Changing careers? Think first before you make the leap
Changing careers? Think first before you make the leap
Sharply dressed, portfolio in hand, Calvin Riddle waited patiently in line to get some résumé advice at the Triad Careers Spring Job Fair at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Like many of the 2,200 people who attended Wednesday’s event, Riddle found himself unemployed this year and is now exploring new options. He’d been working in the television industry for 20 years, most recently in High Point with Fox 8 WGHP-TV. But the trend in his niche — broadcast traffic coordination — has been moving toward one of more efficient technology that requires less manpower to get things done.
It’s a theme that characterizes the philosophy of many employers in recent years, especially in the current economic climate: Do a lot more with a lot less. And with the job pickings slim in his field, Riddle is preparing himself to move on to something completely new, although he’s not yet sure exactly what that will be.
“I’m at the position in my life where I’m open to anything,” says Riddle, who’s 40, recently married and is expecting his first child soon. That added pressure might spark fear and a sense of desperation in a lot of job hunters, but Riddle says his wife has a steady job and their house is paid off, so he’s remaining upbeat and optimistic.
That may be part of the reason why he says he wants to keep his options open but still doesn’t see much sense in making a leap into a new career field just because it has job openings.
“If you have to go to work, push a button, pull a lever — whatever it is — and despise it, then you’re definitely not in the right field,” he says. “To me a job is a position you look forward to ... and you can’t ask for anything more than that.”
That’s why throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks isn’t usually the best way to find a job you will actually want to keep, even if you are desperate for a steady paycheck.
That was one message from Vivek Kshetrapal, a career developer with the Guilford County Workforce Development Board/JobLink who spoke at the job fair about making a career transition.
He cited several steps job seekers should take when considering changing careers: identify interests and match those with specific career fields; find in-demand occupations in those fields; survey salary information for entry-level, mid-level and senior-level positions; and network constantly to get a fuller picture of the field and to find possible job leads.
Once they have a new direction in their sights, career changers should make that specific target clear in their résumé objective, according to Patsy Wiggins, president and chief operating officer of The HR Group, which was offering job seekers a free résumé analysis at the job fair.
Those who have been in mid-level or executive positions may have tons of experience, but it’s still important not to go overboard when explaining it. “People have their résumés so wordy that when you look at them you can hardly read them,” Wiggins says.
Employers usually divide résumés into three piles — yes, no and maybe — based on a brief overview, she says. “What you want to do is fall in that ‘yes’ pile, or at least that ‘maybe’ pile, but if it’s so wordy that you don’t see anything pop out at you, it’s probably going to go in that ‘no’ pile.”
Works for Me is an occasional column that focuses on issues surrounding work and the job search. Contact Patrick Collins at 412-5934 or by e-mail at patrick.collins@news-record.com.
Calvin Riddle, portfolio and job fair 032209
Calvin Riddle, portfolio and job fair program in hand, waits to get a résumé analysis at the Triad Careers Spring Job Fair on Wednesday.
