Reflecting about your future and dream career is a major side-effect of the pandemic and it is likely to be impacting workers of all ages.
Those early on in their career are anxious about their future prospects, but those in their 30s and 40s are also considering whether their current career choice is still right for them. This reflection has sparked a wave of interest from mid-life professionals, with many UK workers now considering a career switch.
If you’re exploring a new career path it’s worth brushing up on your skills before you jump professions so here are five courses to get you started.
1. Interior design
Whether you’ve always had an artistic eye, or have been inspired by seeing design work in magazines, interior design is a great career choice for exercising a sense of creativity and curiosity day to day. While designing people’s homes may be the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words interior design, skills in this sector can be applied to everything from workplaces and public spaces, to restaurants, bars and shops.
An interior designer will have the responsibility of working with their client to take a brief and work out how to bring their vision to life in a functional, safe manner within an agreed budget. People in this career field will need a healthy dose of organizational and planning ability to plan out the project and execute on the chosen design. The average salary for an interior designer is around £34,000 pa, but as always, this depends on your experience and level of seniority.
2. Photography
Photography is a discipline with a huge range of potential applications. Options include working in filmmaking, digital production, marketing, news media or as a freelancer.
While it may be true that these days with mobile phone cameras in pockets, everyone can take a photograph, being a photographer is a different matter. If anything, the benefits that training and experience bring to the professional are even more obvious to the eye – and camera setup, proper decision making, lighting and use of programs like Photoshop are key differentiators.
While jobs in the sector can be very varied, the average salary for photography jobs is £32,500 pa.
To find out more, visit the British Academy of Photography at www.baph.co.uk/ to book a course.
3. Garden design
For those who have something of a green thumb, garden design could prove to be a highly fulfilling career choice. Having something of a renaissance with new Netflix shows like The Big Flower Fight joining classic showcases of garden design skills like Gardener’s World or the Chelsea Flower Show in the public imagination.
A successful garden designer will apply practical knowledge and technical information to plan their designs. Using the key principles behind the discipline, alongside their interest in the great outdoors, practitioners can manage projects, work with leading garden design companies or start a business, earning an average salary of £29,000 pa.
To find out more about the British Academy of Garden Design or to book a course visit www.gardendesignacademy.co.uk
4. Fashion design
The world of fashion is full of glamour and excitement, but being a designer also requires a great deal of discipline, navigating research, planning, project management and budgeting. As such, studying the subject ahead of a career change to the fashion industry can be a huge benefit, giving yourself the foundation to underpin the creativity and interpretation of the cultural zeitgeist.
The average salary for a fashion designer is £28,600 pa. As well as going into fashion design, there is the option to apply fashion design skills to roles in retail, buying, textile design and styling.
https://www.fashiondesignacademy.co.uk/
5. Digital marketing
Digital marketing has grown in popularity in recent years, due to the huge increase in digital methods used to reach people. Social media, apps and search engines are now part of our daily lives which means digital marketers have never had more ways to reach potential customers and audiences.
Essentially digital marketing is promotion through digital channels, developing and managing campaigns to promote a brand or company. The average salary in digital marketing is around £37,500 pa but this can change depending on what your specialisms are. If you’re analytical, good at understanding and analysing data and like to be creative then this might be a good route for you.
With things changing so rapidly in the digital marketing industry, you have to constantly be on your toes. As a starter for ten, why not take up a 3 month starter course from home and gain a digital marketing certificate equivalent to a level 2 qualification (GCSE level) for just £395
For more courses visit www.britishdigitalmarketing.co.uk
