|
|
|
Missed parallel career opportunities
Career change advice - spot-the-word competitionThe
E-Plus* Experience
|
| · | Pre-selling support: set up the equipment to sniff the health of potential clients’ computer networks…24 hours later…retrieve data and prepare a network status report |
| · | After sales support: respond to technical enquiries and assist in training customers’ technical staff |
| · | Keep up-to-date on network monitoring in general and this equipment in particular. |
| · | Was in the circulation list of industry publications and trade journals but did not seriously look for parallel career opportunities and ideas in them |
| (Note: If you found something interesting, wanted more information and called/wrote in for more details while in your current job, you’ll get a much better response than when you do not have a job). | |
| · | Had plenty of opportunities to source for products in the same industry while attending numerous industry exhibitions and seminars |
| · | Keep up-to-date on network monitoring in general and this equipment in particular. Reports to the Technical Manager |
| · | Did not take the opportunity to seek advice from more technically experienced people and specialists encountered in the course of doing this job |
| (Note: Many people look at the company behind the employee. That’s why after you’ve left your company you may often find a cool reception from someone who seemed so helpful when you were an employee). | |
| · | Could have partnered others (not in the same company) to brainstorm and start a business utilizing knowledge and skills acquired in this job |
| · | For choices of parallel careers see the Options section of Parallel Career Guide |
| · | Was too complacent; lived for the moment only and did not plan for the future |
| · | Should have sharpen sales, marketing and/or writing skills |
| (Note: Sales, marketing and writing skills are essential in starting and developing most parallel careers). | |
| (Remember those famous words: "The pen is mightier than the sword!". This is so true when you start and develop a parallel career. You'll need copywriting skills to produce powerful sales letters to potential customers and even suppliers. You'll need to construct attention-grabbing headlines for ads and brochures). | |
| (Build a parallel career based upon what you know (from work experience, hobbies, passions, or past-times). If you know your subject matter, and if you're motivated to build a real business with growing, diversified revenues...see how to create information products from your Knowledge...and profit from it!>>>) | |
| · | Did not start a parallel career |
Getting
an overdose of parallel career change advice?
Type
of organisation:
Contractor
for fire protection and security systems in buildings.
Job:
Purchasing
Manager
Main roles/functions:
| · | Source and negotiate best terms for materials and equipment required for building projects |
| · | Keep up-to-date on alternative sources of materials and equipment |
| · | Work closely with the project management team to ensure materials and equipment arrive in time |
| · | Could easily get prices, catalogues and samples from virtually every supplier in the industry – can you see a missed parallel career opportunity here? |
| · | Was in the circulation list of industry publications and trade journals but did not seriously look for parallel career opportunities and ideas in them |
| (Note: Again...if you found something interesting, wanted more information and called/wrote in for more details while in your current job, you’ll get a much better response than when you do not have a job). | |
| · | Had
plenty of opportunities to look for products and
equipment in the fire protection and security
industry while attending numerous industry
exhibitions and seminars |
| · | For choices of parallel careers see the Options section of Parallel Career Guide |
| · | No
knowledge of this industry prior to taking on
this job; would have had an advantage if stuck
to previous industry |
| · | (Note: This is not an absolute mistake. Some people do really well in a new industry) |
| · | Should
have sharpened sales, marketing and/or writing
skills |
| · | Did
not start a parallel career |
Type
of organisation:
Retail
chain of beauty salons
Job:
Senior
Aesthetician
Main
roles/functions:
| · | Train
new and junior beauty therapists |
| · | Develop
new beauty packages for clients in consultation
with salon managers |
| · | Access new/latest beauty products before using them on clients. |
| · | Could
have written a manual or published a website on
beauty tips and/or Do-It-Yourself beauty
treatments |
| · | Could
have prepared a course for aspiring beauty
therapists |
| (Note: The manual and course above could be marketed at very little cost via the internet, adopting publishing-on-demand) | |
| · | Could
have started a parallel career by applying to be
the agent/distributor/importer for one of the
new/latest beauty products. |
| (Note: There’ll be no conflict of interest as long as the retail chain’s customers are not targeted). | |
| · | For choices of parallel careers see the Options section of Parallel Career Guide |
* For legal and privacy reasons all names have been changed |
 |
Parallel Career Change Advice: Learn From Missed Opportunities and Mistakes...It's Still NOT Too Late Now.
You can still do something about the following missed opportunities and mistakes extracted from the experiences above:
| · | ...did
not take the opportunity to import other
(non-competitive) products. |
| · | Could have produced an information product... |
| · | Should
have sharpened copywriting skills... |
| · | Did not...source products... |
| · | ...did not...look for parallel career opportunities and ideas in industry publications and trade journals |
| · | Could have prepared a course... |
| · | Had plenty of opportunities to look for products and equipment... |
| · | Should have sharpened sales and marketing skills, or acquired new qualifications (example, by enrolling in an online course) |
Watch out for The Parallel Career newsletter where we'll feature more real-life experiences and also other career change advice, tips and ideas.
Related Articles
*
*
Five
Practical Ways to Change Careers - "
*
When
Leaving Your Job Is the Best Career Move
"...he
doesn't think people should let fear keep them from
making career or job changes. "I think it's a
mistake to do that," he says, "because life is
too short." - (by
Gaston F.
Ceron, The Wall Street
Journal Online) Comment:*Good
career change advice when you sense the time has come.
