Let me tell you a story about a geek and a beauty. It’s not a romance (it better not be, the former is a close friend and the latter is my wife!) it’s a tale of two careers.
The geek is a former co-worker who was – and is - the most technically savvy guy I know. If there was a software or hardware need, he’d figure it out rapidly and completely. Now he’s looking for his dream job and he keeps hearing, “sorry, you’re not technical enough.” ???? What they mean is he’s not formally trained, nor do his previous positions, though technical in deed, appear “officially” technical.
He has a few choices: He can make a lateral (or backward) move to get the official experience he needs, he can seek formal training and certifications, or he can work his resume to highlight his technical value as achievements in his “sales zone” (the top third of the document), then hope he can finesse the interview. He can also offer references who will speak to his technical acumen.
My friend is discovering what so many of us discover: a haphazhard career may give you an amazing skill-set that enables you to performa in a better position, but it’s hard to support in a resume… though a professional resume writer can help you with that.
Now the beauty. She is a wonderful wife, stay-at-home mom, AND she home-schools our kids. As they get into their teens, she is looking ahead to when they are self-sufficient and what she’ll do to stay busy. So she became a part-time student and got her Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification. In so doing, she discovered she loves medical words. Now she’s taking on-line courses to be a certified medical transcriptionist. Both the school and work can be done from home. She’s acing the courses which gives her great confidence. She may be starting in the workforce later than her cohort, but she’ll be backed with training and strong references.
What about you? Are you chaffing to do more? Are you lacking certain skills or certifications? Many colleges are now devoted to making it possible for working individuals to also complete programs. Herzing, Strayer, YTI… just to name a few good schools. If you’ve been wandering from job to job without a plan, maybe now’s the time to rein it in, take stock, and put a plan in motion for going forward.
It’s never been easier.
Rob Swanson
Managing Writer – Career Services International – www.careersi.com and Education Career Services – www.careersi.com
Tags: career planning, certification, employment, training, under-employed
