*Footnotes
In this week’s Footnotes:
Unless you’re independently wealthy, it’s always best to plan your escape while you’re still employed. So learn to cope with that dark, damp cloud of desperation that greets you every morning when you arrive for work. Maybe changing jobs is not enough; maybe you want to change careers.
* The West Valley Occupational Center, 6200 Winnetka Ave., Woodland Hills, (818) 346-3540, offers a variety of classes to prepare you for a new vocation. Courses are available in many subjects: computers, cosmetology, nursing, automotive and electrical repair, to name a few. The good news is that training at this publicly supported school generally costs much less than at private schools. The bad news is that the center’s enrollment is up almost 25% from last year and many classes, especially in the computer fields, have waiting lists.
* If you’re a college grad, you might want to check out the Career Center at Cal State Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St. (818) 677-2878. The office offers job hunt counseling, workshops, job listings, grad school info and employer profiles. For the confused, the center offers a computer service that will match careers with your personal interests. The good news is that you don’t have to be a CSUN alum to use the center. The bad news: to use the center costs $50 a year.
* Maybe you’re ready for something completely different. Maybe you’ve seen “The Big Sleep” one too many times--you want to become a hard-boiled, L. A. private eye. Well, the Nick Harris Detective Academy, 16917 Enadia Way, Van Nuys, (818) 343-6611, might be for you. Classes include stakeout surveillance, finding missing people and background checks. The bad news is that the 10-week course costs about $3,000. The other bad news is that no matter how hard you try, you’ll never be as cool as Bogie.
*
Maybe it was the Christmas bonus you didn’t get? Sure, you survived the pre-holiday downsizing (this time), but now all your friends are gone and it’s difficult to relate to people in the office. Maybe you just need a change of scenery. Whatever the reason, you want a new job. *