W transition to a new career - Yankton Press & Dakotanshop.yankton.net/media/pubs/517/3327/29305-51094.pdf · 2014-11-03 · It’’ssrree ding y di y h wwaaraarrd Evveerrybod II

PRESS & DAKOTAN ■ MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2014 PAGE 21

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*For wage information go to the SD Department of Labor - Labor Market Information Center http://dlr.sd.gov/lmic/

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Today’s professionalschange careers and jobs muchmore frequently than those ofpast generations. While aperson may have once thoughtthemselves lucky just to have ajob and hold on to it as long asthey could, workers today tendto be more fickle and jumparound until they find theperfect career fit.

The United States Bureau ofLabor Statistics says it isdifficult to determine just howoften a person changes acareer, noting the difficultywith regard to defining theparameters of whatconstitutes a career change.However, one study by the NLSthat looked at young babyboomers found the averagenumber of jobs held by peopleages 18 to 46 was 11.3. Otherstudies examining Americanand British employmentpatterns discovered Americanstend to move around more,having 10.5 jobs in a lifetimecompared to Brits’ 6.9 jobs.

Although the job searchwas once considered a one­time event, today looking for ajob is a larger part of careerdevelopment. Staying on topof the job market and findingniches that offer the bestopportunities for success iskey. Transitioning from one jobto another is morecommonplace and these tipscan make the move easier andmore successful.

• Have a valid reason tochange careers. Boredom

alone should not be thedriving force behind a careerchange. If advancementopportunities seemnonexistent or if the job you’rein simply isn’t in tune withyour interests, you may have agood reason to switch careers.

• Be willing to learn a newskill. You may need to learnnew skills to pursue a newcareer. If that’s the case, youmay want to enroll in acontinuing education courseprior to job­hunting. Even if ajob doesn’t work out on thefirst attempt, new skills alwayslook good on a résumé.

• Be a courteous networker.Send handwritten notes to anyand all people who helped youfind new job opportunities.This reaffirms yourrelationship and you neverknow when you might need areference or support in thefuture.

• Educate yourself on officepolitics. It’s helpful to know acompany’s rules in advance.This may be as simple aslearning the dress code foremployees and any other rulesand regulations of the office.Do employees dine out forlunch, or do they eat primarilyat their desks? What is thetendency for coworkers tomingle outside of the office?Learning these policies orhabits may help you find acompany that’s the best fit foryou.

• Go with the flow. You mayhave your own ideas on how

to improve performance, butassimilate into the routine firstbefore you start becomingmore vocal. There is plenty oftime to lend your advice andshow the team how they cangrow.

• Bring a treat for your newcoworkers. Offer the first olivebranch by bringing in a snackthe office can enjoy or offer totake a few coworkers out forcoffee. This can break the iceand facilitate new officefriendships.

• Take a lot of notes. A lotof new information will comeat you in your first weeks onthe job. There will beprocedures and technologicaldetails. Jot down notes alongthe way, and do not be afraidto ask questions for furtherclarification.

• Get cozy with the IT team.Many IT teams are increasinglybecoming the backbone ofmany companies, ensuringeveryone is online and workingat peak potential. Get to knowthe IT department so you willnot feel sheepish aboutturning to them when yourcomputer freezes or your filesvanish.

It can take several weeksfor new employees tosuccessfully transition to a newcareer. But there are severalstrategies men and womencan employ to make thattransition go as smoothly aspossible.

Mentors can serve as trustedconfidantes to young people in needof professional guidance, providingthe support or advice many need tobreak into a given industry.

While mentoring is mostcommonly associated with theprofessional arena, it need not berestricted to corporateenvironments. When looking to giveback to their communities, men andwomen may not think of mentoring.However, mentoring can be apowerful empowerment and personaldevelopment tool, for both mentorsand the people being mentored. Thefollowing are a handful of tips tofoster a successful mentoringrelationship.

• Ask a lot of questions. Mentorsshould expect to field a lot ofquestions, but they also should asktheir share of questions. Askingquestions is a good way to challengepeople and get them thinking aboutvarious scenarios and situations theymay find themselves in. This will helpshape the person you’re mentoringinto an individual who can anticipatesituations and deal with them on hisor her own.

• Ensure confidentiality.Confidentiality should be ofparamount importance in amentoring relationship. The personyou’re mentoring should feelcomfortable coming to you with anysituation and have your support, astrust is essential to the mentor­mentee relationship.

• Stretch a person’s abilities. Thegoal of a mentor is not to solve all of

his or her mentee’s problems.Delegate tasks and provide advice tolead the mentee in the right direction.Encourage a mentee to take on moreresponsibilities, which can instillconfidence and facilitate personalgrowth.

• Enjoy the experience. Mentorsbenefit from mentoring, which canprovide satisfaction and a sense ofaccomplishment that results fromknowing you played an integral role inthe success of another person. If yourcareer is in a slump, mentoring mayprovide the breath of fresh air youneed to recharge. Mentoring also maygive you insight into another person’slife, which can be used in your ownpersonal development. As long asyour goal is the success and supportof the mentee, mentoring can be aselfless act that touches the lives ofothers.

Formal mentoring programs exist,but mentoring relationships oftenbegin when a less formal connectionforms between two people. Should afriend, employee or colleague ask foryour assistance in mentoring,embrace this compliment and makethe most of your opportunity to aidein the growth of another person.

■ Metro Creative Connection

What does it mean to be a mentor?

■ Metro Creative Connection

How to simplify your transition to a new career