Transitioning careers never seemed easier
On Tuesday, March 28, Bartlett Library patrons gathered at the program "Career Management and Transitions" to learn about juggling hefty job decisions such as considering a career change, thinking of going back to school or re-entering the workplace after an absence.
From Career Vision, a non-profit organization that makes it their mission to helping people discover and develop their potential, Georgia Koch brought to attention to those in attendance that "change" is external, whereas "transition" is the internal process people go through in adapting to a new situation.
The program was structured to highlight why people would look to transition their career, action items to get people their desired career path, what employers are looking for in employees and more.
Koch pointed out that there were many factors that went into the process for transitioning in a career. These factors are broken up into two categories: Based on changes within a company or changes in a personal life.
A company might change in many ways. There could be a merger, product values are declining, there's a culture change within the company (perhaps they aren't allowing people to work at home anymore, or they are taking away employment benefits such as gym memberships, etc.) or the company is moving locations.
People may want to create a career transition based on changes in their personal life, maybe they are re-entering the job force after a long period of absence or they themselves are moving to a new location.
Koch gave a link to a job satisfaction quiz to take. This is the link provided: http://wbs.careervision.org/PerspectiveJobSatisfactionSurvey.aspx.
If someone isn't satisfied with their current job, then Koch suggested creating a pro and con list.
"You have to be clear about what you like and what you don't like," Koch said.
From there, make a list of wants and deal breakers. Some examples could be wanting more communication with a boss, whereas a deal breaker could be having a career with over 80% travel.
While it's important to keep in mind career goals and wants, it is also important to figure out what will better you and make you more sought after in interviews. Koch made mention of the importance of keeping up with technology, being self-reliant and being able to adapt to change.
Keeping these thoughts in mind, it's a good idea to look at credentials and see if they match up with what a person is already good at. If they don't line up, then it's up to those individuals to better themselves for their desired jobs.
Overall, patrons were highly engaged at the program: Asking many questions and talking about their own career transition desires openly. Patrons were able to take away food for thought from the program, learning what they can do to make transitioning careers easier in the long run.
If you missed this program, an upcoming Adult Services program at the Bartlett Library is the "Introduction to Essential Oils" on Thursday, April 6 at 7 p.m. Essential oils are pure, natural aromatic essences distilled from plants and botanicals for the purpose of promoting harmony of body, mind and spirit. Dawn Duffy of Healing Hands will show how essential oils can be used to naturally support every system of the body.
For more information and a complete listing of scheduled programs, call 630.837.2855 or visit www.bartlettlibrary.org.