Changing career path. How?

[Morcs]

Ive decided its time to change career paths.

I like my current job, it pays well, im management, monday to friday, normal hours etc..
Im a Quality Manager in a plastic injection moulding company - the manufacturing industry is in decline, and plastics moreso than most - and im only 22, so best change whilst young eh..
Oh and ive had enough of riding of 50kms a day in auckland traffic.

So how does one go about this? Job ads dont make any sense anymore - shit jobs are made to sound good, most dont specify $, and the rest, after reading the advert, you still have no idea what the job entails.

If anyone has any guidance, or even ideas of what areas to look at, please post.

Im a Quality Assurance manager with an automotive plastics backround, working with ISO, TS16949 etc.. theres not much i dont do. My CV is this field is very impressive, but wont help me too much here i dont think.

I have no qualifications. I always took the stance of jumping in the deep end rather than going to uni so i can recite a text book.

I actually like the idea of being an Executive PA, not the blonde secretarial sort though, but a right hand man type role to someone important.

I dunno.

[Finn]

My advice... stay put for now and gain the experience. A sudden move in this market could be risky. Someone just posted yesterday that they took a new job only to be made redundant before even starting.

However, if your adamant that you need to change, how about going to see some recruitment companies. They'll do the work for you if you're any good.

Good luck.

[keithbuckby]

you can search by area, most of them have the salary listed as well

[portokiwi]

http://www.jobs.govt.nz/default.aspx
is anothe good site to watch.
Seek is great
even trade me jobs isnt too bad.
quite often find the same job posted on seek and trade me and govt jobs on all three

[Morcs]

you can search by area, most of them have the salary listed as well

Thats where I usually look. they suck. ads dont actually tell you anything.
they make a janitors position sound good.

My advice... stay put for now and gain the experience. A sudden move in this market could be risky. Someone just posted yesterday that they took a new job only to be made redundant before even starting.

However, if your adamant that you need to change, how about going to see some recruitment companies. They'll do the work for you if you're any good.

Good luck.

Yeah i agree somewhat, but ive had enough of trudging so far across town every day. Last recruitment guy didnt help me as I actually didnt know what I wanted to do - I went to him hoping he'd be able to find some jobs for me to look at in various fields.

[3L4NS1R]

Want job security? Want an exciting job that gets you out of the office and give you real world experiences? Want a job that will send you overseas, give you recognisable qualifications, and offer very compeditive pay?

Join the New Zealand Army

/advert

Seriously though, if you want a dependable part time job to give you security while you consider a career switch, give the Territorial Force/Army Reserve a thought...

[Crisis management]

Ive decided its time to change career paths.


I dunno.

My suggestion is to spend time working out where your strengths are and then finding a job that uses as many of those as possible....Buy a copy of "What colour is my parachute" and invest some time in yourself by working through it.

[Stirts]

I actually like the idea of being an Executive PA, not the blonde secretarial sort though

Awwwwww you would look good in a pencil high waisted skirt and white shirt too!!!

Here is a site that I have found very helpful. The Job matching tool is pretty good actually. May help with deciding where to next.

http://www2.careers.govt.nz/index.php?id=4713

[davebullet]

What limits most people in changing a career is money. Usually, a career change means a drop in salary.

First you need to work out what sort of work you'd like to try. Then be realistic about how transferrable your current skills are and the salary range of your target job. Use your transferrable skills to determine whether you are entering as a junior, intermediate or senior into that salary band.

With a rough idea of what you are worth in the new job, work out the a) minimum $ you would need to survive, vs. b) what you'd feel comfortable living off.

You need both a) and b) for the following reasons:
a) - so you can work out how much of a gap you need to top up somehow. You might need a 2nd part time job (ie. night job) or you might be able to contract out your existing skills for less hours per week at contract rates to top up the survival fund

b) - your new career may not have the high salary you want. You just need to be prepared that you may love what you do, but never get the salary back you had in your previous career. Of course the new career could have a higher salary ceiling, but be aware of what the new ceiling is.

Hope that helps. As Number one and others have pointed, there are govt sites to help with career planning. Any recruiter worth their weight in salt could also spend some time with you working things out. IF you are lucky like me, your company may provide some sort of employee assistance programme, where you can use someone external as a sounding board. Sometimes friends don't tell you what you need to hear.

Cheers,
DAvid.

[Tank]

I actually like the idea of being an Executive PA, not the blonde secretarial sort though, but a right hand man type role to someone important.

Aim higher and work hard. Dont be the PA, be the Exec.

[Neon]

A smart friend once told me that it's relatively easy to change industry OR discipline (e.g. marketing / operations), but very hard to do both at once. Look for opportunities with your current employer to step up or sideways, and try some different things. As has already been said, if you move be prepared for a pay cut.

Having just spent three months unemployed having a similar career crisis, I will tell you - agents are a waste of time unless you know them personally, or you can tell them EXACTLY what you want to do (and are qualified to do it). Looking for a career shift? Forget it - 'too hard' basket.

I did end up landing a new position, but it was really tough going and that was in November. It's even harder now. I am also in manufacturing so I understand what you are getting at. I took a pay cut to change roles (now I'm not being pushed hard enough so can't win eh?).

My advice is similar to what's been said, but think long and hard about moving from a stable job right now. Many companies that are still hiring will have the view of 'last in - first out' when it comes time for redundancies. There is an element of risk involved. Lastly, mack your network hard, you never know what's around.

[Maha]

Get a perm!!

[Nasty]

....

I have no qualifications. I always took the stance of jumping in the deep end rather than going to uni so i can recite a text book.

I actually like the idea of being an Executive PA, not the blonde secretarial sort though, but a right hand man type role to someone important.

I dunno.

Part of the problem with switch at the moment is the lack of roles available ... I am hearing that roles that would attrack 20 people in the past are now attracting 80+ ... indicating that the market is quite flooded.

The problem with no qualifications is simple ... lots of others you will be fighting for the role with will have them. I personally didn't have any until my 30's and then I sat a certification in the field I work (project management) ... which tells people that I can do the job for which they are hiring me. Look at doing/fortifying your real life experience with education in some way or other ... that will definately help .. you can say .. I can do this and back it up as well ...

[ManDownUnder]

My advice... stay put for now and gain the experience. A sudden move in this market could be risky. Someone just posted yesterday that they took a new job only to be made redundant before even starting.

However, if your adamant that you need to change, how about going to see some recruitment companies. They'll do the work for you if you're any good.

Good luck.

+1. Best advisory post I read in a long time. I would also add, learn how to interview the recruitment agents if you choose that path.

The majority are monkeys simply fitting pegs into holes and care more about the comission you bring them, than your career path per se. Find those that see the benefit in both.

[Morcs]

Part of the problem with switch at the moment is the lack of roles available ... I am hearing that roles that would attrack 20 people in the past are now attracting 80+ ... indicating that the market is quite flooded.

The problem with no qualifications is simple ... lots of others you will be fighting for the role with will have them. I personally didn't have any until my 30's and then I sat a certification in the field I work (project management) ... which tells people that I can do the job for which they are hiring me. Look at doing/fortifying your real life experience with education in some way or other ... that will definately help .. you can say .. I can do this and back it up as well ...

I do agree somewhat, but in my field, my record is superb, and much better than any piece of paper - proof that I can and have one, rather than I have studied.
I proved this with my current job - i hadnt made the step up to a management position yet, and the role available was filled with 2 guys of 20+years experience who were made redundant - and in the interview I made it clear that i felt like i was biting off more than I can chew, but Id be willing to give it a go - a gamble for both sides, and it paid off.

I guess my main beef is the distance to and from work. I have to have 2 bikes just so I have one that isnt racking up K's like no tomorrow (service interval every 2 months)