Though some financial advisers say that the economy is beginning to pick up, many qualified American’s still find that it is exceedingly difficult to find a job. Many have found it so difficult that they ended up changing fields all together. In the Asbury Park Press, Chris Scott talks about how he switched gears completely in order to find a job and pay his bills.
Chris Scott had a sales-executive job at Fox Sports before they eliminated his position three years ago. He searched for a new job for nearly a year and ended up only pulling two interviews that ultimately led to no job. Of those two interviews, one was a “Marketing group looking for experienced sports-minded person” and turned out to be a sales job selling vinyl siding door-to-door. “In a lot of ways, it’s demoralizing,” said Scott, 50, of Middletown, who had a six-figure salary at Fox and plenty of perks, including an expense account, free passes to PGA golf tournaments and other major sporting events and annual trips, reports the article. For an experienced worker trying to find a new job, the frustrations were surely mounting. Instead of continuing to come out empty-handed in the job market, Scott decided to switch gears and apply for jobs he normally would not have.
It is something a lot of American’s have had to do in order to find work. Pamela Mitchell, the head of the Reinvention Institute stated in the article that “being an outsider isn’t an insurmountable obstacle to breaking into a new field; in fact, she says, it can be an advantage.” She also stated that, much like job seekers, businesses must also reinvent themselves in order to stay competitive. As a result, they seem to be hiring a larger variety of workers than before in order to find fresh ideas and new talent, as long as they have the needed skills to get the job done.
The 180 degree shift Scott made in his job search process landed him the position as manager of guest relations at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank. Though he has taken close to a 15 percent pay cut from his last job at Fox Sports, he is gaining valuable experience in the health care industry that may lead to more opportunities in the future. In the article Scott admitted that the interview process for his current position was grueling, spanning over several months. Though it was not his learned field, he stated that he “focused on the strong work ethic and interpersonal skills that helped him foster good relationships with his clients in the broadcast industry.”
Once he was offered the position, Scott admitted that he was afraid he wasn’t 100 percent sure he know what he was doing. “I have to tell you, I woke up a lot of nights and thought, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing,’ ” he said. However, after Riverview provided him with intense leadership training, he felt more comfortable in his position and boosted his confidence. His story of a 180 degree career change offers many struggling American’s the hope that although the market may be difficult to navigate around today, there are still possibilities and opportunities out there. It may just take a little extra effort and imagination to get to them.
SOURCE: The Asbury Park Press
IMAGE: Courtesy of Catalogs.com
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