Getting A Job » Career Change

5 Smart Steps to Changing Careers

admin — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 22:06:45 +0000

A new year is when many people ask themselves, is it time to change careers? People in this generation will change jobs more often than in any previous generation, and fewer jobs are offering the kind of security enjoyed by our parents.

Sometimes changing careers means going to work for yourself. Indeed, one study by economists at Northwestern University and the University of Wisconsin found that people who change careers to work for themselves feel more secure in their self-employment than those who work for others.

More than 30 million workers in the United States today are self-employed or own their own businesses. So changing careers is not just limited to changing employers; it also can be about making your new boss yourself.

Whether you want to work for someone else, work in a different field or become self-employed, following an action plan and organizing your step-by-step progress will help you make a smoother, more productive transition.

Here are five smart tips that will help you reach your goal:

1. Create an Action Plan. Pro-active steps can put you in charge of your career, instead of the high stress than comes with not being in control of your own destiny. If you are unhappy with your job, and find that you cannot make changes that will allow you to be happier at your job, then decide right now to change jobs, and get started on your action plan. Create a chart on paper. Give yourself a week to research career change options. Ask yourself, what am I truly interested in doing in my work and in my life? During week two, whittle down your findings to one or two potential careers that fit your goals. Then, “go deep” during the third week exploring the advantages and disadvantages of each. Next, start looking, and chart your progress each week to keep yourself on track.

2. Network. Networking still is the most powerful way to find a rewarding job. If you are changing careers, then change your professional networks to zero in on the career you really want. Invest in a membership at your local chamber of commerce, and join committees or subgroups related to your next career, not your current one.

3. Integrate your Lifestyle Goals. Don’t just think about changing careers; think about how you can reach your lifestyle goals, incorporating your career change. For example, if you want to spend more time with your family, consider changing to a career that might pay less, but provides the priceless dividend of time. If you want to be healthier, consider changing to a career that does not force you to sit at a desk for 10 hours a day. It’s ultimately more rewarding to downsize your budget to accommodate a lower-paying, but less stressful job, than to shorten your life with an unhealthy career.

4. Enlist a Coach. Enlist an outside coach to help you integrate your lifestyle goals you’re your career search. I’ve helped hundreds of people change careers and lifestyles through Ruth Klein’s Dream Maker’s Circle with 180 days of personal consulting, monthly and weekly tele-coaching sessions, seminars, and hands-on help with changing careers or starting your own business. Visit www.ruthklein.com, and click on Dream Maker’s Circle under “Upcoming Events” to learn more.

5. Organize. To change careers, you must organize your time to allow you one hour each day to focus on your career change. Make a schedule and stick to it, creating one hour each day to devote to career research, networking, to your coach or to other tasks you have outlined in your action plan. Simplify chores, meals and other responsibilities to create this extra hour in your day.

By: Ruth Klein

About the Author:

Always appreciate fresh new marketing and branding tips to drive your business several steps forward? Tap Ruth Klein’s expertise at trend tracking, time saving advice with advice that can grow your business. http://tinyurl.com/2dopf6

Changing Careers? Some Points To Consider

admin — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:51:42 +0000

How do you go about changing careers? Changing jobs requires some self-discovery and answering some basic questions.

Here are some of the questions to consider before changing careers:

1. What is my dream job? This is one of the most important questions you need to answer. Think of it this way – what would you want to do, if you did not have to worry about money and commitments? If you can answer this, then you will know what your dream job is.

2. What do I value? Every person has a set of values. These values are personal and individualistic. These values are what determine our personalities. Consider this – if you value your freedom and you have a job that involves working irregular or late hours, this is going to hamper your productivity and work. When it comes to changing careers, knowing your values is paramount.

3. What are you passionate about? There are certain things that each one of us is passionate about. Things that make us feel good about ourselves and things that give us pleasure. If you can combine your passion with your career, then you have your dream job.

4. What are your interests? Interests are things that grab your attention, that keep you interested and productive. Once you know your interests, you can work towards building your career around them.

5. What are your talents? All of us have some talents, some things that we are naturally good at. These talents are with us since birth and need to be honed to perfection. Some natural talents are writing, painting, singing and crafts. When talents are worked into your career, your career becomes easier to handle.

6. What are your skills? Skills are things that you can do with ease. Skills are different from talents. Skills can be acquired and they are important to your career. Whatever your skills may be, you need to work on them.

7. What strengths do you have? Your strengths enable you to do the work at hand efficiently. Your strengths could be giving presentations or making speeches. Whatever it is, you need to use your strengths to your advantage.

8. What are your weaknesses? You need to identify your weaknesses just as much as you need to identify your strengths. Once you know your weaknesses, you can work on them to improve them.

9. What activities do you dislike? Are there some things that you dislike doing? It could be anything – may be you hate public speaking or you dislike writing. Whatever it maybe, once you identify these activities, you can work around them.

10. What environment do you work best in? Do you need to be surrounded by modern amenities and high raise buildings? Or would you rather work in a small office with people who are more like family rather than colleagues and competitors. Once you have identified your ideal environment, you can look for a career that allows you to work in the same environment.

Once you have determined the answers to these questions, the process of changing your career will be simpler and easier to handle.

By: Tony Jacowski

About the Author:

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution’s Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for six sigma professionals such as, lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Changing Careers – Ultimate Tips For Success

admin — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 07:18:26 +0000

Are you thinking about changing your career? Are you worried about how difficult the transition is going to be? Then you are not alone. Many people go through similar anticipation when thinking about attempting a career change. Your career is among the most important things in your life, and changing it is one of the most stressful decisions you will ever make.

Be Passionate

The reason why you would even consider a career change in the first place is probably because you feel passionate about something and want to pursue it. There is no sense in making a change if you are not going to be any happier than you already are. You may be earning a six-figure salary, but if it is not making you happy and if you are not content with what you are doing, then it might be a good time to switch. Changing careers should be about passion and personal fulfillment.

Do Your Research

Make sure that before you make the final decision you conduct a thorough research on available opportunities. You need to analyze what skills you have and what skills you may need to acquire for your new job. You should be confident about salary prospects and other relevant information. You may have lots of expectations about the career you want, but conducting the necessary research will help you look beyond this rosy picture. Work with a mentor, such as a career coach, before you make the final decision.

Career Exploration

Changing your career can be overwhelming. Explore your options before you decide to make a commitment. Start by categorizing the careers you are interested in. This helps in narrowing down your options. Then pick only those that interest you the most, putting the others aside. Ask yourself questions such as:

Why am I exploring this career?

Will I need additional training or education?

What are the opportunities and risks in pursuing this career?

These questions will help give you some very important and necessary answers. You can’t really begin on the path to career change until you know why you want to change and how you will go about it. The fact is that changing careers can be very time consuming and expensive, and you don’t want to start the process flying blind.

Once you have all the information you need, you can focus on one career option and work toward achieving it. Listen to your heart and head and then make a balanced decision. Whatever you do, remember you need to be flexible and devote a lot of time and energy to jump start your efforts.

By: Heather Eagar

About the Author:

A leading expert in the employment search industry, Heather Eagar is passionate about providing working professionals with up-to-date, reliable and effective job search tools and a free job board. Heather has created the Ultimate Job Search Experience for job seekers at http://www.JobsCareersEtc.com