Clur Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Does anyone know where I can get some free, decent careers advice? The ones I've found geared towards my profession and level charge hundreds. I am a marketing manager for a technology company and want a change. Probably a change of industry, but if I could change the type of work I do but use the skills I've developed over the years I would love the challenge. I am the main earner, so need to be careful not to drop money too much. Just want some decent advice on the things I could look at - what skills are transferable and ideas on where I could go from here. Anyone know or used someone in the past? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 I hope someone else can come up with advice; I looked into this a few years ago and found it very difficult to find anything, and ended up paying a careers consultant. A couple of books that might help - Build Your Own Rainbow, which is a bit tedious but helps you identify your key transferable skills and your real interests, looks from this as if it's about to be reissued. And 'What Colour is Your Parachute' - both of these were recommended by the consultant I went to see. I hope someone else can come up with suggestions but my own experience was that once you have graduated/qualified there isn't much out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Your local connexions centre? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clur Posted January 6, 2009 Author Share Posted January 6, 2009 Your local connexions centre? Thanks, but they're not set up for my level apparantly Olly, thanks for the book suggestions - I'm going to see if I can get copies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Your local connexions centre? Thanks, but they're not set up for my level apparantly That's a surprise, maybe CAB, (Citizen's advice bureau) can help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cordelia Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 why not put yourself forwards to an agency dealing with your type of employment...all the contractors who work in my type of IT, have agencies, and get their free advice... you dont need to sign up with them ultimately I guess.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ails Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Having worked in IT recruitment for a while and subsequently returned to an IT role my advice would be to....... Search around for a few different recruitment agencies some who specialise in Marketing and some who deal with a breadth of different career types and ask to have a chat about what your key skill sets are and how you can possibly apply those to a different industry/career! Get them to help you update your CV. The key thing is to make sure your CV reflects the skills that you think you can transfer to another role. There are a lot of young inexperienced recruitment agents out there so make sure you contact a few different agencies until you speak to someone you feel sure understands your experience and what you are looking for. There are some good recruitment jobboards/websites where you can register your CV whicha re open to lots of recruitment agencies to find candidates for roles. The agencies search by in putting lists of 'skills' that a role requiries - you might be surprised at who may call you and also they type of role they contact you about ! Best of luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clur Posted January 7, 2009 Author Share Posted January 7, 2009 Fab, thank you Ails. I did as you suggested and called an agency today that I know from way back. Hopefully going to go in and have a chat to them in the next week or so. In the meantime, they have offered me an interview on Friday for a job that is more local to me! I changed jobs 8 months ago as I was tired of the 4 hours a day commute, and a month in the company moved over an hour away from my home! This is still IT and marketing, but if it's nearer home I am hoping I'll be less jaded, and I can explore other options as I dip my toe in the water. Here's hoping 2009 is a better year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ails Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Excellent news! Just remember you don't have to stick to using one agency, you can speak to as many as you like. Also, keep an eye on the jobsites on the web to see if anything catches your eye - even if you don't match all the criteria of the advert 100% submit your CV if you think the role would be a right move for you! Let us know how you get on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Did you know there's a new impartial Adult Careers Guidance Service too? This is to match Connexions for young people. Email is http//careersadvice.direct.gov.uk. Or you could call in at a local College of Further Education as they are funded to offer the service too. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clur Posted January 9, 2009 Author Share Posted January 9, 2009 Fab, thanks for your advice - I'll be looking into all the options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redhotchick Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Clur, I've been following this thread and I was wondering how you are getting on? Have you settled into your job again, or are you still looking. I go through ups and downs with my job. I'm in a down at the moment There's only so much being positive and working through it I can manage. I'd love a complete career change but, like you, I'm not in a position to take a pay drop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoebe Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 CAB won't be able to help; certainly not with careers advice, and I don't think we know of any useful agencies, who have n't already been mentioned here, to refer you to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clur Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 Clur, I've been following this thread and I was wondering how you are getting on? Have you settled into your job again, or are you still looking. I go through ups and downs with my job. I'm in a down at the moment There's only so much being positive and working through it I can manage. I'd love a complete career change but, like you, I'm not in a position to take a pay drop. Thanks. I didn't get the job I interviewed for despite getting great feedback. They had a candidate who had been working for a competitor, so it was a no-brainer for them. I think I need to stick where I am given the current climate and have resolved myself to the fact I'll probably be in this line of work for a few years until we're free of childcare costs etc. I haven't given up hope of a change but at the moment all the feedback I am getting means quite a paycut and as the main earner we can't afford for me to do that (and it's not a case of if we cut holidays or stopped driving nice cars then we could do it - we don't have holidays other than a week camping maybe, and we both drive sardine cans that masquerade as motor vehicles!). I have got a prospectus on courses on countryside management which is a direction I'd like to take, but at this stage it's all pipe-dreams. One day Rodders, one day.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
