The PCS Job-Seeker’s Guide
Making Your Job Experience Work For You
PART SEVEN IN A SERIES PRESENTED BY PCS

There are a number of reasons why someone like you– someone who’s been working at the same job for five, ten, fifteen years or more– would be looking for work.

Perhaps you were the victim of company downsizing. Or perhaps you determined that the gap between your financial needs and your weekly paycheck had simply grown too wide to bridge. Or maybe you were just unhappy with your job, either because of the people you worked with or the nature of the work itself.

Whatever the reason, you now find yourself at a career crossroads, needing to make some new choices.

Starting from scratch– deciding to pursue an entirely new profession that requires years of schooling or training, for example– is a choice more realistic for individuals who can afford to make the sacrifices involved in making a complete career change. Even if an individual chooses a new career that does not necessitate the time and expense of formal training, as a beginner in a new field, he can almost certainly expect to take a considerable cut in pay. For most heads of household, this is simply not a viable option.

At PCS, we advise a client with significant work experience to assess his situation in the context of his career history and the framework of his entire life. By remaining in the same field, he can readily transfer his knowledge and skills to another job and is thus more likely to command a salary commensurate with his financial needs.

If remaining in the same field is not an option, finding a job in a related field is another alternative. If, for example, an individual was a manager in a manufacturing concern, he may now be able to transfer a good portion of his skill set to a distribution company. Or, if he has spent the better part of his working life involved in chinuch, a position in yeshiva administration might be worthwhile considering.

Finding yourself jobless after years of dedication and hard work is never easy.  Financial needs should not be the only consideration when initiating a job search. Among the other factors that should be taken into account are personality, experience and the necessity of selecting a work environment that is compatible with one’s
religious needs.

If you know of a job opening please contact Professional Career Services at 732.905.9700 or[email protected]

Agudath Isreal of America, Community Services
Moshe Tyberg,
Avraham Kahn
Daniel Soloff

(This article first appeared in the Hamodia)