Saturday, November 26, 2011

Starting Over can happen many times-even in your Career Part 3

While I live in a fairly metropolitan area, there are not a lot of corporate headquarters of large companies. A lot of mom and pops, and division headquarters. When something happens to your job, there aren't always a myriad of choices when trying to replace it.

In 2007 when I got WIPED OUT I signed up right away for temporary work so I could put groceries on the table. A year later, I was made a permanent employee at less than 60% of ANY of my previous salaries. I am in a position that is somewhat more of an analyst position than REAL accounting. I had my first eye opener when I applied internally for a position in the corporate office. The interviewer asked "It has been a while since you worked on financial statements, do you think you could still do them?"  I was flabbergasted! In reality I have been doing financial statements probably longer than the interviewer has been alive, and needless to say I was not given the opportunity. I knew then that I was devaluing myself on the job market for what I truly know and do well every day that I go to work there.But..I NEED the job or I would be living in a box under a bridge somewhere! I am truly thankful to be working, but for career purposes if you have a choice, stick with your true profession if you can, as positions in "related" fields may hurt your chances going forward!  Sometimes the choice isn't available, and you have to go with what you can get.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Starting Over can happen many times-even in your Career Part 2

Yesterday I mentioned that employers use several methods to "weed out" applicants. For Accounting positions, the first is requiring a CPA. Obviously not a problem if have one. The next thing that works against you is a credit check. Having been financially WIPED OUT in 2007 and trying to recover (still) I obviously don't have great credit. My credit has no impact on my ability to do a great job for someone. I do not have access to their money, I just account for it. If they have decent internal controls, I would NEVER have any opportunity to financially harm my employer-and let's face it. They pay me, I want them to live long and prosper!

OK-so far two strikes against me. I am not a CPA and  I have lousy credit (but I am committed to getting it back in shape somehow).

Here comes strike 3-AGEISM is alive and well in hiring practices. OK, so I am experienced. In days gone by that would have counted as a substitute for the CPA. Some of us have awesome experience that could really help a business move to the next level. I would love to have that opportunity and have FAITH that it will happen, but in the mean time? Got to just keep plugging along.

There are hidden pitfalls to your career based on your current position. Want to know more? OK-stay tuned.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Starting Over can happen many times-even in your Career

Ever wonder when it is too late to start a new career? Many people say it NEVER too late, but from a practical real life stand point, it can be unless you have a LOT of resources available to you. For anyone that ever read this Blog, you know I was financially WIPED OUT in 2007. I am still "starting over" from that experience. I have hit many walls I never saw coming. So..I am going to share a few of them with you so maybe you can see them coming.

This post is primarily about careers. I am an ACCOUNTANT by profession and have a LOT of fantastic experience. What I find now in the job market are several issues.

Employers use a couple of things to "weed out" applicants. In the olden days (I use this term loosely) experience counted for something. While I am a degreed Accountant, I am not certified. I worked for a Public Accountant for my last year of college and despised it!!! Doing accounting for any John Doe company and not caring too much about his operational results held no motivation for me. Make no mistake, I love accounting, but I also like personal involvement, so I looked for jobs in industry rather than public accounting. Sure a CPA would have made me worth more on the market, but sometimes there are things more important than only MONEY and I was anxious to get my career on the road, and I wanted to ENJOY it! In today's market not being a CPA is a method used to weed out applicants. Many positions I would love and could make a GREAT contribution to I am blocked from be considered. I have so much more to tell you, so come back-it may mean something to your own career or job search down the road!