take in fulfilling your career aspirations?

From MBA to advanced post-grad degrees, our wide network of Universities allows you to selectthe suitable course in a choice study destination.

At IDP, our counsellors can help to arrange the entire process of applying for a university in various countries. From course selection, application to accommodation. We have got you covered.

Book a counselling session with IDP and let our counsellors advice you on your best options tailored to your career goals.