…what are the two things you’d do differently knowing what you know now, and what are the two things you are so glad you did just the way you did them?
Of course, we’re talking 20/20 hindsight, but still…indulge me, would you? : )
Something for you to ponder…
August 11, 2010
Something for you to ponder…I’ve noticed that our real talents and passions can be traced back to early childhood. For example; I’ve always been “into” language (reading, writing, storytelling), music, and animals. No surprise, there’s more to me, but these three aspects have always been part of my life in a significant way. I didn’t all of a sudden turn into a math whiz or into someone who loves technology.
So I’m curious…
When you look back at your life, all the way to your early days…do you notice a thread? Or have you rediscovered interests and talents that – when looking back – you realize have always been there?
(Hint: if you’re completely stuck trying to figure out what’s next for you and can’t see the forest for the trees, going back to your childhood likes and talents can be a great eye-opener!)
And why?
If so, what do you see – and what industry are you in?
When it comes to your job or career transition…..
July 21, 2010
What do you find the most challenging? And what do you find the easiest?
How did you get your last job(s)?
July 15, 2010
This week, I have another question for you…
How did you get your last job(s)? Was it through networking? By responding to an ad? Through an online posting? Or did you “cold call” on a company?
Here’s something interesting: the way you respond to specific situations tends to be the way you respond across the board.
This is nothing mysterious; it simply reveals some of our character traits underlying our behavior.
The goal here is to be aware of your behavior patterns during your career transition.
For example: if some of your friends you frequently hang out with make plans to get together without you, what is your first reaction? Do you feel rejected, do you get angry, or do you simply wonder what they’re up to and assume they were just about to ask you?
Your reaction to this kind of situation is likely the same you’ll have when you don’t hear back after applying somewhere.
(And, as an aside: there are SO many reasons you may not hear back after sending in your resume – especially in response to a job posting – that have NOTHING to do with you. )
Another example – a personal one this time:
I tend to want to be prepared and have my ducks in a row. Not very convenient when you’re running a business. So I’m trying my best to unlearn this trait. It’s also not handy if you’re in career transition as it may prevent you from taking action until you are “ready” – which, if you’re like me, you’ll never be!
Perfection is unattainable. Progress, on the other hand, is a fantastic goal.
A few other examples:
- Are you someone who is always late? If so, you probably have a hard time getting to your interviews on time as well. Make sure to figure in extra time to avoid this major faux-pas!
- Do you get curt with service staff in restaurants and other places? When going on interviews; be mindful of how you treat receptionists and assistants at these companies as they are often asked about their impressions of the candidates! (And what were you thinking in the first place; show some respect for your fellow citizens; regardless of their socio-economic position!)
- Are you used to outsourcing everything but your sleep and your love life? If so, chances are you think you can outsource your job transition to professionals and assistants. As much as I am a believer in – and practitioner of – outsourcing, I need to tell you that there’s a place and a time for everything. Your career transition needs hands-on involvement from you.
- Do you like to “stick with what works?” Are you someone who keeps buying the same brand products forever, who goes to the same vacation place year after year, and lives by “don’t fix it if it ain’t broke?” Great! But listen up: the past few years have seen more changes in the arena of recruitment, hiring, and job searching than in the all the years prior since the introduction of the electronic typewriter. So ditch the 2 spaces after periods (a left-over thing from the typewriter days), and, more importantly, get up to speed with career transitions a la 2010. It’s truly a different world out there!
So if you got some great career management advice in the 90s or even the early 2000s that made sense to you and that worked back then; realize that what ain’t updated may very well cost you opportunities today.
- Are you a proud person who doesn’t need anyone and who likes to “make it on your own?” Respect! You probably don’t ask for help easily (or at all!) and you love to help others. Just make sure not to translate this too rigidly to the careers arena. There are people – and I have a dear friend in particular who is very stubborn about this; you know who you are! – who won’t even accept connections to get more information and possibly leads. I’m not talking about insider information that can land you in jail. I’m talking about plain and simple networking. The stuff that lands about 80% of the people their next jobs. Vital in today’s economy and job market.
It reminds me of that joke about some guy sitting at his roof trying to survive a flood. A boat with rescuers comes to get him, but he sends them away, because “god will rescue him.” Yeah…god just sent that boat with rescuers his way – but he turned it down… Same principle applies here.
There are plenty other examples but I’d love to hear yours! How does your “MO” affect your job or career transition?
Living for your Resume
June 16, 2010
There’s something I need to get off my chest and that’s how puzzled I am seeing some people making decisions based on “how it looks on their resume.”
Do you do this?
To me, that’s life imitating art. Or something warped like that.
You may be surprised to hear me say this – as the resume expert – but come on folks! Do you really want to relinquish that much power to your resume?
What I see happening is people making career decisions – sometimes life decisions – primarily based on how it will look on their resume.
Of course, there may be situations where you don’t have a big preference for the options you’re considering, and if one of them looks a lot better on your resume, then it could makes sense.
But this living for your resume mentality is sad.
Here’s the thing: there probably is a reason you are driven to do something that you think is not going to look very good on your resume. It may be that you want to do something completely different, or take a sabbatical, or take a step back, or a few months off…
So do it!
The feelings and intuition and passion that guide us on our paths in life are hard enough for most of us to follow anyway. You don’t need another self-imposed, made-up reason why you can’t (read: won’t).
Because you know what? There are plenty of people in great careers at great companies with not-so-perfect resumes. And there are people with these so-called “perfect resumes” sitting at home being unemployed right now.
It doesn’t matter!
Who knows? During your sabbatical or your trip around the world, you could end up with inspiration to start your own business, meet your future spouse, or realize you want to switch careers altogether.
I’m not trivializing the role of the resume here. I’ve yet to meet someone who moved from one job (or career) to the next without having to produce a resume. And it’s true that hiring folks frown upon large employment gaps and stuff. So yes, it may be more challenging for you to create a strong resume next time around.
However, your resume is just one way of introducing yourself to an employer. There is so much more to you and how you present yourself. My advice is to hire a resume pro for any kind of challenging background anyway. (Full disclosure: I will gladly take you on as my client as working with people with not-so-standard backgrounds is my specialty).
But for crying out loud…don’t put off life out of fear for the “almighty resume!”
If you’ve got an interesting story to tell and you know what sets you apart, and if you can market and present yourself; “perfect resumes” be damned!
Resume Schmesume.
Ok?
Now, I want to know…are you guilty of “that won’t look good on my resume” talk? What have you NOT done out of fear it would “ruin” your resume? Tell me! And I’ll tell you whether you could revitalize that old dream or side step without fear from the resume gods. ; )
When is Enough, Enough?
June 9, 2010
Remember those flashy Rolexes and Ferraris everywhere you looked … back in the 80s? And during the dot com hay days?
Recently…not so much, right? Seems people are appropriately turning it down during this recession. Because, make no mistake about it – the money is still there. It hasn’t miraculously evaporated. The rich are still rich.
But I think greed and its outward manifestations (in your face!) are, for the most part, over. (So last century!)
In its place is this new notion of “wealth” and I’m seeing it more and more.
Greediness be gone – enter the “new rich.”
I believe that the new rich is all about having time.
Time has become a prime luxury. Not watches, not cars.
iPhones, email, Internet…it has enhanced our lives but it has not made it simpler. Don’t studies reveal that we’re busier now than we were ever before we were all glued to our gadgets and social networks?
When you have time, it means having the freedom to do what means most to you; do work you love or otherwise live a life you love. But also time to just relax and not work at all – at least some of the time.
Here’s a statistic that may surprise you – or not: They say about 80% of the population does not like their work.
I see my share of clients in big-paying jobs that are so godforsaken unhappy. They come to me to transition into doing something that has meaning to them, even if it means a big pay cut.
These days, I’m surprised when I have a client tell me that their main goal is to get the job with the fattest salary.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not one of those crazies saying “money is evil.”
Of course; money not only buys you things – it can also buy you experiences. It takes money to sit around and do nothing. Or travel the world.
So just to be clear; I’m also not saying that making a lot of money is bad or wanting to make a lot of money is bad. I want to make a lot of money too!
What I’m saying, though, is that when making money becomes the primary focus, a goal in and of itself, I see disappointment. These people expected something magical to happen when they surpassed 6 figures…or even 7 figures. Or beyond, god forbid. But their problems are still there. Money problems are gone, but now it’s still up to them to create a life they’re excited about and many fall short here.
Often, they’re a slave to their business or job, which they may not like in the first place. Or they just don’t have the courage to venture out and do something completely different and “crazy.”
How high a price are you willing to pay for generating a high income, within that kind of context?
When I do see having lots of money working out wonderfully is when people have a purpose in mind; they know what they want to do with it and have realistic expectations. They actually do the things they dream of.
Here’s the flip side of the story: I see a lot of people putting their lives on hold because they don’t have enough money – or so they believe.
Specifically, they believe that they can’t go after what they’d really love to be doing because they think they’d go broke or need a ton of money in the first place.
Disclaimer: this is all assuming that the very basics are covered, such as rent/mortgage, food, clothes, etc.
There’s even this movement now of people simplifying their lives – also financially. Folks who prefer flexibility over assets. Who change careers every few years or who have multiple careers going on simultaneously. People who travel a lot. When there’s not a lot of extra money, there’s also not a lot to manage.
But more importantly: I think these people are on to something.
These days, I find myself more intrigued by folks who live their dreams – and started it all with nothing – and who, to this day, may not have huge bank accounts, than by those who’ve been doing the same thing for years and have gotten wildly successful financially.
And I don’t think I’m alone.
Timothy Ferriss wrote about creating freedom in his highly successful book “The 4-Hour Workweek.”
Here is something about money that I find interesting:
Research shows that truly wealthy people are no happier than those that make enough to live on and have some funds for fun things such as a vacation each year. On the other hand; truly not having enough money and having to worry about finances will definitely make you unhappy.
But when is enough, enough?
the pursuit of “more money” is never over. You make more, you adjust your lifestyle. You want even more because now you’ve tasted the good life… the result is that you never feel satisfied or happy with what you have. All the while focusing on how to make more money.
What if enough is simply enough and you start taking steps towards doing what you really want to be doing? Maybe just on the side, for now. Baby steps. Or maybe it involves a bold move; studying abroad or working and living somewhere else for a while.
Ultimately, it’s in the ability to be happy with what you have – not to get more, but to be truly happy with your current “haves.”
Today’s teachings often tell you that in order to attract more into your life, you need to appreciate what you have now.
But what if that “more” isn’t going to give you what you thought it would? Beyond a certain income level, it typically doesn’t.
So why not stop focusing on how much more we want but truly be happy with what we have right now? And whatever follows, follows.
I hear people complain about money yet they never need to worry about their mortgage, they buy designer clothes, and they can go on vacation multiple times a year.
Then, I see the poorer than poor walking around in Africa, and I see more happiness coming from them than from many designer-clad westerner surrounded by all the latest luxuries.
It’s not in the stuff, folks. It’s in the attitude and the experiences you dare create for yourself.
I think the “simple living” folks are indeed the “new rich” and I think they are on to something. I think I’m joining them!
How about you?
Do you complain about money yet you’ve always been able to pay the rent or the mortgage – one way or another? Are you stuck in thinking that what you want can in no way be done without heaps of cash? Would love to hear your take on this!
Tips to Avoid This Huge Branding Mistake
June 2, 2010
Often when I speak with a new client about personal branding or when I get a question from someone on this topic, there are two things that keep resurfacing. This is what I hear a lot:
“How do I develop my personal brand without sounding self-important and pompous?”
And..
“How can my brand be authentic if I’m tweaking it for different job opportunities?”
Left to their own devices, I often see people’s confusion result in the following:
- Concocting a “personal brand” that’s really not a brand at all because it’s just a vague description of something they have experience with.
Example: “Ten years experience in project management.” (Or: finance or marketing, etc.)
The problem: Lots of people have ten years’ experience in project management. It doesn’t tell us what sets you apart.
When you’re in the market for a new position, a personal brand should be developed in conjunction with your focus so it speaks to the hiring person of that specific field.
Keep in mind that an employer’s bottom-line question – even if it is not asked – is whether you are worth your money. They want to know what you can do for the organization that makes it worth their while bringing you on board. Hiring is an expensive process! A wrong hire is extremely expensive.
Communicating your personal brand gives the people you network and interview with something specific and memorable – or at least it should!
Here are the answers to those questions – and your tips – to make sure you’re not committing “brand suicide.”
- You stay authentic by, of course, not making things up, and by figuring out what you do, what skills you have, what combination of traits, or the kind of results you consistently get for whichever field and position you want to apply with.
Often, the core of the personal brand remains the same and you’re just tweaking parts of it when using it in a different industry or to position yourself for a different type of position. The thing to remember is that your brand – just like you – is multi-faceted.
- Many folks fear coming off as self-absorbed when the topic of personal branding comes up. You need to remember, though, that even if you don’t uncover your own brand and take charge of it, you already have a brand.
How so?
We’re using the term “brand” here to describe how others perceive you. Brands are all about perception.
People will always have an opinion about you, no matter what you do. So when you uncover your brand and get comfortable communicating this to the world, you’re directing how others perceive you. you’re basically highlighting what’s most important for possible employers to know about you with your brand.
Ideally, you want to come up with something that you consistently do, that you’re “known” for, and that has bottom-line value to an organization.
Also; you should not worry about sounding pompous or self-absorbed as you’ll only be talking about facts. Your brand is based on you and your track record, so if what you described really happened (and of course that’s the case), then it’s not bragging – it’s letting peopleknow some great things about you that may be valuable to them in their organization.
See the difference in approach?
I’d love to hear what has worked for you!
