A new direction can be revitalising, says Diana Clement

It's often said when you do something you love, you'll never work again. That's the case for Huia-based Jim Janse who
swapped working life as a vet for photography.

After 23 years' tending to the health of animals, Janse was ready for a new challenge - even though he loved his existing career. "I decided I wanted to change career purely for the sake of change. It was looking for a new challenge in life.

"At the time I was working very hard in London and it was stressful, although interesting work."

There was no question what the new career would be. Photography was his passion and he set about turning his hobby into his job.

He would often discuss with camera club members in London how they could commercialise their hobby. At the time 360-degree imaging was increasing in popularity and Janse saw a business opportunity.

Janse made the leap to his new career on his return to New Zealand - setting up panoview - a company aimed at the real estate market showcasing properties with digitally enhanced photography, virtual reality tours, floor plans, video tours and brochures of property. At first he kept working part-time as a locum vet. But over time this reduced down to the occasional day to keep his hand in - because he really does love his old career. "I've turned my hobby
into my job and my job into my hobby," he says.

Most people choose their careers in their teens or 20s - a stage in life when few truly know themselves.

Those choices may be influenced by our parents or teachers, or even be based on naivety of the working world. Come middle age - or sometimes earlier - the majority of people are ready for a career change, say Nigel Beckford and Michael Fitzsimons, authors of Kiwi book: You Don't Make A Big Leap Without A Gulp.

Eighty per cent of the people that come to Beckford and Fitzsimons are bored out of their brains. "Every day thousands of middle-aged Kiwis ... go to work, grit their teeth and tough it out. They only start living when work finishes. Their health suffers; their self-esteem dives and their relationships start to cool." If you've got 10, 20 or 30 years to go in your career and it's not right for you, it might be worth thinking about changing now.

For many people, the reality of what they want to be is not at all like what they're doing now. But often people won't change until the pain of going to work is greater than the pain of changing roles, say Beckford and Fitzsimons.

The tell-tale signs that you need a change include statements such as:

"The truth is I'm cruising."

"I've reached a stage in life when I want to make my own decisions."