Making Time for Your Career Change: 3 Simple Steps to Success

Today, I’m going to show you how you can still successfully change careers even with a demanding role as a busy Retail Manager.

In a world where we are accustomed to instant success stories plastered all over social media, it’s easy to feel like making a career change requires significant time investment.

However, the reality is less glamorous.

Behind every successful career change lies consistency in simple actions, rather than hours of weekly commitment to complicated job search strategies.

Nevertheless, it’s understandable why many people believe they don’t have the time.

As a Retail Manager, long and unsociable working days are certain.

When you factor in bills, family commitments, friends, hobbies and life in general, it becomes even more challenging.

You end up staying late at work because something went wrong, spent at least three evenings stuck in traffic, and your partners feeling neglected, so you need to spend some quality time with them, and before you know it six weeks have gone by since you did anything about your career change.

And you're still miserable. And you’re still busy. And that’s just the way it is.

But do you believe you’re too busy to prioritise your career change?

Considering we spend at least 70% of our waking lives at work, being unhappy in our careers is a big deal.

It’s time to start treating it like one.

Here are 3 steps on how you can do just that.

Step 1: Carve out 30 minutes a day for your career change

Blaming our demanding Retail jobs for not having enough time to pursue a career change is a common assumption. After all, the average Retail Manager typically works around 10 hours per day (not including the commute to work).

But we both know that’s merely an excuse, there is still enough time in the day to work on our career change. Here’s why…

On average, we spend:

- 3 hours and 15 minutes a day on our phones. (RescueTime, 2018)
- 142 minutes per day on social media (Digital Information World, 2019)

In 90% of cases, "I don't have time for that" is not a statement about quantity.

It's a statement about priority.

If you keep making excuses, how will you ever change your situation?

Let's be honest; time is not the issue here. It's about making your career change a genuine priority.

Step 2: Utilise those 30 minutes effectively for maximum impact

Don’t fall into the trap of making countless “one-click” apply applications on job search websites.

It’s a waste of your valuable time.

Such a volume-based approach rarely yields quality or standout results.

Instead, let's embrace the 80/20 rule: 80% of our success comes from just 20% of our actions.

Let's get straight to the point and focus on the actions that truly lead to success.

What makes the most difference in the job market?

It’s all about standing out from the crowd.

But you’re going to need to spend your 30 minutes wisely.

Here’s how:

Tailor 1x quality application

Instead of 10 applications, make one high-quality application. Customise it to showcase your strengths and transferable value for that specific vacancy.

Follow up with a Retail Value Proposition (RVP)

After submitting your application, follow up with an RVP. This personalised touch can leave a lasting impression, plus no one is doing this so you’ll have a competitive advantage. You can learn how to build one here.

Build a relationship with the hiring manager

Go the extra mile and start building a connection with the potential hiring manager. Engage with them professionally, and express genuine interest in the opportunity. You can learn more about this tactic here.

By investing your 30 minutes with these impactful actions, you'll set yourself apart from the competition and increase your chances of standing out to potential employers. 

Step 3: Transform consistency into tangible results

"What you do every day, matters more than what you do once in a while."

Consistency holds the key to success.

Even if it's just one thing a day, it matters more than doing nothing due to feeling overwhelmed. Let's break it down:

30 Minutes x 365 Days = 109.5 Hours

Imagine dedicating just 30 minutes daily to your career change. Over the course of a year, that adds up to a whopping 109.5 hours! The impact of this regular effort is substantial and far more significant than sporadic bursts of activity.

Compare this to someone who only works on their career change once a month after a bad day at work:

2 Hours x 12 Months = 24 Hours

Their total effort amounts to only 24 hours in a year.

The difference is clear - consistent, daily investment in your career change accumulates to over four times the effort of occasional, monthly attempts.

By embracing consistency, you'll steadily build momentum and progress towards your goals. Don't underestimate the power of small daily steps. In the long run, they lead to tangible and meaningful results, setting you on the path to success. Keep going, and watch your efforts flourish!

Conclusion

It might feel like you've not got enough time, but you do if you're honest with yourself.

It all comes down to finally prioritising your career change; without taking this step, nothing will ever shift.

By investing just 30 minutes consistently, you accumulate over x4 the effort of sporadic attempts.

The key lies in optimising your time by focusing on job search strategies most likely to yield results.

Quality outweighs quantity every single time.

So, seize the moment, embrace each step, and let your career change become the priority it deserves to be.

Happy hunting!

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Whenever you're ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:

1. I'd recommend starting with an affordable course:

Career Idea Generator: Unlock Exciting Career Ideas Outside of Retail

The Proven Framework for Generating 30+ Career Ideas Outside of Retail Without Sacrificing Your Salary (Even if You Have Absolutely No Experience in Other Industries)

The Job Offer Blueprint: How to Secure Interviews for Your Dream Career Outside of Retail.

The Job Offer Blueprint Is a Multi-Step System for Generating a Pipeline of Interviews for Careers in Exciting Industries - Even if You’ve Only Worked in Retail

2. If you need more hands-on 1:2:1 support.

Join the Retail Escape Academy. The Retail Escape Academy Is a Proven, All-In-One System for Landing a Job You Love Without Connections, Without Traditional “Experience,” and Without Using Job Search Websites. Includes both "Career Idea Generator" and "Job Offer Blueprint" courses. In addition: Self-Marketing Mastery, Nailing Your Interviews + Loads of Hands-On Support.