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#CareerAdvice : #CareerChange – 5 Simple Tips for Evolving During a Career Change. Great REad!

February 4, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

There are many reasons to make a career change, for example:

You need a new challenge

Your values have changed

You want to focus on other things

Your passion lies elsewhere

You’re not happy

Which one are You?

While the reason will be different for every person, there’s one thing that stays the same: the need to evolve during this transition. This is the perfect time to hone your skills and prepare for the new career ahead of you. You’re not merely transferring to a slightly better employment situation, but pushing yourself forward in a professional trajectory that requires you to up-level from where you are now.

Use these five simple tips to make sure you’re evolving during your career change, allowing you to land your next big gig, regardless of where you came from before this.

1. Make an Actionable Plan

Before you take a massive leap into a new career, take time to make an actionable plan. But don’t outline your five- or ten-year plan—while this is important, right now, you want to be thinking more immediate. Consider where you want to be this year, and what small, yet actionable steps you can take to achieve that objective.

For example, if want to make the move from salesperson to marketing specialist, there are a few actions you might take, including:

Shadow a marketing specialist at my current job this month.
Write a list of ways my sales skills applies to marketing so I can be prepared for interviews by next month.

Notice how each of these actions are specific and paired with a time limit. Brush up on what SMART goals are (hint: time-bound is one important element) so you can make sure you’re being as actionable as possible.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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2. Continue Learning and Training

Once you know what you want to do, find out which credentials are either necessary or beneficial for your career evolution. While some positions might require credentials, others may consider certain certifications as a ‘Nice to Have’—which means you’ll get a leg up if you have it.

Continuing your training and education is paramount, especially in the tech industry. In fact, more than 55 percent of developers seek out training to meet current or upcoming needs or to advance their careers, according to the 2017 Developer Learning Survey. In this case, for example with a software engineer, it may be required that you have certain credentials thanks to the fast-evolving world of technology.

In other cases, like the example of moving from sales to marketing, a credential you likely don’t need is a Google Analytics Certification. However, it will look great on your resume and is free to take. Not to mention, knowing how to navigate Google Analytics is a skill most marketers need to have to be successful, whether you learn on the job or come into a new position with the knowledge already.

3. Explore Freelance Projects

In 2018, 56.7 million Americans did some type of Freelance work, according to the Freelancing in America Report. There’s a reason freelancing is increasingly popular in the current workforce: it allows for flexible learning and makes it easier to advance your career. Freelance gigs allow you to gain valuable experience that will bolster your chances of getting the job you want.

It also allows you to dip your toes into a new career, without leaving your full-time job. If you feel passionate about a new career path, aren’t ready to take the leap, freelance and contract-based projects will let you try it on for size. It’s better to take on one project and realize you aren’t cut out for the work than to accept a full-time position.

4. Network and Build Relationships

Networking within your desired industry will give you valuable insights during your career transition. When you meet people within your desired field, you can learn about what you need to do be successful and what you need to avoid. You may even land an interview.

In certain careers, this network can also be the reason you get a job. HR Veteran and Forbes contributor Steve Cadigan explains: “Your network is part of your value proposition. Organizations today are increasingly looking for candidates who bring a strong network to work with them.”

Consider this an extension of your resume if you work in HR (knowing great people to hire), business development (knowing great people to partner with) or sales (knowing great people who want to buy.

5. Develop Your Personal Brand Online

Your personal brand is your outward appearance to the professional world. We live in a digital world, so your brand extends far past the clothes you wear or the job history on your resume. As you consider building your personal brand online, remember to update your profiles on:

Social media platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter, or any other social profile that isn’t private
Your portfolio or website
Job boards or industry-specific professional websites (think StackOverflow)

If you’re actively applying for jobs, do an audit of your online presence and get rid of anything that’s non-professional because hiring managers will search for you. According to SHRM, 43 percent of organizations use social media and online presence to screen applicants, and 36 percent have disqualified candidates based on public information found. Don’t let one bad photo be the reason you don’t land your next big gig.

With your profiles cleaned up, consider what your personal brand is and isn’t. If you’re not sure where to start, take this Glassdoor Quiz to find out what your personal brand is. Then, let that shine through your LinkedIn headline, Twitter bio, website about page, etc.

Continue Evolving During Your Career Change

Transitioning in your career can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. Especially if you focus on these five ways to evolve and grow during this time. Make time to learn, get clear on what action steps you need to take, make time for networking and don’t forget that your brand extends to the online world too—find out what that brand is and let it shine through so recruiters and hiring managers see the very best version of you: someone who’s willing to do what it takes to make a change.

GlassDoor.com | February 4, 2019 | Posted by Jessica Thiefels

#CareerAdvice : #ChangeJobs – 9 Perfect #Jobs for #CareerChangers …We Spoke with a Handful of Career Experts to Identify the Best of the Best Jobs for #CareerChangers — Here’s What Made the Cut.

October 18, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Whether you aren’t being challenged enough, don’t see potential for growth or can’t stop thinking the grass might be greener on the other side, it’s natural to feel restless in your career at some point or another. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you should jump ship immediately, but if your frustration drags on for months (or even years), it could be a sign that it’s time to start looking for a more fulfilling career.

But of course, transitioning careers isn’t always simple. In many fields, career changers encounter high barriers to entry, from required degrees and certifications to minimum years of experience. The good news? There are plenty of jobs out there where those without direct experience are welcomed and celebrated.

We spoke with a handful of career experts to identify the best of the best jobs for career changers — here’s what made the cut.

Project Coordinator

Number of Open Jobs: 51,617

Median Base Salary: $58,390

Why It’s Great for Career Changers: “Sometimes a position is listed as a project manager, but it’s actually more akin to a lower-stakes program coordinator role. This means focusing more on the administrative tasks involved and, because of that, makes a fantastic option for administrative or other professionals looking for a career stepping stone. A great candidate is someone who is organized, responsive, adaptable and a good communicator. Down the road, you can evolve to a higher-level Project Manager role. Or, because the position is so versatile and the skills are so valued, it may open doors in other industries.” —Beth Tucker, CEO of KNF&T Staffing Resources

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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Salesperson

Number of Open Jobs: 542,273

Median Base Salary: $52,000

Why It’s Great for Career Changers: “As long as you have good listening skills and a willingness to learn, most anyone can succeed in sales as a career transition. For example, let’s say you love and have worked in construction. You could retool yourself as a real estate agent. If you love cars, consider selling classic cars or RVs. Even selling jobs that require licenses, like a financial plannerand insurance agent, are easy jobs to transition into with just a few months online training and certification.” —Laura Handrick, Career Analyst at FitSmallBusiness.com

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Developer

Number of Open Jobs: 90,047

Median Base Salary: $81,209

Why It’s Great for Career Changers: “The tech industry is among the most open to career changers. And it generally values results above linear career paths or university degrees. Case in point: just recently Google, Apple, IBM and other top tech companies announced they won’t require a college degree anymore. There are many different career options available, so take some time to choose what is most appealing to you (and in demand!) and start learning; you can find several alternative ways to learn new skills and get your foot in the door, from programs that aim to increase diversity in STEM, to free or paid online courses.” —Aurora Meneghello, career coach and founder of Repurpose Your Purpose

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Data Analyst

Number of Open Jobs: 7,069

Median Base Salary: $83,878

Why It’s Great for Career Changers: “The world is a data minefield. Leaders lean on insights from data to make business decisions. If you are analytical, love Excel, prefer to work with facts, logic and numbers and often alone, you might transfer into a Data Analyst role. There is demand for these skills, so it is a great choice for career changers.” —Ellie Eckhoff, Senior Vice President at career transition firm Clear Rock

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Social Media Manager

Number of Open Jobs: 16,818

Median Base Salary: $59,965

Why It’s Great for Career Changers: “Having a vibrant social media presence is essential for most businesses. Your success building across social media platforms for a non-profit where you volunteer could be transferable to many industries. If you built an Instagram account for foodies with a huge following or write blogs on your LinkedIn profile that [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][are] widely read, you have experience in Social Media.” —Terri Wein, CEO of career coaching firm Weil & Wein

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Recruiter

Number of Open Jobs: 12,819

Median Base Salary: $55,869

Why It’s Great for Career Changers: “Recruiting can be a great field. You will need to have or build a network, so this is a great career for someone who is a natural connector. You can work for yourself, for recruiting companies or in-house. Recruiters can specialize in specific roles (e.g. engineering, technical roles, etc.) or hire across different positions, fields and skill levels. If you are a people-person and love to take initiative, this can be a fun career that will challenge you to be your best.” —Aurora Meneghello

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Consultant

Number of Open Jobs: 73,545

Median Base Salary: $88,395

Why It’s Great for Career Changers: “Are you an expert in the financial, construction or healthcare industries? These are growing sectors in the economy and there are opportunities for people to insert themselves into a business temporarily. Clearly, you need to be a subject matter expert. On top of that, you must be willing to share your advice and recommendations and find comfort in working with some uncertainty about the work and ambiguity about what’s next. This is a great option because workers get to ‘try out’ companies before they commit, and they can build their own business.” —Ellie Eckhoff

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Digital Marketer

Number of Open Jobs: 27,644

Median Base Salary: $71,127

Why It’s Great for Career Changers: “I find digital marketing to be a fantastic field for any career changer who loves storytelling, communication and business… Because marketing moves so fast, colleges and universities usually take a few years to catch up with it — this means most graduates with formal marketing degrees might not have learned what is just now starting to emerge. And many seasoned professionals do not always keep up with the latest trends. That’s your opportunity to enter the field.” —Aurora Meneghello

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Teacher

Number of Open Jobs: 46,242

Median Base Salary: $52,363

Why It’s Great for Career Changers: “Due to the current teacher shortage in many states, those with industry experience can often fast track into teaching roles. In fact, private schools aren’t required to abide by state certifications in many locations. If you like teaching others, whether kids or adults, teaching jobs are out there — and the requirements are not as restricting as you might think. Perhaps you’re an expert on WordPress? With as little as a bachelor’s degree, you could teach at the community college. Or maybe you love and played college softball? Consider teaching sports at the high school. There are lots of openings in STEM subjects. If you have experience in science, technology, engineering or math, transitioning to a role with summers off is not a bad option.” —Laura Handrick

See Open Jobs

GlassDoor.com | October 18, 2018 | Posted by Emily Moore

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#CareerAdvice : #JobChange – 8 Warning Signs that You’re in a #CareerRut (and how to get out)…Do you Secretly Browse #JobListings and No Longer Look Forward to your Company’s Annual Conference? It Might Be Time to Make some Changes.

October 10, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

A rut is never a fun place to be in, but it happens to nearly all of us at some point in our careers. Perhaps you’ve been working in a job for a while, doing the same tasks, working with the same people in the same office every day. Suddenly you wake up one morning and realize you’re no longer inspired by your job. You wonder if it’s time to move on, or if you should stick with it and hope things get better.

1.YOU’RE BORED

“Most career ruts are caused by a lack of challenge, resulting in comfort, complacency, and boredom,” says career-change coach Lisa Lewis. If your current job isn’t presenting opportunities for you to learn and grow, boredom can quickly set in.

It’s often for this reason that a career rut occurs after someone has reached a level of success. After a certain amount of time in that position you desired throughout your entire career, you feel like you’ve mastered it and aren’t finding it challenging anymore. “Learning is one of the biggest motivations for many people in the workforce,” says Lewis. Finding opportunities to learn other areas of the business or to learn a skill outside of your job can help you fight a boredom-induced rut.

2. YOU DREAD MONDAYS

It’s normal to feel the occasional “case of the Mondays.” While we all wish that we jumped out of bed every Monday morning feeling energized to get to the office, that’s not the case for many people. But if you’re regularly finding yourself deep in the Sunday blues, feeling angry, lethargic, and wanting to call in sick every Monday is a good sign that you’re stuck in a rut.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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3. YOUR WORK IS SUFFERING

A common sign of a career rut is when your work starts to slip. You start missing deadlines and making mistakes that you never used to make. You disengage, start to lose confidence in your work, and regularly bcc or cc more people than necessary in your emails, and pass blame onto others for your mistakes.

“When you’re in a rut, you engage in self-sabotaging behaviors to protect yourself, and tend to avoid dealing with your lack of fulfillment,” says career consultant Eli Howayeck, founder and CEO of Crafted Career Concepts in Milwaukee.

4. YOU’RE ACTING COMPLACENT

Do you find yourself being apathetic in work conversations where you previously would have had a strong opinion? Feeling complacent; “phoning it in” or looking for faster, easier ways to get work done without really caring too much about the end result, or without committing your attention or energy to the task, is a clear sign that you’re in a career rut.

5. SOMEONE HAS ASKED “ARE YOU OKAY?” MORE THAN ONCE THIS WEEK

As much as you may think you’re faking your engagement well, inevitably someone on your team, or a manager, will ask, “Are you okay?” “You can’t get away with acting different from the way you feel for very long,” says Howayeck. You may even find yourself avoiding your manager for fear of being “found out” that you’re miserable.

6. YOU FEEL PHYSICALLY EXHAUSTED

Being in a career rut can feel like you’re trudging through mud every day, just trying to get to the end of the workday. You feel that you require a greater amount of energy to get prepared for tasks that you used to accomplish easily. Being in a rut can be exhausting–perhaps even more exhausting than being super busy in a job that you love and find rewarding. “We all have an innate need to be challenged and learn. When we are in roles that no longer provide growth opportunities, it can feel as if our energy is being drained in the same way as it might if we’re completing a big project,” says Lewis. Your body begins to feel tired, and your brain can’t understand why you’re not taking on new challenges, so it gets tired too, causing you to feel lethargic and depleted.

7.YOU DON’T LOOK FORWARD TO THINGS YOU USED TO

Is there an annual conference in your field that you regularly attend that you would normally sign up for as soon as registration opens but that you’ve been delaying looking at for months? Losing excitement about making future plans for things you enjoyed doing in the past is a sign that you are feeling stuck.

8. YOU BROWSE THE JOB POSTINGS

When you’re in a rut, it’s common to find yourself drawn to job postings. Surely a new job may seems like a clear path out of your rut. However, Howayeck says looking for a new job is the worst way to start to get out of a rut. “It’s like showing up to prom without a date in your workout clothes. No one is going to ask you to dance, and you won’t feel ready to ask anyone to dance, either,” he says.

Instead, Howayeck says to examine your current situation and see if there are any opportunities internally that would interest you. If there truly are none, try to create your own opportunities by looking outside your current job. Take a class in a subject you’re interested in or volunteer at a nonprofit doing something that’s outside of your current job tasks.

HOW TO GET OUT

When you are ready to move on, take an inventory of your strengths, weaknesses, values, and accomplishments and map out a plan to get out of your current situation. “This means cleaning up your personal and professional brand, and most importantly, your belief system around your experience and skills,” says Howayeck. Then, when you’re ready, start to network and verbalize what you’re looking for in the next phase of your career. Taking these steps will help ensure your next leap is not straight into another rut.

FastCompany.com | October 10, 2018

#CareerAdvice : #JobChange – How to #SwitchCareers in Six Months or Less…Use these Steps to Learn How to Gather the #Skills, Resources, and Connections to Make a Meaningful #CareerMove within Months

August 20, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

While the popular adage is true, sometimes the time spend and money send can get in the way of truly following a new path.

With technology, making a career change (within reason) has never been easier. Using tools like LinkedIn, Udemy, and, yes even YouTube, you can learn the skills of a trade and connect with the masters within it.

Use these steps to learn how to gather the skills, resources, and connections to make a meaningful career move within months (without incurring another wave of student debt!)

ASSESS YOUR CURRENT JOB AND YOUR SKILLS

Maybe you hate your current job. Maybe you’re simply nonplussed with the day to day work and you want something more. Maybe you actually like the function of your job, but dislike your current company. Whatever it is, make sure to identify the why of your desired career move before you take action.

From there, asses your best skills along with your passions. Perhaps you’ve been drafting press releases or doing ad-hoc social media work for your current company. Maybe you’ve done a little graphic work as needed outside of your otherwise administrative roles. Assess your interests and relative experience in order to determine your desired career direction.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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ACTIVATE YOUR CONNECTIONS

So you want to be a graphic designer? Awesome! You know those LinkedIn connections you made in college; the friend of a friend of a former coworker?

Rifle through these connections. You might be surprised what you find hiding in your own LinkedIn connections of Facebook friends. Speaking of friends, speak to them too. More often than not, someone will know someone who is open to talk to you.

Reach out to see if they’d be willing to meet with you. While they might not have a job hot and ready, it’s a perfect opportunity to ask a few questions over a coffee.

TAKE A CLASS

Unless you’re looking to become an anesthesiologist or a trial attorney, you can likely build your skill set without applying to graduate school.

There are boundless opportunities to learn things on the internet (we rounded a ton of them up here). Resources like Udemy, Coursera, and Alison offer hundreds of free classes—you can learn anything from project management to web design.

Even if you’re not looking to change your career (why are you reading this?) you should take advantage of these free classes. Heck, we all should learn about Probabilistic Graphical Models because, why not?

SEND SOME COLD EMAILS

This is my personal favorite thing to do, so approach with wary pessimism if you must.

Once you have a clear idea of the position you want and type of company you’d like to work for, considering reaching out the employees there. A personalized, well-researched cold email can be the perfect way to garner a new relationship.

You don’t have to come in too hot, revealing that you went 80 weeks deep into a CEO’s Instagram, but you can express a knowledgeable, thoughtful sentence or two. In addition, lay out your interest in the company and inquire as to whether they will be hiring for *your role* in the near future. If you see a gap in the team roster, you might even suggest the need for *your role* and why.

Consider sending out a few cold emails to your dream companies that might hold your dream future job. You can even reach out to employees at your dream company using LinkedIn! At best, you will manifest a miraculous job opening in your field. At worst, you will receive no reply.

MOVE WITHIN YOUR COMPANY OR INDUSTRY

If you love the company you are currently with, you might consider this option. Speak to your HR manager about the moves you’re thinking of making.

Before reaching out to HR or your manager, have a good case ready. If you’re looking to move from Sales to Graphic Design, have a good plan in place. Does the graphic design department have an opening? Is there a particular project that you can participate in on a trial basis? Would you be willing to train your replacement? Is there a possibility of a hybrid role?

If your current company is not responsive to your ideas, then consider making the move within your industry. Having a working knowledge of the business landscape within your particular industry is key. When applying to this new position in a new company, make sure to explain your career transition. Use your working knowledge of the industry as a tool to set you apart from the other candidate.

It’s never too late to make a career change. However, it is important to weigh your expectations when doing so. Typically, when making a complete change in your career, you will in effect “lose” some of your experience. This can translate to a lower salary than you’re used to receiving. So before making any huge moves, make sure to reevaluate your salary expectations.

Ultimately, we want you to feel fulfilled in your career. And if you know that it’s time for a transition, we support you in that. These tips will help you to begin your pursuit of a new industry, position, or company—whatever you decide your next move is.

Careercontessa.com | BY CAILEEN KEHAYAS | August 13, 2018

#CareerAdvice : #CareerChange – 9 Tips from People Who Made Dramatic #CareerChanges …It is Estimated that 40 Percent of Current US Employees are Disengaged at Work. Are you One of Them?

August 6, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Some don’t like the company or their boss, but other times the frustrations run a lot deeper — maybe you realize your career doesn’t give you satisfaction, let alone a sense of purpose or happiness. So how do you know what you should be doing instead? And even if you do know, how do you get there?

This is why I founded Repurpose Your Purpose: to help people who feel stuck change their careers. Recently, I invited Anthony Barcelo, VFX (Visual Effects) Supervisor and Senior Compositor for TV, commercials and feature films; Darren Marble, CEO of CrowdfundX (CfX); Ronnie Mok, Sr. Technical Program Manager of Product Design at Hulu; and Nicki Klein, Co-Founder and CEO of Betagig, to join me on a panel discussion on their successes and failures in changing careers at WeWork Constellation in Century City.

These are some of my favorite lessons from our talk:

1. Finding “the One” Takes Time

There’s a persistent myth that you can just read a book, do some self-help exercises, choose a career and voilà! You can go out and find “the one.” Don’t buy into this narrative.

Every one of my panelists changed careers at least once before landing at their current gig. Some changed multiple times. Barcelo, for example, didn’t think of visual effects as his ideal career right away. It grew on him organically until it became his career, and a very successful one at that!

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Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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2. Don’t Sit Back and Wait

Too often we have a feeling something is not working in our career, but we keep waiting for the perfect opportunity to show up before we do something about it. We want to know what to do next, and we want to see a safe path to it. And so we wait, day after day, for that “aha” moment when we finally just figure it all out.

It may be disappointing to hear, but you probably won’t know what to do and how to be successful at it until you do it. Most likely, you will have to follow that hunch that you should be doing something else and then try to do something different, fail, pivot and try again until you find your calling.

3. When It’s Right, You’ll Know

You might not experience an epiphany before quitting your current job, but when you finally find the right career, you will know for sure. Mok used to work as a designer supporting marketing in an agency setting. And she couldn’t shake the feeling that her career, and all that she was creating, were disposable. It was only when she switched to a Program Manager role in the Product Design department at Hulu that everything clicked. Now she has great work/life balance, loves the people she works with and feels that everything has fallen into place.

4. Figure Out Who You Like to Work With

We spend way too much time thinking about what we want to do and not enough about who we want to do it with. One powerful way to assess whether a certain profession is right for you is to hang out with people who are doing it, then ask yourself: Do you feel you would get along? If a career is a good fit, you will find you have a certain affinity with others in that same career. So next time you go to a networking event or meet new people, see if you notice a trend.

5. Find a Job That Fits Your Life

Mok found happiness in her career once she stopped crafting her identity around her job and found work that allowed her to live her life. Now, work is part of her life, but it doesn’t define it. She teaches yoga, climbs and has a lot of other hobbies. Are you unable to choose your next career because you are too wrapped up in how it defines you a person? Try taking a holistic view of what makes you happy besides work, and how your ideal job would help accommodate that.

6. Dust Yourself Off and Try Again

I invited Klein to join me on the panel months ago. She is an amazing entrepreneur, changed careers multiple times, won the Launch Hackathon 2016 with an all-woman team, and went on to get VC funding for her startup Betagig. Amazing, right? But a week before the panel, she announced that Betagig folded. I have to confess, for a moment I wondered whether to cancel her appearance. And then I realized I had just fallen into the very real trap of people who only tell stories of hardships when there is a happy ending. What a bunch of BS! With Repurpose Your Purpose, I want to have real and authentic discussions about changing careers.

As soon as I checked in with Nicki, I realized she was ready to move onto her next project. As someone who had changed careers before, she recognized that failure is part of the process — each time you put yourself out there, you learn new skills, overcome your own limitations, learn about yourself and the world and ultimately, get closer to whatever it is you’re meant to do. Nicki’s story turned out to be among the most valuable of the evening, as people felt inspired and encouraged to take risks.

By the way, this story ends up having a great happy ending after all… just recently, Nicki announced she landed the role of Sr. Technical Product Manager at Amazon Web Services. You might fail in one career or project you embarked on, but have faith that all you learn in the process will lead you to a new and often unexpected path.

7. Failure Builds Confidence

It seems counterintuitive, but each panelist mentioned that failing gave them the courage to continue. The more they failed and learned from it, the less scared they were the next time around, and the more they learned how to handle new challenges while building confidence. So if you are afraid of failure, remember that there is no way around it — only through it!

8. You Can Go Back to School… or Not

Barcelo went back to school to sharpen his film skills and found a lot of confidence and success in doing so. He described it as “building a new toolset to handle new challenges.” Marble did the exact opposite — he dropped out of college early on and learned by doing. The choice is yours, and a lot will depend on the career you pursue and your personality.

9. Anyone Can Change Careers

You don’t have to be young, childless, wealthy and single to change careers. Barcelo shared how having a wife and children to support motivated him to push forward and finally make better choices. Marble started on his journey as an entrepreneur with a wife, two kids, a mortgage and no savings. It took him five years to build a financially successful business, and he kept working at his day job until the income from the business was 85 percent of his salary. When he finally quit his job, he reminded himself that “if you have a career right now, you are likely employable” — and worst case scenario, he could always get another job within his same field.

About the Author: Aurora Meneghello is a Los Angeles-based career coach and the founder of Repurpose Your Purpose. You can find details and reserve your spot for her next panel discussion on changing careers here.

GlassDoor.com | January 3, 2018

Your #Career : The Future of Work – You Should Plan On Switching Jobs Every Three Years for The Rest Of Your Life.. Do you Know? Workers who Stay with a Company Longer than Two Years are said to Get Paid 50% Less. The Stigma of Being a Flaky Job-Hopper is Quickly Becoming a Thing of the Past, and That’s a Good Thing.

May 16, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Changing jobs every couple of years used to look bad on a resume. It told recruiters you can’t hold down a job, can’t get along with colleagues, or that you’re simply disloyal and can’t commit.

That stigma is fast becoming antiquated—especially as millennials rise in the workplace with expectations to continuously learn, develop, and advance in their careers. This sentiment is different than the belief of past generations that you cling to an employer over a lifetime in the hopes that your long-term employer will treat you fairly in the end with a matching 401(k) plan, among other benefits.

Workers who stay with a company longer than two years are said to get paid 50% less.

There are a lot of arguments for jumping ship every few years. The economy isn’t what it used to be—and never will be again. Workers who stay with a company longer than two years are said to get paid 50% less, and job hoppers are believed to have a higher learning curve, be higher performers, and even to be more loyal, because they care about making a good impression in the short amount of time they know they’ll stay with each employer.

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Patty McCord, former chief talent officer for Netflix (and responsible for the company’s current innovative work culture), says job hopping is a good thing, and young people should plan to do so every three to four years.

“I think that the most important, critical change in people’s mental outlook is to view employees as smart contributors from the beginning,” advises McCord, who now coaches and advises companies and entrepreneurs on culture and leadership.

If we changed our perspective and said, ‘Everyone here wants to come in, do a great job, and contribute,’ then they either fit or they don’t,” she adds. “You build skills faster when changing companies because of the learning curve.”

Job hoppers are believed to have a higher learning curve, be higher performers, and even to be more loyal.

Why the high learning curve? Because job hoppers are constantly placed outside of their comfort zones. They join companies, know they have to learn fast, make great impressions, and improve the bottom line—all within a couple of years before moving on to their next conquest. As a result, they’re usually overachievers and learn a lot in a short span of time.

According to Penelope Trunk, serial entrepreneur and author, life is actually “more stable” with frequent job changes.

“In terms of managing your own career, if you don’t change jobs every three years, you don’t develop the skills of getting a job quickly, so then you don’t have any career stability,” Trunk tells Fast Company. “You’re just completely dependent on the place that you work as if it’s 1950, and you’re going to get a gold watch at the end of a 50-year term at your company.”

She adds:

I read a lot of research about what makes a good employee . . . and people used to think that the longer you kept an employee, the more worth they are to you, because you train them and they get used to their job and then they do it. But, in fact, an employee who stays on the job and isn’t learning at a really high rate is not as engaged, so they’re not doing as good work. So it turns out, the employee who stays longest, you get the least work out of, and the employees that job hunt are the most receptive of becoming extremely useful, very fast.

Trunk believes that the learning curve “pretty much flattens after three years.” While there are few exceptions to jobs people should stay in for longer, such as academia, most people should leave if they want to stay engaged, says Trunk.

If you don’t change jobs every three years, you don’t develop the skills of getting a job quickly, so then you don’t have any career stability.

But what about companies? We all know how costly it is to train employees. If companies have to keep training new employees, how does this affect their business objectives?

This is a concen McCord is asked about regularly by the companies she consults. Employee retention is a big issue, and “it scares the hell out of” employers, says McCord. They’ve invested a lot in hiring big talent. To that, McCord has some advice: In 15 years, when your company is growing rapidly because of all the high, job-hopping achievers that have come and gone, unless you’re an institution, don’t worry that no one has any institutional knowledge of your company.

RELATED: CAN YOU HANDLE A CAREER CHANGE?

FastCompany.com | January 7, 2016 | Vivian Giang

Your #Career : 3 Ways To Develop #TransferrableSkills In Your Current #Job …This Google #Recruiter Shares How he Leveraged his #Skills to #ChangeCareers , from #Sales to #Recruiting .

May 14, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

My first job out of college was in sales. Today I’m a recruiting manager at a global tech company in Silicon Valley. I’m also a podcaster. The one thing that connects the dots of my career trajectory and every job move in between: transferrable skills.

At the point that I decided sales wasn’t for me, I reflected on what I enjoyed (helping people), what I wanted to do next (HR), and what would be the stepping stone role to help me get there. It turned out that recruiting at a staffing agency was a good middle ground. Recruiting meant I’d sell companies to candidates and candidates to companies. I’d help job seekers take the next step in their careers while ensuring hiring managers had access to great people.

But before I landed a job as a recruiter at Google, I teased out the skills I needed to highlight in my resume and interviews–skills like the ability to build relationships, persuade others, and provide a high level of customer service. All skills that continue to prove key to this day, even as a podcaster. Here are a few ways you can identify and leverage transferrable skills to help you secure your next opportunity.

TRACK YOUR TASKS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

One of the biggest challenges I had for years was recalling everything I accomplished when it came time for performance review season. I’d sit there wracking my brain in hopes of recovering all I’d done over the past 6 to 12 months so I could write a stellar self-evaluation. Then one day I decided to start a project and task log that I’d update throughout the year. Recalling the details of projects became much easier.

This log also helped me identify skills and themes that’d be transferrable if and when I decided to make a move. It was easier to update my resume and speak to these skills during interviews because everything was already written down. Instead of searching for examples, I was picking from a list I’d already created.

I also encourage you to include projects, tools, and accomplishments from your extracurriculars, especially if you hold a role in a club, organization, or have a side project. Skills picked up outside the office can be just as valuable. For example, producing and releasing podcast episodes has required me to create workflows to get tasks done. Since I’ve documented them, a new team member can be dropped in and become productive right away. Creating and improving processes to drive efficiency is a key skill that’s transferrable to a wide range of jobs. It also speaks to problem-solving, as you’re usually identifying something that isn’t working well and then fixing it.

Podcasting has also provided me public speaking opportunities that have in turn made me a better presenter at work. I’ve learned the importance of storytelling, which is just as valuable when talking about data as it is when you’re trying to motivate a team to overcome a major hurdle.

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LEVERAGE LINKEDIN AS YOUR CAREER CONSULTANT

LinkedIn is great for networking, but it’s also a great way to research what skills and experiences you need beyond what you find in job descriptions. For example, when searching for new positions, I’ve made it a habit to look up various versions of the job title and find people already in the role. Their career history and current responsibilities give me a blueprint for my resume and LinkedIn profile. I can create a list of the common themes across profiles and cross-reference my log to find relevant examples.

BE PROACTIVE ABOUT YOUR NEXT STEP AND NEW SKILLS

Even if you’re happy in your current position, you should consistently revisit what’s next in your career and if you have the skills to get there. After doing role research, you’ll sometimes realize you don’t have everything in the job description or all the skills you saw in other profiles. That’s okay. When you’re moving into something new–even if it’s within your field–there will be gaps. Your goal is to minimize these gaps by picking up news skills that can be transferred to your next job.

Maybe you realize the next target role requires in-depth quantitative analysis skills, which you don’t get to flex in your current position. You could survey what’s happening around the company and ask to be involved in a project that gives you more exposure to Excel or the opportunity to track and report on key metrics. Maybe you do the weekly or monthly team reporting in collaboration with your manager.

Perhaps there’s someone whose spreadsheet abilities make you wonder what you’ve been doing all your life? Compliment them on the great work they’ve done and ask if they can show you some of the basics. Nearly a year ago, I asked a respected program manager to show me how she keeps various projects and deadlines organized. With her help, I ended up developing a project tracker that’s helped me manage large cross-functional initiatives that involve many moving parts and people. This speaks to taking the initiative to develop myself and the ability to manage complex projects and deliver results–two things that are expected in nearly every professional position.

These are just a few ways to help you think about transferrable skills and navigate your career development. You’ll be surprised by how relatable your skills are to many different fields. The first step is to write things down. Once you do that, it becomes a game of plug and play. Happy hunting!

This article originally appeared on The Well, Jopwell’s digital magazine and is reprinted with permission.Jopwell is the career advancement platform for Black, Latino/Hispanic, and Native American students and professionals.

FastCompany.com | May 11, 2018 | BY RICH JONES—JOPWELL 4 MINUTE READ

Your #Career : #CareerAdvice – 5 Signs You’re in the Wrong Career—And How to Make a Change… Picking the Wrong Career is Not an Uncommon Thing, but it’s Not Always Easy to Tell the Difference Between a Bad Position and a Bad Career.

May 8, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

While “picking the wrong career is not an uncommon thing,” according to Karen Elizaga, career coach and author of Find Your Sweet Spot, it’s not always easy to tell the difference between a bad position and a bad career.

If you’re unhappy and you know it—but you’re not sure whether you need a new job or a new career path—then read on to find out what the wrong career looks like, and what you can do if you realize you need to make a change.

First, according to two career experts, here are five signs that you’re in the wrong career.

1. You work hard, but your results are unsatisfactory. “You absolutely love the area that you’re in, and you are unceasingly diligent about completing your work,” Elizaga describes, “but you don’t get the results you want or that you see your peers getting.” If this sounds all too familiar, “it’s entirely possible that don’t have the skill or talent that it takes to succeed.”

2. You complain about your work a lot. On the flip side, if you spend a significant amount of time whining about work, you may have chosen the wrong career, warns career coach Hallie Crawford. Another sign you need to make a change? “You spend most of your time at home and at work feeding negative thoughts and expressing them,” Crawford describes.

3. The industry is antithetical to your beliefs. According to Elizaga, “there might be a job function that you enjoy, or something—like the salary, location, or company prestige—may draw you to make a move in your career.” But, despite those obvious plusses, “ultimately you strongly disagree with the moral or political values of this career,” Elizaga describes.

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4. The career doesn’t make use of your strengths. You want a career that plays to your strengths and avoids your weaknesses. So, “when you don’t utilize any of your strengths, your career isn’t rewarding or fulfilling,” Crawford says, and it may not be the one for you.

5. You fantasize about quitting. What’s more, you’d even be happy if you were let go or fired. “This is a sure sign that your career choice is not a fit for you,” according to Crawford.

If one or more of these signs points to fact that you’re in the wrong career, take heart: you don’t have to stay in it, and you don’t have to go back to school to get out of it, Elizaga says.

“First of all, take a deep breath and take an inventory,” she suggests. Ask yourself, “Who are you at your core? What are your skills? What drives you? What actually makes you happy? This is a step that so many people skip because they are focused on what the available jobs or seemingly worthy careers may be, rather than looking at their own intrinsic motivation.”

Next, assess your strengths and the skills you have that are transferable to any career, says Elizaga. “You might be surprised at how adaptable you can be to a new career,” she says.

Once you narrow down a few fields you might like to explore, it’s time to reach out to some people in those industries. “Consider conducting informational interviews,” says Crawford. “Gather information about those possible new directions and find out from people in the field what it takes to transition into the field. Are there certain skills or a specific type of experience required? Do you need to take some classes, or volunteer outside of work to gain additional experience in a certain area? This will help you make a more informed decision about if and how much schooling or money that might be required. You may find that you only need to take a course or two instead of having to fully go back to school.”

Lastly, to gain experience in a new field, volunteer before you apply for a position, suggests Elizaga. “If there is an industry you want to move into, but you recognize that you need to learn new skills, carve out some hours during the week or weekend to volunteer or intern for another company,” Elizaga says. That way, “you will slowly build up your arsenal of tools and ultimately be able to point to your experience in transitioning to a new career.”

GlassDoor.com | May 7, 2018 | Posted by Jillian Kramer