Career Transitions: Creating Complementary Careers in a Day

By Kathy Iwanowski

Down-sized? Outsourced? Burned-out? Wizened up? That's what I said. Wizened up! Now is not the time to be depressed. Now, is the perfect time to assess your life and what you want to do with the rest of it. One easy way is to explore career options that are complementary to you. Whether you are leaving by choice or have been asked to leave, you probably have more courses of action then you think.

Give yourself several, uninterrupted hours to perform this task. Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit. Have paper, at least five sheets, and pen ready. Do not use a pencil for this. You want to put down everything that comes to your head. No erasing or changing allowed. Relax, take a deep breath, and begin.

Think about the job you just had. List all the types of businesses you or your company worked with while you were there. Include customers, vendors, suppliers, buyers, and strategic partners.

Go to the second sheet. Make a list of all the skills you gained from your education and employment experiences. Don't forget to include your first paper route or babysitting jobs. If nothing else, it will bring a smile to your face and keep you relaxed.

On the third page, itemize your hobbies, interests, and favorite leisure activities. You can make these subcategories on the page or put into the same list.

Finally, write down on the fourth page the careers you considered before going in the direction you did. Also, put down ones that you would consider dream jobs. Don't let anything stand in your way here. Remember the operative word, dream. Disregard your monetary situation, your education, your appearance, age, or gender. If your inner critic shows up, and this is the place they usually do, tell them to go take a coffee break. This is your time to only listen to your soul talking. Finish up the list by adding any careers from comments that people have made to you over the years, such as, "You would have made a great teacher. You really know your history."

Take a moment and look over your four sheets of paper. You did a lot of hard work. Congratulate yourself with a stretch and go get yourself a favorite beverage. But, don't let too much time go by, no more than ten minutes. You're on a roll and you don't want your bored inner critic to find you hanging out at the water cooler, if you know what I mean.

Lay your four pages side by side across a table. Take your fifth and last sheet. List any combinations or connections from your four lists that could go together or would be fun to have go together. Your list may look something like this:

IT person - tutors senior citizens about computers and email.

Boat captain - runs ecotourism tours for the visually disadvantaged.

Nurse - owns a wellness spa.

Pilot - is an aviation school owner and expert witness.

Your complementary career options are only limited by your creativity. This is the time to be open to all ideas and daring in your resolve to consider them seriously. Seek out others who have blended careers or made career transitions successfully. Study the biographies of people like stars, sports personalities, and even military personnel. Many have made transitions out of necessity or desire. Soon, you'll find yourself moving into a life you had never before dreamed possible.

Copyright 2005 Kathy Iwanowski. All Rights Reserved.

Kathy Iwanowski, a former cancer nurse and manager, creates art, speaks, and writes about creative living and work. Her articles, editorials, and reviews on art, business, creativity, and nursing subjects have been published in newsletters, ezines, and books in the United States.

To arrange for Kathy as a speaker for your next event or to find out more about her work, visit her website at http://www.kathyiwanowski.com


More Resources

Interview Preparation
The dreaded job interview is the Number 1 source of email enquiries to Confidence Club. The following email is typical:"I have an interview coming up and I'm terrified! I have to do a presentation in front of a panel of judges, and I just know I'm going to make a fool of myself"Interviews generate immense levels of anxiety.
Always Have a Current Resume
What is the biggest mistake people make with resumes?People write their resumes as a chronological summary of everything they've done in their professional lives. Employers only care about one thing: what you can do for them.
Smokin' Up a Storm: Clothing, Smokers, and the Job Interview
You're nervous. You're so nervous that you crave a smoke.
Counter-Offers: Do They Merit Consideration?
You are one of the fortunate few who have not been downsized. However, your current job isn't exactly fulfilling.
Your First Job
"Your first job is an extension of your education"Fresh out of college. Loads of dreams.
The Myths of Career Change
Chances are you already have many ideas about what it takes to successfully transition into a new career, even if you have never done it before. Some of those ideas might be useful - most probably are not.
What to Ask During the Interview
Don't just sit there and bob your head, waiting to answer the next question - be prepared to ask your own questions and make the interviewer know that you care!Ask Them About the CompanyIf you have researched the company, you should know something about their core business. Use the information that you have found to ask good questions about the company.
Corporate World: Jungle Or Paradise?
The road to the top is not easy, it is bumpy and dirty. Along the way, we meet interesting creatures.
The Background on Background Checks
In one of my past lives I held a Top Secret clearance as a Civil Service employee working for the Air Force. So I am familiar with background checks.
Taking Charge During An Interview!
Perhaps you've found yourself in the position of seeking a new position due to a layoff, cutback or downsizing and are now facing the interviewing process. As scary as that may seem, one of the most critical points to remember is that just because you're sitting in the seat opposite the potential employer doesn't mean you have no control.
Do You Have the courage to ignore the experts?
Do you have the courage to ignore the experts? Do you have the willingness and ability to understand and use the power that is within you? Courage is that state of mind when you do something that you know is right for you and your loved ones and the rest of the world thinks you're mad. The ability to make the decision and then make it happen.
Seeking A New Job While Currently Employed : Tiptoeing Through the Minefield
So, you currently have a job but you are looking for something a little better. You are getting tired, uptight, and maybe just a little stressed out.
Networking - A Key Factor in a Successful Job Search
In today's economy, job seekers need an edge beyond their experience, education and specific industry and job-related skills, in order to find and secure a position. Regardless if you are looking for an opportunity as CEO, Vice President, IT Manager or Customer Service Representative, you need effective tools to compete within a market that is job-poor and candidate rich.
Technology in the Workplace - Boon or Curse?
Like all new innovations, technology in the work environment can either work for you or against you. What is good for the employer or is not always the same for the employee.
For My Second Career, I Want to Do Nothing!
Q. For my second career, I'd like to know "What to do when you have done a lot and nothing really interests you anymore.
Career Advice On Freelance Writing Jobs
Sometimes the freelance writing jobs available are those that no one wants. Or, they are those that new businesses are looking to fill.
Home Healthcare Careers
One of the fastest growing sectors of the medical industry is that of home health. There are many reasons for this growth, but most important are:The number of aging and infirm citizens in the country.
Free Resume Examples: More Is Better
If you ever studied any probability theory in high school or college, you probably remember the marbles.Most introductory probability books talk about drawing different colored marbles out of a bag.
Get Your Dream Job!
Anyone who is a jobseeker knows that looking for a new job or career is a job in itself. Once you have completed the laborious task of writing your resume and submitting it to various companies, you now have to pass the screen test to get the job.
Thankk-You Notes: An Integral Part of Your Career
There is one little practice that is vital to generating the interest of potential employers. It is critical, but very few job seekers actually do it.

More Careers & Employment Information:

Related Articles

So, Your Made A Mistake
Of course, mistakes are important. Two facts put those you make in perspective.
Considering a Career Change?
Are you thinking about a career change? Many people do this because of specific problems or difficulties. Others want to make such a change because of some growing, generalized dissatisfaction.
Resume Writing - Get That Job
Looking for a new job, whether it is with a new company or a promotion within your own organisation, requires time and effort. To make your job search more effective you need to take five fundamental steps on the road to success:
What Do You Want From Life?
The tragedy for millions of people is that they never decidewhat they want from life and make plans for it. Life will provide whatever we demand.
The Inevitable Job Interview Question: "Why Did You Leave (Are Planning To Leave) Your Last Position
This is a question that you can almost count on being asked at your next interview What the interviewer wants to know is, "Why are you available?"The answer you give could set the tone for the rest of the interview. For instance, if you were to indicate that you were bored or burned out at your last job, the interviewer would quickly become concerned about your performance at this company.
Finally Revealed: The Top 7 Resume Killers?
During my job search I read dozens of books and articles took programs and evensat at the feet of two of the most experienced Human Resource professionals. In afew moments, you will learn the real keys to standing out and rising above thenorm.
How To Get A Job Fast
In today's unpredictable economy, the idea of job security with any company would seem to be a thing of the past. Large company layoffs, golden handshakes, mergers, leveraged buyouts, company acquisitions and similar business moves have left people of all ages out of a job they need to live.
Acing The Interview
It's no secret that there is a lot of competition for writing jobs.What makes or breaks you in an interview is more of a mystery that some writers may try to unravel for years.
Job Offer Negotiations: Getting What You Want
You have worked hard at finding your next job. You have come through many obstacles and have reached your career objective.
Aptitude Tests Reveal the Difference Between Your Aptitude & Ability
Aptitude tests measure your skills, abilities, values, interests and personality in order to help you determine which careers you might be best suited for and eliminate those that you are not.Aptitude tests are some of the most important tools to anyone considering a career change.
Have Enough Money to Change Careers - Five Key Steps
At every talk I give, I ask the audience to tell me the reasons why people don't change careers. The most common answer given each time is "lack of money.
Interview Presentation Skills: Dealing With Your Nerves
Sooner or later, the interview invitation is going to say you are required to give a presentation as part of the selection process. And like most people you may dread having to do it.
Hello Work World, Im Un-Retiring
For many years, you looked forward to that day when you would bid the world of work a fond farewell and ride off into the sunset of your golden years.Initially, it felt wonderful not to have to go somewhere each morning.
It is Still Possible to be Upwardly Mobile in America!
Yes, it's still possible to be upwardly mobile in America: it's called a career in sales.Sales jobs come in all shapes and sizes.
Simple Interviewing That Works
Powerful questions to get below the surface1. Ask for specific "stories" of complete situations"We all meet situations where people disagree on the correct way to proceed.
Ten Tips to a Job Winning Interview
These days, interviews don't come easily. When you get The Call, make the most of your time -- and go for it!1.
Conducting an Effective Interview
An employment interview is a goal oriented conversation in which the interviewer and the applicant exchange information. Even though interviews are a poor selection tool for most jobs, they are often the primary method used in evaluating applicants.
Job Search Techniques: Smashing The Gray Ceiling
For decades, women have chaffed at the invisible glass ceiling which prevents their moving into the high executive brackets that their competence, knowledge and skills have earned. The same amorphous barrier confronts older workers both in terms of advancement within a company and, most especially, when a job change is required.
Staying In The Game
The message came from Human Resources. There's nothing to worry about with the newly announced organizational changes and pending merger, it reassured.
How To Type A Resume For Employers
Learning how to type a resume may feel like a daunting task. Even the most affluent writers have asked themselves, how to type a mind-blowing resume.