Need to be convinced that a career change makes sense? Consider  Salman Khan, a 33-year-old, who quit his job as a financial analyst with expertise in hedge fund management. Today, Khan  has a thriving business, creating video lectures on algebra, calculus, valence electrons, the circulatory system, and hundreds of other topics. He has turned his passion for knowledge into the Khan Academy, a popular educational website.

None other than software industry billionaire, Bill Gates, spends hours with his 11-year-old son watching Khan’s videos. Said Gates at the recent Aspen Ideas Festival, “It was a good day his wife let him quit his job.”

Having Bill Gates endorse the idea of career change may help a lot of us feel better about making a change. After all, Gates left his job as head of Microsoft to focus on his Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the largest private foundation in the world. If you haven’t  changed careers a few times, you are the exception. It is becoming common at any age. AARP has reported that many over 50 are reconsidering their careers. To do so entails careful thought and perhaps guidance from a career change expert. You may need a career change resume. But consider the success of Khan and Gates and tens of thousands of others. If the economy forces change upon you, sometimes it just makes sense to embrace it.

Debrahlee Lorenzana, a successful and attractive New York City banker, is suddenly out of work and needs the help of a professional resume writer. I am offering the assistance and expertise of Shimmering Resumes to help her revive her career during these difficult economic times.

Lorenzana, 33, a Business Banking Officer with Citibank since 2008, claims in a lawsuit that the financial giant fired her because she is attractive, too attractive.  Lorenzana typically wore turtlenecks and pencil skirts to work, appropriate professional attire, she said, adding that Citibank said her “shapeliness” was too distracting to her male colleagues, so she should not dress like other women. The bank claimed that Lorenzana was terminated due to poor on-the-job performance.

“Maybe she should wear a burka,” her attorney told a local New York TV news program.
She could pay an attorney thousands or more. For a fraction of that, I’ll write her a professional banking resume, help her look for a job, and train her to interview. She should be drawing a salary in no time, making a difference at a company that appreciates her special skills.

I confess that I see a career change in her future.

Too sexy?

There’s no denying that the job market for New Grads is still tough. But there a few signs of improvement. CareerBuilder’s Annual Job Forecast reports that 21 percent of companies hiring New Grads will hire more than a year ago. And 16 percent plan to offer higher starting salaries. Neverthless, there’s a long way to go as the number of firms planning to hire recent college graduates is basically unchanged at 44%, down from a high of 79% in 2007. Companies planning to hire list the following activities as pertinent experience to include on resumes:

• Internships - 62 percent

• Part-time jobs in another area or field - 50 percent

• Volunteer work - 40 percent

• Class work - 31 percent

• Involvement in school organizations - 23 percent

• Managing activities for sororities and fraternities – 21 percent

• Sports activities - 13 percent

This list of activities is encouraging. There are techniques to make these most effective on your resume as well as in a cover letter. Be certain to learn how to include as many of these activities as possible. They are the evidence that you can get a job done. In addition, you want to be prepared to discuss them in detail during job interviews. Figure out strategies to describe them so they resemble tasks in a job. Employers are looking to see that you undertake challenges and meet them effectively.

Networking is so important in your job search. But it’s easy to lose enthusiasm for it. As part of your networking strategy, you should identify events to attend that offer opportunities to meet a lot of people in one place. You can network intensely for a few hours and come away with quite a few new connections. What kind of events? Job Fairs, Industry Conferences, Trade Shows are a few examples.

Pick an event where the content interests you so you can circulate and meet people to discuss the field and you won’t be obvious that you are just there to try to find a job. Show an interest in a company and try to get a chance to follow up with some of the people you meet. If you go to a computer software event, seek out people and companies that have an interest in the technical expertise you have. If you like to write Java code, then hang out at company booths that use Java. Talk shop and show your knowledge.

If you’re a business development manager then look for senior level managers where you can meet people who may share information on which companies are thriving and what their strategies are.

Career Fairs can be disillusioning these days. Many report to me that the best companies don’t feel that they have to utilize these events. Nevertheless, it’s worth checking into them. If you see a Career Fair promoted in the newspaper or online, you can often see a list of the companies planning to attend. Again, these events offer you a chance to network. If nothing else, you should come away with some connections at companies where you previously had none.

Add these connections to your database. Follow up with these new contacts by having lunch or coffee, and see what can happen.