Tackling a new direction? Take stock and network

Career counselor Dan King (right) says many jobs are unadvertised. ''When the economy is in the shape it's in now, it only happens through a who-knows-who process,'' he said. (ERIK JACOBS FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE)

A few months ago, Stephen Brown, a Wall Street broker specializing in mortgage securities, contacted a career counselor to begin the process of shifting to a more fulfilling and viable profession.

Then came the succession of investment bank collapses, and Brown's job - along with most of the industry he worked in - was history. With kids to support and a mortgage to pay, suddenly Brown's notion of a well-planned transition to a new career seemed ridiculously fanciful.

Others with ambitions of charting new ground in their careers may find themselves in similar situations. As each day brings more news of rising unemployment, hiring freezes, and forecasts of a long economic slowdown, the question for many is: "Now what?"

Career advisers insist that dreams of professional advancement need not be deferred. The troubled economy, however, does require a sober reckoning with a changing job market and a recognition that any transition will take persistence and patience.

"In today's economy, the first thing I'd say is, don't just quit your day job," said Rita Allen, a Waltham-based career coach. "You have to take the time to plan and do your due diligence to make sure the career you want is what you think it is, that you have transferable skills, and, if not, to make sure you know how to acquire those skill sets."

Allen added that the job market has become very competitive in recent years, and that it will likely get more so in the coming months.

"Employers are very particular about the skills they want," she said. Statistics reflect the grim hiring picture. A report released by the Society for Human Resource Management projected a 20 percent drop in service sector hiring this month compared with a year ago.

Massachusetts has fared better than much of the country in unemployment numbers, but worrying signs abound, including the recent disclosure of a hiring and construction freeze by Boston University, one of the city's largest employers.

Randi Bussin, the Belmont-based career coach hired by Brown, the former Wall Street broker, recommends looking to strong or emerging industries, such as green technology, life sciences, and healthcare.

Shifting both industries and job functions, however, is the most dramatic form of career change, and the process usually takes a year or longer. For those facing more pressing job concerns, Bussin advised identifying transferable skills that can be used within the same industry.

"For example, a bond trader may have relationship skills that are very similar to those by a wealth-management adviser or business-banking officer," she said.

The most important strategy to master in negotiating this job market, career counselors said, is networking. "More than ever, most jobs aren't advertised," said Dan King, principal of Career Planning and Management in downtown Boston. "When the economy is in the shape it's in now, it only happens through a who-knows-who process."

Larry Elle, the director of Success Associates Career Services in Boston, agreed. "Usually in a big career shift, the job search is much longer and depends a lot more on networking, because a resume alone just isn't going to cut it."

For Brown, the laid-off Wall Street broker, this has required the use of a whole set of atrophied muscles.

"I haven't had a job interview since 1983," he said. "I'm getting in touch with people in different industries, people I lost touch with, to get the word out, to network and have informational interviews."

While Brown's first priority is to find a job to make ends meet, he said his situation has allowed him to reflect on his professional path in ways he never has before. "I went on the financial track because my father was a Wall Street guy. I've never looked into anything else," he said. "Yes, I need to find a job that will pay the bills, but at the same time I'm doing a lot of soul searching and personality tests. Maybe there's something out there I've never looked into."

For those truly motivated to take their careers in a new direction, the troubled economy need not be an impediment, King said. In fact, for some it may even be a catalyst.

"Most folks I work with who want to make a big shift are midcareer professionals who have been bumped around the job market a lot in their careers. They want to do something more meaningful, something that has more of a sense of purpose," he said. "The best time to make a change is when you feel you have the energy to do it, because it's going to take a certain amount of carpe diem."