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Advice for people who want to do a 180° career change

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CareerChange-300x300Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose – author of the business and time management books TimePeace: Making peace with time  and The Book of Answers: 105 Career Critical Situations– and I am a business and efficiency coach that specializes in time management, project management and work-life balance strategies.  Stephen Wynkoop and I regularly meet on professional development topics. Our interviews can be found at Laura Rose Career Management Series

This week’s topic was “Advice for people who want to do a 180° career change”

What steps do you take to succeed?

Very rarely is that 180° degree career change.  Even when you think you are doing a complete change in careers, you carry with you a set of transferable skills that translate nicely into the next new chapter of your life.  The recommendation is to highlight those shared traits and illustrate how they were the foundations of your next step.  Don’t highlight the differences in your career choices.  Instead highlight the similarities.  Make them understand that this “new career” is the natural next logical step in your advancement (not something totally new).

Some examples of transferable skills can be (but not limited to):

  1. Organizational skills
  2. Multitasking
  3. Project management
  4. Customer Service and Satisfaction
  5. Customer Advocacy
  6. Writing/Editing
  7. Creating/Innovation
  8. Process Improvement – Quality Assurance
  9. Detail oriented
  10. Problem Solving
  11. Solution oriented
  12. Time management

 

Even a pastry chef and a surgeon (careers you may feel have nothing in common) will have transferable skills in common.  It is the transferable skills that make us excel in a multitude of environments.

What’s the first step in transitioning into a different career?

One recommendation is to start building your Press Kit or portfolio on your new career now, when you are still in your current career.  The assumption is that you are already following your passions in the form of a side-job or hobby.  Take that hobby to the next step.

For instance, what if your new ‘wish list’ career is that pastry chef?  Chances are that you are already baking for your family and friends.  You are already conducting catering service for your community of followers.  There are several steps you can take, while you are still in your current career.

1)    Take pictures and video of your pastry and catering events.

2)    Create your pastry website, logo and brand

3)    Create your brochures and business cards

4)    Collect testimonials from friends, family and your community

5)    Create your facebook and linkedin social media pages

6)    Take culinary classes in your desired wish list career

7)    Start blogging and send out social media posting that illustrate your expertise

8)    Publicize that you are available for catering events

9)    Collaborate with other entrepreneurs and offer to cater their catalyst events

10) Give your pastry as appreciation gifts at your office

11) Offer to cater the office parties and meetings

12) Create your pastry business plan

13) Create a resume based on your graphics experience and client testimonials

The goal is to start building and collecting the proper experience and resume, while you are still in your current career.

What if you are current a teacher’s assistant and you want to break into graphic design.

  • Highlight your training materials and your PowerPoint and graphic tools used in your previous teaching position.
  • Highlight and/or create a portfolio of your graphic designs and presentations.
  • Obtain your certification in graphic designs.
  • Offer your services to some non-profits or small business owners.  Then use their testimonials in your portfolio.
  • Update your social media pages with your graphic designs
  • Create a resume based on your graphics experience and client testimonials

The goal is to jump from engineer to management.  What steps to you take?

  • Take leadership and management course
  • Offer your services to sibling departments
  • Propose a money-saving project and lead it
  • Create a small team on your project idea and lead it
  • Accept a project management position for a non-profit or community volunteer position.
  • Update our resume with these experiences

 

Final tip is to create an Individual Development Plan.  Outline your gaps between where you are and where you want to be.  Identify the steps, tools, studies or certifications that you need to accomplish those goals.  And setup your milestones, deadlines, accountability partners, and reasonable forcing functions to assure success.

In the IT Professional Development Toolkit, I go into the: who, what, where, when and how to accomplish all of the above. I also have a transferable skill worksheet.

Also following online courses:

 12 Tips for Realistic Scheduling
10 Tips for Telecommuters
 10 Career Boosting Resolution Laser Lesson

 10 Hidden Time Waster Laser Lesson

 Get That Well-Deserved Raise Laser Lesson
Professional Development Toolkit
It’s a SNAP – Social Networking Accelerated Process for business networking

 Or sign up for my weekly Time and Career Management Newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/cZ9_-/

 

Employers that interview but never hires.

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This is Laura Lee Rose, a business and efficiency coach that specializes in professional development, time management, project management and work-life balance strategies.  In my Professional Development Toolkit package , I go into professional development and real-world IT topics in detail. If you are interested in more training in these areas, get signed up

 I know the usual reasons for not hiring a particular individual, such as under-qualification or just-not-a-fit; but what are the reasons employers interview and then decide not to hire anyone?

There are often different reasons why employers interview and then don’t hire.  Because reasons are normally asynchronous to the hiring process, they are less evident.

Since the interview process takes time and money (from advertizing for the position, filtering and sorting incoming resumes, initial candidate screening and the interview meeting),no company goes into this process with the idea that “they do not intend to really hire anyone”.  They enter this process with the full intention of finding good candidates and eventually a good employee.

But because this process takes time, things can change during the interview process itself.  The longer it takes to find someone, the higher the risk of something changing.
Some things that they may realize during the interview process are:

1) The longer it takes to find the right person, the higher the risk that they realize that this position isn’t as critical as first thought.  They may feel that they are doing fine without the extra hand.  After viewing several candidates, they realize that they rather train and promote from within. Or they find that they have actually completed the project that they were trying to hire.
2) The position disappears because of an re-organization or business strategy change. It could be combined with some other role or eliminated altogether.
3) A new project management strategy is instituted such that either the schedule is extended to allow the current resources to handle the added tasks; or the project scope is diminished such that the current resources are satisfactory.
4) A hiring freeze was just initiated.
5) A different way of subsidizing the resources is implemented instead. This could be a short-term contractor, an affiliated partner is providing the service (outsourcing), the company decides to eliminate that service altogether (and refer clients to their referral partners)

It’s important for job seekers to not take it personally, and work hard to stay on these potential employer’s radar.  Things change – which means things will change again.  If you stay on their radar (through continued business networking techniques), when things change back again, you are on the top of their Rolodex.

In the Professional Toolkit, I provide worksheet, templates and guidance on how to accomplish these things.    The Book of Answers: 105 Career Critical Situations  contains 105 work-life scenarios like the above.  The scenarios show how to accomplish your goals in similar situation.

For more information on how to get this toolkit or the “Book of Answers” email LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info

3 resolutions job seekers should make for 2014

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3 resolutions job seekers should make for 2014

1)  In addition to cleaning up your digital footprint on your various social networks, increase your professional exposure on those same networks.  For instance, upgrade your LinkedIn.com account to the pro account for better access to people you don’t currently know but want to know; create video presentations on YouTube to illustrate your expertise, professionalism and ease of conveying difficult concepts to others.

2) Start clearly articulating your career goals to at least one person every day.  Don’t just use your 30 second or elevator speech at official networking events.  Use it everywhere and at everyone you meet from standing in line at the grocery store to attending sporting events.

3) Ask other people about their career goals at least once a day.  Collecting data on what other people are interested in and working on provides you an easy way to introduce your  transferable talents into the conversation.  Promoting your transferable skills (skills that are useful in various roles and positions) expands your job opportunities past just one career position.

The best way to follow-through on these things is to create a Marketing and Client Attraction Plan (included in the Professional Development Toolkit).   This plan outlines the type of people you want to network with, how often you want to network with them, and actually mark the dates/times on your calendar in which you will be doing these activities.  Setting up an accountability partner (like a spouse, friend, business coach) such that you have an external commitment to follow-through is another way to stay on track.

If you are interested in this type of information, check out some of the online courses (many are free) at Udemy.

5 Things a new hire should do before attending their first performance review.

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What advice do you have for a new hire about to attend his or her first performance review?

There are several things a new hire should be doing throughout the year (prior to their first performance review).  The performance review or evalutation process really starts on day 1; not just on the day of the meeting.
Therefore, from day 1:

1) They should take the initiative to schedule regular (weekly) one-on-one meetings with their manager.  These meetings can be as short as 15-20 minutes in length.  The idea is to have frequent meetings with your manager about your challenges, your accomplishments, your questions, and your performance.  If you take the initiative to set these up, you will always know where you stand in regards to a performance review.

2) They should already have created a Personal Business Commitment plan with their manager (use your weekly one-on-one meetings with your manager to do this).  The PBC outlines your role, responsibilities, expectations and success criteria for your position.  Once you have your commitments outlined, the new hire should create specific SMARTER goals on how they will accomplish those goals and how they plan to track and prove their progress on those items.

3) They should create an Accomplishment Folder and collect any and all awards, recognitions, thank you notes, and accomplishments in this folder (as it is happening).  Trying to remember everything that you have accomplished the day before the performance review is short-changing yourself.  Most people will remember the last thing you’ve done (which could be good or bad).  But if you deliberately collect the information as you go along, you won’t be missing some important achievements.

4) Understand how the performance evaluation and bonus process works at the company.  For instance: Many companies pool all their employees of a specific level or pay grade together (i.e. across department).  For instance, all band or grade level 8 employees are compared against each other; all band or grade level 9 employees are compared against other band 9 employees, etc.  regardless of their departments.  All the managers that have band 9 employees will be evaluating your work against the other band 9 employees.  If your manager is the only one that knows your work and value to you bring to the company, you may not do well in that meeting.  The more managers in that room that know who you are, what your bring to the company, and your tangible results to the company’s mission/vision/goals – the better.  So- if you know up front that this is how your company does performance ranking, then you will be making sure to market and brand your value to not only your manager but to sibling departments and managers.  You will realize that business marketing is an important part of the performance evaluation process.
5) In one of your regular one-on-one manager meetings, request for a mock performance evaluation session in mid-season or even every quarter.  Not only will you get practice in the performance review meeting, you will get an early report (with time to correct your path) and be able to understand how exactly the evaluation process will proceed.  This is a great opportunity to ask your manager everything that you need to ask (with time to correct your path) without penalty.

In general – if you document your goals, expectations, and accomplishments as you go along (and continue to be open and transparent with your manager) on a weekly basis, you will be well repaired fo the reivew and not have a surprise at your performance evaluation.

If you are interested in more information along these lines, check out some of the free online career management courses on Udemy.com

Check out the Get That Well-Deserved Raise Laser Lesson
Check out the Professional Development Toolkit

 

One mistake most career changers make.

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The one mistakes most career changers make.

Writing their resume without the “new career” mindset.

Most career changers list their work experience and job tasks in the mindset of the past role or job title INSTEAD of the new career role or title in mind.

For example:  You are a teacher’s assistance and you want to make a career change into Graphic Designer in Instructional Videos and Presentations.  Instead of focusing your resume on everyday teacher assistance duties like watching the children, taking roll-call, distributing supplies and teaching materials, enforcing rules and regulations, etc. — you focus on the various instructional videos and presentation that you created for the classes, parent orientation, and teacher’s brown bag lunch sessions (that you did while you were in that role).  You focus and highlight the graphics and software expertise.  You provide actual video, presentation and audio examples of your work.

I am Laura Lee Rose, author of the books “TimePeace: Making peace with time”  and The Book of Answers: 105 Career Critical Situations.  I am a business and career management coach that focuses on professional development, time management, project management and work life balance strategies.  If you need assistance in taking that leap into a new career, please contact me at LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info

5 Resume Myths Debunked

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There are some resume myths that confuse some job seekers.  Here are some information to debunk some major resume myths. For instance: Does the resume absolutely have to be 1 page? Is a cover letter always necessary?
Below are 5 Resume Myths

1) Resume needs to be 1 page.

Resume can be 2 pages — but if the first page doesn’t keep the reader’s attention, the second page will not be read.

Your resume needs to capture the attention and interest (and keep it) throughout.

 2) Need to list all your employment history and tasks

Only highlight the employment history and tasks that are relevant to the current position that you are applying for.

Since your resume needs to capture and keep the attention right away, discussing how you flipped hamburgers in a resume that you are applying as web site designer position is distracting.

3) Need to reuse the same resume for all potential job applications

20 years ago, you often created one resume, created 60 copies and mailed the same resume out to everyone.

With the ease of electronics, you should customize each resume to the verbage, responsibilities and role that was documented in the position description.  Customerize your resume to perfectly match the positions descriptions (if you have the proper background for the job).

4) Stick to the job position and title that you’ve held in the past.
       One mistake is to think that you need to first get hired into a similar position and then expand into a different role after you are hired.
       By highlighting your transferable skills (instead of the job title), you can position your resume to fit alternative or adjacent roles.  For instance, if your work experience is in testing, you can highlight your trouble-shooting, test lead, customer orientation, usability focus group and customer advocacy background into a Technical Support Manager position or even Business Analyst position.
5) There’s no longer a need for a cover letter.
       A cover letter allows you to better illustrate your fitness for this particular job.  It is encouraged to expand upon the skills and tangible results that illustrates your value and contributions to past and future employers.  It’s also a good idea to highlight what additional benefits you bring to this particular company and position as well.
The bottom line is that there really isn’t just one answer or one type of resume.  Work with a business coach or recruiter to decide the best format and strategy for your individual goal.  It may be creating one format for one type of job; and a different format or strategy for another type of job or career change.
I am a business and career management coach that focuses on time management, project management, professional development and work life balance strategies.  I have authored several books, including “TimePeace: Making peace with time”  and “The Book of Answers: 105 Career Critical Situations.”  I also have an online Professional Development Toolkit program that goes into the who, what, where, when, why and how of all of the above.  If you are interested in the online program, please follow https://www.udemy.com/it-professional-development-toolkit/

What’s the best way to get promoted?

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What’s the best way to present/position yourself so that higher-ups will want to promote you. With many hiring decisions today made by more tha one person – particularly in larger companies – people need to make themselves “promotable”. So what strategies do you recommend for positioning oneself accordingly? 
Effective Business Networking is still critical for advancement. People do business with people they know, like and trust. As you mentioned in your question, committees are not only responsible for hiring and performance evaluations; but for re-organizational decisions as well.  If your manager is the only one that understands your value to his/her department, you are doing a disservice to yourself.

Quick things to keep in mind:
productyou

  1. Marketing and Branding of the product YOU.  Attack this as the CEO of your own career and the product you are promoting is YOU.
  2. Create a Business, Marketing, Branding and Networking plan that consists of the proper managers, mentors, customers, departments and even technical recruiters.  Include contacts associated with the groups and pay grade (employment level) of your desired promotion levels.  This should be your Marketing Plan to attract your prestigious projects, clients and promotions.
  3. Religiously schedule and follow your network and marketing plan.  Work with a business coach or mentors (of the same experience that you are trying to achieve).
  4. Understand the responsibilities of the pay grade or employee level that you have your eye on — and start accepting those roles.
  5. Align your personal business goals with the company missions/vision/goals – i.e. Actually generate revenue for the company through your performance.  Be able to quantify your performance with tangible numbers of how your direct results increased their revenue, lowered their costs, reduced their time to delivery or sale.
 Think like the owner of a very valuable product (YOU) and you want to get it into the right hands.
The Professional Development Toolkit online course goes into the who, what, where, when, why and how of all of these things.

When You See Opportunity, Knock it Down and Make it Yours

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Why Wait?
When You See Opportunity, Knock it Down and Make it Yours

In the real world, opportunity does not knock. You have to go out, find it, drag it home and make it work for you. Building your life to suit your dreams means actively participating in the events happening around you.

Looking at the big picture

The job you work now looks like a dead-end, but the big picture shows a company you would like to stay with indefinitely. On the other hand, you find the company matching your dreams and begin campaigning for a job above the usual entry-level positions. With the right maneuvering and a little knowledge, you have a chance to get the job you want. You need focus, strategic planning and an aura of self-confidence that grabs the attention of those hiring.

Education and experience required or just a guideline?

Do not let the posted education and experience requirements fool you. The hiring manager does not want to waste time on applicants with no experience or knowledge of the job. If you come close to either requirement, apply.  Fill out the application, and narrow down your desired career path. As you apply, consider proven application and interview tactics:

  • Use concrete facts to back-up statements
  • State a potential job-related problem and solve it
  • Show how you stand out from the other applicants and prove it
  • Use your resume and cover letter to show your knowledge of the job

Prove it or do not include it

Statement without fact diminishes your employability so always back up your statements with facts. Anyone can say they enjoy working with others in a team environment. Prove you work well in a team environment by briefly describing an a personal experience with collaboration. State the team’s purpose, your contribution and the outcome.

Lie detecting through observation

Padding your resume with experience you do not have becomes obvious the first day you work. Never lie on your resume or cover letter. Applying for a job well out of your range of abilities places you in thin ice from day one. Apply for jobs just beyond your level of comfort and prove to the Human Resource Manager that you fit the job better than anyone else.

The ways of Bob Parsons

GoDaddy.com’s former founder and owner, Bob Parsons sold a portion of the world’s biggest domain name registrar for more $2 billion and reflects on his success by telling young entrepreneurs his rules for gaining and maintaining success.

  • Stay out of your comfort zone
  • Always move forward
  • Life is not fair
  • Make fun of yourself

Bob Parsons motivates young career seekers through speaking engagements. He encourages you to stay out of your comfort zone, to keep the edge and creativity flowing through your search for the perfect career while understanding you can never achieve perfection.

Roll or get mossy

Bob Parsons says you must always move forward. When you stop improving yourself, your company or the position you hold with the company, it starts to die. Everyday you must do something to improve your life and something to bring your goals closer to fruition. Without forward movement, progress cannot happen.

So what, if do not meet all the job requirements? Once you have the job, you will meet the requirements and anyone following will have to meet your requirements. You can accomplish your goals by taking the fear inside and changing it to motivation and positive action. You never know when opportunity is going to next, so go grab it and make it yours.

Do’s and Don’ts tips for turning intern or temporary positions into a permanent position

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temp

Tis the season for intern and part-time positions.  It’s a great time to get some extra cash but how do you turn these short-term positions into long-term gains?  Here are some quick tips for workers who hold a seasonal position, and are interested in turning it into a permanent gig.

 

Do’s and Don’ts tips for turning intern or temporary positions into a permanent position:

1) Don’t dedicate all your time and effort into “doing your assigned job well” — Do illustrate your value throughout the organization, not just at your assigned task.
2) Don’t continue to remind them of your end-date – Do talk about what you can do for the New Year, Spring and Summer projects.
3) Don’t act as if this is a temporary job – Do act as if this is your company by implementing process improvements, creating reducing cost utilites, increasing sale and sending referral/leads to marketing

 

The holiday season is a great time to focus on career management and professional development.  Think of it:

  • The workload is slowing down
  • Executives are preparing New Year strategies.
  • Performance evaluations are just around the corner
  • You have some time away from the office

Check out the new online and free course 10 Career Boosing Resolutions at https://www.udemy.com/10-career-boosting-resolutions/

Or How to Get that Well-Deserved Raise at https://www.udemy.com/how-to-get-that-well-deserved-raise/

7 Public Speaking Tip for Introverts

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose – author of the business and time management book TimePeace: Making peace with time  and The Book of Answers: 105 Career Critical Situations– and I am a business and efficiency coach that specializes in time management, project management and work-life balance strategies.  Steve Wynkoop and I talk a lot about designing and managing our professional careers on a weekly interview on SSWUG TV.

The IT Professional Development Toolkit DVD or Online Program  goes into further details on the who, what, where, when, and why of these topics.

As we rise up the corporate ladder, public speaking (whether in the form of presentations, proposals or seminars) becomes a large part of our advancement.  It helps us build our reputation, credentials and professionalism.  As our career develops, our professionalism and talent needs to become more public; therefore, public speaking will become a part of the job.
Even though public speaking is important to any career advancement, many are uncomfortable in front on an audience.

Here are some quick tips:

1) Consider ToastMasters to improve your public speaking.  It’s an unitimidating environment filled with people with the same goals.
2) Talk about things you are passionate and know about.  Everyone is excited to talk about their passions and experiences.
3) Practice, practice, practice.  Take every opportunity to stretch yourself.  At every interaction, make it a goal to tell one story to a stranger or group (just one story).

4) Think positive. Visualize the speech several times before you actually make it.  Screenplay it exactly has you want it to go.  While you are speaking, pretend that you are someone else.  Channel one of your role models and give the speech as he/she would do it.
5)  Everyone understands how difficult it is to speak in front of groups.  They appreciate what it takes to get up there and want you to succeed. Acknowledge that everyone in the audience is on your side.
6) Another thing that helps is to use your speech to speak well of someone else.  Sometimes it is easier to speak of someone elses’ endeavors and accomplishments because you are placing the spotlight on them (instead of on yourself).
7) Use a familiar prop.  Sometimes a prop helps with nerves because some of your attention is focused away from the audience and onto the prop.  Creating “how to” speeches or presentation is an easy way for introverts to ease into public speaking.  Make sure you know “how to” do that item.