Getting your player ready...
Dear J.T. & DALE: I have been on a financial roller coaster since entering the mortgage loan business in 2005. Recent articles on the industry have convinced me it’s on the decline. However, it seems like a waste to change industries. I’m now working for a national lender, but it’s strictly commission. I’m worried about my future. I’d like to try something new, but my bills are not small, due to student loans! – Pam
J.T.: Well, Pam, if you’re honest with yourself and step back and read what you wrote, I think you can guess the answer I’m about to give you: Start moving on. Nobody should feel this insecure. The writing is on the wall; don’t ignore it. If you “hang in there” and “wait and see,” then you’ll probably get laid off or fired, and you’ll find yourself grabbing another mortgage loan job because you’ll have to move quickly to pay those bills. Instead, begin an orderly career course correction. I encourage you to carve out time each week to devote to learning how to brand yourself and your transferable skills so you can network into employers in other industries. DALE: In the new economy, we don’t just need to figure out the right job, but the right job in the right company in the right industry. There are no stable jobs in a weak company or a declining industry. In fact, before you walk away from all your financial knowledge, you might research the entire loan industry. Perhaps you could work for one of the thriving online mortgage companies, or perhaps you’ll see yourself fitting into the emerging boom market in auto loans. You can do this research online, or perhaps you have a stockbroker friend who could help guide you. If you can find a growing company in a growing segment of the financial industry, you might be able to enjoy a good long run without starting over. Dear J.T. & DALE: I have worked as a licensed optician for nearly 10 years. Knowing that I needed a change, I went back to school and got my business degree while working. I have triedapplying to dozens of jobs where I’d be a good fit. I’m not getting results. What’s missing? – Ken DALE: Before we address your problem, Ken, let’s take a moment to consider your story as a cautionary tale. The old model was: Figure out the degree you want, then step up into a better job. Now that has reversed: You need to identify the job you want, then meet with people doing that job and ask how you can get there. You pay for additional education only if all the people in the job say something like this: “First, you have to have a degree, and once you have it, here’s how you get a job.” J.T.: Yes, despite what society tells us, a degree no longer opens doors the way it once did. Moreover, while you earned the degree, you weren’t starting to put it into practice by doing internships or working in the new industry. So now you are in a position where you know you have the skills and aptitude to do other things, but your résumé tells a different story. DALE: By starting over in a new career, you are competing against other recent college grads. While having work experience has advantages, it also takes you out of the typical recent-grad model. Employers see that you are older than other graduates and are used to higher pay, and they wonder what your résumé is doing in their pile. Instead of calling you to find out, they simply move on to the next résumé. J.T.: The solution is to create a new career story. You must identify new careers or jobs that will connect the dots for potential employers. Then you’re going to have to stop applying online, and instead network your way into companies of interest. You need to be able to tell your new career story first, then show hiring managers your résumé. This will help them screen you in instead of screening you out.
Management guru Dale Dauten has written six books and is an authority on innovation in the workplace. His latest book, “Great Employees Only: How Gifted Bossess Hire & Dehire Their Way to Success” is available at Dauten.com. copyright 2013 King Features.
