Take a Taste of Your Dream Job Before Changing Careers

My last post provided resources to help you discover your job strengths. If you decide there’s a new dream job in your future, don’t immediately resign your current job. Or if you are unemployed, don’t immediately start sending resumes or start a new business in your “dream” field.  Why? Because that dream job may not really be right for you.

Back in the 70s, a wise teacher, Vrle Minto, presented a program which included a session entitled, if my memory is correct, “A  little cup of carrot juice.”   What Vrle recommended was getting a taste of the new field before you made a permanent change.  This is good advice to keep us from making important changes in our lives that we may later regret.  Below are suggestions on how to get a taste of your dream job.

If you are employed, take a vacation or a sabbatical. Use the time to check out your potential new field.  If you’re not employed, you have even more time and options to discover if that dream job is for you.

1. For example, do you have friends who are in your field of interest?  Ask them if you could shadow them. Or if they are business owners, ask if you could work for them unpaid during your break.
2. Don’t know anyone in your field? Check out a web site called Vocation Vacations http://vocationvacations.com/ . They offer, for a fee, the opportunity to “test drive” a job.
3. Temp agencies also provide an opportunity to take a taste of a new field, or even a specific company.  Many companies now use temporary workers in a variety of positions.
4. Trade shows can be a way of finding mentors in your field, asking questions and learning about the industry.
5. Join LinkedIn to identify potential mentors.  Contact them. Don’t be afraid of rejections. They’ll lead to a mentor who could help you discover if you’re right for the job. 
6. LinkedIn also has many discussion groups.  You may find one in your desired field to join.
7. Facebook offers an opportunity to research a desired field and even specific companies.
8. Blogs also provide information on companies with real insight into their values; warts and all.

A little time and effort spent in determining if your dream job is really what you thought, is an important step in your future career happiness.

What Now? Identify Your Unique Strengths for Job Happiness.

In today’s chaotic economic environment, with each passing day it becomes clearer that many baby boomers may work well beyond what many Americans have pegged as “retirement age.”  Yet, that doesn’t mean that you have to remain in the same job or even same field.  A retirement career is your opportunity to make a change and discover  a career which is statisfying and rewarding.  It all starts with identifying your unique strengths. 

Some of us can immediately pinpoint those strengths which could easily translate into satisfying  job opportunities. Others haven’t a clue as to how to identify these interests and more importantly translate them into income. 

The internet is one resource that can help identify your strengths. Some internet career tools are free or low-cost.  Others are a bit more costly.  Monster.com offers an About U Report that touts it will identify what you are passionate about.  Another site I came across is The Riley Guide http://www.rileyguide.com/assess.html which lists a treasure trove of websites to help you learn more about yourself and how to use that knowledge to create a fulfilling career.  When you see the list of careers which fit you best, you may be surprised.

Another good career web site is http://www.jobhuntersbible.com/. It is the official site of the “What Color is Your Parachute” book.  Lots of good information here as well.

Career Builder http://www.careerbuilder.com/ is a very popular site for job hunting and job advice.

Don’t forget your public library.  Most libraries have career centers that provide books and computer resources to help in your learning process as well.

The State of  Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development also has Career Centers which can be of assistance to you in your search.  On their website you’ll find links to good online resources as well:  The Career Key,  http://www.careerkey.org/  and America’s Career Infonet. http://www.acinet.org/acinet/default.asp

If you are not a “do-it-yourselfer,” career counseling professionals are available that you can meet with face-to-face.  These individuals will help you identify “what you want to do when you grow-up.”  Be sure to identify professionals that have a track record.

Wisdom really does grow with age

In my special box of clippings and memorabilia, I’ve saved a letter from 1983 sent to me by James H. Evans, now retired Chairman of the Union Pacific Corporation. Over the years, I have read and re-read the letter as a reminder that with age comes wisdom.

The letter was in response to my letter to him about a quote he had made in a FORTUNE magazine article which referenced business experience and performance.

Mr. Evans was 63 when he replied to my letter. Now that I am about the same age, I have an even greater appreciation and understanding of the wisdom of which he wrote.  Rather than paraphrase his words, I will let them speak for themselves:

“May 18, 1983:  Dear Ms. Catanzaro:

Thank you so much for taking the time to write me as you did on May 10 about the FORTUNE magazine article in which I was quoted. While I have great respect for the under 40 year-old “superstar” I have learned through experience that the addition of a few years and hard knocks does a great deal in honing the skills and emotional balances of business people.  This is difficult for me to say because when I was 35 years old I was certain I could manage anything; at age 50 I thanked the Lord for not giving me that kind of responsibility at 35; now at age 63 I realize how little I knew at 50! …”

There is much to be learned in life that only time can teach.  Thanks to John Evans for sharing this life lesson with me and now with you.

For Men…what to wear on your next interview? Spanx!

On this morning’s news, I heard a reporter state that if a man  over 40 is going to a job interview, he should be wearing Spanx under his clothing to streamline his body.  A Google search for “Spanx for men” came up with a myriad of citations.  Spanx undershirts are apparently ”the rage.”   While many men are grabbing Spanx off the shelves at retail stores, others are keeping a lower profile and hitting the web for their Spanx purchases. 

 We all know that when we look good, we project more self-confidence. In our competitive  job market, using every trick in the book can help land that job. 

Let us know about your “Spanx” experience.

Get Computer Skills Fast and Inexpensively!

Recently, I was speaking to a woman who told me her father had been laid off from his plant management job.  He was in his mid 50s with an excellent management background, but he lacked computer skills which had hampered him in his job search.

Where can baby boomers go to gain new skills at no or low-cost ?  In the Nashville Metro area a variety of  resources  are available.  You may have to do a little digging to find similar resources outside this area.  When you find them, don’t be too proud to use them.  A wide variety of participants with all levels of educational and work backgrounds use these services. 

One of my favorite  directories is the Directory of Services for Seniors, printed by the Middle Tennessee Council on Aging. Don’t get turned off by the word “senior.”  It refers to those 60+.  In my area, you can pick up a free copy at the public library 

Another resource is the non-profit “FiftyForward Program.” It advertises itself as a leading resource for those 50 and older in Middle Tennessee.  And if you haven’t found employment yet, or  are working part-time, consider the FiftyForward RSVP program which is a volunteer clearing house, that gives you an opportunity to share your time as a volunteer.  https://volunteerrsvp.com/Home_Page.html

Your state’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development  likely has resources as well.  The Tennessee Career Center publicizes basic computer skills classes for the workplace  and other valuable resources.  For example, during my job search, I attended a free resume class there.  If you haven’t created a resume for a while, times have changed with new recommended wording and format especially if you are planning on posting and/or distributing your resumé online.  The volunteer  instructor normally charges hundreds of dollars to review her clients’ resumes.  She reviewed our class’s resumes and recommended changes at no charge.  The class consisted of four people including me. Quite a help for free! 

Have you been to a library recently? They’ve changed and many offer free computer classes in their computer labs. Plus, you can also use their computers at no cost and access the Internet and specialized library databases.  Note: Many libraries also have dedicated Career Centers with specialized books, online and other resources to aid you in your job search.

You may also wish to investigate classes at state supported colleges and universities.  According to published  information on these providers of higher education in Tennessee, the following applies in regards to free or reduced rate classes.

Disabled persons and persons 60 years of age and older who are domiciled in Tennessee may enroll in classes for audit without payment of maintenance fees. Enrollment as an audit student is subject to availability of space in the class(es). The student is responsible for the campus access fee.

Disabled persons and persons 65 years of age and older who are domiciled in Tennessee may enroll in courses for credit without payment of maintenance fees, but are subject to a service fee not to exceed $70.00 per semester. The student is responsible for the campus access fee.

I have not attempted to use this resource as yet, so more to come.

These resources are a start for equipping yourself with the basic computer skills needed for the new job market.

• Do you have any resources or suggestions that you’ve found helpful?

Nip and Tuck, Booth 4. Plastic Surgery for Boomers?

At women’s expos and mall health fairs everywhere, you’ll see a multitude of booths manned by plastic surgeons and their staff. As any good sales rep would, they invite you into their booths to show you on their computer screens what you could look like with a bit of “work.”  Until now, I’ve resisted the impulse to do so.  Partly because I’ve had skin cancer which resulted in unpleasant reconstructive surgery.  And partly, I’ve resisted because I’m not sure that  I want to tamper that much with mother nature.

Now that I’m becoming a more mature baby boomer who’s still in the workforce, hmm should I reconsider?  The good news is that I’m getting older when a large majority of the population is also aging.  Thus, I’ve got plenty of company.  The bad news is we baby  boomers are also surrounded in the work place with co-workers who are a lot younger. So what to do?

I visited the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) website  for a little  research.  As suspected, baby boomers are leading the surge in procedures.  According to a 2006 ASPS survey, the age group 40 – 54 made up 54% of procedures, but 26% were 55 or older accounting for over 2.8 million procedures.  Apparently, sagging  of many areas on our bodies was one of the major concerns. 

The ASPS does encourage any procedures as a part of a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise, diet, non-smoking and avoidance of too much sun.  Plus, lifts are not the only popular  procedures.  Others  are  laser hair removal, microdermabrasion, Botox, chemical peels, injectable fillers, etc. along with the wide variety of “lifts.”

My questions for you are,

1. If you’ve had a procedure, do you think it’s was helpful as an active working boomer?  If not, why?
2. If you would like to have a procedure, what would you like done and why?
3. If you don’t think a procedure is good idea, why?

Maybe I’ll stop in one of those booths next time and take a look.

Enter the World of Social Media…start a blog

Would you like to start your own blog? 

A good friend asked me to share some tips on how to blog. I’m far from an expert, but I love researching and have found some basic resources for beginning bloggers. 

 The name blog comes from web log.  The concept of a blog is that it’s a place to share your ideas, thoughts, and passions in life on the web on an ongoing basis. Your blog may also contain photographs, videos, audio, etc.  Starting a blog allows you not only to publish your interests but also to interact with others who share those interests as well.  (Although I’ve found blogging cathartic even if no one but me reads it.)

You can create your blog for personal or business purposes.  You can even use your blog to  help  establish yourself as an expert in your field of interest.

There are no set rules on how often you should add entries. Yet, entries need to be consistent enough that anyone who might visit your blog doesn’t stop visiting because there are no new entries. Some bloggers say that means blogging daily.

Where do you start your blog on the Internet?

A couple of the top free blog sites are http://www.blogger.com/ and http://www.wordpress.com/.  WordPress.com is my favorite, as you can see. WordPress offers many features that I like. Blogger.com now requires that you have a Google Account. The best way to decide which is best for you is visit their web sites. Both of these sites have detailed information on how to create your blog, and offer free add-ons.

My ”12- Step Program for Blogging”

The blog host site has made starting your blog an easy step- by- step process. And there is lots of help available from a myriad of sources.  Below is my 12-step program.

1.  Select the blog provider

2.  Decide on a name for your blog. You may want to think of several in case someone is already using your first choice.

3.  Create an Account

4.  Choose a Password

5.  Read and agree (or not agree – but then you’d have no blog here) to the legalese.

6.  Choose a Template.  Here you select how your blog will appear to the public. Numerous standard templates are available; one of which will fit your needs.

7.  Start writing your post (your entry.)  Write naturally; just like you would talk to your friends or business associates.

8.  Review your post for correct spelling and grammar. The blog has a built-in spell checker. I also like to use dictionary.com (an outside site) to expand my vocabulary. 

9.  Publish your post. Good news is that until you publish it, the universe can’t see it. Plus, if you publish a post and do make a mistake,  you can still edit, or even remove it.

10.  Promote your blog on other web sites you might have: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter just to name a few

11.  Research to expand your skills:

I Googled “blogging”  and over 72,000,000 entries appeared.

A few books I own are: Blogging for Dummies, The Social Media Bible, and The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging.

Stop by your your local library too. Still my favorite place. I had one of the first library cards at the first branch library in Memphis.

12.  Reading popular blogs will improve your own blogging skills.  One site is http://technorati.com  It contains a variety of great information for bloggers, including links to top sites.

Now you’re part of the Social Media generation

There is so much to learn and so many new opportunities in the world of social media. Guess, as a baby boomer, I’ll have to stay lucid for a long time to learn all that I can.