Career Transitions
Your next career change will go easily when you have the right resources and you can find the insight you need in our Career Transitions Guide. Learn how to get how a promotion at your company, how to apply for a better job or even how to completely alter your career path. Understand etiquette for leaving a company or starting at a new one, and even get information on career counseling.
Expand All Guide SectionsGetting Promoted
So you want to get promoted. If that’s the case, it’s a good sign that you’re reading this guide, because that shows you’re willing to put effort into your endeavor. With dedication and the right tools, a promotion may very well be in the cards. The Web can arm you with the knowledge you need to climb that ladder.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Before you gear up for a promotion, be sure to consider whether you really want the added responsibility and stress. WorkBloom.com examines the pitfalls of promotions in an excerpt from an e-book called “No Sucking-Up!: How to Get Promoted Without Sucking-Up.”
- Take a look at findingDulcinea’s Careers Web Guide for more helpful information on career transitions.
Dulcinea's Picks
Quintessential Careers
lists 10 strategies for getting promoted, including a few outside-the-box suggestions. Also find some “Surefire Ways Not to Get Promoted.”
MSN Careers
lists the “10 Reasons You're Not Getting Promoted.” Although a few of the reasons listed here are somewhat obvious ( “You're a slacker”), a lot of the information is quite valuable.
Washingtonpost.com
’s article, “Bragging Right” examines the art of self-promotion from several angles, encompassing the academic, business and dating worlds. Learn how to position yourself for advancement without coming across as boastful or arrogant.
Changing Jobs
It’s difficult to make the decision to leave a job, and often, even more difficult to find a new one. You may choose to quit and live in financial uncertainty for an unpredictable amount of time, or furtively apply to new jobs while at your current job. However you choose to navigate this career transition, the Web can help you through the process.
Dulcinea's Insight
- This section focuses on changing jobs while remaining in the same line of work while the next section, “Changing career paths,” is concerned with altering your career aspirations and following a different working path.
- The sites in this section cover the general process of searching for a new job while you’re still working in your current job. For even more resources on finding a job, consult the findingDulcinea Job Hunting Web Guide.
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To decide whether it’s time to go …
Quintessential Careers
has a short article that can help you realize when it’s time to leave your job. Two quizzes at the end of the article provide even more advice; take the job burnout quiz and the quiz that helps you decide if it’s time to change jobs or careers.
SixWise.com
is a Web site devoted to personal health and family safety (financial, medical and emotional). The article titled “12 Signs it is REALLY Time to Leave Your Job,” can help you make up your mind on the issue. Look for recommended articles and related sources near the bottom of the article.
To apply to jobs while you’re still at your current job …
EzineArticles.com
presents this helpful and lighthearted article called “Seeking A New Job While Currently Employed: Tiptoeing Through the Minefield.” Dr. Dan Strakal, a career transitions expert, explores six “landmines,” including listing your current employer as a job reference and bumping into coworkers at a job fair.
The Long Island Press
has an article called “Job Hunting On The Job: Risky Business.” This selection includes some of the usual cautions but also addresses the practice of posting your resume on a job site. For example, if you post on a job board, be sure to block certain companies from viewing your resume (like your present company).
Lifehacker
doesn’t provide expert advice on searching for a job while you’re currently employed, but it does provide a forum for readers to comment on the issue. Get a broad spectrum of advice from a varied audience, and compare and contrast viewpoints.
Changing Career Paths
A career is quite different from a job. Frequently associated with the word “path,” a career can seem like a permanent entity: once you take one path, it’s very hard to jump to another. The reality is that changing careers is not that uncommon in the 21st century. A person can even pursue more than one career at once. Nevertheless, changing or finding a new career is still a major decision, and the sites in this section can help.
Dulcinea's Insight
- You may find some information about changing career paths in the previous section on changing jobs.
- There are some tests in the links below that can help you determine a good career path. Always keep in mind that these tests are merely a starting point and shouldn’t be considered authoritative. For more thorough career assessments, speak with a career counselor; see the last section of this guide, “Career Coaching and Career Counseling” for more help.
Dulcinea's Picks
The Boston Globe
’s article, “The key is to embrace instability,” is a great introduction to the concept of changing career paths. Learn how having a number of different careers is no longer frowned on and examine the notion of multiple careers.
Yahoo HotJobs
has a smattering of articles on changing careers. Start with “How to Change Careers Part 1” for an introduction and then read Part 2 for coping strategies and follow up with Part 3 for more guidance.
Queendom
is the self-described “land of tests,” and it certainly comes through with lots of career counseling assessments, including a career style test, a leadership test and an “entrepreneurial personality test.” The site is a subsidiary of PsychTests AIM Inc., which specializes in psychological assessments.
Leaving a Job, Getting Laid Off or Getting Fired
Although the process of leaving a job may seem like the last thing to worry about, it shouldn’t be. You never want to leave a job on a bad note, so think carefully about the process. The Internet is full of suggestions for planning a graceful exit and leaving without burning bridges. You’ll also find information on how to deal with being terminated, laid off or downsized; even these unpleasant events can lead to new career opportunities.
Dulcinea's Insight
- There’s much consensus throughout the Web about how to deal with leaving a job or being let go: most sites and articles agree that you should never burn bridges when you resign and that you should tell the truth about being fired in a job interview. So if you find some repetition in the links below, you’ll know that you’ve come across some solid advice.
- If you’re having a hard time finding work after an unexpected layoff, part-time jobs are a good temporary solution. Take a look at findingDulcinea’s Part-time Jobs Web Guide for help.
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For help leaving your job …
I-resign.com
is a unique all-in-one site of resources for leaving a job. First, decide if you do, in fact, want to leave; see the “Thinking About Quitting” section to explore reasons for leaving and what you could do afterward. If you decide it’s time to go, look at sample resignation letters and templates, and get information on finding a new job in the “Resigning” section. There’s also a community forum for discussion with others, and an “Official Quitter” t-shirt available for sale.
Spencer Stuart
, an executive-search consulting firm, provides an article on leaving your job the right way. Although the firm is geared toward executives and upper-management, the suggestions offered relate to workers of all levels; it’s vital for anyone leaving their job to maintain professionalism.
Jobseekers Advice
has an article called “The Right Way to Quit Your Job.” Learn how to make a “smooth exit” and find two other related articles: one on writing a resignation letter and another on leaving your job without burning bridges.
For help after getting laid off …
Bankrate.com
offers an article that builds on the author’s own personal experience at a dot-com company, relating practical advice for anyone who’s been a victim of company downsizing. Learn about the COBRA healthcare plan, unemployment insurance, 401(k)s and stock options. The article is from 2003 but the advice is still relevant.
AllBusiness.com
has an article called “Laid Off: How to Make Losing Your Job a Winning Venture” that delivers key information about surviving a layoff. This comprehensive article (five pages in all) alerts you to the signs indicating layoffs are a possibility, how to prepare for a layoff and more. Don’t miss the section on “Negotiate your Severance” for valuable details.
For help after getting fired …
Washingtonpost.com
has a selection from 2006, about “Interviewing When You've Been Fired.” Read the article for advice on dealing with a few different scenarios.
SimplyForums
has a list of discussion forums called “SimplyFired.” The threads are quite varied, including some unique ones like getting fired for eating leftover pizza from a company’s potluck. In general, though, this is a great place to vent and learn from others.
Career Coaching and Career Counseling
Maybe your career doesn’t excite you anymore. Maybe you feel like you’ve been stuck in jobs that you didn’t enjoy your whole life. Or perhaps you feel like you’ve hit a plateau in your career and don’t know how to proceed. Career coaches and counselors can help with all aspects of your career, from discovering what you truly love to finding that lost motivation.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Lately, the lines separating career counseling and career coaching have blurred quite a bit. Articles that seek to explain the differences may even leave you scratching your head. “Coaching or Counseling—The Difference” breaks it down for you.
- Always be sure to check a counselor or coach’s credentials beforehand. Take a look at the sites below to learn some of the standard credentials.
- findingDulcinea’s Choosing a Career Web Guide offers more resources for those seeking a career coach or counselor.
Dulcinea's Picks
For online coaching/counseling …
Mind Tools
is a community and trove of information for everything relating to career development, with plenty on leadership and management. Browse more than 100 “skill-building” articles or sign up for the free newsletter. A membership (starting at $1 for one month) gives you many perks like a coaching clinic and expert interviews.
On how to find the best counselors …
AARP
has essential information for those considering career counseling or coaching. Find tips on what to look for in a counselor or coach, and a list of dependable organizations that provide career coaches, counselors and consultants with credentials. Scroll down to the “Additional Resources” heading to find links to each organization.
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