An increasing number of mid- to senior-level job seekers are pursuing alternatives to traditional job searches and reinventing their way into satisfying new positions.
"Although it’s easier to look for the kind of position you already have, we see more and more candidates looking at alternative careers," says Terry Ebert, Managing Director of Career Transition Services. "In many cases, it’s prompted by recognition that jobs are evaporating in their arenas. Consolidation is reducing positions in banking, telecommunications, media/entertainment and other industries. Automation is claiming jobs in new areas, such as trading. And so many technology functions are being outsourced overseas. In other cases, it’s simply a desire to get off the corporate treadmill or exercise more control over their lives.
"The bottom line is that many candidates are taking a different tack," Ebert continues, "especially those who find themselves unemployed later in their careers. In the earlier years, people focus on developing general skills. Those are fungible. Later on, most people tend to concentrate on honing specific skills—perhaps creating silos for themselves. The farther along they are, the harder it becomes to change careers without reinvention. Given the ongoing downsizing and the aging population, we expect to see more
reinvention over the long term."
The Ayers Group offers a variety of services to help
candidates reinvent themselves. The first step is
assessment. "We work with candidates to assess their
personality attributes, skills, work styles, and financial
positions, as well as their goals and objectives, to determine whether the alternatives they want to pursue make sense for them," the Ayers executive says. "It’s not unusual for someone to have identified franchising, for example, but not have given serious thought to the issues involved. Does he or she have the personality—or the appetite for risk—to go it alone? Are there sufficient reserves to tide the family over until the business is successful? We help candidates address these kinds of issues."
For those who opt to become entrepreneurs, Ayers has
consultants with the expertise to help in developing
business plans. The firm sponsors franchising seminars,
conducted by an outside consulting group, that enable
candidates to look in depth at investment choices in a
variety of fields. Structured networking situations connect prospective entrepreneurs with people who have made
similar moves to learn about the day-to-day realities.
Ayers’ Career Transition group is also seeing more
openness to consulting as a career direction. "My Introduction to Consulting Seminar is always filled," says Dr. Peter Olsinski, Director of Consulting Services in the firm’s New York offices. "People are becoming interested in the open-endedness and the ability to sell different aspects of their skill sets to different companies as opposed to having to sell the whole package. It’s a change in perspective, the way they operate, and how they market their abilities. It’s a kind of reinvention."
"The reality is that people are making different kinds of choices in their job searches," Terry concludes. "We have to be responsive to these changing realities, and proactive in how we support our candidates."
Whether translating skills from corporate to not-for-profit or shifting from employee to self-employed, late-career candidates are working with Ayers' consultants to successfully reinvent themselves.
» When an IT professional with more than 10 years in the insurance industry came to Ayers, he knew he was ready for a change. His interest in his children’s education prompted him to identify teaching or launching a tutoring service as potential ways to channel his growing interest. With the help of his consultant, he created a resumé that focused on his volunteer teaching and PTA experience. After networking with teachers and principals, he applied for a teaching fellows position and secured an offer as a middle school teacher in a New York City public school. Simultaneously, he researched tutoring-franchise models in Brooklyn and Queens. Excited by both opportunities, the candidate plans to commit to one in the near future.«
» A financial-services executive wanted to look at alternatives to the career track he had been on for more than two decades. He considered opening a specialty retail outlet but decided against it after some due diligence and a review of his accountant’s cost/benefit analyses. Ayers’ Franchise Seminar provided an opportunity to explore new options, including an education-related franchise. He is currently negotiating for leased space in New Jersey and expects to be operational shortly. If this first operation is successful, the candidate hopes to open another in two years.«
» While many Ayers' candidates have jumped from the corporate to the franchise world, one executive elected to keep a foot in each. He found a corporate job and put his wife in charge of their gourmet ice cream franchise until he was sure it would succeed. They are now considering opening a second one.«
» After a lengthy career in journalism, a candidate decided to explore alternatives. A thorough self-assessment and various career-interest and skills inventories helped him uncover several promising directions and eliminate others. He then networked to explore and clarify his interests and the practicalities of making a shift. The journalist settled on the general not-for-profit sector and education as targets and began to identify and pursue jobs in both areas with resumés tailored to different situations. After gaining more exposure to those fields, he chose to focus on education and ultimately accepted a position as an Assistant Professor of Journalism at a local university.«
» After 30 years in banking, a financial executive was determined to jump to the not-for-profit sector. His first moves were to identify the kind of organization and craft a resumé that reflected his transferable skills. He then identified and contacted recruiters with related specialties and consulted Web sites dedicated to nonprofits. Networking resulted in key leads from professional organizations. The candidate interviewed for
several positions, working with Ayers on overall strategy and interview skills. In time, two situations proceeded to the offer stage. After careful consideration, he accepted a position as Accounting & Finance Manager with a
religious organization.« |
