How To Get Your Career Change In Motion
Know Your Uniqueness
Find out what is unique in you that makes you stand out and makes you the right choice for the job advertised.
The first thing you need to have is an outstanding resume, one that will guarantee you an interview. Every organization wants only the best employees, and you need to prove that you qualify.
Some basic preparation to determine your uniqueness is in order.
1. Recognize your strengths. You need to review what you have already done as well as your competence and aptitude level. Your past appraisal reports, verbal or written, will help you with this.
2. Identify your skills. The skills and experience you have acquired over the years will help you handle your new job. You have technical skills as well as software skills that you carry with you wherever you go. Stress these strengths. For example, your communication, management and interpersonal skills might be your forte.
3. Highlight your personality. You also have certain personal traits that make you unique. You have a record of meeting deadlines. You have initiative and a great attitude. Being positive will carry you a long way.
4. Follow up your list of strengths with examples to support them. This is most important if your interviewer is to believe that you are not claiming strengths you may not actually have. This will help you stand out.
Locating the Job of Your Choice
Geographical limitations should not stop you from applying for a job that you are suited for.
Read every advertisement carefully, noting what each company is looking for. Then make your notes in two columns, one with the heading "What the organization is looking for" and the other "What I have to offer." This exercise will help you see the closest matches.
It will help you identify your skills and strengths and how you might apply them. Spell them out in as many words as the advertisement calls for. This will make your resume stronger. You should also use this information in an interview situation.
Facing Your Interviewers
Remember to research the organization before the interview. This will demonstrate your interest in the company and also help you frame questions to them.
Wearing the appropriate clothing is important for any interview, so it is best to find out ahead of time what that is. In general, attire for an interview is formal; but if your research tells you that the organization is informal, dressing more casually might be a better choice.
Women candidates are faced with more choices. A good policy is to wear nothing very dramatic and keep it conservative. It's better to avoid fragrances the day of the interview.
Always remember: first impressions are often the last impressions, so make the best of that interview call. You may not get a second chance.
reCareered: Who’s Firing? Layoffs week ended 10-16-09
Who's Firing is a weekly survey of organizations announcing (or rumoring) layoffs. Not only is this valuable for job seekers, but for business analysts, corporate strategists, marketers, salespeople, investment analysts, financial advisers, and others who are interested in companies that are contracting.
Inclusion on this listing doesn’t mean the entire industry is down, as many from the same sector appeared on the “Who’s Hiring” article published 10/12/09. It is interesting to note that while Federal hiring is on the rise, a number of State and Local governments face continued cutbacks. Also, Verizon has led the top hiring lists, but is also announcing a number of layoffs. Boeing made the layoff list, while competing aerospace manufacturers top the Who’s Hiring lists. Job seekers: You might want to look in greener pastures than these companies. Layoffs announced and rumored this week were in the Government, Manufacturing, Automotive, Technology, Publishing and Energy sectors. Organizations announcing or rumored layoffs week ended 10/16/09:
AM General (250)State of Massachusetts (up to 2K)State of Iowa (1000)Standish Max Prison (Michigan) (100)Smiths Medical PM Inc. (100)The Amherst H. Wilder Foundation (260)Boeing Corp. (200-300)City of Spokane, WA (200)SunTrust Bank (YTD 100)Wilsonart International (120)Moog Aircraft Group (220)Onondaga County, NY (133)State of New Hampshire (300)Country Financial (400)Kohl's Corporation (250)Team Broadcast Services (96)HNI Corporation (150)State of Vermont (160 total jobs lost)Verizon Communications (200)City of Moraine, OH (187)Solvay Pharmaceuticals (450)Steifel Laboratories (200)Pilgrim's Pride (GA) (100)Hamilton County Public Library (250)Oral Roberts University (124)NYC Dept. of Education (714)Albany County, NY (109)Bestop (140)Flour Energy Corp. (500)Valero Energy Corp. (250)Boeing Corp. (130)D&E Communications (280-290)United States Postal Service (650)Lafayette Caterpillar (106)American Cancer Society (140)Canron Western Constructors Inc. (106)Fluor Corporation (100-150)Redcats USA (490)Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida (150)Kent County, MI (145)Boise Cascade (130)Dell (905)L.L. Bean Call Center (700)Sunoco Inc. (400)ATK Space Systems (550)Hilton Reservations and Customer Care (176)Thermo Fisher Scientific (130)Conde Nast Publications (180)Atlantic City Casinos (1067)Metavation (120)Prairie Correctional Facility (120)University of California Riverside (425)Pilgrim’s Pride (640)Emerson Network Power Connectivity Solutions (135)United Space Alliance (258)Dow Roofing (100)Tomasco Mulciber Inc. (213)Delta, Eagan, MN (unknown)Aramark Health Support Services, Huntsville, AL (163)Chevron Mining, Gallup NM (80)Electric Boat, Groton, CT (96)Sylvania Yarn Systems (145)Trojan Battery Co., Sandersville, GA (50)HON Co., Owensboro, KY (144)Aramark Sports & Entertainment, Deer Creek Resort, Mt. Sterling, OH (112)Phoenix Health Systems, Pittsburgh, PA (50)GE Oil & Gas Operations, Bethelehem, PA (81)Parsons, Pittsburgh, PA (90)Alliance One Inc., Trevose, PA (63)Richfield Hospitality, Charlottesville, VA (146)FreightCar America Inc., Roanoke, VA (33)Lockheed Martin, Fairfax, VA (65)Educational Credit Management Corp., Richmond, VA (60)Wells Fargo Mortgage, Kirkland, WA (60)Brandrud, Auburn, WA (104)Corhart Refractories, Buckhannon, WV (26)Care Wisconsin First, Madison, WI (77)Eppendorf Inc., Westbury, NY (44)Avant-Garde Optics LLC, Washington, NY (137)Matthews International Corp., Seneca Falls, NY (33)Tavern on the Green LP, NYC (405)Dominion Enterprises DBA Interco Print, Ontario, CA (31)Telecare Corp, Lemon Grove, CA (102)Duane Morris LLC, Carpinteria, CA (126)USS-Posco Industries, Pittsburg, CA (827)Bassett Furniture Industries Inc, Bassett, VA (45)Summit Holdings, Lakeland, FL (70)Frontier Oil Corp., Cheyenne, WY (28)NCH Healthcare, Naples, FL System (66)Freudenberg-NOK, Spencer, IA (65)Franciscan Skemp Healthcare, Lacrosse, WI (25)McCann Erickson, San Francisco, CA (40)Jeld-Wen, Bend, OR (31)Foley & Lardner LLC, Milwaukee, WI (39)Crothall Services Group, Valhalla, NY (235)Aramark, Huntsville, AL (163)Mueller Industries, Fulton, MS (37)Miller Brothers Mining, KY (85)Baker Hughes Inc., Houston, TX, (62)Hamilton Sundstrand, Hartford, CN (30)City of Loveland, CO (5.9%)Comcast, Wellesley, MA (64)Rensselaer County, NY (24)Midcoast Aviation, Cahokia, MO (150)TomoTherapy, Madison, WI (10%)Boston Globe, Boston, MA (unknown)Police Department Kansas City, MO (16)Clear One Health Plans, Bend, OR (25)Save – A – Pet, Greyslake, IL (40%)Microtune, Plano, TX (10%)Viking Range Corporation, Greenwood, MS (30)Current Media, San Francisco, CA (unknown)NH Department of Corrections (37)Bossier City, LA (88)Calumet City IL Schools (57)Lackawanna County, PA (30)Verizon, Newark, DE (66)Bistol Meyers Squibb, National (355 of Abilify sales force)MetLife, Lackawanna County PA (34)Stanley Furniture, Stanleytown, VA (unknown)North Providence, RI (35)Louisiana State Department of Education, Baton Rouge, LA (50)Yuba Community College, Clearlake, CA (56)Chelan County, WA (50)City of Kingston, NY (28)AOL, NY, NY (2,000)EBay, San Francisco, CA (several dozen)LCN Closers, Princeton, IL (47)NC Department of Health and Human Services, Raleigh, NC (thousands)City of Aurora, CO (50)Ohio State Prisons, Ohio (41)Osceola County, FL (40)University of Toledo Medical Center, Toledo, OH (50)Volvo Trucks North America, Dublin VA (50)Zillion TV, Sunnyvale, CA (1/3)Victor Valley College, Victorville, CA (28)DaySpring Inc, Siloam Springs, AR (53)CNN, Atlanta, GA (unknown)Source: Google, Twitter, AllPinkSlips.com, Telonu.com, TechCrunch.com, CoStar.com, Gawker, Screwedd.com
Readers – If you know of employers announcing significant layoff plans, or employers reducing large numbers of employees, please comment below to add to this list.
Trackback: http://www.recareered.blogspot.com/2009/10/whos-firing-layoffs-week-ending-10-16.html
Your Career Change Resume – Play To Win
The distinction between the chronological format and the combination format is that the chronological format resume is extremely simple to understand. Hiring executive would normally begin to read the chronological resume at the bottom, where the record of your work or experience in the profession is placed and moves upward.
Handling Employment Gaps
If there are a few breaks in your employment, it will be extremely noticeable in the chronological format. This is a reason why majority of hiring executives prefer the chronological resume format. It is simpler to read - in addition, it does not leave much to the imagination. This could be a huge plus if you have been in the same position for a long time, as it gives an account of stability and development in your field of work.
There are many reasons for having breaks in employment. It could be due to raising a family, poor health or education. It could also be due to a layoff, military service or just generally having a tough time searching for work due to a stiff job market.
Whatever the reason, if you have gaps in your employment, you'll want to use the combination resume - because it will allow you to highlight your skills, accomplishments and achievements, rather than how long you were out of work.
Link Your Skills and the Job Requirements Together
First, you must build a resume that plainly points out at the top what kind of position you are looking for. Put in a segment that has a summary of your career; what areas you specialize in and your career progression. However, make sure to point out all the things that are important to the company. Highlight your managerial experience and skills that match what the employer is looking for.
If there is an advertisement for a job, look at it carefully and make sure that you make a link between the requirements of the job and all the things you have achieved in your career. Use a "skills" segment to list of all your skills so that the reader will be able to locate it all in one place. In addition, this is essential if the company uses resume scanning technology. Using keywords and industry jargon will guarantee that your resume will be selected from the database in response to a keyword search.
If you are a career changer, writing a resume that wins isn't rocket science - but it does take time and planning. By tailoring your resume to fit your specific situation and the needs of each particular employer, you will ensure that you get plenty of interview calls.
How to “rig” CareerBuilder and other job boards
Is it helpful to your job search to rank highly in a resume search? It should be, since only about 2-3% of resumes sent through job boards are actually read by humans.It's frustrating, isn't it? Many take it personally, getting angry or depressed.But it's also your best weapon to landing interviews…LOVE THE PRE-SCREEN:Computerized pre-screens are a necessary result of the number of resumes that CareerBuilder and other job sites flood companies with. But pre-screens give you a job seeker a HUGE opportunity to stand out from the crowd, if you know how to "rig" your resume.So how can you get an Unfair Advantage? Do the same thing that SEO experts do to websites – game your resume to show up near the top of searches. It's a technique called Resume Search Optimization, and the idea is simple.Use the same words as the job description. Sounds simple, doesn't it? But you'd be amazed at how few job seekers use this simple method. It pretty much like when you figured out in High School that the more of the teachers vocabulary words you used in your papers and essays, the higher your grade was.Why do so few job seekers use Resume Search Optimization? There's a few reasons:
Try Resume Search Optimization with the next 10 resumes you send. Make your resume detailed, and make sure to use the employers words. Please comment back with success stories!
Phil Rosenberg is President of reCareered, author of www.reCareered.blogspot.com, and Moderator of the Career Change Central group on Linkedin (www.tinyurl.com/cccjoinLI), recently named one of the top Linkedin groups job seekers must join.
Money or Happiness: Midcareer Changers Find Both
Evan Carmichael, master of small business motivation and strategies, warns about "The Cage"--a stable, well-paying job that lacks many of the characteristics that translates into a happy professional. If you're suffering from a lack of fulfillment, feel as though you're not being challenged, or that you're sorely undervalued, you just might be a candidate for a job change. But breaking out of the cage requires a delicate combination of audacity and strategy. Simply jumping ship could end in disaster. Recognizing the need for change and then knowing when and how to do it are keys to a successful transition.When You Feel Like Your Spinning Your WheelsFamiliarity breeds comfort, particularly in the workplace. In fact, you may even be staying with a job you hate just because your subconscious appreciates reliability--a steady, even competitive, paycheck, fixed hours, a short commute, a likeable boss, or team of colleagues. However, something in the back of your minds tells you the grass may be greener. It may or may not be, but you may never know unless you find out for yourself.Aside from career permanence, excessive stress might also be nudging you towards the door. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, stress may play a more critical role in your desire to change careers than you may realize.
• 40 percent of workers reported their job was very or extremely stressful• 25 percent of workers view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives• Three-fourths of employees believe they experience more on-the-job stress than a generation ago• 29 percent of workers felt "quite a bit" or "extremely" stressed at work• 26 percent of workers said they were "often or very often burned out or stressed by their work"• Job stress has a direct correlation to health complaintsWhen to Change Careers--and When Not ToIt can be tough to know if you should listen to the voice in your head telling you that you deserve better. If you've spent the better part of your life specializing in a particular career or industry, pulling the trigger is even more difficult. CNN Money reveals some telltale signs that it's time to move on.
• The Grunt Work. If you find yourself being forced to take on assignments that no one else in the department wants, that could be a red flag• Clipped Wings. Despite the fact that you have specialized skills and talents, you're excluded from new projects or taking on additional responsibilities• Continuous Exclusion. You're consistently railroaded from important meetings or decision-making sessions. Your opinion means little to new strategies• Good Old Fashioned Hate. If getting up in the morning and going to the office summons your gag reflex, a change may be immanentOn the flip side, there are definitely situations where changing jobs or careers can be a step backwards. Understanding where your feelings come from is traditionally vital. The Brazen Careerist contends that, in some instances, working through your problems can be a better solution than just jumping ship. Desires such as ridding yourself of an oppressive boss, looking for more prestige, wanting to meet new people or attaining happiness often can't be satisfied through a job change.If You're Going to Change Jobs, Do It RightRandall S. Hansen, Ph.D. of QuinCareers offers these common career change mistakes that most people make--and you should avoid.
• Changing Careers without Education. Going back to school and absorbing new information is essential to success in your new role• Deciding Based on Outside Forces. If you're changing careers based on other's opinions, outside pressures or the money factor, this could sabotage your ultimate goal• Excluding Self-examination. It might not be the job--it might be you. A fresh perspective on your current position might possibly change your mindAs a final thought, America's Job Exchange encourages you to volunteer in an industry that interests you and return to school for additional training if you're serious about making that move.
Eight Key Steps To Making A Career Change
We spend approximately 50% of our waking hours at work. Doesn't it make sense to make the most of that time, otherwise what's the point? OK, it pays the bills but shouldn't it be about more than that. The happier you are at work, the happier you can be with other areas of your life.
If work's getting you down or you'd like to try something different, here are a few things to consider.
1. So, are you happy at work? If not, why not? Is it the type of work you do, the people you work with or your boss? What can you do to change your situation? How could you make it more interesting, how could you improve the relationships with the people you work with? Could you do the same thing but for a different company. Could you delegate tasks to someone else in your team?
2. Do you love what you do? What is your passion and what motivates you? What values in your life are important to you - health, money, security, family, relationships etc. Follow these and you'll be happier in your work and in life generally.
3. What are you good at? What skills and abilities do you have? Where could you make improvements? Training for the job that you do could improve your job satisfaction and your job prospects and could enable you to take on a new role.
4. Where do you want to go? Are you looking for promotion, salary increase or a job change? Sometimes we have to start at the bottom in order to get where we want to be. Have your goal in mind so you don't lose sight of what you're doing and more importantly why!
5. Get yourself a mentor. Find someone you respect, who's where you want to be or done what you want to do. If you don't know anyone at work, is there someone outside work you could discuss your plans with and who would be prepared to give you advice and support?
6. Keep your CV up-to-date. Be ready to take advantage of any opportunity that might present itself if you're looking to change jobs. Alternatively, go out and find those opportunities - if you want to change, you need to make it happen. Opportunities will present themselves if you're looking for them.
7. Take control of your own career. There are always things we can do to change and grow. If you're looking for a new career then spend some time thinking about what you want from your work. What do you value, need, want? What does work mean to you? How important is it in your life? What are the things you're good at, what sort of work do you like to do? How could you create your perfect job?
Sometimes living from day to day is fine but it helps if you have a plan in mind. Where do you want to be a year from now, three years from now? Set a goal "Next year, I want to be doing ..." Then set some specific steps to get you there.
Looking For a Job or a Career Change Idea
This is something that is of interest to all at this time because it is likely that in this time and era a lot of changes are likely to accrue. Which will effect a massive amount of people. In spite of all this there are some great job opportunities. Also Career change opportunities along with the chance to start a new business or work from your own home.
These are all great ways to get ahead of the game. I am sure that for most of us it is important to find something we love to do and turn that into our career like construction or graphics, meal preparation, office work, or even helping other find out what they want to do for the rest of there lives.
There are so many Job resources out there it is sometimes very intimidating to most and so you need to find one that work best for you. Maybe one that is highly recommended by a family member or Friend of former coworker. It is always wise to do a little research on this to make sure you have the right people working in you favor.
I have found that if I let other know that I am in need of a job most people are more than willing to point me in the right direction but alternately the the decisionis up to me. Like I said there are some great sites and organisation out there that will point you in the right direction. Like this site try them all and see what fits you best.
JOBINFORMPROJECT
http://sites.google.com/site/jobinformproject
Where Should I Start in My Career ? We Have a Hot Tip for You Here….
Where should I get a job?
One suggestion is this; Become a geologist which are paid Record High salaries!
High prices on commodities such as oil, gas and other mineral resources combined with high retirement rates and low enrollments assist in a boost of salaries for geologists.
Times are right for being a GeoScientist
We read in the news stories full of the petroleum and mineral resource companies offering geologists unprecedented salaries.
These demands are driven by high commodity prices that traditionally drive geoscientist’s employment in these sectors. Oil is above $100 per barrel, gold is closing up to $1000 an ounce and the price of many other important fuels and metals are at or near all-time highs. These are the right times for geoscientists seeking work within the energy and minerals sector. The offerings are varied and there are many interesting and high salary opportunities out there now.
What is the payment for a Geoscientist these days?
Geology salaries vary by sector you talk about. Now that fuel and metal prices are rising, oil and mineral resource companies respond by hiring a full staff of geologists who can find the commodities that are bringing potential reserves to be exploited quickly. In order to achieve this, they turn to offers of unprecedented compensations. This is what we observe these days.
The AAPG salary survey illustrates the average starting salary of a petroleum geologist with zero to two years experience. It clearly indicates that oil companies make good starting offers to new geoscientists. This is a trend we have seen over the last 8 years at least. The new geoscientists are earning an average of about $83,000 today. We can see the same trend in the mineral resource sector. The new geoscientists earning these salaries are a mix of B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. geoscientists.
There is a trend that a larger number of geologists find work within the environmental and government sectors. These employers tend to pay 10 – 40% less because of a less demand-driven market within this sector. However, seen from a stability point of vies, employment in the environmental and government sectors is usually more stable than the prices of commodities. In the energy and mineral sectors a sharp drop in the price of a commodity usually trigger lay-offs in larger scale.
If I have not yet taken my educational choice – what are my chances in the future, and how long time will it take me?
To qualify for a geoscience’s position you must earn a bachelor's degree at minimum and many earn a master's degree to compete more effectively in the job market. This education path takes four to six years to complete. So if you enter the education now you will not reach the job market for at least four more years. In addition you can find a different employment environment when the diploma is received down the line.
However we do not see a long line to become a geoscientist in the university enrollments. We do not see a larger amount of new graduates on their way to meet the demand for new geoscientists in the global market as we see it today.
We see a need for the expected number of degrees per year to be much higher than we observe in the next four years. However these are challenging programs, often requiring calculus, physics, chemistry and demanding geoscience courses.
So what are the chances that the High Rates of Pay for Geologists will Continue?
We can not predict the future with 100% accuracy. Commodity demand as well as prices will drive the demand for geologists within the petroleum and mineral resources sectors.
However resources become sparse and it becomes harder to find and growth in both population and affluence should put upward pressure on prices. However, temporary lows can occur as seen in 1986 and 1993 as a response to oil price declines. In both instances, prices recovered and were driven past levels. Similar trends occur in the mineral resource sector. The conclusion: based upon history: employment and salary levels are cyclical, but overall we see that the prices are rising to new highs.
Aging amongst the geoscientists is another perspective in the oil and gas as well as within the mineral industries.
A lot of geologists began oil industry careers during a previous time of high geoscientist’s salaries in the 1970's. These geoscientists are now reaching retirement age and a larger number of them will leave oil companies over the next few years than amount replacing them. One of the major challenges for the oil and gas industry as well as the mineral industry, will be to be able to replace the accumulative knowledge and people.
Another perspective is the public spending within the government sector. Sine environmental geoscientists’ jobs are driven by their spending and regulations. Therefore the legislatures rather than commodity prices will drive employment of geoscientists within this sector. Public spending and regulations has lead to a steady growth in employment in these areas. Public offices had become more environmentally vigilant as there is an attempt to protect and improve the environment around us.
What should I do then – being my university degree within Geoscience now?
We have always as adults given our children the novice advice, follow your heart and you will succeed in your choice of career, and do not follow the money. Well, it is easier said than done. Whether we like it or not, we do work because we need the money, and love to your work can only do so much for you.
However we know that economic conditions change over time and the demand for geoscientists will go through cycles, although the demand is very high at the moment. We will also expect times in the future when jobs are hard to find within these sectors mentioned in this article. We do however see one picture, the demand for good geoscientists never go out of fashion, so if you think you love geosciences, there is a good chance you will become a successful one as well, and will find a good job within these sectors.
Do not enter into a career as a geoscientist only for the money as you most likely will be disappointed in the future.
How to Mastermind a Career Change
How to mastermind a career change? That is a crucial question that comes across individuals that are opting to change their career for a new one. Changing a career involves long term planning which can be decided upon certain parameters such as experience, salary and the future interests that the individual would have in a career.
If you are an individual that has started upon a new job but is not currently satisfied with the field, then it is necessary that you do some brainstorming as to which job will enable you to pursue the career of your interest.
Factors Important In Deciding Upon A Career
From the very beginning of your education, i.e. from elementary school, you decide upon certain careers that you would want to pursue. As a child you often dream about being a pilot, doctor, businessman or any other field which will enable you to get an accurate assessment of your achievements for your future.
Its when you come out of this fantasy land that you realize that everyone has capacities and interests according to which they have to adapt their lives to. Some of the factors that one must look into while deciding upon a career change can be elaborated as follows -
- Aptitude
There are individual differences among everyone which enables one to decide upon which career to choose from. Aptitude is one important individual difference which is the mental capacity of an individual to perform a task. For example if you are not good with arithmetic then you have a very low aptitude for jobs which would allow you to perform on arithmetic operations. Choosing a job in the engineering field won't be a good idea. You would be better off by opting for a career in the field of arts and humanities. If the current job that you have undertaken doesn't suit your aptitude then you should consider a change of your career.
- Interests
If you have dreamed of being an engineer or lawyer then it is necessary that you pursue your interests in this field. But it is important to remember that you should have the aptitude to perform the job. There are many individuals working a specific job but do not have any aptitude in performing that job. If you think that you are not enjoying the current job setting then it is necessary that you weigh the time adequately. Maybe it is a temporary phase that you are going through and it may require some assessment in terms of the work place that you are working in.
- Workplace environment
Often individuals get confused in terms of the work place environment and the career. In this situation, it is necessary to distinguish your interest in the career and that of the workplace environment. However there are various questions that you would have to ask yourself regarding the present work environment that you are working in. Questions such as -
- What is the relationship with my colleagues?
- Am I satisfied with my pay?
- Is the workload too much?
These are personal questions that you should separate from your career interests.
Therefore masterminding your career is a matter of deciding upon your aptitude, interests and the present working environment. With these three parameters in place one is sure to find the adequate job.