plus 2, Taking smaller steps toward new career - fox4kc.com |
- Taking smaller steps toward new career - fox4kc.com
- When career hits standstill, some follow their dreams ... - The State
- Spring Job Fair in Metro - NBC Action News KSHB-TV 41
| Taking smaller steps toward new career - fox4kc.com Posted: 23 Mar 2010 05:18 AM PDT Steady job? Check. Decent paycheck? Check. Professional fulfillment? Hmm. With the country's jobless rate at 10 percent, many workers are simply grateful to be employed. Giving up financial stability to pursue a dream job or long-burning interest is a risk even in a buoyant economy. Yet experts say career makeovers are still possible -- they may just involve smaller steps, rather than a radical change. "It's always healthy, regardless of what the economy is like, for people to explore those dreams," said Roxanne Hori, assistant dean and director of the Career Management Center at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. "It helps you decide: 'Are you at the right time and place to make a shift or not?' " Individual risk tolerance is a crucial factor, Hori said. A young person without children or a mortgage may decide now is the perfect opportunity to try something new, as might an older worker who has saved enough money to weather a short-term financial hit. But in all cases, a career reinvention starts with an honest self-evaluation. "What's really the issue -- what you're doing or where you're doing it?" said Debra Wheatman, founder of CareersDoneWrite and a coach at GoSavant, a career development Web site. "If you've been doing something for a long time, all of a sudden to decide you don't like it anymore is a little unusual. Maybe something's going on in your personal life, or something happened professionally that has made you turn a corner." The malaise could stem from a workplace that's been demoralized by layoffs and budget cuts. If the work is still enjoyable, looking for a similar job at a different company may be a better solution than switching to a new career. Career counselors say people can try to improve their work lives without leaving their current employers. "There's no better time than the new year to begin a conversation with your manager," said Hori, who suggested taking on higher levels of responsibilities or tasks that build new skills. Sometimes a major change is the only thing that can satisfy that itch for a more fulfilling career, though it's important to remain realistic. "Look for something that's the intersection of what's interesting and what you can get paid for," said Penelope Trunk, founder and chief executive of Brazen Careerist, a networking Web site for young professionals. Aimee Heilbrunn, a 31-year-old Chicagoan, was a marketing executive for a big law firm in 2007 when she started Ecoscene, a Web site that reviews environmentally friendly products and services. The venture began as a side project after she adopted a dog and scoured the Internet for a "green" dog bed. She left the law firm in March, describing the move as "a leap of faith." "I just made a decision that I'd been in the (business-to-business) marketing world for about eight years and wanted a break and a chance to try and make sure that I gave this a shot," said Heilbrunn, whose company has grown to include a director of marketing and an intern. Continuing to work while launching Ecoscene allowed Heilbrunn to save money and prepare for the transition. Career experts say pursuing other activities during spare time is a smart way to explore interests without giving up a steady job. "Dabble in the field you think you'd want to go into," said Chris Campbell, director of the Executive Network Group of Greater Chicago. "That might be a volunteer opportunity, joining a board or trying to take a little bit of time off and doing a shadowing experience." Campbell said many of his group's members would love to pursue something different because they've devoted decades to one field and "all of us like change." But he also called for pragmatism, especially given the strains on the economy. "I really encourage people to dig down and figure out if they could be doing anything, working anywhere ... what would you be doing?" Campbell said. "Almost inevitably, it's not what you have been doing. But on the other side of the coin, what you have been doing may be much more stable and financially rewarding. There's a big reality check there."
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| When career hits standstill, some follow their dreams ... - The State Posted: 23 Mar 2010 05:18 AM PDT "These applicants were highly qualified and highly motivated, certainly in part because of the state of the economy and the unemployment situation in California," said Kirstin Cattell, Northstar-at-Tahoe spokeswoman. "While many of our employees are perhaps overqualified for their job, everyone is passionate about winter sports." The majority of seasonal resort jobs, she said, start at $8.50 an hour, 50 cents above California's minimum wage. Resort officials say Tahoe's seasonal employees come from all over the country, as new jobs are scarce. The federal unemployment rate is 9.7 percent, but has surpassed 10 percent this past year. Jeff Carl moved to Tahoe at the end of 2008 after his retail advertising business went under and he was forced to sell his Aptos, Calif., home for less than what he owed on it. Carl, 46, found work as a ticket scanning supervisor at Northstar monitoring the hundreds of skiers and snowboarders climbing onto the gondola each day. Pay at the ski resort, he says, is a quarter of what he made in advertising. "I had my own business, and it got hit very, very hard," said Carl, a divorced father of two adult children. "I took this job because there was nothing else out there." He tried to keep a career going, he said, but grew weary after sending out 300 resumes and getting only two phone interviews. A passionate skier for 35 years, Carl took off to find work in the Sierra: "There's really nothing out there. I took a year off from looking." Mountain resorts are used to hiring recent college graduates, young people who work for little money and ski for free before jumping into a career. Many of this season's employees, however, are older and of a higher caliber, according to Amelia Richmond, spokeswoman at Lake Tahoe's Squaw Valley Resort. Squaw Valley received 3,000 applications for 1,000 winter job openings, Richmond said. "They're willing to take any job, more so than in past years," she said. "They're less picky, less choosy." Northstar had 1,200 winter openings, all of which were quickly filled, resort officials said. "This past fall was one of the best hiring seasons we've ever been through in Lake Tahoe," said Brittany Clelan, Northstar's human resources director. "There were plenty of qualified applicants for every position - many coming from a manager level at their last position and bringing a wealth of experience." Matt Zielinski, 38, ran his own real estate business in Ellicott City, Md., for eight years before landing in Tahoe this winter. He said he was flying high with a six-figure annual income, big house and nice cars until the real estate market started its slide and he lost everything in bankruptcy. Zielinski now works as a member of Northstar's host department, helping visitors find their way around the mountain. He said he's renting a three-bedroom house with three other people to make ends meet. "I'm doing the minimum wage thing and working with people half my age," Zielinski said. "Three years ago, there was no way in the world I'd ever take this job. I'm working twice as hard for a quarter of the money, maybe an eighth." Moving to the mountains allowed Zielinski to recoup from the emotional pain of his financial losses. As a single guy, it was an easy move to make, though not one he plans to make permanent. "I've been able to get 100 days of snowboarding in, so I can scratch that off my bucket list," he said. "It's time for me to go back home and rededicate myself to my profession. This experience has renewed my vigor." Carl hopes to find a marketing position with a technology firm in a big city. In the meantime, he's enjoying the lifestyle that comes from living in the mountains and the free ski pass that comes with the resort job. "I'm making the most of a bad situation," he said. "The lifestyle is nice, but it is starting over." Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Spring Job Fair in Metro - NBC Action News KSHB-TV 41 Posted: 23 Mar 2010 01:58 AM PDT
KANSAS CITY, Mo – Jobsnewskc.com will be holding a Spring Career Fair. It will be held on March 23, 2010 at Harrah's from 10:00 am to 3 p.m. The companies taking part in this job fair include Northrop Grumman, Allstate Insurance, Save-A-Lot, Sygma Network, T-Mobile, Family Dollar, AAA Missouri Auto Club, Harrah's, and Farmer's Insurance. Opportunities range from entry-level all the way to management. For more information, including a list of participating employers, call 913-383-1100. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
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