Career change tips : Late 30s Career Changer

Everyone has a slightly different story. Here' s mine:

I have worked in film manufacturing for 16+ years. A few years back, I came to the realization that this line of work would not last forever. As a result, I decided to get some education. Due to the fact that I work a rotating schedule, my only option was online studies.

I graduated last summer with an A.A.S. in Business: Accounting. I have been on the hunt for something in my field ever since graduation. Thus far, despite submitting my resume to about 20 potential employers, I have only managed to get one interview.

I realize that accounting is very lucrative, but only when you have better that a two-year degree. So, I have opened myself up to jobs in supervision, quality control, administrative assistance. Money is a consideration of course, but I am getting nowhere.

Does anyone have any advice? What should I do?

I think the next step is network w/ recruiters bro. That is what I would do. I have a different angle, I went into tech. I also am a former tech recruiter. Recruiters are like lawywers, some bad and some good. Go through your local yellow pages and hook up w/ recruiters. They get paid to place you. Good luck.

Hmmm...I haven' t taken that approach yet, but it can' t hurt to give it a shot. At this point I have nothing to lose.

You see, although there seems to be many opportunities in Western New York, the competition is fierce. The whole region is full of people who have been downsized and are looking for work. It' s an employers' market.

Thanks for the tip!

Well don' t take this the wrong way but have you considered moving? I mean you gotz to do what you gotz to do.

Well yes, I have given some thought to relocating. That is a last resort move though.

Again, I see many job opportunities around. It's just a matter of finding THE job. I'm sure that it's out there. I just don't want to rush into anything (like relocating) until I have given this area some more time.

Kodak promises that its major restructuring will be complete by year end. We'll just have to see if that is true and how that might improve the job market around here.

As soon as I read that you worked in film manufacturing, I knew you must be with the Big Yellow Box, and confirmed it in later posts.

One piece of advice I can give you as a former Kodaker is, if you' re still with them and you think it won' t last long, wait it out until you get a TAP package, and use the retraining allowance to further your degree in accounting, (providing they don' t take that component out of future packages). It may be a bit of a long shot, but it' s something to keep in your back pocket as long as you' re still there.

I' m not in accounting, but I see lots of accounting and similar jobs in my daily job alerts from the likes of Monster and CareerBuilder. I assume you subscribe to such.

I' d also recommend recruiters as other posters have, especially those that specialize in your field.

For what it' s worth, from experience, I can tell you that one interview out of twenty applications really isn' t that bad, considering the number of applicants employers get for a single posting, especially with the large numbers that Kodak keeps putting back out into the job-hunting ranks.

I know it can be frustrating, but keep a positive mind. I' ve applied, thought it was dead, and gotten a call for an interview a month later. I just got a return receipt today for an e-mail I sent with some paperwork for a job a week ago. You never know when you' ll get the call.

Well, it' s not just Kodak putting large numbers of people into the job-hunting ranks. Bausch and Lomb has done their fair share in recent years as well. That is why there is so much competition around here.

There are two reasons I am getting my name out there now:

First, I graduated last May. I feel that the fact that I am a recent graduate may work in my favor.

Secondly, I am 38 years old. I figure that the sooner I can get into something else, the better off I will be in the long run. In other words, I think I will fare better at this age than I might in three, five, seven more years.

Actually, I am not sure of the future of the TAP. I know that the severance package IS being reduced.

I realize that things take time, and that' s the point I am trying to make to my wife. She keeps saying that I should go back to school. My response is that I don' t want to make that committment just yet. I want to see what the new year will bring because the major part of Kodak' s restructuring is supposed to be complete by the end of this year.

Thanks for the kind words of advice though. I really do appreciate them!

Really supportive and helpful. I totally agree.

Couple of thoughts...

Whenever you can combine your functional and domain expertise (the various sides of manufacturing that you know) with your new area, you have a winning combination. Instead of trying to be an Accountant, I think you would make a more powerful case by trying to be an accountant, or roles that could use accounting, in a manufacturing environment. It sounds obvious, but if you take this message to your resume, your cover letter, and your interview, you have something convincing to sell.
Applying to posts is good. Keep it up. Recruiters. Also good. But widen your campaign. Who are the top 20 places that would be a good place for you to work. Research on their websites. See if you know anyone and can get referred. Perhaps even see if you could find the name of the person who would run the department you would work in and get referred in, or introduce yourself. Proactive Campaigning. If you want it, go for it.

Career Tips

Late 30s Career Changer