I kind of feel lost trying to change careers but i know this is something i have to do. Where do i start? Im ready.
Answers
Hello Monica,
I always ask people ... if you could name your career and specific position, without thinking about any of the steps it would take to get there, what would that job be? Most people answer with something they feel PASSIONATE about.
And THAT'S where you start.
When we work in a field doing something we love, it won't feel like work. One of my favorite quotes is: "If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life."
A very powerful exercise my mentor taught me long ago is to write a list or descriptive paragraph acting "as if" your new career is already in place. For example:
- What does your office or space look like? (bright? windows? modern? be specific)
- What kind of people do you work with? (friendly, easy going, nice, good boss)
- Do you work for a large conglomerate or a private small company?
- Are you working with kids, adults, teens?
- What skills are you utilizing?
- What is your specific schedule? (part time, full time, flex time, 4 weeks vacation, etc)
- and so on ...
She taught me to be AS SPECIFIC as possible, and to read the list out loud daily - so as to attract it ... subconsciously create it. The universe hears our wishes. As well, the list cannot contain the words CAN'T, DON'T, WON'T, SHOULDN'T - or any other negative words. (Because the universe hears our wishes :D)
ACT. AS. IF.
Much success in your next step - and thank you for serving our country. May God Bless the U.S.A.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Molino Singleton
in Maryland
Hello Monica... and foremost, thank you for your service.
In addition David's suggestions about job search engines like ZipRecruiter/Indeed, I'd also encourage you to post a profile on LinkedIn. It can serve your efforts in many ways: exposure to recruiters searching for talent (leveraging words you have included), your ability to set up search criteria for yourself (geography, skills, industry category) and receive auto-notices based on those, and of course, access other professionals that represent the sort of opportunities you're pursuing -- whom often are willing to provide counsel, once you reached out and asked to 'Connect.'
I wish you all the best in pursuing your professional passions!
Hello, Monica
First of all and most importantly, thank you for your service. One thing that civilian employers know is that Army or other military trained personnel are hardworking people, committed to their jobs and are successful at whatever they do. So, I think you have a heads up over others seeking similar jobs.
I do not know what your specialty is and so it is difficult giving you guidance on how to change careers and move forward.
The place to start is to honestly assess your capabilities, your skill sets, your training and, most importantly, what you would like to do in a civilian job. Then, based upon all that information, put together a resume that shows off your strengths, both work and personal, and start sending out resumes to potential job openings.
There are a lot of job sites, like ZipRecruiter and Indeed.com, where you can create a "search agent" for yourself that will cull through the thousands of job openings and find one that meets your needs. You simply go into the websites for these recruiters and type in the
"meta tag's" that describe your skill sets and your career goals. Then the search agent seeks out opportunities for you and you may even find that potential employers will see your resume online and contact you directly.
If you contact me offline and tell me what your career goals are, specifically, maybe I can give you some good advice. I think there is a mechanism on this website for contacting me and so please take advantage of. I will absolutely guarantee to you that I will respond.
Good luck and much success as you seek a new career.
Kind regards,
David F Eastman, CEO, US Navy Veteran, ASW
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