Individualized online career advice

[cilla4progress]

Does anyone know of any resources for individualized online career advice? Or even, bricks and mortar suggestions? I have some major strategizing to do, and would greatly benefit from knowledgeable advice.

Thank you!

[jtuck004]

1. We really need more detail to offer useful suggestions. That said

one thing you might do is check with a recruiter or headhunter in your field and see what skills they want you to have if they are trying to sell your soul to someone. For example, in computers, one could check on dice.com and look at their "communities" - groups that combine certain skill sets that are likely employable.

Another might be on volt.com, check their office locater and have a cup of coffee with one of their recruiters, see what is selling.

If you have the capability you might want to read internationally about where it might be possible to immigrate to. The future here, at least for the next 20-30 years, with today's and the past several months jobs reports as testament, indicates that the largest numbers of jobs created will be for those who have the dexterity to cook fries faster or empty bedpans quicker, or similar low-paying positions. If you are moving here from Mexico it probably looks very good, because life there looks even worse (the CBO says the immigration bill, if passed, will increase unemployment at those levels for the next 10-15 years, btw) but if you are used to more middle class living there will be less opportunity here for at least your working lifetime.

That may not be true if you have the resources to really stand out, because there are fields where opportunity still exists, such as petroleum engineering, or working with very, very, very large databases of data about people's lives and behavior, or finance, especially where one can find a way to take what money is left out of the pockets of working people and retirement accounts, but those positions are less available than they used to be, and our population is larger.

What do you want to accomplish? As specifically as possible in an open forum...

[cilla4progress]

2. Thanks. At 58 1/2 y.o.

and just laid off, after 25 years career as paralegal, and several different paths to choose from, including unemployment benefits, I am just wondering if there is some designation, like a financial consultant with one's investments, set up to advise people with respect to their individual career choices. Or something online.

Thanks.

[jtuck004]

3. I'm about the same age, lost my 10 year job in May, no unemployment,

so I can empathize. Even with skills in computers and networks the pickings are rather slim, so I set up my own lab to study new things, find another market to sell myself into.

For you, there is ALWAYS work for financial advisers, (if one can decide on a spelling, LOL.

The option of unemployment might give you some time to study and take tests like the Series 7 or 63, the ones required for selling certain financial products.

With the experience as a paralegal, there might be room for one that contracts to other attorneys? And with the option of unemployment, you could always volunteer at Legal Aid, which might network you into something else...

Good luck!