 |
|||
| |||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
|
Seven Steps to Making a Successful Career Change
My first job was secretary to Moses. Having to transcribe and make 2,430 copies of the Ten Commandments convinced me I was on the wrong career path! OK, maybe I'm not quite THAT old. But I did start out as a secretary. While I didn't mind the work, eventually I decided it wasn't very satisfying. I often felt like a "tool" that helped others contribute to the organization's success. I wanted to make my own contributions, to find creative ways to make a difference. It took me about 12 year to come to that conclusion, decide to do something about it, and change my life. If you are not happy in your current job, perhaps it's time to think about making a change yourself. Here's what you should do: 1. Determine why you're not happy. Are you really unhappy with the work you do, or just upset with your salary, boss, coworkers, or the office environment? There's a difference between hating your job and hating your work, and realizing that will help you decide what course to take. 2. Find your passion. What do you love doing more than anything else? List your top three favorite activities. Try to be a bit realistic here and choose activites that you might be able to earn a living with. For instance, if your three favorite activities are sleeping, eating and watching TV, your career options are somewhat limited. But do include hobbies and activities one doesn't always associate with work. 3. Evaluate your strengths. What are you good at? Consider more than just your technical skills. For example, do your prefer leading or following; analyzing or simplifying; working alone or with a group? 4. Do research. What career fields would allow you to use your passions and strengths to earn a reasonable living? There are some great online resources (such as www.jvis.com) that offer tools to help you do a self-assessment and then find careers that match your interests and skills: 5. Consider alternatives to jobs. Some people go into business for themselves when they become fed up with their jobs. If you think simply switching careers isn't enough, look into that alternative and others, such as... marrying a millionaire, becoming a beach bum, winning the lottery, writing children's books, painting and selling pictures, doing consulting work... the sky's the limit! 6. Create a plan. Once you know where you want to go, figure out what steps you must take to get there. Determine exactly what you need to do, how much time it will take, and what it will cost. It's probably best not to leave your current job until you're ready and able to start earning money with your new job/venture. 7. Get help. You'll be amazed at how helpful people will be when you tell them your plans. Talk with family, friends, professional associates, club members; participate in topic-related online forums; NETWORK as much as possible! Achieving great goals is always easier when you have others cheering you on and helping you out.
Bonnie Lowe is author of the popular Job Interview Success System and free information-packed ezine, "Career-Life Times." Find those and other powerful career-building resources and tips at her website: http://www.best-interview-strategies.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How To Get A Job Writing Speeches Jobs in speech writing are amongst the most difficult to find, but are much sought after. In many cases, the subjects that will deliver them will want to find expert advice on what to say, how to say it, and how to make themselves look good through it. Hot Business Trends for 2004? And Beyond: Maybe One Will Turn Into a Creative Business Idea for You I always look forward to the December issue of Entrepreneur magazine. That's the issue that features the publisher's annual pick of hot businesses, markets, and trends for smart entrepreneurs - or those who aspire to be. Resume Outline - Add Structure & Flow to Your Resume Building your resume, based on a resume outline will give it structure and flow.. Career Discovery - Pinpoint Your Ideal Career Determine your ideal career--one that's in alignment withyour values, passions, and talents--and discover the workyou were born to doCareer discovery is the process by which a person identifiestheir ideal career path, thus saving themselves a lot oftime (and money) by not pursuing career choices that theywill ultimately find unfulfilling. To find your truecalling, you need to dig around and find the things that areimportant to you--now, and in the future. Should You Telework/Telecommute "WOW! I can work from home and make money? I can sit around in my PJ's and work whenever I want? How great, I want to be a Teleworker!"There is much more to being a teleworker then working in your PJ's or working when you want to. Yes, those are nice benefits to teleworking, but you'd be surprised by how much work goes into working from home. A Career in Image Consulting You might have seen them while watching TV shows such as Extreme Makeover, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, or What Not to Wear. Or you might have heard that Martha Stewart needed them to give her advice on how to look sympathetic to a jury. Youre Bright And Talented -- TooT Your Own Horn -- Obviously, there are RIGHT ways to move UP the ladder. Being in the right place certainly has tremendous benefits. Make a Good Living Doing What You Love Don't let anyone talk you into going to college when all you really want to do is be a chef or tear apart a car engine.Some times our society pushes the wrong thing on us. Free Resume Template: The ONLY One Youll Ever Need WARNING: This article is likely to make you mad.In fact, I'm pretty sure it will. Dissatisfied With Your Job? Stop Putting Your Attention on What You Dont Want! If I were to ask you the percentage of time you spend thinking about what you don't want, what would it be? And the percentage of time thinking about what you do want?Experience with my clients has shown me that most of us spend a lot more time thinking about what we don't want. Some examples when it comes to our job include:-I hate my commute. Do I Have to Provide a Salary History? Often you see job postings with a request such as "Send resume with salary history to?" I don't know about you but the first thing that pops into my mind is what do they expect to pay? The next question I ponder is whether or not it's legal to request this information. Who will see my salary history when my resume and accompanying documents are received? Will it be the hiring manager, someone in the human resources department, or will it be a notoriously nosy employee whose job it is to open the mail? Will that individual broadcast my confidential information to other employees?Some employers use this tactic to save themselves time and weed out applicants that expect more than they are willing to pay or, based on their view of your past compensation, don't appear to have the skills or experience necessary. Looking the Part I don't know his name and he wasn't trying to be profound. A man who worked for one of my colleagues always showed in a shirt and tie with a simple explanation: "if you look business, you is business". Work Is A Four-Letter Word I can hear the jokes already and most of them are not politically correct. Let me throw out a word that we often don't attach to work and yet I think it is a word of redemption, of contribution, of achievement, of community, and ultimately, of legacy. CV Writing - How to Write a CV A winning CV has 2 objectives: To illustrate your strengths and maximise your chances of getting through to interview and to put factual information, such as dates, places, names together in a presentable and readable form. Focal PointIt is claimed that the human eyes are naturally drawn to a focal point one third down from the top of the page. The Executive Resume - Moving Beyond Accomplishments There is a major difference between conventional resumes and executive resumes. Accomplishments are usually the center point of a conventional resume (i. Sample Cover Letters ... The Hidden Pitfalls You can benefit from sample cover letters as they can help you learn about the constructs of a high quality cover letter.However, there are some dangers in doing this . Interview Preparation Made Easy: Create An Interview Preparation List Here's a quick way to compare your own job experience and qualifications with those that your prospective employer is looking for in a specific job position. Make an "Interview Preparation List". An RX For Your Résumé Whether you are an accountant, virtual assistant, or a corporate executive, your job skills are constantly refined. A new sales presentation you've organized or the new spreadsheet package you've mastered should be included on your résumé. How to Write Cover Letters That Increase Your Chances of Winning an Interview Submit a poorly written cover letter and the chances are your resume will end up in the trash bin without even being looked at.On the other hand, a well written cover letter can almost guarantee you get an interview. Dazzle Interviewers With Your Achievements Attention Job Seekers: Tasks and Responsibilities are BoooringHo hum. The interviewer sits there drumming her fingers on the desk trying to look interested while you drone on about your duties and responsibilities at your last position.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
