For many people the prospect of a career change conjures up thoughts of making a complete about-face work wise. It can mean going from being a teacher one minute to being a police officer the next.

Many people also think it will be a time consuming, and possibly expensive, process. And depending on your ultimate career goals, relative to where you currently are, that may be true.

Sometimes though people are a lot closer to their dream career than they realise. They may even be in the right industry, in the right company, even the right division, but not quite sitting at the right desk.

With a few changes and some tweaking though, you may be able to transform, or alter, your not so great job into something you really relish.

Let’s call it the 10° career change, since rather than starting from scratch, you are only making some relatively small changes and modifications to your current situation.

Say you are computer systems administrator working in your company’s IT department. For some reason though, something doesn’t quite feel right, but you can’t seem to put your finger on exactly why.

You’ve even explored the possibility you are in the wrong career, but some self evaluation has revealed that you like, and want to be, working in an IT environment, doing very much the sort of work you currently have.

So what’s wrong?

Perhaps it’s time to take a more in depth look at your work. What is it you enjoy doing, but is absent from your role at the moment?

Does your work not offer you enough responsibility? Or, conversely, is there too much? Are you bogged down with managerial and administrative tasks when you would rather just focus on your core work interests?

Is there not enough people, or customer, contact? Would you prefer to be more involved with other staff members, and helping them solve problems? Or is there too much, and the constant interruptions and questions are driving you to distraction? Do you want your work to involve more innovation and planning, or less?

While no job is perfect, and all will entail some tasks you don’t like, it may still be possible to rearrange, or make some slight changes though. And if the outcome will make you happier and more productive, then it is in everyone’s interests, yours and your employer’s, to consider how some changes could be made.

This will involve a little work and research on your part, and of course talking to your boss, but the result will hopefully be well worth the effort.

Start by making a list of what you feel is lacking in your current job. What would you like to do more of, what would you like to do less of? Be realistic. Ensure you have the skills and competencies to take on whatever new work, or responsibilities, you are looking for.

On the other hand, don’t expect to be relieved of everything that is on your “don’t like” list either.

The next step is to build up a case for a job, or career “realignment”, that you can present to your manager. Work out possible ways that duties could be harmoniously transferred around the office, and be prepared to backup your reasoning.

Consider the possibility of offering to do some extra work, this could mean participating in a few workplace projects, or taking on other additional duties in exchange for what you want.

Also take some time to think about how you will word your request when you speak to your boss, and anticipate what sort of questions you may be asked at the same time.

Remember to make any approach to your manager on a “proposal only” basis, when you present your ideas. Appearing to be overly presumptuous or forward could work against you. Explain that your current work is not as fulfilling as you feel it could be, and then outline how you think improvements could be made.

You may be surprised just how flexible some employers can be, and rather than risk the possibility of losing a worker, they are often happy to consider these sorts of reasoned requests.

So there you are. The 10° career change. No major upheavals or transformations in sight! With just a few small steps to the left or right, you could find your career going in the exact direction you want it to.