How to get a return on investment for re-training

How to get a return on investment for re-training How to Get ROI on Re-Training I have been working in information technology in the same area for the last 15 years. I have been burned out for several years but make a high level of salary. I decided that in order for me to revive my excitement for IT, I should update my skill set to something that interests me. I enrolled in technical classes in the evenings and have knocked out six IT certifications. I already have many older certifications, a bachelor degree, and an MBA. My question is, how do I get the experience in my new set of skills without taking a huge cut in pay? I want to make all of my hard work and studying pay off. I am excited to try a little different slice of the IT world. Answer from Dana: Thank you for sharing a number of challenges common to many of my clients and readers: burn-out, trying to get excited again, getting more certificates or training, needing to keep current income levels steady, and hoping for a short-term return on investment on training. I’ll address each one: 1. Burn-out It’s important that you understand why and how you burned out so you can avoid doing it again. List the attributes you strive for in your new role and things you want to avoid. No training or certificates can help you find the right next move that you will enjoy. 2. Re-energizing What else are you doing to get ready for your next role? Did you clear your head, and perhaps take some time off? Are you networking right now with industry associations and discussion groups, and meeting inspiring people? What are you learning about yourself that will change what you will do differently next time? 3. Getting more certificates Congratulations on doing this. However, I hope you did it for your benefit as well as for an employer’s future benefit. You learned more about your profession, updated your skill set and knowledge, and will add more value to an organization in the long term. 4. Hoping for a short-term payback from your certificates The short answer is it won’t happen. I recently met a soon-to-be MBA graduate who was employed by a large company here in Seattle. He was proud to announce to me that he would be going into his boss’s office the day after he graduates and demanding a salary increase since he got his MBA. I wish I had gotten his number to ask him how that conversation went. New education does not entitle anybody to more money, a better office, or a bigger title. You have choices now: Request a new role and stay with your current company Job-search to join a new company (ideally, while you are gainfully employed). Update your résumé, looking at the whole document in a fresh way. Update the way you apply to your next positions.

I Quit My Job The 18 Month Update (eek)!

I Quit My Job The 18 Month Update (eek)! Aw, my business is almost a toddler! Soon enough I wont be able to refer to it in months anymore, but in actual years. My babys growin up! That said, I still feel like Im learning ( probably wont stop anytime soon) and had quite the Caution: Head Explosion Ahead! month. Heres why: Theres still time to win your spot in Relationship Finishing School! Comments close on Thurs 9/22 at noon, so head on over get you some.

Tips for Writing a Resume After 20 Years of Work

Tips for Writing a Resume After 20 Years of WorkBeing able to write a resume after 20 years of working is something you will be able to do without having to worry about things like writing for a computer. What are some things you should be prepared to remember as you try to write your own resume?In order to write a professional resume you should know a few things about the industry. You can learn a lot by reading about the companies and what they are all about. Read the company's history, and the type of work they do. Find out if they have specific requirements that need to be met in order to receive employment from them.Look at their recruitment records in order to see what their recruiting department looks like. Did they pay attention to anyone that was let go during the recession, or did they have a hard time finding people that could meet their needs? Get some ideas as to what the company does that might be worth remembering and some of the things that you should be prepared to i nclude in your resume.When it comes to the technical information on your resume it is important to include this information in order to make yourself stand out. You can take things like tools and equipment that you use at work and include it in your resume. For example you can talk about what kind of webcams you have in your work area. Having these tools in your resume helps to make your resume stand out in a sea of resumes.Another thing you can include in your professional resume is the type of awards or honors you received for the type of work you did. Think about which awards you received, or what professional organizations you participated in. This can help to tell people who you are. It may not be the right place to discuss who you are, but it may be a good way to learn a little more about you. If you did not receive any awards you can explain why you did not receive any awards.Read the bestseller list and look at the titles of the books you are reading. Are they part of a seri es of books or are they new? Look up the ones you like and include those in your resume. You should include a good number of the titles that you like.These are just a few things that you can do to help yourself get a job when you are ready to move into the work force. These tips may seem small, but they can have a large impact on your future. Take your time and make sure that you are prepared before you write your resume after 20 years of work.

Entrepreneur to Employee How to Find a Job After being Your Own Boss

Entrepreneur to Employee How to Find a Job After being Your Own Boss Spread the loveThere are few things in life tougher than being your own boss. Many of us dream of quitting our jobs and becoming an entrepreneur, but few ever succeed in the effort. According to estimates, as many as 80 percent of all businesses fail within the first ten years. Given those odds, it’s no surprise that so many former entrepreneurs eventually find themselves reentering the workforce as someone else’s employee. Unfortunately, the transition from entrepreneur to employee is not always easy. In this post, we will look at some tips that can help you find a job after being your own boss.Transitioning from Entrepreneur to Employee: The ChallengeIt’s important to understand the challenges that you might face when going from entrepreneur to employee. Many former entrepreneurs can find themselves confused by the barrage of rejections they often receive when applying for a new job. They may wonder why companies are not beating down their doors to hire them. As it turns out, companies often have some very valid concerns.Most of those concerns involve questions about your ability to transition from entrepreneur to employee. Some may wonder whether you can adapt to the company’s culture after running your own company and doing things your way. Can you take orders without question? Will you be able to work with a team when you’re not in charge? These are all valid concerns that could prevent a company from even giving you a second glance.(We wrote a good post here on writing a resume after youve been an entrepreneur)Tips for Effectively Going from Entrepreneur to EmployeeIf you’ve experienced rejection while transitioning from entrepreneur to employee, you’re not alone. But take heart: there are jobs for former business owners, if you have the right strategy for your job search. The following tips can help:Focus Your Mindset on Getting HiredThe single most important thing you must do is commit to getting hired. One problem that many entrepreneurs have when seeking a new job is that they never fully set their mind on being someone else’s employee. You cannot transition from entrepreneur to employee if part of you is still holding out hope that you can continue to be your own boss.Are you thinking of ways to revitalize your failed company? Mulling over a new business venture? Or are you maybe resistant to the idea of taking orders? If so, then work on fixing that mindset. If you’re not fully committed to being part of a company’s team, employers will quickly figure that out.Polish Your ResumeWhen’s the last time you looked at your resume? Well, you better break it out, update it, and really put a shine on it â€" because you’re going to need it. Your resume is the most important tool you possess when transitioning from entrepreneur to employee.Make sure that it is as polished as possible, and really showcases the value that you can provide as an employee. If it’s been a while since you’ve thought about resumes, ch eck out our great post, How to Make Your Resume Really Stand Out.Remember that most companies use an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) to automatically screen resumes. Make sure you use a standard ATS friendly resume format and optimize your resume with keywords.  ATS Resume Test  You can see how your resume performs in an actual ATS scan with our Free Resume Review:Free Resume ReviewTone Down Your Role as Company OwnerRemember how we told you that employers are leery of hiring entrepreneurs? One way that you can put their mind at ease is to minimize your role as founder and owner. Many experts recommend avoiding those labels altogether. Instead, describe yourself as the company’s manager, or list another role that you played during your time as an entrepreneur. You can even use the title of the job that you’re seeking, since you probably filled that role in your own company.Stress Your Desire to Work as Part of a TeamYou can certainly mention your time in your own company, but it is often best to do this in your cover letter and an in-person interview. Again, don’t emphasize your position as boss. Instead, focus on explaining why you are so eager to work for someone else. One great option here is to stress your desire to collaborate with other dynamic individuals and work for a common goal. Talk about how you have missed the collegial atmosphere of the company environment. Employers want to hear that you are interested in being part of a team.Quantify Your Accomplishments and Potential Value as an EmployeeWhile you should minimize your leadership role at your own company, that doesn’t mean that you need to shy away from your achievements. Quite the contrary, in fact! You need to cite those accomplishments and quantify them with real numbers.You can use those achievements to emphasize your experience, expertise, and potential value as an employee. If the employer can envision you adding to his bottom line, he will be more likely to help you transition fr om entrepreneur to employee.Obviously, there is no magic bullet that will help you make the move from entrepreneur to employee. Even with these tips, landing a new job will remain a real challenge. However, with the right mindset and approach, you can improve your odds of landing more interviews â€" and that will open the doors you need to land a new job. Entrepreneur to Employee How to Find a Job After being Your Own Boss Spread the loveThere are few things in life tougher than being your own boss. Many of us dream of quitting our jobs and becoming an entrepreneur, but few ever succeed in the effort. According to estimates, as many as 80 percent of all businesses fail within the first ten years. Given those odds, it’s no surprise that so many former entrepreneurs eventually find themselves reentering the workforce as someone else’s employee. Unfortunately, the transition from entrepreneur to employee is not always easy. In this post, we will look at some tips that can help you find a job after being your own boss.Transitioning from Entrepreneur to Employee: The ChallengeIt’s important to understand the challenges that you might face when going from entrepreneur to employee. Many former entrepreneurs can find themselves confused by the barrage of rejections they often receive when applying for a new job. They may wonder why companies are not beating down their doors to hire them. As it turns out, companies often have some very valid concerns.Most of those concerns involve questions about your ability to transition from entrepreneur to employee. Some may wonder whether you can adapt to the company’s culture after running your own company and doing things your way. Can you take orders without question? Will you be able to work with a team when you’re not in charge? These are all valid concerns that could prevent a company from even giving you a second glance.(We wrote a good post here on writing a resume after youve been an entrepreneur)Tips for Effectively Going from Entrepreneur to EmployeeIf you’ve experienced rejection while transitioning from entrepreneur to employee, you’re not alone. But take heart: there are jobs for former business owners, if you have the right strategy for your job search. The following tips can help:Focus Your Mindset on Getting HiredThe single most important thing you must do is commit to getting hired. One problem that many entrepreneurs have when seeking a new job is that they never fully set their mind on being someone else’s employee. You cannot transition from entrepreneur to employee if part of you is still holding out hope that you can continue to be your own boss.Are you thinking of ways to revitalize your failed company? Mulling over a new business venture? Or are you maybe resistant to the idea of taking orders? If so, then work on fixing that mindset. If you’re not fully committed to being part of a company’s team, employers will quickly figure that out.Polish Your ResumeWhen’s the last time you looked at your resume? Well, you better break it out, update it, and really put a shine on it â€" because you’re going to need it. Your resume is the most important tool you possess when transitioning from entrepreneur to employee.Make sure that it is as polished as possible, and really showcases the value that you can provide as an employee. If it’s been a while since you’ve thought about resumes, ch eck out our great post, How to Make Your Resume Really Stand Out.Remember that most companies use an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) to automatically screen resumes. Make sure you use a standard ATS friendly resume format and optimize your resume with keywords.  ATS Resume Test  You can see how your resume performs in an actual ATS scan with our Free Resume Review:Free Resume ReviewTone Down Your Role as Company OwnerRemember how we told you that employers are leery of hiring entrepreneurs? One way that you can put their mind at ease is to minimize your role as founder and owner. Many experts recommend avoiding those labels altogether. Instead, describe yourself as the company’s manager, or list another role that you played during your time as an entrepreneur. You can even use the title of the job that you’re seeking, since you probably filled that role in your own company.Stress Your Desire to Work as Part of a TeamYou can certainly mention your time in your own company, but it is often best to do this in your cover letter and an in-person interview. Again, don’t emphasize your position as boss. Instead, focus on explaining why you are so eager to work for someone else. One great option here is to stress your desire to collaborate with other dynamic individuals and work for a common goal. Talk about how you have missed the collegial atmosphere of the company environment. Employers want to hear that you are interested in being part of a team.Quantify Your Accomplishments and Potential Value as an EmployeeWhile you should minimize your leadership role at your own company, that doesn’t mean that you need to shy away from your achievements. Quite the contrary, in fact! You need to cite those accomplishments and quantify them with real numbers.You can use those achievements to emphasize your experience, expertise, and potential value as an employee. If the employer can envision you adding to his bottom line, he will be more likely to help you transition fr om entrepreneur to employee.Obviously, there is no magic bullet that will help you make the move from entrepreneur to employee. Even with these tips, landing a new job will remain a real challenge. However, with the right mindset and approach, you can improve your odds of landing more interviews â€" and that will open the doors you need to land a new job.

Avoid These 15 Career Mistakes If You Want to Get and Keep a Job

Avoid behauptung 15 Career Mistakes If You Want to Get and Keep a JobIf love is a battlefield (and we all know it is, thanks to Pat Benatar), then the career world is a minefield. Theres the resume and interview process, but the dangers dont end once youre hired and installed comfortably in a cubicle somewhere. Lets take a look at some of the most common career mistakes throughout the job cycle, and what you can do to try to avoid them. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) 1. Before Youre Hired2. On the Job3. On Your Way Out4. Your Future CareerBefore Youre HiredThe clock for potential missteps kicks off the second you decide to apply for a job. Heres what you should be wary of doing1. Making blatant mistakes in the cover letter/resume.In many cases, your cover letter is your first chance to make an impression on the recruiter or hiring manager. If you go in with a bunch of obvious errors (or one really egregious one), this suggests that you might be as sloppy an employee as you appear as a candidate. Always check everything thoroughly for typos, and if possible, have a trusted friend or family member read over any materials youre going to release to the world.I have a friend who made the most horrible typo possible, accidentally leaving a super-vulgar mistyped word in a cover letter to a company that, shall we say, welchesnt very likely to laugh off such a word appearing in communication with them. Needless to say, he never got a call for an interview at that place. Trust me, its worth it to spend the time to write and revise your resume, engineering it down to every word.2. Addressing the wrong part/company.Dear Sir at Widget Company, I was excited to hear about an opening at your company. Ive always wanted to work at Widgets R Us. I anxiously await your response. Spoiler alert no interview forthcoming.3. Phoning-in the interview.Whether you dont really want this job after all, or you think you can coast because youre very qualified, dont take anything for granted. Always bring your A-game to any interview. Even if the job is unlikely to pan out, its good practice, and the people who take the time to talk with you about the job will appreciate your engagement and enthusiasm.4. Not following up with a thank you.Whether the interview went awesome or terribly, always follow up quickly with a thank you note. Manners go a long way, and you never know when youll come across the same people in the course of a future job search.5. Being too aggressive (or not aggressive enough).The Goldilocks approach works here. Dont go in, all iron-grip handshake and unblinking eye contact. Also dont go in looking at the floor and answering only direct questions. Try to find a happy medium where youre confident, but not challenging every interviewer you meet to a staring contest.6. Talk money too early in the hiring process.As the old saying goes, he who shoots first, loses. If you bring up salary before the company i s ready to make an offer, you can come off as mercenaryor worse, you can unintentionally limit your negotiating power after you have an offer in hand. Leave the interview process for getting to know the job and presenting yourself as the best candidate, and keep the negotiating for later. Theres no real upside to discussing money early in the process, and many opportunities for it to blow back on you.7. Not negotiating at all. No matter how grateful you are to get a job, always try to negotiate the best possible salary and benefits. Companies expect this, and as long as your requests are reasonable, its a must-do once you have a job offer. If you dont negotiate and try to build on the initial offer, the only one youre hurting is yourself.On the JobOnce youve got the job, dont get too complacentyou still need to be careful about making mistakes. This doesnt necessarily mean that you need to be perfect at all times, and that errors wont sometimes happen in the course of your job. Thes e are mora the situations to avoid in the workplace.8. Making decisions purely based on money.If you love your job but jump ship for the first opportunity that comes along and pays better, you could live to regret that. Make sure that major decisions (like accepting a job somewhere else or deciding to leave) are backed up by a number of factors youve considered, including salary, benefits, your overall level of happiness, and your career goals9. Keeping your head down.Working hard is super important, but you know what else is too? Connecting with coworkers. You dont have to be best buds, but making a nominal effort to get your coworkers can really help you later on. Not only do you get comfortable with people whose faces you see every day, but you never know when an ally will come in handy in the office. Quash those introvert tendencies and make small talk the next time you find yourself waiting at the copier with Timuh, Something from accounting.10. Limiting your network to people you work with.Its great to get to know people at every level in your company (see 9). However, dont fall into a trap where your entire active network is located within your offices four walls. Part of the beauty of having a network is getting information and opportunities from other places, so why limit yourself? If your LinkedIn profile is mostly people you see at least four times a week at the watercooler, its time to branch out and start making connections with people at other companies.11. Avoiding difficult situations.Challenges are excellent experience builders. Fear of failing can make us more likely to avoid taking on unfamiliar projects and goals, but you could be hurting yourself in the long run to keep things smooth in the short term. Youre unlikely to learn new skills or gain experience if you stick narrowly to your job description. Itll also leave you with fewer instances where you can point to genuine growth and problem solving skills.12. Not owning up to mistakes.Not wanting to get in trouble with the boss is a pretty valid feeling. However, Im assuming that youre human. And accordingly, mistakes will happen at some point. Its how you deal with those that can make or break your reputation. Dont be the person who starts looking for someone to throw under the bus when things are going wrong. Be the one who says, this is whats wrong, heres how were going to approach this, and heres how this will be handled moving forward.Not only that, but you also dont want to earn a reputation as someone who trashes coworkers to make yourself look better. If youre leading a group and others dropped the ball, it shows better leadership skills to take responsibility for the groups performance and move on than to sit there pointing fingers at everyone else.13. Saying yes to everything.This is a tough one. You want to seem like an uber-employee, able to handle everything that comes your way. However part of being that uber-employee is knowing your limits, and being a ble to manage priorities. Getting overwhelmed is never going to be helpfulnot for you, and not for anyone whos counting on you to do the things you said youd do.On Your Way Out Oh, did you think that once youve decided to leave your job, it no longer matters what you do? Nope, youre still on the hook. Theres still potential for things to go awry.14. Burning bridges.This popsicle stand may be blown (or about to be), but no matter how resentful or angry you feel about your soon-to-be-former job, its in your best interest to be gracious until your last second in the office. You never know who youll come across again in the future, so you dont want the lingering impression to be, Oh, I remember that person. What a jerkYour Future CareerTheres one more mistake you dont want to make, and this one has nothing to do with what youre currently doing it has to do with limiting your future career options.15. Letting inertia get the better of you.Are you still at your job because you dont want t o rock the boat and try to leave? Are you sacrificing career goals in the interest of stability? According to Forbess Liz Ryan, this falling asleep is one of the deadliest things that can happen in your career. Always be on the lookout for new opportunities, and find ways to make these opportunities work so that you can take advantage.Taken individually, none of these career mistakes are likely to translate into being career killers. But if youre more aware of the consequences of even the smallest career pitfalls, youll be that more adept in getting right around them.

5 Reasons People Take A Pay Cut When Relaunching Careers

5 Reasons People Take A Pay Cut When Relaunching Careers When looking at stats on people who return to work after a career break,studiesare cited that show taking a career break for three years or more results in a compensation hit of 37%. The problem with these stats is that they mask the intentionality behind decisions to take a lower compensated role. After years of working with thousands of relaunchers, we have found the reasons for taking lower compensation issue into five categoriesLess Stress Some people simply want a less stressful job In a life stage that requires a heavy family care commitment, relaunchers may intentionally take a more junior role for less money in order to feel confident they can deliver excellent results to their employer with less stress and also manage their life outside of work.Planned Travel/Less Travel vs Spontaneous Travel/Lots of Travel Those whose pre-career break role involved spontaneous travel (you are on the first flight out tomorrow morning) or 50% travel may be willing to take a lower compensated role that does not include those travel requirements. Travel may be fine, but better if it is less frequent and there is plenty of advance notice before it happens.New Career Path The relauncher may discover during their career break that they were not on the right career path to begin with, and as a result, decide to relaunch in a completely new area and change careers. This could necessitate coming in at an entry level or lower level than where they had left their prior, pre-career break career.Long Career Break Some relaunchers who have taken very long career breaks may want to get their feet wet again in their field before feeling ready to move up. OR they may discount the value of their services because they have been out of the workforce for many years. We see them move up over time. Seethis success storyfor an illustration of this strategy.Better Schedule Some relaunchers decide to take less money than they think is fai r or than they are worth in order to get the schedule they want. We call this trading compensation for control.Unsurprisingly, relaunchers in these situations are frequently called overqualified. For some this is a veiled form of ageism. For others, the interest in a lower compensated job is intentional, and must be explained. If this describes you, heres a script with a recommended response. Practice saying this out loud so you will be able to respond immediately in a way that educates the interviewer as to the intentionality behind your decision to apply for a more junior or lower compensated roleOne of my top priorities is to deliver excellent results to my employer, while also managing my life outside of work. So while it might look to you like I am overqualified for this position, this is exactly where I want to be in my current life stage and I intentionally targeted this position at this level. I know I can succeed at this level of seniority and feel very satisfied doing it. Have you relaunched in a lower compensated role? Please share your story with us atinfoirelaunch.com.--Carol Fishman Cohen is the CEO of iRelaunch, a career reentry firm that runs the iRelaunch Return to Work Conferences and works closely with companies to create formal return-to-work programs, usually involving professional internships. zu sich full bio ishere.Fairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women. Join us by reviewing your employer

Jobfox Resume Writing Service Reviews - a Quick Outline

Jobfox Resume Writing tafelgeschirr Reviews - a Quick Outline Rather than creating the resume for you, the business makes it possible for you to pick a template and just add the info you require, after which they supply you with an affordable, easy to share an edition of your own customized resume. You will need to work closely with the writer during the introduction of your resume, therefore it is very important to truly feel comfortable with them. Resume Writing Categories When you look at resume services, you will observe that they are available in several diverse categories and youre going to want to select the right sort for your job search requirements. Resume writing services often provide a whole package strategy to resume writing. Up in Arms About Jobfox Resume Writing Service Reviews? Whatever you set in your resume, you should be certain that all the information that are set in your resume are the reality. If youre declined several interviews, you may think revisin g your resume. Basically, writing skills really make a difference in the way you encounter. Resume writing is the most crucial step in presenting your abilities and receiving the job that you desire. What Jobfox Resume Writing Service Reviews Is - and What it Is Not Neither does this draw any offers. The services are essentially the very saatkorn as the ones you may get on other high-quality sites. The organization becomes good scores on a couple of websites, but nonetheless, it mostly gets complaints by real users. It has invested a great deal of time in making the website attractive to the customer. The 30-Second Trick for Jobfox Resume Writing Service Reviews Selecting a professional resume writer is an alternative for the work seeker. Its only normal to be anxious about hiring an on-line essay writer as you can not ever be sure whether you are employing the ideal service or not. Not all resumes are perfect for all sorts of jobs. One of the very best looking resumes a re those which are definitely the most simple. Above all, one needs to understand there are several businesses in the industry offering you with professional resume services. Each provide a selection of services and different price points, so locating a respectable company may be like a minefield. Our services wont only demonstrate your value as an employee to prospective organizations, theyll also convince you of your very own expert worth. The service of Resumarea is given to clients at a sensible price that matches the significance of your self-presentation. Top Jobfox Resume Writing Service Reviews Choices If you fret about the standard of your essay as well as youre worrying about whether you can discover a paper writer you are able to trust, you have arrived at the perfect location. If youre contemplating using a professional resume writing service, you might be asking yourself if the price tag would be worth the benefit.