More questions to consider

Why did you go into the career you are in now?

Sometimes we make decisions based on external circumstances rather on what we actually want to do. You may have chosen an area of work because it was the only option open to you at the time, due to financial constraints or family circumstances. Was there something you'd rather have done? And would you still like to do it?

Career change often involves retraining and this be discouraging, especially if it requires a lot of money. Ask yourself if would be better to be broke for a few years, but then launch yourself into the career you really want, or stay as you are now for the rest of your working life?

There are many different training options available - online, part-time, evening classes, day release, correspondence course. You don't necessarily have to give up the day job.

Studying is also good for you - wards off some of the problems of old age and keeps you out of the pub. A man of 100 was recently interviewed on a local TV news programme here in London. He'd just started a computing class, but that was pretty timid considering he learned to fly a 'plane at 92!

So, no excuses!

Waller

www.coolercareers.com
www.ukjobapplicationforms.com

Thinking of changing your job?

Most people spend more time planning their holidays than they do planning their careers.
If you are thinking about moving to a new area of work, don’t just go for the in thing or what all your friends are telling you you’d be good at. Ask yourself a few questions to figure out what you really want.

Here are some to get you started:

Why do you want to change your job or go back to work? Make a list of all the reasons, including the things you hate about your present or past jobs.

What do you want the job to give you? Write down everything you can think of and be as specific as you can, for example, if you write “job satisfaction”, say what that means for you, if you want more money, how much?

Which skills and talents do you want to use, and which new ones would you like to learn?

More in the next blog entry.

Waller

www.ukjobapplicationforms.com
www.coolercareers.com

Self Employment continued

You may prefer the idea of something completely different, perhaps cashing in on a skill you’ve developed through a life-long hobby or sport or learning something new.

Areas which are in at the moment are any form of personal care, from complementary medicine to beauty therapy, and self-improvement in the form of coaching in areas as diverse as dieting and life/work planning. Training will be your first expense, and then you have to think about premises. These will vary in cost, from your living room for telephone and email coaching, to renting space in a local alternative health practice – or converting the spare room if you are lucky enough to own your own home.

The internet offers plenty of chances to earn your living - selling on Ebay, becoming an affiliate, creating your own digital products or MLM.

The number of people taking off for the sun or the snow and setting up a business abroad, such as bed and breakfast or activity holidays seems to be spiralling out of control, if the resulting TV documentaries are to be believed. Buying property or real estate to renovate and sell for profit or on a buy to rent basis are also becoming popular.

It’s important to feel comfortable about your new career. It’s easy to be swayed by trends and ,o f course, it is essential to make sure there is a market for whatever products or services you choose to sell, but if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, you’re either going to end up being one of those statistics – or just plain miserable. On the other hand, choose something you love and you’ll get great satisfaction from doing your own thing.

Waller
www.coolercareers.com
www.ukjobapplicationforms.com

More on self employment

Statistically, 4 out of 5 new businesses in the US close in the first 5 years. Not all will have failed financially – some will close because the owners decided it wasn’t for them. So when starting out, you need to be as sure as you possibly can that you choose wisely. Whatever business you set up, it will take a lot of your time

So what options are open to you? This depends on quite a few factors - money, time, skills, experience, responsibilities and personality. It is important to remember that not all business start-ups need a lot of capital. If you want to buy a high street shop or franchise, yes, you’ll need a lot of cash, but virtual stores are much cheaper to maintain and there are plenty of other opportunities which won’t necessarily mean you need an office other than your spare room. Thanks to outsourcing, many former employees find that they are able to continue their careers as self-employed contractors, sometimes working for the very company which previously had them on the payroll. So, the first place to look when considering what you could do, is your existing or previous job. Computer programmers, accountants and book-keepers can easily set up on their own. Other areas commonly outsourced are catering and office cleaning. Setting up a company in either is a possibility if you have experience and some cash. If you target small businesses, you’ll need less staff. Secretaries, for example, can set up alone by offering to work for sole traders who need help with paperwork, but perhaps only for a few hours every week. More tomorrow.