Rather than searching for another job, many people start their own consulting businesses based on the expertise, and often the contacts, they have built up in the course of their careers.    Countless numbers succeed in their new ventures, a few succeed brilliantly, and some determine that it’s not right for them.

Very talented people are unemployed right now, and, if they are like me when I was laid off in 1994, they are wondering if they can trust another employer again.  Or face another job search again.

Perhaps surprisingly, as I’ve written before, that job loss was a GIFT to me – truly a blessing in disguise!  It set me free of the corporate world.

I started my own very small consulting business in 1995.  If I screw up, I am the only one who pays the price.  If I am brilliant (and/or lucky) and do quite well, I reap all the benefits.  That seems more fair than a corporate job, and, frankly, not that much more work than my last corporate job.  It is a whole lot more rewarding, in many ways - and, actually, much, MUCH more fun!

This week on Job-Hunt, Bruce Katcher begins his column, Starting a Consulting Business, to help you consider a consulting business as, perhaps, the next step in your career.  His first article offers “7 Reasons Why Starting a Consulting Business May Be Right for You.”  It is good food for thought.

Bruce L. Katcher, Ph.D. is an Industrial/Organizational psychologist, Executive Director of The Center for Independent Consulting and president of Discovery Surveys, Inc. He is author of “An Insider’s Guide to Building a Successful Consulting Practice” (AMACOM) and “30 Reasons Employees Hate Their Managers” (AMACOM).

Starting a consulting business isn’t for everyone.  Some people seem to instantly understand it, and others seem to struggle to learn.  But both can and do succeed.  Hopefully, Bruce’s first article will be followed by many more that will help job seekers determine whether or not independent consulting is for them and figure out how to do it well.

Stay tuned…

© Copyright, 2012, Susan P. Joyce. All rights reserved.

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About the author…

Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 1998, her company, NETability, Inc. purchased Job-Hunt.org, and Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt since then. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg.

Looking back at my career, I have probably made more career changes than many people – at least 9 of them - from officer in the United States Marine Corps to president of my own company, including 2 layoffs.

And, I think it was a very educational process, but I wish I’d done a better job of planning and managing my crazy career.  So, here’s how you can learn from my mistakes…

Most of us don’t do much research into what we enjoy doing or what we would succeed at doing.  We just leap into the job market, feet first, landing on the first job offer we receive.

Understandable to accept the first offer received, particularly for that first job or when unemployment has stretched out longer than expected.  Definitely understandable.  However…

For the long term,  smart people look ahead carefully, and don’t just jump at the first opportunity.  So, for your next career change, try these 3 steps:

1.  Do some research to pick a good target.

Yes, I know this takes time!  But, research usually pays off in a better outcome – more career/job satisfaction for sure and possibly more money, too.  We didn’t often do much research in the past because it took so much time and effort.  Now, the Internet offers amazing resources for you, so take advantage of those resources to really examine your options.

Read “What Color Is Your Parachute?” – the classic career book by Dick Bolles which he updates, himself, every year.  Very smart man.  VERY helpful book!  If you aren’t sure what you want to do, this book will help you figure it out.  Do all of the exercises in the book – do NOT skip this step!  You can do this in a couple of afternoons, and it will pay off for you.  You probably don’t know yourself as well as you think you do!

Then, research your options.  The US Department of Labor has some fabulous resources for career changers:

• MySkillsMyFuture
• O*Net Interest Profiler

And Job-Hunt has large sections of excellent information and advice (plus free ebooks) on careers and career change written by experts:

• Career Changers Guide to Careers – with over 200 careers profiled
• Career Change- articles on making your career change by Randi Bussin
• Career Assessments- articles to help you understand and leverage career assessments by Susan Guarneri
• Lifestyle-Friendly Careers- if you want to work from home, these articles by Nancy Collamer will help you figure out what and how
• 5 Steps to Starting Your Career Reinvention (new window) – free ebook by Randi Bussin on getting started in your career change
• 5 Steps to Implementing Your Career Reinvention (new window) – another free ebook by Randi Bussin on implementing your career change

2.  Make a plan.

Think of a logical “career path” to get you from point A (where you are now) to Point B (your target). Perhaps you can jump directly to your target job or, more likely, you’ll reach your target through one or two transitional jobs.

Consider what “next” jobs, on your career path, could be leveraged from what you already know to help you reach your target - your skills and experience plus the people (network!), products, services, players, politics, companies, and other organizations you have worked  or interacted with and/or learned about.

For example:

• Teacher to corporate management: move to (1) a school administration position, then from school administration to (2) corporate administration, followed by a move from corporate administration to (3) corporate management.  Career change in 3 steps.
• Sales to customer service: move to (1) a sales support position and then from sales support to (2) customer support/service.   Career change in 2 steps.
• Truck driver to fleet management: move to (1) a position in fleet scheduling, etc.  Career change in 1 or 2 steps, depending on how high in fleet management the target is.
• Law to marketing: move to (1) a position marketing to attorneys, law firms, or the law community.  Career change in 1 step.

Your current, or your next, employer may have the career path open to you, or you may need to change employers more than once.

This all depends, of course, on the industries and opportunities around you as well as your interests and skills.

3.  Implement your plan.

If your finances are stretched to the limit, you may not be able to be as picky as you would like to be about that next job.  However, targeting your job search to jobs on your planned career path will be a big help and should, actually, help you land that next job more quickly:

• Targeted networking – when you know what you want, you can describe it so that people in your network can help you more easily than if you just answered “a paycheck” when they ask what you are looking for.  And, you can focus your attention on networking events and venues that will do more than take up your time.
  See Job-Hunt’s Job Search Networking section for many articles by experts Liz Ryan and Robyn Greenspan, and also check out this free ebook Job Search Networking for Introvertsby Wendy Gelberg (New window will open.)  
• Targeted resume - highlighting your skills, experiences, and accomplishments that work for that next job without showing that you are headed in a slightly different direction.
  Check out Resume for Mom Returning to Work & Changing Careers by Susan Ireland.
• Targeted social media - your resume, LinkedIn Profile, and even Facebook page are all “singing the same tune” so no one is confused about what you want or how to help you.
  Another free ebook, Branding and Your LinkedIn Profile by Meg Guiseppi (New window will open.)

Bottom Line

Your mileage may vary, and your target may change, too, as you travel along your career path.  But, you can’t get from Point A to Point B without knowing where you are, where you are going, and how to get there.

Good luck with your job search!

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Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce, USMC veteran, has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 1998, her company, NETability, Inc. purchased Job-Hunt.org, and Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt since then. Follow Susan on Twitter at @JobHuntOrg.

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The Career Collective Articles for April, 2011:

• Are You Ready for a Career Change?@Debra Wheatman
• Changing Careers? Ask yourself these questions.@erinkennedycprw
• Changing Careers: Not for the Fainthearted, @GayleHoward
• Career Change Isn’t An Exact Science, @careersherpa
• The 10-Step Plan to Career Change, @KatCareerGal
• When it’s Time to Recycle Your Career, @WalterAkana
• How social media can help you change careers, @keppie_careers
• Expat Careers: You Are Not Your Job Title, @expatcoachmegan
• Changing The Direction Of Your Career, @EliteResumes @MartinBuckland
• Career Changer: Can You Quell Bottom-line Ache?@ValueIntoWords
• Top 3 + 1 Tips for Making a Successful Career Change, @KCCareerCoach
• Changing Careers: Look Before You Leap, @barbarasafani
• 10 Commandments for Career Changers, @LaurieBerenson

The U.S. Department of Labor analyzes employer practices, the economy, and many other factors to develop a list of the top careers. This is the list of the top 20 careers, based on anticipated job growth, through 2018.

Choosing a New Career

Top 20 Careers through 2018

* Remember that salaries vary by location and employer, so these are not guarantees or minimums, they are what all employers across the country pay, on average.

For full-time jobs (40 hours a week), the over-time rate is 50% higher than the normal hourly rate. So if the normal hourly rate is $10, the “over-time” rate is $15 per hour. If you work 45 hours in a week, your salary would be $475: $400 (40 hours x $10/hr) plus $75 (5 hours x $15/hr).

Important Criteria:

1. Take the time to carefully consider what you enjoy doing.

Because a job you don’t enjoy is probably one you won’t do well. And, if you don’t do it well, you’ll be miserable and probably doing another career change or job search too soon.

If you don’t know exactly what you enjoy doing, read “What Color Is Your Parachute” and do all the exercises. It’s probably at your public library, your local bookstore, and – of course – all the online bookstores. 

2. Don’t undervalue something you do well just because it’s easy for you.

So often, we seem to think that something we seem to naturally do well doesn’t have any value. Think of your hobbies and your natural abilities – cooking, driving, writing, mowing, knitting, analyzing a column of numbers, or understanding how to arrange flowers attractively or keep a car engine running smoothly. We seem to think that something needs to be difficult for us to do in order to have value.

Unfortunately, doing something well doesn’t guarantee that you can “make a living” doing it, but maybe you can. Think of all the people who have turned their hobbies into successful Websites, YouTube videos, or books. 

3. Don’t let salary be your only criteria for a job.

Just because a job may pay well, doesn’t mean you would be happy or successful doing it. For example, people who are attorneys are among the best paid, but the rate of job satisfaction is often quite low.  However, the good news is that the education and experience that an attorney has is a great foundation for many, many different careers. 

Bottom Line:

If you feel you’ve run into a career “dead end,” don’t be discouraged.  We all change careers many times during our lives.  The key is to make the best-informed and best-considered change you can make for your next career.

For More Information:

See Job-Hunt’s Career Changers’ Guide to Careers for detailed data on over 200 different careers, including descriptions of what the jobs involve, and, often, videos with additional information.  Also read the articles on Career Change written by Job-Hunt’s Career Change Expert Randi Bussin.

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About the author…

Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce, USMC veteran, has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 1998, her company, NETability, Inc. purchased Job-Hunt.org, and Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt since then. Follow Susan on Twitter at @JobHuntOrg.

Career Spotlight: 

Working with doctors and RN’s (registered nurses),  Licensed Practical Nurses are part of the healthcare team, and do the nitty-gritty routine work of taking care of sick who are sick, injured, convalescent or disabled.  They earn an average of $38,940/year, with expected 10-year job growth of 14%. Only 7% hold a bachelor’s degree. More about this and other careers in Job-Hunt’s Career Changers’ Guide to Careers.

Quote of the Week: 

Popular on Twitter probably because it applies to job search, too:

In human endeavor, chance favors the prepared mind. ~Louis Pasteur

New Articles:  Three great new articles this past week:

• Prospecting the Hidden Job Market with Google’s Buzz
  Google’s new Buzz is a useful application that can help you in your job search, as described by Job-Hunt’s Job Search Technology Expert Jim Stroud. 
• Benefits of a Fortune 500 Internship
   Job-Hunt’s Fortune 500 Job Search Expert Laura Labovich delineates the benefits of an internship with a Fortune 500 company.
• Affording Career Change
  In this 2nd part of a 2-part series on affording career change, Job-Hunt’s Career Change Expert Randi Bussin and Sherrill St. Germain help you address the issues of debt management, benefits, and taxes during your career change.

 Job-Hunt’s Fortune 500 Employer Directory – links to each company’s recruiting pages and internships

Meet all of Job-Hunt’s  Job Search Experts.

And, of course -

Good luck with your job search!

Career Spotlight: Like to study and manipulate numbers?  Interested in what motivates people and companies? You might enjoy being a Salary & Benefits Specialist.  The average salary is $54,000/year, 56% have college degrees, and the expected 10-year job growth is 18%. More information on this and other careers in Job-Hunt’s Career Changers’ Guide.

Three new articles were published:

• Career Transition: Singer to Consultant
  Interesting interview with Heather Poduska, who transitioned from a successful career as a professional singer to a new career as an image consultant, article by Job-Hunt’s Career Change Expert Randi Bussin.
• Handling CIDS Interviews
  Chronological In-Depth Structured (CIDS) interviews are a new, and challenging, form of interviewing. Job-Hunt’s Job Interviewing Expert Laura DeCarlo helps you understand and prepare for CIDS interviews.
• Summertime: A GREAT Time to Job Hunt
  Blog post on how people can lose opportunities by taking the Summer “off” by Job-Hunt’s Online Job Search Expert Susan P. Joyce.

Good luck with your job search!

You’re not that crazy about your job and where it’s leading (or NOT leading).  Other jobs or careers interest you, but you prefer to avoid making the proverbial out-of-the-frying-pan-into-the fire mistake.

So what do you do now?

Speaking as a person who has made the frying-pan-fire transition at least twice and had 5 majors in 5 years of undergraduate study (I’m interested in everything!), this is not a simple question to answer, particularly when you are working full time.  Or, when you are looking for a job full time.

My advice:  Try, before you “buy!”

Having also been unfortunate enough to discover in the last semester of my 2nd senior year in college when my student teaching experience convinced me teaching high school American History or English was probably the last thing I wanted to do, trying a job before you are committed to it is smart.

So, how?

• Figure out what interests you.  What would you enjoy doing to make a living?

If possible, take some career assessments to help understand yourself better. If you’re frantic to find a new job, you may be thinking I don’t have time for this!

The reality is that this is one of the best things you can do right now.  If you don’t do it now, when will you do it?  Take the time to think about where you’re going before you get there.  What if you hate that next job and need to start looking too soon?  How does that save you time?

My two frying-pan-fire experiences happened when I was so interested in leaving a job I no longer liked that I didn’t pay enough attention to where I was going (new job).  In both cases, I was job hunting again in less than a year – in one case, less than 2 months (turned out the “assistant office manager” was the one who was supposed to clean the toilets once a week).  Who needs that aggravation?

• Once you have some possibilities in mind, talk to people who actually have those jobs.

Ask questions, like:

*   What happens in a typical day?  Typical week/month/year?

*   What are best and worst parts of the job?  What do they like/hate about the job?  What are the toughest issues/situations?  What are the most enjoyable aspects of the job?

*   What is a typical career path?  What options open up with this job on your resume?

*   What job(s), experience(s), education would be the best preparation?

*   Which are the best employers, and what makes them the best?

*   What organizations are most helpful to people with this job?

*   What education/certification is required/helpful?

*   What experience is great to have as a foundation?

Take it all in, but don’t believe 100% of it – we all have our biases and very different backgrounds.  What is a negative for one person (perhaps, all those pesky people asking too many questions) may be a positive for you (maybe, a wonderful opportunity to meet new people and learn new things).

Again, time for thinking and evaluating what you’ve heard and learned, and what you know about yourself.

DO NOT ASK THESE PEOPLE FOR A JOB!  You are asking for advice and information, not a job, and YOU pay for the coffee or lunch or whatever if it’s a face-to-face meeting.  Be sure to see  if you can help them in some way.  And, be sure to send a thank you, particularly if they’ve taken time out of their schedule to talk with you.  Respect your network!

• Test-drive the job by volunteering, if possible, or by interning.

So many worthy charitable organizations, even political campaigns, need help!  Find one you believe in, and see if you can help them in a way that also helps you.  Thinking about changing from journalism to PR, offer to help with the organization’s PR.  Thinking about changing from HR to marketing, offer to help with their HR.  I know so many people who kicked off their Web development/marketing careers by working on their church’s Website or their kid’s hockey team or hockey league.  It happens!

Of course, other big benefits from volunteering include filling an experience or skill gap in your resume, perhaps gaining a good recommendation, relevant to the field you want next, and – of course – expanding your network!

Bottom Line

Sometimes change is involuntary (read Involuntary Change Can Be Good), and even when it is involuntary, doing some solid research can help you avoid grabbing the first frying-pan-to-fire job opportunity you have.

About the author…

Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 1998, her company, NETability, Inc. purchased Job-Hunt.org, and Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt since then. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg.