1. Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources

2. Architecture & Construction

3. Arts, A/V Technology & Communication

4. Business, Management & Administration

5. Education & Training

6. Finance

7. Government & Public Administration

8. Health Science

9. Hospitality & Tourism

10. Human Services

11. Information Technology

12. Law, Public Safety & Security

13. Manufacturing

14. Marketing, Sales & Service

15. Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics

16. Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

States and federal agencies across the nation have created career cluster web sites and resources. We have reviewed three (3) of the best state or federal agency web sites.

Louisiana Integrated Skills Assessment (LISA)

One of the most unique comprehensive career cluster resources is the Louisiana Integrated Skills Assessment (LISA), an Internet program. LISA lets you explore career clusters, careers, abilities, training requirements, and more. Using the Lisa, you can do the following tasks:

Assessment: Explore career options using the Work Importance Locator.

I Enjoy: Find careers based upon the things that you enjoy.

Cluster: Find careers from Career Cluster Groups.

Search: Search for jobs based on knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Best Match: Use your current job to find knowledge, skills, and abilities to identify a new career.

Compare: Compare current job to potential new job.

Profile: Use this feature to create a profile from a selected career.

There are 3 steps in the LISA program. In Step 1, when you choose a career cluster, you will read the description of the cluster. When you select a career cluster in Step 2, you can select a career group. In each career group, you will see a lot of different careers. Finally, in Step 3, you see additional occupational information, such as:

Job descriptions

Educational and training requirements

Crosswalks, for example ONET, DOT, GOE, and other codes

Abilities

Knowledge

Skills

Tasks

Work Values

Labor Market Information

There is detailed information in each job profile:

Description

Crosswalk

Abilities

Knowledge

Skills

Tasks

Work Values

Occupational Characteristics Narrative

The Louisiana Integrated Skills Assessment (LISA) is an excellent tool for students to do career cluster exploration.

NCE Career Clusters and State Career Clusters Initiative Resources

The NCE Career Clusters has adapted information from the State Career Clusters Initiative to create a career education toolkit for teachers and counselors. In your NCE Career Clusters toolkit, you can find a Career Cluster Model, poster, resource booklets, At-a-Glance PDF Slices, and Plans of Study. Each resource is designed to facilitate the exploration of Career Clusters.

Career Cluster Resource Booklet

To prepare for a Career Clusters discussion, teachers and counselors use the State Career Clusters Initiative Career Cluster Resource Booklet. The brochures discuss the differences between career clusters and career pathways. The booklet outlines that career clusters are career groups from the same industry that have the same skills and educational requirements. Career pathways are specific careers that are within the each career cluster. The Resource Booklet discusses the following topics:

Historical background information

Cluster Knowledge and Skills

Pathway Knowledge and Skills

O*NET Crosswalk Report

Validation Studies

Assessment Protocol

Certification Protocol

The booklet is a “must-read” resource that provides in depth information on each career cluster. Each booklet has detailed graphs, charts, and tables.

Career Cluster Model

To provide an overview of Career Clusters, teachers and counselors use the Career Cluster Model. The Career Cluster Model simplifies sixteen (16) Career Clusters model. The center of the NCE Career Clusters model focuses on six (6) major groups. The career clusters are color-coded so that you can easily present six (6) major groups in classroom activities. The six (6) major groups are:

1. Environmental and Agricultural Systems

2. Business, Marketing, and Management

3. Communication and Information Systems

4. Industrial, Manufacturing, Engineering Systems

5. Health Sciences

6. Human Services and Resources

Here is summary of the relationship between the sixteen (16) Career Clusters and the 6 Super Clusters.

1. Environmental and Agricultural Systems

Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources (1)

2. Business, Marketing, and Management combines:

Business, Management & Administration (4)

Finance (6)

Hospitality & Tourism (9)

Marketing, Sales & Service (14)

3. Communication and Information Systems involve:

Arts, A/V Technology & Communication (3)

Information Technology (11)

4. Industrial, Manufacturing, Engineering Systems

Transportation, Distribution & Logistics (16)

Architecture & Construction (2)

Manufacturing (13)

Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (15)

5. Health Sciences

Health Science (8)

6. Human Services and Resources

Education & Training (5)

Government & Public Administration (7)

Human Services (10)

Law, Public Safety & Security (12)

The sixteen (16) Career Clusters systematically fit within the six (6) major groups.

Career Cluster Brochure

Another excellent career cluster student aid is the Career Cluster Brochure. The brochure is filled with photographs that show people performing the different jobs. With this easy-to-read booklet, students get an overview of the different careers, career clusters, and career pathways. Students read about:

What is a career cluster?

What is a career pathway?

What school subjects are important for a career in the … career cluster?

What is the educational or training requirement for a career in the … career cluster?

What are the necessary credentials for a career in the … career cluster?

What is the employment outlook for a career in the … career cluster?

What are some sample occupations?

Career Cluster Slices

Besides the Career Cluster Model and the Brochure, a third student Career Cluster aid is the NCE Career Cluster Slices. The NCE Career Cluster Slice identifies specific career opportunities found within each Career Pathways. Each Cluster Slice is illustrated and designed to explore areas, such as:

Cluster Description

Pathway Description

Cluster Knowledge & Skills

Career Field

Preparation for a Career in …

Examples of Education and Training Postsecondary Programs of Study

Students discover that each pathways leads to post-secondary options including:

Apprenticeships

Certificates

Licenses

Associate’s Degree Programs

Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Master’s Degree Programs

Doctoral Degree Programs

Professional Degree Programs

Career Clusters Plan of Study

At the beginning of the students’ middle school years, the students use assessments identify career cluster interest areas. With the Career Clusters model, brochure, Slices, and LISA resources, the students have explored the different careers and post-secondary training options. Students, teachers, counselors, and parents then use the Career Clusters Plan of Study to strategically plan the students’ high school course work. The Career Clusters Plan of Study provides examples of English, Math, Science, Social Studies, electives, and extra-curricular activities for the following grade levels:

7th – 8th grade

9th – 10th grade

11th – 12th grade

Examples of advanced coursework for postsecondary credit

The NCE Career Clusters web page is the gateway to the student career cluster resources.

State Career Clusters Initiative, NCE, and Lisa materials are just examples of career cluster resources. Career clusters resources have established a connection between school subjects and careers.

Resources:

Explore Career Clusters, Texas Workforce Commission/Career Development Resources (TWC/CDR), US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, and Louisiana Department of Labor

Nebraska Career Education, States’ Career Clusters Initiative, 2005, and NCTEF/NASDCTEc (National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium) States’ Career Clusters Initiative, & National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education Consortium

State Career Clusters Initiative Washington, DC: National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium, 2002

For college students, gaining work experience with a part time job while in school is a smart idea. When you graduate and begin your job search, your work experience will make you stand out from other job applicants.

A part time job is the most practical type of job for young people. Part time jobs can be found in a variety of ways. You can look for jobs online. Try looking for good part-time jobs in classified ads is also a smart choice. Or you can simply get out and  pound the pavement in your neighborhood.

You Do Need a Good Resume for a Part-Time Job

Create a resume for your part time job search. Even if you don’t have previous work experience, you can include your academic achievements. Highlight your strengths and think of any experience you have that will make you stand out.

Dress for a Full-Time Job even You are Applying for Part-Time Job

When you apply for a job, make sure you dress appropriately. This will show you are sincere and will make a good employee. Your fingernails and hair should be well groomed. Business casual is an acceptable way to dress for an interview for most part time jobs. For example, khaki pants and a polo shirt for men or a skirt and polo shirt for women are good outfits for an interview. Stick with a pair of conservative shoes. If you’re in the habit of wearing lots of jewelry, pare it down to the minimum.

Don’t Forget to Make a Follow-up Call after a Part-Time Job Interview

After your interview, it’s acceptable to call the employer to find out if you got the job. Every time you go on an interview, strive to make a connection.

Don’t be over confident during your interview for a part time job, and don’t take it personally if you don’t get the job. There’s a lot of competition out there, especially for part time jobs in college towns. If you don’t get one job, just move on and look for another.

 

The modern time is very challenging, giving a lot of depression and failures to the jobseekers in most sectors of job. A good career advice can help these candidates make their career dazzling with number of job opportunities. Although, career and job and are two different things, but the former basically involves painstaking diligence while the latter one is all about being zealous for the responsibility you need to undertake for the granted job position. It is that special boulevard where you find good opportunities to prove yourself as an important asset by demonstrating your key skills and utmost diligence. Yet, if you are stuck about which career stream to pursue, seeking a career advice from a professional consultant is a brilliant step to determine your goals that will lead you to the path of success.

For a beginner, to pursue a viable career can be somewhat challenging, as their knowledge about this is either void or negligible. Yet the issue can be resolved readily if you come over to the point what hobbies or interests were of immense liking to you. And once employing them in your career hub, you can seriously start making money. Those avocations that have now turned into your profession are honestly the first springboard in providing you guaranteed success.

Being a beginner, you may not have that special skills or knowledge required to expand your potential plans and without these elements, finding a relevant job is seemingly possible. Therefore, the second important career advice portrays to go back to the past while you were in school or you can undergo some specific training that can hone your ability and skills. To be precise, you need to determine an institution where you can earn a degree/diploma/license of the stream of your best liking. This will encourage you to keep to your studies.

Ultimately, when you get a desired job, be sure to negotiate your salary. This will help catering your most needs; thereby, leading you to sustain a standard lifestyle. Then, strongly analyse the high, average and low income for your career so that you can clearly know what salary will suit to your skills and experience. If you have strong skills, there are maximum chances the salary will be decided in your accordance. But remember, while negotiating your salary, don’t be overconfident about yourself. Being patient and meek in your attitude, you can start earning money which you truly deserve and desire.

Step 1: Identifying Career Cluster Interest Areas

Career clusters are groups of similar occupations and industries. When teachers, counselors, and parents work with teens, college students, and adults, the first step is to complete career cluster assessment. The assessment identifies the highest career cluster areas. Career assessments show teens, college students, and adults rankings from one of the following 16 Interests Areas or Clusters:

1. Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources

2. Architecture & Construction

3. Arts, A/V Technology & Communication

4. Business, Management & Administration

5. Education & Training

6. Finance

7. Government & Public Administration

8. Health Science

9. Hospitality & Tourism

10. Human Services

11. Information Technology

12. Law, Public Safety & Security

13. Manufacturing

14. Marketing, Sales & Service

15. Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics

16. Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

Step 2: Exploring Career Clusters and Related Careers

After pinpointing the highest career clusters, teens, college students, and adults explore the different careers and create education plans. Career cluster tools used in career and educational planning include:

LISA: A comprehensive career cluster database

Models

Brochures

Pathways

High school plan of study

Interest and Skills Areas

Crosswalks

After completing a career cluster assessment, teens, college students, and adults look at web sites, career models, brochures, pathways, and high school plans. One of the most unique comprehensive career cluster resources is the Louisiana Integrated Skills Assessment (LISA), an Internet program. LISA lets you explore career clusters, careers, abilities, training requirements, and more. There are 3 steps in the LISA program:

STEP 1: Click here to select a Career Cluster,

STEP 2: Click here to select a Career Group

STEP 3: Explore Occupations within this Career Group

In Step 1, when you choose a career cluster, you will see a description of the cluster. When you select a career group in Step 2, you see different careers. Finally, in Step 3, you see a wealth of information:

Job descriptions

Educational and training requirements

Crosswalks, for example ONET, DOT, GOE, and other codes

Abilities

Knowledge

Skills

Tasks

Work Vales

Labor Market Information

Even though LISA is an awesome program, in classroom or workshop settings, you need printed materials. When using printed materials, the career model is the best place to start. Models provide excellent overviews listing the cluster definitions, sample careers, pathways, knowledge, and skills. Visual models show career clusters, the cluster subgroups, and related careers. Models are an excellent way to introduce career clusters.

For presentations, workshops, and group discussions, the career cluster brochures provide additional information. Adults and teens read about the different careers that are available in each career cluster. Teachers, counselors, and parents use the brochures to solidify adults’ and teens’ potential career or educational decisions. The brochures cover topics such as:

Definition of career clusters

Careers

Career pathways

Employment outlooks

Skills

Credentials

Teachers, counselors, and parents use career pathways for more detailed information. The career pathways are subgroups or areas of concentration within career clusters. Each pathway contains career groups. The career groups have similar academic skills, technical skills, educational requirements, and training requirements. Career pathways are plans of study that outline required secondary courses, post secondary courses, and related careers. The career pathways are essential tools that teachers, counselors, parents, and other adults use to give educational planning advice.

Several web sites feature High School Plans of Study. These study plans show required, elective, and suggested courses for each grade level. The school plans also match the career clusters to related careers, career pathways, and post-secondary options. Teachers, counselors, and parents find that these school plans are guides for selecting the right high school courses to match potential careers. Beyond high school, the Utah System for Higher Education has created a College Major Guide. Parents, teachers, and counselors can use the guide to match college majors to Certificate and Degree Programs.

Additional Resources for Counselors and Teachers

For planning curriculum and educational programs, there are detailed Knowledge and Skills Charts and Cluster Crosswalks. The knowledge and Skills expand upon the information listed on the career cluster models. For each knowledge and skill area, there are performance elements and measurement criteria. Crosswalks show the relationships between career clusters and other career models:

Career clusters build a bridge between education and career planning. Different types of career cluster resources are available: videos, web sites, booklets, brochures, activity sheets, and workbooks. Teachers, counselors, and parents use career cluster resources to successfully complete career and educational planning.

Resources:

American Careers Career Paths, Career Communications, 6701 W. 64th St., Overland, KS 66202, 800-669-7795

Career Click, Illinois Department of Employment Security,33 South State Street, Chicago, IL 60603, (312) 793-5700

CIP Code Index by Career Cluster, Adult & Postsecondary CTE Division, Bureau of Career and Technical Education, 333 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17126, (717) 772-0814

Cluster and Career Videos, Career One Stop, U.S. Department of Labor, Frances Perkins Building, 200 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20210, 866-4-USA-DOL

College Major Guide Utah System for Higher Education, Board of Regents Building, The Gateway, 60 South 400 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1284, (801) 321-7100

Find Careers (Videos), iSeek Solutions, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Wells Fargo Place, 30 7th St. E., Suite 350, St. Paul, MN 55101-7804

High School Plans of Study, New Hampshire Department of Education, 101 Pleasant Street

Concord, NH 03301-3860, (603) 271-3494

Introduction to Career Clusters, Career Education, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, P.O. Box 543

Blacklick, OH 43004-0544,

Louisiana Integrated Skills Assessment (LISA), customized Internet version of OSCAR, a product of the Texas Workforce Commission/Career Development Resources, TWC/CDR, Austin, TX 78753

Maryland Career Clusters, Maryland State Department of Education 200 West Baltimore Street Baltimore, MD 21201,

Rhodes Island’s Career Clusters, Rhode Island’s Career Resource Network, 1511 Pontiac Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920, 401-462-8790

School to Career Clusters, State of Connecticut, Department of Labor, Job Bank, 645 South Main Street, Middletown, CT 06457, (860)754-5000

States’ Career Clusters Initiative (SCCI), 1500 W. Seventh Avenue, Stillwater, OK 74074

Career Pathway Plans, Career Cluster, Knowledge and Skills Charts

VTECS Cluster Frameworks, VTECS, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA, 30033,404-679-4501 ext 543

What are Career Clusters? Career Prospects System, New Mexico Career Resource Network, CAREER TECHNICAL AND WORKFORCE EDUCATION BUREAU (CTWEB), Education Building, 300 Don Gaspar, Santa Fe, NM 87501, (505) 827-6512

Gone are the days when waiting for job advertisements to come up or visiting your local employment agency were enough. Jobseekers these days are having to be proactive in their campaign, and more than ever they are having to make sure that they stand out from the competition – or eliminate it altogether.

So, what is the answer? Does a guy or a gal have to don a clown costume or run amok with a pitchfork to get noticed these days? In short, no. There is an easier, and a more legal way, and it is called branding.

Branding is a marketing term which is all about deliberately and consciously creating an image that ‘customers’ can form an emotional attachment to. It is what gives them that warm, fuzzy feeling when they think about a particular product or service or company, and when it comes to the moment of choice, it is what ‘pre-sells’ one commodity over another. In the same way that BMW conjures up images of sleek style and remarkable performance, branding makes your name synonymous with the job that you want and the skills and qualities that a prospective employer needs.

Make no mistake, you have a brand image already, whether you realize it or not – it just might not be one that you are comfortable with. Put yourself in a prospective employer’s shoes – but do it honestly. What would you think of you? Do you see a guy who always does a good job and does it on time, or someone with a ‘can’t do’ attitude who is lacking in motivation? If it is the latter, then maybe now is the time to re-invent yourself.

Honest self-analysis is one of the keys to successful personal branding, and you can make a start on this by taking a good, hard look at your strengths and weaknesses. List your skills, qualifications and experience. Hone in on your positive personality traits. Consider the areas where there may be weaknesses, things that you can address and improve upon. Keep an image in the back of your mind of the person that you want a prospective employer to see when you walk in through the door, and make yourself that person.

Branding is not about eliminating the fun things, the quirkiness, from your personality. It is about recognizing and capitalizing on your marketable qualities, and about growing those qualities to make you even more desirable within the job market. It is about making a personal promise to a potential employer that will make him feel reassured and confident.

When you have a clearer idea of what it is that you want to project to the outside world, verbalize it. Create your own branding statement – a short, succinct statement that sums up what you are best at and what your unique promise of value to an employer is. This is not merely a job title, but a statement that sums up your skills, your abilities and your uniqueness.

Once you have done this, put your branding statement absolutely everywhere – on your business cards, website, blog, Facebook account and anywhere else you can think of. Make your brand part of every offline and online interaction that you have. Research the market and the industry you want to be in, identify potential employers and network your way into the job you want. With a strong brand that not only promises, but delivers, your reputation will precede you and open the doors to that inner sanctum, the ‘hidden’ market.

Created your brand already? What is your promise of value to a potential employer or your killer branding statement?

We spend nearly 100,000 hours in our lifetime working. Wouldn’t life be different if you loved your work, rather than dreading Monday mornings? How could life be different if you felt energized in your current job or your next career move, so energized that work did not feel like work anymore?

Whether you are currently working or in transition looking for your next job opportunity you do not want to miss this special briefing – a briefing that will change the way you approach work forever.

If today’s turbulent job market is creating roadblocks for you that you cannot seem to overcome no matter how hard you try, you’ve done everything and still can’t find the job or career you want, or you are concerned that the next job you take you will just result in another layoff before you know it, then you MUST plan to attend next week’s invitation-only event!

In this exclusive briefing on Tuesday, June 28th, 2009 at 7pm, we will share with you some critical insights into:

* How you can identify your true work passion
* How and why you must consider yourself self employed and manage your career that way even if you work for someone else
* How you can overcome the challenges created by the recent economy and still capture top dollar for your talents
* How living your passion will significantly increase your sense of financial freedom
* Why you cannot afford to wait and must start taking action now due to the changing landscape of the workforce
* The art of the job search has changed – how you can uncover the majority of the new opportunities that are never advertised anywhere
* The power of your personal brand and its impact on your career success
* How to not let fear stop you, replacing it with a mentality of limitless possibilities.
* And More…..

The fact that you are reading this, means you are ready for a change. 90% of Americans are trapped in unfulfilling careers, find out how the other 10% are living the art of bringing work to life. Visit http://www.integritycareertransitions.com/featured/seminar/careertransformation.htm to know more about Integrity Career Transitions and to join the career transformation teleseminar.

If you are experiencing these feelings, it might be time for a career change:
â?¢Â Youâ??ve always been interested in other career areas but went with the â??safeâ? route and now you feel burned out
â?¢Â You donâ??t enjoy your work anymore and you wonder what other options are out there for you
� You feel stuck and stagnant
� You are finding fewer and fewer jobs available in your industry
â?¢Â Youâ??re over-qualified for the jobs that are available in your industry
� You feel the effort to get a new job in your industry is more than you want to undertake

How do you know if now is a good time to change career direction?

The reality is that job loss and job creation are natural components of the world of work. It happens all the time to varying degrees.  So there probably isnâ??t one perfect time to change jobs or careers. The decision depends a lot on your personal situation.

Before launching a job search or career change, though, there are several important steps to take which I also outline in my career guide and audio program, Fast Track Your Career: Three Steps for Finding Work You Love.

Gaining Personal Insight
Before you change careers, you need to figure out what you want. By assessing your current situation you can determine what you need in your career to be satisfied. Analyze your values, skills, personality characteristics, interests, and lifestyle preferences. Itâ??s also useful to take inventory of your financial situation, especially if the career youâ??re considering might require additional education and training or relocation.

Getting a Reality Check
A critical mistake in making a career change is making the leap without getting enough career information. By exploring career possibilities youâ??ll be able to identify options that are best suited to your personal attributes and preferences. There are online and print resources you can use to learn about job outlooks and industry trends. The people in your network can also be great sources for information about trends and opportunities in various career fields. In addition, they can make introductions and give you referrals.

Charting Your Career Path
After youâ??ve done some self-assessment to learn what you want in a career and done career research to generate options, you have to make a decision about next steps. Your transition and job search plans will guide you to successfully getting the job you want and expanding your professional network. Youâ??ll also need to update your resume, cover letter, and other support materials and fine-tune your interviewing and networking skills.
People change jobs or careers in search of greater satisfaction. By following the steps outlined above, you  will increase your chances for finding a career that better suits your personal goals and uses your talents in meaningful ways.

If you’re thinking about a career change, purchase the The Fast Track Your Career: Three Steps for Finding Work You Love career guide and audio program today. You will go through a step-by-step exploration and planning process by completing several exercises, so you can get clear about your career direction.

Special thanks to Andrea Delgado for contributing to this article. For more than 10 years, Andrea, was a program manager at an international development organization during which time she held multiple positions involving program and grant management and administrative support.  Andrea has been networking to find employment opportunities and has considered a career change into the private sector. Her dream job would take her into the international financial arena analyzing economic policy and regulations. Andrea has her M.A. degree in International Political Economy and Development from Fordham University; a Graduate Certificate in Womenâ??s Politics & Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts at Boston and a B.A degree in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.”

Andrea can be contacted on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrea-delgado/10/3b6/717

Career Development can be discussed under two perspectives- organizational and personal career development. Organizational development looks at how concerned individuals manage their careers within and between organizations. Personal career development aims at individual career development to bridge his skills with his career objectives.

Decision making is one of the toughest obstacles that an individual faces before he finally gives a kick start to his career. A right Career Development Centre can provide a great deal of help and support while launching one’s career. An individual’s career skill varies from another. So, choosing a right career needs proper counselling and lots of research works. An ideal Career Development Centre will help you sort out your professional skills, launching your career towards a right track. For a successful career path, it’s advisable to take counseling and guidelines from a renowned career development centre.

Why Career Development Centre has become a great demand in the market?

Career Development Centre has become a great demand in the market because:

It provides individual learning solutions and job search services Provides unique enterprise learning solutions for career oriented students and professionals Affords learning solutions for students, employees, academic institutions etc Provides help in decision making strategies for individuals Assists you to take charge and supervise your future Moves forwards your career, add new skills, or build up abilities

Computer Training Centre as one of the wings of Career Development Centre

Computer Training Centre has also been considered as one of the wings of Career Development Centers. Whether you want to launch a career in IT or upgrade your current desktop skill set, Computer Training Centres provide you with the right training programme to allow you achieve the desired goals. There are various computer training centres in the market that provide rich and compelling computer knowledge. Most of these computer training centres provide Red Hat certificate to ensure the privacy of communications. Red Hat Certificate system abridges enterprise-wide operation and implementation of a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).

The science of career development may take a new shape or role. However, with a wide range of career options for everyone, the further need for Career Development Centres will keep increasing day by day.

The Healthcare Job Outlook for 2008/2009 describes new job growth from 2006 – 2016 as excellent with over 3 million new jobs added for the period.  As well, the projected salary increase is 22% compared to just 11% for other industries combined.

The Department of Labor shows similar findings, projecting that medical assistant jobs are expected to increase over 35 percent over the next decade, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. The health care industry is expanding as our population grows and ages, and as technology advances, so will the need for highly trained health care workers such as a surgical assistant medical assistant, vocational nurse, computerized office assist, and so on.

A career in the medical field has been referred to as “recession-proof.”  Few industries can boast this kind of employment outlook.  If you’ve been laid off in another work field, this should not be a concern for you in considering starting training in a medical career.  It is highly unusual for medical layoffs to occur.

And if you are considering a career in the medical field, even if you have no medical training, or even a GED, it is best to get started right away, in order to take advantage of this growing industry. Medical career college courses are available for every type of lifestyle. You will receive hands on training, job placement assistance, and in some cases even financial aid. The career choices are nearly unlimited, from vocational nursing programs, to diagnostic medical sonographer training, to pharmacy technician careers, and so much more. Take your first step towards that new career today!

Mistake #1 – Making Decisions in Haste

Tempted to just quit and wing it? Everyone is now and then, but unless you just can’t stand your current situation another day, resist! Instead, write down everything you hate about your current situation, then one by one, look at the most intolerable issues and see how you can turn each around to make it more tolerable for the present moment.

It is easy to get so excited about the future that you decide to forge ahead without a plan and hope everything naturally falls your way after that. It will require more energy to sustain your new career and make it work well for you than it will to identify and start it. It is better to come from a place of higher energy and stability than to start out already burned out or worried about how you will pay the bills. Consider seeking the help of a qualified career coach, life coach or career counselor to help you identify your next career path. An objective, trained third party can help you strategize and phase it in for the best results and the least amount of heartache.

Mistake #2 – Ignoring the Finances

“I can’t stand this any longer! I would rather eat dog food than put up with this another day!” Whether you are pursuing a new career voluntarily or involuntarily, you must pay the bills. Do pursue your dream. Do look for the career that brings out the best in you. If you have plenty of savings, good for you! Resist the temptation to go through it and be left without. If you have a dream, by all means hang on to it! But if it won’t realistically get off the ground for three years, find another way to earn a living in the meantime. The need for income is a reality you cannot ignore.

Mistake #3 – Filling Your Head with Negative Stuff

What do you read? What do you view on television or the Internet? With whom do you spend free time? When you’re looking at making big life and career changes, you need lots of positive energy around you. If you spend time with negative people or fill your mind with anything that isn’t useful, guess what? It fills you with negative energy. Instead, surround yourself with people and things that give you positive energy and encouragement. Read books that motivate and encourage you. Go places that inspire you. Do everything you can to be what you want to be like after you land the next great career opportunity, and you will be more likely to attract it into your life!

Mistake #4 – Getting Bogged Down by Decisions

If you’re an intelligent person who has enjoyed any measure of success, chances are there are a lot of different choices you could make in your next big life or career change. Clients often tell me they are overwhelmed by all of the thoughts and ideas that keep running through their minds. And as the overwhelm sets in, it is very easy to just shut down. As we work together, I remind clients when making tough decisions to ask themselves, “Is this going to move me forward?” If the answer is yes, proceed. If the answer is no, either revise the decision or drop it entirely.

Mistake #5 – Not Having a Plan

There are two reasons this is important. First, life is unpredictable and it is dangerous to relinquish security before the next career arrangement is lined up. Second, changing careers is a lot like dating. You are always more desirable when you are unavailable. You are more attractive to a prospective employer if you are already working. And if you have already lost your job either voluntarily or involuntarily, it is even more important to have a plan so that you are then more likely to achieve it. If you see success, you will be successful. (Conversely, if you don’t have a plan, how will you know when you’ve succeeded?)

Mistake #6 – Ending your Preparation Too Soon

All I can say here is, prepare, prepare, prepare. If you’re looking at several possibilities, don’t immediately drop one when another looks good. Think about all of the big tests you have taken in life (college entrance exams, finals, certification exams) and how you prepared for those. Did you study way in advance and take a big, long break before taking the test? Or were you still reading the material as you walked in the door on test day, wondering if you could still be better prepared? When you’re embarking on a new career or life change, give it all of your available energy, skills and attention. If you have a goal in mind, resist relaxing when you think you almost have it. Prepare and stay sharp right up until the day you start. This will help keep you from losing confidence at the last minute.

Mistake #7 – Getting Discouraged Too Easily

Does this happen to you when you face hurdles in the midst of your goal? Instead of giving in to the pain, pay attention to what specifically is making you uncomfortable and make adjustments to get you through. For example, if you’re in career transition and you find that it is painful to go through the tedium of making phone calls, sending resumes, going on interviews where the competition is tough, etc., find the formula that gives you a break without stopping the process. Try devoting an hour or two each morning to these tasks and letting it go for the rest of the day, or only making a certain number of phone calls or interview appointments per week so that when you’re finished, you can feel good about giving yourself some time off. Don’t stop. Adjust.

Remember, a career change is a life change. You didn’t arrive at your current level of education and experience overnight, and don’t be disappointed if you don’t immediately uncover “the thing” you want to do next. Allow yourself time and space to explore and make an educated decision. Get the help you need along the way (i.e., career coach, career counselor) to help you do it strategically, not emotionally. If you avoid these mistakes you are much more likely to end up in a new career that complements and fulfills your life.