 Losing a job can be a traumatic experience. In our culture, work is not just our livelihood, a paycheck and a means to independence, but also often a way we define ourselves. We may be teachers, actors, marketers, brokers, doctors, or lawyers, each of us doing our part to make a difference in the world. So, when we suddenly find ourselves without a job, our ability to retain a sense of self can be compromised.
But being in-between jobs does not have to spell out doom. While it may be easy to wallow in self-pity and want to disconnect from the world, or on the flip side, want to dive right in to a frantic job hunt, there is another way to move forward...
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 So you decided to change careers. You are sure it’s the right next step. You have taken the mental leap. Now you just need to get the ball rolling. You need to re-write your resume.
Drafting resumes is never much fun, but it can be an especially daunting prospect when you are changing careers. Where to begin? How to present yourself in a way that grabs the prospective employer’s attention? After all, while you may be starting over, someone else is out there with a long list of desired experience looking for the same job. Yes, it may be an uphill climb, but don’t dismay. You have just as much if not more to offer. And you will be sure to stand out when you write a strong resume that tells your unique story. Here are a few ideas to help you get started...  A couple of days ago, on Twitter, I read a post by a job seeker and fellow blogger I follow. She was elated. She had just gotten the job of her dreams and she couldn’t wait to share it with everyone.
I had seen her prior posts and the despair of feeling rejected and unseen as she slogged through the painful job search. But this time was different. She felt victorious. She did it. And she did it without having networked. At all. Instead, she chose to do what countless other job seekers do, usually with no success. She submitted hundreds of applications on-line and waited for a reply. Statistically, this approach at best yields a 20% success rate, whereas targeted networking is said to produce vastly different results – with an 80% success rate of finding a job. When her efforts resulted in her dream job, she was in happy disbelief. Despite the countless hours spent on targeting her ideal positions and putting her best foot forward, she wasn’t immune to self-doubt...  The other day I had a conversation with a woman who had to quit her job because of her husband’s relocation. She liked what she did and was good at it, but wasn’t unhappy about leaving.
Having worked in one industry for many years, she was getting bored and ready for a change. The relocation presented a perfect opportunity to pursue her other interests and build a new career. I loved her attitude and her go-get-‘em approach. She was well on her way with setting the wheels in motion with the personal side of the move – finding a new house, getting the kids into school and seeking out local resources to help with the transition – while wrapping things up back home. And despite the challenges of moving to a new city, without a network of friends and associates, she was beginning to do the legwork required to move forward professionally. She wanted to get a better sense of which direction to pursue, but it wasn’t stopping her from taking action in the meantime. So, she tapped her network of local friends, connected with a career coach and brainstormed the professional avenues available to her. She wanted to get it all settled within a few months. She was a doer... |
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