Changing Jobs

Changing Jobs/Careers

I-Tips for Changing Your Career

Are you feeling frustrated or lack satisfaction in your current occupation? Switching careers is often an enticing option for avoiding the career blues. But be forewarned, changing careers is never easy. Here are five tips that will help you determine whether you should or should not switch careers.

When you consider a new career, make sure the career will leverage your abilities and talents. You already feel that your current job is not the right fit. Don't make the same mistake again.
Arrange informational meetings with people who already have succeeded in your new career. Ask them a wide range of questions so that you understand both the ups and the downs of the career. Ask these people if they think you have what it takes to succeed in their role.
Don't go after a career only because of money. While earning more money is a great benefit, being dissatisfied at work is stressful and can lead to health problems. Also, career switchers often have to take a lower salary when they start their new career so make sure you are prepared for this sacrifice.
Before you switch careers, try to get some experience in the new job. Taking classes or doing an internship will help you know if you are making the right choice.
If you are thinking about a new career, tell all of the people you know (except your boss and colleagues) so they can help you network with people in your new field.

II-Holiday Season - A Good Time for Job Hunting

Many people suspend their job search efforts in December and January, assuming employers are either on vacation or too busy during the holiday season to interview or make hiring decisions. If you believe this myth, you are losing one of the best times to find a job.

There are many reasons why you shouldn't put your search on hold until after the first of the Lunar New Year:

Many companies have their budgets for the New Year and are recruiting for people to start work in January. Therefore, starting your job search after New Year can be too late.
While the number of job ads usually decreases over the holidays, those that do appears either online or newspapers are often high priority jobs that employers need to fill quickly. Since fewer people respond to ads during this time, there is less competition than usual, which is to your advantage.
Fewer job seekers try to find jobs during this season. Thus, you will have an easier time standing out from the crowd. In fact, a well-written-cover-letter and resume is likely to get more attention because volume is down. In addition, some businesses slow down this season, some hiring managers actually have more time to interview.
Last but not least, if you stop job hunting during the holidays, you'll lose momentum that you have to regain again in the new year.

Here are several tips that will help your holiday job search:

Create a job searching schedule with at least one item to accomplish every day. Don't get lazy or depressed; keep your spirits up by taking positive action.
Holiday events are good networking opportunities. Don't be afraid to let people know that you're in the market for a new job.
Send holiday cards with your business card enclosed to hiring managers with whom you've recently interviewed. Send one to well-connected friends as well.
Check the newspaper and job website for advertised positions.

So, DON'T take the holidays "off" on your job search. Stay focused and you'll land a great job!

III-Leaving Your Job

There's one thing we are going to face in our working lives: quitting a job or being fired from a job. Either way, a smooth departure is a must. When you are a part of the company, how you leave your job could be important as what you have done in that position. It is the lasting memory your co-workers will have for you, and says about your professional character and personal integrity.

Leave on good terms. Do your best work possible during the last two weeks of your employment term.
If you decide to resign, it was for better opportunities. A resignation letter should simply state you are leaving and when. Give as much notice as possible, as this gives another good impression before you leave.
Network is a great key to career success. Messing things up could haunt you in professional business venture.
Teach someone as much as you can about your job before you leave.
Offer to do whatever you can to make the new hire's learning curve easier. This will definitely keep you on good terms with your soon-to-be-former employer. If there is no one to teach, write as much of it down. Document everything and make it look good and print it out for your boss.
Clean up behind yourself.
Do everything you can to clean up things from your desktop computer. Clean out the drawers of your desk. Organize your files, and if you have time, writing a guide to them.

IV-A Graceful Exit: How to Quit a Job Smoothly

Some people change jobs like most of us change shirts. While changing jobs may be more acceptable today than it was before, the way you should quit has not changed.

One of the primary reasons that you want to quit in a graceful and professional manner is obvious; you are a professional in everything you do and quitting your job is no different than anything else. You want to do it right.

What To Do

There are some things you can do that will actually help your reputation when you do decide to quit.

Write a very simple resignation letter and hand it to your boss in person. Make sure your boss is the first to know. Don't let him finding out from Quang or Hoa at the water cooler.
Give appropriate notice (this will probably be covered in your handbook. If not, a good rule of thumb is two weeks' notice for jobs that are paid by the hour and one month for jobs that are salaried).
Finish all projects that are currently in progress (if possible).
Create a detailed list of any unfinished projects and what needs to be done in order for them to be completed.
Create a detailed list of your business contacts.
Let your contacts know that you're leaving and what your last day will be. Offer to introduce them to your replacement (if you know who it will be).
Update your job description (if necessary).
Offer to help find and train your replacement.
Check your employee handbook and with the human resources office to see if there's any paperwork you need to complete.

You Should Not

Quit on the spot or without giving proper notice.
Tell the boss off (no matter how good it would make you feel, it's not worth it).
Bad-mouth your boss, co-workers or the company.
Brag about how much more you'll be making elsewhere.
Talk about how much better the new company is.
Take any files or other property.
Destroy or otherwise corrupt any data, database, etc.

If you have something that's genuinely constructive to say, make an appointment with the HR manager or your boss, and have an exit interview. This is the appropriate moment to discuss the reasons why you're leaving.

If your new company offers much better benefits or pays more for the same type of work, then you might want to tell the human resources director about it. It might even be helpful (for the company) to discuss this with your boss.

Believe it or not, quitting with style and grace can have a very positive outcome. Leaving your job in a professional manner can enhance your reputation for being a "winner" and also lay the groundwork for perhaps returning to the same company a few years down the road.

V-How To Handle When You Lose Your Job

So you lost your job. Whether you were fired or laid-off, your first reaction to losing your job will most likely be shock, followed by anger. You might be tempted to tell your boss where he can shove his briefcase. But it's a bad idea. Keep your mouth shut and follow these six steps to prevail during this difficult time.

Negotiate a severance package
Many companies will give you at least two weeks' severance pay. Some will give you up to a year's pay, depending on whether you were fired or laid-off. If possible, contact other employees who were previously let go and ask them how much they received when they left the company. This way you'll know what's fair and have a monetary value to shoot for.

Ask for references
Your direct boss and other company executives you worked with should be willing to provide you with a positive reference or recommendation. Your former employer will be reluctant to say or write anything negative about your work performance, unless you were actually charged with a crime. Make it easy on your boss, and volunteer to write a letter of recommendation yourself that he can review and sign.

Leave with class
You might feel like you were treated unfairly and did not deserve to be let go. But hold your head up high, and with a smile on your face, thank your boss for the opportunity he gave you to work at his company. Then walk out the door, never to return, and don't look back.
Your employer will respect you for the way you've handled this difficult experience. And you'll leave him thinking about the great employee he lost. You never know when a new job opportunity with your boss might arrive at another company in the future.

Have a little fun
Before you start looking for a new job, take at least a week to relax and recharge your batteries. Commiserate with your buddies over drinks or coffee. Take that vacation you never had time for before.

Hit the pavement for a new gig
Update your resume and go get a job. Aside from applying the traditional way by sending out resumes, post it on career sites like VietnamWorks.com and let employers come to you.

Once you start getting interviews, don't announce to potential employers that you were fired. Don't lie, but don't volunteer information regarding why you left your previous job. If they ask, use one of the following phrases to explain:
- "I was downsized in corporate restructuring;" or
- "My department was shut down."

Use this time to improve yourself
While you're looking for a new job, use your free time to improve yourself and improve your chances of finding a job. Avoid detrimental, time-wasting activities such as watching TV and drinking beer during the day.

Instead, do something productive. Learn a new language to help widen your job opportunities. Take a class on public speaking to improve your speech skills. Attend networking events in your chosen field, where you can meet people who know of job openings. Or, find an unpaid internship in a new career area you're interested in. It might lead to you being hired on in a paid position.

Write that novel you've always dreamed of. And focus on your health by working out and eating well.

Finally, don't become sad. Regular exercise will help you stave off depression, improve your mental clarity and enable you to focus on your job search. Upgrade your personal style and wardrobe to present a professional image for yourself. You'll feel better, look better and gain more confidence.

VI-Job Hopping or Career Building: How Many Jobs is Too Many Jobs?

We live in an age when the one-company person no longer exists. Your father, mother and grandparents may have worked for one company their entire lives. Now it is not uncommon to be employed by three, four and even five or more companies during your career.

Someone with several job experiences can be attractive to an employer. It says that you have vast experience and shows your value from having worked under different systems and structures.

To a future employer, several jobs listed on your resume can be impressive. Because of your different experiences you may be a stronger candidate than people who have worked for the same company their entire careers. Those people can only bring the experiences learned at one business, while you bring with you knowledge, training and background from different companies and possibly different industries.

The key is to communicate what you have accomplished at each company. Discuss how you helped past employers meet their objectives. You want to show that your contributions at each company made a difference, which will enhance your value to the employer.

You also should show a work record that has you employed at one company for a significant period of time, at least four or five years. Otherwise, the list of positions on a resume may reveal that you have had a difficult time holding down a job or getting along with others.

When talking with an employer, remember these points about your job history:

Relate specific accomplishments for each of your past employers. Do not just write down or name a list of companies for which you have worked. You do not want to appear to be a job hopper.
Tell the employer how each experience helped you in your next job. Employers by and large understand and accept the concept that people make controlled changes as stepping stones to advancement.
Explain how your past experiences will translate well to the position you are interviewing for. You do not want to appear to have had several disjointed jobs that have nothing to do with the job you are interviewing for.

Make working for several companies work for you. Getting a job will be faster, and you will create added value for your new employer.

VII-Re-enter The Job Market After a Few Years Off

One problem facing an increasing number of parents is how to return to the work force after having children.

One way to help ease your re-entry is to stay in touch with friends and business associates. If you do not remain visible, it will be more difficult to become re-employed, because employers are not likely to remember you.

Make a list of friends, business associates and past co-workers, and talk on the phone or meet face-to-face with them. Do not limit your list to only people who worked in the same industry as you. Instead, list all of the people who may be able to provide job leads, including workers in other industries. Just because you worked in a particular business does not preclude you from being qualified to work for other types of industries. You usually can transfer your functional job skills to different types of companies, which will expand the boundaries of your job search.

Subscribe to at lease one business magazine and read the business sections of daily newspapers to keep abreast of new trends, company restructurings, mergers, consolidations and promotions. These developments can provide clues to where jobs may be available.

Because you have removed yourself from the work force temporarily, take time to reflect on your jobs. Make a list of job-related experiences and accomplishments. Then prepare an updated resume, highlighting ways in which you helped contribute to companies' bottom lines. Include ways you increased profitability, improved operating efficiency, or developed new products or services that benefited past employers.

When you're ready to re-enter the job market, use the list to begin contacting as many employers as possible. Try to line up face-to-face interviews. Be prepared to explain your temporary leave from the work force.

Employers often give clues about what the company is looking for. You need to be flexible in each interview, adapting your answers--within the boundaries of truth--to fit the needs of the company. And remember, employers are looking for experienced, bright and capable people who can make a contribution to the bottom line. Focus on and demonstrate through concrete examples your proven abilities to do just that, and you will increase your chances of winning a new job.

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