Feature Article: 10 Career-Change Mistakes to Avoid
Special feature: How to Leave Your Dead-End Job
Bonus Feature: 7 Secrets to Convert Motherhood into a New Successful Career
Extra Feature: Build a More Meaningful Career
Q&A with a Career Expert: Bill Dueease
Quintessential Site: Featured Career Web Site of this Issue
The Career Doctor: Answering Your Questions
Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Tips to Guide Your Job Search
Notes from the Editor: About this Issue...
Today is the Ides of March. Maybe Julius Caesar should have thought
about a career change before he went to the Roman Senate on this day in 44 BC and
got himself stabbed to death. If he were around today to consider a career change, he
could have tried our new job-search portal.
If YOU are considering a career change, you'll find plenty of help here. Publisher Dr. Randall
Hansen offers 10 Career-Change Mistakes to Avoid. Regular Contributor Liz Sumner tells us How to
Leave a Dead-End Job. In a companion piece, nationally known career coach Robin Ryan
describes how to Build a More Meaningful Career. Finally, Career Coach Bill Dueease provides
wisdom, not only in our Q&A feature, but in his article 7 Secrets to Convert Motherhood
into a New Successful Career.
Next issue, watch for our QuintZine Fourth Anniversary edition, featuring lots of
information about resumes.
--Katharine Hansen, Credentialed Career Master, Certified Electronic Career Coach,
and editor at
kathy@quintcareers.com
Feature Article: Career Change Mistakes
10 Career Change Mistakes to Avoid
by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Are you considering changing your career? Are you bored, fed-up,
lost, or otherwise unhappy in your current career? Are you facing
a crossroads at which you need to decide between staying in your
current field and moving to a new one? Do you have skills that you
are not using in your current career?
Have you been promoted to a
point where you are no longer doing what you love?
Changing careers is one of the biggest decisions job-seekers face,
and with many possible outcomes and consequences. Before you make
that jump to a new career field, consider the
common
career-change mistakes outlined in our article
so that you can avoid them as you make the transition from
one career to your next.
Special Feature: Leaving a Dead-End Job
How to Leave Your Dead-End Job
by Liz Sumner, M.A., CPC
This is for everyone who is sticking with a job that no
longer fits. Maybe it was right for a while, for a certain
time and place in your life. But not anymore. When was the
last time you jumped out of bed with excitement about what
the day would bring?
"But I love the people I work with."
"It's so convenient."
"The money's pretty decent, considering..."
I've heard all the excuses. Heck, I've made them. You know
that job is sucking your soul and it's time to leave. The only
thing left to decide is how.
Above all, you want it to be your decision. Don't let
boredom and apathy lead to an attitude that gets you
fired or passed over. Who wants to work with a burnout
no matter how skilled he or she is?
The No. 1 reason people stay in bad jobs is fear of the
unknown. Are you hanging on to something that doesn't fit
just because it's familiar? What if the unknown weren't scary?
What if it were filled with joy and delightful possibilities?
Sure, there's that transition period where you leave what you
can do in your sleep and head into new territory. I assure you
that the downhill slide of staying too long is far greater than
the steepness of a little learning curve. How might you make
unknown territory more comfortable?
7 Secrets to Convert Motherhood into a New Successful Career
by Bill Dueease
Have you been a professional mother (it is a true profession,
whether acknowledged or not) but now you find your mothering
skills are in less demand? Are the fruits of your efforts, your
children, growing up? You will always be their mother, but as
they enter high school or college, they will spend much less
time with you.
Do you feel less of a person, or even somewhat lost, because
you are no
longer a full-time mother? Does the thought of doing
something else appear to be overwhelming? Do you wonder how you
will find another profession to partially replace motherhood and
give you the personal rewards you received from being a mother?
Welcome to the beginning of your new and rewarding life.
11,000 days. That's the number of days you'll probably work
over your lifetime. You'll likely have six or seven career
changes and 11 or 12 jobs in total. You may be wondering
if you need a change now.
30 million people go to work each day to a job they hate.
The harmful feelings permeate their entire life,
putting a negative cloud over the
home, their friends and many of their
other activities. They may lack the know-how to change, may be
afraid of leaving the security of a paycheck, or have a hundred
excuses for why it's okay to be so dissatisfied and stay at their job.
There is a better way to live your life. Meaningful purpose is
a driving force that adds enthusiasm to your days. Taking a
passion and making it your career -- living a dream -- can
be not just a wish, but a true and certain reality.
Our article
offers a few steps to get the new career rolling.
QuintZine's Q&A with Career Expert Bill Dueease
Bill Dueease is a business coach and president of The Coach Connection.
If you're a career-changer, the first way to demonstrate enthusiasm for a position is to
determine, in advance, what jobs you really are enthusiastic about and apply only for them,
notes Bill Dueease in the Q&A interview we did with him.
"Another way is to ask questions about what you can do in the position to create more profits and value
for the employer, so that the employer will be assured of profiting from your employment," Dueease says.
"Focus on the results desired and ask the best way to achieve them. Show your enthusiasm and willingness
to produce the desired results on your own."
"Employers want people who will produce greater than expected results with the least amount of management
on their part. A high degree of genuine enthusiasm for a specific job, coupled with enough experience to
show an employer that you can perform the job, creates an almost unbeatable new employee,"
Dueease concludes.
Read more of Bill's advice, including more about the importance of enthusiasm for
all job-seekers, the best way to find your ideal career, and mistakes that career-changers
make in our full Q&A with him.
CareerFables.com is a great site for career changers because it provides tools and resources to help you prepare for
your career transition.
The site describes itself this way: "CareerFables is a community that understands
mid-career change for mid-life adults. Career change affects all aspects of your life: Family and Friendships,
personal Finances and Fulfillment, and your ability to simply have Fun. CareerFables provides tools and resources
to help you prepare for your career transition, and our proprietary database tool -- TheSkillsMatch.com --
takes you beyond your resume."
You'll find a Career Transition Checklist, and sections on Career Change, Connections
(networking), News, Family, Friends, Fulfillment, Finances, and Fun.
The heart of the site is the stories that readers submit about their careers.
Read inspiring stories or add your own. You can also subscribe to
the free newsletter and more. Free to job-seekers.
Glenn writes: "I'm in a dead-end job and feel a real need to make a career change. My employer is reorganizing the department
and probably will offer most people a package. I see this as my chance to get out and do something different. So, what should I do
-- and what should I not do? I already have a tentative job offer from
an old boss and am thinking of taking it once I get the package. Your advice?"
Delicia writes: "After graduating from college with a degree in psychology I got a job at a title-insurance company where I've been
employed for the past three years. I am presently working on a master's
degree and feel the need to change to a more promising, financially rewarding career. What should I do?"
Amy writes: "I am a special-education teacher who has been teaching for approximately 20 years. I would like a career change, and the one
thing that attracts me is cultivating plants and flowers. I would like to know what sort of measures would I be able to take to start a career
or business that would allow me to do this. I have often thought of having
a business where I can grow and sell my own plants in a greenhouse, something similar to the nurseries they have alongside towns and
suburbs. However, I have no background in this except for growing in my own (small) garden."
We've recently launched the Quint Careers Weblog (Blog).
It consists of career and job-search news, trends,
and scoops for job-seekers, compiled by the staff
of Quintessential Careers.
Check out the Career and Job-Hunting Blog.
We'd love your input and suggestions.
Ad: Electronic Versions of Documents Included Free
Electronic versions now included with all resume and cover
letter products at Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters at
no extra cost!
An electronic version of your resume for sending via e-mail and posting to Internet job boards
is an absolute must these days because 80 percent of resumes are now placed directly into keyword-searchable databases.
Read more here.
That's why electronic versions are now included at NO EXTRA COST with all our resume and cover letter
products!
Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
A recent survey conducted by CareerWomen.com
reported the top five reasons women change jobs. While the No. 1
reason cited was family obligations, women also move on to new positions for new opportunities, higher earning
potential, relocation, or because of job burnout.
CareerWomen.com polled site visitors and found that 64 percent
of women who responded had made a change midway through their
career. In response, CareerWomen.com offers five tips for
job-change readiness:
Review, update and re-write your resume every year: Having
a current resume on hand will allow you to quickly respond to
opportunities as they present themselves. Consider creating
several resumes for a variety of career directions that can be
posted in an online database for easy retrieval and sending.
Look inside as well as outside: Consider an internal job
change if your current position is not meeting your career
expectations. Leaving your current employer may not always
be the best decision, especially during high unemployment
phases. One survey respondent suggests, "be flexible, look
for opportunity and constantly broaden your horizons."
Consider challenge and service as criteria: When evaluating
new career opportunities, women report being inspired by challenge
and service in addition to compensation. Investigate how a new
position will allow opportunities for additional career challenges,
as well as possibilities to better serve customers, community or
the corporation.
Find mentors -- one from Mars and another from Venus: Advice from
the right mentor can help you locate and manage opportunities. Our
viewers report that a male mentor can coach negotiating skills,
as well as offer networking and advancement opportunities, while
a female mentor can offer informal fellowship, guidance within the
corporation, motivation, and encouragement.
Plan for a smooth transition: If you do find a new position,
make the transition seamless for your current employer. Clean
up messes, offer to train your replacement, be available for
questions after your departure, and thank your current employer
for the experience. Leaving on a positive note will only enhance
your future career options.
According to a recent survey of 186 executive recruiters conducted by
Exec-U-Net, the industries
expected to generate the most growth in the near future are:
1. Health Care
2. Medical/Pharmaceutical
3. Financial Services
4. High-Tech
5. Business Services
6. Consumer Products
7. Manufacturing
8. Communications
9. Electronic
10. Internet
The job functions expected to generate the most activity
during that same period of time are:
1. Sales
2. Marketing
3. Business Development
4. General Management
5. Operations Management
It's no secret that North Americans are working harder than
ever. Some economists are saying this increased worker
productivity is behind the current "jobless recovery." They
argue that because employers are getting more work out of their
current employees, there's no need to hire new workers.
Read the full article from MSNBC News.
No. 7: I hope you have been following and using the previous tips. They WILL help you! Please write
out at least three job descriptions based on jobs that you would like to have. Check periodicals and
newspapers for models of jobs. If you feel stuck, seek help to clarify your goals, values, and interests.
Talk to someone at your local WorkSource office, a trusted friend or family member, or see a qualified
career-management professional. Get help, seek feedback, and keep on track.
..... to be continued ...
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.
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.
QuintZine: Topics in Upcoming Issues
WATCH FOR feature articles on these topics in upcoming
issues of QuintZine:
* Dining etiquette
* Resumes for New Grads
* 10 Resume Mistakes
* The Scoop on Resume Length
* Moonlighting/Holding Multiple Jobs
* Career Focus Quiz
* Overcoming a Lack of Qualifications/Credentials
* Fighting the Overqualified Label
* Surviving and Moving Beyond Low-Wage Jobs
* Pre-Employment Testing
* 10 Things for High-School Students to Remember
* First in a Series Tracking College Plans of a High School Student
* Importance of Junior Year of High School
* How to Make a Temp Job Permanent
* Temping Your Way to Career Change
* Mastering Second (and Subsequent) Interviews
* Interview Damage Control
* 10 Interview Mistakes
* Exude Confidence in Interviews
* Job Satisfaction Quiz
* Job-search Time-Management Skills
* Reinvent Your Career at Midlife
* Working Beyond Retirement
* Workaholic Quiz
* Building Your Brand
* Pros and Cons of Nontraditional Careers
* Nontraditional Career Paths for Men and Women
* Make Your College Application Shine
* Changing Landscape of College Admissions
* College Admissions Annual Report/Panel Discussion
* Internet Jobhunting Annual Report
* Top 5 Networking Strategies
* Quintessential Career Profiles of YOU, our readers
* Q&As with well-known career experts
* Book reviews
. . . and much, much more!
Don't ever want to miss another issue of QuintZine? Get a free subscription to
the email version of QuintZine by completing our
subscription form.
Quintessential Careers Announces Career Coaching
We now offer two types of career-coaching services!
Are you...
feeling stuck in an unsatisfying job?
facing a major change in career or job status?
searching for your ideal career or job?
seeking help in developing a job-search plan?
looking for a solution to job-search obstacles?
desiring to bounce ideas off of a career expert?
trying to discover the keys to career success?
Let Dr. Randall S. Hansen, The Career Doctor, help you work through all your college, career, and job-search concerns,
issues, and problems. He has helped hundreds of teens, college students, and experienced job-seekers identify obstacles, develop
action plans, and achieve success -- and he can help you!
And for an economical online-only career-coaching alternative,
visit The Career Clinic.
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A recent survey conducted by 
