Entry-level work is the price for changing careers, but the right job can pay off

Q: I currently hold a degree in sociology and work in social services, which I am dying to get out of. My plan is to go into business consulting. Most positions in consulting require a master's degree. I'm willing to get it, but I want an entry-level position while I study for the degree. What would be a good transition job in the meantime?

I thought about marketing, but I am having difficulties because of lack of experience and a "nonrelevant" degree. Any insider tips on how to make myself more marketable for the consulting field?

NICK'S REPLY: Sure. Apply for support jobs in good consulting firms. You might as well put yourself in the environment where you're going to be job hunting anyway.

Consulting firms need good data analysts, interviewers, report writers and gofers. (I don't mean to be derogatory about these jobs; they can be excellent launching pads for someone trying to break into the business.) A job as an assistant to a seasoned consultant will give you access to lots of people in a company and the opportunity to learn about the higher-level jobs you want.

There's a price for changing careers, and it's usually paid in the form of doing lower-level work until you learn the ropes (and until the firm learns what you can do).

Call it an apprenticeship, call it an investment, call it starting on the ground floor. It's hard work, but if you don't already have credentials, then this is where you start. Learn all you can, be enthusiastic about your work, and circulate among the people and departments in your new company.

The key to such entry jobs is to make sure you will get good training and coaching. This requires a judgment call when you interview with companies. There should be someone who will serve as your mentor, whether formally or informally. If the company doesn't show you how you'll be helped up the ladder, it isn't the right company. The real payoff for doing support work is good access to a better job.

THE HEADHUNTER TIP:

Judging career-services practitioners

Here's my challenge to "career counselors" or "career services" companies.

(1) Offer your services on an hourly basis, pay-as-you-go. Let the client decide whether your services are worth it. The best counselors will offer the first session at no cost to demonstrate their skills and to separate themselves from the frauds. Psychologists, lawyers, doctors and consultants routinely offer an introductory session at no charge, and they bill by the hour.

(2) Define the deliverable clearly up front in writing. The implied promises of most career services firms are tantalizing. "We'll write you a magic resume. We'll teach you the secrets of interviewing. We'll give you access to our inside contacts at important companies." Great. Now set it up so I pay only when you actually deliver.

When you're considering working with a career-counseling or career-services firm that you have to pay, that's how to judge them.

Copyright 2009. Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate

Nick Corcodilos is author of "Ask The Headhunter: Reinventing the Interview to Win the Job" and the host of www.asktheheadhunter.com. He can be reached by e-mail at seattle@asktheheadhunter.com or at North Bridge Group, P.O. Box 600, Lebanon, NJ 08833. Sorry, no personal replies.