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The age-old question of “what are you going to do when you grow up?” is almost irrelevant, according to some career development professionals.

Driven by technologically generated change, workplaces are altering beyond recognition, creating jobs, occupations and entire sectors that previously did not exist – making it more difficult to plan a career with accuracy.

“In many ways it's impossible to predict the future and therefore plan for a particular occupation that may not exist or, if it does, will almost certainly be very different,” says Carole Brown, national president of the Career Development Association of Australia.

Set against such variable employment conditions and the fact that most people now change careers several times during their working lifetime, an event arming individuals with the know-how to alter direction sounds like a good idea – making this weekend's Reinvent Your Career Expo at Darling Harbour timely.

The brainchild of managing director of Everybody's Career Company, Nicholas Ricciuti, the expo is targeted at people over 22 looking for a career change, to upgrade skills or to re-enter the workforce.

Attendees will gain access to expert seminars on career change issues and professional counselling services, which organisers hope will help facilitate informed decisions.

Ricciuti says the event focuses on mature or what he calls “real age” career people, not just the youth market.

“They [mature-aged people] may ask questions in relation to adult pathways and training and receive mixed messages from organisations that are caught off guard or simply geared for generation Y responses," he says.

Despite sectors hard-hit by the global financial crisis being forced to downsize, many employers are still desperate to attract staff to help overcome skill shortages.

The Australian Water Association earlier this week launched H2Oz, an initiative designed to raise awareness of existing employment opportunities in the sector.

A participant at the expo, the association believes people looking to change careers or alter existing skills are attractive.

“People who have reinvented or changed their careers provide a great addition to an organisation. They bring a fresh enthusiasm, a new perspective and unique or unusual skill sets to their new employer,” says H2Oz program manager Fiona MacKenzie.

Although the reasons for choosing to upgrade, re-skill or change career direction can vary – including boredom, stagnation and a desire for more job flexibility – the concept is no longer unusual.

But before taking the plunge into vocational change, people should think the process through.

Carole Brown advises people to take the time to get to know personal values and motivators, strengths and weaknesses as well as the options and job networks open to them and, vitally, to speak to a career development professional.