Lack of Preparation to Blame for Derailed Career Changes

Survey after survey indicate that, if given the chance, most people would opt for a different career than the one they currently have. Yet when actually faced with a career change, many people are too afraid of failing to confidently and whole-heartedly make a career shift. In her newly released book, Katy Piotrowski identifies the obstacles career changers commonly face and offers several smart strategies to help them succeed in their transition.

Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) September 27, 2007

Studies suggest the overwhelming majority of American workers wouldn't know their dream job if it fell in their lap. In fact, statistics generally predict a person will change careers--not jobs--between three and five times throughout their working life.

Many people initiate a career change hoping to spark a renewed sense of fulfillment and pride in their work. Achieving these rewards, however, often requires career changers to overcome a handful of roadblocks to a successful transition. Yet many hoping to make the leap from one career to the next are unprepared to do so.

"Whether it's a problem with making enough income, gaining the training you need, or deciding among several interesting job possibilities, making a career shift can be very scary," says Katy Piotrowski, author of the newly released book The Career Coward's Guide to Changing Careers.

Piotrowski, a career counselor and career changer herself, provides tips and strategies in her book to help career changers troubleshoot the barriers that may complicate their transition. Her advice appears in The Career Cowards Guide to Changing Careers and includes the following:

Work around Career Possibilities that Don't Offer Enough Pay.

  • Consider cutting expenses to the new career income level before making the change to prove it's possible to survive on that level of pay. Bank the money saved.
  • Speak with professionals already in the field to find out how they make their income level work for them.
  • Combine a low-paying or part-time career with a more lucrative specialty, such as teaching, to create full-time work and additional income.

Address the "Need More Training" Requirement.

  • Begin at the bottom in an entry-level position. From there, it will be easier to discover the training and education needed to advance and the employer may even pay for it.
  • Aim for a position that requires less training. For example, instead of becoming a physical therapist, become a physical therapy technician instead. Often technicians can be trained on-the-job or with just a year or two of formal instruction.

Decide Between Two or More Appealing Careers

  • Create a "muffin tin" career. This means selecting more than one career and executing them simultaneously. So, instead of developing a single "loaf" of a career, a person might create several smaller "muffins." These types of careers are best suited for career changers who enjoy variety and multitasking.
  • Become a serial careerist. Sometimes a person is drawn to so many careers it would take several lifetimes to experience them all. In cases like these, career changers may opt to shift careers every three or five years. There's no rule that says a person must stick to one career throughout their lifetime.

The Career Coward's Guide to Changing Careers is available at all major bookstores and from the publisher (http://www.jist.com or 1.800.648.JIST). To speak with the author, contact Natalie Ostrom.

JIST, America's Career Publisher, is a division of EMC/Paradigm Publishing and is the leading publisher of job search, career, occupational information, life skills and character education books, workbooks, assessments, videos and software.

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