Carrer TIPS
Ten career-damaging behaviours to avoid...
“O, how full of briers is this working-day world!” is the famous Shakespearian quote from ‘As You Like It’. External pressures, thorns, obstacles and difficulties aside, how many of us are responsible for unwittingly hampering our chances of career success through our own misplaced and misguided attitudes and behaviours. Below are ten common faux-pas that can ruin a career and should be avoided at all costs.
1. Poor Time Management
Missing deadlines, failing to abide by agreed timelines, arriving to meetings late and generally disrespecting approved schedules is a surefire way to lose credibility and professional respect. Try to value each and every minute on the job and recognize the inefficiencies that arise from procrastination and slovenly time management and the impact these have on the organisation as a whole.
2. Failure to Deliver on Promises
A promise made should be a promise kept if your professional credibility is to remain intact. Avoid making promises you cannot deliver on. Unless you are known as someone who can be strictly depended on to follow through and deliver on time you are likely to be passed over for promotions and key assignments. When you do need more time or resources for an assignment communicate the requirement formally and professionally and manage the situation to show you are in control and will not be sacrificing on quality of delivery.
3. Poor Accountability
Accountability, a close reactive of honesty is an essential character trait in today’s workplace. Avoid becoming known as the sour apple who usurps all credit and circumvents all blame. If you have made an error, admitting to it in a timely manner avoids an unnecessary escalation, earns you the confidence and respect of those around you, and indicates professionalism, honesty and maturity.
4. Poor interpersonal skills
All research indicates that emotional intelligence and people skills are an essential ingredients for success in life and at work. Whether it is suppliers, clients, superiors, colleagues or subordinates you are dealing with the quality and success of that relationship will be largely predicated by how personable you are and how pleasant you are to interact with. If you have a reputation as someone who is difficult to work or interact with chances are people will start to avoid you and your success at mobilizing people or resources to further your goals will be severely diminished.
5. Poor team skills
A good team-player is able to work cohesively within a team framework and contribute, collaborate, communicate and challenge to meet specific goals within that framework. Inability to see beyond one’s self, work well with everyone, find the good qualities of others in the team, communicate persuasively and effectively, listen actively and attentively, give and welcome input, offer encouragement and assistance where needed and show respect, patience and courtesy inevitably leads to marginalisation and failure to meet personal and professional goals.
6. Lack of ethics or professionalism
Conducting personal business on the job and any other activities that show flagrant disrespect for company time, resources and property are both unethical and unprofessional. Chatting endlessly on the job, office gossip, wasting office supplies, laying about important work-related matters, back-biting the boss, spreading office secrets, routinely bringing personal matters to the workplace all fall under this category.
7. Lack of initiative
Complacency is a surefire road to professional mediocrity. To succeed it is essential that you continue to show enthusiasm, stretch the limits, be proactive and test the boundaries in the interest of innovation. Take responsibility for your personal and professional growth and continue to build momentum in your training and profession development activities. If you chose to simply lie low and casually bide your time while others race ahead in their careers you will most probably be overlooked for promotions and plum assignments and your skills may well eventually become redundant.
8. Inability to Handle Pressure
Every job entails a certain amount of stress and pressure and failure to recognize and handle the strain may lead to a pronounced and sustained decline in performance. Learn to recognize stress and cope with it professionally and effectively. Take breaks and holidays when needed, learn to manage stress and cope with pressure so that it is not an ongoing problem for you. It may be that the pressures mounting on you are due to poor time management or delegation skills or weakness in a certain area in which case developing your skills in these areas is highly advisable.
9. Lone Ranger Syndrome
Team skills are essential in today’s marketplace as is getting along with others and communicating your accomplishments regularly and professionally. Do not try to isolate yourself and excel quietly in private as chances are your performance will not get the exposure and credit it deserves. Personal marketing and effective relationship management are key to career success. Aim to regularly and professionally communicate your private coups to your manager and others in a position to help your career advancement and do not assume your great work and personal victories will automatically get noticed and given the credit they deserve.
10. Stasis
You may well be in your comfort zone and doing very well there but if you don’t challenge yourself in pursuit of further growth and development and continuously move forward and upward you may lose your equilibrium sooner than you expected. Have a vision in mind as pertains to your career and formulate a clear strategy and timeline for getting there which you can regularly benchmark and measure yourself against. Continuous learning, development and self-improvement is a necessity not a luxury for today’s ambitious professional and it is imperative that you keep abreast of the latest trends, tools and technologies in your field and not risk losing ground to the star performers who take personal growth more seriously.
How Do You Choose the Right Career Path for You?
Choosing the right career eludes some of us right up until retirement. Be one of the lucky ones who have truly found their calling. The following tips from Bayt.com should help.
Franklin D Roosevelt once said “It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.” Thankfully, we live in trial-and-error times where growth and change are expected and employers have learned to tolerate if not wholeheartedly appreciate and welcome the diversity in background and skills that come from career changers.
In lieu of life-long job and career stability, many of today’s professionals espouse a career trajectory that is open to responding to new challenges and opportunities as they arise. These may be motivated by entirely extraneous factors such as economic restructuring, downsizing, upsizing, the emergence of lucrative new industry sectors or motivated by changes in personal situation which could include age, changes to marital or family status, geographical preferences, new life demands, desire for better work/life balance etc.
Whatever the motivation, career change is no longer the frowned-upon sole recourse of the unemployed but a common turn of events and one that is expected to become more so as economies restructure at an ever more accelerated pace, information about alternate career paths flows ever more freely, work/life balance becomes an increasingly hot topic, and a
booming global economy means opportunities abound.
A recent on-line poll run by the Middle East’s #1 job site Bayt.com covering over 1,420 professionals that enquired how often candidates have changed career paths in their life saw the majority of respondents have changed careers at least once and many had changed careers two
times or more. Only 40% of respondents have never changed careers whereas 27% had changed careers once and 32% of respondents had changed careers twice or more.
So how in such times of flux and opportunity and in light of the vast amount of choice out there do you determine the right career for you? Below the Career Experts from Bayt.com offer some pointers as you approach this important topic:
Franklin D Roosevelt once said “It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.” Thankfully, we live in trial-and-error times where growth and change are expected and employers have learned to tolerate if not wholeheartedly appreciate and welcome the diversity in background and skills that come from career changers.
In lieu of life-long job and career stability, many of today’s professionals espouse a career trajectory that is open to responding to new challenges and opportunities as they arise. These may be motivated by entirely extraneous factors such as economic restructuring, downsizing, upsizing, the emergence of lucrative new industry sectors or motivated by changes in personal situation which could include age, changes to marital or family status, geographical preferences, new life demands, desire for better work/life balance etc.
Whatever the motivation, career change is no longer the frowned-upon sole recourse of the unemployed but a common turn of events and one that is expected to become more so as economies restructure at an ever more accelerated pace, information about alternate career paths flows ever more freely, work/life balance becomes an increasingly hot topic, and a
booming global economy means opportunities abound.
A recent on-line poll run by the Middle East’s #1 job site Bayt.com covering over 1,420 professionals that enquired how often candidates have changed career paths in their life saw the majority of respondents have changed careers at least once and many had changed careers two
times or more. Only 40% of respondents have never changed careers whereas 27% had changed careers once and 32% of respondents had changed careers twice or more.
So how in such times of flux and opportunity and in light of the vast amount of choice out there do you determine the right career for you? Below the Career Experts from Bayt.com offer some pointers as you approach this important topic:
DREAM
(Examine your passions and interests)
1.Read the current literature on career change – the whys, how-tos and whens. Books such as What Colour is Your Parachute are a great way to start the self-exploration process.
2. Ask yourself what you would do in an ideal world if money were no imperative. What
would you do if you had a year away from work or if you could emulate someone who in your opinion has a dream job? Would you write poetry, run a global corporation, compete in athletics, design world-class architectural projects, publish literature, start your own little business, work with children, with the elderly, teach, heal, perform?
3. Ask yourself what tasks you ideally like to immerse yourself in. Do you prefer the analytical aspects of your current (or past) job, the administrative aspects, the leadership aspects, the coaching aspects, problem-solving aspects, decision-making in teams, writing, designing,
co-ordinating, managing, creating, trouble-shooting etc. Where do you find yourself happiest and most comfortable?
4. Make a list of those aspects of your job or other jobs that you don’t like and wish to avoid.
5. Be honest with yourself, be creative and dare to dream as you think of what you would really like to do. The dreaming stage is not the time to focus – allow yourself to really explore all avenues of interest and be curious about new paths and possibilities.
1.Read the current literature on career change – the whys, how-tos and whens. Books such as What Colour is Your Parachute are a great way to start the self-exploration process.
2. Ask yourself what you would do in an ideal world if money were no imperative. What
would you do if you had a year away from work or if you could emulate someone who in your opinion has a dream job? Would you write poetry, run a global corporation, compete in athletics, design world-class architectural projects, publish literature, start your own little business, work with children, with the elderly, teach, heal, perform?
3. Ask yourself what tasks you ideally like to immerse yourself in. Do you prefer the analytical aspects of your current (or past) job, the administrative aspects, the leadership aspects, the coaching aspects, problem-solving aspects, decision-making in teams, writing, designing,
co-ordinating, managing, creating, trouble-shooting etc. Where do you find yourself happiest and most comfortable?
4. Make a list of those aspects of your job or other jobs that you don’t like and wish to avoid.
5. Be honest with yourself, be creative and dare to dream as you think of what you would really like to do. The dreaming stage is not the time to focus – allow yourself to really explore all avenues of interest and be curious about new paths and possibilities.
DETERMINE
(Examine your values, priorities and skills)
6. Determine what your priorities really are. How important is work-life balance to you versus career growth or financial stability? How important is leisure versus work versus learning for you? Are you willing to put one or two on hold while you pursue a third or is your ideal life plan a blended one that includes the three? Are you content with financial stability or are you interested in huge financial gain? Are you interested in a job or a career? Is prestige and social status critical to you and how much of these does your career, past and potential, afford you?
7. Determine your real values and ask what career satisfies and is consistent with those. Albert Einstein’s advice on this front was: “Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.”
8. Make an inventory of your skills and strengths.
9. Take self-assessment tests to even more deeply understand what it is that motivates, drives and inspires you.
6. Determine what your priorities really are. How important is work-life balance to you versus career growth or financial stability? How important is leisure versus work versus learning for you? Are you willing to put one or two on hold while you pursue a third or is your ideal life plan a blended one that includes the three? Are you content with financial stability or are you interested in huge financial gain? Are you interested in a job or a career? Is prestige and social status critical to you and how much of these does your career, past and potential, afford you?
7. Determine your real values and ask what career satisfies and is consistent with those. Albert Einstein’s advice on this front was: “Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.”
8. Make an inventory of your skills and strengths.
9. Take self-assessment tests to even more deeply understand what it is that motivates, drives and inspires you.
DIG DEEP/ DISSECT
(Examine alternate career paths)
10. Research alternate career paths – look at growth potential, job profiles, pay, benefits, mobility, work/life balance and all other issues that will determine your longevity in the career.
11. As you hone in on potential career paths obtain the maximum amount of information about these careers. Read industry blogs and websites, talk to people in the field, subscribe to industry journals and newsletters and leave no stone unturned as you familiarize yourself with the potential new territory.
12. Map your personal inventory of skills, interests, values against the requirements of alternative career paths.
13. Realistically analyse and make contingencies for those factors that impede your career mobility. These may be geographical mobility issues, financial limitations, family considerations, or education/ training issues. Look at occupational and non-occupational barriers to career
entry and determine realistically how you can/will overcome those.
14. Seek counseling and advice. As you seek to reinvent yourself you may want to talk to a professional counselor formally, or informally to someone in your new area, an old colleague or a peer. Formal counseling is useful when trying to overcome mental blocks to career growth and
advancement. Often, the biggest detriment to career development is low self-esteem, anxiety fear, inertia and the inability to deal with change meaningfully and constructively.
10. Research alternate career paths – look at growth potential, job profiles, pay, benefits, mobility, work/life balance and all other issues that will determine your longevity in the career.
11. As you hone in on potential career paths obtain the maximum amount of information about these careers. Read industry blogs and websites, talk to people in the field, subscribe to industry journals and newsletters and leave no stone unturned as you familiarize yourself with the potential new territory.
12. Map your personal inventory of skills, interests, values against the requirements of alternative career paths.
13. Realistically analyse and make contingencies for those factors that impede your career mobility. These may be geographical mobility issues, financial limitations, family considerations, or education/ training issues. Look at occupational and non-occupational barriers to career
entry and determine realistically how you can/will overcome those.
14. Seek counseling and advice. As you seek to reinvent yourself you may want to talk to a professional counselor formally, or informally to someone in your new area, an old colleague or a peer. Formal counseling is useful when trying to overcome mental blocks to career growth and
advancement. Often, the biggest detriment to career development is low self-esteem, anxiety fear, inertia and the inability to deal with change meaningfully and constructively.
DECIDE
(Select the ultimate career path)
15. Let your natural instincts, your introspection and the fruits of your intense research guide the way. Many of us in today’s number-crunching world have learned to quell those very essential natural instincts that propel us towards leadership, happiness and success.
16. Don’t be swayed by external pressures. Often family, friends and society place undue pressure on a person to conform to or follow a certain career path. Pablo Picasso
once said “My mother said to me, "If you become a soldier, you'll be a general; if you become a monk, you'll end up as the Pope."Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.”” .
17. Don’t let financial considerations alone guide you unless of course you have determined that financial gain in itself (with all its glories and trappings) is your overriding value, interest and goal in life. Oftentimes, short-term financial losses can be compensated for by the fact that you will eventually prosper most and acquire the most depth and skill in the field that most interests you.
15. Let your natural instincts, your introspection and the fruits of your intense research guide the way. Many of us in today’s number-crunching world have learned to quell those very essential natural instincts that propel us towards leadership, happiness and success.
16. Don’t be swayed by external pressures. Often family, friends and society place undue pressure on a person to conform to or follow a certain career path. Pablo Picasso
once said “My mother said to me, "If you become a soldier, you'll be a general; if you become a monk, you'll end up as the Pope."Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.”” .
17. Don’t let financial considerations alone guide you unless of course you have determined that financial gain in itself (with all its glories and trappings) is your overriding value, interest and goal in life. Oftentimes, short-term financial losses can be compensated for by the fact that you will eventually prosper most and acquire the most depth and skill in the field that most interests you.
DARE
(Confidently stride into your new career)
18. Believe in yourself. Have faith and be bold and brave as you follow your aspirations. Don’t let negative self-perceptions and external diatribes detract you from your true calling. After the
homework, the reading, the research, the introspection, soul-searching, networking and analysis, close your eyes and find the person you always wanted to be.
Robert Kennedy famously once said “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” Arm yourself with your dreams, your invaluable newly acquired self-knowledge and your rigorous research into the plethora of opportunities out there and don’t hesitate in pursuing the career of your dreams. Your success will thank you!
18. Believe in yourself. Have faith and be bold and brave as you follow your aspirations. Don’t let negative self-perceptions and external diatribes detract you from your true calling. After the
homework, the reading, the research, the introspection, soul-searching, networking and analysis, close your eyes and find the person you always wanted to be.
Robert Kennedy famously once said “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” Arm yourself with your dreams, your invaluable newly acquired self-knowledge and your rigorous research into the plethora of opportunities out there and don’t hesitate in pursuing the career of your dreams. Your success will thank you!
Top Jobs Sites And Placememt Cell In India
1. www.naukri.com
2. www.monsterindia.com
3. www.clickjobs.com
4. www.timesjobs.com
5. www.jobstreet.com
6. in.jobs.yahoo.com
7. www.jobsahead.com
8. www.placementindia.com
9. www.jobcity.net
10. www.cybermediadice.com
11. www.careerindia.com
12. india.recruit.net
13. www.careerbuilderindia.com
14. www.careerjet.co.in
15. www.naukrihub.com
16. www.naukri200.com
17. www.bixee.com
18. jobsearch.rediff.com
19. www.careerkhazana.com
20. www.india.jobs.com
=======================
2. www.monsterindia.com
3. www.clickjobs.com
4. www.timesjobs.com
5. www.jobstreet.com
6. in.jobs.yahoo.com
7. www.jobsahead.com
8. www.placementindia.com
9. www.jobcity.net
10. www.cybermediadice.com
11. www.careerindia.com
12. india.recruit.net
13. www.careerbuilderindia.com
14. www.careerjet.co.in
15. www.naukrihub.com
16. www.naukri200.com
17. www.bixee.com
18. jobsearch.rediff.com
19. www.careerkhazana.com
20. www.india.jobs.com
=======================
Dress for Interview Success...
While the college campus may be the perfect forum in which to exhibit your flair for the latest in fashion style, the interview is not the place to do so. With very few unusual exceptions, sandals and sweatshirts are out. Oxfords and business suits are still in. A necktie is still a fact of life in interviewing. Even though many companies have relaxed the internal company dress code, interviews still follow the conservative standard. Don't buck the trend.
Unfortunately, most college grads are woefully underprepared with proper interview dress. They feel they can "get by" with what is already in their wardrobe. Usually not. Dress for the world outside college is quite different from the campus scene. Remember that stylish is not conservative. You should be doing the talking, not your clothes.
This is not to say that you need to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe. Go for quality over quantity. One or two well-chosen business suits will serve you all the way to the first day on the job and beyond. Then, when you are making some money (and have a chance to see what the standard "uniform" is for the company), you can begin to round out your wardrobe. For now, no one will fault you for wearing the same sharp outfit each time you interview. If you desire some variety within a limited budget, you might consider varying your shirt/blouse/tie/accessories as a simple way to change your look without breaking your wallet.
For those of you who need a quick review of the basics, follow these guidelines for successful interview dress:
Unfortunately, most college grads are woefully underprepared with proper interview dress. They feel they can "get by" with what is already in their wardrobe. Usually not. Dress for the world outside college is quite different from the campus scene. Remember that stylish is not conservative. You should be doing the talking, not your clothes.
This is not to say that you need to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe. Go for quality over quantity. One or two well-chosen business suits will serve you all the way to the first day on the job and beyond. Then, when you are making some money (and have a chance to see what the standard "uniform" is for the company), you can begin to round out your wardrobe. For now, no one will fault you for wearing the same sharp outfit each time you interview. If you desire some variety within a limited budget, you might consider varying your shirt/blouse/tie/accessories as a simple way to change your look without breaking your wallet.
For those of you who need a quick review of the basics, follow these guidelines for successful interview dress:
Men and Women
*Conservative two-piece business suit (solid dark blue or grey is best)
*Conservative long-sleeved shirt/blouse (white is best, pastel is next best)
*Clean, polished conservative shoes
*Well-groomed hairstyle
*Clean, trimmed fingernails
*Minimal cologne or perfume
*Empty pockets--no bulges or tinkling coins
*No gum, candy or cigarettes
*Light briefcase or portfolio case
*No visible body piercing (nose rings, eyebrow rings, etc.)
Men
*Necktie should be silk with a conservative pattern
*Dark shoes (black lace-ups are best)
*Dark socks (black is best)
*Get a haircut; short hair always fares best in interviews
*No beards (unless you are interviewing for a job as a lumberjack!)
*Mustaches are a possible negative, but if you must, make sure it is neat and trimmed
*No rings other than wedding ring or college ring
*No earrings (if you normally wear one, take it out)
*Dark shoes (black lace-ups are best)
*Dark socks (black is best)
*Get a haircut; short hair always fares best in interviews
*No beards (unless you are interviewing for a job as a lumberjack!)
*Mustaches are a possible negative, but if you must, make sure it is neat and trimmed
*No rings other than wedding ring or college ring
*No earrings (if you normally wear one, take it out)
Women
*Always wear a suit with a jacket; no dresses
*Shoes with conservative heels
*Conservative hosiery at or near skin color (and no runs!)
*No purses, small or large; carry a briefcase instead
*If you wear nail polish (not required), use clear or a conservative color
*Minimal use of makeup (it should not be too noticeable)
*No more than one ring on each hand
*One set of earrings only
If you are still not sure how to dress for the interview, call them and ask! That's right--call the employer. But this is one time when you do not want to call the Hiring Manager--instead, ask to be put through to Human Resources and say:
"I have an interview with _____ in the _____ department for a position as an _____. Could you please tell me what would be appropriate dress for this interview?"
Sure, you run the risk of someone in HR thinking you are a social imbecile, but that's a lot better than having the Hiring Manager distracted by inappropriate interview dress.
While many work environments have shifted to business casual as the work standard, business suits are still the interview standard. When in doubt, it is almost always better to err on the side of conservatism.
One final note on interview dress: while it goes without saying that your interview clothes should be neat and clean, very few interviewees give the same time and attention to their shoes. Shoes? Yes, shoes. I am aware of at least one Corporate Recruiter who forms first impressions based solely (pardon the pun) on shoes. This person does not have a shoe fetish--he subjectively judges that those who pay attention to details like their shoes are also likely to be diligent in their work life. And it is not just that person's opinion. Many have said that you can judge a person by their shoes. You will find that many ex-military officers (many of whom have found their way into management positions in corporate America) are especially aware of a person's shoes. It is not enough to be clean, pressed, and ironed. Make sure your shoes are conservative, clean, and polished.
*Shoes with conservative heels
*Conservative hosiery at or near skin color (and no runs!)
*No purses, small or large; carry a briefcase instead
*If you wear nail polish (not required), use clear or a conservative color
*Minimal use of makeup (it should not be too noticeable)
*No more than one ring on each hand
*One set of earrings only
If you are still not sure how to dress for the interview, call them and ask! That's right--call the employer. But this is one time when you do not want to call the Hiring Manager--instead, ask to be put through to Human Resources and say:
"I have an interview with _____ in the _____ department for a position as an _____. Could you please tell me what would be appropriate dress for this interview?"
Sure, you run the risk of someone in HR thinking you are a social imbecile, but that's a lot better than having the Hiring Manager distracted by inappropriate interview dress.
While many work environments have shifted to business casual as the work standard, business suits are still the interview standard. When in doubt, it is almost always better to err on the side of conservatism.
One final note on interview dress: while it goes without saying that your interview clothes should be neat and clean, very few interviewees give the same time and attention to their shoes. Shoes? Yes, shoes. I am aware of at least one Corporate Recruiter who forms first impressions based solely (pardon the pun) on shoes. This person does not have a shoe fetish--he subjectively judges that those who pay attention to details like their shoes are also likely to be diligent in their work life. And it is not just that person's opinion. Many have said that you can judge a person by their shoes. You will find that many ex-military officers (many of whom have found their way into management positions in corporate America) are especially aware of a person's shoes. It is not enough to be clean, pressed, and ironed. Make sure your shoes are conservative, clean, and polished.
10 CAREER MOVES TO AVOID
Changing careers is one of the biggest decisions job-seekers face. Before you take a leap into a new career field, consider these common career change mistakes, so that you can avoid doing the same.
1. Making a career change without a plan. The biggest mistake anyone can make is attempting to switch careers without a plan. A successful career change can often take months to accomplish even when you have a strategy. Without one, you could end up at loose ends for an even longer period of time.
2. Changing careers because you hate your job. Don’t make the mistake of confusing hating your current job with hating your current career. Take the time out to analyze if it’s the job/employer/boss that you hate, or whether it’s the career/skills/work that you dislike. The same goes with if you are feeling bored or lost with your job. Review the position. It’s best not to leave your job until you have a plan for finding a new career.
3. Making a career change solely based on money/benefits. Certain career fields are very alluring because of the salary and other benefits they offer. Always remember money won’t buy you happiness.
4. Changing careers because of pressure. Don’t let your parents, significant others or anyone else influence your career choice. If you love what you do, then stick to it.
5. Making a career change without refreshing your network. After having identified the career field you want to switch to, begin developing new network contacts. Ask a lot of informative questions. People in your network can provide inside information about job-openings and can even champion you to hiring managers. Networking is essential for all career-changers.
6. Changing careers without examining all the possibilities. Don’t jump career fields without first conducting thorough research into all the possibilities, including career fields you may never have considered. By conducting research into careers you have never considered or been exposed to, you may find the career of your dreams. Talk to people, read career and job profiles, meet with a career management professional. This will help in making a successful career change.
7. Making a career change without assessment of likes/dislikes. Self-assessment of your skills, values, and interest is a critical component to career-change success. Prepare a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis, so that you can find the best career for you.
8. Changing careers based on the success of others. Just because your best friend or neighbour is successful in a certain career does not mean that you will be. Make sure to evaluate your decision before jumping into it.
9. Making a career change without necessary experience/education. As a career-changer, you must find a way to bridge the gap between your old career and your new one. Research whether you need additional training or education.
10. Changing careers without updating job-search skills/techniques. If it’s been a while since you were last on the job market, take the time to polish your job-search skills, techniques, and tools. Review your resume-writing techniques, master networking, and polish your interviewing skills.
With a lot of resources at your fingertips, there is no excuse for you making any of the above career change mistakes. But if you do make one of them, step back and see if there’s a way to fix it. Always remember a career should not control you; you should control your career
1. Making a career change without a plan. The biggest mistake anyone can make is attempting to switch careers without a plan. A successful career change can often take months to accomplish even when you have a strategy. Without one, you could end up at loose ends for an even longer period of time.
2. Changing careers because you hate your job. Don’t make the mistake of confusing hating your current job with hating your current career. Take the time out to analyze if it’s the job/employer/boss that you hate, or whether it’s the career/skills/work that you dislike. The same goes with if you are feeling bored or lost with your job. Review the position. It’s best not to leave your job until you have a plan for finding a new career.
3. Making a career change solely based on money/benefits. Certain career fields are very alluring because of the salary and other benefits they offer. Always remember money won’t buy you happiness.
4. Changing careers because of pressure. Don’t let your parents, significant others or anyone else influence your career choice. If you love what you do, then stick to it.
5. Making a career change without refreshing your network. After having identified the career field you want to switch to, begin developing new network contacts. Ask a lot of informative questions. People in your network can provide inside information about job-openings and can even champion you to hiring managers. Networking is essential for all career-changers.
6. Changing careers without examining all the possibilities. Don’t jump career fields without first conducting thorough research into all the possibilities, including career fields you may never have considered. By conducting research into careers you have never considered or been exposed to, you may find the career of your dreams. Talk to people, read career and job profiles, meet with a career management professional. This will help in making a successful career change.
7. Making a career change without assessment of likes/dislikes. Self-assessment of your skills, values, and interest is a critical component to career-change success. Prepare a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis, so that you can find the best career for you.
8. Changing careers based on the success of others. Just because your best friend or neighbour is successful in a certain career does not mean that you will be. Make sure to evaluate your decision before jumping into it.
9. Making a career change without necessary experience/education. As a career-changer, you must find a way to bridge the gap between your old career and your new one. Research whether you need additional training or education.
10. Changing careers without updating job-search skills/techniques. If it’s been a while since you were last on the job market, take the time to polish your job-search skills, techniques, and tools. Review your resume-writing techniques, master networking, and polish your interviewing skills.
With a lot of resources at your fingertips, there is no excuse for you making any of the above career change mistakes. But if you do make one of them, step back and see if there’s a way to fix it. Always remember a career should not control you; you should control your career
