Gaining Work Experience

Whether you are looking to land your first job, or a job in a new career field, sometimes you have to think outside of the box.

Getting a new degree or certificate is often not enough to  make a career change. Employers usually will not hire someone who doesn't have experience doing the kind of job they are applying for. Not doing all you can to gain this experience can cause a frustrating string of rejected applications.

Here is my latest article written for Fastweb that details, "4 Ways to Gain Job Experience."

Career Change

Have you been thinking about changing careers for a while now?  Do you work a full-time job in an industry that is very different from where your true passions lie?

Changing a career isn't as simple as going and applying for a job in a new field. Often you need to update your skills, or gain new skills that are required for the new job. You may have to first volunteer or intern in that industry to gain experience. You have to update your work history to show how the skills you already have can work in the new field.

 If you have decided that now is the time for you to make your move to a new career, Susan Guarneri of BlogHer has assembled some useful links in her article 9 Resources for Mid-Life Job Hunters.

One of the links was to O*Net Online. This website allows a job seeker, to look up a certain career based on industry, or similar careers. It then gives very detailed information about the job, such as typical duties, experience requirements, education levels etc. I entered a search for an Editor position and received a very detailed description. I think this website is good for anyone who is interested in getting more information about the field they would like to make a change to.

Head over to BlogHer to check out more of the helpful career change links.

Want a Career Change? Get an M.B.A.

A person having several different careers  over the course of their lifetime is not unusual. Gone are the days where we get a job at 18 and keep it until retirement. So what should you do if you are looking to change the direction of your career?  There are many different ways to go about making a successful career change. 

Shadow someone who is already doing the job you want to get a sense of if it is right for you.
Volunteer for an organization and work in a position similar to the one you want to add experience to your resume.
Intern for a business and learn valuable industry related skills.
Update your resume highlighting any experience or skills you have that directly relate to the new career you are seeking.
Network with like-minded people. If you are looking to move into a certain field, find out where the people who work in that field are and go there. Join organizations and clubs that cater to that industry.
Go back to school.

According to USNews, "If you're looking for the fast track to gain the skills and network to launch your career in a new direction, a popular way to do so is through an M.B.A. program."

M.B.A. programs make it possible for a person who is changing careers to gain new knowledge, complete internships, create a network, build a resume, and gain employment. Seems like a win/win situation.

Stacy Blackman offers advice to those who are serious about pursuing an M.B.A. in her article. Also read my post on free practice tests because you will need to pass the GMAT exam in order to be accepted into most M.B.A. programs.