Career Change Survivor - I've Just Lost My Job - What Do I Do Now?

It is simply everywhere. Companies downsizing, merging, and closing. Jobs are short and candidates are plentiful. While this is good for a company filling a position, it makes for stiff competition for those looking for a job. Instead of being able to implement a career change on your timing, it may be necessary to find a job until you can search more intensely for that career change. So you just lost your job, what do you do now?

In this economy, it will be important for you to gather up your bills and do a financial assessment. Yes, that means doing a budget. It will be imperative that you lower your monthly expense immediately. Unless, of course, you were one of those treasured few that received the million dollar settlement! Search the internet for a home budget calculator to help you.

List every expense that you have and find out where you can cut costs. Do you really need that fully expanded, bells and whistles cable connection, or could you get by with the basic channels and rent a movie? Do you really need that new pair of shoes? Or can you take your current shoes to the repair shop and make them last another season? If you have to eat out once a week, can you share an entree with a friend or spouse and cut the cost in half? Cutting costs can be difficult, but it can be done, I promise!

Once you have developed a budget and know where you stand financially, map out several action plans. What will your plan be now that you are out of work? Where will you start?

Career Change Survivor Action Plan No. 1.  If severance was not an option with your job loss you may need to take a job to bridge the financial gap while you continue to look for a real career position. It can be at a lowered salary and will not look as damaging on your resume as a gap in employment. Beware, though, that some companies will question your motivation to stay in a full-time position that is not challenging for any length of time, so a part-time or contract position can be a better fit for this transitional period.

Career Change Survivor Action Plan No. 2.  In a survivor situation begin immediately to deal with the emotion of losing your job. It will be difficult to think clearly and convince an employer that you can be a positive employee hire if you are depressed or feeling embarrassed about the job loss. How many people do you suppose have lost their job at one time or another in their career? Almost everyone has or will. So, do not blame yourself. Look at the positive contributions you bring to a job and focus on those.

Career Change Survivor Action Plan No. 3.  And, while you are focusing on those positive contributions, make sure you reflect those skills and talents in an updated resume. Think back about projects where you made a valuable contribution or a team you worked with that accomplished a specific task, either under budget, ahead of time or both. Once completed, have a trusted friend or advisor review your resume.

With an action plan in place, the last step will be to work your J.O.B.S.

Journey.  Surround yourself with supportive people who embrace your journey, even if they do not always understand it! Find support in your own household and, if not there, search out others who can be a positive support to you.

Objective.  Develop an objective on how to best maintain your mental health in this kind of situation. If finances are stressing you, making that budget or searching out that transition job may be the objective. How you approach your job search, what industry, what job, what area, may be another focus. Is this the right time to change careers? That may be the objective. Find and work your objective.

Balance.  Find balance in your life while you are out of work. Do not ditch that healthy routine while you are looking and even after you take that next position. That quick walk around the block can clear the cobwebs and help the brain to think clearer. Statistics show that one of the best relievers of stress is exercise. End the chaos by walking away for a short time!

Sell.  Sell yourself to everyone without being a used car salesman. Focus on how to articulate the value you bring to an organization. You never know when a contact may become the next source for an opening that fits you. Get involved in social networking on-line and with your community, professional associations, and even volunteer or work part-time at a niche organization that fits your career target so they can see first hand your work ethic and style.

Working to find a job that is a career is one of the hardest jobs you will ever have to do. Use your resources and call in all of your support and favors. Seek out a professional if you need to hit the ground running and need their expertise to gear up faster. Stay focused, work all of your leads and never give up! Before you know it, you will be back to work again.

David Hults author of the book "From Cornered To Corner Office" Overcoming the most unexpected obstacles that stand between you and your career dreams http://www.fromcorneredtocorneroffice.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Hults

4 Steps to Launching a $100K+ Executive Level Job Search Campaign That Gets You Hired in a Recession

Four critical steps you must take if you want to find that $100K+ job and get hired during a recession...

Joy Andrews lost her position as a $100K+ executive about three months ago.  Devastated, Joy took some time off to clear her head and get ready for her executive level job search campaign.  But now, months later, she hasn't had many interviews and prospects are bleak. Her question to me was, "What can I do to get myself to get more interviews and get hired faster?"

In this article, I am going to give you four critical steps you must take if you want to find that $100K+ job and get hired during a recession.
 
Step #1 – Get organized
 
I am constantly amazed how executives who were driven and forceful in their jobs become lost in how to start their $100K+ executive job search.  Getting organized includes these elements:
 
1.  Treat your job search as a full time job.   Totally dedicate your time to finding a job.  Inform your family that your full-time job is to find a full-time job and nothing else!
 
2. Act as if your job search was a product or service launch.  Plan your executive level job search campaign. Don't wing it. Organize your activities in a project plan and measure yourself against your milestones and sub-goals.
 
3. Start your day just like you would if you were employed.  Did you start your day at 7:00am and end it at 6:00pm?  Then do the same for your job search. 
 
4. Create goals for every day and every event.  Get a daily goal and meet it. Develop your networking goals for each event and stay until you achieve them.
 
Step #2 – Get help
 
For many, getting help is equivalent to going to the dentist.  But getting help is the smartest thing to kick-start your executive level job search campaign.  Getting help includes:
 
1. Ask for a review of your resume.  There are many services available to review your resume for free.  Better yet, pay an expert to write your resume.
 
2. Learn from the experts.  There are many experts out there that write articles like this one.  Many experts also have website tools that are available for free downloads.  For example, I have a free eBook at: http://www.marketyourpotential.com/ebook.asp. Take advantage of these resources.
 
3. Get a career coach.  For executives who earn more than $100K+, getting advice for your particular situation is a wise investment  Make sure, however, that your coach teaches you how to fish, not just fishes for you.
 
4. Get a support group.  When you launch a job search campaign when the headlines are awful, being upbeat and positive is extremely difficult.  Get a small group of business associates and friends who can help you during this time.
 
Step #3 – Get real
 
Just a short while ago, executives could expect to find a new position in about 90 to 120 days.  Now, realistically, it can take upwards of 8 to 10 months.  Getting real includes:
 
1. Do what it takes to survive a 10-month search.  Expecting your search to go faster and not preparing for the long haul is just nuts.  Reduce your expenses to just what is necessary and cut back. 
 
2. Invest in your career.  Now is the time to invest in your career and not try to "do-it-yourself."  Investments include coaching, books, tools, events, memberships, and travel to targeted cities.
 
3. Develop quantitative benchmarks and metrics.  Analyze your job search results and measure them against standards.  When you do this, you'll be able to improve along the way which guarantees results faster.
 
4. Design qualitative feedback loops.  Behaviors are qualitative and you can "measure" reactions to your oral and written pitch.  Their reaction is a qualitative feedback loop that you can automatically gauge.
 
Step #4 – Get Clear
 
Getting a message that is clear and succinct takes work.  And trying to figure out what you want next is also hard. Getting clear includes:
 
1. Do extensive research on target companies and industries.  The Internet has a wealth of information.  My recommendation is to conduct research at least 1 hour per day – above and beyond job posting searches. 
 
2. Test your messages within networking groups.  Take someone out for coffee.  Try out your verbal pitch

, and get their feedback.  I tell my clients that they should attend at least 2 different networking groups a week during their job search campaign.
 
3. Know what's happening around you.   Know what's happening around the globe.  Integrate current affairs into your oral and written pitch and show how you can address the issues of the day.
 
4. Stay focused and determined.  Persistence is the key to finding a $100K+ executive level position during an economic downturn.  Direction is the result and movement in your job search is guaranteed.
 

Article Tags:
$100k+ Executive Level, $100k+ Executive, Executive Level, Search Campaign, Getting Help

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about the author

$100K+ Executive-Level Career Coach Karen Armon prepares leaders around the world for their next move. Her popular book, Market Your Potential, Not Your Past, is a hit among executives who want a clear-cut, systematic game plan that drives careers forward. Now get her new FREE eBook, "Ten Micro-Trends that Impact Executive Careers Today" and take a critical look at today's marketplace at: http://www.marketyourpotential.com/ebook.asp

Travel Nursing Employment For Bigger and Better Career Opportunities

Some nurses have decided that working day in and day out at one place can become very routine and dull. These traveling Nurses have sought to enrich their lives as well as those that they treat. Their time and talents are very valuable and worthwhile to those that employ them. In return they can earn better pay and see new places. Travel nursing jobs give the nurse better and bigger opportunities. Travel nursing employment agencies often coordinate with facilities that are seeking a travel nurse with certain qualifications to come work for them for a set amount of time. These positions are often to be found in such places as the ICU or even Neonatal areas. These positions sometimes become vacant for a short time due to staffing issues or even vacations.

Sometimes when a facility loses a staff member due to retirement or even budget cuts they can not immediately refill the position. Utilizing a traveling nurse solves the staffing problem for the short term. This also keeps a new set of alert eyes in that area that may notice things that someone used to day to day routine might miss. Staff mistakes can not all be traced to staff members doing the same old thing day in and day out at the same place, but dull routine can make someone a trifle careless.

Travel nursing employment can be found through vital links for traveling nurses and traveling nursing agencies. These agencies network all over the nation, and even the world to provide top notch quality nurses willing to travel with fast paced interesting jobs in new locations. These locations give the traveling nurse new exciting places to see, wonderful experiences and new friends. For the person that loves to travel but often can not due to a job, home, or family commitments these issues do not rarely effect the traveling nurse since his or her job involves travel. These jobs provide that travel and the nurse provides a vital service for his or her current employer.

Travel nursing employment is something that gives vibrant successful people the enrichment that they often seek that comes from their travel experiences. These same people thrive on new experiences and new places. The services that each provide to the other gives the people they work for and the people they treat the best of themselves.

Read more information about travel nurse staffing and nursing job descriptions for positions in this field at => http://www.jobnursingdescriptions.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dean_Forster

Interesting Career Opportunities For Men

DIY And Odd-Jobbing

There are many little jobs which need doing around the modern home, from replacing tap washers to putting up shelves, not to mention the nasty ones like cleaning out drains and gutters. While many people are willing and able to do these jobs for themselves, others (including many older people) are not, and are happy to pay someone else to get them done.

Although this is usually thought of as a man's business, there is no reason why a competent woman should not do it. Many women, especially the elderly, are unsure of inviting men into their homes but would be happy to engage a female DIYer.

The more tasks you can tackle, the more work you will get, and you might even like to offer an all-in service. For instance, spending a half-day in someone's home and doing all those little jobs that aren't worth a special visit, such as rewiring plugs, dealing with dripping taps, or replacing a cupboard hinge.

There are some tasks which you should not do unless you have the proper qualifications, such as rewiring a house, and some which you are forbidden by law from doing without the relevant qualification, such as fixing gas appliances.

Painting and Decorating

Most people today expect to live in a nicely decorated home. Many are prepared to do their own painting and decorating, but a high number of people are happy to pay someone else to do the work.

Even those who are prepared to do their own interior decorating will get a professional to repaint the outside of their house, and you may therefore find that much of your work is exteriors.

It is, however, unwise to limit yourself to exteriors, as this work is very seasonal and dependent on good weather.

Driving Instruction

With over 3 million people reaching the age of seventeen each year and so becoming eligible to drive, there is never any shortage of work for qualified driving instructors.

If you enjoy driving and don't mind sitting in a car for hours on end, becoming an instructor could be a satisfying and rewarding business for you.

The work involves bringing students from complete beginner stage up to a standard where they can pass the national driving test.

Alternative/Complementary Therapies

While alternative therapies (also known as complementary therapies or medicines) are not new, in recent years they have grown in popularity, partly due to a growing roster of celebrity advocates.

The term covers a wide range of therapeutic approaches, but one thing they all have in common is an emphasis on treating the whole person, not just a specific condition. Most practitioners place as great an emphasis on mental and spiritual wellbeing as they do on physical illness.

The above list of career opportunities are not only lucrative, but they also allow you to be your own boss and offer a good amount of flexibility.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_Jacowski

Making a Career Change For the Better

Okay, so now what?

Changing careers in mid-stream can be a scary proposition. Can you afford a pay cut, if necessary? Will you need more training?

How will you be able to convince employers to hire you for a field you have little practical experience in?

Take Baby Steps

Changing careers can be done. People do it all of the time. However, for a successful transition, you'll need to take baby steps. Here are a couple of tips to help you on your way to switching career paths.

• Take a personal inventory. Before you jump out of the frying pan and into the fire, consider what your long-term goals are. Spend some time thinking about where you would like to be, and what you would like to be doing in 5 to 10 years down the road.

• Consider your likes and dislikes. What do you like to spend your time doing? For instance, if the idea of getting out from behind a desk and meeting different people excites you, and you also enjoy writing... perhaps you could consider a career in journalism. Or, if you find yourself analyzing everyone's personal problems, perhaps you would do well in social work, or as a psychotherapist.

• Determine what your transferable skills are. Virtually every career person has some skills that can be easily applied to a different career field, be it communication, organizational, computer-related, or leadership skills

• Define the types of skills that you will need in your new career. Once you've considered what your transferable skills are, what types of college courses, certification, or hands-on training will you need to fill out your resume?

• Get training and experience. Now that you've determined what you'll need in the way of training, sign up for those college courses now and get to work!

Of course, there's the matter of gaining experience in the new field of your choice. That's an easy problem to solve, as well. If being a counselor is your desire, volunteer your services working with counselors at a local clinic.

If you're interested in journalism, then introduce yourself to the folks down at the newspaper, and start freelancing for them.

Even if you're not getting paid, the experience you'll gain, and the contacts you will make will be valuable addition to your resume... and invaluable in making your dreams of a new career come true.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online (http://www.sixsigmaonline.org) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_Jacowski