Careers After 50: The Value of a Temp Job!

Careers after 50: developing appropriate experience to qualify for a planned career.

You've researched and studied a variety of proposed new careers. After speaking to others working in the field you've narrowed your list down to one or two possible new careers. However, you've found both require specific experience that you need to acquire.

Other qualifications for a new career after 50, for example, can be learned through self-study, distance learning, formal education and working with mentors. However, now you have the dilemma of getting the necessary experience to qualify for new career.

Let's suggest a way to put you in a position to successfully compete for job in the new changed career. You might want to consider working for a temp agency, to get some desired experience or to discover if the suggested career is right for you.

Ask around for referrals to the right temp agency. Some temp agencies are specialists only working with specific careers and industries.

Re-draft your resume to put your best foot forward depending on the career and job. For each career you might want to restrict only signing up with two or three temp agencies. As you progress and learn more about specific temp agencies you can adjust your focus so you are only working with the best agency relative to the planned career.

Make it a point to see the temp agency recruiter, have a face-to-face interview and learn all you can about their services. Don't forget this is a job interview and you want to show the recruiter how you would present yourself to a prospective employer.

Find out in advance if you are required to show specific technical skills at the temp interview and spend some time brushing up on the required skills prior to the interview.

Do some research regarding prospective wages you might expect. You'll probably be asked what wage range you would accept. Also, you should learn what possible benefits might be available.

Many times temp assignments can last six months or longer. Be sure to tell the temp agency the length of assignment you would accept.

If the temp job is in a career you wish to qualify for, you may leverage yourself into being offered a full- time position. Or you gain enough relevant experience to qualify for a full-time career with another employer.

Don't expect that you'll be immediately moved into a desired temp position. Continue to contact the temp agency, at least once a week, to let them know you're available for placement.

So the value to you using a temp agency in qualifying for a new career after 50 is: (1) Gaining required work experience, (2) Possibly being offered a job in the desired new career, (3) Bringing in some income while you prepare to change careers, or (4) Finding out the new career is not for you so you can research additional opportunities.

For information and background in building a career plan to better prepare you to making a career change or for moving up in your current career or finding the right job go to http://careersafter50.com. Learn the stories of others who build robust career plans changed careers after 50 and found the right job.

Career Test: A Free Career Test Can Add Value To Your Job Search

Why Take a Career Test

When you first start out searching for a career the choices seem endless. While each person has varying degrees of skill and education, the world is pretty much yours for the taking if you are willing to put in the work. Whether you're a first time job seeker, a career changer, or re-entering the job market after an absence, using a career test - sometimes called a career path test - may help you narrow down your choices.

What a Career Test Does

A career test takes a mental snapshot of you based upon how you answer each of the carefully selected questions and, in a short period of time, matches certain job types to your skill level and personality. This can save you a considerable amount of time while narrowing down your career choices to a manageable level.

Career assessments can uncover certain personality traits that gel with career paths that you may not even have considered. Often simply having the skills to complete a job doesn't necessarily mean that a career is right for you. While we may think we're our own worst critics, the truth is that often we are short sighted when it comes to our own strengths and weaknesses. Using a career test to find strong points you may have never even known you possessed can open new doors to careers you might not even have considered.

Where Career Path Tests are Available

Career assessments are offered in various places. You can check with your local library, often they have a career and college search center. Another option would be your college, or local university if you're not currently a student. If you are using a recruiter in your job search, they will often ask you take a career test. If all else fails, you can find online career tests on the web. They may not be as comprehensive as the tests you would find elsewhere, but it's a start.

How to Make the Best of a Career Test

In order to achieve the best results on your test, there are a few basic guidelines. Unlike other tests, there are no right or wrong answers on a career test. When you consider your answers, choose the answer that best suits you and your personality. Don't over think the questions or the answers; often our first instinct is our best one on these types of tests. Answer honestly, even if you think your answer may not reflect well on your personality. In order to get accurate results, it's important to be as honest as possible. Take your time and make sure you answer every question, so that you can be sure that the test is offering the best career path advice for you.

No matter where you take your career assessments, be sure to ask for a full copy of your results. Take time to read over them and you may be surprised to learn some new things about yourself. Use your results to consider new and exciting prospects, and to help build your strengths and minimize your weaknesses. Self-knowledge will only help as you decide the path of your career.

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