Q: I want to change career paths after dentistry. How do I reinvent myself with work I no longer want to be associated with? My interests are in computers and maybe accounting. I've taken some computer courses and am currently taking basic math. I'm trying to get myself to go in a completely different direction. Will my age and lack of marketable skills in the areas that interest me keep me from changing jobs without losing too much time and income? I do not have a college degree. All that Glistens

A: Dear Glistens, You certainly provide testament to the fact that pearly whites don't a happy career make!

Why, with no undergraduate degree and basic math in progress,would you want to enter accounting? If you're passionate about the field, get that degree.

Computer careers are far more flexible, but lack of a degree will always make job-hunting and being promoted difficult. Analyze programs and schools that prepare people for work in the field. Choose the one with the best reputation for certification. Find out where students go after that. Let that be part of your reason for selecting a place to learn. mlc

DISLIKE

Q: I was terminated after I told my supervisor that I had an unrealistically heavy workload. I was still in training and on the job for only four weeks, clocking an extra 22 hours of unpaid overtime so I could give 100 percent to each facet of the job. He interpreted this as "not liking the job" and indicated that I was not a good fit. How can I explain this termination to an interviewer, without sounding like a complainer or that I can't handle a heavy workload? In A Dilemma

A: Dear Dilemma, Oooo, boy! Was it a little early to voice your opinions?

On the face of it, your e-mail raises questions. Was the job truly a bad fit? Did perfectionism keep you from ramming work through? Was the supervisor's ego bruised by your remark? Did you ask for help? Would it have been better to have had a sit-down conversation about strategies for conquering the work?

Your quandary seems to be a matter of style and timing. It's clear that you work hard and are conscientious. You don't need to mention a one-month gig on your resume or anywhere else, unless someone asks for "any other employment." If it does come up, you might say that the job wasn't what you expected.

Be glad you're outta there, away from that weak-kneed supervisor and his lousy hiring ability!! Next time around, give yourself more than a month to bond. A little trust improves the likelihood of fruitful give-and-take. mlc

**blogTip**

LOUSY WRITERS, DON'T APPLY

Handwritten applications and computer-transmitted documents showcase errors in all of their glory. Two-thirds of permanent employees can't get out of writing, according to the National Commission on Writing for America's Families, Schools and Colleges.

Overall, 50 percent of companies consider writing skills. The Commission recommends sidestepping companies in high-growth industries, such as service, finance and real estate, if you write poorly.

Are you getting by, even though you're a poor writer? Before you know it, you may be joining the ranks of corporate employees sitting behind a desk, being trained, like it or not. Corporations spend $3 billion per year, in toto, just to improve their employees' writing.

Meanwhile, let's give computer manufacturers a new challenge -- computers with sounds from different instruments when errors pop up. They will: