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Have you ever noticed that the person who gets promoted is not always the most competent for the job?

Or how about the person who did all the work not being recognized as much as the person who talks about it?

Or what about the person who is career-stunted because they once said the wrong thing to the wrong person.

These are all symptoms of not managing your career.

Many hard-working people suffer in their career growth solely because they have not spent the time to identify the factors and people who most influence their career. Here are 3 simple tips to help you get going:

1. Clarify Your Job Goals

In fast-paced organizations (and who isn’t in one nowadays), it is easy to lose focus on what is really important. Make sure you have sat down with your manager and clearly identified and PRIORITIZED your goals. Make a point to regularly communicate progress.

KEY TIP: Managers hate it when you come to them with problems and no solutions, so if an obstacle comes up, make it easy on your boss by presenting a number of viable solutions and action plans.

2. Identify Your Boss’ Goals

Become a career ally to your manager by understanding how they are measured and then see how you might be able to contribute. Don’t be a brown nose, but if you know more about what their personal priorities are and can find a way to assist, you will be viewed in a new light.

3. Map Out the Key Decision-Makers and Influencers

When is the last time you clearly identified those who can affect your career? Clearly your boss, but what other people influence him and his managers?

What about the HR people who will always be involved when there are promotions under consideration?  Make it a point to build strong alliances with them so they can understand your management style.

Make sure you identify the political game-players who are focusing on building a fiefdom, because while you are working to produce results, they are strategizing as to how they can surround themselves with loyal followers and advance their career.

Then take the time to see who influences your boss, their boss, HR and your peers. Then grade yourself on a scale of 1-10 regarding your relationship with each key member. Now build a plan to get more visibility and ally yourself with those in command.

Take 1 hour of your time to map out your career strategy and you will enjoy faster career growth and security.

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A sales professional’s resume needs to succinctly demonstrate achievements and results that immediately state to employers: “I can beat your goals.”

Sales is very measurable and your resume must highlight both your quantifiable accomplishments as well as certain soft skills.

There are different metrics that you can use to quantify results and demonstrate sales success on a resume to impress employers. Consider the following:

• Meet and/or Exceed Sales Quota
  Professionals in a sales position are given a quota to meet. Demonstrate on your resume your ability to meet your sales quota consistently, or even go beyond it, by providing the percentage of your achievements within the most recent years. If you have a strong track record, you will shine.

  Many sales resumes go wrong by stating such things as “grew business $250K over previous year”. Very nice, but is this good or bad, meaning how did this compare against your goal? Better to say “Delivered 121% of quota”. You may want to add “by growing business $250K over previous year” but remember that in some companies, $250K may not be considered very much.

• Your Rank Against Your Peers
  Companies want to hire top performers so demonstrate that you are one by indicating your rank: “Consistently ranked in the Top 5 out of 150 peers nationwide”. You can also put in percentages: “Ranked in Top 10%”.
• Drive New Business
  There are other ways to make your sales resume stand out and this includes your ability to drive new business and increase the customer base. Demonstrate on your resume your ability to deliver new accounts by quantifying how much new business you brought in and how this compared to others in the company. For instance, “increased client base by 45% versus a company average of 15%”.
• Strong Customer Retention and Account Penetration
  Getting a big customer is great and you show how you were able to drive greater year-over year sales by expanding the company’s presence into other areas of the account. Also highlight your strong account management skills by indicating your retention rate. Use phrases like “Increased sales at existing customers by over 15% each year and earned a 100% retention rate”. Even better if you can add what the average retention rate is for others in the company.
• Closing Rate
  Employers value sales professionals who can close deals. Again try to compare yourself against your peers by stating “Noted for 72% closing rate versus company average of 45%”.
• Awards
  If you have been ranked and awarded for your effectiveness and success on the job, include it as a highlight on your resume. It can help further support the points you make to demonstrate you are a standout sales professional.
• Training and Certifications
  Informing an employer that you have received up-to-date training or have been certified can be another impressive mark on the resume. It reinforces your personal character and shows how you continue to seek education and knowledge to improve yourself and your effectiveness in your career. Also highlight if you were selected to train others in your personal sales practices.
• Highlight Your Relationships
  If you have built loyal relationships with companies that the employer would like to get into, then make sure you stress this. This shows that you can gain an introduction to key accounts much faster than other sales reps, so don’t forget to show your experience in dealing with the type of customer or client base the employer handles. Whether your experience is with start-ups, companies that are overseas or large corporations, plug these relevant details in with your quantified results to make an even more impressive mark.

Your resume can be viewed as a direct reflection of your sales abilities. Market yourself effectively on the resume by demonstrating results in all aspects of the sales profession to show you have contributed to the success of revenue growth for your former employers.

According to U.S. News & World Report’s article on “The 50 Best Careers of 2011,” many technology positions made it into the top 50 list of careers providing overall satisfaction. They include computer software engineers, computer support specialists, computer systems analysts, and network architects.

So how are you making yourself stand out from the crowd of other resumes that employers are reviewing?

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Finding a job in today’s market is particularly difficult. However, there are resume tips to help IT professionals get noticed.

1. Add “Technical Expertise and Certifications” at the top of your resume.
   Regardless of whether you have one year or 10 years of experience in the field, it is especially critical to effectively demonstrate technical knowledge and skills. What matters to most employers hiring an IT professional is not the years of experience you have to offer, but how current you are with today’s latest technology, applications, and if you have the technical certifications to do the job. Highlighting your “Technical Expertise and Certifications” up front on your resume will immediately inform the employer that you have what it takes to do the job.
2. Include a section on “Technical Skills.”
   This is a section that allows you to outline all the specific technical language those in the field will be familiar with to demonstrate your familiarity with subject matter expertise and the type of technology-related working environments you have been exposed to. It’s an effective and quick way to help employers see that you are relevant for the job. It also supports keyword searches for specific tools and technologies.
3. Demonstrate achievements, accomplishments and results in “Professional Experience.”
   This is where most IT Professionals go wrong in that they merely list their roles responsibilities and tasks. The problem is that hundreds of people in similar job functions can say the same thing so this does not differentiate you.

   If you are on the infrastructure side, detail the environment in terms of users, servers and locations. Then describe your performance. How do you rank against your peers in terms of productivity? Are you the ‘go-to’ person for any particular issues? Are you known for resolving issues on the first attempt?

   If you are on the applications or project management side, do not detail every project you did as they will not have the same kinds of projects. Instead, indicate the total number of initiatives you were involved in and only highlight the ones that you are most proud of. Also highlight whether you managed the full lifecycle, what tools, best practices and methodologies you used, and how good you are at working with disparate stakeholders to gather their requirements, drive consensus and ensure that what you are delivering is what they want.

   If you are new to the field, then you need to highlight the courses you took and projects you completed as part of your education.  Include the number of hours of training and the technologies that you grasped.

4. Apply relevant keywords to all parts of your resume.
   A majority of employers use scanning technology to help pull out the most relevant resumes to review, so the more keyword relevance you can offer in your resume, the greater the chance of your resume getting noticed. Carefully review the job posting on specific technical skills desired or required. Also look at other job descriptions for the same position on job boards to get a better sense of which technical skills are particularly desired. Apply those keywords in context at different sections of your resume. You want the regular HR person to understand what you have to offer as well.

The market for IT professionals is much stronger than others today and is very competitive. Use these tips to make sure your IT resume stands out.

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While professionals ages 50 and over may have more knowledge and experience in the workplace, that has not helped them come out of the unemployment market any faster. In fact, statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal that older workers remain unemployed longer than those who are younger.

There are various reasons why an older worker faces a greater challenge securing a job in today’s market than one who is younger. It may include higher pay requirements or because employers view older workers as less competitive with outdated experience and skills.

The way your resume is crafted can quickly reveal to an employer your age or signal to an employer you are not current with today’s competitive workplace. The following are sure fire signs to an employer about your age and outdated skills and experience you may have.

• Contact Details. Every resume is complete with contact information such as your name, address and mode of communication. However, when you list a fax number (rarely will an employer contact you by fax) or email address that indicates digits that can signify a year, such as “molly55@….” it can signal to an employer that you are from the old-school. Some employers consider @aol.com emails as old school.

  TIP: Keep your contact information on your resume simple. Stick to one phone number and a professional email address that may simply be your name. Also, do not label “Phone” or “Email” on your resume; that is obvious.
  

• Education. Your education can be particularly important to an employer depending on the type of organization and position you are applying for. While you should list degree(s) obtained, do not include the year it was obtained. Simple mathematics can tell the employer how old you are.

  TIP: Include the degree you obtained for a particular study, institution attended and the city and state of the institution. Leave out the date of attendance and when you obtained your degree. That information can be supplied to an employer if it is needed later on. Also keep in mind, your education becomes less of a highlight on the resume for most employers when you have five or more professional year of experience in the particular field. This should be on the lower part of your resume.

• Experience. Having 30+ years of experience in the workforce can be valuable and impressive to an employer, but it can also come off negatively on your resume if the information is not presented and laid out effectively. Most employers focus on the most recent five years of experience so if you have experience that dates back to 20 years ago, it may do you more harm than good, especially if it is irrelevant to the position you are applying for. An employer does not need to know you worked at McDonald’s 20 years ago as a cashier if you are applying for a job related to business development in pharmaceuticals or an entirely different field.

  TIP: Even if you have over 25 years of experience, just summarize that as “Over 15 years”. Focus on the most recent 5 to 10 years of work experience particularly relevant to the job you are applying for. If you have other experience that is relevant past that time, include it to a separate category you can call “Other Experiences” on your resume where you can summarize the experience without giving dates.

• Technical Skills. Technical skills should be specific to the field, such as unique programs and applications for the profession. Listing programs such as Word, Excel or PowerPoint will not impress employers; these have become standard programs in most workplaces where employers expect employees to know them – and to use them well. Do not list skills that are outdated; listing dBase3 immediately shows your age.

  TIP: Do not include a section on technical skills to your resume unless it is unique to the field, such as a graphic design program for designers or SAP for accounting and finance. Also if you do list any technical skills, help the employer understand how adept you are by highlighting what you have done and achieved with it.

A resume shouting out your age or years of experience is not going to help you secure a job in today’s market. You need a resume that demonstrates you are effective and have achieved results in “recent years” that can be applied to the position you are applying for. Demonstrate to employers that you are current, up-to-date with today’s approaches and a candidate that can achieve results by demonstrating accomplishments from recent employment. Remember, the “outcomes” are what matter most at the end of the day.

We often hear that employment gaps in a resume can hurt a candidate, but did you know long term employment at the same employer can also be perceived negatively?

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Having stable employment is certainly not a bad thing. However, if it is with the same employer and your resume doesn’t show you made progress, it is not an impressive mark for a potential employer viewing your resume.

When a candidate has stayed with the same employer for many years, it can be considered in two ways: 1) You are lucky to have found a good employer and enjoy what you do, or, 2) You are afraid to take on new challenges and do not like stepping out of your comfort zone.

A potential employer may view your long term stay with an employer negatively for several reasons:

1. Questions of Ambition and Motivation. If you have been working with the same employer for several years and your resume shows you have the same title as when you started, it can lead an employer to wonder if you have reached the peak of your career. Employers want people who have the ambition and motivation to progress.
2. Marketable Skills. When you have been with the same employer for a long period of time, your skills may grow stale and an employer may think you only know one way of doing things. Do you have what it takes to be effective and competitive? Are you willing to try things differently and can you learn new skills? How well would you adapt to a new environment, one that may require you to stretch into new and different skills requirements?

Here are ways in which your long tenure with an employer can impress potential employers rather than scare them away.

1. Show Advancement. Whether you received promotions or transferred to work in different departments within the company, make note of these changes and advancements on your resume. Specify the dates you were in certain roles so the potential employer sees that you made advancements in your career.
2. Detail Your Achievements. Rather than group achievements as a whole with the same employer, break it down on your resume. Under each title and the specific dates you held the position, specify the challenge and accomplishments. This will indicate to a potential employer that you have continued to acquire knowledge, achieve new outcomes, and excel in new capabilities throughout your career with the long term employer and that you have taken on new challenges or projects.
3. Advanced Training and Education. If you continued to pursue education or took particular courses or training relevant to the job with your employer, make note of it on your resume. This shows a potential employer that you have a desire to continue to improve your abilities and your job skills have not gone outdated. You also have the initiative to acquire new job skills.
4. Provide a Reason for Leaving Your Long Term Employer. A potential employer always has this question in mind for candidates in these situations. They want to know that you are serious about your decision to move on from your long term employer and that you are not leaving for reasons of a bailout – perhaps your performance has grown stale and you are simply looking for a way out.

Never talk negatively about your employer. Simply indicate you have valued the experience and skills gained from you previous position and you are looking for new challenges where you can apply your marketable skills and continue to grow with new experiences.

Your loyalty and dedication is an impressive sign for potential employers, but they have to know you have grown over the years, and still have ambition, motivation, up-to-date skills, and good intentions for wanting to leave your long term employer. Doubt in any of the particular areas mentioned above can lead a potential employer to pass on your resume and application, so use these tips to make sure you get noticed.

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So you’ve completed the process of searching for a job and sent out your cover letter and resume. Now, you’re invited to come in for an interview.

An interview is a critical point in the job hunting process. It helps you and the potential employer get a sense of whether you are the right fit for the position and company culture. It also directs the next step – a second interview, an offer, or the need to go back to step one with a continued search.

One of the things job candidates can do to make a good impression during the interview is to ask sensible questions. Posing appropriate questions related to your role and assignment conveys to the employer your interest and desire to work with the company. It also helps you gather the information you will need to formulate an impression of the position and whether the opportunity is a good fit for your personal goals. Lastly, and most important, the responses you receive from the interviewer provide critical information to help you focus on relevant points that may be considered most important by the employer during the discussion.

For example, if you ask, “What are some important characteristic you’re looking for out of a candidate for this position?” The employer may respond with a focus on leadership, project management skills, and experience with social media.  In such an instance, during the interview, you can tailor your conversation and responses with information to demonstrate how you have the capabilities they’re looking for versus focusing on points you think are important based simply on assumption.

So, what questions do you need to ask during an interview so that the employer develops a good impression of you and so that you gather critical information to determine if this is an appropriate next step for your career?

1. Ask why this position is open or if it is a newly created position. The response can tell you multiple things:
   • The company is growing;
   • The value of the position to the overall business or organization; and
   • The turnover rate or stability of the position.
2. Ask about the performance of the position in the past (if it existed) and what improvements or changes are desired from the new candidate. The response will tell you about:
   • Day-to-day or general expectations of the position;
   • Challenges with the position; and
   • Characteristics desired in a candidate to meet and go beyond requirements to succeed.
3. Ask about whom you will report to, who reports to you, and which contacts you have day-to-day contact with. The response tells you:
   • Structure of organization or direct team and who else will influence the decision;
   • Who you may potentially be interviewed by later in the process; and
   • Insight to individuals’ personalities or experience (for example, “You will report to Bob who has been with us for 10 years.”)
4. Ask if they feel you are well-qualified for the position. This is very important and tells you:
   • Any objections they might have giving you the opportunity to respond and overcome them;
   • Clarification regarding whether you are really in the running for the job.

Every question you ask during an interview should give insight to help you better formulate an impression of the position and company, offer you information on what experience and skills you need to highlight, and what next steps you need to take to secure an offer.

And a last word of advice, always have a question for an employer when they ask, “Do you have any questions for me?” Regardless of how thorough the interview discussion was, think hard about whether you have neglected to cover anything additional that would be important to leaving a positive impression with your interviewer as you leave their offices for the day.

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How do you know how much you should expect in a job offer? This is especially difficult for candidates to assess when one is entering a new field, making a career change, moving to a new location, or entering the workforce as a recent graduate. It is also a question you should have an answer to before accepting a job offer.

In order to negotiate a competitive salary, you need to know what the industry standard is for that job and that location. For instance, you can easily see a $20K or more salary difference for the same position simply by being based in a metropolitan city versus a small town, reflecting the associated cost of living. Or if you have unique talent or skills valued by an employer, you may also have better leverage in negotiating a more competitive salary.

Although today’s market condition means that many candidates are more concerned about securing a job versus being offered competitive pay, do not sell yourself short. At minimum, research what you are worth so that you are prepared to negotiate with the employer for a salary that meets the industry standard when an offer is presented.

So, you may ask, “Where do I begin to look for or research salary information?” Here are several reliable ways to obtain salary information. Resort to more than one of these resources for a comprehensive view of what is reasonable and fair.

1. A reliable resource for salary information is your own network of contacts. Do you know someone in the particular field of practice? While most people do not share personal salary details, you may inform the person that you are seeking advice on salary to help with negotiation. Present your contact with a salary range and ask for their opinion as to whether they view it as low, reasonable, high or what they think would be fair.
2. Seek information from your industry’s professional organizations and publications. Many professional organizations and industry publications conduct annual surveys and publish results, breaking down fine details. For instance, public relation professionals may rely on PR Week’s annual Salary Survey results. It also offers information related to job satisfaction for professionals at various levels in the industry.
3. Research at salary websites. There are dozens of salary websites you can resort to in order to find details on what others are being paid for similar positions in particular fields, industries and locations. Each site varies in their method of salary calculation. However, by reviewing several of these sites, you will have a general understanding of what a competitive salary is for the position you seek. In alphabetical order, some of the salary websites include:

• CareerBliss (www.careerbliss.com): Find salary information and reviews on positions at different companies and organizations from this site. Employees directly contribute to the information offered.
• Glassdoor (www.glassdoor.com): This site’s data is based on information entered directly by employees at the companies included. In addition to salary information, you can obtain perspective on company and organization cultures.
• Indeed (www.indeed.com): This site offers salary information and you can also see trends for particular industries in terms of employment growth.
• PayScale (www.payscale.com): This site is relied on by candidates and employers, alike. The online compensation database provides current pay records collected from employees and employers. A salary calculator is also offered. Certain services and access require a nominal fee.
• Salary (www.salary.com ): Provides real-time statistics on thousands of positions by location. You can price 3 jobs for free and other services and access require a nominal fee.
• The Vault (www.vault.com): In addition to finding particular positions within an organization and the salary scale for those positions, you can review company message boards for insight to how the interview process is conducted and take a peek at other insiders’ perspectives. There is a nominal fee to access certain information.
• WetFeet (www.wetfeet.com): This site offers information on compensation for particular careers and insight into companies and desired talent and skills for positions.

At the moment, the job market is not in its best state. However, you still have the option to negotiate for an offer that meets industry standards. If you don’t bother asking, you will never know and may end up falling short. Also keep in mind that while salary is important, you should also factor in additional employee benefits that may make the overall offer package a greater value, including benefits, bonuses, 401K matches, and many other considerations.

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Just when you think you’ve aced the interview and have reference contacts lined up with many good things to say about you, take a deeper look. Many employers today are resorting to social media sites to screen candidates. In fact, recent studies indicate that 85% of employers and 100% of recruiters will look you up on LinkedIn before calling you. So if you are a user of any one of the social networking sites that have proliferated in recent years, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter, there’s more than a likely chance potential employers have scoped you out. 

You may conduct yourself well during an interview, but how do you appear online? Even simple things like the profile photo you have up on your Facebook page can leave employers with different impressions. Do you portray an unprofessional image in any way? You need to be very cautious about what the Internet is showing and saying about you. 

Internet screening may occur before or after an interview. If your account setting on social networking sites is open to the public, think twice about what you write and post. For instance, if you tend to keep your network of contacts informed about the status of your job hunt and interviews, you may have just shared the update with the potential employer screening you. 

Think of the impression the employer will form if they read your status post saying, “Job interview tomorrow – not really the type of work I want to do, but I know it will pay well” or “Just completed an interview – hated the HR contact, but loved the team.” These simple updates that were meant for your personal circle of friends may have just ruined your chances of any opportunity at the employer. 

There have also been cases of employees having been fired from the job or reprimanded because of inappropriate postings to a social networking site that their boss just so happened to come across. 

Here’s some insight to how employers are using the Internet to screen you – and what you should review to ensure your Internet presence shows your best front to potential employers.

• Google yourself. If you haven’t searched your own name on the Internet, Google it and see what shows up. You are likely to appear with your public LinkedIn profile page (if you have one), blogs you may have authored, photos and other information. Try to eliminate or change privacy settings to certain websites so that you do not present any information that may be damaging to you.
• Facebook: This social networking site has over 600 million users. If you are one of them, review what your profile page presents and restrict public access to your profile, postings, photos and friends list, if necessary. You can make changes in Account Settings to control who may view your account. If you have a relevant and professional blog or website to share with employers, you may consider adding it to your Information page and making that particular section open to the public.
• LinkedIn: This is one of the more professionally-oriented social networking sites. Employers are particularly interested in viewing recommendations from your colleagues and managers. Any information offered on professional groups you are associated with and questions answered or asked can help an employer learn more about your character and knowledge.
• Twitter: What issues are you tweeting about? Have you established a presence as an expert in any particular area?  How many people are following you?

It’s important to keep information appropriate and professional. Even with the 140-character limit per tweet, you can face a lot of damage with an employer when you write something inappropriate. By default, all accounts on Twitter are set for public view. Note that you can change your account settings to “protected” so that anyone who wishes to view your profile or follow you needs to be approved by you first.

As more employers rely on the Internet to obtain a more accurate picture and understanding of candidates, it is important that you err on the conservative side of what you write, post, and share on the Internet. In many instances, what you post on the Internet will remain there indefinitely and is accessible to everyone, so make sure it is consistent with your overall message.

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It’s easy to conclude that taking a lower-level position means putting the brakes on the career track or even taking a step back, but in fact, there can be a lot to gain in such a decision. Sometimes you have to take a step back in order to take a step forward in your career.

There are a number of practical reasons to why taking a lower position makes sense.

Career Changers: A large percentage of individuals changing careers will face the need to start near the beginning with entry level workers. If you make a drastic career change, such as going from ER nursing to accounting on the CPA track, you can’t expect an opportunity to jump right to the top until you have honed skills and subject matter expertise. Of course, if you have transferable skills from a previous career that may help to secure an opportunity above entry level.

Field of Practice Changers: There are many people who choose to stay in their profession, but make a change in their field of practice. For example, you may have started your career in marketing for the travel industry, but decided to switch gears to the pharmaceutical industry. A lateral move may not always be possible because, like the career changer, you may not have the necessary industry knowledge needed in the field, especially if it is a highly specialized sector. For instance, technical language used to market pharmaceuticals in the United States follow strict guidelines approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The approaches taken to marketing may be drastically different between two fields.

Job Changers: Job changers include individuals who want to make a switch in the type of company or organization they work for. Certainly, working for a non-profit is not the same as corporate and going from an agency to an in-house position has its differences. So, while you may take a lower position, the title and associated responsibilities may vary widely between employers – and it is important to consider the experiences and opportunities available with the open position. For instance, you may go from an agency to an in-house position at a lower level. Expectations for formal promotions also may vary given different corporate cultures involved. Essentially, you may start off in what is perceived as a lower position, but you wind up with far more advanced experiences that you might otherwise have.

The (Extended) Unemployed Candidate: The difficult economy has resulted in a large pool of unemployed individuals who are well-educated and qualified for positions. Under such circumstances, it’s not rare if you’ve been unemployed for over a year. There have simply been more qualified candidates than job openings available. So, it may come to a point where you have to make the decision to take a lower position in order to: a) bring home a paycheck to pay for essentials, b) maintain your marketability (after such an extensive period of unemployment, it may be a greater setback to remain unemployed – your marketability withers with time away from the market) and/or c) help secure a better job opportunity down the track (employers typically favor candidates who are already employed).

Regardless of the situation, here are key questions you should ask yourself to help decide whether taking a lower position is the right move for you and your career.

1. Does this type of job fit into my long-term career goal? Essentially, will it get me where I want to be down the road?
2. After taking this position and settling in, if I go back on the job hunting track, will I be able to communicate to a potential employer how the experience has helped me grow and evolve to be prepared for this next position?
3. Do I believe I can excel in the position and create realistic opportunity to advance within the company?
4. Will I be happier with the position? Most people spend a large part their life working, so it is important to be happy with what you do. Be wary of how dissatisfaction with a job can quickly lead to burnout.

If you answered yes to the questions above and can put your ego aside, making the decision to take a lower position can be a rational move to help steer your career forward. You can expect to be happier with life and your career. However, after taking a lower position, you need to maintain perspective on your reasons for the decision. It is easy to let pride get in the way of things.  Remember this decision is based on a long-term plan, not a short-term plan for your career.

We see recent graduates testing the water frequently. They graduate with a specific degree and career path in mind – to be a journalist, to be a white-collar crime analyst, to be a genetics researcher, etc. They land an entry-level position and soon realize it’s not the career they expected.

For recent graduates and individuals just starting a career, making a change in one’s career path is not as challenging as it is for those who have established themselves as an experienced professional in their field(s).

Many employers understand the drivers of this change. Some even see early professionals make several changes within the first five years of graduation and they realize that the positions sought most often by entry-level professionals may be considered a learning phase, so employers are not as critical about the change of heart.

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However, it’s a different story for candidates who have established themselves in a particular career. Whether you are someone who has started a career and left to be a stay-at-home parent, was laid off or have lost the passion behind a particular career path, making a career change has its challenges and employers are more critical.

Off the bat, employers will question the interest to change careers mid-way and whether you have thoughtfully processed what a change in career may mean. Often times, there will not be an opportunity for a lateral move and the pay scale may be different. Other questions employers may have will concern whether you have transferable skills from your previous experience.

Faced with the various challenges of a career change, be prepared to address the questions that will come your way by following some simple rules of advice. You’re going to need a different approach to impress potential employers.

1. Transferable skills: Identify 3-6 important skills that are transferable from your previous career that the employer will want to see out of a job candidate for the position. You can identify what skills are desired for a particular position by reviewing related job postings. You will notice a common list of skills employers tend to highlight for the position.
2. Focus on skills versus positions you’ve held: While most job candidates may showcase the positions they’ve held and highlight companies they’ve worked for, it will likely be irrelevant to an employer in your case. Immediately out to the gate, you need to focus on the transferable skills you have on your cover letter, resume and discussion with the potential employer. Whether it is leadership, project management, budgeting, writing or other skills, that needs to be your focus.
3. Demonstrate how the skills were applied: Maintain focus to express specifically how the skills were used and applied in your previous jobs and how you can see it apply in this new career. As tempting as it may be to discuss other skills you used and were successful at in your previous job, if it is irrelevant, it will add no value. In fact, discussing irrelevant skills for a position dilutes your message to the potential employer.
4. Obtain needed skills and knowledge: If at all possible, obtain some of the essential skills you will need with this new career before leaving your old one. If your employer offers education-assistance benefits, make use of the opportunity to obtain necessary skills that are transferable. Some employers only permit courses of relevance to your particular career and may require that you obtain a minimum grade level, in addition to a commitment to stay employed with the company for a certain amount of time after the completion of a course, to be reimbursed. Also, take the time to read up on the industry and field of business that the employer is involved with. Be familiar with terms commonly used in that line of business. Each field has their own lingo and you will impress the employer when they can see you are up-to-date with what’s happening in their world.
5. Find a mentor: Knowing someone already in the field is one the most beneficial things you can have in the process of a career change. A mentor can give you the inside scoop on what it’s like to work in a particular field, address the essential skills to have to be successful, and introduce you to important contacts or information to look for in potential job opportunities.

Many things in life change and while it may feel risky to make a career change mid-way, it is a step one should take having thoroughly reviewed and evaluated what the change may mean. It’s important to feel satisfied and fulfilled by one’s career, especially when one will end up spending most of the day in this environment.

When making a career change, you need to understand what sacrifices need to be made, which may include catching up on necessary knowledge and skills for a particular field, rebuilding a contacts list from scratch and, possibly, taking a pay cut and starting as a lower level.

If you are confident about your decision for a career change, willing to face the challenges to succeed in a new career and can demonstrate to potential employers you can apply what you already know and continue to learn and advance, you will make leaps over the hurdles of a career change.