Three Keys to an Effective Career Change

Written by Hollis Nelson on January 3, 2022. Posted in Jobs, Personal, Training.

2022 is here! As the year begins the COVID 19 pandemic is still very much in play, and new variants continue to pose serious challenges. There is a small glimmer of light at the end of the of the tunnel. While there are still restrictions in place, we can still return to doing some of the things we enjoy. In terms of the job market, things are also beginning to pick up. Recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has the current 4.6% unemployment rate at its lowest point since the outbreak of the pandemic in March of 2020.

However, one interesting occurrence in the job market was the number of people who decided not to return to their previous occupations. The BLS estimates approximately 4.4 million people have quit their jobs, and contrary to what some believe, this is not due primarily to anti-vaccination, or mandated vaccination issues. That is a small part of it; but there are deeper, more personal issues at play here.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we work, and as a result, enabled more reflective time to consider meaning, value, and “work-life” balance. It gave people a different experience, and time to slow down and reflect on what is important to them. Yes, some jobs did not return after businesses closed due to the pandemic, but millions decided that they no longer wanted to return to their previous way of life especially in terms of their work lives. Some will pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, while others will seek to make career changes and make a fresh start. They want to find and do work that provides meaning and value to their lives and the lives of others.

I want to share a few thoughts for career changers to consider as they embark on making that fresh start. There are at least three things I think you should make a part of your career change process.

First, consider your passions. Think about the things you enjoy doing in your own time, such as hobbies or things you do just for the pure fun and enjoyment of doing it. I believe this is a critical part in setting a direction for career change. For example, I am a tech enthusiast. I enjoy building gaming and business productivity PC’s and learning about new technologies and how they impact our lives. What you enjoy may be entirely different but identifying what you enjoy and have a passion for is important. You can have one passion or multiple passions; it doesn’t matter. Taking those passions into consideration as part of your career change is what is important.

This leads to the second thing to consider in making your career change. Ask yourself some key questions regarding your passions. They would include: What are the things I am skilled at in my passion? Am I learning new things and developing new skills in the areas of my passions? These types of questions are essential to the third aspect of the effective approach to career change.

The third piece would be to identify what industry your passions fall under. Is it the tech industry? Maybe its culinary, fashion and beauty, botany or the environment, retail sales, automobiles, just to name a few. By identifying your passions, skills, and industry, you have the foundation on which to build a satisfying and meaningful career shift, instead of pursuing a “job” because you need to pay bills – as so many do – finding yourself working but stressed and unhappy.

I have encountered many people who have jobs they hate but go through the motions every day because bills got to be paid. Impactful career change is about finding that right match of passions, skills, and industry. The career change search begins with establishing which companies are in the industry where your passions lie. You are probably already a customer with one or more of these companies. After you’ve assessed what your key skills are in your passion, you explore to find if there are positions available with companies in the industry that match your skills, and if not find out what skills are in demand that you may need to develop. Learning new skills centered around things we are passionate about comes naturally, so that’s an easy obstacle to overcome.

The key takeaway here is that career change is more than just searching for a new job. Doing work that brings meaning, personal satisfaction, and benefit to others involves finding that right combination of passion, skills and industry.

Of course, paying the bills and meeting the needs of life are important, but if you can do it in a space that has these three elements, you are more likely to experience career growth, rather than seek career change. I hope that 2022 will be the year that more people find careers that bring these three elements together. We will all benefit as a result. Namaste.

This article was first published on Transformation.net

The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Greater Paterson OIC, its Board of Directors, or any other group or individual affiliated.

Goals Achieved!

Written by Hollis Nelson on December 8, 2021. Posted in Achievement, Training.

The staff of the Greater Paterson OIC would like to congratulate Aura Lopez on her remarkable accomplishments in our Small Business and Office Management training program.

Aura came into our training program seeking to make a career change. She has a passion for business and wanted to strengthen her skills in order to pursue better opportunities. She was accepted into our Small Business and Office Management training program, which includes the opportunity to earn industry recognized certification in Entrepreneurship and Small Business (ESB) or Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) in Excel.

Aura wasn’t satisfied with just one, she went on to earn both. Her commitment to achieving her goals and the work she put in to reach them was impressive to witness and speaks highly to the quality of her character.

We are confident that Aura will succeed in whatever endeavor she pursues next. We are grateful that we had the opportunity to work with her and we wish her all the best.

Overcoming Your “Great Wave”

Written by Hollis Nelson on September 13, 2021. Posted in Personal, Training.

Article is posted by Hollis Nelson, written by Sergio Abrams

So, you say today is the day you’re going to do it. You’re finally going to start your own business and become the successful businessperson you want to be. But wait, didn’t you say that yesterday? In fact, you’ve been starting a business for years now, haven’t you? No, it isn’t the naysayers and no; it isn’t a lack of time. No, my friend, the problem is you and the wave you’ve yet to conquer is yourself. You’ve been fighting with yourself for years and it is your inner self which has clouded your mind with many fears and self-doubt. Your negative thoughts about what may happen cause you to become stuck in what’s called “analysis paralysis”.

That’s you analyzing and accepting every reason you believe you might fail, instead of analyzing all the reasons you may succeed. It is that self-doubt and inner voice feeding on your fears, telling you day in and day out that you will fail if you venture away from your safe place. Yes, that wave of fear that overcomes you each time the mere thought of venturing out on your own comes to mind, lies in wait, waiting to shoot you down and steer you back into your comfort zone. The voice says, “It’s too dangerous”, “no one’s going to buy that”, “you don’t want to leave your 9 to 5”, “starting your own business is way too hard”, “how are you going to pay your rent?”. Your fear and self-doubt win by knockout in the first round.

In the movie Castaway, actor Tom Hanks finds himself on a deserted island after a plane crash with seemingly no way of escape or being rescued. To survive he improvises and uses unconventional methods, including using a volleyball which he aptly names Wilson, as a companion whom he talks to, to stave off insanity. He soon realizes that no one’s coming to save him and if he’s going to get off that island, he’s going to have to save himself. Standing in his way is the great wave. The wave is a barrier between the island he’s stuck on and open waters and the chance to be saved. Eventually, he builds up the courage needed to face and overcome his great wave, and after he gets past his great wave, he looks back at the island that once held him captive.

The island that would have still held him captive had he not faced his greatest obstacle overcame the great wave.

You can survive with fear, but you cannot truly thrive with fear, because verily fear will only keep you stranded on your comfort zone island. Fear and self-doubt will tell you that trying is no longer an option, and only contentment with mediocrity and life regrets remains.

Each of us has a “great wave” we must overcome to find genuine success, but sadly, so few ever find the courage to do so, waiting for someone or something to come along and save us from our inner selves. Nope, no one’s coming to save you. No one can save you from yourself. This is a battle you will have to fight on your own and until you step on the battlefield and face the enemy within, there can be no victory. Verily, the road to success is the hardest road to take, which is why it is the road less traveled. However, for those who choose to face that wave, the reward of living is great.

Yes, there will always be naysayers and dream busters outside of you, waiting to tear you down with “you won’t succeed” bombs, and you may fail a few times along the way, but success is a journey, not an overnight mission. There is no instant recipe for success unless you plan on winning Lotto, and we all know the chances of that happening. If that’s your game plan, then hey, have at it, who am I to knock someone’s hustle?

In the end, there are only two choices, and as Yoda once said, “Try or do not try; there is no in between”.

You can choose to stay on your island of despair or overcome the “great wave” of fear and self-doubt and achieve your dreams.

It is all up to you!

Earn More Money with New Skills

Written by Mark Jackson on September 13, 2021. Posted in Achievement, Community, Jobs, Personal, Training, What's New. Leave a Comment

Earning more money can be as simple as assessing ALL of your skill sets. Most of don’t list all skills like typing, clerical, our ability to exhibit great customer service, we leave out things we think are irrelevant. However, it when you assess your skill set that you can begin to compare your skills to what is in demand. Then you can develop a plan to acquire the new skills you want. There are many way to acquire new skills without having to pay thousands of dollars. Let me know your thoughts about this topic I am interested in hearing your opinion?

Why Everyone Should Learn Entrepreneurship

Written by Hollis Nelson on July 22, 2021. Posted in Achievement, Community, Training.

“The highest manifestation of life consists in this: that a being governs its own actions. A thing which is always subject to the direction of another is somewhat of a dead thing”. Thomas Aquinas

One of the biggest misconceptions around learning the principles of entrepreneurship is that it is only for those considering starting and running a new or existing business. This line of thinking is shortsighted because, in truth, we are all in business for ourselves. We all engage in the principles

of entrepreneurship we just may not realize it. If we look a little closer, we will see the similarities.

We are all in the business of managing our personal lives. We are a business of one. Like any business, we have expenses: rent or mortgage, food, transportation, utilities, insurance, etc. Just like any business, we need to generate enough income to meet expenses. This is Business 101. Generate enough income to meet expenses and hopefully have something left over. Businesses call this “profit”, and personally we call it “disposable income.” They have different names, but they both mean the same thing.

Businesses provide products and/or services to generate income. Entrepreneurs provide a product or service that meets the wants and needs of their customers. They must market their services to attract customers because they there is plenty of competition seeking to gain the same customer.

As a business of one, we need to redefine our search for employment. A job is an exchange of a service provided for a fee; we just call it paycheck. The service could be physical labor, providing customer service or administrative help. The type of job is not the point. We do the job, whatever it is, to generate income to meet expenses. While you may not call it that, but that is a business of one.

An employer from this perspective is a customer that pays a fee for the services provided. As a business of one, an open position is simply a potential customer with a need. Sending your resume and applying for the position is marketing your services to say you can meet the need of the potential customer. Just as we do not spend our money on products and services to meet the needs of the seller, employers do not hire individuals because of the needs of the individuals. They do not hire us because we need a job. Employers hire individuals that can meet the needs of the employer.

Business marketing is about distinguishing themselves from the competition in order to gain new or keep existing customers is what. Applying for and interviewing for a position is essentially the same thing. The resume is the marketing tool of the business of one.

Understanding this analogy hopefully helps develop a fresh way of thinking. The number-one reason for learning the principles of entrepreneurship is to develop the entrepreneurial mindset. A new way of seeing yourself in the world of work.

Learning the principles of entrepreneurship is bigger than starting and running a business. It is also about developing a way of thinking that empowers our lives, whether we are starting a formal business or seeking gainful employment. Understanding and implementing these principles in our personal lives is one of the most empowering moves we can make. The same skills and way of thinking required to be a successful entrepreneur are the same ones required for living an empowered life.

I encourage you to take the steps for success in the business of life. Find whatever method works best for you but learn the fundamental principles of entrepreneurship and your way of thinking about the business of life will never be same. We integrate developing the entrepreneurial mindset into all our skills training courses, so there is a good place to start.

If you need help, we are there to help you. Contact the Greater Paterson OIC: hnelson@gpoic.org or visit: www.gpoic.org.

Want to develop the entrepreneurial mindset? Want to prepare yourself for the new world of work? We can help.

CALL US: (973) 881-0540

Category: Training