~ Why Make A Career Change ~

Over the next few posts I'm going to be looking at the subject of career change, starting with a simple list of the advantages and disadvantages to making such a big life choice. Now this isn't an all inclusive list but it will give you the general idea of the main factors to consider.

The one important thing to keep in mind though and one which is not on the list is the issue of Family. This issue is going to affect everyone differently because everyone's family is different (some like mine are very different). If you are considering a career changes make sure to talk to your family, particularly your life partner, because what changes you make will affect them.  

Advantages

Lack of Stress

– One of the main reasons people change career is so that they can move into a less stressful working environment. A successful career change will help you to limit the amount of stress in your life and give you the opportunity to enjoy life more beyond work

Control

– A comment often made by individuals who have made a successful change in career is that for the first time in their life they have been able take control of their future. For once, they are in charge of the direction they wish to head in.

Skills Upgrading

– A key element to any career change is the opportunity to learn new skills and complete new qualifications which you may never have had the chance to in your previous career

No Boss

– A career change does not necessarily mean you have to work for someone else. Many people in their 40’s and 50’s are taking the time to open their own small businesses and become their own boss.

Disadvantages

Financial Insecurity

–        The main drawback to making a career change is that in most cases you are starting from the bottom again. At times you will have to initially settle for a reduction in pay as well as any additional costs that could be incurred through retraining and skills upgrading.

Time

–        The average length of time to make a successful career change can take from six months to one year. Training courses can last anywhere from a semester to three years depending on the level of education you need to reach in order to make a successful transition.

Uncertainty

–        No matter how much time, planning and research you put into your career change, with today’s Labour Market and the number of job seekers presently competing for jobs there will always be an amount of uncertainty of whether or not you will secure the career of your dreams in the time you have allotted yourself.

~ Second Career Tips and Advice ~

Over the past 6 months I have assisted a number of people put together their applications for Second Career funding. Now while there is no magic formula for getting an automatic approval from the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities, there are however, a number of things individuals can do to increase their chances of success. The following tips aren’t complicated or magical by any stretch of the imagination but they are important. Not following them could result in your application being returned, delayed or even declined.

For those that are interested in finding out more about the Second Career program I would recommend visiting the Ministry’s website at www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/secondcareer. This site will also allow you to find details of your local Employment Ontario assessment centre, which can help you determine if you meet the Eligibility and Suitability criteria for Second Career. They can also provide assistance in identifying occupations with good employment prospects and developing a Return To Work Action Plan.

·     Research – No matter what you are doing, whether it be looking to go back to school or finding a job, it is important to do research. During the Second Career application process there are several types of research you should be conducting:

Occupational Demand – See point below

School Research – Within the guidelines it states that you are required to research three schools. The reason for this is so you have explored all the options and are able to make an informed decision about where to go. Things to ask in your research include:

The percentage of people who graduate / go on to find work in that field

The type of teaching methods used

What Job search support they offer upon completion of the course

Complaints / Refund Policies

Financial Viability – Second Career is not going to cover all of your expenses and depending on your circumstances, you may be required to contribute towards the cost of your training. Simply put, are you going to be able to afford to go back to school?

           

Occupational Demand – Demonstrating occupational demand serves two purposes. The first is to show the Ministry that this is a viable industry and that there are employers out there willing to hire qualified candidates. The second purpose though is to demonstrate to you, how easy or difficult it’s going to be to find work within that field. Depending on the career you are interested in there may be a number of factors that can affect your prospects, things such as the experience needed, do you need to commute/relocate and if employers will even recognise the education you are getting or are there other courses you should take (or need to take in addition to the main course).

Remember the point of this funding is to get you into long term, sustainable employment; therefore you need to know ahead of the training that this is a realistic possibility.

Job Search – Something else that people are not aware of when going into Second Career is that you need to show evidence of your job search. Now this evidence can take the form of job search logs, (where you list the date, employer and position you applied to), copies of emails sent out, copies of job posting and cover letters sent, to even job search diaries. The main reason I tell clients why the assessment centre and the Ministry want to see this information is to demonstrate that, with your existing skills and abilities, you are having great difficulty finding secure employment. 

So if Second Career is something you are thinking about, start tracking your job search now. Not only will it come in handy for your application, but it also helps you to keep your job search organized.

Timing – This is an issue that a lot of people are unaware of. It takes time to meet with a counsellor. It takes time to conduct all the school / occupational research and put together an application. It also takes time for the application to be sent to the Ministry for them to approve it and then to get you to sign the actual contract. All these things must take place before you actually start the course and depending on the time of year and the number of applications being dealt with, it could take up to several months to complete the whole application/approval process.

It is important to note, and I cannot stress this enough, you should not start a course unless you have written approval of support from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities in connection with Second Career. To do so can make you ineligible for funding.

Understanding and Communication – One thing to bear in mind during the process is that the person you are working with, to put your application together, is not the person who is going to approve it. It is our job to assist you with identifying career / training goals and to help you understand what needs to be included within the application. What we cannot do is tell you what you are going to be approved for, exactly how much you are going to be getting or even how long it’s going to take to get it approved.

Also make sure you stay in communication with your counsellor. Let them know when you are having issues with the application or getting in touch with schools. Even more important is to stay in touch with them once you’ve started your course, not only do we need to collect progress reports on your performance while you attend your training, it’s also wonderful to hear that things are going well and that you are enjoying your course.

Finally

While there is a lot of work involved in getting approval for Second Career, for a number of people it is a wonderful opportunity to access Skills Training. Even if you are not sure if you qualify, look into it anyway, that way you know that you have explored all the options.

Job Fair Season

Well it’s a New Year and I’m happy to say a new start for a number of my clients who are in Second Career. A bunch of them have already started their courses this month and I have another 6 – 7 who will be starting in the next few weeks. Having spoken to them I know how excited they are and how much they are looking forward to getting their qualifications. I have been asked by a few people what makes a successful applicant for Second Career and while there are guidelines that have to be complied with, there are a few extra things that individuals can do to help their case. So one of the things I am working on at the moment is a blog posting focused on Second Career.

For right now though I want to share some tips regarding Job/Career fairs. We are rapidly approaching that time where it seems that everyone is having a Job Fair. My agency is hosting one in March and Niagara College has theirs in February to name just a couple that are rapidly approaching.

One of the problems though with job fairs is that a large busy job fair resembles a chaotic human bazaar. Because there are so many people present, when you do meet with an employer you have only a short amount of time to make a positive first impression and try to ensure that it is not lost amongst the others.

Like most things in the world of job search, the keys to success at a job fair depend on the time you take to prepare, execute and follow-up. The following are some simple tips that everyone can use no matter the size of the job fair they attend.

How to prepare

-          If you are exploring new occupations that fit with your career interests, look over the list of participating companies to determine which ones are a good match.

-          Do you home work and research the companies in advance. The more you know about a company the better you will be in marketing yourself to that organization.

-          Prepare your resume. Is it up to date with recent qualifications/experience. Be sure to include contact details like a daytime phone number and your email address.

-          Anticipate questions they might ask, for example: why do you want to work for us?

-          Practice how you want to present yourself. You should look and act professionally when meeting recruiters. If possible, dress in business attire. At the very least, good grooming is essential. When you shake hands make it a firm, friendly handshake and be sure to make eye contact to establish rapport.

During the Job Fair

-          Offer the recruiter your resume.

-          Sell yourself. Be ready with a short summary of the skills and talents that can set you apart from others who are competing for the same job.

-          Ask about the application process.

-          Listen to what they're saying.

-          Convey interest, enthusiasm, and confidence.

-          Be aware of the time. At a job fair there maybe others waiting behind you.

-          Ask for a business card from the person you are talking to.

After the Job Fair

-          Wait a few days to allow the employer time to process the resumes that they received then call to follow up and express your interest in working with them.

-          If an on-the-spot interview was conducted, follow up with a thank you note or e-mail.

-          Continue to check the employer’s websites (usually included on business cards) for additional job openings.

Revitalizing Your Job Search for the New Year

As we approach 2011 I’ve already seen dozens of articles on how to make the new a year a prosperous one, how to find your true love in 2011 and of course the myriad of weight loss and exercise regimes that realistically I should be taking advantage of.

The New Year though is a time when people’s minds turn to fresh starts and reassessing where they stand in life. And if you’ve been out of work for some time either for several months or even years it is always a good idea to regularly take a look at your current position and ask yourself some of the following questions:

-          Is my job search producing results?

-          Am I still fresh and focused, or have I become bored and complacent?

-          Are there any opportunities available to me that I have not taken advantage of?

-          Is it time to look at other types of employment?

Depending on your answers to these simple questions, it may be time to examine what you are doing and explore how you can change things in time for the New Year.

1.     Make a List of Goals.

Making a list of long as well as short term goals is essential in planning your career path and continued professional growth. And at this time of year we don’t even need to call them goals, you can call them New Year’s Resolutions instead.

Now a simple ‘get a job’ won’t suffice as a resolution, we need to be slightly more specific and include details for example:  

-          Have my resume checked by a professional at an Employment Resource Centre

-          Make a connection with Mr. X at Joe Blogs Ltd.

-          Complete my grade 12 equivalency

Also don’t restrict your resolutions to just job search goals, achieving something in one area of our life inspires us and gives us confidence in the other areas. So if working out, losing weight or starting a new hobby will help motivate you in other areas of your life, go for it.

2.     Update your Resume

Your resume is your main sales document; it tells the employer what you can do and how good you are. Of course in order for it to do that your resume needs to stand out from the rest of the pile and catch the employers eye, the first thing that an employer reads on your resume can either put them off you or entice them to read on.

It is always a good idea to review all your accomplishments over the past 6 – 12 months and add them to your resume. So take a look over the past year, what have you accomplished? Maybe you went back to school and got a new certificate, or you completed some volunteer work and gained some new skills and experiences. No matter what it is, look at it and the information that is currently on your resume and ask the question will this benefit my application with a company? If it does, great put it on your resume; if not just leave it off. Regularly looking at your resume this way will help updating the resume to be less of a daunting task in the future.

3.     Be ready to adapt your plan

Things change and your job search plan needs to change accordingly. You may have intended to take one straight route however; sometimes veering off the course can lead to some great opportunities. For example some job seekers decide to change careers and try new lines of work, this often requires the individual to learn new skills or gain new qualifications. This can take time and effort but adds to your job search by introducing you to new networking contacts and job opportunities.

4.     Brush up on your skills and/or acquire new ones

Colleges and training organizations offer an array of continuing education classes to help you further develop your professional skills. However, no knowledge is ever wasted. If you've always been interested in languages, take a French or Spanish class for example. It may not help you in your immediate position, but it will expand your marketability or come in handy for future jobs. For instance, if your background is customer service, your newly acquired language skills could land you a job in call center that specializes in bi-lingual tele-sales.

5.     Keep Your Network Alive

When was the last time you connected with people in your network? Last week, last month, last year maybe? We all have these amazing connections; the problem is we often forget they exist. Now is the perfect time of year to reconnect, so whatever medium you like to use cards, letters, emails start making contact with the people in your network and wish them a Merry Christmas

You’ll notice I didn’t say “Can you get me a job for Christmas” because let’s be honest if that’s the message you received what would you think? So instead just be nice wish them happy holidays and that you look forward to connecting with them in the New Year and then make that a New Year’s resolution.

6.     Relax

It's important to keep your job search active, but not at the expense of your own sanity. I always encourage my clients to take breaks to keep their spirits and energy level high. Unchecked stress can feed on itself, so make time for enjoyable pursuits. And while Christmas can be especially stressful at time, it is also the perfect time (because most employers aren’t going to hire around this time) to put the job search aside and spend some time with friends and family. Then in the New Year you'll come back to your job search with some fresh perspective and energy.

I'm continually impressed and amazed by some the focus and determination of my Second Career clients. Some of them are going or have been through situations that most people couldn't dream of, let alone function in. Yet my clients are focused on a goal, they believe that the training they are applying for will help better them and establish them in a long-term sustainable career and if they place the same amount of passion into completing the course as they have applying to it, I can see them succeeding.

This along with two births in the family has left me feeling very optimistic this week and so I will share one of my favorite happy songs by Alanis Morissette - Enjoy.

Some Thoughts on Mature Workers

By now I think we are all aware that Canada as a nation is getting older, according to the 2006 Census, 13.7% of the population is made up of those over the age of 65 and this trend is not slowing down either. Fuelled by an increase in life expectancy, quality of life and health care, it is predicted to accelerate throughout the country when the leading edge of the baby-boomers cohort (those born between 1946 – 1966) turns 65 in 2011.

Now while it used to be that retirement was the norm with relatively few individuals participating in the workforce beyond the age of 65 this no longer appears to be the case.  As an Employment Counsellor and now with working on the Second Career program, I consistently work with mature and retired individuals who are looking at returning to school and the labour force. There are a few reasons why they wish to do:

1.      Finances: the income they receive from pension plans and government supports is not enough to meet their expenses

2.      The initial appeal of retirement has lost its allure

3.      They are looking for something to make them feel useful again

This is something that The Conference Board of Canada has also recognised. In their Executive Action Report on Canada’s Demographic Revolution; their recommendation was to encourage individuals to take later retirement. This meant not forcing older workers to stay in the work place but instead to make it easier for those that wished to work beyond the ages of 60 or 65 to do so. One of the biggest changes in recent years across Canada to help facilitate this solution was the removal of mandatory retirement laws, which has allowed many individuals to keep working.

Now there are many people who disagree with this stance and say that these ‘old folk’ should leave the workforce and let others take their place. What these people have failed to realise though is that if all these mature workers retired, the labour gap it would produce cannot be filled at present even with the high levels of immigration that Canada has. The fact is that we need these mature workers in order to maintain our workforce as well as assist with the training of replacement workers.

Canadian seniors and mature workers today in general are in a better physical and mental condition than the generation before them. The stereotypes of aging being an unpleasant and lonely experience, of seniors having poor health and being less educated and unproductive is no longer the case due to changing perceptions by seniors and society about life and health. This has enabled many older individuals to remain active well into retirement and beyond, not only within paid employment but in a volunteer capacity as well, as the drive to be useful and give back to society increases.

This spirit of independence also serves as an example for future generations to start preparing for retirement at an earlier stage so that they will not be solely dependent on government supports that may not adequately provide for them or their families in the future.

Identifying and Selling Strengths Part 2

So now that we've identified where your strengths lie, now you need to look at how you present those strengths to employers.

Assess the need – An employer is not going to hire you because you want them to. They hire you once you have convinced them that you have the skills and abilities to help them solve problems or improve their bottom line. What we need to do is to carefully define the potential marketplace for our specific skills and abilities.

One of the main ways we have of determining what an employer is looking for is through job descriptions and job advertisements. Using these you can relate your skills to the job including those valuable transferable skills we gain from teamwork and leadership experiences to volunteer work and training. 

The second method of assessing need, particularly if you are in the midst of a career change, is through information interviews with employers in the industry you are aiming for. Through these meetings you can determine how your skills and abilities can fit into the industry, what areas you need to improve in and also gain an understanding of how the industry is changing and the pressures reshaping it.

Work to build an understanding of the "needs" in your targeted industry. This insight will help you position yourself as someone who can meet those needs.

The Sales Pitch

Let’s be honest, job search resembles a marketing campaign in a lot of different ways and every marketing campaign has a sales pitch. This means that you need to create one as well, one which you can use with employers when you drop off resumes or cold call them. But that can also be used with other networking contacts like friends and colleagues. The sales pitch in effect needs to be a thumbnail sketch of the skills and talents that makes you, you. The key thing you have to remember though is to keep it short, you don’t want to bore people with your life story and one to two minutes in length is perfect for this kind of introduction.

Resume and Cover letter

Your resume and cover letter are your primary marketing documents. On their own they won't land you a job, but they can open doors. Your resume needs to be proactive, instead of just listing duties and responsibilities under each job, highlight accomplishments from your background, especially those that illustrate the skills and abilities you feel are needed in your field. Employers respond positively to resumes that are short, direct and easy to read. They want to know what's in it for them, should they hire you.

As for your cover letter; this is not just a piece of paper to introduce you to the company. It can be used to specifically tailor your application to the position by demonstrating how you met the employer’s criteria but also how you can be an asset to them.

The Interview

A cover letter and resume only go so far when it comes to marketing your skills. At some point though someone is going to have to stand up and say how great you are and as you know yourself better than anyone else, who better to let others know how good you are and what you have to offer than you.

Interview questions such as ‘what are your strengths and weaknesses?’, ‘why do want to work for this company?’, ‘how would your friends describe you?’ are all opportunities to sell your strengths to the employer. Remember not only to use the strengths and accomplishments from your resume but to give examples from your experience. This not only gives an employer the details they are looking for but gives them another insight into your character and work ethic.

Follow Up

Following up on an interview with a thank you letter is an often overlooked part of people’s job search. In addition to being polite, a thank you letter provides you with an opportunity to sell your strengths to the interviewer. Most interviewers see and speak with a number of candidates and can sometimes have difficulty recalling each one. Your thank you letter is the perfect time to provide a reminder of who you are and why you are the best candidate.

One Last Step

There are many negative connotations that come to mind when people think of selling and promoting themselves, the main ones being egotistical and bragging. However if you're not comfortable claiming your achievements and promoting yourself, it'll be difficult, if not impossible, to get ahead in your job search.

However, not everyone is comfortable selling themselves and that lack of confidence can put employers off. So how do you get around this problem? Simply by practicing, once you know what it is that you're selling– and why it's such a special product – practice saying it over and over; practice writing it too. The more you say it and the more you practice it, the more confident you'll feel about delivering your strengths and remember no one can sell yourself like you can.

One of the things I have noticed is that job seekers who make an effort to tell people (not just employers) that they are looking for work not only increases the size of their networking circle but also uncover more job leads than those who stick to the sidelines. And the more they talk about their skills and experiences, the more comfortable they are in interviews.