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.

Copyright (c) 2009 Dorothy Tannahill Moran

The buzz right now is that everyone is holding on to their current jobs with a death grip due to the grim economy. The overarching belief is that there are no jobs out there and for the ones that do exist, there are too many people applying. Let’s say some of that is true. What is also true is that there are job openings. People move, get promoted or something continues to pull people out of their jobs every day. There are jobs. Maybe not as many and maybe the competition for the ones that come available are stiff BUT there are jobs that need to be filled. One thing is also true; you won’t get any of them if you don’t try.

If you have arrived at a point where you think it is time to make your next strategic career move, you should not let the state of the economy stop you. Don’t create barriers where there are none. The challenge will be greater than in previous years but if you’re prepared for those challenges, go for it.

Let’s look at what some of these challenges might be:

Job Posting Site’ You hear stories of 200 people applying for one job at a local nursery for a nursery stock tender. In this environment, you can count on stiff competition for any posted job. The key here is “posted job”. While it is one way to find out what openings exist, you and millions are looking at that same posting. Looking for a job this way is the lowest priority in a job search because it is the way millions of others are searching and applying. It is hard to land a new position this way due to the volume of other applicants and it is hard to stand out in a big crowd. It can be done and you should pursue it, you just need to calibrate your expectations appropriately.

Recruiters- You also need some insight into the life of a recruiter. They receive thousands of resumes each day. They will often use their computer software to sort out all kinds of criteria to help narrow down the huge pile that has come in. This is a buyer’s market also. They don’t need to talk to you, give informational interviews or much of anything they used to do a few years ago. Right now, they want to process the paper as quickly as possible, narrow it down to a few that look hot and screen them. With tight budgets, geographic consideration is also a big selection criterion. They may not want to fly applicants or relocate new hires, so be aware that geography is now playing a role in how an applicant is being screened.

The perfect match – Because the use of resume’ handling software has become so prevalent these days, there is such a thing as the perfect match. If a hiring manager has determined 9 key skills and experience, the software will prioritize the resume’s that have the highest number of matches. With a large volume, it is now possible to have resume’s selected that hit 100% of the criteria, thus leaving out perfectly good candidates who are “close”.

This is starting to sound like an increasingly impossible set of barriers. This environment is challenging for sure but not impossible if your plan takes these things into account. Let’s look at the key actions a person can take.

Make use of your contact and network – More than 80% of all job openings never make it to any kind of posting. Only the seriously hard to fill positions go out publicly for the most part. That means you must find those positions through the use of “who you know”. This has been and continues to be the number one way to find an ideal spot. It’s good because to some degree, it’s prescreened for you. Your network will be reluctant to send you into a snakepit workplace. They would have to face you later and simply don’t want to feel guilty. Also, they will refer when they feel confident with both sides, you and the other being a good fit. Don’t feel bad if some people you know simply don’t refer, they probably are the same ones that don’t fix up their friends with blind dates. Some people just don’t want to do it. BUT, some do!

Expand your network – if a career move is on the horizon, it’s time to cast the net a bit broader. Figure out some groups you can hook up with that will be rich in potential job contacts. Look in Meetup on the internet, tons of great groups. Also, look into social networking like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, easy and convenient.

Look in unique places- on an airplane, coffee shops or church.

Plan your resume’ – It is no longer possible to have just one all purpose resume’. Because of resume’ search software, you must create resume’s rich in key words. So if there is a few different related positions, create a different one for each position.

Set your expectations – Once you make a decision to move, it is a bit like stopping a freight train. You want to move right now. In this environment, you need to be a marathon runner. You need to pace yourself and set your expectations appropriately that this will take a while. You need to plan for a few dips and bumps which means you need to push through them and keep your eye on the goal.

Don’t let the economic environment stop you from pursuing your dream job. There are millions of jobs and people are hiring every day. Your job is to understand the hiring situation, put your plan together and start working on it, today.

Lately, many people complain of being bored and frustrated with their current job – and according to the statistics, around 70-80 percent people continue in their current jobs because they are not able to find a new, suitable one. Many people find themselves trapped in their current careers and feel either too old to make changes or too tied down because of financial commitments.
Being stuck in such a situation is certainly no fun. Many people have gone through this phase – and if are in a rut like this, you need to do something. It is somewhat risky, and you may not be able to make as much money as you are now, at least initially. However, if you are unhappy, changing careers is certainly in order – there is more to life than a paycheck.
Begin the Hunt Now
If you want more from your career, and you also want immense satisfaction and personal rewards, then you should start your search right now! Start by looking for a career that’s right for you, that can give you job satisfaction as well as a salary that you can live with.
You can start by defining your interests. From there, figure out what it is about your current job that you don’t like and what your weaknesses are. This is the only way that you’ll be able to hone in on a career that you can stick with and enjoy over the long term.
Commitment Is the Key
Without a doubt, you will be tense about going through another job search or getting additional education. However, this process is not as hard as you think – initially you might suffer some false starts, but if you commit yourself to the task, then you will succeed eventually. The key is to not get discouraged and keep pursuing your goal – and don’t quit your current job until you have a new one.
Initiate a basic plan and then execute a course of action with regards to further education or a job search and then start looking. Once you know what you need, working towards your goal will be easy and less stressful. So if you really want to change your life and make it more interesting, think about the changes that you need to make and the routes that you need to pursue. But simply knowing your goals and pursuing them not enough – you must take action.

Now begins the hard questions that you have to explore to make your decision. You need to begin evaluating who you are and what you want in life. Maybe a different job and not a different career is what you really want.
You won’t know until you really take a good long look.
Step One – Identify What Suits You
The first step one should take when considering a career change is to make a list of jobs you want to explore. There are free career tests online to help you narrow down the list and decide what you want to focus on. Next you want to research your list.
Take a good long list and research all the jobs on it. Look into all aspects of these potential occupations you can think of.
Get a book from your local library so you can see all the good and potentially bad aspects of the occupations and get a book on career change while you are there. Career change can be scary but worthwhile.
What would bring you more happiness in your life? Are you looking for more money or are you more interested in affecting social change?
Step Two – Sounds Like A Plan
Any career change is going to require you to set some goals and make an action plan. Are you willing to get further education? Try to talk to someone in the occupation you are interested in.
Grill them about the skills needed, how they got started, what they see as the challenges. Any career change requires some flexibility on your part. Are you willing to go all the way and do what it takes to be successful. Do you feel passion when you think of it?
Trying to get an internship is one way to test your career change. Is it all you imagined it would be? Before you go out and get a degree, answer these questions.
Step Three – Tactics In Your Existing Job
If you are currently employed, keeping quiet about your plans may be the best thing for you. That may mean not telling co workers you are close too. You especially don’t want anything getting to your boss if you are just testing the waters.
Remember many people before you have made a career change and were happier people for it. Finding a mentor to guide you can offer valuable career change advice.
This opens up a whole new network of people for you to gain experience and may eventually lead to a job.
For most of us the thought of a career change is so scary. But, if we all just stayed right where we are right noe, what more can life offer us? Look inside yourself and take inventory of what you want out of life and it is entirely possible that the fear is the only thing holding you back.
Sometimes it only takes one initial step to overcome fear and to get you up and running.

Before you start making an effort to change your career, there are some important things that you should consider:
Have a Set Plan
The first thing you need to do is to have a clear plan. The transition that you are planning should be approached like a road trip where careful mapping, stocking of finances, training and education is essential to reach the destination. When you change your career, you should know what you will be doing after that and whether your decisions will be effective or not.
No Unnecessary Job-Hopping
You should avoid changing jobs whenever you feel like it – because changing your career is a big decision that can change everything. It should happen at the right time. In order to get a feel for the new field you are planning to pursue, you can continue your current job and volunteer part time in that particular field.
You can also take an internship or become a consultant to test the new career move that you are planning.
Do It for the Right Reasons
Make sure that when you change your career, you do it for the right reasons. Never do it just for fun or because of some minor problem with your boss or colleagues. If you are not satisfied with your current company, then it is may not be necessary to change the job. There are ways that management problems can be solved – and perhaps you can achieve more in your current company, along with a raise and promotion. Sometimes employees make mistakes and feel that management is responsible for it, so they opt to change jobs instead of looking at other alternatives.
A career change may seem to be easy, but one wrong step could ruin everything. Whether you make changes in you career, at home or in your personal life, you should always test the waters first. You should consider taking baby steps towards a change so that when you finally do it, you can enjoy it to the fullest.
You can get help with your career change through career counselors and coaches. They can help you take the right steps and make the right decisions to enhance your professional life. Besides this, you can also take career assessment tests and career evaluation tests to know what field of work would be good for you.
Self-assessment is essential and in order to do this, you should create a list of your dislikes, likes, interests and beliefs. You should also decide what salary would be sufficient for you live on, pay the bills and still be able to do other things.
Finally, make a move only when you are sure that the new job will complement your experience and qualifications. If you have spent years in a company, in a good position, then there is no point starting over in a company where your experience doesn’t matter.

There was a time when employees would stay at their jobs for 30 years or the life of their career. Today it is unusual to find someone that has been at their job for beyond 10 years. Employers used to frown on applicants that appeared to be job hopping. It raised questions as to the persons loyalty and work ethic. The trend has seemed to shift and employers treat long time employees as if they were lazy and lacked ambition because they did not look elsewhere for better opportunities. The stigma is no longer attached to job hoppers as a matter of fact as long as you have been making strides in your career no one seems to care where those strides were made.

Given this information it is still important to realize that changing jobs is really a big decision, especially when job security is so important in this economic climate. People change jobs for many different reasons. Money, advancement, boredom, and many more reasons. Before changing jobs there are several factors that should be considered, such as commute time, is the commute time longer if you switch jobs? Money; would the compensation be higher if you change jobs? And at what cost would that compensation be rewarded (more work more responsibilities)? Is there room for advancement? Whatever the motivation is the decision should be made in a rational manner never out of anger.

When a Job Change is Beneficial

A job change is beneficial when you have reached the pinnacle at your current job. When there is no possible way for you to achieve a higher position. Instead of becoming stagnant in your field it is best to move on to another job. In certain fields you almost have to change jobs to be successful in your career. If you are in a support oriented career than changing jobs is something you have to do to climb the ladder. Many times changing jobs will give you an opportunity to expand your skills in a given career field this is always beneficial. A larger salary, better health insurance may be a benefit for changing jobs even if you like the job you have. Changing jobs should not be confused with changing careers generally if you are happy with what you do but unhappy with the company that employs you to do it than changing jobs is the answer. If you are unhappy with what you do and it is not relevant to the employer than perhaps a career change is in order.

Are you facing that career change decision-point?

Do you wish you were? Take it slowly and make sure what you really want to do is change careers.

Remember that career change is a natural life progression. Most studies show that the average job seeker will change careers several times over the course of his or her lifetime.

Use this 6-step plan. This will ensure that you will be on the right footing and on a path toward career change success.

1. Assessment of Likes and Dislikes.

A lot of people change careers because they dislike their job, their boss, their company and so forth. Identifying the dislikes is often the easier part of this step.

You will not know what direction to change your career unless you examine your likes. What do you really like doing when you are working, when you are at home and in your spare time? What excites you and energizes you? What is your passion?

If you are still unsure, consider taking one of more of those career assessments. The key is spending some time rediscovering yourself and using your self-assessment to direct your new career search.

2. Researching new careers.

Once you have discovered your passion, spend some time researching the types of careers that center on your passions. Do not worry if you are feeling a bit unsure or insecure; it is a natural part of the career change process.

How much research you do also partly depends on how much of a change you want.

3. Transferable skills.

Leverage some of your current skills and experiences to your new career. There are many skills that are transferable and applicable to what you want to do in your new career. You may be surprised to see that you already have a solid amount of experience needed for your new career.

4. Training and education.

You may find it necessary to update your skills and broaden your knowledge. Take it slowly.

If the skill you need to learn is one you could use in your current job, see if your current employer would be willing to pick up the tab. Take a course or two to ensure you really like the subject matter.

If you are going for a new degree or certification, make sure you check the accreditation of the school. Get some information about placement successes.

5. Networking.

One of the real keys to successfully changing careers will be your networking ability. People in your network may be able to give you job leads, offer you advice and information about a particular company or industry and introduce you to others so that you can expand your network.

Even if you do not think you already have a network, you probably do. Consider colleagues, friends, and family members.

You can also broaden your network through joining professional organizations in your new field and contacting alumni from your college who are working in the field you want to enter. A key tool of networking is conducting informational interviews.

6. Be Flexible. You will need to be flexible about nearly everything, from your employment status to relocation and salary.

Set positive goals for yourself, but expect setbacks and change. Do not let these things get you down. Besides totally new careers, you might also consider a lateral move that could serve as a springboard for a bigger career change.

How do you go about changing careers? Changing jobs requires some self-discovery and answering some basic questions.
Here are some of the questions to consider before changing careers:
1. What is my dream job? This is one of the most important questions you need to answer. Think of it this way – what would you want to do, if you did not have to worry about money and commitments? If you can answer this, then you will know what your dream job is.
2. What do I value? Every person has a set of values. These values are personal and individualistic. These values are what determine our personalities. Consider this – if you value your freedom and you have a job that involves working irregular or late hours, this is going to hamper your productivity and work. When it comes to changing careers, knowing your values is paramount.
3. What are you passionate about? There are certain things that each one of us is passionate about. Things that make us feel good about ourselves and things that give us pleasure. If you can combine your passion with your career, then you have your dream job.
4. What are your interests? Interests are things that grab your attention, that keep you interested and productive. Once you know your interests, you can work towards building your career around them.
5. What are your talents? All of us have some talents, some things that we are naturally good at. These talents are with us since birth and need to be honed to perfection. Some natural talents are writing, painting, singing and crafts. When talents are worked into your career, your career becomes easier to handle.
6. What are your skills? Skills are things that you can do with ease. Skills are different from talents. Skills can be acquired and they are important to your career. Whatever your skills may be, you need to work on them.
7. What strengths do you have? Your strengths enable you to do the work at hand efficiently. Your strengths could be giving presentations or making speeches. Whatever it is, you need to use your strengths to your advantage.
8. What are your weaknesses? You need to identify your weaknesses just as much as you need to identify your strengths. Once you know your weaknesses, you can work on them to improve them.
9. What activities do you dislike? Are there some things that you dislike doing? It could be anything – may be you hate public speaking or you dislike writing. Whatever it maybe, once you identify these activities, you can work around them.
10. What environment do you work best in? Do you need to be surrounded by modern amenities and high raise buildings? Or would you rather work in a small office with people who are more like family rather than colleagues and competitors. Once you have identified your ideal environment, you can look for a career that allows you to work in the same environment.
Once you have determined the answers to these questions, the process of changing your career will be simpler and easier to handle.