Top 10 Great Career Change Tips

When you have decided that you need to change your career - or if it has been decided for you in the form of a layoff or force reduction - you need to work quickly to find a new job or career. Both your finances and your emotional wellbeing are affected by a change in employment. Hopefully, when you seek a new career, you will change your life for the better. Here are a few creative career change tips to get you started:

1. Is there a hobby or activity that you love, and are skilled at? Is there a way you can convert your passion to a career or business? Consider teaching others to participate in your chosen hobby, or offer products suited to collectors or participants in your chosen specialty.

2. Brush up your resume. There are probably quite a few skills that you can adapt from your old career. If you are able to sell one product, you can likely sell another. If you are a skilled manager, then you can bring your managerial skills along with you as you try out a new career path.

3. Look for referrals. Tell everyone you know that you are in the market for a new job. Your friends and family may have different contacts than you do, and one of them could connect you with the person who will hire you for your next position.

4. Realize you may have to take a step backward to get ahead. If you are considering a career change, you may have to take a step back in terms of responsibility, position, or pay scale to get started.

5. Think long term. Make sure that the new career you are considering will work out for you in one, three, or five years down the road.

6. Consider a layoff or reduction in force to be an opportunity to change your life, and your career path. If there is something you always wanted to do, but felt locked in by your old job or responsibilities, losing that job can kick you out of your comfort zone, and free you to explore new possibilities.

7. Head back to school. You don't need to get a four year degree to pursue a new career, but you may need to brush up on some of your skills. Many jobs require basic computer skills as a prerequisite, regardless of the position being offered.

8. Consider certification. If you are interested in any of the web design or IT fields, consider getting certification in one or more areas of interest. Even if you have the skills already, certification lets employers know you are proficient, and shows you are serious about your career.

9. Work for yourself. If you have always wanted to start your own business, this could be the time to do it. Explore your options, and consider what type of product or service you could offer.

10. Be flexible. When you are offered a job or interview, check out all possibilities, even if you think you are overqualified. In some cases, companies are looking to fill more than one position, or may realize that you are ideally suited to another position that hasn't even been advertised yet.

The only way to find out how you would fit into an organization is to go to an interview and learn more about the new company.

James Copper is a writer for http://www.baol.co.uk/mcse-training.html where you can find information on mcse training courses