|
Career
Services
Home Page
|
Planning a Career Search - The Timeline
Plan for career transition as you plan financially for retirement: begin immediately and do a little bit at a time. That way, you will be well prepared when your transition actually begins.
Have an objective. Define it as a career field and a location. Your objective (or objectives) will evolve over time, as you learn about careers, explore your interests, and adapt to your changing personal situation and the hiring environment. Most of us have location preferences or requirements. So, the defining question becomes What can I do in the locations that interest me? If you have two years to plan, conduct, and complete a career transition, think in terms of these broad phases:
·
First year: investigate career fields and positions that interest you; if necessary, sharpen your expertise, obtain certifications, join professional associations and subscribe to journals; draft résumés and cover letters; begin to build and activate your network.
·
End of first year: refine your résumé, alert your network to your specific interests and availability date, request information interviews, continue to research industries and target specific employers.
·
Six months before your availability date: increase your information interviews, apply for open positions, target and correspond directly with selected employers, if applicable, notify executive recruiters who specialize in your area of expertise, seek hiring interviews, continue to network and to develop leads until you have accepted an offer.
| Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 |
|
|
