Greg Heslin asked:

It’s often hard to think about changing careers. It’s doubly difficult to take the step to change careers after you have been doing something for what may seem a lifetime. Interestingly, many people are opting for a career change after age 50. There are many things that drive people to look for a new career direction: burnout, a feeling you have been doing something for years that isn’t really fulfilling or fun, industry downturns that create an oversupply of candidates in your present career field, a desire for something new and stimulating at which to dedicate yourself for the remainder of your working life. Whatever the motivation, it is a big step and you’ll need help doing it.

First, here are some things to think about.

· What do you want to do now? Where are your strengths? What abilities can you draw upon to help you create a new career path?

· Do you know any headhunters?

· How good is your professional network? Will it be helpful in making your career change?

· What local resources are available to you? Can you take advantage of career seminars, personal and professional career counseling or career fairs?

· You will need to reformat your resume to highlight your experience and/or education and training in the new career area you want to pursue.

“Headhunter” is a common term that refers to professional recruiters who work for job search firms. They typically specialize in certain career fields and/or industries, and may focus on a specific professional level; e.g. executive, manager or director, etc. You can find headhunters in a number of ways, including word of mouth, internet ads, the Yellow Pages, and career change advice resources.

Here are some of the things a headhunter will do for you:

· Review your resume and give you advice on presenting it and yourself in the best light for the career field you seek.

· Match you to open requisitions they are trying to fill, or contact his/her network of employer clients to present you as a candidate.

· Arrange for interviews and travel, if necessary, and follow-up after your interviews with the potential employer.

· Negotiate salary and signing bonuses, if appropriate

· Follow-up with you after you are hired to make sure everything is working for you.

Your headhunter can literally be your best friend during your career change. Most are successful because of their empathy, their ability to understand the attributes of their candidates and the needs of their employers, and their enjoyment of continuous contact with people on both sides of the job search fence … in other words, they like to talk and they enjoy interacting with people over the phone. This helps the candidates and employers interact comfortably with them and builds trust.

It is important that you establish a good rapport with your headhunter because you are entering unfamiliar territory in a new career field, and the contacts and industry knowledge you had in your past career may no longer be useful to you, depending on how drastic a change you are making. There are some important steps you can take to make sure you are successful in working with you headhunter. First, be completely honest with your headhunter about why you want to change careers and what you are looking for. The headhunter needs to understand your needs completely in order to create a good match for you within a new career field. Second, be responsive and follow-up in a professional way. This does two things for you: it will move things along quickly and demonstrates for your headhunter your professionalism. Third, quickly report back on contact with companies who interview you to keep the momentum going.

If you’re over age 50 and feel something’s missing from your career, it’s never too late to make a change. While career changes can be challenging, they can lead to a valuable opportunity to build a professional life around the things you enjoy doing.

Higher Career

James Utterson asked:

Are you frustrated with the present state of your career?

You might be, if you find yourself locked in workplace conflicts with a colleague or your boss. You might also feel that you deserve more than what you are being paid, or that you are regularly being required to work late without an overtime pay to match.

Such circumstances are bound to get you thinking about a career change. Of course you can find a new position of your liking, but you need to watch out for the pitfalls when you actually cross the threshold and make that bold career forward move.

Now you might want to give a good thought to your reasons of quitting before you seek a career transition. Making money after all is serious business; your livelihood and your family’s well-being depend on it. An impulsive decision is not in the best interest of your career planning.

A frivolous or petty reason should not make you put in your papers. You should not, for example, let conflict with another individual or small issues make you resign. However, if you feel you have no hope of any further career development, if there are concerns for your safety at work, or if you need a career change to support the changing needs of your family, you will want to look at all the options before you.

Speaking of your options, you need to carefully weigh the pros and cons of a career change before you actually take the plunge. That would entail taking a good, hard look at the current employment opportunities in and around your area.

Career transition has to go hand in hand with career planning. The last thing you would want is to give up your job on an impulse and find no good openings in your area. That would leave you in a precarious position with bills to pay and a family to support.

When contemplating a career change, you obviously need to explore all avenues to find out the current employment scenario in your area. You should start examining the employment pages of local newspapers for job openings in your quest of a career job opportunity. You also need to gather all the career information available with online recruitment portals on the internet.

In the course of your job search you should take into account the current pay levels, the benefits, and other relevant particulars of all the available jobs. If the package advertised looks attractive, it is important that you examine all job requirements, such as any training or work experience. Unless the job scenario in your target area is exceptionally bright, you cannot count on being offered employment in a position you are not fully qualified for.

When you are satisfied that there are enough opportunities for career transition, it is time you take your job search to the next level. This means you start applying for the job openings in and around your area. You need to apply right away for positions which interest you, for the best jobs always draw a lot of qualified applicants quickly.

Once you have made the career forward move, you may want to consider submitting your resignation, with the requisite period of notice, to your current employer. You realistically can only resign once you get a concrete offer, just to be on the safe side.

It is important for your career planning that you have a proper resume. Not only do you need to brush up your resume and make it up-to-date with all the skills and experience gained in your current job; it should be done with a professional get-up.

A nice resume creates a very good impression. It can land you a job interview, and may go a long way in leading you to a career dream find. You can take the help of free resume templates online or those provided with software such as Microsoft Word or Works. You can also seek professional help in writing your resume.

These are some of the things you will want to take into consideration in your quest of a career change. Just a small advice: do not terminate your position with your current employer until you have some concrete offer in hand.

Higher Career

Abhishek Agarwal asked:

Nowadays, career transition companies offer people who are thinking of a career change different programs and methods and are applicable for all ages of individuals. According to your needs, the career development company will provide a variety of adult career development models. These companies cater to the needs of middle-aged professionals, young adults and executives who are all contemplating a professional career.

Very often, people find that the career they have chosen is not right for them. They realize that they are better suited for something else. They start growing stressed and weary about their work. They do not feel any job satisfaction. And all this leads to them bringing home work stress and taking it out on their family and friends.

If all this sounds familiar to you, it is time you seek expert advice. You can win this battle by settling for an adult career development transition model. It is not so easy to change careers. You can easily think that you’d like to be a photographer and start searching for jobs of that description. But when it is time to send your resume or attend an interview, you do not get the desired response and you do not know what education or skills you need in order to pursue photography.

There are many different ways of approaching career transition. First, analyze the stages of development you are going through. A career search does not involve finding a desired work alone. Your occupational career and your life career should fit together.

One career development model says that there are four factors based on which a person is ready to change careers. These are support, situation, strategies and her/his self. Of them, the first factor is self. How ready are you to make changes and seek a different career? It is always difficult to face change and so help from a suitable transition expert can be very beneficial. Your situation is the second factor. Suppose you need to start off on a rank that is lower, will you be willing to makea change like that? Can your routines hinder you from making this change happen? Is there some reason you cant make this change easily? Support comes next. Does anyone among your family and friends object to you changing your career or are they in compliance? The last factor is the strategies. These include the actions and plans that you make for making this change happen.

The internet has a number of career development transition model available which can offer you many approaches. You can find a company or a coach in career transition and seek their help to develop and head into the correct adult career development transition model. Be sure to check the net for experts in your local area.

Higher Career

James Copper asked:

If you’re looking for a career change, to a profession or industry that is more fulfilling, more rewarding, more in line with your interests and skills, you should prepare well in advance. There are a number of things to think about before you get started on your career change. Here are some tips on making an effective and well-thought-out career change.

First, make sure your plan is clear. Treat your transition just as you would an important road trip. Map it out carefully, taking stock of your finances, as well as the education and training that you will need to have to succeed in your new career. Keep in mind that it is far more important to exercise patience that it is to act impetuously. Remember that old saying, “Act in haste, repent at leisure.”

Your career change must wait for just the right time. If, for example, your career change is to an industry or career about which you know little or in which you’ve had little experience, you might consider volunteering part time in the career while you keep your current job with its steady pay check. You might also consider a short term internship in your chosen new field, or hire yourself out as a consultant or freelancer for a few hours a week just to test these new career waters.

Your career change must be done for the right reasons. Being unsatisfied in your current job doesn’t mean a career change is necessary. It may be that a job change in the same field may be all thats needed. Perhaps you just need some additional training to make another step up the career ladder in your current field and even with your current employer. No matter what change you make in this world, career or otherwise its generally wise to take baby steps first to test the waters. Making a small change to see if that results in satisfaction is the best recourse. You should also talk to career counselors and people in the career to which you consider a change. Take some self assessment or career evaluation tests to determine if your right for the career that you are considering. You may find that a career change is a good move for you – but to a career that you hadn’t even thought of.

Take a good long look at yourself. Make a list of your likes, your dislikes, your skills, your beliefs, your interests and your values. Determine the money you need to make to be financially comfortable.

Don’t forget, in your zeal for a career change, to find out what experience and education that new career will require. Perhaps an entry level or mid-management job in the industry would be open to you now but you’re looking for something more responsible. Might it not be better to get your education now Or perhaps that new employer would help you through school if you come on board at a lower level than you ultimately desire

All these things must be considered as you think about a career change. Determining that you need to make the change might not be as important as determining when and how.

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Amy Nutt asked:

Change is inevitable but that doesn’t mean one cannot learn to make something worthwhile of the necessary changes that life presents us with. Careers are great; they keep you on a steady part. When you choose a career, it helps you narrow down your options and helps you build yourself better. But there comes a time in life when you just have to own up to yourself that things are not going right in your chosen career and you may have to consider changing your career path.

Here are the top 5 things to consider when thinking of changing your career path

Fulfillment

No matter how much you are earning in your chosen career, fulfillment must never be undervalued. You need fulfillment in your job to really enjoy the benefits that come with it. A lot of people have changed jobs and careers because of lack of fulfillment and are having the time of their lives today. When you are thinking of a career change, fulfillment must be top on your list of considerations.

Your career is what takes up a lot of your time. You invest in your education and basically guide your life by it. You can’t afford not to enjoy it because not enjoying your career is simply not enjoying your life. So when changing your career path you must make sure that what you are opting for gives you more fulfillment than what you presently have.

Required Skills

What are the required skills in the career you are thinking of changing to? It is very important you know you know these. You need to know what you need to get to get what you want. Do you have to go back to school? Will your present skills or education be useful in the new career? You need to really take your time to know whether you will be able to acquire the skills easily or not.

Strengths and Weaknesses

When thinking of changing careers, you must take a critical look at

yourself and consider your strengths and weaknesses. Choose a career that accommodates your strengths and weaknesses. One in which you can enjoy being yourself and make money doing it.

Money

While it is important to get fulfillment from your job and career, it is also important you review the financial implications of changing careers. You need to be realistic about your pending career change. Know how much you have to spend to get yourself ready for the change. Know how much money you will need to acquire the necessary skills and or education to enjoy the best of the new career.

Do you have the financial capability to change careers now? Will it be worth it financially, changing careers now? You really need to answer these questions to make the right decision.

Help

In making in a great decision in changing your career path, you may need help. Never hesitate to ask for it. There are specialists in the field, like career counselors, who can help you put everything in perspective and guide you in making the right decision. They also can help you in putting all the above factors to use.

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Abhishek Agarwal asked:

Most of the employees in the United States are not contented with their present jobs. A survey conducted in the year 2007 reports that around 84% of the employees in the states are still on the hunt for their dream jobs. What does this survey conclude? It concludes that a number of employees are having plans to change their career or switch jobs. A majority of people voted for work that had fun as their dream job. The next popular answer went for the pay scale. The above facts relate that a majority of the employees in United States prefer jobs that they like very much.

By chance, you may be identical to those workers who always complain on all matters. This is where you can find the career transitions programs to be helpful. The people who are lagging in their professional life can seek the help of career transition programs. You may be one among them and still confused about your future. Programs on career transitions are there to help you now.

Programs for career transitions are designed for people like you. The people who wish for a career change can also make use of this program. Career transition programs aid you i filtering the career options you have and help you select the right career path. These programs groom the talents an individual possess. They help us in finding our talents and groom it. The talents are developed and exploited very well. Some people are not aware of the abilities. These hidden abilities are identified by the individual with the help of programs on career transitions. This moment explains your area of interest and directs you to search a job of your interest.

In today’s world, there are numerous programs for career transitions are available. Each area has some centers that offer career transition programs. You have to browse the internet to find them. You will be put to surprise on seeing the number of companies listed. A number career transition coaches are available too. You might not have known about them, but you can realize there importance now. You professional career might be at risk now. In this case, it is better to seek advice from an expert in this area. Do not be static regarding your career and waste your money on it. Never worry!! There is an answer for you, neither when you are tired, happy or confused.

Are you never interested in working anywhere and still prefer to lie on your bed? Never be with yourself regarding your present job. It is now time to consider about your present job and decide whether to continue in it or not! Thinking twice about the career, current job or company is very important. An expert can be handy at this stage. Find a good career transition program that can aid you in filtering your thoughts and help you in deciding a good career for the rest of your life.

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