Stop before you drop

With the prospect of an increase in the retirement age to 70, and the rising discontent with pension schemes, many people are looking to live now, and find a career that doesnít take over their lives, but offers a sense of achievement at the same time. So how do you go about finding the right advice?

Help may be just around the corner at your local recruitment agency, but before you take a step backwards, look at some decisions that need to
be made:

Decide if you are willing to trade working closer to home, for shorter hours or vice versa.

Or find work that is closer to home, to enable you to attend a nearby college or evening classes, which may lead to the career of your dreams.

Have you always worked in the city, but fancy working with animals? For example, if youíre willing to take a pay cut, check out the availability of traineeship courses as a vetinerary nurse at a local vets, where youíll learn the job and train at the same time. But really ask yourself before if your dream job out ways your current standard of life.

ìLife isnít all about work,î said Yngve Traberg, CEO of online job board ClickAJob. ìWhen it comes to downsizing your career, traditional recruitment companies can help, it does not have to be a leap into the darkness.

ìMany people donít know where to start looking or what they need to take into account if they plan to go down this route. A good tip would be to monitor the jobs that appear on ClickAJob and see if any appear in your area of expertise. Then do your sums, add up your outgoings, and see if you are ready to make the change.î

Top tips from Yngve Traberg:

Start planning your future now ñ donít keep putting off till tomorrow what you can do today.

Check out your bills and finances to ensure you can make it work.

Can you downsize your house ñ do you really need four bedrooms, can you not make do with two?

Downsize your car ñ buy something smaller or take up cycling and cut down on those fuel bills, insurance and monthly repayments.

Many people canít wait until their retirement to start taking life a bit easier, but canít afford to stop work entirely, so they cut back on their hours and go part-time. Maybe you could do that job youíve always fancied, but, due to financial commitments, have been unable to take the leap?

Save more ñ put aside a bit more for your retirement. This might mean cutting down on the things you buy and spending your money more wisely. Start planning a pension so you no longer have that panic at the back of your mind.

Chat to the experts ñ staff at ClickAJob can help when it comes to career ideas.