A New Career

[archcherub]

hi guys,
I am doing a mid career switch when I am in the 30s, so pardon my questions if there are more experienced members here who can provide some insights.

I possess a degree in economics from NUS, and i have been running my own business distribution books and toys for the past 5 years.
I have just decided to sell off the business to a partner, and is interesting in venturing out to gain more life experience and work skills.

I am willing to be outstationed, or take up jobs that require a lot of travel. Most of all I am willing to do new and tough stuff to learn.

While I have been hard at work updating my Linken resume, signing up for JobsCentral, JobsStreet, the numerous jobs portals, I realise that I do not know what I can sign up.

An economics degree is too general, unlike a professional degree like accountancy, which you would be filtering for accounting jobs.

I do not really know how to filter my job search and how to look for a better career choice.
The closest I can think of to what I have been doing for the past few years, is Business Development Manager, is that correct?


How can I find a best career? What portal or Headhunters should I look out for?


Thanks guys!

 

[Raider04]

hi guys,
I am doing a mid career switch when I am in the 30s, so pardon my questions if there are more experienced members here who can provide some insights.

I possess a degree in economics from NUS, and i have been running my own business distribution books and toys for the past 5 years.
I have just decided to sell off the business to a partner, and is interesting in venturing out to gain more life experience and work skills.

I am willing to be outstationed, or take up jobs that require a lot of travel. Most of all I am willing to do new and tough stuff to learn.

While I have been hard at work updating my Linken resume, signing up for JobsCentral, JobsStreet, the numerous jobs portals, I realise that I do not know what I can sign up.

An economics degree is too general, unlike a professional degree like accountancy, which you would be filtering for accounting jobs.

I do not really know how to filter my job search and how to look for a better career choice.
The closest I can think of to what I have been doing for the past few years, is Business Development Manager, is that correct?


How can I find a best career? What portal or Headhunters should I look out for?


Thanks guys!

Consider doing marketing.

 

[archcherub]

Consider doing marketing.

marketing is such a general word, that covers so much.
sometimes i dont even know what I do in my "marketing dept"

 

[kebinu]

What do you want to do?

 

[archcherub]

What do you want to do?

something interesting to learn and grow

it sounds cliche, but its the truth.
i have been in sales job for most of my working life (actually even when I was studying, my part time jobs were mostly sales). no doubt i earned quite a lot from sales (insurance) and when i was doing my own business, i took on the sales part (sales of company products to vendors)...

but after so many years, i realised what i learnt... is all nothing.

kinda tired of sales. -.-
any sales pple here feel the same too?

 

[Boorseye]

something interesting to learn and grow

it sounds cliche, but its the truth.
i have been in sales job for most of my working life (actually even when I was studying, my part time jobs were mostly sales). no doubt i earned quite a lot from sales (insurance) and when i was doing my own business, i took on the sales part (sales of company products to vendors)...

but after so many years, i realised what i learnt... is all nothing.

kinda tired of sales. -.-
any sales pple here feel the same too?

Been doing sales too.. Sell the same thing is boring.. Sold windows, grilles, gates, biz software, roadshow selling promotion cards.. Now in bank selling loan.. No cert is like that lo..

 

[archcherub]

Been doing sales too.. Sell the same thing is boring.. Sold windows, grilles, gates, biz software, roadshow selling promotion cards.. Now in bank selling loan.. No cert is like that lo..

exactly lor...
i sell insurance, or sell what sell what...
end of the day, forever selling!

i wish i can learn more new stuff... i mean, i find life more interesting the more stuff i learn :d

 

[Boorseye]

exactly lor...
i sell insurance, or sell what sell what...
end of the day, forever selling!

i wish i can learn more new stuff... i mean, i find life more interesting the more stuff i learn :d

Doing face to face sales in fact gives you much more knowledge when you get to speak to clients of different levels.. It increases your EQ so much.. I am going to take up a diploma in april to upgrade.. Want a higher basic job..

 

[archcherub]

Doing face to face sales in fact gives you much more knowledge when you get to speak to clients of different levels.. It increases your EQ so much.. I am going to take up a diploma in april to upgrade.. Want a higher basic job..

after a whole lot of EQ improvement, there is nothing else anymore haha

see? u also want a basic job.
thats what I am trying to find too. I mean even if its lower paying, but as long as it helps to learn more skills, its still BETTER than sales.

 

[Konnichiwa]

If you dont know what you want to do... how can anybody else know?

Maybe you should teach me how to do business, I am interested.

 

[Boorseye]

after a whole lot of EQ improvement, there is nothing else anymore haha

see? u also want a basic job.
thats what I am trying to find too. I mean even if its lower paying, but as long as it helps to learn more skills, its still BETTER than sales.

i'll be taking up diploma in biz finance & accounting, course starting in march/april

 

[archcherub]

If you dont know what you want to do... how can anybody else know?

Maybe you should teach me how to do business, I am interested.

its actually not that i dont know, its that i lack the experience and knowledge of the corporate world, and what is available there. i was hoping for seniors or experience people who can open my eyes... heehee.
i have been so closet in a world of sales, and of course the past few years of operating my own small business, i was totally unaware of the bigger world.

as for teaching business, i think people like us with experience can only provide guidance, we can't really teach because its on so many different scales and varieties... and different timeline too.
i am sure many bros here will provide guides if u have issues and post here.. i see a few threads out there abt entrepreneurship and small business

 

[kebinu]

something interesting to learn and grow

it sounds cliche, but its the truth.
i have been in sales job for most of my working life (actually even when I was studying, my part time jobs were mostly sales). no doubt i earned quite a lot from sales (insurance) and when i was doing my own business, i took on the sales part (sales of company products to vendors)...

but after so many years, i realised what i learnt... is all nothing.

kinda tired of sales. -.-
any sales pple here feel the same too?

How would you like to grow yourself? In which way?

To be good in imparting your knowledge - teacher
To be good in project management?
To give solution?

 

[archcherub]

How would you like to grow yourself? In which way?

To be good in imparting your knowledge - teacher
To be good in project management?
To give solution?

to be honest, i dont think i can give solution, or teach others.
i dont think i am that level yet...
more like i rather be in a project or career with good experienced people so that i can learn from them.... haha

 

[worldir]

follow your heart n passion...

 

[kebinu]

to be honest, i dont think i can give solution, or teach others.
i dont think i am that level yet...
more like i rather be in a project or career with good experienced people so that i can learn from them.... haha

Quite risky that you don't know what you want. You mention you want to learn, but what?

 

[Boorseye]

Don't really know what job I am going for.. Pursuing finance and accounting cert, part time. Passion for investment instruments. Not sure if becoming a PFC/RM would be the best bet.. Any idea?

 

[macmania]

Actually I think you are very humble. Sales is not an easy job and I certainly do not have the flair for it.

Identify the job/market that you are interested in and go for it, even if it means taking a pay cut. I am in my mid-30s and was in a similar situation a few years back. Was in IT industry and did a mid-career switch.

 

[skaade]

how about learning to code? you can code apps for phones, for desktop and the like. can work for company, work from home... all u need is a computer and an internet connection.

something out of the usual i guess!

edit! you can learn on your own while u do your day job. try out code academy to see if this is even remotely your thing.

 

[bhalimking]

Hi Archcherub

Let me try to give you some of my insights if it helps.

Economics degree, while it is very broad and general, you can still find entry level position is either business development, operations management, etc which doesnt require any sort of specialised skills.

I am in the accounting function, and most of the times, it does require you to have an accounting related degree/ACCA in order to take up the job.

Learning is a very leveraged word used by many people. In fact there will come a moment whereby our learning curve will slow down, especially if you have been stagnant in the position for some time. And to use it to good faith, learning is everywhere and can be done at any place. So being in sales I am sure you would have picked up valuable skills that others do not have. For e.g, I am not good in talking to people or trying to open up with conversations etc.

I'm unsure why you would want to switch as this point (especially if you are making good income in your sales) to a corporate world. Corporate world isn't as fantastic as many people had imagined. If you get promoted quickly, then the learning curve will steepen. But otherwise, you will find yourself soon wanting another challenge in your life. If so, then that would derail you from getting anywhere.