When you reach a certain level in your executive career, you start to … well, coast a bit sometimes. Be honest, now. Have you decided – actively or not – that you already know enough, and don’t need to continue improving your skill set?
Call it a feeling of invincibility. It has its advantages in the business world, but it can have its drawbacks, too. Particularly when you start thinking about changing careers, and especially when you start thinking about moving into a different industry. And particularly when it comes to making an unexpected job transition, as is happening more frequently these days.
Look at the people already doing the work you want to do. The ones who aren’t there yet, but want to be. Not all of them are pursuing continuing education to make themselves better candidates for the management positions they’re after. But a lot of them are. And that’s an extra point or two they’ll have on you when you start sending out your resume to recruiters and headhunters and the like.
Don’t sit on your laurels. It’s one of the most dangerous things you can do these days.
Need a little present-moment way to look at it? Think of the people working around you. How much could they benefit from your increased knowledge? How much could your company improve? And then (to make it all about you again), how much better would your resume look when you’ve helped your team and your company make great strides?
Education isn’t just a lark. If you have a company that helps pay for continuing education (most do), you know they don’t think it’s a lark. They know it’ll only help their bottom line by keeping their people sharp. It’ll help your bottom line, too.
And as we’re all learning in the world of work (or, as we may need to learn over and over again), if you’re not moving forward, keeping up, getting ahead – or whatever phrase you choose to use – you’re not just standing still as a result.
Fact is, you’re falling behind, or the rest of the world is moving ahead of you. Either way you look at it, the glass is half-empty for you, and getting emptier.
So enough mixing of metaphors. If you haven’t gone through that course catalog yet, now’s as good a time as any to start. Go for it!

Being grown up and having the freedom to ‘decide’ is a goal that most of us have. However, once we have reached our early twenties, and we realize that we are actually getting a little freedom, it is not such an exciting prospect. Why? Because along with the freedom comes the need to make responsible decisions, ones that are likely to dictate the course that our lives will take.Getting Closer To Graduation Day
As we get closer to graduation day, whether it is for our first or second degree, or continuing education courses, most people are faced with a bewildering question – “What do I want to do?” It is now time to be proactive and take life by the horns. The course of your life has already been decided by the courses you took and your experience – for better or for worse, they have narrowed down your choices.
The key to figuring out where you fit in professionally is to put your academic or previous working life on paper and send your resume to prospective employers. It is then that you will see how it measures up in the real world. When it comes to your employment-related skills, ask yourself – how do they compare with the jobs available on the market? Do I have what employers are looking for? If your answer is ‘no’, ‘maybe’, or if you answer your own question by the fact that you are not getting any calls for interviews – then it’s time to do some reassessment – and decide if you need to bolster your skills with additional training, courses or meaningful work experience.
Once your skills are solid, you should compile a list of employers that you could approach. Why? Because jobs don’t grow on trees – you have to go after them! ‘Proving your worth’ is the name of the game. Once you get a few interview calls, (and with any luck, a subsequent job offer), you need to decide if you are going to take the job or not. At this stage, it is imperative to make the right decision – weighing salary, potential for advancement and the type of company – to be sure that it is the right job for you. If you have to wait a while longer for a suitable job to come along, then do it – it will be better for your career progression in the long run.It Is Wise To Seek Wise Counsel
Whatever stage of your career you are in, a sound piece of advice is to seek counsel from the ‘experts’, such as a career coach. Run your ideas and career options by them. A good career coach is likely to be well-informed about the current trends in the job market and is also likely to be able to tell you how a particular job choice will (or won’t) help you. A career coach works for you, so you will receive sound advice.
Whether you are changing careers or just starting out, this phase of your life is likely to be scary – but it needn’t be traumatic. By taking advantage of additional training, education and the right career guidance, you should be just fine.

The average person changes jobs every 7 years, and they will change careers an average of three times in their working lives. Why? Because many people are chasing someone else’s dreams instead of their own. I have many friends who were pushed into careers they were not truly invested in by well-meaning parents. While most of these parents simply wanted to help give their child the best career and thereby best life possible, what they did not realize was that each person needs to determine for himself what he needs to do with his life.

Thankfully, my own situation is an example of the opposite. I grew up working in a family business, a small retail operation. However, my parents never pressured me to follow in their footsteps. In fact I was discouraged from doing just that. Instead they pushed me to go out and get a liberal education so that I could see all the world had to offer. They understood that the most important thing in life was to be doing something that would make me happy, to find a calling rather than just a career. I happened to find that in teaching, which is what I have been doping for 14 years now- 11 of them in the same school.

I could have ended up running the family business, making more money than I do now, and having the opportunities available to me that are exclusive to business owners. But along with those advantages would have come the required risks: the uncertainty of income from one year to the next, the reliance on the national and local economy, and the stress of running a multifaceted operation. Both my parents and I realized that these were not my strengths and that I would not thrive, personally or professionally, under those types of circumstances. Therefore, I was never pushed in that direction but was allowed to find my own path.

Most people I know do not look forward to Monday mornings, as it signals a return to a job or career that while financially rewarding, is not personally fulfilling. I am fortunate not to have that problem, as I have found something that I love to do and can do well. The self-satisfaction that comes from doing something you know you were meant to do is honestly hard to explain.

We live in a society that often puts too much stress on financial success and not enough on personal well-being. Because of this parents understandably can over-focus on guiding their children towards a lucrative career rather than giving them the time and space to find their own path in life. In the long run if you are doing something you truly love, then you will find ways to make that financially rewarding. Most importantly you will have that sense of well-being that only comes from finding a calling rather than just a career.

You have recently made the decision to exit one career and enter a new one, which can be both exciting and a little bit scary. But while the choice to make the career switch was probably a grueling one, the prospect of explaining your lack of job experience to potential employers is probably downright terrifying.
Though you may be concerned about drawing attention to this missing portion of your career history, don’t spend too much time dwelling on it. The truth is, if you really desire to move into your new career, you can do it. You just have to believe in yourself and present this belief in your cover letters. Let’s look at how you can do it … Be Honest about Why You’re Changing Careers
When you begin explaining why you’re switching careers in your cover letter, it is best to be as honest as possible. You can do this by remembering that at some point you sat alone and contemplated your reasons for making this major life decision. So take this time to revisit those reasons. Are you switching because you weren’t fulfilled in your previous career? Or do you believe that you’ve always had talent in this field and now you want to pursue it?
Whatever your reasons may be, express them well. Doing so may help prospective employers better relate to your new-found passion. Even more, it may inspire them to take a chance with you, even if you have less experience in this specific career than other candidates. Discuss Your Relevant Experience
As mentioned previously, you may not have an extensive background in the career you are pursuing, but that’s okay. If you have relevant professional experience, you can simply dig that up to show the prospective employer your ability to perform.
For instance, you may have years of experience working as a PR manager. However, you would like to become a marketing manager because you’re interested in branding products, participating in trade shows, and getting the company name out to the public. As a PR manager, you may have experience talking to the media on behalf of your company, and developing strategies to help create the proper public image. So you can note these and other relevant PR experiences in your cover letter to show that your understanding of the company’s public image and products can easily be applied to a marketing career.Do You Believe in Yourself?
You should question how much you believe in yourself before writing your cover letter. Why? Because you are making a major change in your life that requires courage, and could possibly face a little rejection. If you hold fear in your heart, it can easily translate on paper. So before you write your cover letter, it is a good idea to develop and nurture your belief in your capabilities. This can boost your confidence and possibly help the potential employer take a greater interest in you.
Switching careers can definitely be an intimidating prospect to consider. But if you have confidence in your abilities, the skills to back it up, and a great cover letter to boot, you will be well on your way to successfully entering an exciting new career in the field you absolutely love.

Changing careers can be one of the hardest things that a person does. You are going from what you know to something completely different. However, switching careers can be extremely rewarding as well. Perhaps you have always wanted to be an educator, but continued on in business, receiving promotion after promotion, until you lost sight of your dream. But now you are ready to get back on track and follow through with your desired career path. The first step is creating a whole new resume that highlights your education, relevant experience, and transferable skills.

If while in school you completed a degree in education, you are already one step ahead of the game. Though you might not have hands-on experience in a classroom, you have a solid foundation of the fundamentals and understand how to teach. On the other hand, you may have completed a degree in business, and have no post-secondary education relating directly to teaching. If this is the case, do not feel discouraged. There is still a good chance that you have done something in your life that relates to education, even if it is not apparent. Think back to any additional duties you have performed or roles you have played that involved instruction or training. For instance, maybe you trained colleagues in a new computer program or developed and presented internal workshops for your company. These tasks required planning and instructional skills that are key for becoming an educator. Make sure that you highlight any of these additional responsibilities under each job position. Use a bullet point format to make them really stand out.

In addition to teaching colleagues in the workplace, there are other positions that you may have held that require similar skills or characteristics including: parent volunteer, after-school tutor, adult educator, coach, big brother or big sister, etc. All of these positions focus on working with youth and/or students. Assess and list the responsibilities you had with each role. Evaluate what kind of skills you were able to develop as a result of these opportunities such as: communication, interpersonal, problem solving, organizational, leadership, etc. Summarize these skills in the introductory paragraph of your resume and extract core competencies that you can list in a separate section for areas of expertise. These newly recognized skills and competencies can also be written into your cover letter.

After your resume’s introductory paragraph that outlines your commitment, goals, traits, and skills, and following your areas of expertise/core competencies, include the section (either “education and credentials” or “professional experience”) that is the most applicable to your desired career. For example, if you have more relevant education than experience, list education and credentials first. However, if your post-secondary education was geared toward a different field, yet you have at least some related hands-on experience that correlates with the job your are applying for, then list the experience first. If you do not have relevant education or experience, put the education and credentials section first, and try to strengthen your introductory paragraph instead.

If you are worried about writing a career changing resume, do not hesitate to contact a professional resume writer. They are trained in handling all types of resumes and extracting relevant experience and skill sets.

Candace Davies, Owner of A+ Resumes for Teachers is a Global Career Management Professional dedicated to assisting educators worldwide leverage their strengths, accomplishments, and unique selling points to capture their dream career. Her team has successfully assisted 3500+ education professionals by transforming their talents into concise documents that secure numerous interviews, leading to excellent job offers through the interview preparation service. Advancing your career is A+ Resumes for Teachers business and they enjoy it as much as you enjoy shaping the minds of tomorrow. Candace is a dually certified as a Professional Resume Writer, Certified Interview Coach, Certified Employment Interview Professional, Associate Certified Career Coach, and Electronic Career Coach. Please visit her website at http://www.resumes-for-teachers.com or send an email to candoco@telus.net

Are you thinking about changing your career? Are you worried about how difficult the transition is going to be? Then you are not alone. Many people go through similar anticipation when thinking about attempting a career change. Your career is among the most important things in your life, and changing it is one of the most stressful decisions you will ever make. Be Passionate
The reason why you would even consider a career change in the first place is probably because you feel passionate about something and want to pursue it. There is no sense in making a change if you are not going to be any happier than you already are. You may be earning a five-figure salary, but if it is not making you happy and if you are not content with what you are doing, then it might be a good time to switch. Changing careers should be about passion and personal fulfillment. Do Your Research
Make sure that before you make the final decision you conduct a thorough research on available opportunities. You need to analyze what skills you have and what skills you may need to acquire for your new job. You should be confident about salary prospects and other relevant information. You may have lots of expectations about the career you want, but conducting the necessary research will help you look beyond this rosy picture. Work with a mentor, such as a career coach, before you make the final decision. Career Exploration
Changing your career can be overwhelming. Explore your options before you decide to make a commitment. Start by categorizing the careers you are interested in. This helps in narrowing down your options. Then pick only those that interest you the most, putting the others aside. Ask yourself questions such as:
• Why am I exploring this career?
• Will I need additional training or education?
• What are the opportunities and risks in pursuing this career?
These questions will help give you some very important and necessary answers. You can’t really begin on the path to career change until you know why you want to change and how you will go about it. The fact is that changing careers can be very time consuming and expensive, and you don’t want to start the process flying blind.
Once you have all the information you need, you can focus on one career option and work toward achieving it. Listen to your heart and head and then make a balanced decision. Whatever you do, remember you need to be flexible and devote a lot of time and energy to jump start your efforts.