High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Making a Career Change

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Making a Career Change: "Sometimes the only way to be viewed in a different light is to walk into a new room. If your challenge is that you are ready for a promotion, but your company does not take you seriously for a more senior role, you may need to change the scene."
• Does Your Organization Focus on Employee Experience?: "If we want to attract and retain top talent in our organizations, we must create an experience that makes employees WANT to show up to work."
• 10 Daily Habits Holding You Back From Success: "You think that you can do a better job, so you just do it yourself. Or, you constantly correct or micromanage your team, which drains their motivation and distracts you from doing what you do best."
• How to Change Your Poor Personal Reputation at Work: "Changing the perception that others have of you is hard work, but, with persistence, it’s do-able."
• You Need to Practice Being Your Future Self: "You need to spend time on the future even when there are more important things to do in the present and even when there is no immediately apparent return to your efforts."

The Employer’s View of Entrepreneurial Experience

If you’ve acquired entrepreneurial work experience and are, or will be, pursuing employment, it helps to be aware of how employers may view entrepreneurial experience. Although every employer and hiring manager is different, following are some positive views and common objections employers may share regarding entrepreneurial experience.

The Positives

Many employers see great value in job candidates who have entrepreneurial experience. In general, entrepreneurs are viewed as hard working, highly motivated, independent, and/or creative thinkers. They are often considered visionaries, leaders, and problem solvers who are not afraid to take risks. Since entrepreneurs frequently have to manage a broad range of responsibilities, they are often thought of as generalists who are likely to have developed a multitude of practical business skills.

The Negatives

There are employers who can be leery of hiring entrepreneurs. Typically, they have questions like the following: Can an entrepreneur work successfully in a more structured organizational environment? Does this person have specialized skills necessary for the position being pursued? Can an entrepreneur work well on a team? Will he or she be able to successfully adapt to the company culture and navigate the corporate politics?

Position Your Skills Well

In any interview, your goal is to convey your existing work experience in ways that address the needs of the employer. This may be more challenging for entrepreneurs who must translate a wide range of responsibilities into specific functional and soft skills valued by employers. Also prepare to explain why you’re interested in transitioning from entrepreneur to employee. Keep in mind that some employers might want an explanation for why an entrepreneurial endeavor ended and what lessons you learned from it.

By selling your unique entrepreneurial experience and skills and anticipating and preparing for common employer objections, you may end up having an edge over other candidates.

Make the Most of Your Summer Job

A summer job is a great way to earn money and spend time productively while applying to colleges or looking for a permanent job in your career of interest. Following are some considerations and actions you can take to get the most out of your summer work experience.

Work Experience is Helpful

Most employers view work experience positively—even experience unrelated to the job you might be pursuing. Be sure to leverage your summer work experience and associated accomplishments on college and/or job applications. On a personal level, if you’re diligent, work experience can lead to a strong work ethic and a sense of fiscal responsibility.

Make Contacts and Secure a Reference

No matter what type of job you have, you should always strive to make contacts and build positive working relationships with your manager, co-workers, customers, and even vendors, if appropriate. Remember, any contact has the potential of leading to a future job opportunity. One goal to keep in mind before you leave is to secure a professional reference from your manager or other person(s) of influence at the company.

Go Above and Beyond

Summer jobs are a way to form good work habits and a reputation for going above and beyond what is expected of you. Use this time wisely; for example, volunteer to take on additional tasks, work extra hours, or share ideas to improve a process. This is also an excellent time to build or enhance skills, like teamwork, communication, and customer service.

If you attain a summer job and view it for what it is—a great learning opportunity that enables you to build valuable work experience—you could be well on your way to finding and securing the job of your dreams.

Gaining Experience Can Help You Land an Internship

Internship experience can give you an edge in landing a professional job, particularly your first. But consider this: In many cases, the competition for landing an internship can be as steep as the competition for landing a job. Therefore, those with experience will have an advantage. Even if education is your current, full-time focus, you can still work at positioning yourself to land an internship. Here are some ideas:

• Volunteer your time and services to a non-profit organization. Specifically look for opportunities that may strengthen key skills valued in your chosen profession, for example, project management, communication, and even overseeing a small budget.
• Offer to assist with a task or research project within your college of study or another department of interest. Depending on your class standing, check into teaching assistant or tutoring opportunities.
• Take on as many lead project roles as possible, whether at college, part-time job or volunteer position, and document key accomplishments in your resume. If applicable, pull together project documentation and results for inclusion in a portfolio.
• Demonstrate that you are well-rounded by becoming involved in clubs or groups within your professional or recreational areas of interest.
• Work a part-time or summer job to demonstrate responsibility and a good work ethic. Almost any work experience will be viewed as valuable. If appropriate, ask your supervisor to write you a letter of recommendation.
• Pursue a job-shadowing opportunity in your field or industry of interest.
• Identify a few target companies relating to your profession and then approach these companies offering to do some general office, shop, or warehouse work. If necessary, consider whether you can afford to do some unpaid work in return for gaining experience and broadening your professional contact base.