Despite an economic downturn, the opportunities for a midlife career change are available. Is a career change hard work? Yes. However, it can transform your life in thrilling new ways. Four strategies you can take for recareering are:

1-Recognize your reasons for making a change

Are you tired of your work and need something that provides greater stimulation and challenge? Or, are you seeking social interaction and personal reward that your present occupation doesn’t offer? For example, I coached a client who became an executive director for a nonprofit organization in order to give back to the community.

2-Determine your commitment

Decide if you want to work full time or part time; if you want to job share or telecommute at least part of the time. Are you attracted to seasonal or cyclical work? Depending on your career choice, it may mean starting out at an entry level.

3-Consider a hobby or a passion

Many people find successful new careers and businesses based on their hobbies … love of antiques, outdoors, environment, animals, fitness, etc. Sometimes it isn’t so obvious. For example, one person converted her passion for organizing and strengths in negotiating into a career as an a meeting and events planner.

4-Know your limitations

You may be great at arranging things, but dislike dealing with customers. You may enjoy talking to your pet, but have little patience for cleaning kitty litter pans. Although it’s important to know what you like, pay attention to your head. Conduct a thorough self assessment or seek career coaching before you pull the plug on your current career. Take ownership of your career and life plans; resist the temptation to follow someone else’s dream for you. After all, it’s your life.

In an article in The Wall Street Journal by Caroline Nahas, managing director of the Southern California offices of Korn/Ferry International, she states, “Recruiters will look for what is unusual or uniquely differentiating in your resume like the magnitude of the jobs you have held, organizations for which you have worked, number of people you have managed, and results or profits for which you have been accountable. If your background matches an open position, you will be approached by a consultant to take the next step.”

Below are excerpts from the article on other tips she offers.

Although executive recruiters have deep connections at the world’s leading organizations, having a realistic perspective about how search consultants work is essential if you hope to establish relationships that will ultimately lead to a new role.

It is important to recognize that recruiters at the leading retained search firms work for their clients – the hiring organizations – and not the candidates. If you are seeking to connect with a search consultant for the first time, you will stand the best chance if your background and skills directly match an opportunity that the recruiter is actively working on.

Recruiters want to help you succeed, but they interact with dozens of candidates every day. It helps to be introduced directly by someone the recruiter trusts and respects, including their clients or a well-known industry contact. Leverage your network to be put in touch with a recruiter specializing in your sector, function or geography.

If you are actively looking for a job, strategically target a single recruiter within a firm, rather than contact many recruiters at that same firm. Your contact can will facilitate connections to others within the company who might be able to help you.

Introduce yourself in an email; that allows the recruiter to circulate your credentials to colleagues. Include an updated version of your resume and an introductory letter. Include a quick snapshot of your career accomplishments and the types of opportunities that interest you.

Assess opportunities realistically and do not feign interest in a job that you don’t intend to follow through on simply to get face-time with a recruiter. You won’t be taken seriously as a candidate if you do. At the same time, be open to different job possibilities. Particularly in this economy, avoid narrowing your scope so dramatically that you limit your options.

Building a personal relationship with a recruiter should not be your goal. In fact, it is something that they will avoid to maintain an ethical code of conduct. Rather, you can expect a recruiter to prepare (but not coach) you before an interview at the hiring organization; represent you throughout the negotiations; and track your progress during the first 90 days on a job. Recruiters are not career counselors. They can give you a snapshot of what is happening in the market at large, but cannot help you focus your job search if you lack clarity.

Stand out by sharing contacts and market knowledge to prove that you know what is happening behind the scenes in your industry. This will help you stay in a recruiter’s mind longer and will provide a reason to reconnect periodically.

Finally, be transparent without making claims that will not stand up to rigorous background and reference checking. Recruiters are responsible for thoroughly investigating potential employees, and they will discover anything that is fabricated or exaggerated.

As surprising as it sounds in the current employment market, a renowned labor economist projects that there will be more jobs than people to fill them in the United States by 2018.

Assuming a return to healthy economic growth and no change in immigration or labor force participation rates, Barry Bluestone, Dean of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University, predicts that within the next eight years there could be at least 5 million potential job vacancies in the United States, nearly half of them (2.4 million) in social sector jobs in education, health care, government and nonprofit organizations.

“If the baby boom generation retires from the labor force at the same rate and age as current older workers, the baby bust generation that follows will likely be too small to fill many of the projected new jobs,” states Bluestone’s report, “After the Recovery: Help Needed – The Coming Labor Shortage and How People in Encore Careers Can Help Solve It.”

Bluestone’s research is one of four papers written by independent experts and released March 22 by MetLife Foundation and Civic Ventures, a think tank on boomers, work and social purpose.  All four papers, which can be found at www.encore.org/research, assert that engaging workers over 55 in encore careers will be vital to meeting work force shortages and critical social needs.

Bluestone’s analysis builds on the 2008 MetLife Foundation/Civic Ventures Encore Career Survey conducted by Peter D. Hart and Associates, which shows that most people expect to work longer than previous generations, but that half of those aged 44 to 70 want encore careers that combine personal meaning, continued income and social impact. “Not only will there be jobs for these experienced workers to fill,” Bluestone writes, “but the nation will absolutely need older workers to step up and take them.”

Shady companies with less than reputable practices abound in this market. Pay attention to their practices. If they seem questionable to you, or you don’t have a good feeling about them, trust your instinct. Here’s a few tips to keep in mind so that you don’t get disappointed.

• Research the company’s name on Google. Within the first page you will find potential problems. If so, don’t waste your time any further.
• Trust your instincts and investigate before you invest time and money to buy into any business.
• Mass interviews are a giveaway that it’s really a sales presentation to convince you to fight for the chance to get hired.
• Regarding benefits… if the company will not answer your questions or provide crucial information in writing, something is wrong.
• Get the job offer in writing and do not accept it unless you understand and agree with all the terms.

Even legitimate companies are sometimes guilty of promoting jobs without fully disclosing the job, the compensation or the benefits. It’s up to the applicant to check and verify each step of the way. If something doesn’t seem right, ask questions. If the answers are inadequate or don’t make sense, walk away. The suggestions above apply to any job situation—not just to obvious scams.

If you have lost your job or are beginning to search for a new one, the very thought of seeking new employment-let alone networking-can bring feelings of anxiety, especially if you are introverted.

How do you overcome your fears about picking up the phone or meeting with people about your search? Here’s a tip that can help. Join a public cause or charity that you can wholeheartedly support.

Not only do you satisfy your own needs for altruism, but you will be surprised to find many people who could potentially be important to your life, career or business also involved in serving the community.

Posted by Louise Garver