Shelley London

I have been in a sales role since 1989, and am currently selling advertising space.

I am 45 years old, and earn good money and have a great lifestyle and yet I no longer enjoy my job. I seem to spend my time moaning about it, which affects my home life; I want to change and yet I have financial commitments and a family to support. I would love to work part time in the sports industry and don't know what to do - I feel stuck, can you help me?

Relish says

This is a typical scenario we come across, people who have been doing a similar role for years, and feel trapped by their committments into believing they have no option. All that is required is some help to think through the options available to you and realise that changes can be made, they just may not happen overnight.

You mention being interested in the sports industry, are there any sales roles you could do there, to help the transition?

Once you have made the transition, you can then begin to look around at all the different types of work that appeal to you. Make a point of talking to those doing the work that interests you, ask them questions and see if this is what you really want to do.

By making the change in this way, you can continue to work full time to meet your committments, whilst taking your time to make your final decision.

You might need to retrain, are you prepared to do that? Or maybe it is experience you need, in which case you could look at volunteering or helping out. With regard to going part time, understand whether this is a symptom of being in a job you no longer enjoy, or a real requirement of your future working life.

If you still want to go part time, get yourself a financial advisor, who will be able to help you look at your finances, and to develop a plan that will help you achieve your goal.

Good luck!