Articles & News About Your Career

Back to School for a Career Change

Q. I hate my job as a computer consultant. I am ready for a career change. The aptitude tests say I should be a recreation specialist. I like the idea but I dread returning to school for a new degree.

A. Before you invest in a degree, try out the new career. A test drive will tell you more than any pencil-and-paper test. Find two or three people who are doing what you want to do and ask to spend a day or a week with them.

If you like what you see, visit a few schools or universities that offer degrees in your area of interest. Ask for names of people who have graduated one, three and five years ago.

Ask the alumni, "Did this degree help you get your job? Advance in your job?

"Would you have done better with a degree from another school? Or would you have done as well with a degree from a lower-ranked school?"

Don't stop until you have talked to six graduates -- maybe more.

Talk to students, not faculty. Professors must support their own programs, even when they want to say, "You can do better elsewhere," or, "This program is a waste of your time and money."

And these days, anyone with a title like "Admissions Director" or "Enrollment Management" may be trying to make a sale, not offer objective guidance.

Investigate several options.

You may find an equally satisfying career that offers on-the-job training. You may find an educational program that takes less time or comes with a stipend.

No degree program offers a magic bullet.

Ultimately you may win the job and career success by your power networking as well as you social, interpersonal and technical skills. There are many paths to career fulfillment, not just one.

I offer one-to-one consultations on career strategy.

From Back to School: A midlife career guide

About The Author

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com.

"Ten secrets of mastering a major life change" mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com

Contact: cathy@cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

Looking For A Job? Get Into A Professional Golf Career
Golfing is a great hobby for many people, the game being a relaxing one carried outdoors and offering low level physical stress. For those with a competitive nature, golf can be a veritable challenge, each individual course providing stimulation as the player tries to outwit the terrain or searches for that perfect swing. But golf has become more than a weekend hobby, with household names like Tiger Woods and Colin Montgomerie turning more and more people onto the sport. The collection of fans and would be hopefuls has propelled the golfing industry into a major player and the professional golf careers that come from the sport abound.

How Does Earnings Per Share Work?
Earnings Per Share, And Price/Earnings Ratio ? Two Tools For Determining Stock Viability

E³ - W = R²: Career Success Formula for 2007, Says J.T. O'Donnell Founder of BlueKilowatt.Com and CareerJuice.Com
The 5 "new" Rules of Career Development You Must Know in 2007. Fresh Advice for Finding Professional Happiness From Nationally Syndicated Career Advice Columnist.

How To Become A Work At Home Success
You've finished your research and chosen the best work at home opportunity for you. Now what? Unfortunately, most work at home business owners sit down their first morning and stare at their computer wondering what they should do to make money.

Goal Setting - Road Map To Achieving Your Career Goals
Goal Setting & ResearchYou can only set informed career goals if you acquire plenty of information about the career choices open to you. This will require research which can be conducted online or through a local library.

Work at Home Dads Vs Work at Home Moms
The term work at home mom or "WAHM" is widely known for sure but "work at home dads?" Hmmm are they not known as the entrepreneurs?Whatever it is the ladies really call "working at home dads" working at home whether as mom or a dad is a full time job and the Internet is open to all of us regardless of our sex, age, location, race or any other obstacle that our minds see fit to throw at us.Working online is the only true marketing medium that levels the playing the field by so much so that huge success and everything that goes with it can and should be achieved by those who are willing to put in the time and the effort.

BROKERHUNTER.com is Pleased to Announce The BROKERHUNTER.com Virtual Career Fair for Financial Services
This career event is sponsored by Summit Business Media publishers of Research, Investment Advisor, Wealth Manager, Life Insurance Selling, American Agent & Broker, National Underwriter Life & Health and National Underwriter Property & Casualty magazines.

Get A New Job - Career Choices
Career change is tough but rewardingThere are a number of reasons why people might be due for a career change: They don't like their current career. Maybe they took the job because they needed money at the time and it was the only work they could find to pay the bills.

RecruitMilitary Career Fair for Military Veterans and Military Spouses Coming to Raleigh on September 18
The military-to-civilian recruiting firm RecruitMilitary will present a free hiring event for job seekers who have military backgrounds in Raleigh on Tuesday, September 18. This event, the RecruitMilitary Career Fair, will take place from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the Imax Theatre Building at Exploris Museum. The career fair will be open to veterans who already have civilian work experience, men and women who are transitioning from active duty to civilian life, members of the National Guard and reserves, and military spouses. More than 25 veteran-friendly organizations will conduct one-on-one interviews with the job seekers--organizations that will include corporate employers, law-enforcement agencies and other government employers, education...

Acne Solutions that are Guaranteed to Work
Acne Solutions that are Guaranteed to Work

Feng Shui Your Home, Work and Life For Balance and Harmony
Feng Shui describes the communication that takes place every day between you and your environment, be it your home, garden or work. This discipline investigates the universal feelings and reactions of human beings to all environments, including our world.

How Radars & Radar Detectors Work
What is a Radar?Radar is an acronym for radio detection and ranging. The Average Radar contains a K-Band microwave RF (radio frequency) transmitter whose signal gets reflected by the target object.

Internet Jobs
Internet Jobs are out there and can be very rewarding without having to spend at least 2-3 hours on average a day commuting to and from work Paid internet jobs are one of the highest paying jobs because employers do not have to pay for physical office rent, office supplies, and other various insurances

Clickbank: Work from Home Jobs
During 2005, approximately 7,000 Internet Marketers became Online Millionaires. 100,000 can?t be wrong. This Online Success can mainly be attributed to Clickbank. They have created Online Job Opportunities that is still causing Thousands to Gain Financial Independence.