CAREERS & F INANCE
CAREER REINVENTION
Moving into a different field means knowing how to sell your skills, experience and yourself to land the new career Kim Burns is director of community education and training at a community college. “Our typical student is a woman in her 40s and 50s,” says Burns. Career changers enter a variety of certificate programs. Some are looking to upgrade outdated skills, but many just want to do work they enjoy more. Burns has seen students enter programs in event management after enjoying planning work events and volunteer activities. Others may want work with more-flexible schedules, especially if they’re considering retirement options or spending more time with their families. The career change may be forced upon a worker by a bottomingout industry. Some career changers move into a different career in the same industry. Beth Bates of Billerica, Mass., has a bachelor’s degree in computer science and was working for Intel as a software
Story By: Teresa Odle
engineer. The job carried a lot of responsibility and the promise of management, but it also had long hours. “I didn’t want to work every night. I wanted to come home and take care of and be with my kids,” says Bates. She enrolled in a technical-writing program and now works as an intermediate technical writer for Innovatia, doing contract writing for a company that produces networking switches and routers. A MONEY Magazine/Salary.com survey reported that almost onehalf of employers say they regularly target mid-career changers when recruiting. If you’re considering a career change, you only need to take a few steps to sell yourself and your skills – past and new – to potential employers.
Bates says many people have asked her about her career change. “I tell them it’s very scary, but I would encourage anyone considering it to go for it. There are jobs out there.” • MATURITY MATTERS. Work experience is a plus, even if it’s in another field or career. So don’t throw out your old résumé; it only needs reworking. • MEASURE SUCCESS. As with any experience, quantify what you accomplished in the past. For example, if you used to do budgeting, instead of just saying so, list how much money you saved or how large an amount you had responsibility over. • FOCUS ON SKILLS TRANSFER. Many skills in your first career transfer to your new one, so highlight those in your résumé and interviews. Bates had many skills that made her an attractive candidate as a technical writer. “I understand release cycles, deadlines and am used to dangling a lot of details,” says Bates. • PLAN AHEAD. Impulsive is fun, but making a major change requires planning ahead and will show a potential employer that you have your act together. A career change requires additional training. Many people plan a few years ahead and tuck money away so they can afford to attend a full-time program. • GET HELP. Ask someone in the new field for help to learn more about the industry; this also helps you better prepare your résumé. And turn to your local community college. “I went to a conference where someone said that community colleges are the new graduate school,” said Burns. She says they offer certificates, degrees and flexibility. And the price is right.
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