hfcareernetwork

© Mot the barber

Yesterday First Lady Michelle Obama still found time to give an inspiring career advise talk to a group of girls from an inner-city London school.
She's been a sparkling success during the Presidential tour of Europe, attended dinner with the Queen, an audience with Prince William and Kate Middleton, and manned the salad bowl during a Downing Street barbeque.
Mrs Obama shared pearls of wisdom on career advice with pupils from Elizabeth Garrett Anderson girls' school in North London, during a visit to Oxford University.
The trip, organised at the First Lady's suggestion, was designed to teach the pupils about career advice before University, and encourage them to go on into higher education with a proper career advice suggestion that will make their degrees more interesting to them.

© US Embassy New Zealand

Decades ago, financial professionals had a choice of two career paths: stockbrokers or insurance agents. Much has changed since then, and now more thoughtful career planning is necessary to make the most of a financial career. Preparing for a career in financial planning today requires a lot more training in areas that were once relegated to other professions, like accounting and psychology.

Choosing an appropriate major in college is an important step, such as business, economics, finance or accounting. Personal financial planning programs being offered at some universities can be especially helpful because they cover a number to topics that other programs fail to include. Another way for students to bolster their resumes is to prepare income tax returns, work at a bank, and sitting for the Enrolled Agent exam administered by the IRS every September.

© Argonne National Laboratory

Sometimes, a career change is needed. You might want to try something new, moving into a different — but somewhat related — field, or you may want to transition to a freelancing career. No matter what you want to do, a career transition requires planning and effort. Rarely does a career transition "just happen" smoothly. If you want to transition careers, here are some key things to keep in mind:

You Need the Right Skill Set
Before you transition careers, you need to make sure that you can demonstrate the proper skill set for the new job. In some cases, this is a matter of acquiring additional skills and education. You can get help doing this when it's convenient for you by taking advantage of community education classes, or by looking into the offerings of distance learning universities. If you will need a certification or if you will need to develop a specific skill, accomplish the coursework necessary.

In some cases, though, the right skill set is something you already possess. If your skills can transfer to your new career, all you need to do is be able to demonstrate this to a new prospective employer. If your career transition includes working for yourself, you need to know how your current skills will help you excel as your own boss.

Networking is Essential
Who you know can be a vital factor in your career transition. Network with people you know personally and professionally. Some of these contacts may know of an opening that suits you, or can provide you with a recommendation. Developing a good network can give you an "in" that might encourage a potential employer to consider how your skills can translate to a new career — even though he or she might not have considered you otherwise.

It is also a good idea to find a mentor. A mentor in the field you are interested in can help you learn what is necessary to be successful in your new chosen job. Additionally, a mentor can provide you with good advice, and someone to emulate, as well as possibly putting you in touch with useful contacts.

Make Sure You Have the Financial Ability to Switch
Sometimes, a career transition means that you will experience different stresses on your finances. You need to have a plan in place to deal with this change. You might end up without a paycheck for some time. This is especially true if your career transition includes a home business. You will need to have savings so that you can get by as you transition. You might have to cut back on some of your expenses, and you need to see whether your life partner is on board, and willing to work a little extra to help your finances as you transition.

A career transition can be an exciting change. However, in order to make it work, you will need to put in some extra work to ensure that you have the requisite skills and good contacts, and you will need to make sure you are ready to make the switch financially and emotionally.