Whether you're in an industry that's desperately seeking workers or one that's continually announcing layoffs, you've likely toyed with thoughts of dropping everything to follow your dream career. But making that leap is often difficult. Another option that is very popular when looking at career changes is the change from employee to business owner or self empolyed. A lot of people end up starting their own business when the find that labor contractions in their particular industry make it difficult to replace their previous position.
For some workers, now might be a good time to consider a switch. The national unemployment rate was 4.6% in January -- and 2.1% for those with a college degree -- according to the U.S. Labor Department. The employment picture "really gives job seekers a cushion that doesn't always exist," said John Challenger, chief executive of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Another thing to consider when make a career change is the state that you live in. The unemployment rate varies a lot between states. See chart also from CNN.
"There is a lot of demand right now for skilled workers" in many industries, he said. If the job change you make doesn't work out, you're not necessarily facing a dire job market, he said. Here are seven tips that career counselors say will ease any transition:
1. Think career shift, not wholesale change
Don't think you have to make a 180-degree career turn, said Barbara Moses, a Toronto-based career-management expert, president of BBM Human Resource Consultants Inc. and author of "What's Next: Find the Work That's Right for You." Often, those who wish to change jobs "conjure some kind of Madonna-like reinvention," Moses said. That's often requires going back to school and, after that pricey endeavor, it's likely you'll end up in an entry-level job in your new field. This has always been a concern of mine. My wife always wants us to move to Florida. The problem is that I would in the automotive industry and not the banking industry. Most likely I will end up taking a big step backwards if I was to change regions and careers. "Typically, employers will not pay you for that 15 years of amazing management experience you've garnered over the years," Moses said. "Five years and a very expensive education later, they're 50 years old and unemployed." Instead, she said, consider a career shift. Apply your skills to a new industry or job type. "Take those skills ... into a stronger industry like health care or energy," Challenger agreed. "Look for new companies with better environments, more recognition, better pay, less commuting, room for advancement -- whatever it is that's driving you crazy," he said. I do find some of my friends and associates that have been able to effectively change industries and regions of the country by appling this strategy. I am glad to see them find success in this.
2. Translate your skills
Break down what you do into broad skills. For instance, "a journalist is someone who uses words to tell a story," Moses said. That skill might be in demand at a TV production company or in a lobbying firm, she said. Once you've described what you do in broad terms, assess your tastes. "Do you work best in a fast-paced environment or do you prefer to work on one or two things at a time? Do you get your energy from people or do you prefer to work by yourself?" Moses said. "Develop a profile of your skills, your best/worst environments, the kind of features in a job that you need to feel happy and engaged." Your list of skills and job tastes will help you make the move to a new industry, she said. "If you've got 15 years of experience in one industry, it is very important that you drill down to the underlying components of that work, so when you go to sell yourself to a new employer, you're not completely mired in the identity of your previous job," she said. You want to "disentangle your identity from your job, job title and industry." This is an excellent point. A friend of mine got into sales and he went from selling carpet to fork lifts to car parts. In other words the selling skill that he has can be applied to many industries. Make sure that you find a new career that takes advantages of the skills that you have already developed.
3. Time for self-reflection
People usually go about making a career change the wrong way, says Andrea Kay, a Cincinnati-based career counselor and author of "Life's a Bitch and Then You Change Careers." "They say, 'what's out there?'" Kay said. "Wrong question. The question is, 'What's in me? What are my most joyful skills? What do I know about? What do I want to know about it?" she said.
Your imagination will come in handy, she said. "Your fears are going to get in your way," Kay said. "If you cannot have a clear picture and imagine what it is you see yourself doing, it's going to be hard to convince others that it is doable." It would be great to find a job that you really love. Most people I know do not love their job. Actually, I only know 2 people that really love their jobs. You have to be careful that you don't jump from one job to the next before considering how well you would be matched to that type of work or industry.
4. No goals, no go
People often say, "I work all day. How am I supposed to incorporate a career change?" Kay said. "It's doable if you sit down and decide, number one, what's my goal, by what time do I want to accomplish it, what's reasonable considering that I'm working full time and ... what do I need to cut out? TV? Time with friends?" she said. "People have preconceived ideas that they won't be able to do this. They say things like, 'I can't afford it' or 'I don't have time,'" Kay said. Instead, ask questions. Rather than saying, "I can't afford it" find out how much money you're likely to spend on the new endeavor. "You don't know what it's going to cost you time-wise, money-wise, relationship-wise. You need to poke around at your preconceived assessments and see what's accurate and what's not," she said. Only then can you decide whether it's worth it. "Do I want this badly enough to sacrifice the time that I will miss with my family? What am I going to have to cut out? Am I willing to do that?" Kay said. The power of writing down your goals is really quite amazing. If you right down where you want to be in 5 years you are ahead of most people because the majority of people do not have any goals at all. The next important step in accomplishing goals is to list the actions, information, time, and money that you will need to accomplish this goal. After you have completed your brainstorming and orgainzed all your actions the next step is to start working systematically completing the actions on your list.
5. Research the possibilities
"After you've done your online and book research about your new career direction, you're ready to talk to people who can give you real feedback," Kay said. When you talk to others, don't focus on specific job titles. "If you approach it with openness to the possibilities ... you'll go way beyond your little world of a title," Kay said. For example, she said, one client, an engineer, wanted to become an industrial designer. People in the field told her to attend an upcoming trade show. "Sure enough, there were speakers, industrial designers, people from corporations. She came away from that energized, full of information she hadn't even considered -- and even a job title that fit what she was looking for but that she wasn't aware of until she came in touch with it," Kay said. Also, while still at your job, write up a list of the people you know. "You've got to devote time to having lunch with people, talking to people ... your referrals will help you be successful," Kay said. Then, "target your search to fast-growing industries, said Eva Wisnik, president of New York-based Wisnik Career Enterprises. Read the local paper's business section regularly, she said. "Which companies are getting a lot of venture money? Which companies are leasing more space? Which are moving into the area, or are going public, or have the fastest growing revenues?" This is really good advice. One suggestion that I have is to read the local business magazine. My work subscribes to Crain's Detroit I really enjoy flipping through this magazine because not only does it talk about the automotive industry (which by the way has not been doing good for the last three years) it focuses on all the other businesses and industries in our region. It just gives you a really sense and feel for the other possible places to work in your region.
6. Think like a recruiter
Say you want a job selling financial products to young people. What kind of skills would a recruiter want to see? A recruiter would "want someone who could quickly establish rapport with a younger person [and] you'd obviously want somebody with an understanding of financial products," Moses said. Then, write your resume pairing examples of your expertise with what a recruiter would want. "Maybe you organized a successful fundraiser which focused on 20-something guests," Moses said. This process improves your resume, and helps to identify any gaps. If you don't have direct experience with young people, maybe now's the time to organize that fundraiser. This is a popular Anthony Robbins
strategy, "Act as if you are in charge even if you are not". The one caveat here is to have a level of expertise that will allow you to indicate that you have some knowledge or ability in that particular topic. Getting the appropriate experience or even surogate experience as the article suggests will help you not only build the resume but also your confidence.7. Learn the lingo
You don't necessarily need another degree, but consider your local community college for a class to improve your skills. "I do not think people need whole new degrees. Look for that hands-on training that will help you walk in the door adding value," Wisnik said. "You want to sound like someone in the industry already. That helps you sound like an insider versus someone who is trying to get in. It's the lingo, the training." Another route: Join a professional association at least six months before you make the jump, Wisnik said. Such groups often offer certificate programs and workshops, or even training courses during industry conferences, as well as networking opportunities. This is great advice. Don't be a dinasuar, take a computer class learn a new skill. Keep up to date on the industry. There is an old saying that says if you read 15 minutes per day on a particular topic in one year you will be an expert on that topics.
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