One Year to a New Career

You've counted down from 10 and watched the ball drop in Times Square. As happy as you are to usher in a new year, you can't help but remember a vow you made to yourself last December 31. "By this time next year, I'll have a new career."

A year passed and not much changed.

When you're unhappy in your job, a year can seem like a long time. Twelve long months of wanting something bigger and better. Not anything outlandish, just a job that doesn't make you cry a little when you leave your home every morning. Yet, when you look back on the last year, didn't that time seem to speed by? Who had time to change careers when you had all that work to do?

We've put together a list of ways for you to make a career switch possible. Next year you can look back at January 1, 2010 and realize you've finally done it.

Foreign language courses
The United States is a country filled with many languages. People who speak English as a second language or are still learning English need goods and services, and that's where bilingual professionals come in. If you studied a language in college but your tongue has grown a bit rusty since, this year is perfect for taking refresher courses. You'll be surprised by how much you know and you'll open a whole new set of doors for your career. You'll be as qualified and experienced as you already are -- only now you'll be able to reach a whole new group of potential customers.

Public speaking courses
Have you ever sat through a boring presentation? And by "sat through" I mean "scribbled on your notepad until you fell asleep sitting up." Not everyone is a good public speaker, and even more people never even try to improve. If you know you have it in you to successfully present to a crowd, you should get more training so that you're a standout. Companies need people who can wow a VP or entertain a crowd without mumbling and sweating through their shirts. When you can add excellent presentation skills to your résumé, you immediately gain access to positions you didn't know were available.

Professional certifications
If you don't hate the industry you're in, but you do hate the professional plateau you're on, a certification can give you a boost. Whether you have one degree or two, many times a new certification (such as one for a paralegal or legal assistant) can show employers you're serious about your job. You've just set yourself apart from most other candidates. Look into different professional organizations in your field and you'll be surprised how many certifications are available.

Associate degrees
Most associate degrees take two years, but many only take one, or they can be accomplished in one if you barrel through school. An associate degree is different from a certification because an associate degree can single handedly set you in a new direction. Where a certification might only enhance your standing in the current industry, an associate degree -- which you can get at specialized institutes, community colleges and universities -- is often enough to qualify you for certain jobs regardless of your previous experience.

Workshops
Sometimes what you need to move to a new level is just a refresher course or a way to reassess what you know. Many companies offer internal workshops and seminars to help their employees. The topics might range from a specialized task that's part of your job duty to a general issue, like time management or supervisory skills. Enrolling in one of these workshops, or an external one at a nearby institute, can show your boss that you're serious about advancement. You could even approach the boss to find out if he or she has certain areas they'd like to see you improve upon (or you might know this from your performance review) and use that as a jumping off point.

By Anthony Balderrama writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/abalderrama.

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Thursday, December 31, 2009