Feature Article: Time to Change Jobs. . .or Careers? A Quintessential Careers Quiz
Special Feature: 10 Steps to Escaping the Job World and Creating the Life You Really Want
A Quintet of Quick Questions: QuintZine's Q&A with a Career Expert: Certified Career Coach Janine Moon
Quintessential Reading: QuintZine's Review of Career Books
Quintessential Site: Featured Career Web Site of this Issue
Latest Additions: What's New on Quintessential Careers
The Career Doctor: Answering Your Questions
Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Tips to Guide Your Job Search
Notes from the Editor: About this Issue...
Despite relatively high unemployment, record layoffs, and
a looming war, now is a great time to change jobs/careers.
So says Gordon Miller, a workplace expert with Group 56, LLC,
writing in CrossRoads, the newsletter of
Net-Temps.
"Companies will continue to restructure to put themselves
in a more flexible, fluid position. They will continue to merge,
spin-off, and 'skinny-up' their infrastructures to become more
responsive to the competition and other market conditions," Miller
writes. Moving on is actually a form of self-preservation, he
says, while staying put can expose a worker to the risk of a
job loss.
This issue of QuintZine can help you decide, through our Career
Change Quiz, if you're ready to move on. Guest contributor Valerie Young
offers 10 steps for escaping the job world altogether. And we
provide more advice on career transition through our Q&A and
book review features. Ready for a change? Read on....
Time to Change Jobs…or Careers? A Quintessential Careers Quiz
by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
In today's work environment, job-seekers change jobs,
employers, and careers on a regular basis. Gone are the
days when any job-seeker gets hired and plans a long-term
employment with an employer. In fact, recent studies indicate
that the average worker will change careers -- not just jobs
-- several times over the course of a lifetime. But how do
you know when it's time to change jobs and when it's time
to change careers?
10 Steps to Escaping the Job World and Creating the Life You Really Want
By Valerie Young
Get the point -- of life that is. As you look back on your
life in old age, do you think you'll wish you had done less or
done more? The point is, life is too short to spend toiling
away at a job that pays the bills but fails to feed the spirit.
Despite pressure to "play it safe" by sticking with your day
job ("But dear, you have a good job; you mean you want to be
HAPPY too?") you have every right to pursue your dream job.
With the realization that life is for living comes another
point. Ultimately it is up to you -- and you alone -- to create
the kind of life you really want.
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you will be happy that we guarantee our service!
Janine Moon is a Professional Certified Career Coach.
If you're a career-changer who wants to show your
ability to do a job you may not have done before,
get experience before applying, advises Janine Moon
in the Q&A interview she did with us. "There are so
many, many volunteer opportunities that virtually any
needed skill can be learned and practiced.
Computer-related skills can be achieved by volunteering
to assist with technical associations' member-tracking
activities, or any volunteer organization's technology
area. Soft skills can be developed by working with people
in virtually
any social services organization, whether
by helping in a soup kitchen or by handing out programs
at the local theater production," Moon suggests.
Read more of Moon's advice, including using your resume to
position yourself for a career change, the exciting
trends of career resilience and self-reliance,
the skills employers are really looking for, and the biggest
myth about job-hunting in our
Q&A with her.
Based on years of research, the Jackson Vocational Interest
Survey (JVIS) accurately measures your interests, showing how
they relate to the worlds of study and work, and mapping out
your route to an interesting career.
Top of Everything, which rates the top 10 (plus one) sites in a growing number of categories has ranked
Quintessential Careers as its No. 1 site in the "Working" category.
"Find out what you have to do in order to get the right job," the site writes of Quintessential Careers.
"The best tips for a successful interview. Get examples from many cover letters and interviewing resources!"
The subject of career change is an important one. Studies
show that most job-seekers will change careers -- not just
jobs -- several times through their lifetimes. Some career
changes will be minor, while others will be major shifts.
Some career changes will require additional education and
training, while others will not. Some career changes will
be caused by corporate downsizing, while others will be
voluntary. Some career changes will be long struggles, while
others will be simple. Most importantly, career change can
be the difference between sleepless Sunday nights dreading
the beginning of another meaningless work week to leading
a life of personal fulfillment and career success. Career
change -- the whens, the whys, and the hows -- is the focus
of these three books.
Changing Course is the site of Valerie Young, author
of our special feature article, who says the purpose
of the site is "to provide you with resources, tools,
perspective and inspiration to help you discover and
follow your dreams of a more fulfilling work/life doing
what you love."
Young touts ChangingCourse.com as "the only source on the
Internet dedicated to helping people to find their life mission and live it!"
Changing Course, which began in 1996 and has been on-line since 1998, offers sections on:
How I quit my job
Find your true calling and more
Helpful links and resources
Get & give support (an online bulletin board)
Creative alternatives to having a job
Your Dreams
Changing Course offers lots of inspiring, true stories of people who've found their passion.
In addition, visitors can subscribe to a free newsletter.
AND we're also offering new referral discounts for former customers
and those referred to us by them. Read more.
Latest Additions: New Sites Added to QuintCareers
ApartmentCareers.com
-- where job-seekers looking for jobs within the apartment industry can browse or
search (by keywords, job level and type, and location) for job listings as well
as post your resume (with confidential option). Job search agent also
available. Free to job-seekers.
BetterWorkplaceNow.com
-- a really wonderful site with resources for enriching your work life -- and workplace.
You'll find strategies, tips, tools, and more -- designed to help develop, design, or
maintain an enriching workplace and improve employee satisfaction. Lots of free
stuff, but also includes fee-based tools and resources.
CareerFables.com
-- a great site for career changers, providing tools and resources to help you
prepare for your career transition. Read inspiring stories or add your own,
subscribe to free newsletter, and more. Free to job-seekers.
getintomedschool.com
-- a nice collection of professional tips and advice about getting accepted into
medical school, including advice about choosing medical schools, MCAT study tips,
succeeding in interviews, completing medical school applications, and more. More
extensive tips and professional counseling available for a fee.
Find even more career and job site additions to Quintessential Careers by visiting our
Latest Additions section.
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Reena writes: "I am 37, an IT consultant and a languages graduate with honors. Can I get into medical school? I
think my vocation is to become a doctor, and I am concerned that I am too old."
D.S. writes: "I'm a 33-year-old mother of five, ages 11-17. I have been a wife and mother for 18 years. My husband has
recently left us, and I cannot find a job. They all say 'no experience, no job.' I have been babysitting to pay the
bills. People keep telling me to go back to school. My problem with that is, who pays the bills and puts food on the table
while I'm in school? Plus we live in a rural area so I would have to travel at least an hour one-way. I have no idea what
to do. I'm lost! Do you have a suggestion for me?"
B.J. writes: "I'm a 47-year-old dental hygienist. I am being treated for severe carpal tunnel problems
and am currently awaiting my second surgery. I am really at a loss as to what to do with the rest of
my life. I will not be able to do dental hygiene at all. I really don't even know where to start as I
have been doing this for 22 years and I am not trained for anything else. Any suggestions would be appreciated."
Linda writes: "I have a full-time position in which I make a decent salary. The work is not personally
fulfilling, and I am ready to upgrade (and update) my skills, perhaps working part-time until I really find
something satisfying. Is it REALLY possible to work temporary jobs and maintain a flexible schedule and
fairly reliable income? I'm ready to give notice with my current employer."
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Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
One of the greatest challenges in changing careers is trying to prove your can do a job that is different
from what you've done in the past. In her book,
Kick
Off Your Career, Kate Wendleton offers a wonderful little list entitled,
"How You as a Career Changer Can Prove Your Interest and Capability:"
Read the industry's trade journals.
Get to know people in that industry or field.
Join its organizations; attend the meetings.
Be persistent.
Show how your skills can be transferred.
Write proposals.
Be persistent.
Take relevant courses, part-time jobs, or do volunteer work related to the new industry or skill area.
Be persistent.
The Net-Temps article by Gordon Miller that we referenced in our Editor's Note about now being a good time
for a career change offers some tips for making it work:
Focus your research: Become an expert in your existing
industry or a targeted new one. Understand where the
industry is headed. Determine what factors will influence
its future. Most importantly, get clear on how you can
enhance the firm's value proposition going forward.
Engage the right contacts: Not just any contact, but
the people who can strategically assist you. It's not
just about networking for networking's sake.
Don't use traditional job search strategies: New times
demand new solutions. Sending a bunch of resumes may have
worked in the past. It's very ineffective in this market.
If you're thinking about changing your career, you're certainly not alone. According to Career Education Corp., half
of working American would consider changing their career, and nearly a quarter at any given time plan to make a career
change within the next 12 months. Further, reports Market Facts, Inc., a scant 3 percent of working adults say they
are satisfied with their current job. And a poll of 2,500 college students and recent graduates showed that 78 percent
said they planned to stay with their first employer no longer than three years. Don't be so desperate to change jobs or careers,
however, that you jump at a mediocre one in the hope that you'll be promoted. So warned Kate Wendleton and Dale Dauten in their
career column. "You take a job you think is mediocre and, odds are, you'll do a mediocre job. So what are the chances of
promotion?" Dauten and Wendleton wrote. "You'll end up looking outside the company, meaning you'll have to explain why you're in
such a lackluster job."
We'd Love You to Link to Quintessential Careers!
If your school, organization, business or other
entity has a Web site, we welcome you to link to Quintessential Careers.
If you already have a link from your site, we want you to know we
appreciate it. If you don't have a link to us, please
send a request to your site's Webmaster to establish a
link to Quintessential Careers. Thanks so much!
For more details (including sample HTML copy), see our
Link to Us page.
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QuintZine: Topics in Upcoming Issues
WATCH FOR feature articles on these topics in upcoming
issues of QuintZine:
* Crafting a successful e-mail resume
* The interview as sales call
* Getting the raise you deserve
* 10 things I wish I'd known before starting my first job
* Letters of recommendation
* Employer research: step by step
* Learn about careers through job-shadowing
* 10 job-search reality checks
* Is job flexibility right for you?
* First days on the job: Strategies to get ahead
* Dealing with a bad boss
* Making your case for telecommuting
* A day in the life of a recruiter
* Don't wait by the phone: Following up on all job leads
* Dining etiquette
* The relationship between personality and career choice
* What employers are really looking for
* New series: 10 mistakes to avoid in: resumes, cover letters, interviews, salary
negotiation, career change, networking, job-search
* Quintessential Career Profiles of YOU, our readers
* Q&As with well-known career experts
* Book reviews
. . . and much, much more!
Quintessential Careers also offers writing services
for those who have been asked to give a speech and
need assistance in researching and writing their
remarks.
Need a speaker for your career-oriented conference or
event at your college or organization? The Quintessential
Careers Speakers Bureau can help! Our quintessential experts
can provide presentations/workshops on a variety of
career-related topics.
