Your Personal Branding as an Older Worker

What Sets You Apart?

Personal branding is the act of letting your identity be known and showing the qualities that set you apart from others in your area of discipline. It comprises a combination of skills and talents alongside style and personality. In other words, it requires having a clear message of who you are, what direction you are going in, as well as the experience you have. You are letting the hiring manager be aware of your identity so that you are not just part of the faceless crowd.

Personal branding comes with lots of advantages. Besides highlighting your personal strengths, personal branding can help pull your resume from the bottom to the top of the pile and make you an outstanding interviewer.

Here are some tips to help prepare yourself for a new job:

• Brainstorm: Take some time to think about what to include in your personal brand. You can do this by going over your resume, understanding the leadership qualities you possess and your work ethic. Determine the path or direction you want to take your career in and also figure out the type of projects you are mostly drawn to. Then, develop a big plan on how to express this to the hiring managers and recruiters.

• New Market, New Skill: You have to accept the fact that you are competing in a marketplace which is entirely different from what you had in the past. Consequently, you have to learn about the new workplace, accept and leverage it to your advantage. You can do this by trying to understand the generational differences. For example, there is a myth that older workers are not usually energetic or tech savvy. However, they are generally taken to be reliable, honest, hardworking and loyal. Take the positive assumptions, and use them to your advantage. Efforts should be made at addressing the negative ones.

• Technology and social media: Brush up your knowledge about the latest technologies and get yourself engaged in the use of social media. Show your prospective employer your willingness to learn new things. Social media is a great platform to start your personal branding. Therefore, you have to build a social media friendly resume and ensure its done the right way by not making blind submissions to different websites. The idea is to create a resume that would be so dynamic that it becomes readily accessible through searching, distributing and sharing. The resume should be able to:

• Accurately portray who you are as a brand.

• Attract hiring managers, recruiters and job opportunities to you, instead of going about making blind submissions.

• Showcase your abilities, talents as well as what you look for in a job. You can create a personalized resume by clicking here.

• You can also make use of a cover letter. A cover letter represents a better place to make your personality known. Be unique and discuss why you would be a better choice over your younger colleagues. Start creating cover letters that get interviews by clicking here.

• Posting your information on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr and others is a good way to get started.

• Make Yourself Stand Out: This involves convincing the hiring managers that you are a very rare talent. Start by expanding your thinking about your own particular capabilities, then tell it to the world. And make sure you describe your unique personal brand value in everything you do. You can do this by creating an online profile and identity, building your network, connecting with local groups and associations, and seeking out volunteer opportunities.

Studies have shown that most workers who seek job opportunities at mature ages usually find the new job more appealing when compared to the old job. Therefore, ask yourself how you could combine your vast knowledge, experience, and personality to produce something that a younger counterpart cannot. In other words, regardless of your age, you can always brand yourself and stand out.

CLICK HERE for a complete schedule of online workshops and resources to prepare you for your new career.

6 Unconventional Career Change Tips for Older Skilled Workers

	Career Changer: Do You Focus On Money ($$$) Issues or "Do What You Love (♥)?" The following is six unconventional mid-life career change tips based on the premise that the key to a successful career change transition is the integration of work, life and financial goals.

Unconventional Tip #1:
Each day you remain at a job because it is not fulfilling your financial goals is another day you postpone your financial freedom.


If you're over 40 you probably already recognize that making a career change when you're young is a lot easier than making a career change when you're older. Typically, the older you are the more you've invested in your current career and the more you potentially have to lose. Many mid-life career professionals remained in careers that were not fulfilling because they felt that their job was “satisfactory.”


If this sounds like you, don't let the fears cause you to stay in a job that isn't satisfying your long term financial objectives. The risks of staying in a career that is not meeting your financial goals are often greater than the financial risks of making a strategic move to a career that you enjoy more and that has the long-term potential you desire.


Unconventional Tip #2:
Tip number two is not to believe that if you love what you're doing you're bound to make money.
While there is quite a bit of wisdom in the maxim "Do What You Love", there is not a direct correlation between loving your job and meeting your financial goals. If money is an important consideration in your career change make sure that you thoroughly research your new career to make sure that if you become the best at what you do that the money will follow.


Unconventional Tip #3:
The third unconventional mid-life career change tip is to focus on money issues -- not work issues.

When making a mid-life career change it is important to thoroughly explore your new career to ensure that it's going to be professional and that you're qualified for the job. However, no matter how much you feel you're going to enjoy a career change and no matter how qualified you feel for a new position don't hand in your resignation at your current job until you've solidified your financial future. No matter how much planning you do you can't anticipate everything that is going to occur down the road. If you're taking a large financial risk by making a career change you may just find yourself in the exact same position in the future -- just 10 years older without the financial resources to make another career change.

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Simple Advice To Midlife Career Changer (Video)

Maggie Mistal, a well know career coach, gives older skilled workers some sound advice that not only applies to those about to be downsized but also those already immersed in a job search. How can you effectively make the transition from employed to an unemployed job seeker. Can you negotiate with your current employer? What resources should you check out? Even some suggestions on key websites to visit.(Editor's Note)

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Miserable? Is It Time To Make A Mid-Life Career Change? (Video)

Editors Note: Warning:This video start out slow but if you view the whole video you should find a few valuable pieces of career transition suggestions.   Be sure to evaluate if your company is offering a early retirement or buyout package before you accept. Do you know Federal and State governments offer career transition help? Do you feel ageism had a role in a particular job interview?


Source:How to plan a midlife career change


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Changing Your Career Path During the Recession

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Are you thinking of choosing or changing your career? Maybe you have been dreaming about a career change but don’t know where to start. Perhaps you’re getting increasingly bored at work or realizing that opportunities for growth are limited. Or, like many in this economy, you may be unemployed or facing unemployment. Regardless of your reasons, the right career is out there for everyone. Discover how to find the best career path for you, including finding the courage to make a change, researching options, realizing your strengths, and learning new skills.

Finding meaningful work in today’s world

You may have fallen into the trap of thinking the sole point of work is to bring home enough money to live comfortably. While adequate compensation is important in any job, it’s not the whole story. If you are unsatisfied with what you do every day, it takes a toll on your physical and mental health. You may feel burned out and frustrated, anxious, depressed, or unable to enjoy time at home knowing another workday is ahead. What’s more, if you don’t find your work meaningful and rewarding, it’s hard to keep the momentum going to advance in your career. You are more likely to be successful in a career that you feel passionate about. Whether you’re looking to enter the work force for the first time or contemplating a career change, the first step to choosing a fulfilling career is to uncover the activities that get you excited and bring you joy.

Discovering new possibilities

The first step in considering a career change is to think carefully about what really drives you. You might find it hard to get past thinking about “what pays the most” or “what is most secure,” especially in today’s economy. However, it’s important to first discover your primary interests and passions. This can open doors to careers that you might not have considered. Once you have that foundation, you can start fine tuning your search to the right career. You may be surprised at how you can fit your passions into a certain career!

Exploring your career opportunities

Focus on the things you love to do. What have you dreamed of doing in the past? What do you naturally enjoy doing? Jot down what comes to mind, no matter how improbable it seems.

Look for clues everywhere. Take note of projects or topics that stir your compassion or excite your imagination. Reflect on stories of people you admire. Ask yourself why certain activities make you happy, and pay attention to times when you are really enjoying yourself.

Be patient. Remember that your search may take some time and you might have to go down a few different roads before finding the right career path. Time and introspection will help you identify the activities you most enjoy and that bring you true satisfaction.

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Moving Beyond the Lone Ranger Syndrome during a Career Transition

Ever notice how some people faced with a problem will "argue for the problem" and shoot down possible solutions when they are presented without giving the ideas any real consideration?

You may also notice that this individual during a career transition (and Job Search) will often stay separate from people and resources which can be pivotal factors for creating the very breakthrough they want. For reasons which are rarely examined, they seem determined to do it all themselves.

I call this pattern The Lone Ranger Syndrome.

Does this possibly describe what is happening for you now?

Are you attempting to solve your most challenging career problems on your own because you believe that asking for assistance is an admission of defeat and proves you are inadequate for a job? Believe it or not, this is a commonly held belief.

Can you see how these beliefs are tremendously limiting?

If this is happening for you, don't despair. There is a solution available. It is possible for you to move beyond the lone ranger syndrome. Stay with me.

Unconscious Factors
If you have been tenaciously yet unknowingly keeping yourself separate from sources of empowerment like career coaching, while continuing to persist with the same strategies and thinking that aren't working, you can be pretty sure that there is a big part of you committed to the status quo.

Please understand that this is not logical. You may wholeheartedly believe you are committed to creating career change but there are other, unconscious forces which have some different ideas and agendas.

While you may feel that you really want change, you may in fact have a greater need for things to remain the same. This may be shocking but once embraced, it can be emancipating.

Key Principle
When your desire for something is greater than your resistance or fear, your desires are going to be realized. It may take a while, but it will happen.

When your fear, resistance or limiting beliefs are stronger than your desire, you will likely remain stuck and oftentimes you will not know why. Your conscious mind will make up a story about it, like it is the economy, your resume, etc.

You may in fact be like the proverbial hamster, spinning on his wheel but not getting anywhere. You may point to the fact of how hard you are working. Sound familiar?

The Solution
The solution to the Lone Ranger Syndrome can be summed up by the phrase Empowering Partnership.

I'm not talking about partnering with just anybody. I am referring to partnership with those people who are already accessible to you (by virtue of the fact that you are reading this) with whom genuine empowerment and breakthroughs are possible. This is the kind of person who will tell you the truth that may be hard to hear yet emancipating at the same time.

Related TOOL:
How to ace your next interview

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Why Adult Internships Are Growing in Today's Economy

The hot internship topic of the past few weeks has definitely been, "Adult Internships" also termed, "non-traditional internships". Are adults getting internships ? Are increased layoffs resulting in increased internship interest ? Are those who graduated school years ago even allowed to intern?

As your "Intern Queen" I figured it was my job to get to the bottom of this. In Los Angeles, I recently watched a segment on CNN entitled, "Adult Internships". The segment discussed the number of companies offering adults internships. I personally deal with over 400 companies on a daily basis. These companies are usually not open to viewing anyone's resume accept for currently enrolled college students. Even getting them to take a look at highschool student's applications can be a difficult process. Many employers actually use my site to get away from sites like Craigslist who tend to attract adults looking for a "career change" at 40 plus years of age. I was naturally skeptical of this new trend of "Adult Internships".

However, after speaking with several adults who ARE participating in internships in Los Angeles and in businesses around the country, I have to agree that Adult Internships ARE a growing trend. Employers are going to have to start finding ways to open their doors and internship programs to people of all ages.

WHY ADULT INTERNSHIPS ARE A GROWING TREND IN TODAY'S ECONOMY

1. INCREASED LAYOFFS. Becuase of the steady increase of layoffs in today's economy, adults have been left in "transitional periods". If they can't get job offers in their industry they are left to think of other options. Many adults are saying they would rather have an internship and keep busy while they're on the 'job hunt' than sit around and sulk.

2. THE "PASSION" CAREER. Afer being left with a not-so-great severance package, many adults are just fed up with their previous industries. They are looking back at their lives and questioning why they didn't go into other careers/businesses. Many people are starting their own companies and going after different types of jobs. This a time for everyone to go after what they really want and an internship is the best way for ANYONE to get their foot in the door.

3. NETWORKING AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING. Internships are a great way to connect with individuals who you might not normally connect with. Internships are a great way to build up a new strong rolodex. As an intern, you are constantly meeting new people, helping different executives, and getting your name out there. Putting great relationships into place as an intern, can garauntee first knowledge of new jobs and company information that outsiders might not have.

4. THEY ALREADY "GET IT". One common problem with highschool and college students interning, is the lack of workplace/realworld knowledge. Young interns often don't understand when to speak and when not to speak, when to give ideas and when not to give ideas. They don't understand the politics,professional manners, and boundaries of the workplace. With adult interns, the chances of these problems is significantly decreased.

Click here to read part 2 of this article

Career Change at 40, 50+

It is said that the only thing that is certain in life is change. Though this phrase has been proved quite many times, there are some situations where a change seems not only implausible but also impossible and ridiculous. A job or a profession change at an age of forty or fifty is one of those situations where people may look at you quizzically with one question – why?

To assist those who are at 40+ or at 50+ ages that are planning a career change at midlife, this article provides some guidelines for making this career change decision smoother. The article also gives advice on the career change impact on your personal life.

Tips for making a midlife career change after 40 & midlife career change after 50

Here are some tips to keep in mind before you decide to change your career at 50 or at 40:

The reasons
Change in your midlife career has reasons. You may be ready to scale down (or up) the working intensity or to experience new professional fields.
Getting into a change, especially change of career at 40+ brings uncertainty and uncertainty increases hesitations. Hesitations tend to stop motivation. Therefore, effective decision-making is necessary to your peaceful mind before making mid life career changes.

In fact, making a career change at 40+ or career change at 50+ is a lot harder than making this decision when you are fresh and young.

Some well-known reasons for a career change may be:
1. You remain at your job because the money is good but you don’t like your job. Your job may be ‘good enough’ but your interests are different – You want to do something completely different.

2. Financial freedom. You desire a progress. Your have high expectation and want to get new opportunities. You have already worked hard your way up the career ladder. However, you feel ready and confident for a career movement and a career change.
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Top 7 Steps for Career Change

Whether you want your dream job, achieve a better work-life balance or simply need the challenge, this 7 step career decision making advice will help you think through your midlife career change.

1. What skills and experience do you have?

List exactly your skills and experience, focussing on what you CAN do not on what you can’t. These are commonly called “transferable skills” as no matter what line of work you’re in, you can use them. You’ve probably got unique talents or knowledge – go ahead and list that too. These may end up differentiating you from the rest, and land your dream job.

Okay, so there may be some gaps between you and your dream job, but if you could do it all already, why bother changing career? It’s highly likely you can close those gaps without going back to school full-time. Sounds unlikely? Well, have you heard of secondments, job shadowing, or learning on the job? And what about taking a sabbatical to work in the voluntary sector to test things out? All of these allow a mid life career change without going back to school.

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2. What field would you like to work in?

So now we know what you can do. Maybe you want to stay doing what you do, but in a different field? My uncle moved from a high flying banking job to become a financial director of a large theatre, fulfilling his love of the arts whilst still getting his “fix” of numbers.

Science, medicine, government, working from home, military…. There are so many choices it can be overwhelming. Luckily the next step will help narrow it down.


3. What lifestyle do you want?

Your lifestyle aspirations change as your circumstances change. What suits as a foot loose fancy free twenty something may no longer hold water as a thirty something with 2.4 children, dog and pet rabbit. What is your ideal day? Who do you see? What kind of people are around you?


4. Where do you want to live?

Choosing to live in a remote community may be tough going if you have super niche skills. Maybe you can market those skills online – just check out if you can get broadband before you move :>)

Travelling is another consideration, be it the daily commute or international globe-trotting. Does this figure in your dream job? If so, you need to consider the dull reality of trains, planes and automobiles.


5. What salary fits your lifestyle?

Let’s talk money. How much money do you need to live your life, now and when you retire? It’s a sorry truth that most of us have to work to get bread on the table. Don’t let dollar signs cloud your dream job though. My sister-in-law took a massive pay cut to move from corporate life to the public sector (and give back her Mini Cooper, ouch) but one year later is earning more than her corporate salary.


6. What career progression is there?

Are you painting yourself into a corner career-wise? Does your dream job have a finite life span or are there opportunities to grow and develop? Lack of career progression may be why you are looking to change careers now! I certainly moved from one job as the glass ceiling was firmly fixed above my head.


7. How will you progress this?

Right, here’s the really difficult bit. I never said it was going to be easy :>) In fact, I’ll spill the beans now. Making a midlife career change is slow, hard work, and requires you to do some tough thinking. But consider the alternative – wasting your life in a dead end job, unfulfilled and embarrassed about how your obituary will read.

How will you progress this?

Yep, you heard me. How are you going to land that dream job? Who do you need to speak to? What research needs done? Who can help? Just like fishing, you can only catch a fish when you have a line in the water. Your dream job is out there waiting to be caught.

It’s never too late to make a midlife career change. Vincent Van Gogh was an art dealer, schoolmaster, student priest, and missionary before he taught himself how to paint. Indeed, he was well into his thirties before his artistic talents were recognised. Not bad for a midlife career change!

Midlife career change advice is easy - it’s up to you to make it happen. Pull together an action plan and do it, no excuses.

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Lyndsay Swinton is an experienced team leader, people manager and business coach. Her website is http://www.mftrou.com - 'Management for the rest of us'. Subscribe to her free no-nonsense Management Tips newsletter at mftrou.com today.

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Change Your Career in 10 Steps

Whether you're facing being bumped out of your latest job, or bored to the screaming point by work that used to be gratifying, one way to stay ahead of the oft-unsettling see-saw of a career transition is having a SMART plan.

Most of us find life transitions intimidating, especially on the work front. But now is actually a prime time to lean toward the next career adventure. Here are 10 important steps that will help get you where you want to be going:

1. Stay in reality: Some might say just follow your bliss, but in my experience that ends much better if you first have a well thought-out financial plan for your transition; including the time frame by which you want to be in your next job, and how long you can freely explore without running low on funds. Important: take the time to do the math up front. If you have six months worth of financial padding then the plan has to accommodate being situated in a new job where your basic life needs are taken care of in that amount of time. That's not to say you can't pursue a parallel path if your savings are insufficient, of course, but you may have to stick with your current employer or find an interim position that pays the bills while continuing to work toward your goal.

2. Hone in: Identify your top 5-8 most important VALUES in your work. Far, far too often people route their career paths based on either what they've done already or what they imagine various jobs to be like rather than on real personal agendas and desires. Once you are crystal clear what you'd love your career to be like and what you'd love your career to provide to you, only then can you really effectively hone in on the list of the handful of jobs/careers that are a match for your personal list of work values. How to go about this process:

a. Write out the elements you like in your previous work (e.g. being with people, exercising
leadership, doing email, etc).

b. What elements do you want in your career that you have not yet had in your day to day job or from your total experience of working?

c. What elements do you want to not have in your next career?

d. How much money are you committed to making?

e. What's the legacy you want to leave?

f. For each job you've ever enjoyed, write out:
1. what you loved about it
2. anything you didn't love about it

g. For every single career you've thought of in the last 5 years, make a bulleted list defining what it is about each choice that interests you.

(Don't worry about whether or not you have a PhD. People think insularly. Your task here is to broaden your thinking.)

Examples: Veterinarian--the pleasure of healing, being with animals.
Interior Designer--tapping into my artistic side, creating beautiful things and settings, working with people.

All this work this leads you to a list of things you VALUE in your work life.

Then go through this list and note the top 5-8 of them that are most important to you.
Now you have your list of 'deal-breaker' VALUES that must be there for you in your next job.

Then you can much more intelligently begin to brainstorm and begin a fact-hunting mission to develop a written list of the handful of jobs/careers that are an actual match for you (based on your personal and very YOU career values).

3. Soak up information like a sponge: Talk to everyone appropriate (which will be more people than you first imagine) about your interest in transitioning. Most people are chasing a mirage, and far too often they make job choices based on fantasy thinking or simply on poor information. "Live research" allows you to hone in on the very real elements you want to move way from and gravitate to the ones that match your desires.

Get the word out to the people you know about what you're interested in pursuing and ask them specifically who they know that would be useful for you to speak with. Find every opportunity to talk with people who are in the jobs or fields you're considering.

This is one of the MOST CRITICAL elements of a successful career transition and the piece that is most often missing in a difficult one. Not only does this process refine your decision making, but the ancillary benefit is that the very individuals you reach out to for your "live research" become a critical part of your network that ultimately parlays you into your next job and career.

4. Talk to people: Get away from the computer! Through every phase of your entire transition, authentically cultivate relationships. This is the single most powerful force leading to successful job transitions. So much energy is thrown into reading job boards, blind resume submission, searching the web, etc. This can be a useful component, but overall, get away from the computer! Nurture and expand your network of people you know. This is not about "selling yourself", just be sincere, and get on their radar screen by fostering a genuine connection.

Go to industry conferences, parties, cocktails, morning breakfasts; and create and develop relationships. Ask not what others can do for you, but what you can do for them. This reciprocity will have you be "top of mind" when the right opportunity presents itself.

5. The art of re-positioning yourself: If you're looking for a job in a new industry, spend time getting extremely clear about your "portable value". Know and be able to concisely communicate your unique worth and just how your skills will benefit your future industry and new employer. Practice succinctly articulating - in your 'elevator pitch', as well as your resume - how your distinctive talents, abilities, and accomplishments perfectly position you for what you're seeking to do. Every person's experience can be re-packaged to meet the demands of a new industry. Spending the time to do this succinctly makes an enormous difference between success and failure.

6. Find your ROI: When preparing to look for a job in a new industry, clarify and focus on the measurable contributions to the bottom-line result you've achieved for your former or current employers, and show how it can work anywhere. Explain your significant skills and how you're ready to out-compete even in another industry. Every time you are asked "What do you do or want to be doing?" answer this question instead, "Why should you pay my salary?"

7. Action: Daily action is required. Create a strategic plan for your transition; with daily, weekly, and monthly goals. Start with where you want to end up: figure out what you need to know about your new career, and what you need to do to get there. Build a pipeline of actions from there. Actions can be small; but be in daily motion.

8. Build in accountability: Get a partner to hold you to your plan and keep your word, without regard for disappointments or your mood. Ask people to champion you when you face set-backs, but to hold you accountable for sticking to your DAILY actions and driving yourself forward. Too often people get bogged down by disappointments and then buy into in the belief that the work world is too tough right now. Daily actions that stretch you, and maintaining accountability to your plan not only reduce overwhelm and anxiety, they're a powerful impetus to get you to your ultimate goal.

9. Momentum: There is an "effort equation" when starting something new; for example, for every 100 'units' of effort you put in, you can expect 1 result. As you gain momentum, this equation improves, to perhaps 1 result for only 50 'units' of effort in. This means...play...put the energy in. If you're impatient, you may get discouraged by not seeing the results as quickly as you want. But it is mathematical. Put the energy in, consistently, no matter what, and the results start flowing in.

10. Courage: When setting out to do something different you may have a crisis of confidence; a feeling like "I am a charlatan" or "There's no way I can pull this off!" There is often a period of time when you are gaining credibility with yourself. Have patience during this phase and know this period is finite. In the mean time, fake it. Don't be wishy-washy: when introducing yourself - statements like "I'm trying to be an author" or "I'm sort of working on becoming a therapist" sabotage you. Get in the habit of saying, "I'm a writer" or "I'm a chef". Once you get your feet under you for long enough, this turns to genuine confidence.

A final note: The days of linear careers are over. Be pragmatic; take all your differing agendas into account, including how much you need to be making, what you love and hate doing, the legacy you want to leave, the transition time you have available for making a career move.

When you finally free up your thinking and accept that reality and desire can be accounted for - you discover so much more is possible - and you get to real actionable answers. Now it becomes a matter of breaking up the transition into 'Lego pieces'; individual manageable blocks that build on one other to get you out of your head and into action.

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Meredith Haberfeld is an Executive Coach and Life Coach and co-founder of www.meredithhaberfeld.com and www.instituteforcoaching.com
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Get a Job Through Career Development: Navigator Institute

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These career development experts have poured all of that valuable knowledge into the creation of this one-of-a-kind, online career development and job search training program.

Navigator Institute’s Career Development Course

Navigator Institute is powered by professional career development experts and coaches with experience in major corporate companies such as Pepsi-Cola, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Wyndham Vacation Resorts, Disney, Hard Rock Cafe, Darden Restaurants, Pizza Hut, and many more.
These career experts have seen it all, interviewed thousands of candidates, and know exactly what HR professionals are looking for in potential job candidates, and they have poured all of that valuable knowledge into the creation of this one-of-a-kind, online career development and job search training program.
With the knowledge and insights you’ll gain from taking this online career development course, you’ll be on your way in a matter of days to landing the job of your dreams. So why wait for the perfect opportunity to show up at your door? Sign up today in Navigator Institute’s career training program, and see how easy it can be to find your perfect job opportunity that can have you reaping financial and personal rewards in no time.


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7 Steps to Career Change

More of us are shifting career gears than ever before, but just how smoothly you make the move depends on how well you do your homework.

There are lots of reasons for exploring a new career: fundamental changes in your field, company outsourcing or downsizing, even simple dissatisfaction with your current job. And there are many things to consider, including whether a career change is financially realistic.

To make sure you arrive at your new profession destination without wrecking your life and finances en route, check out these seven career-change steps.


Step 1: Figure out what's wrong with your job picture.
Is it you, the job, your employer or your industry? Leslie Godwin, a career and life-transition coach based in Southern California, recalls a client who was desperate to find a new job. The client liked her boss and her employer, but she had been promoted to a position she didn't like.

Godwin, author of "From Burned Out to Fired Up," helped her client rewrite her job description. The client is now as happy as ever. The lesson: A drastic career change might not be the correct solution. So don't trade the legal bar for a bartender's counter without double-checking whether your current career can be saved.

First consider smaller professional adjustments. Like Godwin's client, you may be able to put a new twist on your old job. Or look into changing employers instead of your career field. A pharmacist in Idaho, for example, grew tired of his job there, moved to Montana and began substituting for pharmacists when they went on vacation. The new twist makes his job interesting, plus he picks his assignments, working as little or as much as he wants.

Step 2: Know your strengths and weaknesses.
Once you decide that changing fields is the right move, examine your capabilities. Get beyond job titles. Look not only at your employment history, but also at hobbies you hold dear. Look at the core skills -- communicating, analyzing, good eye for graphics, poise -- that allow you to be successful at both.

It can be hard to be objective. Consider hiring a coach to help you discern your skills and what jobs can best be served by them. Don't forget about family and friends; their observations are a good way to uncover your skills.

"Ask three of your closest friends to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses," says Damian Birkel, founder of Professionals in Transition, a nonprofit support group for the unemployed and underemployed. "Invite them to offer their input on your career path. Friends can have helpful insights, but be warned; they can also be brutally honest as they offer you their no-holds-barred truths."

Step 3: Determine which skills are transferable.
Keeping your skills in mind, scan the classifieds in your local newspaper or go online to job sites. "Look at the different job descriptions and how they are written," says William A. Werksman, a managing partner with Resource Partners, an executive search and recruiting company based in Las Vegas, Nev.

"See what the different industries have to offer. There's such a vast array of jobs out there," Werksman says. "If you're currently working for an airline in customer service, you can take your customer service skills and use them in the entertainment, recreation, or tourism fields."

A client of Pam Brill, an executive coach at her New Hampshire-based consulting firm In the Zone Inc., was an administrative assistant in the medical industry and was promoted to a management position. She hated it. Brill helped her examine her interpersonal, communication and organizational skills and the client was able to switch from administration to customer service.

Today Brill's client is a customer liaison representative at a ritzy health spa. "It was a perfect fit with her skills, but different from what she had been doing," says Brill, author of "The Winner's Way: A Proven Method for Achieving Your Personal Best in Any Situation."

Step 4: Research your options.
Before you jump career ships, especially to a field in which you have no experience, do some research. Attend conventions or trade shows. Not only will you find out more about the job you think you want, you'll also build an important database of industry contacts.

Talk to people you know in the field. If you don't know anyone, try to find connections through family, friends and business colleagues. And don't be afraid to cold call companies. "It's one of the tricks of being a headhunter: Ask for help and most people generally will try to help you," Werksman says.

Finally, take some courses in your chosen field. Ask your fellow students and professors for their perspectives on the market and the occupation you're considering. As with trade show inquires, you'll get a feel for your new career and expand your networking options if you do decide to make the switch.

Step 5: Be realistic about a new field's prospects.
Make sure you're not being tempted by a fad field that soon will leave you looking for work again. Even in established professions, examine whether the outlook is boom or bust.

Birkel, author of "Career Bounce-Back," has created some questions to help you figure out if your next career path will be a successful one:

How do industry experts rate the field's health today? Research trade journals, industry associations or the general press. Even an Internet search engine inquiry into the industry could give you valuable information.

• What major changes are being predicted?
• What factors will help the industry during the next decade?
• What are the biggest threats the industry will face in the decade ahead?
• In what geographical areas will the field be strongest?
• What are the biggest advantages or disadvantages for working in this field?

True, it's good to get in on the ground floor of things. Just make sure it's a field with a solid foundation.

Step 6: Test drive a new career.
Most career counselors suggest making a gradual career change. That means hanging onto the job you want to escape while making initial forays into your desired employment area. This will give you a chance to adjust to the new work without giving up your current paycheck.

The easiest way to test a new career is to scale back the hours at your current job. If you can afford it, see if your boss will let you work part-time. Or use some vacation time to try your hand at something comparable. If your ultimate goal is to open a flower shop, a weekend job at a local florist could provide an inside look at the industry.

Also look for volunteer positions or internships in the new field. Such positions might not precisely mirror the job you ultimately want, but they should give you a feeling for what the field requires.

A job-testing stint also could help you discover flaws in what you thought was an ideal job. Headhunter Werksman worked with a software engineer who yearned to open a high-end coffee shop and tried a stint as a barista.

"That took the luster off his dream," Werksman says. It was disappointing, but it was better that he found out before he made the big leap.

Step 7: Determine whether you can you afford to make the change.
Maybe in your zeal to find a new career, you told yourself that the money doesn't matter. But the truth for most of us is that money always matters.

That's why you shouldn't impetuously quit your current job. Neither, says recruiter Werksman, should you try to finance a career change by tapping your 401(k) or other retirement fund. And don't take money out of your kid's college fund.

Do find out the accepted salaries in your dream field. Check salary surveys published in trade journals, wage data collected by trade associations and statistics published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Then crunch the numbers and come to a realistic decision on whether you can afford to change career gears. If you've got kids to put through college or a heavy load of credit card debt, it might not make sense to take a $30,000 pay cut to pursue your dream job. On the other hand, if you are sure you'll be happier and don't mind scrimping for a couple of years knowing that eventually you'll be making good money, then go for it.

A good way to figure out your financial career-change feasibility is to write a business plan. This holds true whether you're taking the entrepreneurial route and opening your own juice bar or going back to school for training to become a veterinary technician. If your calculations reveal that you can't afford to make the switch as you originally planned, the change still might be possible. Maybe you can't survive on a vet tech salary, but you could become an office manager for a vet. That would pay more and allow you to work in the animal care field.

In addition, putting your business goals on paper will help you tweak your career change moves and increase the odds of success.

Career counselor Godwin had a client who wanted to start a retail operation where parents could hold parties for their children. They discovered a lot of businesses already offered the service, so Godwin helped her client revamp the idea. The retail party spot turned into a business in which the client now puts on children's parties in their own homes. The business plan process allowed her to put a different spin on the original plan and mine an overlooked niche.

And be ready for your new career's total bill. In addition to financial costs such as a probable pay cut as you start over at an entry-level position, retraining expenses and possible relocation outlays, you'll also have some personal dues to pay. It will be like starting your first job all over again, one that's likely outside of your professional comfort zone.

"I don't believe you are ever too old to change careers," says career counselor Birkel, "but you do need to be prepared to pay the costs for making the change."

Jenny C. McCune is a contributing editor based in Montana.
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/advice/20041020a1.asp

Job Networking: In-Depth

Part 1 of 2



Part 2 of 2



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdQh7E3dBNA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_qXhUVFdaE

Career Change Tips & Tricks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krith0T3wn4

Life-Changing Career Change Advice

Some of the best career advice I have ever heard:





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDOwfqsb_Wg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l7LPmLN8mM

Career Change During the Recession

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJuKnaslrns

From Finance to Fish - career changing story

"Ask Espenscheid and she'll say that going from money management to fishing gear was no big leap. "Most jobs boil down to selling -- to selling yourself," she insists. "In my previous life, I was selling financial services. Now what I'm selling is adventure and excitement and fun. And I get photos from women all over the country saying, 'I'm wearing your Fishin' Chix shirt, and look at the 60-pound fish I caught!'" So far, 150 women have paid $129 in annual dues"

http://www.more.com/2009/2994-a-sea-change--from-financial/3

Career Change At Age 40 or Age 50

"Don't get caught up with age, but discuss experience, stability, wisdom and the background to be an effective part of the team in a shorter time frame. Use examples from your work history that show how you dealt with similar situations to what the new job requires, and explain how your knowledge and experience will allow you to handle them now."

- Curt MacRae, Detroit Job Search Examiner

http://www.examiner.com/x-10186-Detroit-Job-Search-Examiner~y2009m7d17-Are-you-over-50--Use-your-agexperience-to-get-a-job

6 Mid-Life Career Change Tips You Haven't Heard Of

"The third unconventional mid-life career change tip is to focus not on work issues but on money issues."

http://www.passionsaving.com/mid-life-career-change.html

Career Change: Passion Is Crucial

"Align your passions, abilities and interests. This is where you give yourself permission to take the next step. Write a biography of yourself five years from now describing the life you wish you were living. You are done only when you have become really excited about it. Then write a biography of today and examine the gap. This will create the tension you will need as momentum to start acting to close the gap."

http://www.jobjournal.com/article_full_text.asp?artid=1687