Education does make sense for mid-life career changers… if you choose targeted, focused education from appropriate programs. But it’s not always easy to find the right schools. For instance, online education can be extremely valuable when you choose an accredited program that’s recognized in your field. But you will find many diploma mills and fake schools offering online programs because (a) they’re cheap to set up and (b) they’re appealing to working students. Some of these schools don’t even exist.

Be especially careful of ads inviting you to apply.

It sounds SO appealing: “You’re losing $21000 if you DON’T go back to school…” You complete some questions about your background, age, interest, previous schools and majors. Then a list pops up of schools for you.

Don’t believe it. Check out this page.

Why would anyone recommend schools for you? They’re getting a commission, of course! Who’s paying the commission? Established, accredited schools don’t have to.

I’d also be careful of schools that never fail anyone and schools that permit plagiarized work. “Real” universities and colleges have policies related to plagiarism in their student handbooks.

Additionally, be wary of schools where all the professors came from the same place … usually the school where they’re teaching. A few professors do teach at the schools where they got their degrees but you shouldn’t find that half the faculty graduated from there. Most people teaching at top universities do not teach at the school that granted their degrees. If they do, they usually teach at another institution first.

How do you check out a school? You have to go beyond accreditation. Find out if employers respect your school. I’ve been dozens of students who attended a school at great expense of time and money … only to learn their education had no value. Worse, employers raised an eyebrow: “Why would you go there?”

I’ve created an affordable Report you can download at http://www.MidlifeCareerStrategy.com/schoolbk.html

Just came across an unusually good blog post about people who are juggling multiple careers. The blog owner refers to “slasher careers” – you decide for yourself! They make it clear that their paths are not easy but they are living life on their own terms. Despite at least one wish for a corporate job, I think many of us would agree they’re better off than their counterparts who are still working in cubicles.

The story features …

… a 50-something computer expert who does stand-up comedy (that’s who I’d like to be!)

… a 61-year-old handwriting analyst who also became a successful author of murder mysteries

… a 40-year old who sells books online and writes trivial quizzes (and wishes he had a regular job)

… a 50-something massage therapist who’s also a writer, graphic artist and … well, see for yourself

a title company attorney who owns a beauty school

landscape designer who now has a company offering non-toxic pest control

They’re all role models of people who came to entrepreneurship reluctantly,yet found success to a greater degree than many who sought success with
intentions.

Read the post here and please comment on how you would respond.

Mid-life career changers often consider returning to school. Here are 3 reasons why you might consider getting an MBA… and when you might consider doing something else.

(1) Supplementing skills in a field where you are already successful.

An MBA degree has become extremely popular as a second degree to supplement an existing specialty. For instance, nurses and doctors are seeking business knowledge in such large numbers that some universities have created special programs for them.

This option makes sense if you can use the knowledge immediately and you can pay for the program comfortably. If you are not self-employed, make sure your employer or the employment marketplace will reward your efforts.

(2) Using an MBA degree to find a new career in a totally different field.

“Nathan,”  was employed by a firm that marketed business seminars. He wanted to work for a nonprofit firm that promoted green business. He couldn’t see how to make the leap so he thought, “Why not an MBA?”

Nathan needs to talk to at least 6 people who work in firms like the one he wants to join. He needs to target employees at sufficiently high levels in this firm, asking how they achieved their positions. He may find that firms in this field look for MBAs from specific schools, with specific majors and/or with specific experience.

Most important, if you choose an MBA for career change, make sure your program allows networking with other students. Once I taught a class in an Executive MBA program when one participant lost her job. Her resume landed on the desk of a classmate who recognized her and moved her application to the top of the pile.

(3) Using an MBA to get promoted within your own company.

“Susan” worked for a medium-sized company. She couldn’t understand why her promotions were blocked. Her bosses told her she needed marketing courses. When she completed her marketing courses, they said she needed finance…and maybe an MBA.

Susan needs to figure out if she really needs all this training or if her bosses are finding creative ways to turn her down, over and over again.

Generally you need to look at your company’s history. Sometimes an MBA from just about anywhere will give you a leg up the corporate ladder. But you have to think more broadly. Even with an MBA, you are not protected from company politics and downsizing. Consider what you would do if you had to take your MBA elsewhere. Would you still be recognized?

An MBA will be just part of your career planning challenge. To learn more about career change, visit http://www.MidlifeCareerChoice.com and sign up for the FREE 12-week Midlife Career Strategy e-course: 12 lessons delivered to your inbox. Do the suggested assignments and you’re guaranteed to get an “A” in midlife career strategy.

Or download my Report: Back To School For A Mid-Life Career Change.

Choosing the wrong school can be hazardous to your bank account, your goals and even your current job.

On October 10, 2004, Sixty Minutes (a CBS-TV news program) featured a segment about a “university” that claimed to offer degrees through online courses. Many students believed they were signing up for a legitimate program. After all, the page looked fine and the school claimed to be accredited.

Accordingly, students forked over hundreds, even thousands of dollars, only to learn that these “degrees” would do them more harm than good. When prospective employers saw the university’s name on resumes, they were turned off. “We won’t hire someone who wants to go there,” they would say.  And one woman’s employer fired her on the spot after she began referring to herself as “Dr X,” honestly believing she had earned a Ph.D.

Students who signed up for these universities weren’t stupid. They had heard about programs that gave credit for life experience. They were told to write a paper that would serve as the basis for evaluating their experience. Sadly, many toiled over this paper, believing they would be evaluated before entering a degree program.  The school’s former employees reported that nobody actually read those papers. Only a few clerical employees served as the school’s “staff.” Their main job was to process checks.

The problem is: Prospective students usually realize they need to choose an accredited university. But what does “accredited” mean? Your university may have found a way to buy accreditation just as students find a way to buy degrees.

Anyway, accreditation is not enough. You need to learn how this university will be regarded among various audiences: other universities, employers, and the general public. You also need to assess whether this university really will offer the best path to reach your own goals.

Adults struggling to choose MBA (and other) programs wisely can download a guide: Back to School for Your New Career.

Several readers asked for additional tips for getting started on the Internet (see previous post).

First, before you spend hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on web design or development, I recommend considering WordPress as a platform for your website as well as your blog. Many people figure out WordPress on their own (with the help of some online advice). If you’re in a position to invest in training, you can speed up the process. You can also identify some sneaky (but legal) tips and some ways to get the most from your website and blog.

Start with the free stuff…and this is the perfect time. Christina Hills put together some good videos to introduce her forthcoming workshop:

Start here to get some good background on WordPress websites: http://budurl.com/createwpsite

Christina also made a couple of hilarious videos that get you started.
http://budurl.com/juliac

and
http://budurl.com/cookpost

Christina is one of the most conscientious, ethical marketers on the Internet. I’ve been in her shopping cart club for years and still maintan my memberhsip. So if you can comfortable afford to sign up for this workshop, you would be off to a great start for creating a business on the Internet.

I am also a big fan of Jeannette Cates. She’s not one of the flashy names you’ll see around the Internet, but she’s also very ethical with some excellent tools for newbies. http://budurl.com/jcates

And from time to time I offer free and affordable resources. Sign up for the Copy Cat Ezine.

http://budurl.com/jcates

Career planning during a tough economy calls for logical thinking. Yet it’s easy to get caught up in a swirl of emotions. You have to deal with rumors, fears and uncertainty. In my experience, the best course of action will not seem immediately obvious. But here’s what I recommend, based on years of living through economic cycles.

Begin by turning off the news. Stop buying newspapers that display scary headlines about jobs and sales forecasts. Be especially wary of news networks and programs. They have to come up with stories every day and they like to evoke strong emotion.

Journalists are wonderful people but they need startling headlines. They work on a case basis, highlighting extreme experiences. What’s happening “out there” may not make any difference to you. I talk to people every day who are changing jobs, getting raises and moving up with promotions.

Penelope Trunk presents 4 recession-based trends. You can read them here.

As we’d expect from Penelope (who once told us her original name was Adrienne – definitely not a fit), these tips are edgy and, in this case, right on. We can expect

(1) Cost-cutting

(2) Sex (You’re on your own on this one)

(3) Revenge of Gen X-ers

(4) Companies saving on recruiting (so you’ll need new job hunting strategies)

Scariest thought: Barack Obama is our first Gen X president.

Today’s Wall Street Journal (March 9, 2009, page B4: Recruiters Use Search Engines to Lure Job Hunters” by Sarah Needleman) reports that recruiters increasingly turn to Google adwords and other forms of pay per click advertising (ppc). That is, they buy ads that you see next to your search results.

Developing and writing these ads is an art form. You need to

• tempt readers to click through to your website or sales letterand
• simultaneously discourage curiosity-seekers and folks outside your target market.

You pay for every click so you want only hot prospects to apply. Too many “bad” clicks and you’re throwing money out the door.

Recruiters say they pay considerably less for every qualified applicant they get through ppc. That’s good for recruiters but not necessarily good for career changers.

Most career change comes about through serendipity, not linear planning. Research shows that nearly every career choice and career change includes an element of luck or chance. For example, you run into an old college friend who tells you about a job opening in his company. You hadn’t considered this field but you take the job and discover you have an aptitude.

A couple of real examples:

• A medical social worker moves to a small town with his partner. Finding no demand for his services, he takes a low-level job with a real estate agency. Getting restless, he studies for his real estate license and gets his first client when he overhears a conversation in a coffee shop. Three years later, he’s the top real estate agent in the county – a career he would never have anticipated.
• Following a long job hunt, an attorney reluctantly agrees to take a job in the finance field. She has never been interested in finance and claims she’s weak in math. But she soon realizes she enjoys the job. Her firm encourages her to take courses and one day she realizes she loves what she’s doing.

Many of us find our new careers by answering an ad we stumbled across by accident. After years of working in corporate jobs, I answered an ad to teach in a small private college. I had taught in a community college but hadn’t considered a full-time teaching career. Teaching came naturally to me and I found myself thinking, “Why not?” So I enrolled in a doctoral program and embarked on a 20-year career.

With pay per click, these opportunities may get harder to find. I have always recommended that clients browse want ads when they’re considering a career change, just to get ideas. By way of analogy, I remember when public libraries used to display all their new books. You could just  browse the collections to get what you wanted.

Today’s libraries are so  computerized they’re driven by search, not browsing. You have to go outside the library system to find books and audiovisual items. You arrange to have those items held for you.

Now we’ll have to become more creative. New career changers will need to network more broadly, meet new people and search listings that remain live, such as want ads. Many companies list openings for all their jobs in one place.

You may not choose to apply for jobs that are totally outside your field. But once you get a sense of what’s out there, you can start targeting specific fields and jobs, through networking and selective applications.

A few years ago, the newspaper USA Today carried a story by former Wall Street Journal reporter Les Gapay, now living out of his truck as he travels around national parks. Unable to find a job, Gapay uses library computers to freelance as a writer and publicist. Approaching sixty, he fears many jobs will go to younger colleagues.

Gapay’s story is an inspiring one because he refuses to give up. He reports increased income this year — he no longer qualifies for food stamps — and expects to be living in a real home someday.

How did an educated professional fall so low? Gapay matter-of-factly says he falls through the cracks. Self-employed workers do not qualify for unemployment and state agencies have no idea how to help. Insurance remains tied to employment, although more and more of us have joined the Free Agent Nation.

I believe we are in the middle of the greatest social transition since the Industrial Revolution. Then as now, millions of workers were displaced by forces beyond their control.

Two books offer a realistic perspective. William Bridges’s book JobShift and Daniel Pink’s Free Agent Nation. Both argue that traditional jobs will soon be obsolete, yet government, insurance, health care, and credit institutions haven’t caught on.

If you’re disturbed by these trends, I encourage you to write to your legislators, reminding them that unemployment benefits were designed for a different era. For most of us, self-employment is a matter of when, not if. Change won’t happen overnight, but we need to encourage our congressional representatives and senators to begin making laws for tomorrow’s world..

“How a Regular Guy Gets Homeless,” by Les Gapay. USA Today September 22, 2003 page 3B

Mid-life career change surprises many workers, especially executives and professionals who have achieved past success by careful planning. They are often accustomed to moving cautiously. “Should I plan to leave my job after a year?” they ask. “Can you give me a test that tells me where I belong in the world of work?”

Often they ask their career consultants, “How many interviews should I conduct this week? I want to explore one option at a time.”

But real career change doesn’t work that way.

When researchers began studying real career change (instead of rehashing what “everybody” knows) they discovered most career change happens by accident. You research a career in project management. Then you run into a classmate who just finished a degree in information science and realize you really want to work in a library. Or your part-time job – the one you took in desperation – turns out to be so much fun you embark on a whole new trajectory.

Career advisors have two functions. They keep you moving so serendipity is more likely to happen. You won’t bump into your dream career if you are standing still. And secondarily, they help you recognize signposts in your environment. They encourage you to investigate a new path because you don’t know what will be a pointless dead end and what will become an expressway to your dream.

A longer version of this article is available here.