Blog Moved to www.uturnahead.com

Well, I've decided to make the full jump to the new URL much sooner than expected. So, uturnahead.blogspot.com has now officially and fully moved to the simpler www.uturnahead.com.

Originally, the plan was to post the same content at both blog locations, but the work to publish each post twice is simply not worth it. I only have an average of 2-3 readers on this blog each day, and I already had 16 visitors at the new website just yesterday!

So, come visit me at www.uturnahead.com. All the content from this blog has been moved, so you won't miss a thing.

8 Tips for New Year's Resolution Success

Okay, it’s almost the end of 2007 and you know what that means…time to make those New Year’s resolutions. Sure, we break most of them in the first month, but why not make 2008 a little different. So, here are my suggestions for making a New Year’s resolution that really makes a difference:

1. Choose only ONE goal for 2008. We want success, not an entire personal makeover. So, what is the one thing in your life that you most want to change? Is it your career? Or maybe a relationship, or your health. Pick just one thing you will commit to changing and focus your energy on that goal.
2. Spend some time thinking about the specific change you want to make. You have five days to really consider what change would be the most meaningful. You also have time to consider the specific goal you will set, how you will make the change and what support will be needed. So, don’t just go with the first idea that comes to mind. Read the next few suggestions and set a plan that you can follow.
3. Choose a goal that is measurable and realistic. Don’t shoot for the sky here. If you know you have to lose 60 pounds to be at your ideal weight, set a goal to lose 20 pounds. Remember, reaching a goal is not the end of change. Life is all about change and when you reach that goal you can set a new target. Even if the 20 pounds is all you ever lose, you are still far better off. So, break up big goals into smaller, meaningful changes. Remember the saying, every journey begins with one step.
4. Don’t set a goal that will take all year to achieve. This is a continuation of the last recommendation. Many people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions simply because it takes too darn long to achieve it. So, set a goal that you can reach in a couple months, even shorter, if you would like. Success is not measured in how long it takes you to achieve your goal, but rather whether reaching the goal improves your life in some way.
5. Write your goal down in a place you will see it every day. You need to be reminded of the goal you choose, and I also suggest adding a couple lines about how reaching this goal will improve your life. You want to keep focused on the change you have chosen and the difference it will make. I like to carry my goal around with me, or post it where I most need to be reminded (at work, the refrigerator, on my mirror).
6. Tell others about your goal. But there is a caution here…only tell individuals that will support and encourage you. If your goal is to start a business (which, of course, you will break down into smaller steps/goals), don’t wait time telling someone who is just going to tell you how most businesses fail and your idea will never work. I have found support from people I meet online to support me in my efforts. Telling someone supportive will give you extra motivation to meet your goal.
7. Keep a daily log of your progress. Several studies have shown that simply tracking the results of your efforts will result in some change. So, make a simple log and keep track of the steps you make toward your goal. Seeing improvement in writing will help move you closer to your target.
8. Plan now how you will celebrate your success. Along with your goal and a plan for achieving it, you should have a plan for celebrating that accomplishment. Be sure you don’t forget to reward your own hard work. Sure, achieving the goal has it’s own rewards, but the extra celebration will add some additional incentive.

So, there you have it. Time to begin planning and make 2008 a year of real change. Do you have other tips and ideas for making resolutions? Leave a comment and let us know about it.

U-Turn's New Look for Christmas!

First, let me apologize for the lack of daily posts over the past several weeks. I have been working on some very important changes that I am now ready to announce...

We are about to enter a new year, and changes are all I can think about. And the big change this week is a new look and location for the U-Turn Ahead Blog. Over the next couple weeks I will be moving this blog off the Blogger system and to a URL of its own. I love Blogger, then why am I making the move?

I have big plans for U-Turn Ahead and those plans require more functionality than I can get from the Blogger site. I am using WordPress blog software with the i3Theme from MangoOrange.com. I've tweaked the theme a little, but have more changes in store. By using WordPress and hosting the blog independently, I will be able to offer much more to visitors.

Also, I want to make this change before I get a larger readership. This blog is only getting a few readers a day, so making the change now will have less negative impact then if I make the change some time later.

For the next few weeks I will be posting the same content on both blogs. However, early in January I will be stopping work on this blog and all posts will be on the new site. So, make the move now and start reading content at www.uturnhead.com.

So, 2007 was just a warm up. Expect a lot from U-Turn in 2008.

The Best Years: A Hidden Treasure

About a month ago I was digging through the Internet when I unearthed a unexpected find...a website by and about Mike Bellah called BestYears.com. A visit to Mike's home page will find a photo of him atop Wheeler Peak in New Mexico. Along with the photo are a few paragraph's about the site and Mike's time writing midlife essays for the Amarillo Daily News. The links are scattered throughout the text with some additional links at the bottom. The page is no award winner for layout, but then hidden treasure doesn't usually come in a colorful box.

After clicking a couple links, one to "Mike's Story" that is no longer available, and reading an article or two, I finally hit the motherlode...a list of articles Mike has written regarding nearly every aspect of midlife. The articles, under the grand heading of Best Years:Sometimes the Best Begins in the Middle, include titles like "Career Changes" and "I Believe in You, Santa". Some humorous and others educational, each article brings insight and reflection on the issues of midlife change. Mike's writing style is comfortable and friendly, like a chat with your neighbor.

Despite the lack of impressive design and the clear evidence that the site has not been maintained for some time (possibly years), this website is still a favorite of mine. I recommend first skimming through the list of articles and then visiting the Best Year's Links Page. With nearly 150 articles and over 70 links (a few to sites that no longer exist), there is plenty to discover at BestYears.com.

Blog Your Way to a New Career

Finding the right career is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity. And opportunities to find the right job are significantly increased when you are connected and actively networking. So, why not consider blogging as the launching pad to a new career?

Last year Fast Company.com published an intriguing article by Leslie Taylor titled, "How to Launch a Career With Your Blog". It opens with...

"Silicon Valley start-ups and media behemoths aren't the only ones realizing the rewards of the rebounding Web economy. Already, many A-list bloggers have generated significant income from running advertisements on their blogs. Though with an estimated 53.4 million blogs expected to launch by year-end, according to Perseus Development Corporation, it's safe to assume that not everyone is going to get rich from blogging. So what's in it for the up-and-coming blogger, beyond creative self-expression?..."

To read the entire article, click here.

Six Tips to Getting The Job Interview

About two weeks ago I posted a job ad on CraigsList.org and the response was amazing. I have over 100 applicants. So, how do I filter through all the resumes and decide which 5-6 to interview? Here are my tips for getting the interview.

1) Send a resume specific to the job you seek. Yes, it takes 15-30 minutes to move content around, change some text and highlight particular skills, but it pays off. Make the job match jump out to the person reading your resume. Don't send generic resumes to 50 companies...send specific resumes to the five jobs you are really interested in. For advice on how to customize your resume to the job, click here.

2) Include a cover letter with the resume. Even if it's just a couple short paragraphs in the email (with the resume attached), take the time to write why you are interested in this job and what makes you a qualified candidate. For more information on how to write a great cover letter, see this advice from Trinity College.

3) Research the company and add something in your cover letter that indicates you've done your research. Employers like to know that you care about their industry and, more importantly, their company. Show that you know the company by including something specific about it in your cover letter.

4) Follow up with the person who received your resume. Don't be a pest, but make a follow-up phone call or send an email to express your continued interest in the position. Employers are busy. Give them a reason to remember you.

5) Focus on what you have to offer, not what you need. Remember, you are just trying to get the interview. Wait until you are nearer to a job offer before you discuss what you need from job. Salary, benefits, work hours, etc. can all wait until after you get that interview. Here is some great advice on JuriStaff.com regarding when and how to negotiate salary.

6) Be flexible with your availability for interviews. If you really want the job, go out of your way to be available when the employer wants to meet. Remember, she probably has other applicants eager for an interview, so don't make scheduling difficult.

Coryan Update: Revised Launch Date

My plans to launch Listonga.com on January 1st are looking disappointing. The learning curve for good web design is tougher than I had anticipated, and my work has been slow. Just a few hours of work each night has not produced the results I was hoping for. The content is building too slowly to think I will be ready by January 1st. So now I'm considering a mid to late January launch (or possible later).

Also, I registered for a community college course on web design. It will be interesting. I've not taken a class that was graded since 1988! My son also registered for classes at the same time. Funny thing - he didn't want to be in any class that I was in.

How About Some Career Humor?

This cartoon is from AhaJokes.com.

A taxi passenger tapped the driver on the shoulder to ask him a question. The driver screamed, lost control of the car, nearly hit a bus, went up on the footpath, and stopped centimeters from a shop window.

For a second everything went quiet in the cab, then the driver said:“Look mate, don’t ever do that again. You scared me!”.

The passenger apologized and said, ”I didn’t realize that a little tap would scare you so much.”

The driver replied, ”Sorry, it’s not really your fault. Today is my first day as a cab driver - I’ve been driving a van carrying dead Bodies for the last 25 years…….”

From funinlife.wordpress.com

A young man, hired by a supermarket, reported for his first day of work. The manager greeted him with a warm handshake and a smile, gave him a broom and said, "your first job will be to sweep out the store."

"But I'm a college graduate," the young man replied indignantly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that," said the manager. "Here, give me the broom, I'll show you how."

From WorkJoke.com

Coryan Update #4

Got a lot of work in this weekend on the Listonga.com website. I worked on a really fun page (but not all that attractive) called Regularly Updated Lists. You should check it out. It has some fun links. There might be a couple that don't work, but remember that you are peeking in on a site under development. I am still testing the links to see if they are available on an ongoing basis.

Be sure to check back and see how Listonga is developing. You can also read a bit more detail about my work on Listonga at my other blog. Also, let me know what you think by leaving a comment here or email me at jim_coryan@yahoo.com.

I spent last night registering this blog with 30-40 RSS feed websites. It took some time, but right now I am just too cheap to pay someone to do it for me. I also learned a bit and found a couple helpful websites.

I have also found myself not keeping up with everything at work. I've stopped putting in extra hours at work and focus all my spare time on the website development. I need to put some more energy back into work so that I have keeping that a priority. As long as I am employed, I need to give my employer the best I have. As a matter of fact, it's 6:30 p.m. and I am taking a break from an extra long work day. I have about another hour of work before I can head home. So, goodbye for today...and I'm back to work!

QuintCareers.com, a Great Site for Career Change Information

Time to recommend a great website for those of you planning a career change. Take a minute to hop on over to QuintCareers.com. They have a few hundred articles on the topics of college, career planning and job hunting. You could spend hours reading through the articles or jump over to the job posting and try to find the perfect fit. QuintCareers’ job board is run by the powerhouse, Beyond.com. When I checked today, Beyond listed 235,815 job openings.

Here a list of 10 important keys to career change success. These are from a QuintCareers article by Randall S. Hansen, PhD titled, The 10-Step Plan to Career Change.

1. Assessment of likes and dislikes.
2. Research new careers.
3. Transferable skills.
4. Training and education.
5. Networking.
6. Gaining experience.
7. Find a mentor.
8. Changing in or out.
9. Job-hunting basics.
10. Be flexible.

Coryan Update #3

Well, the website is coming along. I've been designing templates for the pages and trying to work some on content. I completed a page today that you may find interesting. It's called Current News Lists. I'm not nuts about the name, or the complete look of the page (needs some graphics). Nonetheless, I really like lists that are linked to on the page.

I've actually started making come small pocket change off the advertising on this blog. Nothing major, but it's a start. (Google restricts me from sharing the specifics.) I've included Google Adsense advertising on the Listonga.com website and just a couple days ago added some Amazon.com advertising. I like the look of the Amazon ads, but we will have to see if they pay off. I may add some Amazon links to this blog. I can select the specific ads, so I might promote some of the books that I have read.

Be sure to follow the progress at Listonga.com. And, if you have ideas, comments or a suggestion for a list, drop me an email at coryan@inbox.com.

Creative Advertising - Check It Out

I came across this site during a break today while using StumbleUpon. It is a collection of photos showing some very ingenious advertising campaigns. Check it out at Hemmy.com. Wow, the creativity that some advertisers have!

Researching Business Opportunities

Okay, if this is the first post you have read on U Turn Ahead, go to my December 2, 2007 post so you know what's going on.

I wish researching business opportunities was as easy as exploring career choices. Lack of information is not the problem. It's that much of the information on business opportunities is biased. Quality business forecast reports often cost money and the free ones are usually just trying to sell you something. But there is information out there, if we look.

Check out Tim Berry’s article “Market Research” on BPlans.com. His article give you several sources for starting your research on various business opportunities. It will require some work, but the time spent understanding the market and future potential is well worth it.

Write down the key information you learn about each industry during your research. Some questions you will want answered are:

1. Who are your customers?
2. How competitive is the industry?
3. What is required for startup?
4. What resources and skills are necessary?
5. What marketing strategies are effective?
6. Who are the potential suppliers?

Stay tuned. Next we will be looking at what we need to know about ourselves before making a career change. Then, finally, we will learn how to put all of this information together in a way that allows us to compare the various career choices and determine which options are best.

Career Change: Researching a Career Choice

When considering a career change, or even a first career, you need to gather information about yourself and the career. The idea is to find a good match, so you have to consider the career in light of your desires, strengths and abilities. For example, being a pilot may seem like a great career, but if you have a tremendous fear of flying….well, you see where I am going.

So, first let’s look at the questions we need to ask about the actual career. What do we want to know in order to determine if this work is a good match for us? Here is a short list of some of the key elements:

1. How much education is required?
2. What is the earning potential?
3. What is the future outlook for this type of work?
4. What is the typical workday like for this career?

And wouldn’t it be great if there was one place where we could research all of these questions for just about any career choice? There is, and it’s paid for with your tax dollars. Check out the U.S. Department of Labor’s online version of the Occupational Outlook Handbook. This handbook has been around for decades (I was introduced to it in the mid-seventies), but it is updated every year. The Department of Labor uses its extensive database of statistics to answer questions about the future potential for nearly every occupation imaginable. You can even find a career’s average salary, read helpful articles, or find other resources such as State employment agencies. To begin your career search, start here and enter a career choice.

Of course, the Occupational Outlook Handbook is not perfect. One shortcoming is the way that the handbook groups similar occupations. For example, a search of web designer redirects you to the broad category of “Computer Systems Design and Related Services”. Unfortunately, the information is not as helpful as I would have liked, so I had to research through other sources.

Keep notes of what you learn. This information will become handy as we begin examining how well each of these career ideas matches with your individual talents and interest. Next we will look at how to research business ideas.

Choose Your Career List Top Six

Okay, you’ve been writing ideas down for the past 24 hours. If not, read yesterday’s post and start immediately.

Take out that list and look it over. It’s time to pick the top six choices. WHAT? You don’t have six career choices on the list? Okay, keep writing down ideas until you have at least six. Take another day or two, if necessary, but we want choices.

Once you have selected your top six ideas, write them on another piece of paper. It is that list of six career ideas that we will be working with over the next week or two. But don’t throw away the original list. Put is away for future reference. I have mine thumb tacked to a board near my computer.

Oh, and if, at any time you decide to add another career to your list, go for it. You can drop and add as you wish. The idea is to have a manageable list of career options that we can begin to examine.

Place that list of top career choices somewhere accessible. Check back here in the next day or two to begin researching those choices. Or, better yet, subscribe to this blog and receive new articles in your email or on an RSS feed. Those buttons are on the top-right of this page.

Career Change Call to Action!

“First you write down your goal; your second job is to break down your goal into a series of steps, beginning with steps which are absurdly easy.” - Fitzhugh Dodson

Okay, before you read any further, grab a pen and paper…

I’m SERIOUS. Get up and find a functional writing utensil and a bare piece of parchment! Any crayon and napkin will do.

Okay, ready? I’m trusting that you have the required equipment. It’s time to take a first step toward changing your career (if you haven’t done so already). Don’t put this off.

Begin writing down every job or business possibility you have any interest in. Don’t worry if you have no idea how to become a dog catcher…if that is a career you find interesting, write it down. Keep this list with you for the next 24 hours and jot down any career that comes to mind. Consider including work that others have recommended. But most importantly, don’t censor your list until you have spent a full day writing down ideas.

Tomorrow we will talk about what to do with this list.

Coryan Update #2

In my first update, I mentioned a website that I am developing, Listonga.com. The concept is for a website that gathers a vast variety of lists on nearly every topic and makes them available all on one site. Eventually visitors will be able to leave comments about lists, add lists, and maybe even discuss topics from the lists on a bulletin board. I want the site to be a place for learning, fun, and research. Topics will include everything from sports to self-help. The site will be supported by advertising revenue.

I recently started work on the Listonga website and it's starting to take shape. I began by developing a mockup of the homepage using Microsoft Publisher. I saved the file as a JPEG which allowed me to use it as a template while creating the page in Abobe Dreamweaver. I still have a lot to learn about web development and the studying at Lynda.com continues. I have also applied at a local community college where I hope to take a class or two in web development.

I've decided to let the UTurnAhead blog readers follow my site creation process, but I am not promoting the site until it is fully functional. If you'd like to follow the progress, simply go to www.listonga.com and see the site in progress. As you will notice, there is a lot of work to be done. The logo is complete and the site is beginning to take shape. The goal is to have it ready for promotion on January 1, 2008. I also have a goal of having 100 lists on the site by that date. By the way, if you have a list idea or a comment on the site, feel free to email me at coryan@inbox.com.

I hope that you will drop by Listonga.com every week or so to see my progress. It could be interesting to have a first hand glimpse of a website in development.

Career Change and the Support of My Wife

Changing your career may bring excitement and anticipation, but does it do the same for your spouse? What does he or she think about the idea of you leaving your current employment to step out into an untested career? What about the risk of lost income, new work pressures and your family's security.

I am blessed to have a spouse who supports my career change. But she doesn't do it without consideration of all of the above factors. She wants me to be happy in my career and supports my desire to do something different. She also recognizes the challenges that will come with making this change and has stated her willingness to endure.

So what is the key to this support? Well, selecting the right partner has a lot to do with it. But we also communicate openly and honestly about our lives, goals and desires. We are, in fact, partners in our "family corporation". And as partners, we must value the leadership, knowledge and skills that each of us bring to the family. So she understands what I need in a career and supports those changes with the understanding that I must also maintain a minimum income and my new career must benefit the family relationships, and not distract from them.

The support of a spouse is critical to any career change. Without that support, you are battling more than just the market. You are putting relationships and family at risk. With the support of your spouse, you have a partner and an investor in your success. Someone who can help you reach your goals and, someday, celebrate that new career with you.

Self-Employment Assessment Tools Online

A few posts back, I talked about pros and cons of employment versus self-employment. Changing careers can be moving to another company or starting your own company. Starting your own business is not for everyone. Too often is it touted as the “American Dream”, but working at a fulfilling job can also be the answer to a dream.

So, how do you know if you are the type of person that has the entrepreneurial drive? Can you be happy working for someone else, or would you be most satisfied creating your own company? Well, it may not be the perfect answer, but there are some assessment tools that examine your potential as a future business owner.

Monster.com has a 16 question quiz on whether or not you are ready to be self-employed. The quiz, Is Self-Employment for You?, examines your attitudes as well as some practical considerations. Simply check yes to each of the sixteen statements that apply to you. After the five minutes or so that it takes you to complete the assessment, you will receive some advice on your suitability and readiness for self-employment. This test was designed by Pat Boer, a career counselor who has extensive experience in the area of midlife career changes.

Another tool that I particularly like is the Entrepreneurial Self Assessment found on the Business Development Bank of Canada website. This assessment tool will take about fifteen minutes to complete. There are fifty questions about you and how you like to work. This is followed by four demographic questions. After completing the test, your answers are compared to those of Canadian entrepreneurs from a variety of businesses. Unlike the Monster.com tool, you will not find advice at this site. Instead, you get an idea if you have the same motivations, attitudes and perceptions as the typical Canadian entrepreneurs (who I don’t believe is all that different than U.S. entrepreneurs). This test is a more scientific assessment of your self-employment match.

If you try either of these tools, I would love to hear about your experience. Please leave a comment or send me an email at Coryan@inbox.com. I am curious what others think of tools that assess one’s readiness to work for themselves.

Coryan Update # 1

Well, Thanksgiving is over, and I am truely stuffed. I had two of the most amazing meals in the past couple days. And while enjoying the break, I've decided to add regular updates about my own career change journey that I will call Coryan Updates. Each will be numbered...and this is Number One.

About a month ago I decided to begin the steps to changing my career. As I've explained in other posts, I decided to go the moonlighting path to starting a business of my own. I've choosen to create some websites that will earn revenue through advertising, memberships and possibly product sales.

I first generated a list of about 10-12 website ideas. I then went right to the Internet to search for available domain names. This turned out to be more of a challenge that I had expected. I used GoDaddy.com to research specific domain names and NameBoy.com to help generate new name ideas. After about three hours of work, I had a list of 20 available names that had (in my opinion) some potential for the website ideas I had generated. I then narrowed the list down and purchased six of the domains.

I then started this blog and another called Listonga. The blogs were to help me develop two of my website ideas and to learn about web design and advertising. I also signed up at Lynda.com, an amazing website with video tutorials covering more than 100 software titles. I have been learning to use PhotoShop and DreamWeaver (web design software) by watching the videos. It's been a lot to learn, but it's enjoyable and necessary.

So now I have to put these new skills to use. I will talk more about that in my next update. Keep an eye out for Coryan Updates in the future. They will occur on occasion between the regular articles and information.

Resumes: A Key Self-Marketing Tool

I was recently asked for a copy of my resume for a conference presentation I will be doing. I hadn't updated my resume for a couple years and it got me thinking. What value, if any, is a resume if you aren't actually looking for another employer.

Well, after reading the opinion of others and thinking this through, I have come to the conclusion that a resume is VERY important. This, I believe, is true whether you are self-employed for working for someone else. Think about it. A resume is a summary document of your skills and talents as an income producer. The fact is, a resume is probably your most important marketing material in print.

When job seeking, your resume is almost always the first contact you will have with the potential employer. The key to the resume is to get you the interview. That is where you can make the real sale of your knowledge and abilities. Douglas B. Richardson wrote an excellent article describing how an employer actually reads a resume. See his article, Skeptical Resume Reader Tells How He Really Thinks at Career Journal.com (a Wall Street Journal publication).

Even when working for yourself, your resume can help sell your services to others. If you start a service business, your customers will want to know why you are the best person for the job. Your resume speaks to your ability to perform, even if the work is not identical. Even if your business sells things, your resume describes your business acumen and experience. This can be key when selling wholesale to a company that needs to know you can meet your obligations.

To learn more about writing and updating your resume, check out the information at Monster.com.

My Career Change Strategy

I made the decision about three months ago to make a change, but I didn't have a definate plan for what I wanted to do. As a matter of fact, I still don't have a clear plan. But I have a strategy!

First, I decided that I could not make the big jump from employment to self-employment. I didn't have the cash reserve or a plan that would produce a sustainable income. So my choice has been to start earning income through business projects while remaining employed.

This website (and others I am working on) are the beginning of my journey. I am working to design a handful of income producing websites. Some will be total failures, and those will be dropped. I expect some will produce a return. Slowly at first, but with time and hard work, I should realize a meaningful income.

I have started with sites like this one to share information and support it through advertising. I am also developing websites for nonprofit directors and a recreational/educational website. These may have membership features in addition to advertising revenue.

I also expect that this journey could lead me down paths I have not anticipated. I am actually expecting this. I am ready to go with where this journey takes me. In the meantime, I will keep my current job and continue this work at night and on weekends.

C.E.O. or Employee? The Disadvantages

Okay, we’ve looked at the advantages of being an employee and being the boss. Now let’s look at the disadvantages of employment and self-employment. Of course, since you are reading this article, you probably already have a mental list of disadvantages for being employed. Let’s see how your list compares to these downsides of employment.

Employee Cons

• Your work assignments, and ultimately your employment, are determined by someone else.
• In differences of opinion, your boss, not you, gets to have the final say.
• Your work environment is determined by the company.
• Your wages and benefits are determined by the company.
• The company’s profits are not yours.

With that list, it seems that no independent thinking individual would ever want to work for someone else. And when your run the company, you make the decisions and earn all the profit (minus taxes, of course). So why not work for yourself? Are there problems with self-employment. Of course, and here are just some of them.

CEO Cons

• You have no paid vacations, holidays or sick days.
• You are directly responsible to your customers.
• You must do any work you can’t afford to hire someone to do.
• Your income is fully dependent on success of company, and less than half of new businesses survive four years.
• You are responsible for every aspect of the business.

Basically, when you own the business, everything is on your shoulders. You can hire others to do work for you, but their performance is still your responsibility. There is no passing the buck when you are the CEO.

The decision to work for yourself or someone else is about the type of person you are. Do you take risks? How do you handle failure/success? In what work environment are you most happy? In a few days we will look at some assessment tools for helping determine the answer to some of these questions.

C.E.O. or Employee? The Advantages

If you are like me (and most other people), you have spent the majority of your present career working for someone else. But the option of working for yourself is one worth considering. But you have to be realistic and consider all the pros and cons. In this article we will look at some of the advantages of being the boss and for remaining an employee.

In many ways society has glamorized self-employment. Nearly everyone has romanticized about being our own boss; blazing our own trail. But there are definitely advantages to working for someone else.

Advantages to Being an Employee:

• Steady income that is independent of company success (in most cases)
• Only responsible for your scope of work
• Usually comes with benefits such as health care and paid vacations
• You are not responsible for the cost of equipment/materials to do your work
• Company Picnics (or is that a disadvantage?)

Hmm, maybe working for the Man is not so bad. So let’s take a look at the benefits of working for yourself.

Advantages to Being Self Employed:

• Determine what the company does
• Decide who you work with
• No conflicts with your boss
• You can’t be fired (but you can fail)
• Income possibilities are limited only by the success of the company

A lot has to with these two factors: Security vs. Risk and Independence vs. Dependence. We will look closer at these issues in a later article. And tomorrow, we will list some of the disadvantages of being self-employed and working for someone else.

Taking the Safe Route

Sometimes I think it's that I am simply scared, but I have decided to take the safe route to making the career shift. I am moonlighting at other things while continuing employment at my "safe" job. Of course, there are at least two problems with this: 1) I am tempted to focus on my moonlighting activities and not enough on my main job, and 2) I am not able to fully devote myself to my career change.

Starting this blog (and a couple others) is the first step to me moving away from my current work. I am unsure of the career path that I will be following, but it will have something to do with information sharing. It could be in the form of writing, teaching, speaking or all of the above. But for today, I need to remember to do a great job for those who employ me.

Remember, if you take the safe route, don't give less than your best to your FIRST employer!

Time for a Career Change

For some, a midlife career change is a choice. For others, it is a necessity. Today, many individuals face a significant career change resulting from a layoff, termination, a physical accident or other external circumstances. In his article about how to prepare for a career change, Mike Bellah refers to the study by a Harvard economist that show that today’s “middle-aged men are twice as likely to lose their jobs in a permanent layoff as they were 13 years ago.” Sometimes life determines for you when the career change is necessary.

Well then, with the exception of external circumstances, when would you want to consider a career change? A common answer is when you want (or need) to make more money. I mean, that’s why you have the job in the first place, right? Okay, that’s one way to look at it. But money is only one of the benefits of working. What about enjoying what you do, making a difference and having new and exciting experiences?

Needing to make more money is not the only reason to consider a career change. Other reasons can include: your career no longer excites you, your work is too stressful, or your work is in conflict with other aspects of your life. When you find yourself dreading work, it’s time to consider a change. I don’t mean the occasional, “I don’t want to go to work today.” I mean the everyday wish that you were doing something different.

Is there an ideal time to make a career change? According to the advice at AllBusiness.com, “the best time to consider a career change is when you are safely ensconced in your existing one. A steady paycheck can relieve a lot of pressure.” This allows you to examine your talents, explore career options and even test the waters of various careers without the fear of how bills will be paid.

So, if you find yourself unhappy at work, but still employed with a steady paycheck, you might want to do as I am doing and consider a career change. Take control now when it is your choice. Do something today to start that change. Just one step. The possibilities are vast and the next great career might be just around the corner.

Life Happens

John Lennon once said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."

That's me. Always making other plans but never really making anything happen. I am the guy who always has an idea, a better way of doing things. I'm a thinker, not so much a doer. Thinkers are bad, but without the doer, nothing really happens. Well, as John said, life happens. Doers actually control their lives. They make things happen. Actually, we are all in the driver's seat, but some of us have let go of the wheel. Well, now I am grabbing the wheel...taking control.

The transition from daydreamer to activist is not going to be easy. I first need some goals (more about that in a later blog), then some concrete steps to meeting those goals. I know the drill, so now I have to put it in action.

No more sitting on the sidelines; time to grab the wheel and take control.

BTW, for those of you who like quotes as much as I do, check out these websites: QuoteLand.com, QuoteWorld.org, and GoodQuotes.com.

Some Call It a Mid-life Crisis

I just call it charting a new course. This is the beginning of a new journey, but the destination is still not known. I am now 44 years old and growing weary of my career and current lifepath. Don't get me wrong, thus far, I have choosen the path I am on and my life has been wonderful. I have wife and two sons to share my love, friends and relationships that add richness to my life, and no worries about material things. Yep, in most ways, life is good.

But, it's time for a change. A change that is both radical and meaningful. I am about to change my life by changing my career. No, I'm not going to quit my job next week and try professional poker (as fun as that sounds), but I'm going to start down a path that will completely overhaul how I make a living.

For the past 22+ years I have been a social worker, nonprofit manager, and for most of that time, a director of social service organizations. Sure, it's been meaningful work. Challenging and fullfilling for many years. But now it's time for a change. Not a small turn down another path...it's time for a U Turn!

This blog will follow that journey. So buckle up, I like to take my turns fast and sharp.