Midlife Gals – By their own description, this blog contains the “Daily irreverent observations by two twisted middle-aged sisters in Texas. ” Put your own midlife miseries on the shelf for an hour and read the humorous, insightful and often quirky adventures of Lizbet and Mayrie. Recommended Reading: Please Hold…For the Next Available Representative.

Midlife and Treachery – This longtime blog covers a variety of topics ranging from Medicaid to Monty Python. Viewing life as a midlifer with a disability is often not all that different from many of our own experiences. And when it is different, you can expect to find an interesting post about it at Midlife and Treachery. Recommended Reading: At Home in Summer.

Midlife Mysteries – When I first started blogging last November, this was the first midlifer blog that I read. Actually, it was one of the blogs that sparked my own interest in blogging. Cathy’s blog is not just an interesting read, but it is also one of the best designed blogs I know…love that header! Recommended Reading: My Double Life.

LifeTwo – LifeTwo is a magazine style website for those of us just getting our second wind in life. Just read the tabs at the top of the page to get an idea of the variety of topics covered at this site. Since I’ve been getting into listening to podcasts, I have really enjoyed the podcasts at LifeTwo. Recommended Reading: What’s Your Calling?

Mid-Life Rider – Maybe it’s a midlife crisis, and maybe not. But regardless of what it is, Kevin’s motivation to create a blog about midlife and motorcycling is a success. I read the blog just to feed my own desire to get away sometimes. I love the photos and the journal entries describing Kevin’s biking journeys. Recommended Reading: The Long Road Home.

Confessions of a Mid-life Trucker’s Wife – This is a new blog that is popular with my wife. She describes the stories and images as heartwarming. I’ve even been know to read a post or two from the rambling trucker’s wife. Recommended Reading: Supper Table Discussions.

The Boomer Chronicles – If midlife blogs have one thing in common, it’s probably that they cover nearly every topic imaginable. The Boomer Chronicles is another great blog that is as likely to have you laughing as grabbing a pen to jot down some great information you can use later. Recommended Reading: Another Bigfoot Sighting that Blew Me Away.

TeeBeeDee - TeeBeeDee, as in To Be Determined, is a growing community of midlifers and beyond who share in discussions on popular topics like politics, careers and family. I try to drop in at least once a week to read a few discussions and post in the UTurnAhead career change group. Membership is free. Recommended Reading: Dysfunctional Bosses.

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Eliminate Your Personal Debt

Probably the biggest fear when making a career change is the threat to your financial stability. Leaving a steady job, often one that pays well, to start a new career can put real stress on your finances. Paying off your debt will put you in a much stronger financial position for making a job change. It may mean postponing your move for a year or two, but it greatly improve your success by eliminating the pressure of credit payments while starting a new career.

Build Up Your Saving Account

Another important step to being financially secure during the change is to have a reliable savings to carry you, if necessary. Most career changes will involve a period of transition, possibly leaving you without a source of income. If this is the case, you want to have money set aside to pay bills and expenses. How much should you have? It really depends on how long you expect to be without or at a reduced income.

Here’s my formula for establishing your saving account. First, calculate your monthly living expenses. Now estimate how long you may be without a job or working for less than what you need to cover your expenses. Now multiply the your monthly living expenses by the number of months you expect to need and add two months (for emergencies and a safety cushion). Finally, add any career change expenses you will need to pay, such as training or travel.

Gain the Support of Your Spouse

Unless you are single, you have to remember that this is a partnership and you need your partners support. Any career change will be easier and more successful when your spouse is with you all the way. Start talking early, when you first feel the need to make the change. Explain how you feel and why you are considering a change. Ask how they feel about what you have shared.

Talking about your desire for a career change may create stress for your partner. Assure your husband or wife that you are not going to quit today and leave the family in financial ruin. Of course, if you are paying off the debt and adding to your savings, it will make all of this much easier.

Do Thorough Research on Your Career Options

You greatly improve the odds for success by making an educated, thoughtful career choice. This means you’ve considered careers that make the most of your current skills and interests. You’ve identified what makes you passionate, what careers excite you. And, of course, you’ve examined the challenges and pitfalls of each career choice.

Is All This Necessary?

Well, no. I know or have read about individuals that have found new careers in midlife without any of these preparations. But the fact is that while many, if not most, of us will consider making a midlife career change, only a few will ever take that step. If something is holding you back from making the change, maybe one of these steps will put your mind at ease. You don’t have to dive into the deep end of the pool to get to the bottom. Some of us need to take it a bit slower.

What are your suggestions for getting ready for a midlife career change?

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As any of my regular readers already know, I started kicking around the idea of a career change last year after some personal changes in my life. I started blogging about my journey as a way of gathering my thoughts and exploring possibilities. I quickly decided to take the safe route and use jobrepreneuing as my means of exploring a change in careers. For the uninitiated, jobrepreneuing is my word for exploring being an entrepreneur while keeping your day job. I wasn’t ready to take the full plunge and leave my regular employment, but I wanted to start doing something different…something that could lead to a new career.

In November I decided on a plan to focus my energies on Internet media. I was a frequent user of the Internet and loved the open ended possibilities. I have also been interested in design and technology for most of my life, so the fit just seemed right. This blog was the very first step into my new Internet media career.

The ideas came quickly, and I envisioned all sorts of ways to make money online. And, of course, I was reading blogs and websites that told me how easy it was to make thousands a month with just a few niche websites. But being a realist, I knew it would not be that easy…and it hasn’t been.

I now have four established blogs and am developing three non-blog websites. I recently completed a course at the local community college on Dreamweaver web design. I also invested in a one-year subscription at Lynda.com where I learn even more about web design and programming.

I not yet moved into the money making aspect of my new side career. Revenue is small from the few blogs that I have. I now view my blogging, not as a money making venture, but as a tool for learning and an outlet for creativity. The blogging has also been a venue for planning as I continue to work out my personal career change.

Finally, I must share that my day job experience has changed during the past several months. There is a renewed motivation and, dare I say, excitement at work resulting from a clearer mission for our organization. It was this new energy (and several major work projects) that kept me away from UTurn during the past month. The work has become valuable again.

So, I am continuing my path of jobprepreneuing and growing my Internet enterprises. I have no plans for leaving my current employment, nor do I want to drop my moonlighting work. Both career paths are exciting to me now. When the two conflict, I will put the day job at the top of the list. I owe that to my employer. But the Internet media work will dominate my evenings and weekends.

Be sure to drop in regularly as I will be adding posts much more frequently.

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A job interview is nothing more than a sales meeting. And what you are selling is YOU. To nail the job interview, you must first understand the real purpose of the meeting. And if selling is the reason for the interview, why not learn to sell from one of the top marketers in the auto industry…Toyota. Let’s take a look at some lessons from Toyota that will help us nail that job interview.

Do your research. Before Toyota puts a new car on the lot, they first do a significant amount of research in preparation to build that car; but not just research on how to improve the mileage or unclutter the instrument panel. Toyota wants to know what car buyers are looking for. Toyota has a research department in Torrence, California with more than 100 people dedicated to learning what the customer wants.

When you prepare to sell yourself to a new employer, you need to do your research. Learn about the company. What do they value? And learn about the job. What are they looking for? You want to know the employer the way that Toyota knows the car buyer. To sell yourself, you need to understand the employer’s needs so you can demonstrate how you will meet those needs.

Put the polished product front and center. When Hooters advertises their hot wings or shrimp, they seem to focus more on the women in citrus colored shorts than the food. But Toyota give their product the lead role. When you see an ad for the Toyota Camry, it’s the shiny new car that gets all the attention.

To sell yourself at the interview, you must present yourself, and your talents, in the best possible light. This starts with your appearance. Of course, you want to dress professionally and be properly groomed for every job interview. But the real sparkle for the product of YOU comes from your personality. Sell yourself with a smile and an upbeat personality. Employers read your energy level as a sign of motivation and enthusiasm. Present yourself as professional and motivated. Your appearance means a lot.

Sell the results, not the methods. When’s the last time you saw a Toyota commercial that took a close look at the engine and examined the details of the rack-and-pinion steering? Well, you probably haven’t seen one at all. But I’m sure you’ve seen the RAV4 hauling friends to the beach or the Tundra truck carrying a 10,000 pound load. Toyota sells the excitement and utility of owning their vehicles by showing you what they can do. They sell the end result, even though it’s the engine that really gets you there.

Selling yourself in the interview requires the same marketing strategy. Sure you could talk all day about the skills you have and the knowledge you’ve acquired. But what the interviewer really wants to know is how you can make this company better. Sell the results of your talents. Tell how you can improve systems and speed up productivity through effective management skills. Explain how your networking experience can help the product developers collaborate with the research department. And your research before the interview will help you know what outcomes the employers is looking for. So sell those outcomes, don’t just show them the engine.

Focus on reliable and productive over glitz and glamor. Ford shined with the Mustang and GM sparkled with the ‘vette. But Toyota has not build it’s success on trying to create the next hot thing. Instead, Toyota has earned it’s place by selling reliable vehicles with the features and appearance desired by the driving public.

The same should be true of the sales pitch you make during the job interview. Don’t try to wow the employer with one-time successes and talents that will be little used on the job. Focus your presentation on those things the employer wants most.

Don’t give up when faced with failure. Toyota ventured onto the American market in 1957 with the Toyopet Crown family car. But after three years, a variety of problems and less then flattering sales, Toyota was forced to pull the Crown off the market. But it was not the end of Toyota in North America. After half a century, Toyota has proven it’s worth with a nearly 16% market share, ahead of Chrysler and about to overtake Ford.

When interviewing for a new career, or just a change of jobs, you will likely be faced with some failures. But one employers decision to not hire you, does not mean your search must end. Even the best interview will not always win the job. So continue your search, do your research and prepare for the next interview. And remember the lessons you’ve learned from Toyota.

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But all this work is a good thing.  Well, maybe not the long hours.  But having important work to do is what motivates me.  And that formula is adding up to some real excitement at my job.

I’ve always been a believer that it’s not your employer’s job to motivate you.  But it is their job to give you work that is valuable to the companies success.  Everyone wants to feel that their work is meaningful and important.  And I believe that most good workers find motivation increases as the significance of their work increases.

If you find yourself unmotivated at work or feeling bored, take a look at the work you are doing.  Is it important?  Does your employer or supervisor value what you produce?  Find a job with important work to be done and you will find a career that is motivating.

So, I’m taking a break from the excitement at work to write this quick post.  In a week or two I hope to be back to my normal writing pattern of two to three posts each week.  Until then, why don’t you share with us what motivates you at work? 

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First, assuming you’ve go the old resume in hand, just set it aside for a moment. Before we start making actual changes, we need to learn a bit about how resumes have changed over the years. To learn more about what a quality resume should look like, check out the Resume Tutorial at Quintessential Careers. If you’ve updated your resume in the past twenty years, you’re most likely aware that marital status, hobbies and references should not be included. But are you also aware that many employer electronically scan resumes looking for the right candidate?

Now that you know how your resume should look and what to include, prepare a draft of your resume and share it with a mentor or friend who does hiring and get their opinion. I always think it’s a good idea to have even two or three people look over your resume before you send it to a potential employer. Listen to their feedback and make the changes you find appropriate.

Now print about three crisp copies of your resume and put them away for future use. Sure, you could just leave the file on the computer, but you never know when you will need that resume. And you don’t want to be out of quality paper when the time comes. I even keep one copy of my resume in my computer bag at all times. I have to use my resume for grant applications and other work, so it doesn’t seem all that unusual. But I also like having a copy handy for some unexpected opportunity that may arise.

How often should you update your resume? Well, let’s start with updating it every time you take on a new job or position. That’s right. As soon as you change jobs, change your resume. You also want to make changes any time there is a change in the information already on the resume. For example, if you move, you need to update the address and probably the phone number. But don’t forget to add important achievements to your resume soon after they occur. Keep your resume current and ready for any opportunity.

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Remember, what is invested is gone, the only thing that matters now is what you get out of your career. Thinking too much on the investment is like the gambler who can walk away from a losing table because she had too much invested. Looking at the investment is focusing on the past. It is far better to consider what you want from your career in the years ahead.

What you have invested is paid back in knowledge, skills and professional contacts; all of which can pay dividends in your new career. Your career investment from the past 20-30 years is not lost. You simply transfer the benefits of the time invested into something more fulfilling. Take the time to consider how you can use your current contacts to find a new career opportunity and how your talents can be put to use in that new career.

This myth is often heard when someone fears losing the stability of their current employment. Making a career change does mean giving up some stability and comfort. This comes with any change in employment. But a career change often includes moving into a field with which you are much less familiar. If you real concern is giving up your stable employment, then call it what it is. But don’t blame your hesitation on what you have invested. Once you’ve correctly labeled your worries, you can do something about them.

As I’ve said, we all have a lot invested into our careers by the time we reach midlife. And leaving that familiar career will bring new challenges and some discomfort. So carefully consider why you are making the change and how committed you are. But don’t fall victim to the myth that you can’t change careers because of what you have invested. Look forward, and choose your path. Don’t look backward.

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The job has become routine and boring.  Boredom on the job is one of the major causes of dissatisfaction at work.  But boredom can often be caused by our own lack of adventure.  This was the case in my own career.  I had become bored because tasks had become repetitive,  and I had lost my creativity.  I thought the career had caused the lose of excitement, but rather it was the other way around.  My own lack of enthusiasm for my work had lead to my boredom.

So, what did I do about it?  Well, that could be an entire other post…and probably will be in the future.  But to summarize, I started talking with others around me who still had a passion for our work.  I also began looking for ways to be creative once again.  In only a month or so, that spark was once again ignited.

Your current employment is a problem, not the career you are in.  Often times you just need a change in employers, not a change in career.  Examine your current work situation and determine where the problem originates.  Is your unhappiness caused by characteristics common to the field you are in, or is the problem specific to your workplace?  Don’t dump a good career because of a bad employer.

You’re experiencing a general unhappiness with your life.  Midlife is a time when many individuals become disenchanted with how their lives have turn out thus far.  That’s where we get the phrase “midlife crisis.”  If your unsatisfied with other aspects of your life, besides your career, then the unhappiness at work is likely just a symptom of a larger problem.  Consider talking to someone, a counselor maybe, about what you are experiencing.  Don’t be quick to blame your career if you are feeling down about other parts of your life.

You’re not being successful at work.  When times are tough at work and outcomes are not the best, it often causes us to become frustrated or lose our passion.  We find encouragement in our successes.  So when we don’t get the promotion we wanted or a major client closes their account, our passion for work will often be the first casualty.  But life and careers are a series of ups and downs.  The solution to our unhappiness may be just one success away.

Of course, in the end it could be that you need a change of career to bring back that passion you once felt.  First examine the other possible causes of your frustration.  And once you’ve identified the problem, take steps to improve your situation.  If it’s a new career that you need, then begin planning for that change.  But remember, unhappiness doesn’t necessarily mean it time to dump your career.

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This myth can create significant problems for the career searcher who wants to find the perfect match. Opportunities are passed up because of some minor flaws while hoping to find that one job for you. Even when you think you’ve find that ideal career, problems come up that cause you to question if this is truly the one career for you. You could spend an entire, frustrating lifetime searching for just the right career to only end up disappointed time after time.

A better way to view career changes is to consider that several options are available for a great career. The key finding a really good fit and working to turn your career choice into the ideal career. Think of buying clothing off the rack and getting alterations to make them fit you perfectly. You find a close fit, but work to have them made into just the right outfit. Careers are much the same; a perfect match is nearly impossible to find.
Think of a career as more like a marriage; you only get out of it what you put in. When you find a good match, you work emphasis the positive points and find ways to cope with any negatives. For example, if the paperwork of the job is not to your liking, find a way to streamline this work so you can spend more time on the tasks you love.

Having a broader outlook in your career search has two major advantages. First, you are likely to explore more options and consider a wider variety of opportunities. Second, you begin to understand that happiness in your career is highly dependent on your own actions. Loving your work is not just the result of luck, or stumbling onto the perfect job. People who love what they do, put a lot into their work.

So, stop waiting for that perfect career and begin exploring. That next great job is just around the corner.

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In 2005-06, the University of California, San Diego conducted surveys with recent graduates to explore, among other things, how they found employment after college. The results indicate that 26% of the graduates found employment through resources on the Internet. However, 38% found jobs as the result of networking, internships and prior experience. Other job sources were job fairs, campus postings, employment agencies and employer contact. But the interesting statistic here is the number of jobs found as a result of networking and other non-advertised methods.

More than a third of the graduates found jobs because of contacts they had, not through searching online advertising or newspaper classified (which, by the way, accounted for only 2% of the graduate jobs). This means that even for individuals starting their careers, networking is a key source of career leads. How much more vital must networking be for those of us who have been at this for more than 20 years?

Networking is a great way to find unadvertised jobs or to connect with employers through other channels. More importantly, if you are considering a career change to another field, networking is crucial to your success. Real career change should involve making connections, sharing information and promoting yourself through personal contacts. Your ability to network within the industry and follow up on leads is vital to finding the right job. For some simple tips on career networking, check out the article Job Search and Career Networking Tips at About.com.

Now, don’t finish reading this post and think that I said not to use the Internet in your midlife career change. On the contrary, you should spend time reading up on the career field, looking for potential employers, and networking with others. That’s right, use the Internet as a medium for career networking. Search for forums and groups in the field you are exploring. Talk with others who share your interest and begin following those important networking tips. Let people know you are looking to change careers and interested in helpful information and leads.

The Internet can be a great tool for midlife career changers, but don’t expect the perfect job to simply appear when you do a search on Monster.com. Invest your time into networking, it will really pay off.

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