TIME FOR HOMEWORK
FILLING SKILL GAPS
MAKING A MOVE, OR NOT In many cases staying in your current career field will be a wise choice. Not everyone can, or should, start a new career. If you make the decision to start on a new career path, make sure you have a game plan to overcome the obstacles that may come your way. Before you dive in to all that would be required to start a new career, make sure to do your research. Many jobseekers use a tactic called “Informational Interviewing” to ask questions of people in industries of interest to see if they are the right fit.
Equipped with a greater sense of yourself through your self-assessment, you now should start thoughtful research into your career options. We’ll share some ideas for a successful search in Chapter 2 . You will also be able to identify what additional training may be needed to switch careers. Determine the demand for occupations you find interesting. You can find demand information via the searchable Explore Careers tool on Careerforce MN.com . Be aware that what interests you most isn’t always a viable option. Understand that a new career may sometimes entail considerable financial investment due to retraining costs.
Once you have determined what career path you want to pursue, you may find that you lack the knowledge or skills needed for you to find employment. Let’s say you sold medical products to hospitals for several years and want to transition into a role where you’re a care provider, such as Licensed Practical Nurse or Registered Nurse. You will need additional schooling in order to make that transition. Perhaps you seek to advance within your current career path. Someone who has worked within the Maintenance Custodial industry may find additional opportunities once they invest in obtaining a specialized license (boiler engineer or pool operator, as examples). Determine what combination of education, license or certifications might be needed to advance in your current field or to change careers. With the increasing availability of online training and certification options for some of these courses and degrees, many careers can be enhanced without ever leaving your home. Make sure to check with your local CareerForce location to determine if you are eligible for dislocated worker services. If you qualify, you may be able to obtain funding for certain training opportunities in high-demand career fields.
9 Creative Job Search | CareerForceMN.com/CreativeJobSearch
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