Job Change
Defining Transferable Skills for your Job Change or When Changing Careers
Sunday, June 15th, 2008There are four steps to identifying and translating your skills and experiences when you are writing resumes and cover letters for making a job change or changing careers:
Step One - Brainstorm
Brainstorm a comprehensive list of all of your skills. Use your resume or a cover letter to jumpstart your brainstorming.
Step Two - Basic Elements
Take each […]
Functional Resumes for Job Changes and Changing Careers
Saturday, April 26th, 2008Functional resumes are organized by function or category, rather than time (chronological). The advantage of a functional resume is that you can highlight the most relevant experience, even if it was volunteer work, a hobby, or three jobs ago.
Some very conservative organizations/industries (e.g., banking, Wall Street), do not like functional resumes, so be sure to […]
Stealth Search: Look for a New Job Under Your Employer’s Nose
Saturday, April 19th, 2008Question:
S writes: How do I look for a job without my employer finding out?
Answer:
Use a Stealth Search
You want to make a job change. You have identified some ideas. But, you do not want your current employer to know that you plan to make a change, until you hand in that resignation letter. A stealth search […]
Track Your Job Search Contacts
Saturday, April 12th, 2008Whether you use a spreadsheet or a low-tech paper system, you need some kind of system for tracking applications, conversations, interviews, contact information, and so on, and for reminding you to follow up on your contacts.
These are the types of information you will want to track:
-Organization Name
-Contact Name
-E-mail Address
-Telephone Number
-Mailing Address
-Source
-Date Of Contact
-Description Of Contact
-Date […]
How to Write Easy Dream Career Cover Letters, Even If You Are Not a Writer
Saturday, April 5th, 2008What do you do about cover letters if you are not a writer? A cover letter for your dream career can take hours and be a tortuous process.
There are easy formats for cover letters that do not require strong writing skills and put your relevant qualifications right up front, where an employer cannot miss them.
One simple format […]
Don’t Torpedo Your Dream Job Change with the Wrong Email Address
Saturday, February 16th, 2008Your e-mail address is part of your first impression when you are making a dream job change. Imagine if an employer sees a resume with an email address like funnyface@ or jeepersjohn@! Unless you’re a professional comedian or actor, the email address that seemed fun when you set up your account could cost you the […]
Lower the Risk, Get Your Dream Job
Monday, February 11th, 2008Whenever an employer is making a hiring decision, they are taking a big risk. When you are making a job change, get your dream job by lowering the risk for a potential employer.
How do you do that? Primarily, by demonstrating credibility.
Obviously, it is easier to demonstrate credibility in your current field, especially if you have […]
What’s on Your Dream Career Bucket List?
Wednesday, February 6th, 2008Do you have a bucket list for your dream career? A bucket list, as in the movie starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, is a list of things to experience before ‘kicking the bucket.’
A career bucket list would include the career experiences you want to have before you retire. For some people, those experiences might […]
Stop Asking the Wrong Career Question
Saturday, January 26th, 2008If you have thought about changing careers or about making a job change, but you keep getting stuck, you are probably asking the wrong question.
Chances are, you are endlessly asking yourself, “But, what else can I do?”
How do I know? I have worked with hundreds of professionals on career issues and those considering a change were […]
Debunking the Bigger is Better Job Search Myth
Monday, January 21st, 2008Ask anyone who is making a job change to give you a list of the companies they are targeting and chances are they will list the big ones. Why? In the last century, the place to get a good job, to move up the career ladder, and to be seen as successful in your career […]
Rich Career, Poor Career
Thursday, January 17th, 2008What makes for a rich career? It is so much more than just the salary and benefits. A rich career is one that suits your talents. One that provides an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution. And one that provides the right compensation.
A rich career is one with a rich Career Return on Investment (Career […]
I, Um…Well, Uh: Your Career Networking Elevator Pitch
Sunday, January 13th, 2008Quick, can you blurt out a 15-second summary of your career experience and the biggest career question you have? If you’re like most people, you’d have more than a few “um, well’s” in that summary. That’s where a prepared career networking elevator pitch comes in handy.
The idea behind having a prepared elevator pitch for a job change […]
Is a Job Change Your Career Resolution? Make Your Job Search Easy by Chunking It Up
Tuesday, January 1st, 2008Making a job change can seem as daunting as tackling Mount Everest. But, you can make it easy to tackle by breaking your job search into small, manageable pieces and then giving yourself a pat on the back as you complete each piece.
To get started you can chunk up your search into pieces like this:
1-Find […]