How to Make Smart Career Choices in 2009

We are in the midst of a recession with an increasing rate of unemployment. With that said, we are also experiencing a lack of preparation by many entering the workforce and those which have been laid off. To deal effectively with gaining the career knowledge required to navigate the ever changing workplace, takes thought, making smart career choices, a plan, and focus.

Many are now faced with chasing any job, with others not knowing what their next career move will be. If you find yourself in this situation; stop…take some time to think through your possible options. Take the time to examine your strengths, skills, talents, competencies, and aspirations… and what it will take to “reinvent you” so you can best deal with the realities of the market place. Not only is the workplace itself changing rapidly, but career opportunities are also evolving. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics estimates that over Fifteen million new jobs will be added in the next ten years.

A large number of individuals will enter into college or enroll in certification programs without a clear career goal. This approach results in costly time and money spent chasing a degree and low-demand “sunset” jobs (a sunset job is one that is going away, overseas etc.) or drifting from one major or program to another. Engaging in obtaining more credits or training without a clear purpose is not an effective direction to take. Don’t get caught in the trap of pursuing courses which do not align with employer needs.

When planning your next career move, look for trends that will possibly require your present skills and abilities. Most likely you will need some addition education or training, but it will be focused in the right area. Look for the “sunrise” jobs (the new hot jobs with a growing demand). The following information may spark some ideas which will help you focus on making smart career choices.

In general, any job that requires personal contact with customers or provides a service that can not be transferred off shore is a smart career choice. These can be categorized as “high touch relationship jobs.” Examples of these job areas would be: residential care, child care, pharmacist, psychologists, personal/business coaches, and physical therapists, public relations specialists, hospitality specialist, police officer, firefighters, security, sales people, nursing and teaching.

The economy will come back so traditional skilled trades such as carpentry, electrician, plumbing, construction contractors, food processing, quick-turn and custom manufacturing, auto mechanics, maintenance and repair look very good in terms of not moving offshore. Also, cosmetologist, hair stylist, dental hygienists, administrative assistants and computer support specialist are good choices.

Online retail sales will continue to drive home delivery; this will increase the need for drivers, pilots, airplane mechanics, distribution specialists, etc. Retail store positions will decline gradually as Internet shopping continues to grow, but there will always be retail stores and retail positions.

Positions requiring creativity and originality will still be highly valued. The need to write books, screen plays, TV shows, music, and produce the sports our culture enjoys, will continue to drive the entertainment sector.

The retirement population alone is driving the need for replacement workers and is already creating high demand in products and services tailored to this demographic. Home building in retirement areas will be on the increase, home healthcare services, nursing homes, yard care and the leisure/recreation industry for the 55+ age group will generate a large increase in employment. The increase in the “baby boom” population will also drive a continuing need for surgeons, nurses, and financial specialists.

Many jobs in local, state and federal government will surly continue. Jobs related to the energy field such as engineers, line technicians, and fuel cell sales and distribution specialists will grow. Our wired society will continue to drive the need for applications engineers, network and technical support technicians for many years.

Last and certainly not least, a vocation in religious institutions and employment in nonprofit organizations will definitely continue. There will be a need for ordained ministers, priest’s, rabbis, and all the jobs associated with religious and nonprofit intuitions such as, executive directors, counselors, program directors, grant writers, fund raisers, lobbyists and administrative support individuals.

As new discoveries are made in medicine, science and technology, new and unnamed jobs will be created. Each major discovery in these fields has spawned new industries which have created tens of thousands of jobs.

The key to survival and winning in the career game will be your ability to make smart career choices, spot and learn new jobs, and be the best at what you do. Even in tough times, if you have a reputation for being a quick learner and being the best in your field, you will do better than most.

A Very Important Point: In most if not all careers, no matter how secure you feel, you will experience ups and downs due to the economy, unexpected changes in technology and world events. There are no guarantees, but with determination, focus, and learning new skills associated with in-demand career fields, you can make smart career choices and stay employed.

Tags: career choices, Career Planning, Careers., Next Career, Smart Career Choices
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Resume Tips For Career Shifters

As a job seeker, your resume is always your sales pitch, highlighting qualifications, experiences, skills and passion to your potential employer. Seizing the chance to stand out from the competition, especially in the midst of making a career change is an important decision and one that you should not take lightly. You have to have plans and goals while developing your resume to insure that you will be able to not only work in your dream job, but that you will excel.
Key areas of each resume can predict if your resume will make it into the hands of a hiring manager. It’s imperative to customize your resume for the job that you want by paying close attention to your resume style, career objective, and personal profile.
The layout and the style of your resume are as important as the information you include describing your experience and qualifications. As your probably know, the most common resume styles are chronological (listing your professional expertise in order) and functional(showcasing your experience by the type of qualifications you have.) The latter is typically used by those changing careers, and it’s important to create a powerful overview of your skills and how they will transfer to your new career.
Career Objectives in a Functional Resume
Career objective is very important to your resume. Your career objective should contain both a long term goal and a long term goal. (For example, a short-term goal would be to find a job as a junior copywriter – while the long-term goal would be to advance your skills and develop a comprehensive portfolio within a professional, high-profile marketing company.) Including a goal statement shows that you have given your professional growth some serious thought and your career objective aligns with your potential employer.
Your career objective goals and resume strategies to can lead your career towards employers who are in line with your skills and abilities. Employers are interested in people who are constantly looking to improve not only themselves, but their job skills as well. That’s why you will want to keep career development first and foremost in your mind at all times when writing your resume.
Professional Profile in a Functional Resume
A professional profile sells your expertise to a potential employer, explaining why you are the best, and only, candidate for the job. This section explicitly gives you the chance to differentiate yourself, and give your employer an insight into you as a job seeker and a professional. Don’t overlook the power of good writing – and don’t make the mistake of including personal information. Only include information on your qualifications and information on your affiliations as a business professional.
Your expertise, highlighted with both your educational background, work history, and your skills will give a good first impression to your employer. Make sure to proofread the whole resume, with emphasis to this section, as it appears at the start of your resume. An effective professional statement leaves potential employers with an impression that you are confident and credible, which also makes you up to the challenges ahead.
Remember that Changing Careers is a Process
Career changing is really career development – it is an ongoing process as it also includes educating yourself on job requirements, sometimes getting additional training, and always working at making yourself the best you can be in your new career path. Because industries change, and technologies change, you may want to add some new classes by taking continuing education credits or attending a few seminars in your new career field to show your interest and dedication to the changes you want to make. Gaining new skills will only work in your favor, and once you land an interview, you’ll still want to be enthusiastic about getting the right training for the career you’ve chosen, letting your new employer know you’ve set both long and short-term goals for your career.

Tags: Careers., Online Jobs, Resumes
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7 Steps to a New Career

If your job is leaving you feeling bored, frustrated, uninspired, or burned out, you’re probably wondering what else is out there. Where can you find a career that makes you excited to get to work each day? Does your dream job really exist? It may seem overwhelming to try to find that perfect career, especially if you’re feeling stuck in your current one, but if you start small and do some hard thinking, you’ll find that a satisfying career is not so far out of reach.

1. Start positive. If you’re dissatisfied with your current job, it may be hard to identify the elements you like about it. Most people, though, enjoy at least a few aspects of even the dreariest job. You may hate your boss but love your colleagues. Or maybe you believe in the cause you’re working for, despite the dismal pay. Make a list of the things you like about your current job—these are your first clues about what to look for in a new one.

2. Think big. Now’s the time to make a wish list. What characteristics would make a job perfect for you? Would it be flexible hours, a cooperative team, more responsibility? Maybe you’d like a chance to work in a creative or artistic setting, or the opportunity to show your leadership potential. Don’t worry about whether these things are realistic or whether there’s a job out there that fits the bill (not just yet!). Make a list of all the factors that you’re looking for in a dream career.

3. Brainstorm. Compile a list of every job, no matter how farfetched, that you’ve ever thought you might like or be good at. Don’t censor yourself; once you’ve got a good list going, you’ll start to see patterns. Look for common factors in the jobs you’ve listed. Maybe your fantasy careers are all active, fast-paced physical jobs (like firefighter, forest ranger, and FBI agent), or they might involve caring for and helping others (nurse, teacher, counselor).

4. Test yourself. There are dozens of career tests on the market designed to help you discover your ideal career. While these tests range in quality, from novelty tests on free sites to scientifically validated tests provided only by psychologists, there are many excellent resources online. Look for a website that provides well-researched career assessments such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or the Strong Interest Inventory, which will provide you with comprehensive information on appropriate careers for your personality type and interests.

5. Do some research. The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a great resource for career searchers. Visit their website at bls.gov and click on the Occupational Outlook Handbook to view salary ranges, educational requirements, job descriptions, and growth projections for hundreds of careers.

6. Check with an expert. A career coach can help you further identify the elements of a career that will bring you lasting satisfaction. A knowledgeable coach can also suggest careers similar to ones you’ve come up with yourself, and help you decide which careers best fit your goals.

7. Start where you are. If it’s not practical for you to completely retrain for a new career right now, think again about what’s missing from your current job. Is there a different position within your current company that provides more of what you need? Could you keep your job title, but find a new company with a better work environment? You might even ask your boss about making changes in your regular responsibilities that would allow you to do more of what you enjoy. Changing careers is a major goal, and if you can start by taking gradual steps towards doing what you really want, you’ll find that your efforts pay off quickly in greater satisfaction with your work.

Tags: Career Transition, Careers., Changing Careers, Dream Jobs, Finding The Right Job, Job Search, Job Transition, Jobs, New Career
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The Art Of Career Planning

Do you plan your vacations? Do you plan your weekly activities? It would make perfect sense then, to create a plan for a successful career, right? The term “career planning” is foreign to most people, but it is a very important process by which we reach our goal of attaining the career we desire.
The definition of career is “a person’s progress or general course of action through life or through a phase of life, as in some profession or undertaking” (striving for a goal). What is the definition of planning? Planning is “a scheme or method of acting, doing, proceeding, making, etc., developed in advance” or “a specific project or definite purpose” (such as preparing for the future). So, for our purposes, let’s say that career planning is “A goal that you desire to achieve in a selected field or occupation with a well thought out plan to get you there”.
Why is it important to decide on a career goal?
A career goal can:
Help you focus and make decisions on what it is you want to do for a living.
Function is a motivator and therefore helps you accomplish your goal.
Assist you in discovering hidden abilities or skills you might not have otherwise realized you possessed.
Keep you from wandering from job to job.
Once a specific job (such as a teacher) or area of expertise (such as business) has been chosen, steps need to be taken to reach that goal. A goal is “the result or achievement toward which effort is directed”. We would like to see our efforts result in having the career of our dreams.
Now,” why is career planning important?” We must consider that the world around us is constantly changing. In order to meet new challenges as time goes by, one aspect of career planning is to look to the future to see what additional training or knowledge is necessary to continue to excel in a specific field. Most people today are constantly learning throughout their careers.
Six steps are taken in the career planning process:
1. Self-Assessment – evaluate and judge your abilities
2. Career Exploration – researching different careers
3. Targeting – deciding on what goals to set
4. Career Preparation – workshops, seminars, internships
5. Marketing Yourself – a professional resume, dress, and attitude
6. Career Management – “rolling” with the trends in your particular field and realizing when our own needs or interests change
It is possible that these steps will be taken several times throughout a lifetime.
Something else to consider is to find a mentor in your field who is willing to assist you as you achieve your goals. They can be invaluable to you!
Goal setting is a learned skill and crucial to success in a career. Just as with any sport or hobby, “practice makes perfect”. Those who are successful in achieving their life’s dream (career) set both short-term and long-term goals. If it is helpful to you, write them down. The long-term goals will need to be re-evaluated from time to time as interests or circumstances vary.
Why is career planning an ‘art’? Because it is a skill that we obtain through study, practice and/or observation. Gather your information, set your goals and go after the career of your dreams!

Tags: Advice., Careers., Employment, Jobs, Recruitment, Work
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7 Outdated Myths That Will Kill Your Career Change Before You Start

If you’re a career-changing Baby Boomer, you may feel like you’ve gotten lost with Dorothy in Oz. You’ve achieved success in your career. You’ve built skills and a strong work ethic. And now you’re ready to move on…and it’s not working.
Many of my own clients tell me, “I haven’t had to look for a job for 20 years.”
Twenty years ago, you probably didn’t have a cell phone or an email account. A worm was something you put on a fish hook and a virus was something you caught from visiting friends. You could bring your whole set of kitchen knives onto an airplane and gas prices…well, we won’t go there.
And career counselors were handing out tests that promised to predict our aptitude and attitude.
Today as many as 90% of workers wish they could find a new career, but few actually succeed. Most are held back because they’re still guiding their progress by what they learned when they begin their careers, 20, 30 or 40 years ago.
Myth #1: Science supports the traditional linear career change model: test for interests, identify careers and go find a job.
Reality #1: You probably discovered this idea in a self-help book. Maybe you hired a career counselor. But it doesn’t work. Clients often call me because they’re stuck in the first stage: looking inward for guidance. They take tests and contemplate “what I really want.”
But researchers at Stanford and Harvard have found that career exploration proceeds in a zig-zag trial-and-error path. The word “serendipity” has been used in mainstream career research journals. Action, not introspection, is the key.
Myth #2: Starting a business is riskier than seeking a new job.
Reality #2: I would never tell anyone, “Stop job hunting and start your own entrepreneurial venture!” But these days, I recommend moving in parallel paths. Keep looking for a job but get serious about self-employment.
If you have a high profile in your industry or community, you may have trouble getting hired – but you might find yourself in demand as a self-employed business person. And if you’re above a certain age, you may meet resistance from the traditional job market.
Myth #3: Skills that brought you career success are the same skills you need for career change.
Reality #3: Career and business achievement calls for football skills: teamwork, planning and playing your position. You get rewarded for being in the right place at the right time.
But career change typically happens like playground basketball. Your biggest successes will be unplanned. The rules change and if you want a team, you will have to find them — or even hire them.
Myth #4: Ignore unexpected thoughts like, “Maybe it’s time to move.” They’ll soon go away.
Reality #4: These hints come from your intuition, which is not a woo-woo concept but a reliable source of insight that has been recognized by mainstream psychologists and scientists. When you ignore these whispers, you may find yourself sabotaging your own success.
Myth #5: Make tough career decisions like business decisions: run the numbers.
Reality #5: In my experience, career decisions follow their own logic. You develop scenarios and stories. You ask, “Can I live with my worst case scenario? If not, what can I do now to avoid having this scenario unfold?”
Myth #6: Fear is a signal to stay where you are, not challenge the status quo.
Reality #6: Contemporary psychologists recognize that fear can be your friend, especially when you’re moving outside your comfort zone into a new adventure. Fear means you’re taking care of yourself as you move into the unknown.
Sometimes you will work in and through the fear. And sometimes you experience fear for a good reason: time to gather more information before moving ahead.
Myth #7: Career change means feeling stressed and miserable.
Reality #7: Career change can become a source of meaning and growth. Most people look back with gratitude on this time in their lives.
As you progress, you begin to feel strong and powerful. You recognize more and more of what you want. The magic happens when you connect with a glimpse of, “This could be good.”

Tags: Career Change, Careers., Entrepreneurship, Job Search, Jobs, Midlife, Second Career, Workplace
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How To Become A Career Coach

Job Profile Of A Career Coach
The duties of a career coach include assisting people in their selection of the right job opportunities and managing their careers. You could either be a career management coach or a career marketing coach. The latter is responsible for building influential contacts, posting resumes and suggesting ways to secure high placement. The main aim as a coach is to market the client effectively in the career market.
Investment
Before you establish your business, you need to consider the costs that you will have to incur as a career coach. Initially, you will be required to make major investments such as website hosting to gain publicity, a PC for processing relevant information and storing your client’s data and other promotional and advertising material.
Equipment Required
In addition to a personal computer with the necessary programming software, you also need to have complete access to the Internet, so that you can research conveniently. Besides this, a telephone, printer and fax machine is also helpful.
Financial Resources
If you do not have the required capital for the initial investment, you can easily get financing from numerous sources. Business loans from banks and governments should be given highest priority. There are other business organizations as well that could help you financially and aid you in setting up your own business as a career coach by providing you with start up loans.
Getting loans from self-employment programs sponsored by the government is also a good idea. Applying for loans from business capitalists and angel investors is another option available, if you fall short of the necessary finances. However, keep in mind that they both charge a high rate of interest.
Offering Your Services For A Fee
In today’s fast paced and competitive world, you have to be careful about how you price your services. You need to effectively price your competent services or else the business may not perform as anticipated.
Scope Of Income
Irrespective of whether you are a career management coach or a career marketing coach, established career coaches charge on an hourly basis. The average billing rate prevailing in the industry currently is $100 per hour.
Marketing Strategies
You can choose from a variety of methods to effectively promote your business, depending on your budget and need. Advertising in the newspapers is the most effective marketing strategy. You could even post ads or distribute pamphlets in colleges and other educational organizations. Circulate your business cards at social gatherings and events. Promoting career coaching by writing relevant articles in newspapers and on the Internet, featuring ideas and suggestions for people who encounter problems in their careers are other great options.
Huge Market
The main targets for career coaching are youngsters and people who are unable to identify the right job opportunities. Many new graduates and other people find themselves confused or at crossroads in their careers due to several reasons. People tend to make wrong career decisions when they are influenced negatively by their peers or sometimes out of dire financial need. As a career coach, you will be serving this growing market.

Tags: Career Coach, Career Coaching, Careers., Helping People Find Careers, Job Coach, Job Placement
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Facts on Free Career Interest Tests

A career choice based on subjective factors was pretty limited in the past. A hundred years ago, artists and the journalists were probably the only people who worked for pleasure. The rest of the working classes built their careers on the necessity to earn a living. A job was never a personal achievement, or the realization of a special interest or dream. However, with increased access to education and the opening up of all sorts of opportunities in the 21st century, people now have all the freedom to do what they love and earn a huge sum doing it!

You can now determine what you want to do with your life based on your personal interests. So, how can know which job is the right one for you?

A recent trend in the education system is the running of free career interest tests at the high-school level itself. Young adults are made to answer a battery of questions that throw light on their specific interests and desires. The results of free career interest tests help you decide which college to apply for, and what professional path to take in the future.

Where can you get a free career interest test done? Besides the organized environment of special career testing and counseling agencies, career assessments based on interest-analysis is available online. A large number of sites provide free services. Such websites are very often supported by governments and non-profit organizations that aim at the increasing the living standards and job satisfaction among their workforce.

Our society allows for an incredibly large number of career opportunities and most people do not even know what jobs they can actually apply for given their level of education, their skills and experience. Many professionals also have no idea of the right salary estimates and personal expectations that they are eligible for. A person with intermediate education and work experience in welding, for instance, will be able to find jobs in a wide range of sectors: from ship and plane building to medical industry and commerce. Most people do not think about all these doors of opportunities. From this point of view a free career interest test can open up amazing opportunities for you!

Free career interest tests are efficient within the geographic, politic and economic background of the country for which they were designed. Some of the most professional free career interest tests that are available online remain relevant only for the countries that they were created for. Therefore, you can take the results only in their specified contexts, otherwise their relevance is seriously impaired, and the statistical data presented at their may not give you a full picture. The same holds true for the salary estimates and the employment perspective on the long run.

Find your dream career with access to 1000’s of career and educational resources. Offers unique career interest test that can help you make better life decisions. Take a free Career test now online!

Facts on free career interest tests – Find your dream career with access to 1000’s of career and educational resources. Offers unique career interest test that can help you make better life decisions. Take a free Career test now online.

Tags: Career Counseling, Career Test, Career., Careers.
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A Career Assessment Test Can Change Your Life

Do you fear remaining trapped in the same boring job and facing the same grind over and over again? Do you feel like your expectations and your job are at different wavelengths? Is your boss a pain? Are you stressed out at work?

If your answer to any of these questions is “yes” then you surely need a change. But probably, you are not very sure which way to go. You may be ridden with serious doubts about your future career prospects. Nothing new there. Like you, thousands of others are also wondering what to do with their lives; unlike you, a few of them have chosen to do something about it.

There are cost effective ways to explore your career possibilities, extend your productivity and reach a state where you are content with your personal and professional achievement. You can land your dream job, earn the salary you yearn for and become the kind of professional you want to. In short, it may be time for a career assessment test!

Tasks and education, training and required experience are only a few of the issues that career assessment involves. A career assessment test functions as an effective tool or symbolically speaking “a mirror” of what you are really fit for. Therefore, learning something more about the opportunities that could be lying ahead of you in your area of expertise will make it easy for you to make the correct career decisions.

So, who should take a career assessment test? The first category that pops into mind comprises of students and graduates, of course. After all, aren’t they the ones who need new jobs? Career assessment tests can be of great help to students and graduates as it will help them take the right path to a glorious career. However, career assessment tests are for all age groups.

Though ideally speaking everyone who is just starting to build a career makes the perfect candidate for the career assessment tests, tests are open to anyone who has the courage and determination to revamp their professional life. Anyone who wants a fresh take on their career can take career assessment tests. Therefore, home-staying mothers who’d like to get back to work after raising children, retirees who want to do something new, as well as people who need to start it over on new foundations, are given not just a chance, but “THE” chance to build a career. Also, do not assume that taking a career assessment test means that you’ll have to get back to basics. Not necessarily.

The results of your career assessment test will include your “doable” aspirations, the things that can come true without your making wasted efforts in the wrong direction. With a career assessment test, you would not only identify the ideal job, but you can even track the perfect career graph, starting from the education level, acquired skills, psychological profile, interests, personal involvement and even hobbies related to a certain domain.

Consequently, once you know what track to follow, it will be a lot easier to stay focused and reach your goals. Yes, probably a career assessment test is all that stands between you and your dream job.

Find your dream career with access to 1000’s of career and educational resources. Offers unique career assessment test that can help you make better life decisions. Take a free Career test now online!

A career assessment test can change your life – Find your dream career with access to 1000’s of career and educational resources. Offers unique career assessment test that can help you make better life decisions. Take a free Career test now online.

Tags: Career Counseling, Career Test, Career., Careers.
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Massage Therapy Careers.

Ebook -Massage Therapy Career Guide – The Truth About Becoming A Massage Therapist.

Massage Therapy Careers.

Tags: Careers., Massage, Therapy
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