The (actuaries institute) Do’s and Don’ts of Changing Careers

September 27th, 2008 admin Posted in careers |

By Tony Jacowski

Changing your career will require careful planning and determination. Before you make the leap to another job, let’s first take a look at the do’s and don’ts of a career change.

Here Are the Do’s

DO Jot down a plan for a change in your career. Be clear and honest with yourself as to what you want and where you want to be. Clearly think about what you are passionate about, where your interests lie and come up with a strategic plan. Be confident and project yourself positively.

DO Research the field you are interested in getting into. Ask yourself if you are ready to take on new duties and responsibilities. You need to put a lot of effort into executing your plan.

DO get some advice for the career change from experienced professionals. There are many books in the market that can guide you during this stage in your life. You can seek out for a mentor who can point you in the right direction.

Changing a career is a challenge and must be undertaken carefully.

DO get a part-time job in the field you wish to enter while you are still with your current employer. Doing so will help you learn and understand more about the new field and if you really have what it takes to succeed in it.

By doing this, you will get a clear and better understanding of the work and expectations of that field. You can also take a course that will give you in-depth knowledge about your new career. By taking a part-time job and an educational course, you will gather both knowledge and experience that will help you land a better job.

DO Get in touch with people in the same line of work. Increase your professional network by attending events and letting people know about your search. While doing so, let people know that you are looking for a job within that field.

Once you are sure what kind of job will suit you best, DO start looking for top employers in that industry. Gather as much information as possible. Tailor your resume towards this new industry.

When you are looking to change careers, you need to focus more on your skills as well as convince the potential employer that you will be an asset to their organization.

Here Are The Don’ts:

DON’T make a career change because your friends or colleagues have. Give careful consideration to your motivation for changing careers. Never make a change because you do not get along with your colleagues or boss.

DON’T let insecurity hold you back from exploring a new career. Do not forget to take the advantage of your previous qualifications and work experiences. Also, don’t make the change if you are not sure about it

After considering the above do’s and don’ts you will find it easy to make your decision. It will require hard work and determination - but you can be successful!

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution’s Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for six sigma professionals including, lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

How to Make Your Resume Stand Out
By Ben Needles

Whether or not youre planning to look for a new job, you should always keep your resume updated. Get into the habit of updating your accomplishments and skills so that your resume is always ready.

Here are some tips:

1. Group your top skill sets into a summary.
2. Create a professional email address (using your name - no nicknames) to include with your contact information.
3. Use past tense - even when describing your current job.
4. If youre posting your resume online, dont encourage identity theft by including too much personal information.
5. Gear you resume towards the job you want, not the one you have now.
6. List your most recent job first.
7. Check spelling and grammar - dont depend on your spelling errors being caught by spell check.

Your resume should not include every task youve performed in every position; instead it should only include your strongest accomplishments. Though its tempting to add all the details about every job youve had, your resume is only a starting point. Use it to get your foot in the door so that you can get an interview. Once you have an opportunity to speak with the hiring manager, then you can go into more detail.

Since you have to catch the attention of the reader right away, stay away from passive-sounding words when describing your accomplishments and responsibilities. Passive sentences are indirect and dont make much of an impression.

Look at this example of a passive sentence: Participated on product development team. Compare that with this example of an active sentence: Created scripts and tested new product.

In addition to using active words and sentences in your descriptions, you also have to show results. Which description would appeal to you as a hiring manager?

Arranged new product development meetings, or Facilitated meetings for new product development team which led to cost savings due to reduced miscommunication between departments.

If you are a freelancer or temp worker, youll probably work for various companies and hold different positions. Even if you had different titles, the skills and accomplishments will show your versatility in different industries and company cultures.

Keep track of the projects youve worked on, articles and documentation youve written, etc. Set aside samples of your work so that you can include them with your resume, if requested.

When youre changing careers playing up your skills is very important. You may not have direct experience in the area youre changing to, but you can show how the skills youve acquired in the old career can be carried over to the new one. Pick accomplishments that show that you are versatile and can think out of the box. Play up training and learning experiences to show that you can adapt to new environments. The person reading your resume is focused on finding the right person for the job. They wont have the time to think about how to fit your skills into their requirements.

Not sure how to show that your skills can be transferred to a new profession? For instance, if youre a project manager and you want to become an event planner, you could play up your organization skills or your communications skills. You could also play up your ability to simultaneously manage different tasks. Look at the work youve done, then find ways to highlight your strongest accomplishments. The person reading your resume should see right away that you can perform the duties the position requires.

Of course if you know what type of job you want, itll be easier to create your resume. However, if youre not sure what you want to do next - or how to update your resume to reflect your varied skills - consider hiring a professional to help. These days you cant take a chance that your resume will be overlooked. If you present yourself to your best advantage, youll have a better chance of being hired for the job you want.

About the Author (text)

Deborah A. Bailey is a professional coach, writer and founder of Deb Bailey Coaching. She specializes in working with individuals as they move through transitions and experience a life beyond their expectations. Learn more now at http://www.dbaileycoach.com.

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