The facts are clear. Over the last decade, executives want a career change because they are dissatisfied with their job / industry, unhappy with salary, insecure about longevity of job, work in an obsolete industry, or a victim of corporate downsizing. Maybe you are among nearly 50% of job seekers rethinking their career path. A recent Today show segment focused on Marla Romash, who after an amazing career in politics felt the urge to do something new. Today she is pursuing a career as a pastry chef. Check out the full segment at Today Show Marla talks about moments in life when you know you want to do something different, have a sense of belonging and purpose and make a difference. A growing trend for the boomer generation is the urge to do something different when they turn 50+ and not have regrets that they didn’t follow their passion. It doesn’t always mean starting your own business; it can be just making a change in industries or role within an organization. ... Read more

Another year has started. Did you promise yourself that this is the year, now is the time to change careers? You feel ready to make a real change in your life. Changing careers requires some internal and external stretching to get you where you want to go. In the same way that stretching physically helps prepare your bones and muscles for more vigorous activity, we need to stretch our ideas and actions in order to transform our career into a better jobfit, one that will recognize, reward, and motivate us for ... Read more

When faced with a big decision, like whether to accept a new job, there are many factors to consider.

• What does the new job entail, in terms of job function?
• What salary and benefits are offered (including retirement matching, health insurance, dental coverage, commuting assistance, etc.)?
• What is the work-life balance like? Are there options for flexibility, such as telecommuting or flexible schedules?
• What do you know of the workplace culture?
• What does your family think?

There are many more, and some of the above won’t apply to you. Most people have certain “non-negotiable” items which they haven’t even put on their decision list because they’ve assumed they won’t accept a job without these items (geographic location, salary etc. may be on the list).             ... Read more

The Fourth Option One of my alumni recently had “the good problem”—too many job offers. She had three offers to choose from, each with different job functions, missions, salaries, and benefits. She sent me a note asking for my advice: ... Read more

It’s a little like dating. You have found your dream job or organization– but will  they like you back, enough to hire you? If they reject you, does that make you a bad person or a failure? Putting yourself out there by networking, applying, and interviewing for jobs makes you very vulnerable to rejection, the same way that dating does. Some people get so emotionally invested in a particular job it even paralyzes them from applying, in case they get rejected. Well, I’ll give the same advice I would if you were dating. If you put yourself out there and try to meet someone, or go on a blind date, you will have at least some percentage chance of connecting. If you never try, you will have a 100% chance of NOT connecting. Same with jobs. If you don’t apply, you have a 100% chance of not being selected.   ... Read more

Timing is everything in the job search. This statement is true when it comes to applying before a job deadline, applying early and often, getting your references to reply quickly, and most of all when dealing with job interviews and offers. ... Read more

Will your future employer work you to death? How to assess workplace culture before accepting a job offer If you have a young family, an important avocation or hobby, or otherwise just want to leave work at 5pm and not work weekends and evenings, it’s important to find a way to investigate the culture of a future employer before accepting a new job. (In fact, this post could be about any other factor that is important for you to know about before accepting a job, but which might be delicate to ask about directly, like whether the employer has a good culture of respecting people of diverse backgrounds or sexual preferences–i.e. isn’t a bunch of racists or bigots; would accomodate a disability; or would accomodate your religious observances). Of course, if you are simply in need of an income and willing to make some sacrifices, you might set work-life balance (or other similar issues) aside when considering job offers. But for anyone who can make actual choices about which jobs to accept, it’s worth knowing whether your future employer will expect you to work nights and weekends. However, just asking the question can be a toughie. If you ask about work-life balance, will you ruin your chances of being considered for a job? Will you set an impression that you are a slacker, unwilling to work hard? There are a number of ways to find out about an employer’s expectations without directly asking the question. And if you do choose to ask, there are ways to do so without waving a red flag. ... Read more

As a new mom, I understand the amazing challenges and joys of being a parent. As a career coach with 13+ years’ experience, I also have worked with many parents and others who took time off to raise a family, take care of an ill or aging family member, recover from an illness or injury, or travel the world, and who now want to return to the workforce. In honor of everyone who has taken time off from work and wants to return to the workforce, I’m offering two webinars in the next couple of weeks: ... Read more

 

 A new CA Career Café website has been launched.  This is a web-based resource for students, developed by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.  The CA Career Cafe is ready to share with students in counseling sessions and in counseling classes.

This website has a very user friendly visual layout. Many of the materials include links to careers centers at UCLA, UC Berkeley and Stanford.  Here is a brief overview:

Section 1: GET STARTED (http://www.cacareercafe.com/get-started/) to uncover who they are and where they want to be. Self assessments cover  the following areas:

• Identify your strengths, talents and passions.
• Define and match your personality to careers.
• Capitalize on your learning style.
• Focus on your goals.

 

Section 2:  GET A PATHWAY (http://www.cacareercafe.com/pathways/)  helps students to explore California’s 15 industry sectors.

Section 3:  GET EXPERIENCE (http://www.cacareercafe.com/get-experience/) is to practice and build workplace skills.  If they need to solve problems that get in the way, they can choose GET HELP (http://www.cacareercafe.com/get-help/). 

Section 4:  GET HIRED (http://www.cacareercafe.com/get-hired/) includes specific steps to find a job.

There are also HOT CAREER TIPS (http://www.cacareercafe.com/hot-tips/) to encourage students do little things to make a big difference (There are a total of short120 tips ) and COOL CONNECTIONS (http://www.cacareercafe.com/cool-connections/) to make helpful career contacts.

 I look forward to hearing what you think about this resource!

Although employers use ability assessments for employee selection, few career coaches offer ability assessments to their candidates. Below is information about four ability assessments which will raise your candidates’ awareness of their job related abilities.

1. Battery of ability assessments in Test Your Own Job Aptitude: Exploring Your Career Potential

In addition to exploring one’s personality, motivation, and interests, this handbook includes these short, paper-and-pencil ability assessments that measure the following areas:

• Verbal reasoning
• Numerical reasoning
• Perceptual reasoning
• Spatial ability
• Technical ability
• Acuity skills
• Analytical ability

After they complete the assessments, have them note their two highest scoring abilities and review typical occupations for their unique combination of abilities. (E.g., the verbal/numerical combination links to Commercial Managers, Senior Administrators, Insurance Agents and Head Teachers).

2. O*NET® Ability Profiler (AP)™

The AP helps candidates identify occupations that fit their abilities. The nine job related abilities measured are:

• Verbal Ability
• Arithmetic Reasoning
• Computation
• Spatial Ability
• Form Perception
• Clerical Perception
• Motor Coordination
• Finger Dexterity
• Manual Dexterity

Typically the AP is provided by workforce development professionals who have been trained to administer it. Ability results link to over 800 occupations in O*NET OnLine. Click here for further details on the administration of the AP.

3. The CALL: A Vocational and Life Purpose Guide

This Christian-based, online assessment measures 27 distinct dimensions and shows occupations that best match the candidates’ results. The six abilities are measured in this assessment are:

• Cognitive ability
• Learning Pace
• Verbal Skill
• Verbal Reasoning
• Numerical ability
• Numeric reasoning

Candidates may purchase this assessment at The Call http://www.thecallonline.com or take it through a coach who has completed The CALL assessment certification training. A detailed report is provided to the candidate which highlights occupations that best match their profile.

4. The Highlands Ability Battery

This online, three-hour battery of tests includes nineteen different work samples. It measures candidates’ natural strengths, along with personal style that cluster results into these four broad areas:

• Personal style, e.g., generalist, introvert
• Driving abilities, e.g., classification, idea productivity, spatial relations visualization;
• Specialized abilities (design memory, verbal memory, number memory, visual speed, etc.
• Vocabulary

A 30-page report is generated from the battery of tests. A trained facilitator interprets the candidates’ results and guides them into careers that best fit their natural strengths. A list of affiliates who are trained to administer this assessment can be found at Follow Your Calling.

Since people’s abilities influence their career success, it is wise for career coaches to incorporate ability assessments as part of the overall career assessment process for candidates. If you know of other good ability assessments, I invite you to share them.

Copyright 2010. Nancy Branton.