|
Moving Without A Job: Should You Move to the Location of Your Dreams and THEN Look for a Job?Moving without a job will challenge your identity -- but for some people, it's the best way to go. Here are some ways to deal with the question. How will you answer the "What do you do?" question? Landlords and bankers want something more solid than, "It's about being, not doing." And will your self-esteem hold up after you say repeatedly, "I'm looking for a job." You cannot take for granted that a particular set of professional skills will be in demand. Arlene, a physician, found she could not relocate easily to some provinces of Canada; a shortage of hospital facilities restricts the number of physicians allowed to practice. The old stand-bys -- teaching, social work, library science -- have become crowded fields, often unionized, with long waiting lists. But what if you really want to move? Here are five ways to protect yourself. Want to start a new life before you start a new job? Do you have fantasies of moving to a new part of the country or even the world? Quit your job or escape a layoff and start over? Hold on tight to your chair. Force yourself to stay seated until you have an action plan, preferably in writing. Here are seven tips to get started. 1. Carefully research your target destination. Forget the myths. A small town may be not be a haven of low-cost, crime-free living. A big city may have few opportunities in your chosen field. 2. Protect your work identity. Line up a job -- even a temporary job -- before you move. Find at least one client for your free lance business. 3. Define your career flexibly. Are you willing to wait tables, paint houses or work as a temporary secretary? Do you have marketable skills: carpentry, construction, dog grooming? 4. Don't count on the old stand-bys -- teaching, social work, library science, nursing. You may need a union card or local reference to get established. And many openings exist only for beginners. 5. Identify friends and friends-of-friends in your target destination who can jump-start your social life and show you the ropes. . 6. Rent or buy before you leave your job, if at all possible. If you haven't moved in twenty years, you may be surprised. 7. Much advice from well-meaning friends and relatives will be useless and even harmful. People share their stereotypes and their own buried fantasies. "I've always wanted to live there," they say wistfully. Or, "Don't they have a high crime rate?" Get the facts and seek professional consultations. From Making the Big Move... About The Author Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com. "Ten secrets of mastering a major life change" mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com Contact: cathy@cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294 |  | | | RELATED ARTICLES Your First Job "Your first job is an extension of your education" Tips on How to Write High Impact Letters of Recommendation Congratulations. You've been asked to write a letter ofrecommendation for an employee or colleague. This person valuesyour opinion of him or her, and you'd be glad to help themadvance. The problem is you're unsure of what to say or how tosay it! Here are four tips to keep in mind when preparing yourrecommendation. Supplement Your Skills and Improve Your Work Position It is often said that the majority of people are but a few checks away from homelessness. Without a consistent income, this may be a true statement.Some ability to multi-task can get you through a temporary employment down-spell. Create A Rappin? Resume (Percussion sounds emanating from who knows where while you listen to the cadence of the words below.) Mastering the Job Interview - 5 Tips to Make Yourself Irresistible to the Interviewer So you've figured out, more or less what you want to do and where the opportunities are. Now; you have been called for an interview. Here are five steps for interview success for students and graduates: Why Should We Hire You? This is one of those broad questions that can take you down the wrong road unless you have done some thinking about what to say ahead of time. This question deals with your ability to sell yourself. Think of yourself as the product. Why should the customer buy? Retirement: Is It A Career Change Option? Retirement might be the answer when you ask yourself "why do I want to make a career change" and you decide that what you actually want is not so much a career change as to stop what you've been doing altogether. Change Your Career, Change Your Life! Lots of times I see and talk to people who are tired, bored and burnt out of their current jobs. I'm not sure what causes this dis- satisfaction. One reason, though, that I've thought about is that the work they are doing is not their life passion. Or, if it was, something in the person has changed or the passion needs to be re-kindled. Discuss Your Accomplishments During the Interview When preparing for your interview, you need to be ready to discuss your accomplishments. Surprisingly, many people are reluctant to talk about their accomplishments. But this is exactly what the interviewer wants to hear from you. What Me? Lie On My Resume? Who Will Know? The temptation to lie on a resume is great! How can it hurt if I stretchthe truth a bit? Employers see lots of resumes. How are they going toknow who lies and who doesn't? Are You Busy Living or Dying? If you are not busy living, then you must be busy dying. Most of us do this subconsciously and are unaware of which side of this equation we reside on. It must follow then that if you have lots of money, you are probably busy living and living well. Everybody wants more money. But is it the money itself or is it the freedom it buys? Lots of money = lots of freedom. Integrity At Work - How Do You Show Up? As the business sections of today's papers and magazines read more and more like the police blotter, ''Integrity'' is fast becoming a hot topc of conversation in business boardrooms, around water coolers, and in today's business best-sellers. Integrity is defined as walking the talk when it comes to living one's true values, being authentic. Take this self-assessment and explore how you walk your integrity talk when you show up at work. A Concept That Could Double Youre Income in Mystery Shopping Do you want to double, or increase significantly you're income in mystery shopping? If yes, I'll be sharing to you an age old concept. Now you might have learned this already or you may consider this common sense. But is a concept that's worth drilling on for more knowledge or for the sake of repetition, mind you "Repetition is the mother of all skills". Five Powerful Tips for Interns Interning is about more than earning money during summer break. It's a wonderful way to gain work experience and lay the foundation for your future career. But to get the most out of it, you have to do more than just land the job, show up for work and collect your paycheck. Here are some tips that will help you get the full benefits of interning: Perceptions How was your latest car wash experience? Online Resume Tips and Secrets I manage a website for corporate flight attendants that features resumes prominently listed on the first page of the site. Unlike some careers, corporate flight attendants must promote themselves overtly in order to find work especially if they are contractors. Since adding this feature two years ago, I have learned that an online copy must be arranged differently than that of a hard copy primarily for security reasons. Let's review some of the 'best practices' you need to accomplish in order to successfully and safely promote yourself online. Job Search Advice for Desperate Job Seekers Another morning of job hunting lies ahead of you. You pour a cupof coffee and open the paper to the employment section. With amixture of anticipation and desperation you pick up a stub ofpencil and prepare to target and identify some possible jobopportunities. Be Prepared for the Unexpected How long has it been since you last had to search for a new job? These days it's not at all unusual to change careers or jobs several times in a lifetime. The idea of retiring from the same company after a lifetime of service is much less a reality in today's world than it was a couple of decades ago. The likelihood of unexpectedly losing your job is greatly increased today due to a number of different factors such as corporate downsizing, technological evolution, and globalization just to name a few. Being thrust into a job search can be a rude awakening and an eye opening experience. Ideally a job seeker should already be prepared for the unexpected with an up-to-date resume and versed in good communication skills. The reality is most people don't have a current resume much less know how to effectively converse with a prospective employer. This lack of preparedness intensifies the stress and fear that comes with being unemployed. Having current documents and sharpened interviewing skills will greatly increase your sense of control over the situation and relieve some of the stress. The process of writing your resume will highlight to you the skills you have acquired and the challenges you have overcome. In turn your confidence in your abilities will have a positive impact on your self esteem which will effect a potential employer's impression of you. Review your resume and determine whether it portrays you to be the candidate a prospective employer would be eager to meet. It should paint a picture of a person ready and willing to use your skills and talents to further the mission and improve the bottom line of a prospective employer. A progressive climb to bigger and better opportunities should be evident upon first glance. Knowing how to answer and ask questions intelligently with professionalism and grace is just as important. Your resume is the tool to unlock the doors to interviews. Once the door has been opened the ability to communicate well is necessary to convey how you can be an asset to the company. This is the time to present your personal sales pitch.You should be prepared to ask intelligent questions as well as answer questions. Inquiries about the company's philosophy and mission, what will be expected in the position, and the degree of camaraderie among employees are examples of some of the questions you should ask. Usually applicants are given an opportunity at some point to ask questions and are very well expected to do so.Spend some time reviewing your personal marketing documents. Do some research on the internet or at the local library to learn how to communicate well in an interview. Make your own list of questions about the job and the company to pose toward the end of the meeting. Practice answering and asking questions with a friend or family member. Pay attention to your body language and composure as well as your verbal responses. You can turn an unexpected job loss into a positive experience. Take some time to discover the multitude of possibilities in which your skills and talents can be used and make it a positive one. You know the old saying, "When a window closes, a door opens." Even if you aren't currently seeking a new job, a career advance, or a change to improved employment conditions, be proactive and do the best you can to stay a step ahead. Keep your resume updated and your interviewing skills sharpened...just in case. Layoff Survival Guide - Do You Have The Career Management Horsepower It Will Take To Survive? In a recent survey of over 662 career seekers, some disturbing trends identified that MOST career seekers don't have a clue what career management skills they have or what those skills are! As a result, it will be difficult for these career seekers to succeed. How to Recoup From Missing the Most Important Meeting of the Year Sometimes missing a critical meeting just can't be helped. Despite the advance planning, you just cannot make it to the meeting. Before you get out the guilt stick and beat yourself up about how stupid that was or how bad it's going to be for your career, take a step back and examine how to overcome your absence. |
|
|
Copyright © Advancing Women (TM), 1996- 