Tuesday, May 13, 2008

CAREER OPTIONS

With the economy being as depressed as it is today, job hunting may present challenges for career seekers. Finding a good paying job or a promising career is like searching for quick silver – it is very hard to acquire and harder to maintain.

It saddens me to hear about out-of-work professionals who struggle just to make ends meet. Layoffs through mergers and acquisitions, job attrition or doing more with less, as well as positions moving overseas and corporate greed and corruption have taken their toll on our economy. Many people, some of my clients included, often wonder where to turn for their next pay check.

With the many years experience some may have garnered over time, it just may pay off to strike out on their own as an entrepreneur or seek a new market altogether; constantly beating the pavement littering the same tired market with résumés and applications can become depressing.

Yes, I know what you may say: “I have invested so much time and effort into this industry; I wouldn’t know where or how to start over”. In answer, I would say to that: if your job experience is not currently paying off for you, it may be time to move on to greener pastures.

Others may say, “But I only have skill in one area”. I would say to that: it may be time to think about searching for a different field. Sometimes an industry can change causing opportunities in a certain field or occupation to ‘dry up’ whereas such areas may have been profitable in the past. The car manufacturers, such as General Motors and Ford Motors, come to mind. Because of the subprime loans, the real estate industry, in certain states, is another market that is also seeing many challenges.

One thing to keep in mind is: The only constant in life is change! If your economy, environment, or job market change, I say that it is time for you to change as well.

Do your research and find out what’s going on in the various industries in your locale. If you seek to provide a service, in other words, start your own business, do your homework well in this area.

If you are blessed enough to have financial support from a spouse, mate, family member or friend, take this opportunity to update your skills. You may have to do something that you aren’t necessarily in love with just to make a living.

From experience and observation, I have noticed that there are three occupational areas that, it appears, can withstand the tests of time – education, health care, and security. No matter the state of the economy, jobs in these areas are always needed in one form or another. You may not receive a six figure salary starting out but they can provide consistent income; oftentimes that is all required just to put food on the table. This is by no means intended to be a comprehensive list, and I’m sure there are other types of occupations that can prove consistently lucrative. However, one has to start somewhere. The important thing is not to lose hope.

Here are two useful links I thought to share:

http://www.thejobmarket.org/jobseekers/choose_steps.asp

http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-6_signs_your_job_may_be_in_jeopardy-371


John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

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