Are you listening to that little voice in your head telling you how much you dislike your job? If not, you may become angry with those around you, when in fact, you'll be angry at yourself for failing to taking the necessary steps to change your career -- or job within the same industry. Career change is not always easy. For some, the simple task of deciding what to do is often the hardest part. For others who know what they want to do, they often feel it will take too long to achieve their career goals when there are bills to pay.
It is even more difficult when those around us do not understand our "crazy ideas" because they are too practical to make sacrifices for the sake of happiness. So what should you do to steer your career in the right direction without upsetting the family and draining your bank account? Here are a few suggestions to get you on the right career track to job fulfillment.
Work for yourself
Don't quit your day job just yet. Launching a business is a challenge in itself. Regardless of size, any worthwhile business takes a lot of planning, development, and maintenance to compete and stay in business. The key to successful business ownership begins with a passion to do something you enjoy,
followed by a financial investment that depends on the business. Sometimes it is minimal, requiring a small space and general office equipment. For larger ventures, a business loan from a bank or the SBA might be necessary. Still, it takes time to turn a profit right away. So, if you can, start small while working full time and gradually build your business until you feel secure enough financially to leave that steady paycheck to take your business to the next level. You can always hire part-time employees, student interns, friends, and family members to help you in the beginning and in the long run.
Attend college or vocational training school
You don't always need to attend college full time. If you took a few classes each semester, you'd be amazed how happy you'd be just knowing you are working towards your goal. And, it doesn't always need to be a four-year college. Maybe there is a vocational school that offers the type of academic training you need to make a career change in a shorter period of time for a fraction of the cost. Other options include distance learning programs where you can study in the comfort of your own home at your own pace.
Change jobs internally
Sometimes happiness is only a department away! If you work for a proactive company that posts job openings internally, this might be the perfect opportunity for you to change careers while growing with the same company. Your career change can be very drastic if you have a supportive company that is willing to train you. Best of all, they might even pay for you to attend college to prepare you for that career change. If they don't post internally, keep your ears open to learn about new business developments within the company. Speak with your human resources representative to inquire about career growth opportunities and what you need to do to make a career change internally.
Create a position at your current company
Sometimes you know better than anyone in the company what is needed. If you can put a business plan together to present to management illustrating how this new idea would benefit the company financially and logistically, you might succeed at creating a new position--or even a new department! This is a great way to do what you do best in a new capacity because you will be the person who will determine what the job description will be. Pretty cool!
Transition to a new career by answering a classified ad
Again, don't quit your job just yet. You are always more marketable when you have a job. If you are ready to take drastic measures to find overnight career happiness, you should have your resume and cover letter professionally prepared to answer those classified ads in the newspaper or online. Even if you are just exploring the possibility of changing careers, this is a good exercise to see how
marketable you are (how much money you can make), develop your interviewing skills, and to learn about what's out there beyond the walls of your office cubicle!
Go back to what you used to do--and love
Sounds crazy right? How many times have you heard someone say, "I used to work doing such and such. It didn't pay that well, but I loved it." It is not uncommon to leave what we love because it doesn't pay the bills. Money seems like everything these days. But, when we're unhappy, we know it's really not. We need to find a compromise--something we enjoy doing that will make us want to get up every morning so we can live that old adage that claims you'll never work a day in your life if you work at doing what you love.
Ann Baehr is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and President of Best Resumes of New York. Notable credentials include her role as former Second Vice President of the National Resume Writers' Association and published contributor to over twenty resume and cover letter books by McGraw-Hill, Jist Publishers, and Adams Media. To learn more, visit Best Resumes of New York at http://www.e-bestresumes.com
I'M CHANGING CAREERS - HOW DO I FORMAT MY RESUME?
The best resume format to use is the combination resume. This resume format is not chronological nor functional. It combines both! It is extremely flexible and allows you to use strategies in a way that would normally be considered wrong.
The difference between the combination format and the chronological format is that the chronological format resume is very easy to follow. The hiring manager will typically start to read the chronological resume at the bottom of the work history or professional experience section (heading depends on your career level) and will continue reading his or her way up towards the top to trace your career history. If there are employment gaps, it will be obvious because it is difficult to hide breaks in employment using this resume format. This is why most hiring managers prefer the chronological resume format. It is easy to read and leaves little to the imagination. This can be a great advantage (marketing tool) if you have been in the same type of position because it shows continuity and progression in your industry.
But what happens when you've held different types of positions across several industries? Some reasons for gaps in employment or holding too many/unrelated jobs include raising children, caring for a family member, illness, returning to college, corporate downsizing or merger, joining the military, and difficulty finding work for long stretches of time because of a tight job market or weak resume! Hey, things happen. That's life! You can't worry about the past. It's time to think about the future. So, the first thing you will need to do is toss your old resume. It will not help you to change your career. It's time to make a fresh start!
First, create a resume that clearly indicates at the top what type of position you are seeking.
Include a career summary section that highlights where you've been in your career, being careful to only mention what would be of most interest to this particular company. Emphasize your transferable experience and skills that match the qualifications of the position (if there is a job ad, study it and do your best to make a connection between the position's requirements and what you've done. Do not use the exact wording!).
Use a keywords section to list transferable skills so the reader can find them immediately. This is also important if the company uses resume scanning technology. This will ensure your resume is retrieved from the company's database in response to a keyword search.
Under your Professional Experience section or Work History (again, depends on your background), present your experience in functional sections such as General Management, Sales Management, Staff Training and Supervision, Budget Planning and Tracking , etc.
Take ALL of the experience you've gained over the years and categorize it into skill/functional areas that the new position requires. If the company is seeking someone to manage budgets, and you managed budgets ten years ago and four years ago, but not in your last two jobs, then list the collective experience under a Budget category. Continue this formula until each respective category has a minimum of four bulleted sentences or two two-lined sentences to support the name of the heading. It is a good idea to have at least three categories to show how well rounded you are.
Below this section, list the companies, locations, job titles, and dates. You can either create a separate section named Work History if you've already called the above section Professional Experience, or simply list the section without a main heading as part of the main section. It will be understood. Or, you can start the section off with the company names and dates followed by the functional categories. In other words, flip it.
The most common problem with this resume format is identifying where your experience was gained. But, that's the whole idea. If they are interested in what you can do, they will call you in for the interview. It is at that time you can explain the how, when, where, and why of it all. It will make for great conversation-- which by the way, a job interview should be. A meeting between two people with a common interest (the position) who engage in conversation in a professional manner.
Ann Baehr is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and President of Best Resumes of New York. Notable credentials include her role as former Second Vice President of the National Resume Writers' Association and published contributor to over twenty resume and cover letter books by McGraw-Hill, Jist Publishers, and Adams Media. To learn more, visit Best Resumes of New York at http://www.e-bestresumes.com
Forensic Accounting- CSI of Accounting Jobs
Forensic accountants work in two primary areas, investigative accounting and litigation support. Investigative accounting encompasses not just the numbers and documents of a company, but the business environment as well. Forensic accountants investigate the financial operations of an enterprise and prepare information that may be used in a criminal or civil court case. Forensic accountants provide investigative services or provide support for litigation.
Forensic accountants will often spend time at the business they are investigating, collecting and analyzing financial data. Most of this analysis is done on the computer, so good computer skills and knowledge of software is essential to this position. The forensic accountant will collect evidence and documentation that may be used in a courtroom proceeding, and will prepare reports to be used the management of the company being investigated, parties to the litigation or law enforcement agencies. Often, the forensic accountant will be required to testify in court or provide depositions as to their findings.
Forensic accountants are employed by a variety of companies and agencies. Many law enforcement agencies have forensic accountants on staff to assist with criminal investigations. Often, these accountants follow the money trail to help track and prosecute a criminal. Many CPA firms have forensic accountants on staff, and more firms are specializing in forensic accounting to assist with shareholder and partnership disputes, business loss, fraud or employee theft investigations and professional negligence issues. Other forensic accountants work for or with insurance companies to investigate business interruption and other types of claims. Forensic accountants routinely work for or with law enforcement agencies, lawyers, insurance companies, business owners and government agencies.
About 40% of the top 100 accounting firms in the United States now have a forensic accounting department, and the field is expected to be one of the top 20 job markets in the next few years. How do you become a forensic accountant? A bachelor's degree in accounting is required, and most are already certified public accountants (CPA's). Additional coursework in areas like law enforcement and criminal justice is usually required, and some legal training is helpful. You may want to pursue a accreditation as a certified fraud examiner (CFE) from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. This is a nationally recognized accreditation similar to the CPA designation.
Entry salaries in this field range from upwards of $30,000 to $60,000, but experienced forensic accountants often exceed $100,000 per year and more.
So, if you are looking for a lucrative, interesting job with plenty of upward mobility, consider forensic accounting. With almost unlimited growth for the next few decades, it's an accounting job with great potential.
About The Author:
Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.accounting-center.info a website specialized on Accounting Jobs, resources and articles. This site provides updated information on Accounting Jobs. For more info on Accounting Jobs visit: http://www.accountin
