Are you happy with your current position? Or do you have a plan to “do something else?” In other words, what is your next act, whether you are in public practice, industry, the military, or retiring? It would be best to begin preparing for success with a professional development plan. If you are considering starting a new career, it is never too early to prepare for it. And here is a five-point strategy to help you land your next position:
1. Get an Advanced Degree
If you have a promising idea of the type of job you want, consider returning to school and getting certified in the field of your choice. For example, if you are interested in educating children and developing their academic, social, and cognitive skills, investigate an online curriculum to get an education degree. If you must finance your studies, look for tuition assistance programs. For instance, some assistance programs cater to new teachers, veteran students and their dependents, or other funding in particular fields. In addition, financial aid options like the GI Bill and federal loans and grants should help you offset the cost of higher education if you do not have cash readily available.
2. Look for Networking Opportunities
People with experience and veterans are a hot commodity for employers seeking people with leadership abilities, great flexibility and adaptability, technical and tactical skills, and who excel at teamwork. So, reach out to professionals in the field in which you are interested. Most importantly, ask for a casual meeting to learn more about it. See if you can shadow this person at work for a day or two to give you a better feel for the job. Then, use professional online platforms to create a profile showcasing your skills and accomplishments. Follow the companies where you want to get a job on social media. Join discussion groups about the industry you are interested in. Above all, get to know the movers and shakers. Some of them may be career switchers or veterans like yourself.
3. Spruce Up Your Résumé
When you are ready to start your job search, crafting a professional résumé is the first step toward getting an interview. A free online résumé builder will help you create a polished document and put your academic accomplishments, professional experience, and military honors in the spotlight. Please choose a program that will optimize your résumé for search engines, allow you to save it as a PDF for easy sharing, and make it mobile-friendly and readable on desktops, smartphones, and tablets.
4. Keep Job-Related Documents Organized
Are you tired of losing critical job-related documents or sifting through a pile of papers to find what you need? Consider using PDFs to keep your documents organized. PDFs are versatile files that can be opened on almost any device, making them an excellent choice for document organization. They can also be easily edited, searched, and shared. Need to remove pages from a PDF? Adobe Acrobat can delete PDF pages and resave your file.
5. Hone Your Interviewing Skills
Practice is vital when it comes to nailing a job interview. Pay close attention to the verbal and nonverbal ways you communicate and rehearse in front of a mirror to check your posture and gestures. Learn as much as possible about the company you are interviewing at and the job for which you are applying. Record or film yourself answering potential questions and take another look at your résumé to see what skills you want to highlight during the interview to increase your chances of landing the job. And do not hesitate to ask a friend or relative to rehearse with you and give you feedback and pointers.
OR…Start an LLC
If you want to start your own business and are a veteran, check into financing options earmarked explicitly for veterans, like the Veteran-Owned Small Business Program offered by the SBA. Creating a business plan will help you estimate how much you need for your startup costs. Consider structuring your company as an LLC to benefit from pass-through taxation and limited personal liability. A formation service will help you start your limited liability company inexpensively. A dependable company with a formation service is Zoho Start. These services ensure that you comply with the state you work in regarding filings and fees.
Summary
Transition to a new career and get your desired job by returning to school, writing a stellar résumé, keeping job-related documents organized, and dazzling recruiters. It would be best to begin preparing for success with a professional development plan. Or start your own business and control your destiny. You will have a bright future ahead of you!
If you plan to work in accounting or finance, K2 Enterprises provides continuing education programs to enhance your skills and credentials. Need help learning how to solve your business’s accounting technology needs and selecting the right software for accounting or CPA Firms? Visit us at k2e.com, where we make sophisticated technology understandable to anyone through our conferences, seminars, or on-demand courses.
