This is how to network your way to a new career

• 2-minute read •
The office holiday parties are over. You drank, you schmoozed, you exchanged business cards, and hopefully you left before things got weird.

So now that it’s back to the daily grind, it’s time to turn that pocket full of business cards (and those vague memories of brief chats in festive settings) into real relationships.

But where do you start?

“I approach networking as a way of solving problems,” says Kelly Hoey, author of Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships in a Hyper-Connected World. “Think of it as making yourself visible for the things you want to be known for.”

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New Technologies Spawn New Professions

• 2-minute read •
The advent of new technology platforms continues to spawn the creation of jobs that were not present the decade prior. From social media, to blogs and mobile apps, the rise in new technologies means job seekers are required to learn new skill sets and become familiar with new platforms and industries. While keeping up with these new trends can be daunting – as they continually shift – they may prove useful to explore in terms of firming up job prospects for today and tomorrow.

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When it’s OK to tell your boss you’re looking for a new job

It may seem counterintuitive, but you don’t always have to sneak around when you’re job searching.
A full-force job search requires time, effort and a considerable amount of maneuvering when you currently work full time.

You may have to take a sick day, or a phone call during lunch. You may even have to get crafty to account for your sudden absenteeism at your current job. Then, there’s the interview suit situation: Next you’re finding yourself changing in your car or a gas station to return to the office in casual mode.

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Five Ways to Make Starting a New Career Less Scary

If you believe most of the current magazines that profile successful entrepreneurs or others with high-profile careers, then you probably think that the best way to change careers is to close your eyes, max out your credit cards, and leap off the cliff. While that makes for a great story, the truth is quite different, and less risky. Most people that have changed careers successfully have done one or more of the following.

Here are five ways to make starting your new career less scary and more rewarding:

1. Planning And Clarity Make The Unknown Known...And Less Scary
What type of career change will meet your needs? Slow down and explore as many options as possible. Marci Taub, co-author of ³Work Smart: 250 Smart Moves Your Boss Already Knows,² notes that it is important to ³clarify whether you need a full career change, a career shift, or an industry or sector change before you leap.²

The more specific your plans, the less scary they are. Find out as much as you can about your prospective career. This could include: the number of working hours typical of that career, any specialized training you'll need, and if there's a lot of burnout in that field. Another reason to plan ahead: the higher the risk of your new venture, the more planning you need to do to increase your chances for success.

2. Talk To Others Who Have Changed Careers Lately
If you are working in a secure job for a large company, you are probably surrounded by others working in secure jobs for a large company. These are not the people who can give you advice about changing careers. Even worse is hanging around with disgruntled types because they support your ideas about leaving. Their unhappiness can be contagious. The fact that they are miserable but not willing to do anything about it but complain confirms that they have nothing to teach you.

On the other hand, if you talk to people who have just made the change to a career that is meaningful and satisfying to them, they have a wealth of information that will be useful and motivating. Find out what their concerns were, and how they've handled them. What would they do differently? What do they recommend for your situation? Talk to enough people that you get an overview of what it takes to make it in a new career.

3. Talk To Others Who Have Long-Since Changed Careers
Temper the enthusiasm and optimism of those who have just made the change, with the wisdom and depth of experience of those who see the big picture. When you talk to people who made a significant career change quite a while ago, you learn what works over the long-run, and what to do when the excitement wears off. Do they still like what they do? What challenges took them by surprise, and how did they respond? How much of their success was due to their own efforts as opposed to being in the right place at the right time? Keep asking different people until you notice patterns of how the process unfolds for most people.

4. Soul-Searching Prevents Making The Same Mistakes In New Career
Don't just use your intellect; use your intuition. To soul-search means to contemplate your situation based on what your SOUL cares about. That might include:

• your quality of life
• the meaning behind what you do
• spending time on what you care about
• understanding that your life has a deeper purpose than just making a living

Depending on your personality, you may need to do more or less soul-searching. If you tend to act impulsively, and seem to continually end up in similar problematic situations, you need to do MORE. Therapy or career coaching can help you better understand why you want to make a change, and can help you ensure that you aren¹t just running from one bad situation to one that¹s even worse.

But if you tend to agonize over every decision, large or small, and would much prefer to think through every detail until the opportunity is no longer available, you may need to do LESS contemplating and more doing.

True insight and curiosity about what makes you tick doesn't lead to endless procrastination. In fact, the better you know yourself, the less likely it is that you'll allow yourself to be tripped up with insecurities or needing to prove yourself to others.

5. Put Your Career In A Larger Context
If you define yourself by your job title, salary level, or other aspect of your career, making a change will feel like changing your identity. However, if you see your place in the universe defined by more than your job, you'll have a sense of simply taking a new step down your unique path.

How can you make your career change less scary? There are lots of ways. These are just a few. I hope they get you started on your ongoing journey. Let that journey include understanding yourself better all the time and making career choices that enhance ALL aspects of your life.

You're In Charge, Now What? A Leadership Guide for New Supervisors

Congratulations you are the new boss! Building trust and credibility as a leader is like building a house. It begins with a plan, laying a solid foundation and proceeds one step at a time. Whether this is your first supervisory position or you are an experienced manager you should proceed with your transition methodically the first 90 days on the job. How do you quickly establish yourself with those you lead? What do you do first? Here are a few ideas to consider:

Delay making major decisions-Don't allow yourself to be pressured in making major changes or big decisions during the beginning of your transition. Try to take a low-key approach until you are ready for your first group meeting. Gather information, see how things are done and get to know your people before disrupting status quo. Once you gain "acceptance," understand why they do what they do, then your people will more willingly support you, your changes and your leadership style.

Identify the informal leaders-Informal leaders will make you or break you. The first thing I did when taking over a new assignment was to find and try to befriend the informal leaders. Informal leaders are those who control and influence people in your office or organization. In the beginning, they have more power than you do. In some situations, the informal leader is respected by others . . .sometimes they are irritants. Nonetheless, try to make them your allies so they don't sabotage what you are trying to do. If you work in a unionized environment make sure you keep union officials informed and involved as much as possible.

Find the history-Discover what successes your group is proud of. A leader gains respect when taking the time to know what the group has done in the past. Recognizing accomplishments of the past will help build your credibility for future goal setting.

Interview your people-I worked for a leader who personally interviewed everyone in the organization. This is time consuming but paid dividends. It took several weeks, but he immediately established himself, gained the respect of everyone and captured critical information. Since you are new and perceived as neutral, people are more willing to tell you the "truth" about the work environment. Here are questions to ask.

• What can I do to help you accomplish your job?
• What is keeping you from doing your best?
• What makes you feel appreciated?
• What did my predecessor do that we should continue?
• What did my predecessor do that we should stop?
• Are you considering leaving this job for another? Why?
• What do you see as my role in this organization?
• What direction do you think we should go?

Begin problem-solving-With information gained from the interviews begin making changes to some of the common issues/problems affecting your group. This will show you are serious about helping make worklife better.

Conduct a group meeting-Avoid having a group meeting until you have something specific to say and enough background information to speak with authority. At the meeting highlight their past successes, some of the issues or problems affecting the group and what you plan on doing. Talk about some of the changes you are considering and why. Here are some other items to cover in this meeting:

• Your background and experience
• Just enough personal information to show you are human
• Your expectations
• Your pet peeves
• Your leadership style
• How they should approach you with problems
• What to do with new ideas and suggestions

Set Goals-Now that you have gained the respect and trust of your group you are now ready to set goals for the future. There are many ways to set goals, but the main thing is don't do it in the dark. If you followed these steps in this article, goal setting will be a piece of cake. Depending on your style of leadership and experience level will dictate the best way.

How to Leverage Your Training as a Nurse into a New Career

When it comes to marketing your skills for a career change, your nursing background may be more valuable than you might realize.

Kate Christmas says nursing has opened all sorts of doors for her, since she became a registered nurse in 1976. Christmas was attracted to trauma nursing and worked for five years as a flight nurse. She wanted a change and went into a managerial position as a nightshift supervisor at a hospital. When family obligations made it necessary for her to get a daytime job, she became a nurse at a surgery center. A few years later, an advertisement for a job as a nurse recruiter at a hospital caught her fancy, so she applied.

“Healthcare recruitment was something I had never thought of or even knew was a possibility when I went into nursing as a career,” Christmas says.

Still, she got the job because she knew what it was like to work for a hospital, understood nursing roles and had good communication skills. Today, Christmas is vice president of the Health Care Division at Bernard Hodes Group. She consults with hospital and health system human resources departments about how to improve recruiting and retention strategies.

“The things that nurses always have to think about are the two magic words: transferable skills,” Christmas says. “Our training is so wonderful and practical in every aspect of life. You don’t want to wait until you’re burned out [to change jobs or careers because when you are you lose enthusiasm. What you want to always keep alive is your enthusiasm. If you’re an enthusiastic person, and you present yourself in a positive way, I would say the sky is the limit to what you can do.”

Jacqueline Haas, RN, BSN, agrees. Haas used her background as a cardiac and critical care nurse to catapult her from bedside care into the sales arena. She got her first job in sales with a company that sold disposable medical supplies. Haas says her skills made her the valuable choice for the job. After all, she was experienced with using disposable supplies, could multitask and manage time well, and was skilled at dealing with different types of people—from patients and their families to physicians and other healthcare providers.

Now, as manager of clinical sales at Ibex Health Data Systems, a software company, Haas says that the combination of sales and clinical experience helped her land her latest post. “My message to fellow nurses is to get the clinical experience and the avenues will open up. Nursing opens up a tremendous amount of opportunities, and you can decide what path you want to go down.”

There are many reasons nurses might be ready for change,: A Guide for Discovering Your Ultimate Profession. “…you graduated from a program and now you are ready for something bigger; you feel like you have learned all you can in your present position and you want to learn something new; you have always wanted to go into a certain area and now the opportunity has arisen; you saw a job advertised online and you new it would be perfect for you…,”.

We suggest that if you’re feeling the itch to make a change, search for your own inner clarity and direction. Find out what your options are before you are completely ready to leave your current job. Talk to people in those roles and do some soul searching to determine which careers seem to capitalize on what you like to do. Identify companies that you’d want to work for, research their needs and network.

Nursing is one of today’s most versatile careers, that serves biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and science. “I think it’s because the people who are successful in nursing have a caring attitude, so they truly want to be helpful and assist people, making them ideal from a customer service standpoint.”

The professional world has many opportunities. You might want a change within the profession. If you’re a staff nurse, that could mean getting additional training to specialize in an area of medicine or go into advanced practice. Alternatively, you could find clinical research or academia more in line with what you want to do for the foreseeable future. Or, like Haas, the financial potential and challenge of biotech or pharmaceutical sales might be the answer.

Staff nurses often seek advancement to management level positions. These leadership roles, he says, require clinical as well as leadership skills. If you’re thinking about moving into management, gain leadership experience where you can (in volunteer or professional positions) and consider taking a leadership course.

Fowler also notes that nurses are often attracted to medical and pharma sales. “I have a colleague who just had an opportunity for a nurse at a medical device company,” he says.

While pharmaceutical sales tend to be an easy transition for many nurses, Fowler says that nurses are often caring and compassionate and sales is more a tough, cutthroat environment. You can use your strengths to overcome your lack of sales experience by emphasizing your ability to work with physicians (or the buyers of medications) and speak intelligently about medical products and medications.

“We find that nurses’ skills come in handy in just about every job type, Sometimes it just takes a little tweaking to meet your career objectives.”

Your new computer

The days when the humble Biro was the most valued and trusted tool that

you had at your disposal have gone and most of today’s workers are dependant upon their computers to perform their roles effectively.

When you start a new job, you have to get to grips with your new computer as
quickly as possible to make sure it works to your advantage.

Logging on
Before you begin, make sure that you are connected to the network. An initial set-up of your computer will have been done prior to your employment start date. Ensure that your computer ID has been activated - usually you will have been provided with these details as part of your employee Welcome pack.

Your user name and initial password will already be assigned to you but you will have the option to change the password to one of your choosing once you have activated your computer.

Equipment
Check that the office printers have been installed on your computer. You can do this simply by clicking Start –Printers & Faxes.

If you are expected to use your computer for more than four hours each day, then request a VDU screen from your Human Resources department. And don’t
forget that you are also entitled to a free eye test under law.

Shortcuts
Over the first few days of your job you will find out which files and folders are important for you to do your job effectively. The best method to ensure these can be quickly accessed is to create shortcuts on your desktop. To do this simply right-click on any icon

Bookmarks
The internet is your friend and there are plenty of sites that will help you do your job more effectively. Bookmarking these pages will help you to access them quickly when you need to, which can be done by pressing ctrl-d on your keyboard.

Passwords
It can be a nightmare trying to remember usernames and passwords for all the various programmes you use in your job. A simple method is to open a plain text file called ‘useful stuff’ that you can quickly access to give you a reminder when required.

Email
You’re likely to be faced with a barrage of emails in your first few weeks regarding procedures, strategies, log in details, as well as your day-to-day tasks. Try to set up a few clearly defined folders that you can move each email into to help you stay on top of things and not have to spend 10 minutes looking for every email you need.

Calendar
Are there any regular meetings you must attend, deadlines you have to meet or things you have to check every week? Put them all in your computer’s calendar and you’ll receive reminders when you need to be somewhere or when something’s due.

Ergonomics
Long hours at a poorly designed computer workstation can cause aches and pains in the neck and back, shoulders, lower extremities, arms, wrists, hands, eyestrain, and create a general feeling of tension and irritability. Reduce your risk of such complaints by:
• Placing the monitor directly in front of you at eye level
• Ensure that the monitor is at arm’s length from your eyes
• Position yourself so your forearms are parallel to the floor when typing

Training
Every company has their own bespoke computer programmes, so it is important
that you are educated about all the software and programmes that you will need to use in order to perform your job. Make sure that you keep a list of any questions that you are unsure about.
And if your knowledge or experience is weak in some applications such as MS Excel, then use this training as an opportunity to develop your skills.


Aesthetics
Finally, if your company permits it, set up a nice image for your computer’s wallpaper to give it a bit of personality. There are millions of free images available on Google Image Search, so type in a keyword and find one you like,
right-click and select the ‘Set as Background’ option. Your Hawaiian paradise awaits!

Six Signs That You Should Run -- Not Walk -- from Your New Job

So you've finally landed a new job and you're thrilled. Hopefully, your new position will be one that provides you with support, great opportunities and plenty of recognition for your successes. Unfortunately, a company that seems like Cinderella during the interview process can end up looking more like an ugly stepsister once you actually join the team. Here are six real-life, obvious signs that it's time to run away and never look back!

1. You ask your new boss for supplies and she hands you a pencil and a small notepad -- and nothing else. While not all companies can afford to outfit employees with state-of-the-art laptops, mobile phones, palmtops and company credit cards, it is important that you are given the tools that you need in order to do your job. If you aren't, or if the company questions you every time you ask for a new pen, it could be an indication of financial stress.

2. You were shown to your desk on your first day at work, given a company manual and haven't been spoken to since. Even if you have years of experience, you should always be given some kind of orientation or training during your first days on a new job. The companies that are known as the best places to work all have substantial training programs and processes in place to make sure new employees feel comfortable and supported right from the start. Be wary if you feel like you have been left to go it alone.

3. Every time you tell someone about your new job with the company they raise their eyebrows and say 'Really? Wow... good luck with that.' A company's reputation isn't always completely accurate, but it does usually stem from legitimate information. Good companies to work for are typically well-known and well-respected in their communities. In fact, you should ask others in your industry and the local business community what their thoughts are about the company when you are doing your initial research. If everyone you ask has a negative tale about your new employer, the chances are that their impressions have some validity.

4. After two weeks on the job, you are already halfway to becoming the employee with the most seniority. One of the biggest issues for human resources professionals today is employee retention. You will notice that most of the country's top companies have employees who have been around for years. Lengthy employee tenure is often a sign that the company is doing something right. 'I joined a firm and learned that the company had seven other employees come and go in the past year,' says Sarah, a public relations executive. 'What's worse is that it was only a five-person operation. That should have been the first sign that the company was not a great place to work.'

5. You answer the phone while the company's secretary is away from her desk and find that the voice at the other end is a debt collection agency calling for the third time that week. While this sounds unbelievable, this actually happened to one worker, who said other employees at the company were eventually instructed to not answer the phones. 'It became a joke with all of us,' she commented. 'We used to run out and cash our pay cheques as soon as we got paid and were always afraid that they were going to bounce!' If you see any signs that your company is in real financial or legal trouble, get your C.V. back out on the market.

6. You notice that every day for the last five days, at least one person has run crying from your boss's office. While not everyone's boss is a bundle of joy, you should expect to be treated with respect in the workplace. If you see signs that the executives running your company make all of the other employees shake with fear, burst into tears or work on edge all the time, look for a greener pasture. There are companies out there that find success without putting employees through the ringer.

You will not know everything about your new company until you put in your time, but if you get a bad feeling right away, there is probably a good reason for it. Trust your instincts when you start a new job, and know what qualities you want to see when you walk into the office. Doing so can keep you from being stuck in a dead-end situation that leaves you frustrated and unfulfilled.

Turning a Love of the Arts into a New Career - Career Change Profile: Brian Johnson

When Brian Johnson tired of his job at a small financial advisory firm in Madison, Wisconsin, he wanted to make the transition into a career closer to his passions.

“I knew I wanted something different, something more,” Johnson says. “After four years doing something I was good at but wasn’t crazy about, I knew it was time to find something I could really put my heart into.”

Johnson always loved the arts. At the University of Oklahoma, he received a bachelor of music, focusing on percussion performance. And while living in Madison, Johnson spent his free time as a freelance musician as well as music arranger and instructor for the Madison Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps.

Starting the Search

After taking some time off to go to Thailand, Johnson returned to Wisconsin and scaled back to working part-time while he thought his career through. He worked on construction projects at his late father-in-law’s house, apprenticing under his wife’s grandfather -- it was a perfect forum for self-reflection. As Johnson trimmed and nail-gunned Sheetrock, he asked himself over and over again: What do I want to do next?

A friend referred him to an occupational psychologist, who gave Johnson tests to find out what jobs appealed to him most. The psychologist helped Johnson understand he was searching for a career that could fuel and coexist with his happiness.

“I was going about it the wrong way,” Johnson says. “All along, I was focused on finding a position where I could maximize my talents and have a big impact, but after talking with him, I realized that what was more important was to find an organization whose vision I agreed with; something in the arts.”

Networking Turns into a Job Opportunity

As Johnson set out researching potential professions by thumbing through headings in the Yellow Pages, a friend on the board of the nonprofit Madison Ballet mentioned the group needed a new business manager. Johnson was intrigued and applied. He got an interview.

“As I started talking to these people, I realized that while the ballet wasn’t music, it was still very much the arts, which meant it was a way to facilitate creativity in young people while teaching them about life,” Johnson says. “The arts are laden with educational opportunities in a way that not much else is.”

After a series of interviews, the ballet board offered Johnson the job. He quickly was promoted to executive director, a position from which he orchestrated tremendous growth. Under his leadership, the group amassed hundreds of new members, dozens of new dancers and launched a number of new programs. During Johnson's tenure, the ballet was also the recipient of a $210 million gift for a new performing arts center: The Overture Center for the Arts.

Johnson left the ballet for a job with a high tech startup in January 2008 but says his time at the Madison Ballet was one of the most fulfilling professional experiences of his life. “Every day, we were helping these young artists learn about ballet and about life,” he remembers. “To me, there’s no greater calling than that.”

Four Ways to Follow Your Own Passion

Here are Johnson’s top four tactical suggestions for changing careers and following your own passion:

• View Job Hunting as a Job: “You should take finding a job as seriously as a job itself,” Johnson says. “Commit to the process of working on the resume, networking and finding job postings. Spend at least five to 10 hours a week. If you’re really trying to hit a home run with your next job, it’s not enough to wait for a new career to fall in your lap. You have to get out there and find it.”
  
  
• Get Impartial Advice: “Your family will always encourage you, but talk with people who are not vested in your career outcome,” Johnson advises. “Personally, I recommend an occupational psychologist or mentors. You want to find someone who is objective to help you dissect the issues and help you figure out what it is you’re truly passionate about.”
  
  
• Focus on Your Resume: “The resume is a standardized tool for the employment process, and it behooves you to spend the time to get it right,” Johnson says. “Read sample resumes, and pay close attention to the phrasing, words and verbiage. Ultimately, your job comes down to how well you can market yourself, and you may need to extend your vocabulary beyond where it is now.”
  
  
• Build Your Network: Since a friend’s recommendation landed him his job at the ballet, Johnson is up on networking. “Joining service clubs such as Rotary International, the Lions Club and Kiwanis is a good way to network and find new opportunities,” he says. “In these groups, you will create relationships that are deeper than they would be in a traditional employee-employer situation. In the end, the relationships can only help you follow your passion.”

Getting a new boss

There are few things that generate as much anxiety in the workplace as the introduction of a new boss. Some people fear widespread changes whilst others welcome it like a breath of fresh air.

A new manager can be the catalyst that reignites your career and provide you with the opportunity to make an impression, prove your worth to the company and potentially alter the course of your career.

So, if you want to get on the good side of a new boss, take the initiative and stand out from your colleagues.

Create your second first impression
Psychologists have deliberated for years the question of how quickly the human mind makes a first impression of something or someone. Some argue that it takes two minutes whereas others suggest it takes as little as two seconds. Whoever you believe, the point is that first impressions are important.

Getting a new boss means that you have a new opportunity to set a positive first impression. Whether you got on well with your old boss or not, that person has now gone and it’s up to you to establish a rapport with a new boss.

Dressing successfully (or unsuccessfully) can make or break a good first impression.
Shakespeare once said: “Apparel oft proclaims the man”. Your image is the outer reflection of your inner-self allowing people to judge and make assumptions of your personality and attitudes.

Don’t choose sides
Quite often when an external hire has been made, there will be someone in the office who feels that they should have been promoted to the role instead. Sometimes they will react negatively and resort to doing the bare minimum of work or bide their time to wait for the ‘new guy’ to trip up.

New bosses inevitably want to put their brand and distinctly different work styles on the department. Not everyone survives the change. But, don’t get sucked into backbiting about the new boss simply because a colleague is aggrieved at having missed out on the promotion – you don’t want to get off on the wrong foot do you?

Adopt a neutral stance on the matter. Be prepared to help your new boss if required but don’t appear over-eager.

Show enthusiasm
It will probably be a few weeks for your new boss to become acclimatised to their new working environment but, before you rush by their office and offer your services to carry out tasks that will make their life much easier - stop and wait.

In the first few weeks, your boss will become plagued with people offering to do this and that for them, possibly to their annoyance. If you come across as being too eager you could become nothing more than an irritant to your boss and even risk alienating yourself from your fellow colleagues

Volunteer for the small tasks
Let your boss know who you are and what you do. But, be mindful that volunteering for a big task may arouse the suspicion of your boss and colleagues, after all no-one wants to be seen as the office brown-nose.

Don’t be afraid to expand your current role and take on extra responsibility. Rather, opt to do the everyday tasks that nobody else wants or offer to assist with such as explaining how to operate the finicky photocopier that needs a jab and a push to work.

Don’t be a know-it-all
When a new manager enters the office, they will want to make quick but helpful changes to the workplace. They will often set aside time for private meetings with each member of their staff so that the can gauge an understanding of what their employees like or dislike and how the department can be changed for the better.

Use this as an opportunity for you to act as a key resource to help them understand how the business operates. Of course, you want to be seen as a valuable asset but, be mindful not to pretend that you are an expert on things when you are not.

And, be honest and admit if you don’t have the answer being asked of you and say “I will find out for you” or “I suggest that you ask so and so” – you will earn their respect as someone who isn’t simply a ‘yes man’.