Readers:
If you have any questions or comments that Dr. Hansen could provide valuable assistance with, please feel free to email mailto:careerdr@careershop.com

Previous Columns: Get more advice from our archive of previous Career Dr. columns.

New!: QuintZine: A free career and job-hunting newsletter filled with timely and topical tips for springboarding careers, will arrive in your e-mailbox every other week. CLICK HERE!

One of the most common mistakes career-changers make, especially ones who are being forced to make a change through some sort of corporate restructuring, is to grab hold of the first job offer that comes your way. I don’t mean to imply that it might be a bad offer, but why not take the time to see what other opportunities are out there, especially if you have a severance package? You need to evaluate whether you want to stay in your current career or make a switch tom something different.

What are some of the other career change mistakes to avoid?

1. Making a career change without a plan. A successful career change can often take months to accomplish when you have a strategy – and even longer without one.
2. Changing careers because you hate your job. Don’t make the mistake of confusing hating your current job (or employer) with hating your current career.
3. Making a career change based solely on money/benefits. Certain careers are more financially rewarding than others, but that doesn’t mean they are right for you.
4. Changing careers because of outside pressure. Don’t let your parents, family, or significant other influence your career choice; you need to live it, not them.
5. Attempting a career change without a new network and mentor. Making a career change alone is nearly impossible, so once you have identified a new career field start making new network contacts.
6. Changing careers without examining all the possibilities. Take the time to conduct research on numerous career fields so that you can find the best one to fit your current situation.
7. Making a career change without assessment of likes/dislikes. Self-assessment and self-reflection are critical to career change success.
8. Changing careers based on the success of others. Just because your best friend is doing well in a certain career does not mean that you will also do well.
9. Making a career change without necessary experience/education. One of the keys to successful career change is gaining experience in your new career field; and in some cases, further education or training may be necessary.
10. Changing careers without updating your job-search skills/techniques. If it’s been a while since you were in the job market, take the time to update and polish your job-hunting skills.

You can read more details about these 10 mistakes in this article published on Quintessential Careers: 10 Career Change Mistakes to Avoid.

And find lots of great resources and tools in the career change resources section of Quintessential Careers.

Usually you get a master’s degree in the field that you see yourself entering. If you are continuing your psychology at the graduate level, then it certainly seems that a counseling career is appropriate. My best advice is to first sit down and reflect on who you are and what you like doing. Perhaps conduct some research on a number of careers that interest you. Then meet with one or more of the professors in your graduate program (or perhaps even from your undergraduate days) and pick their brains about career options. Finally, once you have narrowed your career choices down, start making a plan for how you will make the change from what you are doing now to your new career.

I recommend you read my article, The 10-Step Plan to Career Change, published on Quintessential Careers. You might also enjoy my Career Change Do’s and Don’ts

OK. Now to your question. There are several ways to become a paralegal. If you do not have a college degree, then one option is to attend a local community college’s paralegal program leading to an associate’s degree. If you do have a college degree, there are certificate programs that lead to a certification in paralegal studies in just a few months. If your local community college does not offer paralegal studies, there are numerous online programs that do – but make sure you find an accredited program. You do not necessarily need a program approved by the American Bar Association, but graduating from an ABA-approved school should enhance your options (if something happens with your current firm).

Once you complete your education, you may also want to look into becoming certified through the National Association of Legal Assistants or the National Federation of Paralegal Associations.

Find more useful information here:

• National Association of Legal Assistants
• National Federation of Paralegal Associations
• Paralegals and Legal Assistants, from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics 2004-5 Occupational Outlook Handbook

Once you decide on a career field, the next step is research. Growing plants these days is a science, so I would recommend talking with an agricultural agent with your county or state. I would also schedule informational interviews with the owners/managers of several local nurseries. Once you have developed these contacts, you might consider volunteering or working part-time on weekends or school holidays to get a taste for the work.

After you’ve completed your research and your trial work, the next step is whether you want to try and find work for an established nursery or horticulture business or start your own business. Many former job-seekers and workers have opted out of the workforce to start their own businesses – and some have been more successful than others. You might see if there is a local office of the Small Business Administration (or go to its Website), where you can find critical resources that may help in your decision. And, of course, if you are thinking of starting your own business, you will need to speak with your local government about zoning issues and permits/licenses.

Go to the Small Business Administration Website.

Dr. Randall S. Hansen is currently Webmaster of Quintessential Careers.

Dr. Hansen is an associate professor of marketing at the School of Business Administration, Stetson University. He has been a published career expert for the last 10 years and an employer and consultant with hiring/firing decisions for the past 15 years.

Through his experience as a professor of marketing, Dr. Hansen uses proven marketing techniques and applies them to job-hunting. He is currently working on such a book. Some of his work can be seen at his personal Web site.

He and Katharine Hansen co-wrote the very successful job-hunting book, Dynamic Cover Letters, published by Ten Speed Press. You can order copies from Barnes and Noble of this cover letter bible. He is also author of several career-related magazine and journal articles.

Finally, Dr. Hansen has been an employer and has firsthand experience in the hiring process. He also stays active in the field by reading magazine and journal articles and by talking with employers on a regular basis.