Should I Change Careers? - Career blog - Position Ignition - taking you to the next step in your career

'Should I change careers?' is of course a question only you can answer for yourself, but there are a few things that most people should consider when tackling it.  When contemplating a change in career there are five key questions to ask yourself to help answer the big question itself.

1) Is my current career fulfilling me?

With work taking up such a large part of our lives, it is important to be fulfilled in your career. After all, your job can pay as much as it likes but if it doesn't inspire or stimulate, it's a long time over the course of a lifetime to be stuck in the office. A truly rewarding career will, to some extent, render money a secondary consideration. Your job could pay as little as it likes, but if it fulfils you, you will feel richly rewarded every single working day.

2) What career am I thinking of changing to?

You shouldn't want to change careers to just get away from your current one. A change of career should be a positive thing; you should be changing careers because you know what you really want to do, what you’re passionate about. You may think it's worth keeping your options open, but if you try to pursue too many career change ideas, it is very possible that none of them will come to fruition. Keep focused on one role and you're more likely to find yourself in it.

3) What skills will I need?

If you're going for a career change, it's most probable that you will need to build up your skills, or even acquire completely new ones. It's a big commitment but if you genuinely want or need to change careers you'll be willing to invest in yourself. If, however, a new career doesn't seem like enough of a pay off for investing time and money in skills training then maybe you need reassess how much you really want a change of career.

4) Where do I stand financially?

As said above, money can either be the only good thing about your work or it can be the cherry on top of an already rewarding career. Either way, we all have bills to pay and therefore financial circumstances must be taken into account when considering any type of career transition.  If not only your current job but your current career as a whole is not the type to make your particular ends meet, then that’s a valid reason for seeking a career change. Such pragmatism is particularly understandable if you have dependents or other such financial commitments. On the other hand, if you're looking to shift to a career that will yield considerably less than you're earning at present, you obviously have to work out where to cut your cloth and if you have any spare cloth to cut in the first place. Don't automatically rule out a career change just because it pays less; first work out if you can afford, and if so, how.

5) Is there help available?

A career change is a not just a career decision, it's a life decision. Given how important a part of life work is, deciding whether to completely change your worklife is not a decision to take lightly. You'll involve your life partner, family and others in your decision, even though it's ultimately yours to make. Although these familiar support networks can be of great value to you when making such a choice, you may also want a professional, objective opinion. This is where we can help. We're here to offer you guidance in answering all of the above questions as well as the Big Question itself: Should I change careers?

We can't answer that question for you, but we can help you in finding the answer.

www.positionignition.com

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Posted via email from AndyWergedal

10 Part-Time Jobs to Pad Your Pocket - Careers Articles

Although the job market today is improving, there are still 15 million unemployed people in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That's 15 million people looking for something -- anything -- to earn a few extra bucks.

In March 2010, the number of people working part time for economic reasons (also referred to as involuntary part-time workers) increased to 9.1 million. According to the BLS, these people were working part time because their hours were cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job.

If you're looking for a way to boost your income, if you're either unemployed or looking to pad your full-time salary, here are 10 part-time jobs experiencing job growth in the next 10 years:

1. Animal caretaker

Job growth: 21 percent

Number available jobs: 45,500

Annual salary: $19,360

2. Bartender

Job growth: 8 percent

Number available jobs: 40,800

Annual salary: $20,970

3. Customer Service Representatives

Job growth: 18 percent*

Number available jobs: 399,500

Annual salary: $29,860**

4. Dental assistant

Job growth: 36 percent

Number available jobs: 105,600

Annual salary: $32,380

5. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks

Job growth: 14 percent

Number available jobs: 31,500

Annual salary: $19,480

6. Library assistant

Job growth: 11 percent

Number available jobs: 13,500

Annual salary: $24,790

7. Museum technicians and conservators

Job growth: 26 percent

Number available jobs: 2,800

Annual salary: $36,660

8. Pharmacy technicians and aides

Job growth: 25 percent

Number available jobs: 96,300

Annual salary: $27,710 and $20,100

9. Recreation workers

Job growth: 15 percent

Number available jobs: 48,200

Annual salary: $21,960

10. Security guards

Job growth: 14 percent

Number available jobs: 152,500

Annual salary: $23,460

via jobs.aol.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Movin' On Up: Your Job Search Elevator Pitch - Communicate Your Value in these 7 Easy Steps

Imagine you’ve walked into a networking event only to meet a potential employer you’ve been dying to snag an interview with. This is your chance. You need to make a good impression, and quickly. But you’re not sure what to say.

Wouldn’t it be great if you already had a short, targeted message ready to grab interest of your potential employer before he walks out the doors, taking your opportunity with him? What you need in these situations is a job search elevator speech, and not just your typical, “My name is Jane, and I’m an XYZ professional, nice to meet you.” So, here are seven tips to create a powerful job search elevator pitch that will hit the mark every time and help you spark the interest of potential employers.

Keep it short and focused. Of course, you should be able to go into a full-blown pitch on all you have to offer. But, this isn’t the time or place for that – yet. Experts suggest keeping your elevator pitch to 10-15 seconds. A sentence or two is perfect. Keep it focused on achieving your desired goal – such as to land an interview.

Brainstorm words and images. Think about what sets you and your skills apart from other people looking for a job in your industry. Then, come up with words and images that illustrate these ideas.

Lead with the benefits. A stranger doesn’t care about you or your need for a job. They don’t care how much experience you have or what your passion is. They care mostly about themselves. If you’re going to interest anyone in yourself and what you provide as a potential employee, you have to tune prospective employers in to what is referred to as WIIFM, or what’s in it for me? So, open your elevator pitch with how your work would benefit a company and its customers or clients.

Be real. Though you’re in the midst of a potential employment opportunity, don’t treat your elevator pitch like a sales transaction. People don’t typically enjoy interacting with pushy salespeople, so avoid acting too aggressive. Instead, focus on building a relationship first.

Tell a compelling story. People love stories and storytellers. They engage us and let us feel free to interact and converse. Telling a story with your elevator pitch is a great way to interest the listener and ensure the conversation moves forward into the details of what you do.

Don’t tell too much. Rather than divulging every aspect of who you are and what you do, create an elevator pitch that compels the listener to ask more about you. The best elevator pitches transition into conversations driven by the listener’s curiosity. This has the dual impact of engaging your new contact and enabling you to go into greater detail on your skills and expertise.

Stay flexible. No matter how much time you spend developing the perfect pitch, you’ll have to adapt it to each person you meet. Also, it’s vital to keep it updated and practice it regularly so it comes off naturally and sincere.

At some point in your job search, you’ll run across people who may benefit from your skills and background. It’s up to you to be able to communicate what that is in a way that catches their interest and leaves a lasting impression, making them curious to learn more about you.

via blog.expresspersonnel.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Five Little Known Facts About Employment Age Discrimination - Careers Articles

By Joyce Hanson

It's a tough job market out there. There are fewer "buyers" (employers) and more "sellers" (job seekers), and that means employers these days are being pretty darn picky and choosy about who they're going to hire. What that also means is that older people in the job market are having a harder time of it. Have you ever been told by a potential employer that you were "too experienced" or "over-qualified" for the job they were looking to fill? Those are code words for: "You're too old. Go away."

Why is there age discrimination? Because we live in an ageist society, people! It's not fair, but it's a fact. The number of unemployed Americans age 55 and older rose over 300% between January 2000 and December 2009, according to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data by the Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons (AARP) Public Policy Institute.

Here are 5 other facts about age discrimination you may not know:

1. Age discrimination in the workplace starts as early as the age of 40.

With every year that passes, you're less and less a bright young thing with no responsibilities and more and more a grown adult with kids to raise, payments to make, health issues and interests outside your job. This makes you a burden to your employers, who want you to be productive at little cost to them. And that's why the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older from employment discrimination based on age.

2. The protections of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) apply to both employees and job applicants.

Under the ADEA, it is unlawful to discriminate against a person because of his or her age, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). That includes hiring, firing, promotion, layoffs, compensation, benefits, job assignments and training.

3. Employers can legally ask you your age.

While the ADEA doesn't specifically forbid an employer from asking an applicant's age or date of birth, such inquiries may deter older workers from applying for employment. But if your job is at stake, you may want to keep a written record of such a request, because requests for age information are closely scrutinized in lawsuits to make sure that the inquiry "was made for a lawful purpose," according to the EEOC.

4. You can sue your employer if you believe you were discriminated against because of your age.

For companies with 20 or more workers, the ADEA applies, and that includes employment agencies. Good luck with that, though, because there are very few test cases out there where a plaintiff has successfully won an age discrimination case.

5. If you sue, your employer may pay you to settle your case out of court.

Companies often want to avoid negative publicity, and in the case of discrimination suits, they could offer to pay you rather than have their name dragged through the mud in a lengthy and even more expensive civil case. Keep in mind that your employer may ask you to waive your rights or claims under the ADEA either in the settlement of an ADEA administrative or court claim or in connection with an exit incentive program or other employment termination program. Just be sure to protect yourself by keeping a file of all written records, including any waivers as well as records of performance evaluations or complimentary e-mails from your boss.

On a final note, there is some good news in all of this. First, economists say that we are slowly climbing out of the 2007-2009 recession, and the job market has hit bottom so the rate of hiring can only go up. Second, we may live in an ageist society, but we also live in an aging society with an increasingly long-lived population, and employers are waking up to that fact and will be hiring older workers. And third, your employers are getting older, too.

via jobs.aol.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

10 Silly Signs You're About to be Fired - Career blog - Position Ignition - taking you to the next step in your career

This is just for fun, so don't think you're actually going to be fired if any of these happen to you-you're probably just really unpopular.

1) In the latest team/office/department photo, the photographer tells you to stand well away from your colleagues so you can be easily photoshopped out later on.

2) When you ask your boss for advice on what holiday to book this year, she advises a Round-the-World Trip.

3) Your boss turns into a soap opera character-you can tell he wants to tell you something but he  just. can't. spit. it. out.

4) This year's Christmas Party has already been booked and it's going to be at an Italian restaurant. Even though the social secretary knows you're allergic to olive oil.

5) Your colleagues are already talking about you in the past tense.

6) Your boss starts talking up the virtues of daytime TV whenever you're in earshot.

7) Someone leaves directions to get to the Job Centre on your desk.

8) Colleagues actually start taking cases from your caseload on the sly instead of you having to slip them into their 'to-do piles' on the sly.

9) Your boss starts  buying you lunch every day and telling you to 'save your money'.

10) You walk into your office one day and sit down at your desk when you suddenly notice that Lord Alan Sugar is sitting directly opposite you with his finger in mid-air...

And now for the 'seriously though' bit. Seriously though, if you sense that you're about to be dismissed or made redundant, talk to your boss. It's not about begging to keep your job or dumping the company before it dumps you-it's about communication. Talking things through may give you and your boss a chance to jointly find an alternative to you leaving the company altogether, or it may help you in starting to come to terms with-and planning for-the inevitable. It may even turn out that your fears are unfounded. Of course, if you sense that you're about to be fired and you just don't care or you're even happy about it, then that might be a sign that you're ready for things to change anyway. Again, this doesn't necessarily mean leaving the organisation, even though that may of course be a valid option. It may just mean that you're ready for your role or your hours to be altered. Again, talking things through is the key. Don't just wait in either fear or impatience for the finger to be pointed at you-keep the lines of communication open at all times!

www.positionignition.com

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Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Movin' On Up: Things Your Mom Didn’t Tell You About the Work World

Think back to when you were in elementary school and got jitters on the first day back from summer vacation. Maybe it was your mom or another loved one who helped calm your nerves. They probably gave you advice like, “Don’t worry, just be yourself and everyone’s going to love you.” Now, fast forward to today and your working career. Does that advice still apply? To help you gain some perspective and clarity during those times when you need it, here is some advice your mom didn’t tell you about being in the workplace.

Not everyone’s going to love you. In the workplace, everyone has different personalities. Not everyone is always going to want to be your best friend, and that’s OK. You’re going to run into people you don’t get along with. But, be nice and polite with everyone you work with and focus on being a good employee who produces great work.

Be responsible for yourself. In the working world, you are responsible for you. No one else is going to baby you. You have to pick up after yourself and keep your workstation clean and organized. Also, your manager will provide you with direction on your projects, but getting them done is up to you. And, you need to prioritize what’s important as a worker and manage your time wisely to get your work completed on time. Check out these tips on organization and prioritizing. And, remember that It’s OK to talk with your co-workers, but keep the chatting to a minimum so you can be productive throughout the day.

Don’t just do the best you can. Workplaces today are competitive and many are looking for employees who are willing to go the extra mile on projects. Your mom might have been fine with you getting a C on a project or in a class when you were in school, but employers are looking for A+ effort when it comes to work. 

There’s no nap time or recess at work. Gone are the days when you got to take a nap at noon or go outside and climb around on the monkey bars to work off some energy. Your employer pays you to be productive throughout your work day, so make sure you get enough rest prior to coming to work. Set a time each night to be in bed and a time each morning to wake up. When you’re rested, you will have more energy, allowing you to cross more off your to-do list.

Life’s not fair. In your working career, you will probably run into events that aren’t fair, but in some situations, you won’t be able to do anything about them besides just accept them. Titles, raises, salaries – these are a few things in the workplace that sometimes seem unfair. Instead of dwelling on things you don’t have, look for the positive in what you do have. Continue working hard and don’t let “unfair” things slow down your progress or cloud your vision.

Everyone has those days when they wish they could have mom or someone else there to lend some advice when it’s needed. Instead, keep these tips close by for the next time you feel you need a reality check.

via blog.expresspersonnel.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Resume Objective: Nobody Cares - Careers Articles

By Barbara Safani

A visitor to AOL's sister site Emurse recently asked this question: "I'm trying to provide a good objective that will work for all job titles in the clerical area. What should I do?"

The quick answer to the question is forget the objective. Here's why.

1. Objectives tell the reader what you want, not what the employer wants. And let's face it, the employer doesn't really care what you want. Hiring authorities scan resumes to determine if the applicant has the competencies and achievements to create success in their work environment. Your objective in the process is meaningless to them.

Objectives rarely say anything valuable. Most objectives I see read something like this: Objective: Seeking a position where I can use my clerical skills to help the business run smoothly and efficiently. Duh! If a company is hiring for a clerical position, they already know why. They don't need you to reiterate the obvious.

Objectives are a waste of space. Brevity is important on a resume. You have limited space and limited time to make an impression on a hiring manager. The objective statement wastes space on the resume that could be used for communicating more compelling information about your candidacy.

Objectives date you. You may have included an objective on the last resume you wrote -- 20 years ago. Resume styles have changed over the years. You need to change with them.

So now that I've bashed the resume objective, you may be wondering what you are supposed to put in place of the objective. I recommend creating a professional summary at the top of the resume and here's why.

1. A professional summary summarizes the key points of the resume. It is the snapshot of the applicant and the accomplishments that make them a good fit for the job. Before you buy a book, don't you read the overview on the book jacket? Hiring authorities want the summary before they read the resume as well.

A professional summary allows applicants to match their skill sets to the requirements listed in the job posting. A great way to show a hiring manager that you are perfect for their position is to mirror their job requirements at the top of the resume. This strategy is sure to catch their attention and encourage them to read on.

A professional summary looks -- well -- more professional. Seasoned professionals with 10-plus years of experience don't gain credibility from using a resume objective. The summary is a much more sophisticated way to present your skills.

If you want to learn more about creating powerful resume summaries, be sure to check out Resume Magic, Happy About My Resume, or Resumes for Dummies or download 15 Items for Your Resume "To-Do" List for free.

via jobs.aol.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal