Career advice...

[rubyshoes]

So... in recent years I have been considering switching careers and I have had several options I wanted to explore. The one that seems most aligned with my interests is jewelry. I don't know if I want to become a gemologist and go work for a lab or in retail or even become a jewelry designer... I am trying to explore with some baby steps. Here's what I have so far:

1) Signed up for GIA online courses (today is first day!) working towards AJP.

2) Set up time to chat with friends who have experience working in retail stores (unfortunately they don't work in jewelry stores - but I want interview tips etc and also if they contacts in jewelry)

3) Working on my resume (little unsure what to write regarding why I want to change careers)

4) Planning to visit all the big names in my town (Chicago) - Cartier/T&Co/C D Peacock etc to chat with sales associates and pick up job applications. (I think retail experience would be invaluable)

5) Have set up a free 20 minute phone conversation with a local career counselor. Depending on how that goes, I might set up an appointment for an actual in-office session.

What else should I be doing? I think it is too early in the game for me to visit the GIA career fair in Carlsbad. If I lived in CA, I would visit but I hope to attend a career fair, say, one year from now when I have more knowledge under my belt.

Does anyone have any advice for me? Any books I should be reading? Please help! Thank you!

 

[chatbandit]

this sounds exciting. congrats for you! i'm far from knowledgeable and dont have any books to recommend or anything but i can certainly see what would draw you to such a field!

 

[rubyshoes]

Thank you ChatBandit, I am very excited! BTW your avatar is really cute!

 

[pinkjewel]

I'm excited for you!! I've contemplated the same thing, so I'm interested to see how it goes for you. In my area there are not any of the big name jewelers, mainly either your run of the mill mall stores which I'm not interested in or small specialty jewelers with virtually no staff turnover. Although I have tons of retail experience ( I owned a high end women's boutique for 20 years), it doesn't really help if there aren't any jewelry stores to work at-lol. When I looked into GIA courses last year- I was sort of talked out of doing them. The people I talked with said that I'd get the knowledge I needed by working at a jewelers and not to waste my money. I was also told the jobs were very competitive- so personally I still would consider having some GIA courses as it would show you are serious.

When I did some research on other people looking to get into the jewelry business who were already taking GIA classes, you have access to the alumni lists and functions that they have- call them and go to the functions and network with them. That seems to be how several people got jobs. GIA also posts job listings on their site- always tons of Tiffany job openings on there!! Sounds like you must live in a large city, so lots more opportunities for you to find something you like. You probably need to decide which direction you want to go in and look for some experience that helps you with that. If you go into design- do you want to physically make the pieces or just design and have benches make it? If you want to work in a lab- are you able to move? Oh- and most of these jobs don't pay very well- so you might take that into consideration,too.

 

[manderz]

A quick google search returned this, which looks like it may be helpful. I worked at a retail store for a long time, but it was a mall store. I'd love to take a course to be a bench jeweler some day.

http://www.jewelers.org/benefits/jewelry-careers/jewelry-schools.php#fabrication

 

[anne_h]

It's great to pursue something you love. Also find out what kind of income you can make and if it will support the lifestyle you want.

I took a gemmology class a few years back and the instructor told us that most people in the industry don't make that much.

But if you love it - do it!

Anne