Assess Your Risks

Some individuals I have worked with explained that they knew they were not really happy in their work situation, but they were not sure if they should consider leaving. If you are trying to decide if you should stay with your current job or employer or change jobs or leave the organization, I encourage you to assess your risks - on both sides of the issue.

Think about the risks that may be involved if you leave your current situation. Since nothing is certain and there are no crystal balls, it is hard to determine if things would be better or just different in a different situation. You should consider in what ways you would like your work to be different and consider the likelihood that those differences are realistic or just a day dream. You should also consider those that things that you would like to be the same or similar to your current situation.

Also, think about the risks that may be involved if you stay in your current situation. Again, since nothing is certain and there are no crystal balls, it is hard to determine if things could be better or at least different if you stay. Since you are willing to consider leaving, you should also identify the reasons you are having those thoughts. Is it just because you wonder what else is out there or are there things that are problematic for you in your current situation?

In addition to assessing the risks if you stay or leave, I also think it is important to identify whether or not you feel that you are utilizing your skills and personal traits and whether or not your values are appreciated or able to be demonstrated in your current situation. Sometimes people can find other ways to put their skills and personal traits to good use, but if there is a conflict with their values or personal strengths, that becomes ever more difficult to cope with. So what is it for you?


Once you have considered the significant factors related to your situation, then you can think about the options you have. In some cases, people decide to pursue something different with the same employer. Others decide to look for similar work but in a different organization. Some decide they need a complete change - employer and work. And, of course, some people decide their current situation is OK, at least for now. Whatever the decision, it should have been given careful consideration and not made in a moment of heightened frustration.


Mary Ann Davis, M.A., is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice providing coaching and counseling or life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest, and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; a Life/work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor. Check out her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com.

To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.

Assess Your Risks

Some individuals I have met with explain that they know they are not really happy in their current work situation, but they are not sure if they should consider leaving. If you are trying to decide if you should stay in your current employment situation or leave, I encourage you to assess your risks - on both sides of the issue.

Think about the risks that may be involved if you leave your current employment. Since nothing is certain and there are no crystal balls, it is hard to determine if things would be better or just different in a different work situation. You should consider in what ways you would like your situation to be different. You should also consider those things that you would like to be the same or similar to your current work situation.

Also think about the risks that may be involved if you stay in your current employment situation. Again, since nothing is certain and there are no crystal balls, it is hard to determine if things could be better or different if you stay. Since you are willing to consider leaving, you should identify the reasons you are having those thoughts. Is it just because you wonder what else is out there or are there things that are problematic for you in your current work situation?

I also think it is important to identify whether or not you feel that you are utilizing your skills and personal traits and whether or not your values are in sync with the values of your employer or in your current situation. Sometimes people can find other ways to put their skills and personal traits to good use, but if there is a conflict with their values or personal strengths, that is more difficult to cope with. So what is it for you?

Once you have considered the significant factors related to your situation, then you can think about the options you have. In some cases, people decide to pursue something different with the same employer. Others decide to look for similar work but in a different organization. Some people decide they need a complete change - a different employer and work. And, of course, some people decide their current situation is OK, at least for now. Whatever the decision, it should have been given careful consideration and not made in a moment of heightened frustration.


Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest, and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor. Check out her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com.

To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.

Non-Traditional First Year Students (part 2)

As a non-traditional adult entering college, you will probably be required to take some type of college placement test. This may include testing in math, writing, reading, and typing. You may need to brush up on your math and other skills, as many, many adults do. There may be basic courses you can take to assist you. Basic computer skills are also needed to succeed in college. Again, if you do not have those skills, find out what courses, training, or tutoring may be available to you.

You will also want to find out about other student services and college policies. You want to learn about and obtain a student identification card, student parking decal (if needed), email services, etc. Be sure to ask questions if you don't understand something.

Please keep in mind, if you did not complete high school, and have thought about college you can still earn a GED and be admissible to many programs, but you will want to find out about any prerequisites for your particular program of study. A prerequisite is a course or condition that must be met or completed before you can move to the next course or phase. In the case of course prerequisites, there may be a course (or courses) that you must successfully complete before you can take the next course in the series or sequence. So, in addition to learning about any prerequisites for your program, you will want to learn about course prerequisites and make sure you take your courses in the proper sequence.

You should also know that many colleges offer students the opportunity to earn college credits for learning that occurred outside the college classroom. Prior Learning Assessment, as it is often called, can be an efficient way to earn credits toward your college degree. The most frequently used method is testing through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP Exams). These are standardized tests that cover a variety of topics and students who pass a CLEP EXAM test receive credit for the class(es) that are equivalent to that particular test.

If you would like to go to college but have no idea what you want to study, you may benefit from some career counseling. You may want to complete some self-assessments to help in generating ideas about areas of interest or an occupation you may choose as your career goal. Certainly some adults go to college because of the opportunities to learn and the personal satisfaction that comes from the experience and not specifically for career enhancement.

Going back to school, particularly as an adult, can be intimidating, but do not let that keep you from trying. As one client suggested, "I will be 50 on my next birthday whether I take classes or not, so I might as well give it a try and see how it works out." You may be surprised to know that many adults become academic overachievers. Failure is not the result of being less than successful at something that you try; failure results when you do not try.


Ms. Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including carer change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest, and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; a Life/work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor. Check out her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com.

To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.

Non-Traditional First Year Student (part 1)

It is late summer and most parents are preparing to resume the routine of getting the kids ready for school, or perhaps, preparing to send their offspring off to college. Many parents and other adults are also thinking they had planned to return to school this fall or enroll in college for the first time, and now, they are running out of time. If you are one of the individuals who has considered continuing your education, now is the time to move into action. Many colleges allow non-traditional (adult) students to apply and enroll in the summer for fall classes. Often we think of colleges as requiring admissions and tests to be completed in the winter or spring before enrolling. That is true of many institutions or programs within colleges, but not all of them. There may still be time to get in for the coming academic year.

If you have been thinking you would like to start or return to college, it does take some action on your part now. Check out the colleges in your area to find out about programs they offer. You will also need to find out about admissions requirements - generally you will need to have your high school transcript sent and, if you have attended a college previously, that transcript will need to be sent as well. If you have not completed high school and have a GED, those records will need to be provided to the college Admissions Office. If you have not completed high school and do not have a GED, you will need to do that before applying to college.

There is probably an application and/or admission fee you will need to submit along with the application. The process of becoming officially admitted to a program is referred to as 'matriculation'. Once you are matriculated in the program, that sort of 'locks in' that set of requirements for your program. So even if the requirements for your degree/program change the following year, or the next, you would still be expected to complete the requirements in place when you matriculated, as long as you have continued to enroll in courses for your program.

Many colleges offer an orientation program, which provides basic information needed to begin your college education. If not, make an appointment to meet with an Academic Advisor to discuss the requirements and any options for your program and first course(s) to take.

You may also wish to talk with the Financial Aid Advisor to find out about financial assistance in paying for college. Unfortunately, most federal or state grants and other awards are distributed before summer. You may also want to ask the librarian at your local library for assistance in locating information about other sources of financial aid. The College Blue Book, The Directory of Financial Aid for Women, and the Directory of Financial Aid for Minorities are reference books available at most libraries and contain information about other grants, scholarships, etc. If you decide to apply for a student loan, I encourage you not to borrow more than you really need. Also, I suggest that you not pay any agency for searching for sources of financial aid for you.

More information on adult students and college will be included in the next post.


Ms. Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest, and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor. Check out her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com.

To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.

Are You a Person Who Doesn't Have a Current Resume?

For many people, creating a resume is a one-time thing - maybe they wrote one when they graduated and looked for work. Some people didn't really create one then and have not ever written a real resume. I encourage you to create a resume - even if you are not planning to make a job or career change in the near future. By having an up-to-date resume, you have one less task to accomplish if/when you do need to make a change. I believe it is also important to have a historical resume - one that includes your prominent accomplishments and all of your work experiences, but that will be the topic of a different blog post.

To create a resume, it usually helps to write down some specifics about your current or most recent position first. If you are currently employed, you should write down your title and major responsibilities and your accomplishments. To the extent possible, include quantifiable terms to help describe your accomplishments; e.g. the percentage of increase in productivity, sales, etc. for you or your unit; the amount of reduction in expenses, missed work, etc. You will also need to identify some action verbs to describe your work and accomplishments and include transferable skills that you demonstrated.

Depending on how long you have been in your current job, you would write a similar description of the job you had before that. Repeat the process so that you have covered the last 15 years or so of your work life. You would want to include the name and address of your employer and the name of your supervisor.

You should also think about other activities in which you have been involved over the last 15 to 18 years. This could include work and non-work related activities, such as community or church boards, significant committee work, volunteer work, etc. The idea is to identify other ways in which you have demonstrated your transferable skills, particularly those skills you would like to continue to use.

Your resume would also include information about your educational background and training. Write down specifics of your education, if you have earned a degree that is related to the kind of work you do, you may want to list the degree before the institution where you received it. Generally, you would not include your high school information if you have a college degree, unless you are a recent graduate. If you are working on a college degree (even on a part-time basis) you may want to list the degree you will receive and include the notation, "In Progress". Training that is relevant for your current career goal should also be included.

By getting these pieces of information written down, you will have that much more together if you need to prepare for a change in work. In today's world of work, change is much more frequent. You also need to know that in many cases, you need a resume if you apply for graduate school.


Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor. Check out her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com.

To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.

Creating a Combination Resume

Some people who feel a functional resume format is a better way to present their background than a traditional chronological resume format prefer to use a combination resume. As the name implies, it is a combination of the chronological and functional resume, combining some formatting from both types of resumes. If you are inclined to use a functional resume but believe it would be to your advantage to include some information regarding your work experiences, the combination resume format may be the solution.

The primary difference in creating a combination resume is that you would include some statements about your accomplishments or responsibilities with each job title under your work experiences. In that way, you would present more of a connection between your job titles and the skills used and your achievements in that position. The combination resume format would still highlight three or four of your functional skill areas that relate to your current career goal. You would still select the functional or transferable skills that you possess to focus attention to your accomplishments. Action verbs should be used for your headings, so things like directing, supervising, planning, communicating, programming and other headings, as appropriate for your background should be selected. Under each of those skill areas, you would include responsibilities and achievements from your current and previous experiences - paid, volunteer, or community work - statements that help to demonstrate your use of that skill. Also, instead of simply listing previous job titles and names of employers (as you would in a strictly functional resume format), you would write a few statements related to your accomplishments in each position.

You may wish to create a few different versions of your resume and share them with people you know. You would then ask each person for feedback as to which they feel is a better presentation of your background - as it relates to your current career goals. If you have a couple of different directions you can go for your next career move, you may need to focus on different factors from your background. In that case, it may be helpful to have each resume focus on a particular career goal.


Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor i private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest, and other life planning issue. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor. Check out her web site at www.YOurCareerPlan.com.

To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.

Writing a Functional Resume

The last blog I posted talked about creating a standard chronological resume. Many employers prefer that format because that is the format with which they are most comfortable and familiar. If that format provides a good representation of your background, then I encourage you to use a chronological format for your resume - or at least one version of it. For many people, the chronological resume does not give them the flexibility they want in presenting various aspects of their background. If that is your situation, you may want to consider creating a functional resume.

A functional resume is one that highlights three or four of your functional skill areas that relate to your current career goal. The advantage to a functional resume is that it allows you to emphasize the skills you want to use and to downplay the job titles that you have held, and that perhaps do not directly relate to your current career objective. A true functional resume includes only a listing of former job titles and employers, without details about the responsibilities performed in each job title. Your overall responsibilities and accomplishments that relate to your current career objective would appear in your functional skill areas.
Due to the nature of the functional resume, it is often used by people who are changing careers or for job seekers who are re-entering the workforce after a period of absence.

A functional resume will still begin with your name and contact information. Whether you include a Job Objective or some other type of summary is up to you. Many people include a Skills Summary including several statements related to skills they possess and hope to use in their next job. The most significant part of writing a functional resume is in selecting the functional skill words to use as your headings. If you need a list of words to work from, that is available. Obviously, you should select functional skills that fit with your accomplishments and other strengths. Under each heading, you will list your accomplishments from your various experiences - work, volunteer, school, or family. You can include activities from non-work/non-paid activities in addition to your work history, if appropriate for your current objective.

In a true functional resume, you would provide only a basic list of your job titles, dates of employment, and names of employers. Your education and/or training and other skills, if desired, would be presented in the appropriate spaces, just as in the other resume formats. If you have a draft of a resume and you wish a meeting to review and discuss it, that can be arranged. Beyond correcting any grammatical or formatting errors, there are two primary suggestions I offer to my clients about their resume. First is that it should be something they feel comfortable with and presents quality highlights of their relevant background. Secondly, they should not spend an inordinate amount of time trying to make their resume - whatever format is selected - perfect.

There really is no such thing as a perfect resume. And even if you create one that appears "perfect" for one job, it is likely at least a little less than perfect for a different job. So start with something that is acceptable that you can give out. Then, as the need exists and time is available, you can make revisions. The goal is to get positive responses to the resumes you give out. If that is not happening, then you either need to adjust your resume and, or your approach in using it.



Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; recognized as a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor. Check out her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com.

To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.