The Top 5 Things to Consider When Thinking Of Changing Your Career Path

Change is inevitable but that doesn't mean one cannot learn to make something worthwhile of the necessary changes that life presents us with. Careers are great; they keep you on a steady part. When you choose a career, it helps you narrow down your options and helps you build yourself better. But there comes a time in life when you just have to own up to yourself that things are not going right in your chosen career and you may have to consider changing your career path.

Here are the top 5 things to consider when thinking of changing your career path

Fulfillment

No matter how much you are earning in your chosen career, fulfillment must never be undervalued. You need fulfillment in your job to really enjoy the benefits that come with it. A lot of people have changed jobs and careers because of lack of fulfillment and are having the time of their lives today. When you are thinking of a career change, fulfillment must be top on your list of considerations.

Your career is what takes up a lot of your time. You invest in your education and basically guide your life by it. You can't afford not to enjoy it because not enjoying your career is simply not enjoying your life. So when changing your career path you must make sure that what you are opting for gives you more fulfillment than what you presently have.

Required Skills

What are the required skills in the career you are thinking of changing to? It is very important you know you know these. You need to know what you need to get to get what you want. Do you have to go back to school? Will your present skills or education be useful in the new career? You need to really take your time to know whether you will be able to acquire the skills easily or not.

Strengths and Weaknesses

When thinking of changing careers, you must take a critical look at yourself and consider your strengths and weaknesses. Choose a career that accommodates your strengths and weaknesses. One in which you can enjoy being yourself and make money doing it.

Money

While it is important to get fulfillment from your job and career, it is also important you review the financial implications of changing careers. You need to be realistic about your pending career change. Know how much you have to spend to get yourself ready for the change. Know how much money you will need to acquire the necessary skills and or education to enjoy the best of the new career.

Do you have the financial capability to change careers now? Will it be worth it financially, changing careers now? You really need to answer these questions to make the right decision.

Help

In making in a great decision in career change path, you may need help. Never hesitate to ask for it. There are specialists in the field, like career counselors, who can help you put everything in perspective and guide you in making the right decision. They also can help you in putting all the above factors to use.

If you are looking for a career change, Trios offers career training and development to fit your lifestyle and help you fulfill your dreams for the future.

Making a Career Change - 7 Things to Do Before Making a Career Change

Take some time to do some smart research before you commit to making a career change and you will ensure that your next career move is a smart one.

1. Evaluate what you like and dislike about your current career

While you may feel as though you drag yourself to work every day, hopefully, you initially accepted that job because it was a good fit for you in some ways. Take some time to objectively think through the different facets of your job. What skills do you use or what tasks do you perform at work that you truly enjoy. Those tasks and skills may form the basis of your next career.

2. Consider whether you need a full-blown career change or maybe simply an industry change

Often, when people are ready to leave their current careers, they assume that they need to make a completely fresh start in a completely new career in order to find happiness. This is not always the case. Perhaps you still enjoy the nature of the work that you do, but there have been changes to your industry that have made your career unpalatable. In that case, consider whether you can find the same type of work but in a different industry. You may just need a slight shift and now a full-blown change in order to meet your career related needs.

3. Know what you want

People who are contemplating a career change often know what they don't want. "I never want to work for another micro-managing boss." or "I am completely burnt out on front-line work." Unfortunately, they don't always know what it is that they do want.

If you are stating all of your career change needs and expectations in the form of what you don't want, it will be important to take some time to think through exactly what it is that you do want. It is much easier and more powerful to make yourself move toward something that you want than to move away from something that you don't want. People seek to find positive experiences more consistently than they seek to avoid pain. Therefore, if you are working toward a positive experience (those things that you do want in your next career), you'll be much more motivated to do the work required to get there.

4. Understand your financial needs

While, over the long term, a career change can have a lot of potential to increase your household income, over the short term, you may need to make some financial sacrifices to meet your new career goals. You may need to spend money on tuition to attain the training required for a new field, or you might decide to accept a lower paying entry level job in your new field to gain necessary experience. If your career change will have an impact on your household income, ensure that you will still be able to meet your financial obligations through your period of career transition.

5. Assess your educational needs and priorities

Never embark on a career change without a clear understanding of the educational background required to be competitive in your new field of work. There are many jobs that are not regulated, that is, there are no legal requirements in terms of required training. However, simply because there are no legal requirements doesn't mean that you don't realistically need specific training to be competitive in the job market.

The best way to determine educational requirements for a job is to talk to people who hire in that industry. They'll know what is really necessary for entry into the field and they will give you current and unbiased input. The worst way to determine educational requirements for a job is to talk to staff at schools. They are highly biased and want you there in their programs, so they are not necessarily the best source for this type of information.

6. Talk with your partner and anyone who will be impacted by your career change

Making a career change will impact the lives of those closest to you. Be sure to discuss your plans with these people. Help them to understand what this change will mean in terms of demands on your time, household income and future changes. Getting the support of those who are close to you is a crucial part of your career change success.

7. Talk with people who do the job you'd like to do

People who do the job that you'd like to do are the best sources of information about your new career. They will give you unbiased information about the day to day job, their biggest challenges, and sometimes the requirements to get started in the field. To many people fail to take this step when deciding on career options, and it should not be ignored.

Lisa McGrimmon is a career expert who has helped over two thousand clients achieve their career goals. To learn more about making a career change and gain enormous control over your future, visit Career Choice Guide.

Career Change - 7 Things to Consider When Making a Career Change

Too often people make a career change without fully considering the impact of changing careers. Following are 7 issues to consider before you commit to making a career change:

1. Your Values

People think about money or prestige when considering career options, but they rarely talk about work values when making a career change. A mismatch between your values and the realities and requirements of your job is the biggest source of career burnout.

Many people easily tolerate working odd hours or a long commute when they feel truly invested in the value of the work that they do. As soon as you don't buy into the big picture importance of your job, all of the little stresses and annoyances pile up and wear on you.

If you ensure your work is in line with your values and you believe in the value of the work that your do, you will be taking to first step toward a smart career decision.

2. Your Current Lifestyle Based Needs and Expectations

Do you have a mortgage to pay, or a child or partner who is dependent upon you for income? Have you become accustomed to a certain lifestyle that your current job allows? Before you make a career change, assess your lifestyle related needs to ensure your new job will meet those needs. If you have a spouse, or other people in your life who will be significantly impacted by your career change, discuss your plans with those people. if you take their needs into account as much as possible, you will have an easier time getting the support you need through this change.

3. The Influence of Others

Are you making career choices based on your own needs or based on the expectations of others? While it's important to consider the concerns of people who will be impacted by your career change, basing career decisions based on the expectations of friends and family can send you into a job that is not a good fit for you. You are the one who will have to get up and go to work everyday, so you need to make career choices based on your one definition of success, not someone else's ideas about what may be right for you.

4. Your Education and Skills

Do you have the education and or skills required to be competitive in your new chosen career? If you don't, are you ready and able to commit the time and perhaps financial resources needed to upgraded your education or get needed experience? If a particular job requires a master's degree, and you are just not willing or able to commit to pursuing that degree, then that job is not a good fit for your needs.

5. Your Aptitudes

Consider the kinds of tasks that you are naturally good at and work to your strengths. Too often we focus on our weaknesses. Instead of always concentrating on your areas for improvement, look toward those things that come naturally to you and use those skills as a starting point for making career choices.

6. Your Interests

You will spend countless hours each year at your job, you might as well be doing something that piques your interest. Consider the types of subjects that interest you when making career decisions.

7. Labor Market Conditions

Is it realistic to expect you will find a job in your chosen field within your local area? Will you need to look outside of your community to find work in your new field, and if so, are you willing to commit to a move or a commute to make your career change? Particularly in smaller towns, labor markets can quickly become saturated in some fields when new training programs emerge.

Imagine, for example, you live in a small town, and the community college has just launched an aesthetician certification program. Suddenly there will be an perceivable increase in the number of people in the area who are trained aestheticians. The first few graduating classes may have no trouble finding work in the local area, but if there are only a limited number of jobs in the area in this field, as more people graduate from the program, graduates will need to look beyond that community for job opportunities.

Before you make a career choice, ensure that there are jobs available locally in your filed, or that you are willing to move or commute to an area where those jobs are available.

Think through your needs and fully understand the realities of your new career, and you will ensure that you make a smart career choice and a smooth transition to your new career.

Lisa McGrimmon writes about career planning at Career Choice Guide. Drop by her site for more information about making a career change.

A few good things

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

A few good things  
Wednesday 28 December 2011 source: GovExec

It's easy to focus on the bad news coming through the pipeline these days, like proposed cuts in federal employee benefits and pension processing of delays in the Office of personnel management.
Still, 2011 was not all bad, was it? And there are some things to look out for in 2012.
Payroll Taxes. Congress may be tied up in knots debate this week ...
UK foreign policy in 2012 is likely to see an extension of that of the past decade, the most capastrophic since the 1930s. Britian's eyeing Burma, Somalia, Syria and Iran.

Breaking News
Wednesday, December 28, 2011

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Quitting a Job - Before You Quit Your Job, Some Things to Consider

Some Things You'll Learn About:

Things to consider before you quit your job
What to consider before you quit your job improperly
We'll review typical reasons why you would want to quit your job
Alternatives to quitting a job
Unemployment possibilities will be discussed and questions answered such as:
"Can you collect unemployment if you quit your job?"
How to quit your job gracefully and professionally
How to quit your job and get the last laugh
How to quit your job without burning any bridges. This should not be taken lightly!
If you want to quit your night job, some things to consider that are different from if you wanted to
quit your day job. You'll want to hear this...so don't quit your night job yet!
Things to know if you want to quit your job to start a home business of any kind
Make a game of it!

NOTE: The information you receive from reading this article will give you some things to think about that you may not have considered but ultimately, remember that nobody can make that decision for you. You should always do your best to find out everything you can before you take any action.

Think of this scenario: you now have quit your job and are hunting for another...feverishly, urgently, with very little time before you go under financially. Now that's stress! Not only that, you left for the wrong reasons. You may have quit your job because of stress, a bad coworker or boss, poor conditions, no recognition or whatever it is but it won't matter to the unemployment office when they have a line of people waiting for benefits. Bottom Line: Do not quit your job before you have another one lined up! When you have another job lined up then you should quit your job. Nevertheless, quit your job gracefully and professionally. Let's find out the Ins and Outs of quitting your job...

The first thing to consider is CAN you quit your job from a financial standpoint? Do you have the reserves in place (money in the bank) or another job lined up BEFORE you quit? Think of it this way, the moment you quit, you free that position up for the LINE OF PEOPLE waiting to get your job! If you do not know how to quit your job properly, depending upon the circumstances, you may very well burn a bridge. In this day and age that is not a wise idea! After you quit your job it's far too late to try to retrace your steps and go back begging on your hands and knees should you need that job back! I'll show you how to resign from your job in a respectful and professional manner to prevent you from burning any bridges.

If You Quit Your Job Improperly:

You may very well not only burn a bridge, so to speak, but this may also follow you for some time and become a thorn in your side when you apply for a job and well into the interview process. Even though companies have a very fine line they have to walk when an inquiry regarding a former employee surfaces it can be difficult at times to prove if something was said during the conversation since you are not even there.

You will likely be asked in an interview in one form or another some questions about your previous job. People can tell when you are not being completely honest by such things as your body language, tone of your voice, even at times when your blood pressure goes up and your heart starts to race. You may even start to perspire a bit and so on.

If you quit your job prematurely you may very well jeopardize your financial situation. It is easy to make it worse in one form or another even when you have the right intentions but you merely miss the mark of what your goals are versus what reality is. That is a hard lesson to learn.

Typical Reasons Why People Quit Their Job:

The second thing to consider is WHY do you want to quit your job? Is it too stressful? Not getting along with the boss? Just simply hate your job? Is it for health reasons? Do you have challenges when it comes to performing the job duties? Do you have to move? Are you not advancing as quickly as you thought possible? Let's address a few of these for starters.

If your answer is somewhere in the "hate my job", "can't advance", "can't get along with the boss" arena then there may be a better alternative to quitting a job which we will discuss shortly. If it is for health (including stress) or anything that falls close to this you have a possible reason to quit your job. Do not take this lightly. If the job is high stress and/or your health is suffering then speak to your physician about this. There may be medical options available for you that will require your doctors' endorsement. This may also protect your position/job for the time being. This is typically a protected area depending upon the state and area you live in. Let's get into the other reasons why you want to quit your job.

If you are quitting a job to move and the move is a 'must do' or 'no option' sort of thing then it's pretty much said and done. You should quit your job for these reasons. Just make sure you are moving for the right reasons. If you quit your job to take care of a family member or for a better job, to move to a better area to bring up your kids or even just a better area in general then you should quit your job. Follow the section about how to quit your job gracefully but remember to have another job lined up if at all possible before you give notice.

Alternatives to Quitting a Job:

Before you quit your job, ask yourself this question... Am I the type of employee I would hire (meaning you)? Would you hire YOU if you owned a company? If the answer is not a quick yes then maybe a change in your work activities is in order. Are you on time? Do you take only the allotted breaks and for only the time specified? Do you go above and beyond what is required of your job even a little bit? If all you are there for is a paycheck and all that you ever do is the minimum at your job, you will struggle with this quite possibly for the rest of your life. I'm not kidding. When you step it up just a bit your employer sees you as a bigger asset to the company. Deliver more than the minimum, do your job as BEST as you can! I don't care what it is, give it your all and you will be recognized as a great worker! Oh yes, one very simple thing you can do to really improve how you are perceived is to SMILE! Now, would YOU hire you?

If you are having issues with your Boss or even another worker, get those issues addressed as soon as possible. If you have a union or some other governing bodies (including your Human Resources Department) then contact them to find out your options as well as the proper procedures to follow.

Communication is key and this goes hand in hand with people skills and a little bit of finesse. So, be polite, be patient and be open for change. Pointing the finger at someone else assigning blame will not work. I don't care if you were right or wrong, if you create a conflict it will likely compound. I am not saying to roll over though. Stand your ground (if it's worth standing on) and state the facts. Not possibilities or speculations, just the facts. Keep any documents that support these facts or keep a log book if necessary. Remember the old cliche that addresses winning the battle but losing the war? Keep that in mind.

Your company is likely to have a process to follow for issues like this. Follow them. The chain of command (management hierarchy) is there for a reason. Use it! Stick with it until you can get some sort of resolution. There is nothing wrong with respectfully speaking with your boss about the issue even if you don't get along with him/her and want to resolve it. Any professional will see it as an attempt to fix a problem and not take it personally. Perhaps you do things that your boss doesn't like and it is eating at him/her just as much as his/her actions eat at you? Level the playing field and you will likely be respected as a professional.

Is a transfer to another department or location a possibility? This may save you a lot of grief versus to quit your job over something that could have been overcome with a simple transfer.

Finally, if you can't seem to get a resolution, then start looking for another job! Don't quit your job because you hate it, can't get along with someone and so on. That is a foolish thing to do. However, my own personal 'standard' if you will, for quitting your job is right here:

- Only quit your job after you have another job lined up, then give the appropriate (at least) 2 weeks' notice politely and in written form giving the date of your last day. Keep working hard!

- Only quit your job after you have your financial needs met (like quitting the employee work force to become an entrepreneur...see the business section below) and also with at least 2 weeks' notice, in writing, as above. Again, keep working hard!

Unemployment Possibilities:

In general there is only one area that MIGHT allow you to leave your job and that is for medical reasons. This is an area that can get very convoluted depending upon your state labor laws, so check with them to find out the particulars for your area. If your job is aggravating an injury and the employer is not accommodating you appropriately or in a timely manner than you MIGHT be able to quit your job and get unemployment benefits but I would not hold your breath....check it out thoroughly before you take that step! With people standing in line at many unemployment agencies they may have even clamped down even further in this area by now so even if you THINK you can just quit your job and draw unemployment, check with the unemployment office FIRST.

If you are already working while drawing unemployment then be aware that if you quit a job (or can't go to work because of requiring a doctors release) the unemployment department may very well see the drop in hours and halt your benefits while a review of your case unfolds. Remember, your benefits will typically STOP while they perform this review so be very careful with your decisions. This review can take up to a month or more!

Ways to Quit Your Job:

How to quit your job gracefully and professionally: Your letter of resignation should only highlight the positive points of your work at your company. No slander or finger pointing. Simply point out that you are leaving on whatever date and you enjoyed your time here. If it's for another position, state it is for another position but leave the company name and such out of it. Keep it general, positive and professional. There are plenty of sample letters that you can find in a web search.

How to quit your job and get the last laugh: This is more for your own personal giggles and if used will likely result in you not laughing for long. Do not use this unless you understand the ramifications and have become independently wealthy. So, here it is. Explain in your letter of resignation that you have been told by your physician specialist in whatever field (a little research here to make sure make believe names of ailments match with the right kind of doctor) that you have been diagnosed with a terminal ailment, disease or whatever. Maybe something like Caribbean Getaw ay Syndrome or GoN2 Bora Bora Disease. Explain that the first signs of which are currently appearing and they start with the loss of sight. Then proclaim that you can't see yourself working for them any more! Righteous!

How to quit your job without burning any bridges: This should not be taken lightly! Even though the last entry was somewhat comical it is highly recommended you keep that to yourself. DO NOT act on it. Quit your job gracefully and professionally. Period.

Quit Your Night Job? Are you crazy?

If you want to quit your night job, there is one thing to consider that does not apply to wanting to quit your day job and that is the shift itself. Sure, it can be hard on your family life, social life and so on but you have an advantage with a night job. You see, you can not only go on interviews during the day and keep up the job search but you also have fewer managers during a night job than you would have on a day job. Try the other possibilities like transfers or addressing some of the issues you have with HR or similar to keep from just outright quitting your job. Consider it a stepping stone to bigger and better things! It may even be plausible to address your concerns directly but in a non-threatening, open and friendly way. Do whatever you can to get the situation either rectified or at least reduced in intensity.

If You Want to Quit Your Job To Start a Home Business, Consider This:

If you have or want to start your own home business ONLY QUIT YOUR JOB after you have surpassed the gross pay from your job and have one year of wages/salary in savings (again, gross pay). Oh yes, and no bills! In this regard, when working your business part time (and while you are still working a job) limit yourself in a new business to 10 hours per week until you get it built up! Then, up it to 20 hours but remember that it is time spent WORKING your business, not tying yourself up answering emails, driving to the store to get supplies and so on. That is getting lost in the 'putting out fires' routine and is not ACTIVELY BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS. The time you spend should be productive, quality time. You still have a life to live and need a balance between work and recreation, family time too. You are no good to anyone if you die in the process so create a balance and spend quality time in each area of your life. Your family and your business will thank you! When you reach this point (No bills, one year savings, greater pay)then you should quit your job. No doubt!

NOTE: I recently witnessed a VERY successful speaker divulge a lesson learned that catapulted her business success. She was working 100 hours per week and making really good money, but when she cut her hours to 20 hours per week, her income quadrupled! Now, this may not be typical in the sense that you will get the same result bu tit illustrates how honing her activities to only those that were productive can result in HUGE results. In essence, she was wasting 80 hours of her week! Regardless if you double, triple or even retain the same income level for a fraction of the work, pay attention to the quality of work you are doing. If you are not growing your business then you are stuck in it and that is too much like a job!

Lastly, sometimes making a game out of your job can help. Not in a foolish sense but sometimes you just need to create a routine where you need to challenge yourself to make the job more interesting, and thereby improve your outlook of that job. You may even find you actually like it!

DeAnna Foster has been a successful trainer for many years and has a unique and awesome ability to take a concept and adapt it to each person's learning style. She does this in a way that can be quickly and easily understood in a 'take-you-by-the-hand-approach' to learning. She is always looking out for your best interests while she guides you as you work towards and accomplish your goals and dreams. Imagine what you could accomplish with her guiding you through it all? She only teaches top notch programs, systems, content [http://www.InternetMarketingForTheNovice.com] that produce results!