With Aussies now working longer and more likely to have several different jobs, what are the best ways to successfully change careers and be on the road to a more fulfilling profession?
Public servant turned horticulturist, Alison Flakemore, said the key step to changing careers is having the confidence within yourself to do it.
“People need to have faith in themselves to follow what they want to do. It’s incredible how many people say: ‘I can’t do that’ – but there are so many sources you can tap into [for help] in this day and age. If you have a dream, get on the internet and find mentors or organisations for support,” says Tasmanian-based Flakemore, who grew up on an apple orchard in the Huon Valley.
The daughter of a horticulturist, Flakemore was working at Transport Tasmania when she began realising her dream of launching a garden and landscape business. Flakemore completed a trade certificate in horticulture at night while working full-time.
“I always looked out the window thinking: ‘I have to get a job outside, I can’t stand being cooped up in here’. It was something I wanted for my own happiness, flexibility and wellbeing – I knew if I worked somewhere for any length of time I would only come home with X amount of dollars,” says Flakemore.
It was when Flakemore was on maternity leave with her first child that she decided to bite the bullet and drop brochures advertising her horticulture business into neighbourhood letterboxes. Within hours Flakemore had her first job, and within the first week had lined up four full days work.
After four years of building a strong local client base, Flakemore branched out by applying for government tenders. She won her first horticultural contract with the Department of Health and Human Services in 2000. In 2011, Flakemore earned a finalist position in the business owner category of the Telstra Tasmanian Business Women’s Awards.
Now, more than 15 years after launching Alison’s Garden and Landscape, Flakemore’s success in a male-dominated industry is evident as her business continues to secure lucrative state government contracts and services the whole of Southern Tasmania.
Identify your current skills, values and work style and how that matches up with what you are looking to move into. Research how the people you admire in your chosen new industry got to where they are today. Volunteering for a relevant organisation can also give you a taste of the area you want to enter and uncover what skills you need to add or improve on. Additionally, using a professional career coach can help you write a solid plan that details how you will reach your new job goals. Flakemore’s final tip is the importance of networking. “I offered free consultations and let everyone I know [about the business]. If you see women’s networking lunches, book yourself a ticket and go along – you will meet so many people from different walks of life and learn from other peoples’ inspirations.”
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