by Peter Fisher

Created on: July 06, 2009   Last Updated: July 08, 2009

Career help is essential because many people purport to show you how to take command of your career, but few of them have the personal experience or credibility to convince you that it is possible. Read more about taking command of every career situation in your life. Many people will even try to tell you that it can't be done, but that is just their lack of imagination. When you know what is involved, you can use a very direct approach to take command of your career change.

It is relatively easy to learn how to take command of your career, and empower yourself to take charge of your career. Just follow these 5 tips to take command of your career and don't continue to believe that "they" are in charge.

1. The Direct Approach and Unadvertised Jobs

Career help is to be found in job banks, search engines, job listings, and job guides which are all useful tools in your employment search; however they won't find you the unadvertised jobs. Statistics show that perhaps up to 60% of all jobs are unadvertised and are found informally - that is to say through networking and the direct approach - so the unadvertised jobs are what you really need to uncover; use the career help on this site to make sure you know what to do.

You can uncover these unadvertised jobs and get back into the driving seat by putting together a carefully crafted direct approach letter.

This direct approach letter is no more and no less than a marketing exercise to a specifically qualified target audience. It is NOT a mail-shot and certainly NOT speculative letters that some people would have you waste your time writing. Compared to a direct approach letter, the speculative letter or mail-shot is a complete waste of time, effort and possible opportunity. So don't do it!

2. Interview Special Tactics

The "Tell me about yourself" type of question is used by many interviewers to allow you to settle in and feel comfortable. An interviewer who hasn't prepared beforehand will tend to ask this question to buy time while she thinks of the next question. It's then only human nature to ask questions relating to what has already been said (by you).

Your answer to the "Tell me about yourself" question can therefore set the whole agenda for the interview. Prepare this well and you're streets ahead. It should include a brief walk through your career history from the first job or when you left university; touch on each move you made with positive reasons for the move [e.g. I wanted to get some activity

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