How to transistion into a new career

CNN had an interesting article titled Following Your Dreams and Seven Tips to Transition to a New Career. Here is what they said along with my comments.

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.

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you have a question or a idea make sure you leave a comment and I will try to research it and write about it. Final thought if you enjoyed this post why not Subscribe to Strategies for Life it free. Free is good right?

Want more money, how to ask for a raise

CNN had an interesting article on how to ask for a raise. Here is what they said along with my comments.

Want more pay? Some disturbing news. Asking for more money takes some cajoling, but more so for women than men, experiment suggests. Quick confession: I really dislike dealing with demanding, arrogant women. But just for the record, I also really dislike dealing with demanding, arrogant men. In both cases, the phrase "vexation to the spirit" comes to mind.
My equal-opportunity displeasure isn't shared by everyone, apparently, at least not at the office. A few items to remember, the only real time that you can ask for more money is when you are coming and going. That is, when you are interviewing to work at the company or when you have given your notice that you are leaving. Don't expect more than an annual increase of 3% to 4%. The really only way to get ahead inside the same company is to take on more responsibility and get promoted. You most likely will have difficulty asking for a raise about and beyond the normal merit without getting promoted.

In a study conducted by Carnegie Mellon economics professor Linda Babcock, male and female subjects were asked to evaluate videotapes of job interviews with a man and a woman who had completed a company's 1-year management training program and needed to be placed in a division. The subjects looking at the tapes were asked: How willing would you be to hire these people for your department?

There were two scenarios for each job candidate – and for the sake of consistency, the candidates were played by the same actors in each scenario. When the candidate was asked what he or she thought of the salary for the position, in one scenario the candidate said it was just fine. In the second scenario, the candidate said in a somewhat cocky manner he or she would rather be paid at the top of the salary range for the job and would like to be considered for a year-end bonus. I always tell sales people you have to ask for the order, the same goes for job interviewing. You get what you ask for or you might not get what you ask for but you could get more than they originally offered. A lot times when you are asked your current salary it is wise to understand what market rate salaries are for your particular job. If you don't know you could be selling yourself short. Additionally when they ask what is your current salary you have to watch for a potential trap. If your current salary is below market and you have a good understanding of what this job should pay you need to stress what your salary expectations are if you were to receive and offer. In other words don't worry about that fact that you might be making $20,000 less than you expectation. If you have the skills and education and know what the market rate is for this job go for it.

The women evaluating the tapes said they were less likely to hire both the male and female candidates in the scenarios where they asked for more money. The men in the study, however, said they'd only be less inclined to hire the female candidate who tried to negotiate. They didn't penalize the male candidate for doing the same. Both the men and women rated the female candidate who asked for more money as being highly demanding, while in the scenario where she just accepts the salary offered they gave her high marks for likeability. After you have had an initial interview and might be called back for a second don't hestitate to find out what the salary range is by asking the hiring person. I like to say before the second interview, "I want to make sure that I am not wasting your time I just want to make sure I understand the salary range for this job." If they tell you a range and it is in the ball park of what you are looking for you should keeping moving forward with the interview process.


It's not that women can't negotiate successfully for more money, but they might do better for themselves if they used a softer approach, said Babcock, who coauthored the book "Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide." (The same approach, it seems, might work for men with female bosses.) Babcock cited research that has shown that working women are as effective as their male colleagues when they use a more social style to make a point and relate to coworkers. I'd prefer it if everyone at work exhibited more graciousness and relatedness to colleagues, subordinates and bosses alike. But in lieu of that, it's disturbing that women more than men might have to carry that burden alone or risk being penalized financially. A way to get around this point is to get and offer first. In most cases if the company gives you and offer they will negotiate. But you have to judge the situation as to how early you negotiate. Usually I wait until they have given me a written offer and then I will negotiate. In general get the offer and then cross the t's and dot the i's. There is a good book on this called In Business As in Life, You Don't Get What You Deserve, You Get What You Negotiate I could not agree more. A good friend of mine does and excellent job of this and I am always amazed at what he negotiates for himself when he changes jobs.

Also disturbing is that women often aren't even bothering to ask for more money, according to Babcock. She notes women are 2.5 times more likely than men to say they feel "a great deal of apprehension" about negotiating, and they tend to undervalue their work more than men.
She found women's salary expectations are up to 32 percent lower than the expectations of men in the same job. And when women do ask for money, Babcock's research suggests, they tend to ask for and get less money than their male counterparts.

Making your move
Working up the courage – and a compelling argument – for why you deserve a raise or a bigger starting salary takes some doing for everyone. So here are some negotiating tips from Lee Miller, coauthor of "A Woman's Guide to Successful Negotiating":

1. Time your move: Approach your boss with requests for a raise a few months before your review because by the time the review rolls around, chances are he or she has already settled on a number and gotten approval for it from on high.
2. Prepare: Compile a list of your accomplishments in the past year and new responsibilities you have assumed. And find out what the market pays for the type of job you have or seek. Networking with acquaintances at other companies or in professional groups, as well as checking salary surveys, can give you a good ballpark range.
3. Avoid the empathy trap: If it's true that women are more effective at work when they use a social style, then women can use their relationship-building skills to their advantage. "It's always harder for someone to say no to you if they know and like you," Miller said.
   But it's just as easy for a woman to avoid asking for something for fear of jeopardizing her relationship with a boss. "It almost never hurts to ask. While you may not get everything you ask for, you will be amazed at how often you get most of what you want," he said.
   Imagine you're negotiating on someone else's behalf: It's hard for everyone to negotiate for themselves, but women especially so, Miller noted. So pretend you're representing a client's best interests. "If you do your homework you will know what is fair and reasonable to ask for," Miller said. "Don't settle for less."

Moonlighting and other things you do to get by

Found and interesting article on The dark side of moonlighting here is what they said:

Having two jobs can help ease your financial burden, but with double the pressure, both jobs and your mental health can suffer. Achieving work-life balance is already a juggling act. Throw a second job into the mix, and it can become a lot harder to perform. Having a second job can really help when you are saving up for a special expense like paying for college or paying off your credit cards. If you are going to work this hard having a second job make sure you plow the money into something that will help you get ahead. You will have virtually no life when you are working 2 jobs so try to make it count.

More than 5 percent of U.S. workers hold more than one job, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Willie Floyd Brunson has been part of this group for decades. A transportation manager by day and a security guard by night, Brunson says the cost of living in the Washington area has driven him to an 80- to 90-hour workweek. ''To maintain good living conditions, I have to work two jobs,'' he said. ''You can't do it on one job,'' he added. Think about that number 5 percent of 300 million people is a big number can you say 15 million people. Unfortunately, if you do live in an area were the cost of living is high you may need to work that extra job.

Brunson, who is preparing for a second marriage and perhaps a new family, said he wouldn't consider quitting the night job. He describes himself as ''old school,'' saying that as a man it's his responsibility to pay the bills. It's not easy -- while the decision to moonlight was ''financially rewarding,'' he said, "emotionally it wasn't.'' Those who hold two jobs must occasionally reweigh the money against the minuses. You have to give this guy a lot of credit he is being responsible and trying to do the right thing. There does approach a point though when you need to think about how you are going to get ahead in life and not have to work two jobs all the time. Education and skills are the way for you to get ahead in life.

For about four years, Tiffany Guarascio, now a staffer for Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., took on extra work. She had started waiting tables while a college senior and kept some shifts when she got her first ''real job.'' But when Guarascio started working on the Hill in 2004, she cut back to waitressing on Sundays only, at an establishment owned by a friend. The job was flexible -- 'It was very easy to say `I need a month or two off,' '' she said -- and it became a social outlet. But last summer, when Guarascio recognized that the service she was providing was starting to reflect her resentment over working so much, she quit. It's important to know when your are over doing it. Remember all work and no play make you a dull person. If you work all the time and never relax you will suffer from career burn out.

PRODUCTIVITY
Taking an additional job primarily to make extra money can be stressful and unproductive, according to Renee Lee Rosenberg, an author and career coach with the Five O'Clock Club in New York. Her clients with second jobs often ''get very angry and depressed and start resenting their primary work also,'' Rosenberg said, and sometimes, with better budgeting, a second job isn't really necessary. This is a key point. When your bills are too high you need to consider if you lifestyle is out of control. Cutting back and living within your means if the surest way to a happier life style.

She stressed the importance of researching what a job requires before saying yes, so you can know whether ``you can function the next day.'' Some second jobs can lead to more enjoyable primary jobs. ''It builds an opportunity to build a new network and ultimately it may develop into a new career,'' said Kathy Blanton, a career management consultant for Spherion in Nashville, Tenn.

BALANCE AND HARMONY
By day, Mike Graglia manages a team working on education in Africa at the World Bank in Washington. A few evenings a week he teaches yoga. He wanted to do more yoga and figured teaching would be the next logical step in his practice. He often schedules his flights to Africa around his yoga commitments and swaps classes with other teachers when he's out of town. It's common to find Graglia at the yoga studio with a suitcase -- either coming back from a trip or on his way out. ''I love both my jobs, and they balance each other out,'' Graglia said. ``Yoga is a genius one because it keeps you healthy and keeps you moving.''

Final thought if you enjoyed this post please subscribe to this blog so you can stay up current with all the latest articles.