Changing career direction
Today there are many jobs available but not enough workers to fill. At the same time there are many workers who could not find jobs because what companies need is not what they can do. There is nothing more frustrate for students who complete college but cannot find job. However this is not the time for graduates to feel frustrate or to blame anything, they must focus on how to acquire the necessary skills to get the jobs available.
Unemployed graduate needs to conduct market research to figure out what types of jobs localcompanies need to fill and what jobs are available in your area. It is possible that you may find a job that you never knew about. You should not be afraid to explore areas of work that you never considered before. In this economic recession, where unemployment is high graduates should check with your university for classes that can teach you new skills that allow you to move into a new job. It is important to spend some time to do sufficient research into the field that you intend to switch to as you should know something about it before deciding to move into it. You need to understanding the new field so you can explain it in detail when being asked. Hiring managers would be impressed if you can explain all the details that are relevant to the new job and it is a clear indication of your readiness to move forward.
When research the market you need to look at the industry trend to determine which career has better future and what is the market direction. In this Information age, there are jobs that are critical to every country and nearly every industry and field is influenced by the discoveries and innovations of the so called STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). These fields are driving the economy and redefining what modern life looks like. Whether you are first year college students or graduates that are looking to change career, you may want to learn about STEM careers and why these jobs are leading industries across the nation and world. According to the industry study, these STEM jobs have the fastest growth and have shortage of people through 2025. Among them the best jobs are in Biotechnology (Scientist, engineer) Medical (Doctor and Nurse), Information technology (Software developers, System engineer, Data base managers, Network system); Biochemist and Biophysicist.
Unemployed graduates must monitor the job market to find the job that could use some skills they already have and with additional trainings will allow them to qualify for the job. For example a business student could take few programming classes and apply for job in the Information Technology (IT) industry. By combining business knowledge with technical skills will give them a better chance to get job. Today there is a large number of business graduates going back to school to learn programming and earned a second degree in Information System Management (ISM) that qualify them for project management position, service manager, IT system management, cloud computing administrator etc.
It might take time for you to get a job but it is important that you remain patient and not to lose hope. At some point while you are searching for a new job, you might feel depress and even want to give up. All of these emotions are normal and you have to accept this as part of the career change process. You must keep in mind that perseverance is one of the keys to a successful career change. Building a new career is not easy. It takes time and patient but there are jobs available and companies do need skilled workers to fill. If you are willing to learn new skills and keep an open mind you can prepare for a new future today. This is not the time to be frustrated, this is not the time to look back but move forward and reinvest your efforts to make the new skills and knowledge work for you. This is challenging time as it tests your determination and only strong person will be able to overcome these obstacles.
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
