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Keys To Your Future

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By RICHARD MULLINS

rmullins@tampatrib.com

Published: March 1, 2009

Ok, so you're laid off. Now what?

No one has all the answers. But career experts know some good questions to ask. Given the economic slump, you have three general options for remaking your career.
Switch Careers
It's one thing to go from sales to marketing. It's another to go from accounting to chef, said Irene Hurst, director of graduate business programs at The University of South Florida. Ask yourself:

•What skills could be transferred to another industry? "Let's say you managed a car dealership," Hurst said. "Changing fields may not be so bad. You were responsible for expenses, managing people, motivating a sales force and the bottom line. Those are transferable skills to many other mid-size businesses."

If you were an accountant, Hurst said consider work as a controller or chief financial officer of a small business. A car dealership manager might consider work at an auto parts distributor.

•What easy or fast certificate or training programs would help you transfer to a different market or industry?

•How willing are you to try something unconventional? Expect a hard road, said Fritz Eichelberger, founder of HotSpaces.net, a Tampa career placement firm. "It's very hard to place a career changer right now," he said. "Employers can be so choosy right now ... I've posted job openings for a VP position and received 500 resumes from well-qualified people. Instead, work your extended network of friends, people who work in that industry. Try something unconventional, like literally knocking on every business door in a 20-mile radius, because chances are you're not going to find a position by sitting at your computer surfing the net."

For more information:

Job site Monster.com has career-changing advice at career-advice.monster.com. Look under topics like "Transferable Skills."

There's a long list of career advice books, including "Career Match," "I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was," and the long-popular "What Color Is Your Parachute," with a 2008 edition.

Back To School

Don't consider it a last resort. Going back to school for the right degree can launch a new career.

•How much has your industry changed since your education? "If it's been 10 years since you graduated, a lot has probably changed, you probably need to retool," Hurst said.

•What does your profession most highly prize or find most useful - a certificate, a college degree, an advanced degree, etc.

•Ask leaders in that industry which schools they respect. Often, companies only respect degrees from highly accredited schools - not the newest for-profit educational companies.

•Ask how much time you have for school. Most mid-career programs, like MBAs, can be taken full or part time. Hurst at USF suggests one route: Start school full time while you look for a job, then switch to part-time schooling once you find a job.

For more information:

Check your local school Web sites.

The Department of Education has a Web site with college resources and reasons for continuing your education; college.gov.

The "Dummies" series of how-to books includes a handy; "Free $ For College For Dummies" edition, $13.59 on Amazon.com

Start A Company

Entrepreneurship isn't for everyone. But hey, Steve Jobs started Apple Inc. during a downturn, notes Stefanie Weaver, manager of Entrepreneur Learning Programs at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which focuses on entrepreneurship. Her suggested questions:

•What do you really need out of a new company? Full-time employment, supplemental income? How many people must it support?

•What does your personal support system look like? Friends, family, other entrepreneurs, experts, mentors, etc. All are critical to helping you start a company, Weaver said, especially as the business expands, or not.

•How much have you tested your idea, on paper, and with your support network? A fun idea isn't always a good business. The best ideas focus on strong demand within a small niche at first. She notes a Kansas City woman in banking who after a year of research found the need for a gourmet pork distributor. She built one and sold that business within a few years for a profit.

•Do you handle risks well? Ask what you're willing to risk with your family and life.

•Survey your skills: Management, accounting, marketing, R&D, sales. Focus on what you do well and consider subcontracting or hiring others for the rest, Weaver said.

•How well do you know resources for entrepreneurs? Research local colleges, entrepreneurship programs, foundations and volunteer advisors. Survey other entrepreneurs for what helped them.

For more information:

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation: Entrepreneurship.org

Center for Entrepreneurship at The University of South Florida: www.ce.usf.edu.

Reporter Richard Mullins can be reached at (813) 259-7919.

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