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Career in Transition: Your Complete Guide to a Fresh Start in Lancaster, PA

Why Lancaster?

If you’ve visited Lancaster before, you’re probably enamored with the city’s architectural charm and historic ambiance. Besides the Victorian beauty, artistic vibrance, and biodiversity that adorns the numerous parks, Lancaster has much more to offer to those contemplating a career change.

The ongoing hustle and bustle of city life can be excruciating, but Lancaster combines the country component with the business-oriented culture of bigger cities. In addition, Lancaster is perfectly situated, providing easy access to major cities like Washington, Philadelphia, and New York. The city’s rural majesty, strong community commitment, culinary richness, and cultural diversity are also great reasons to consider when thinking about where to relocate.

Lancaster is a great place to call home and an even better place to consider for your next job. If you care deeply about sustainability and community involvement, then Lancaster is the ideal place to experience the harmony, fulfillment, and self-satisfaction of giving back to society and diminishing the harmful effects of climate change and our carbon footprint.

If you’re searching for an organization with an empathetic approach towards society, the High Industries were ranked among the top companies in Lancaster, PA, due to their holistic approach to sustainability. Customer projects are also energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, with the overarching goal being a greener, progressive, and environmentally responsible tomorrow.

It’s easy to relocate and find a new job, with the primary objective being the monetary reward. However, many candidates also consider the added value of strong community activism and the ability to transform families, buildings, and entire communities with simple actions of kindness.

Why Is High Such a Respected Company in Lancaster?

The High Companies have a long history of community stewardship in Central Pennsylvania, with corporate giving, and donation of time and talent from High Co-workers who provide unwavering support and services to families in need. High’s unquenchable desire to make a meaningful impact in society stretches to frequent philanthropic activities that help fund educational initiatives, social services, and cultural enrichment programs.

Apart from the powerful affinity towards social service and sustainability, the High Companies invest tremendous resources and energy into their co-workers’ skills, personal and professional development, financial stability, and passion for turning into innovative leaders. With humble beginnings as a local welding shop, a family-centered organization managed to transition into one of the largest employers in Central Pennsylvania and grow into one of the most diverse businesses leading the market in manufacturing, real estate, hospitality, and more.

So are you currently looking for a new career that can offer you various advancement opportunities? At High, employers will take your skills, career aspirations, and goals and adapt them to the ideal job position for your personal and professional prosperity. Our people-centered approach focuses on evaluating your personality and strengths and helping you find your career path by adapting your skills to real-life projects and situations that interest you and motivate you to come to work happy daily!

Teamwork is the bedrock of High’s years-long success, allowing its diverse workforce to tackle challenges, build valuable relationships and bring life to our society’s infrastructure. From our corporate teams to our operations and production roles, there is always strong communication in place that underscores the quality and safety of our daily work. We embody a “can do” approach that tackles challenges and exceeds expectations. The centerpiece of our powerful communication system is that we embrace our customers and co-workers with dignity and respect, placing us at the forefront of ingenuity and professionalism.

Are You in Need of a Career Transition?

Are you interested in a career change? Don’t be overwhelmed; you’re not alone!

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average employee will rotate between approximately 12 different jobs until the age of 50, and this number is expected to rise significantly over the next decades. The road to acquiring better skills and education is one of the main reasons many workers venture into a new career. The mentality that framed a job as only a means to pay the bills is long gone. People are experiencing a spiritual awakening that is grounded on the premise that a job should be fulfilling and lead to a happy life.

There are many reasons why you would decide to take the leap and make a career change. Some workers are just hungry for a new challenge. Sticking to a dull routine can only suck the life out of you if you’re constantly looking for new initiatives. In that case, starting a new career will equip you with new skills and expose you to new colleagues from whom you can learn new things.

Sometimes, a job can become mentally draining, wearing you out so much that your values no longer align. In reality, a job is exactly like a relationship, and the right balance must be achieved for the best outcomes. What might have worked for you at a young age might not be ideal after many years in a specific working environment. At a later stage, you might be seeking better financial stability or a more flexible work setting. Priorities change, and considering a career change might help you put these changing values in line.

If you’re spending considerable time during work hours daydreaming about doing something else more meaningful, then it’s an excellent time to turn that dream into reality. Your visions and dreams motivate you to wake up in the morning, feel alive and do what you want with passion. In other cases, your own body might be telling you to make a change. Are you chronically exhausted or losing sleep because of your job? Is your work environment toxic? If so, you should consider making a bold career change that will fill you up with energy and a sense of purpose.

Chasing a long-term goal of yours is the best decision you can make because ultimately, you’re the only person who knows what job is right for you! Job satisfaction is the number one predictor of personal and overall life satisfaction. If the reasons mentioned above apply to you, then starting a new career can offer you many potential benefits. There’s nothing more rewarding than doing something you find clear purpose and meaning in. Enjoying your work means better engagement and better well-being.

If you haven’t found the perfect career, then keep looking! High has many resources on the subject, including tips for handling such a momentous change, how hiring managers view career changers, and notable employee career transitions that have become a true inspiration to our workforce. Read on for more about these helpful tips and uplifting stories.

How Should You Begin Your Career Transition Journey?

A career transition can be exciting but can also take a toll on you if you don’t take the proper steps to ease into the ideal position. Without a comprehensive plan outlining your financial expectations, your long-term objectives, and taking the time to make your personality and professional roadmap shine through your resume, cover letter, and interview, you will find yourself at a tremendous impasse.

Fortunately, High’s blog is filled with invaluable tips to help you make a strong case of your strengths and accomplishments. The bottom line is to accentuate your skills and achievements by maintaining a positive attitude along the way.

Read more career change tips

What Do Hiring Managers Think of Your Career Transition?

Changing your career to pursue the job you’ve always envisioned can be a remarkable feat. However, the hassle doesn’t stop here. If your job switch is unrelated to your previous career, then you will have to build a strong argument explaining why you made this life-altering decision. Your passion, determination, and courage to contribute to great things in a company will illuminate through your conversation with the hiring manager, and focusing on those aspects will benefit you greatly.

At High, our hiring managers will evaluate whether you are the right fit for a job by understanding your personality, your previous work experience, and how it can be applied to a new work setting, and lastly, your ability to collaborate with others, lead by example and forge long-lasting relationships with co-workers and customers. Utilize your most impressive and meaningful accomplishments to stand out and prove that you have what it takes to adapt to different circumstances with success.

How Did One of Our Co-workers Transition from the Banking Industry to High?

If you’re ambivalent about venturing into a new career within an entirely different industry, don’t let your guard down! One of our very own HR professionals transitioned from the banking industry to High! Even though she was previously employed by a larger organization, High’s diversity and relationship-focused mindset stood out to her.

Another value that spoke to her was High’s customer-centric mentality, which is apparent in every policy, process, and finished project. The unwavering focus on intimacy and relationship building defines High’s workforce and successful output throughout all aspects of the business. The company encourages career growth across different divisions with the opportunity to make bold moves towards innovation and leadership.

This is not the only example of a co-worker transitioning from the banking industry to High! High’s commitment to recruiting exceptional talent and visionary individuals is deeply connected to human resources’ crucial role in such a diverse organization.

How Did One of Our Co-workers Transition From Accounting to Operations?

John McCormick joined High after being employed in accounting and finance for nearly 10 years and managed to apply several transferable skills to his new role as a General Manager at StructureCare. In essence, John found his career calling with High by transitioning to a customer and co-worker-facing role that leverages his problem-solving, analytical, and leadership skills.

As a leader at StructureCare, John is a great team player, encouraging his co-workers to utilize their knowledge and intuition to drive change that leads to organizational success. He is passionate about growing his team’s skillset and investing in their personal happiness and wellbeing. According to his strategy, these are the foundational steps towards a healthier work environment and a more resilient organization.

Read more about John’s experience

Why Should You Consider a Career Shift in Welding?

The future of welding is brighter than ever before! Demand is super high, and modern welding, construction, engineering, and infrastructure projects are becoming increasingly important for the nation’s economy. Concrete, steel, and pipelines are the backbone of a healthy economy and community, connecting people to their jobs and facilitating the efficient transportation of goods and services. So if you’re looking for a career with a high earning potential, a flexible schedule, and a significant amount of hands-on work, welding can be your next endeavor.

How Did One of Our Employees Become VP of Operations at High Steel Structures LLC?

Speaking of welding and how rewarding it can be in the long run, it would be remiss of us if we didn’t share the story of our award-winning VP of Operations at High Steel Structures LLC, Rusty Wynegar. Rusty started as a plant manager at High Concrete Group and used his shrewd leadership skills to drive a culture change and help High Steel Structures achieve a $1.7 million reduction in indirect labor costs.

Rusty has also earned numerous accolades for his remarkable achievements in safety and quality. His team also leads various community-centered initiatives, including efforts to diminish homelessness, support veterans, and improve the cleanliness of cemeteries and other public facilities. Rusty’s commendable advancement throughout the years can be attributed to his eagerness to face challenges and turn them into opportunities that can transform a company from the ground up.

Read more about Rusty's career path

Don’t Waste Time! Join High!

Have you started picturing yourself as a valued team member of the High Companies? If so, we have various job opportunities available to you. Moving to Lancaster is only one part of the adventure. Besides history, chocolate, and natural beauty, Lancaster is home to many companies that pride themselves on excellent team morale, exceptional customer service, and sustainability efforts. The High Philosophy embodies all the aforementioned values and will proudly invest in your career advancement and continuing education.