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Switching careers can seem risky and daunting. Other times you don’t have a choice –you’re laid off or you’ve taken too many pay cuts. The average American worker changes jobs five to seven times in a lifetime. Career change is a journey, a continual process that requires a lot of time and energy, patience and flexibility, and a strong support network.
Sometimes you find a job description that highlights a need for experience. You want to get into the industry but have no experience. How can you gain experience if no one will hire you? It’s a paradox, but there are lots of different routes to get to the next level in your career.
What candidates do in a job interview is often more important than what they say. It’s important to be aware of your body language—even if the interviewer isn’t conscious of it, she is making constant judgments about your attitude and personality as conveyed by your posture, your eye contact and even your hand gestures. In fact, she’s already assessing you before you even open your mouth to say hello.
An apprenticeship is a paid period of training that allows you to learn a particular set of skills. If you’re sure of the industry you want to delve into, an apprenticeship might be a great way to explore it and familiarize yourself with the necessary skills.
Whether you’re just starting your career or you’re a seasoned veteran, there’s always room for growth and making sure that you’ll reach your maximum potential in your field. And sure, there are contextual and external factors that affect you that are out of your control, but the key to unlock your future is in your hands.
It’s inevitable. At some point in your quest to land the perfect job, you’re going to face rejection. Sometimes you knew the job was a reach. You knew for sure that you were lacking a certain qualification. You knew you fumbled an important technical question during the interview.
Resumes aren’t necessarily the most important component of the job search process, but they are usually the first step and a great way to get the ball rolling and to showcase experience and your talents. It’s important to keep an up-to-date resume on file. You never know what will happen or when you’ll need to have it ready, even if you’re in the coziest job you’ve ever had.
Phone interviews are a cost-effective way of screening candidates and determining whether to advance them to the next round of the hiring process. Sometimes these interviews are conducted by an HR representative; sometimes by a whole panel of screeners. They average 20 to 30 minutes in length. Because the entire interview must be completed without the aid of nonverbal cues, candidates often feel anxious and defensive, especially during those awkward silences.
Let’s face it, searching for a new job can be overwhelming and one of those tasks that you often procrastinate. You fear getting ignored, getting rejected, plus the colossal amount of time you have to commit to the process. But with these job-searching tips, you can stay motivated and ultimately land the job you want.
Congratulations on your new job! Changing jobs can be very stressful. The first three months are often an extension of the interview process as you learn a new role while navigating social and organizational norms and trying to please the new boss. But those who are prepared in those first days are more focused, more at ease and more successful.