Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, August 6, 1995                   TAG: 9508040010
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: F3   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: CAMILLE WRIGHT MILLER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

REASSESS YOUR JOB SKILLS TO DEVELOP A CAREER PATH-AND AVOID OBSOLESCENCE

A: Individuals who actively manage their careers are always ready for change. Begin drawing your career map and preparing for change.

Mary C. Karey, vice president for human resources at First Union National Bank of Virginia, counsels you to begin by "looking at your skills and identifying fields where those skills can be used." Make a list. Ask others to review the list and identify skills you may have overlooked.

She suggests asking yourself, "What kinds of companies would I like?'' Scan the telephone book's directory for ideas. Once you've identified companies, she says, "see what skills transfer easily and what skills you still need." Karey suggests asking your employer to help you gain those skills. She believes employers often support education initiatives during downsizing.

Developing a career path, Karey notes, includes "asking enough questions to evaluate what you're currently doing, decide what you like, and where you'll find a good fit." Questions should reveal strengths, preferences and skills. Career-related inventories can be very helpful.

Continuing education, Karey says, keeps us current. She urges those who could be on the market to "take advantage of all education opportunities. Pursue in-house workshops and open-enrollment classes." Computer literacy "is a must for those on the market." At a minimum, says Karey, one should know WordPerfect, Lotus and Windows. Classes for these programs are readily available.

Downsizing will continue through the end of the decade. Continuous career management and skill upgrading is essential.

Q: I'm relatively new to the computer world. How do I go about posting my resume on-line? Is on-line job searching worth the effort?

A: The on-line Career Center, a database on the Internet where employers place want ads and job seekers find employment, offers 8,000 jobs per month. on-line access can be a valuable resource.

Pam Dixon and Sylvia Tiersten, authors of "Be Your Own Headhunter on-line" (Random House, 1995), provide a step-by-step guide to on-line job searches. The most basic is setting up an on-line account. From there, Dixon and Tiersten lead readers through preparing an electronic resume, getting on-line, developing an on-line presence, and working a job-search plan.

The book, appropriate for the novice, is equally helpful for advanced Net surfers. The authors have included an extensive directory of job search sites in the appendix, a listing of additional resources and a limited listing of professional associations.

Stories of individuals who have moved several rungs up the career ladder through on-line services are becoming common. Going on-line improves the probability of job search success; however, don't abandon traditional methods. Use on-line as another tool, not a replacement for traditional networking, want ads and paper resumes.

Q: I've been lending books and material to anyone in need of information, but I'm having little luck getting items back. How can I get people to return materials?

A: Before you undertake the retrieval process, canvass your own shelves. If you have items to return, now's a good time.

Make a list of every object and borrower. Call each individual on your list. In the conversation say, "I find that I need `object' for a project. I remembered I lent it to you. May I stop by your office this afternoon and retrieve it?'' Follow up promptly.

You may find, as others have, that some possessions have been lent to friends of the borrowers or have been lost. In those cases, agree to order a replacement copy and have the borrower reimburse you.

It will take time to completely recover your personal inventory. Once you have, consider a lending policy. Materials used on a monthly or more frequent basis shouldn't be lent. At the other end of the spectrum, consider giving potential borrowers an item if it's something you no longer use.

For items you will lend, keep a list of what, when, and to whom the item is lent. Use index cards or a separate sheet in your daily planner. Review the list at the beginning of each month. Begin the retrieval process on any item on-loan for more than six weeks.

As a rule, lending is a kindness; however, it should never be undertaken if permanent loss of the item will affect your own productivity or sense of well-being.