Career Q&A: Changing Career at 54

Got an email to day from “T” regarding her wanting to change careers at age 54. Here’s her question:

Hi Gerard

I would like to pursue a career change. I have a Diploma in Office
Administration and a B. Tech in Commercial Administration. I have
worked as a secretary for +- 10 years in the same educational
institution. My interest is in Travel & Tourism certificate/diploma. My
concern is based on the following problems of my own:

• My age, I am 54 years old, am I not too old for the change.
• Will I still get a suitable job at my age.
• Will it be a wise change?

Please advise.

Okay, so here’s my answer. More information required by here’s what I had to say.Thanks for your question.

Tough situation. However you do have in your favour:

• strong qualifications
• good solid experience

So that’s a start. Good people with a stable, competent background are always valuable.

But now regarding the career change.

I would say that a drastic change, a “start from the bottom” change is not a good idea. From what I know about the environment (Travel) it’s high energy, very sales oriented. So some questions:

• Is this really what you want?
• What position/role exactly are you thinking of chasing?
• Is there any way in which you can combine your admin/secretarial background INSIDE a company offering a speciality Travel Desk service?
• What is it about the travel industry that excites you, is motivating your desire for a change.
• Have you already done the Travel diploma?
• Will it be a wise change? Who can tell??! But be cautious, don’t make any quick decisions. Do your homework. Try meeting with some Travel people to see what your options are, what role you’re aiming for, see what day-to-day activities you’ll be performing (sometimes we glamorize a certain industry, when really there’s another side to it all).

So these are some of the questions you should get back to me with and that have a bearing on your situation. Also of course is your financial position. Maybe you can afford to make a drastic change. If you’re doing this for the passion then that’s another matter. (I am assuming with this answer however that this is not the case.)

Just had another idea. Do you know anyone who – or can you find anyone who would like to go into business. You can handle the Admin side – setting up systems, policies, procedures and processes, and they can perhaps supply the Travel experience. Or can you join such a company lacking those skills (strong administration). You will also bring the added benefit of higher BEE rating.

Getting such an opportunity however will require you to market yourself directly to possible Travel Companies/Targets. [You can get great help with that in my online guerrilla job search coaching program.]

“Burning Question”

From “C” comes this:

Some background – “C” and her husband are South Africans working and living in West Africa.

Is there a mind set about where you are currently located geographically in the market with recruitment agencies?

Yes. That’s the quick answer. And although we’re living in a ‘global village’ and recruiting practices have moved with the times to some degree with recruiting done by ‘remote control’ – the logistical factors of someone in the UK recruiting for a company in India and getting a job applicant from, say, Ghana – well you can imagine. And that happens a lot.

There are all sorts of factors:

• Ease or challenge of communication
• Prejudice against a certain country (may be see as a ‘backwater’ – despite the fact that this may be an indicator that you’re actually exceptional at what you do – succeeding in the harshest environments
• Wanting to interview you one-to-one
• Time frames – they may want someone to start immediately or within a week or two

People hire people, so recruiters will naturally go for things they’re familiar with first. If things are too foreign or too far away they may delay in responding or not respond at all.

So here are two strategies to tilt the playing field in your favor:

1. Persist – it’s the universal success law.
2. Narrow down your search to a particular industry – use the ‘net to research companies who likely need what you’ve got – identify the decision makers and approach them directly, via phone or e-mail.
3. Make your marketing message really powerful – aimed at delivering what employers really need; and really concise and to the point – “here’s what I do, and I’m fantastic at it – here’s why” – that should be your CV.

Hope this helps!

Burning Question Answered

Zak asks:

Is any job better than no job when things are begining to get tight?

Of course it is. Well, it depends on whether you can take the consequences or not – like being thrown out of your home, or losing your car, having your kids starve to death?

It could be a complicated question – but if things are tight then one has to do what one has to do. And there’s no shame in it. None at all. But you do have to be smart about it. And this is critical.

You’re NOT just throwing yourself into a position without a plan. You’re going to do the following:

View it as it is: an interim situation.

Make the best of it: view it as a learning experience, put your all into it.

Build confidence with it: do such a great job that you make yourself proud.

Be happy in it: you’re going to make friends, you’re gonna smile and be cheerful.

See who you can teach: you’re going to happily share what you know with others.

Build a record of achievement: you’re going to keep a log of things you got done – well – deadlines you reached, things you improved, you’re going to measure your performance.

Build a great couple of references – people who’ll rave about you.

And all the while – you’re going to be gathering your skills, confidence and determination to get back to the position you really want. You’re going to be making the contacts, building the skills – or getting/keeping up to date. You’ll be writing letters directly to people (decision makers) who hire people like you. You’ll be applying for jobs – but NOT just any job – the jobs you really want. And you’ll be learning to market your skills better than ever – by for eg. joining the Career&Success Community where you’ll find the best advice, and a support group of smart, like minded people to help you. Go to www.careerandsuccess.info for that. It’s, like, R30 pm.

Hope this helps Zak.

Burning Question Answered

This from Nana:

Hi I have been looking for a job for almost 10 months with no luck. I have lost myself i don’t know what to do anymore. For the past years i have been doing temp assignments and i can not find a permanent job. I have a grade 11, Call centre diploma and a NQF4 Post Matric in business management. Can u help me out i dnt want to spend another year at home.

Hard to answer this one Nana. There could be a number of things at work here. Like:

• Your English may not be that great – so English Call Centre jobs may be out
• Your CV may not be up to scratch
• Your basic business skills may be poor – typing, computer skills and communication

Now the encouraging thing here is that none of these things takes terribly much to improve. All you’ll need is focussed effort – and maybe someone to loan you some time behind their computer.

Try the following:

Improve your English: join a library, read as many books in English as you can. Take books out on English usage. Listen to the radio – English stations. Read English aloud to yourself. When you watch TV – copy the way people speak English. Look up the word “enunciate” in the dictionary. Practice saying words slowly and clearly. Make a fool of yourself improving your English. People will laugh – but when you land a great job because of it, they’ll be quiet.

Improve your computer skills: really what you need is time in front of a computer. Start with what you learned about computers in college. Go over what you learned. Do the exercises. Again, take a book out of the library on computer literacy. Practice especially on software like Excel and Word or event the fantastic free OpenOffice alternatives. Do the tutorials. If you have some cash go to your local computer guy and offer to buy an old computer. Doesn’t have to have much at all. Just very, very basic. All you need it for is to practice. Not for games, etc. I’m sure if you go in with a few hundred Rand you can pick something up.

Improve your typing skills: make it a mission to get to at least 40 words per minute. Be determined. Be totally comfortable on the keyboard. And we’re talking “touch typing” here – none of this one finger stuff, tap … tap … tap.

Now regarding getting work. You just have to figure out what value you can provide. What can you do for an employer that will help them in some way? Even if there is only one single thing … that’s ok. Then you start visiting every business in your area, once a week. Make a nuisance of yourself. Get to know the names of local business men and women. Meet them anyway you can. Offer to help them with what you have. Offer to work part time or casually.

For example:

If you can type really well: then go there every day – “any typing, any filing – I work per hour”

You WILL get lucky. Persistence is like magic. Dress professionally for work every day. Go out there. be bold. And it’ll happen soon.

Maybe you have in your mind a nice comfortable ‘big company’ job. Ok. But if that’s what you’re aiming for know this: you have lots of competition. And that competition is likely just as good if not better than you. But if you take a more ‘guerrilla’ style approach – you have almost no competition. Just a little discomfort in the beginning. But then again, it’s pretty uncomfortable sitting along, unemployed at home.

Hope this helps a little!

“Burning Questions” Answered

From “L” this question about online job postings/posting your CV:

How should I use online job advertising sites effectively?

Here’s my answer – not a full answer, the sites have many useful features that can help you – but this is one key principle that is important to remember despite all the bells and whistles offered.

Thanks for your question. Ja, … unfortunately those sites are better in concept than in results. [If one of the site owners would like to show their total "database of applicants" VS "successful applicants" ratio proving me wrong I'd be happy to announce it far and wide - well as far as my subscriber database goes anyway!]

Those who find jobs via them think they’re fantastic. But those who don’t – and that’s most people – get frustrated at the lack of response.

Here’s what I always advise:

• Take the online ad, see who the advertiser is (usually an agency), try to find a person’s name, contact them directly (google search the agency, find the phone number, try to reach the person who placed the ad.) It’s a more labour intensive approach but the thing is … you need a real live person to represent you and serve you (and make a fat commission when they place you).

Job advertising sites are so easy to place ads on, agencies place ads willy nilly whether they have the mandate or not. They also forget to remove them when the vacancy has been filled. And ads are also duplicated by different agencies.

So have your profile up. That’s for sure. But don’t get your hopes up. Be careful of taking too passive an approach to your job hunt. I read once (think it was in What Color is Your Parachute) that you can rate how successful – and fast – your job hunt will be, by counting how many people you’re talking to – the more, the faster. Posting your CV up on a site and waiting for the call is not a great approach. But … it can happen.

Hope this helps.

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“Burning Questions” Answered

From Fiona:

What is a reasonable response to the “salary expectation” question that is frequently posed by recruitment agencies and potential employers. I am never sure how to answer this as I feel that I may end up overselling or underselling myself. Please advise.

It’s always tough to answer this question. You agonize:

“If I give them too high a figure I may lose the opportunity. But if I give too low a figure I’ll be selling myself short. Blast!”

Unwittingly with this little question, at the very start of the hiring process, you’re laying the ground work for your salary negotiation. And frequently you’re shooting yourself in the foot by giving too low a figure.

You don’t want to come across as, you know, “difficult”. But the fact is that often we’re bullied into things by recruiters and employers who realize they have the upper hand. They’ve got what you want. And for most of us this is true. There are exceptions where you have perhaps very rare skills or expertise, and employers are running after you. Nice. But not the case with most of us.

You DO want to have some idea of what the market pays people who do what you do. How to get this information? Sometimes there are salary surveys you can consult. But mostly you should just watch the papers/job adverts online – see what’s being offered for what and you’ll over a few weeks get some idea of what market related salaries look like. You should also have a network of people (ex colleagues, colleagues, people you exchange ideas with in forums online, Facebook, etc) that you can use to gather ‘intelligence’.

Why is this important? You don’t want to enter a negotiation (which is exactly what you’re entering with the salary expectation question) without good information. You’ll be a pushover. When pushing for a higher salary you’ll be made to feel, “Oh please, what do you know? You’re just being greedy, you’re out of touch.” But if you have your research you can make a stronger, more confident case.

Recruiters, HR people ask for your salary level because of 2 things:

1. They want to know that the position they’ve got is at a similar salary level to where you are – they want to be sure you’re not asking for R100 000 more than they’re offering. They’d be wasting their time interviewing you. Makes sense, no?
2. They want to know what to offer you if they decide to hire you. This is where they get ‘slimy’. What you earned previously is actually none of their business and bears no relevance to the job offer they may put on the table. Instead of figuring out what’s fair, in line with the market, and what value you pose to their business, they want to pay you just enough to get you on board. Not a cent more than necessary.

So, here are 2 strategies to work around it and deal with the salary expectation question.

“Salary Expectation” Strategy 1

From your research determine the range of salaries someone like you earns. Say you earn R250 000 pa. your range could be from say, R200 000 up to R360 000. Salaries vary a lot – may be same title but may be more or less responsibility, work, etc. The high figure could include duties that perhaps you’re not quite ready for (like managing a team). Now figure out your high figure for starting out your negotiation (ie what you’d be delighted with) that suits your profile plus a bit extra – let’s say: R320 000 – but you’d be very happy with R300 000.

Just remember you need to justify that figure – so you should have a great command of the reasons why  you’re worth that money. Have your ‘ducks’ in a row. Have ready a few quick, sharp reasons why if they hired you you’d come in and make an immediate impact.

So when you’re asked, “what are your salary expectations?” you answer:

“R320 000 – negotiable depending on the opportunity”

The R320 000 may be off-putting to the employer (he only had R280 000 in mind as his maximum). But he likes your profile for the job and you say you’re ‘negotiable’ so maybe he can get you down a little.

So with these few well chosen words you’ve achieved: not putting the employer off, not compromising your earning potential and you’ve laid the groundwork for a positive negotiation where you’ve got a strong position above your expectations.

Most people give the minimum figure they expect – and that’s what they get, all their lives. Instead – be prepared. Know why you’re valuable. Feel it. Have your reasons ready. Show that you’re valuable. Use examples.

And go in high, but willing to negotiate – but only for the right position (ie a good opportunity for you.)

“Salary Expectation” Strategy 2

Say:

“Salary expectation to be discussed”

Just don’t give a figure. I mean, first you have to find out what the job entails! Doesn’t that make sense? Before putting a price to your services, it makes sense to first find out what you’re getting into!

This approach takes confidence and firmness. And you’ve got to stick to it despite pressure. You want them to make you an offer. Tell them: “Make me an offer”. Or ask: “What is the salary band/range you’re working with for the position?”. Then you can tell them whether you’re in their “ball park” or not. This strategy gives you better negotiating position. But you should still, of course, have your ‘ducks’ in a row as far as how you’ll come in and do a great job for them.

Hope these strategies work for you. Let me know how things go.

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“Burning Questions” Answered

Thandiwe asked:

“Why should I take my CV to a job interview?”

Ok, Thandi – there are a few possible answers:

Firstly, let me say that a CV plays a critical role in the whole interview process. From a rich source of information about you and what you can do to being a crutch for the interviewer – y’know something to refer to, to look at, to provide ‘inspiration’ for questions, to serve as a buffer between him/her and you, as something to hide behind. Lot’s of good and not so good functions the CV possibly fills!

So, it’s important for the interviewer to have it. BUT now to your question, why should you take it along, when you’ve likely already e-mailed/faxed it through in advance?

• Maybe it’s gotten lost? That’s possible. And to save them some embarrassment you take a copy along. It just, in that case saves time and eliminates the chance for a distracting event that could throw the interview a little off course from the start.

Also … and here’s perhaps the key reason you should take it along:

• It’s a chance for you to come across as organised, as someone who is prepared, as someone who foresees possible problems and takes steps to resolve them immediately.
• Added to that it’s a chance for you to take out your immaculate file folder with clean writing pad, smart pen, business cards and crisp newly printed CV – and reinforce the ‘organised, prepared’ impression.

Being prepared like this helps the interviewer see ‘you’ the way any number of words could never convey – in action. It’s a glimpse into the way you operate. You can say you’re organised till you’re blue in the face – but if your file folder is full of scuffed dog-eared papers, if you don’t have clean copy of your CV, if you’re flustered – your “I am an organised person” message just will never penetrate.

Thanks for your question Thandi! Hope my answer helps.

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