If you have any career- or job-related questions or comments that Dr. Hansen could provide valuable assistance with, please feel free to email careerdr@quintcareers.com.

In This Issue (8/07/00):

• Deciding on value of mid-life career change possibility
• Determining potential future career path
• Breaking into new career field
• Developing a functional resume that hides employment gaps

Q:	Greg writes: I'll get right to the question. I'm 36, considering law school next year, with my mortgage and educational loans after completing law school I will be faced with just over $200,000 of debt. QUESTION: At this stage of the game is a legal education worth it? Any input you may have is greatly appreciated.
A:	The Career Doctor responds: You should probably talk to a number of different people to get as much advice as possible. Talk to a financial adviser regarding your loans and mortgage and the ability to attend law school and the number of years before you are above water again. Not knowing what area of law you want to enter, I suggest you try to obtain some informational interviews with lawyers who are practicing the law you want to practice. I would talk with the law schools you are considering and ask them about their placement success and typical starting salaries. And this point is going to sound silly, but listen to your heart -- what do you really want to do with your life? Answer that question and maybe the rest of these things are moot. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook, the job market for lawyers over the next eight years is going to be very competitive. According to the report: “Individuals interested in pursuing careers as lawyers or judicial workers should encounter stiff competition through 2008. The number of law school graduates is expected to continue to strain the economy’s capacity to absorb them.” Read all of the report. Another good resource related to answering the question of attending law school can be found at FindLaw.com’s Website, which has numerous articles and links to other resources.
Q:	Danielle writes: I really need some help determining my career for the rest of my life. I'm a 19 year old female who is extremely confused. I'm really good at math and physics. Currently I am majoring in math and minoring in physics to become a teacher for high school. Lately, I have been reconsidering my decision. Maybe I should be an electrical engineer. I don't know what they do exactly, and I don't know if it's a practical job for a female who wants to have a family. I just want to be happy. If you could please help me.
A:	The Career Doctor responds: First, relax and don’t be so concerned about being confused. Most people at your age are confused - whether they admit it or not. You need to sit down and really think about what you want to do with your life -- both as a career and with a family. Teaching is a very admirable profession, and female math teachers would be great role models for young women in high school, but you need to decide if you originally were leaning this way because the hours are more flexible and easier for having a family, or whether you want to teach so you can make a difference in young people’s lives. My advice is for you to take some time and talk with some people. Talk to your family -- what do they think about your potential and career goals? Talk with some of your professors -- both in the math and physics departments, but also go and talk with the a professor in the education department and one from the engineering department. Go back to your old high school and talk with one or more or your old teachers and get their advice. Finally, go to Quintessential Careers: Career Assessment, and take one or more of the assessment tests and spend some time thinking about the results. The key is that you still have time to make a decision and there is no need to rush to force one at this time. You obviously are good in the sciences, so now you just need to find some direction for how to best apply those skills into a career that you will enjoy.
Q:	Deborah writes: I’m in the process of a career change going from foodservice to project management and will be getting my PMI certification soon but realize that at this time I am still out of my league for any of the jobs that I seen so far so what would be the best course of action for me to take at this time as I further my education. Thanks.
A:	The Career Doctor responds: I would recommend going to the Project Management Institute’s site and spend some time looking at their career and education resources. There are also about 160 chapters of PMI in the U.S. and abroad, so I would strongly encourage you to locate one near you and start doing some networking. You will also need to retool your resume, which may involve totally reformatting it, as well as trying to gain some project management experience. Take a look at your transferable skills, and the overlap between food services and project management. You should then consider transforming your resume into a functional resume. The key to success career change is planning and execution, and you seem to be on the right path so far, but you need to get networking and revamping your resume.
Q:	Rajan writes: I have a resume that has large employment gaps. This may be OK for females but for males. It is a no-no. I have tried different types of resume styles. Nothing. I don't get interviews. Is there any way to increase the number of interviews? How should I explain my resume? At one time I stopped looking for work for about 1 1/2 years. This is the biggest gap to explain. Then I did telemarketing and took a course in it. Telemarketing is not for me. I have stopped again for about 10 months. I don't want to sit around. Right now I am looking for work as a network administrator. I have a background in hardware and software development but I can't move. In this area there is not much call for tech work. I hope you can help.
A:	The Career Doctor responds: The first rule of job-hunting is never expose a weakness to the employer -- and never do it before you’ve had a chance to have an interview and build a case for yourself. Yes, employers do worry about employment gaps -- for both genders -- but you can do some things to make the gaps less obvious and to project yourself in a better light. First, I would recommend you develop a functional resume that focuses on your technical achievements and skills. If you already have one, then I suggest you ask a professional colleague, mentor, or resume professional to evaluate and critique it for you. My guess is that you are so focused on these gaps that it comes through on your resume. Second, you need to plan a strategy for explaining these gaps. Were you doing volunteer work? Were you taking classes? Were you working part-time or as a consultant? You will need to fill these gaps with something so that it doesn’t seem as though you were just sitting home all that time (even if you were). Third, are your technical skills current? If not, you might want to take a course or two to make you more marketable. Fourth, once you have a professional resume and feel more confident about yourself, you need to go back into the job market. And don’t worry so much about location, as there are definitely high tech jobs where people work from home at least some of the time. Use all the tools available to you to find a job - your network, the Internet, etc.