Taking back America – One Vocation at a time!
The solution is YOU Inc.
Teaching and speaking for 2 weeks in China brought me to an epiphany. America is losing ground quickly with having no clear strategy on what to do to regain a strong economy. It was amazing for me to discover that in China growth is everywhere. Most people have health care and money left over. It's cheap to eat, affordable to buy apartments and cars are not really necessary because taxi is so cheap. Even more amazing I was feeling safer in the city of 7 million where I visited than in any American town. Why? No guns allowed. The police walk around unarmed. Yes, I know what you are thinking. Free speech is an issue there. In fact, this kind of criticism there might get me a few years of tough labor. Ok, so no place is perfect but for sure we have lessons to learn.
We don't produce anything anymore
Except war, that's it. And even now that is outsourced. I have a call into the president to intercept this new 30 billion on its way to fight more unnecessary war so instead we can use it for heath care for 47 million citizens without heath insurance. He hasn't called back yet. Do you know it costs us 1 million dollars per soldier in the Middle East? Any American company would go under quickly with this kind of spending per employee. Well, the only exception would be the Wall Street firms. But, then again I never understood the meaning to spend a lifetime just watching money go up and down. There is a small movement in congress to apply a small excise tax on all financial transactions (trading stocks, bonds, and derivatives). I would go a step further and enact in law that all tax collected from Wall Street go directly to paying 100% health care for all Americans. Health care problem solved and Wall Street and its behavior become socially useful. What a concept!
What are we doing?
We are waiting for the other financial shoe to drop. It will, and soon. Our greed for making money out of thin air has not stopped and unless we change behavior our current economic crisis will only get worse.
The solution is vocation
With this article I am launching a new program called "Taking back America - One vocation at a time". The emphasis on just job creation is short sighted. First, how many people really want to work on construction projects? The smarter approach is to fund people and programs directly to teach people how to have vocation - the work which will last their entire lives.
Let's start with you
You can start to take back America and be a role model right now. What services or products can you create and sell to others which would be useful and earn you an income. Even if you work for someone else thinking like an entrepreneur is what America needs right now. 150 years ago bartering was popular - people helping out each other. Guess what? In this down economy you can again find bartering clubs starting up again. The plumber donates 20 hours a month as the dentist does. They exchange services and help each other. No money is exchanged.
We need to be creative as a society
Violence just breeds more violence. The more we focus on the war against terror and live in fear the more fearful we will become. Instead, let’s focus on making a difference in our work for ourselves and others and we will get better results.
What can organizations do?
First, stop laying-off people. I wish firms were penalized 1 million dollars each for each person laid-off. This might turn around the focus a bit on people development rather than to lay-off people and then rehire those same positions one year later at twice the costs. With new job security people could again focus on work without fear. Make people development a larger priority than profit. That’s right, people over profit. We tend to roll out programs to motivate people to do more of what we want them to do. Instead if we invested time to teach people how to motivate themselves. They would be happier, more joyful and in turn their organizations which they worked for would benefit as well.
What can individuals do?
Start working towards vocation - that is doing work which you really love which will last a lifetime. What would this be for you? Start to produce something! Or start a service! Find just one customer. Prove to yourself what you have is valuable. If everyone did this, we would take America back. We would once again be a country which produces. If you don’t want to do it alone there are many smaller firms which would love your ideas. Do you know that over 80% of all firms in America have less than 10 people? Do you know that over 99% of all firms in America have less that 500 people? Do you know that 50% of these businesses are home based!! Is this enough incentive for you!
Can’t we all be like Bhutan?
I think the King of Bhutan was on to something when he decided that the national gross product of his country would be happiness and well-being. Wow, how forward thinking in 1972. America is now 38th in the world for life expectancy at 78 (75 for men and 80 for women) Australia is the leader at 80 on average.
We need to be more self sustaining
That’s right. And it starts with your work. Everyone over 40 right now should have multiple streams of income. This will help you to become more self-sustaining
How can you do your part to take back America?
Figure out what product or service you can create and sell to at least one other person? Just imagine if every person over 40 did this? Now, that’s vocation creation and a better focus than war and terror, don’t you think?
I love our country!
I really do which is why I have launched this program. It's a small part which integrates with my work and just might make a difference for one person at a time with their work and their life. You can do this too with your work and I'll be cheering you on as you go. One vocation at a time!
I'll be cheering you on as you go - Craig Nathanson
Eleven Steps to FINALLY loving your work after forty
Step One: Envision exactly what would be just perfect for you!Many people stop on this first step by their negativity. But no one is going to do this except you.Take some time and create a picture in your mind of the work which would be just perfect for you. Is it working in the health field, with children, painting, writing or creating marketing campaigns? Separate the money at this stage or you will NEVER move to the step 2. Of course, there will be steps to get to this perfect state. What would that look like for you?Step Two: Write down your plan to get thereWhen you write down a plan, your whole life and activities start to align around what you want. Then you start to figure out how to reach your goals. All of a sudden daily activities start to align and make sense. You start to be clearer about which opportunities to say yes to and which to turn down. Once written down you have something to refer to daily especially when you encounter others who don’t support your plans.Step Three: Talk to others about your plansThis is not a process of ego. In some ways it doesn’t matter who you talk to. Strangers on the airplane are the best for the start. They listen and ask questions while you get to practice your new elevator speech about your life. When you talk to others about your plans you commit yourself and start to believe that what you want is possible. This is really important. You are not talking to others to get their views. You have to be strong emotionally and resist to the negative view.Step Four: Take small steps dailyImagine you just started an exercise program. The first 4 days you jog slowly. You start to feel sore but good at the same time. Then you decide to take a week off. You lose all the momentum and fitness gained in those first four days. The same is true for vocational passion. You need to take small steps daily. For example, if you decide you want to be in the marketing field, don’t let a day go by without reading an article on marketing, talking to someone about marketing or marketing something yourself. These activities build new habits around what you want vs. perhaps old addictions which are no longer helpful for you in your life.Step Five: Measure your progressFinancial experts will advise to make a budget and keep track of your spending. They claim this helps to place focus on where your spending is going. Again this is true for moving towards your vocational goals. To keep track of your daily activities and progress will help as you move towards new goals in your life. Then you can examine what is working and what is not working, so you can make corrections as you go.Step Six: Celebrate small progressUsing the above example, you decide to subscribe to an on-line marketing forum with other marketing professionals. For a week, you log on daily and discuss the world of marketing with others. It feels good to be involved with others who share your passion of marketing. At the end of the week you have new ideas and are feeling pretty good about your progress. Ok, time to celebrate in a healthy way. Maybe for you this means going out to a nice dinner or maybe a movie or buying a new CD or your favorite newspaper. The point is these small celebrations will reinforce your progress and encourage even more progress. This is very different than the rewards you used to have in the past when the organization allowed you to wear jeans on Friday for work performed- how humiliating!Step Seven: Change course when neededAlong the way you will run into challenges and roadblocks. You may need to slightly change course. I have many clients who start down the road to one passion then suddenly discover this was not what they expected. Don’t be afraid to make change mid-stream. These are usually small changes but enough to keep the dreams alive and moving forward. The most important thing is to be aware of and recognize when change is needed. One can usually tell if they listen careful to their INNER signals.Step Eight: Get a new teamIn many cases, the path towards a new vocation will require a new team or just a new commitment from the same team! Approach your existing team of friends, family and professional contacts and let them know your new path and direction and ask for their support, ideas and encouragement. If you run into anyone who doesn’t support what you want, let them know in a nice way you may have to drop them from the team down the road. This is the hardest thing to do with a spouse who isn’t thrilled with your new plans in mid-life. The key to a strong relationship is to support each others’ dreams and desires. Without this, there is no longer a strong foundation in the relationship to fall back on during challenging times. This is the time when a new team or member is needed. Surround yourself with only people who support and encourage your development at this stage of your life. Don’t settle for anything less!Step Nine: Change your environmentIt is amazing how just a small or large change in environment can make a difference in your progress. Burdened by a large mortgage, perhaps a move to a less expensive area will make the difference. Perhaps moving to a new office or part of the house will create the same effect.Start with the criteria which would be just perfect for you with regards to the environment. This should include where you live, how you live and what stuff you live with. Sometimes just getting rid of old junk and things can create a lighter backpack for your new life.Step Ten: Change your financial stateMoney is such a personal topic. Start with a clear understanding of what you need vs. what you want. There is a difference. How much money do you need to make, net after taxes to do the work you love? It is amazing to me how many people don’t have a good idea as to their monthly cash flow and expenses. Where can you lighten the load? Start with small things and work your way up. Don’t expect miracles. Stay away from traditional advice like saving for retirement. This should be the first idea to throw out. Cash out your savings for death (my word for retirement) and use now to fund your way towards doing what you love. You won’t die or go homeless at this step. You need to free up all resources now. So many people I work with are scared of losing their money and this fear prevents them from living in the present and making a better life now vs. saving for someday which usually never comes as life tends to get in the way.Step Eleven: Continue learningContinue learning and improve your self-awareness. This is key to future development and a sense of calmness about your path. Start a journal. Just before bed each night, answer the question, what did I learn about myself today. There will always be something you learned. Read this journal every 30 days. You will see your progress. This is what I call the compounding of self-awareness which is much more valuable in mid-life than the compounding of money. If you follow JUST money then after losing your work you are left with nothing. But if you follow a path towards doing work which you love, you may lose money but you will always have the work to do which you love!I’ll be cheering you on as you go!Craig Nathanson
Craig Nathanson is the author of "Don't JUST retire and die: A new approach to your life and work after 40" and he is a coaching expert who works with people over forty.Visit Craig’s online community at http://www.thevocationalcoach.com where you can take a class, get more ideas through Craig Nathanson’s books and CD’s, get some private coaching over the phone or skype or in Craig’s office, or read other stories of mid-life change and renewal.Craig lives and works in Petaluma, California. His office is located at P.O Box 2823, Petaluma Ca, 94953. You can reach him at 707-775-4020 or at craig@thevocationalcoach.com.
Having trouble finding one job? Get five instead which is much easier and here’s how!
Have multiple streams of income
In this economy the idea of having just one job doesn't make sense. First there is much competition for a single job. Second, once committed to just one job, independence and flexibility is taken away. The best strategy in this economy especially for those over 40 is to have multiple streams of income. This gives one the best sense of security. If one stream of income doesn't work out, there are many others to turn to. I suggest the number five as a target to aim for. Why? No scientific reason other than you can keep track of them on one hand. This approach, of course, takes a whole different thought process.
One of the best ways to start is to search on the various job sites under part-time work. I recommend indeed.com. Also start to look at sites like guru.com and elance.com which give people the opportunity to bid on work and offer themselves and their talents.
Align all work around a central theme
It is important for focus, energy, and momentum to look for five sources of revenue which all relate to one another. For example, I had a client who was a high school teacher and decided to leave because of new stress on teachers. She still loved to teach. Today, she helps high school seniors to discover what they want to do in their life and to find the best colleges for them. She has a coaching business helping high school students who are struggling with grades. Her third source and core business is developing training programs for teachers as part of their in-service training days teaching them how to communicate with students better. Her fourth and fifth sources of revenue are working part-time for others. She is a substitute high school teacher for 3 districts 3 days a week. She likes the challenge and no longer has the state testing pressure. Her other part-time job is working for a text book company selling textbooks to high school teachers. This keeps her close to her target audience and customers. Her overall revenue after 2 years of developing is slightly higher than she made as a full time teacher. Now she has to pay private health insurance and she gave up her "retirement"but she is happier now with no need to ever stop doing what she loves. Recently she told me that she was considering a sixth source of revenue which is assisting teachers on the path and process to teach overseas.
Establish You.inc
Like the example above, this same opportunity is available to you. First, you must think through which abilities and interests align the best. This is where you should focus. You will surprise yourself with the ideas you come up with. It is much easier to get 5 sources of revenue and customers then just one traditional job which lock you into a time, place, and a salary! So outdated for those over 40!
Establish a niche
I have one client who loved working with old classic cars. Fast forward today and he has multiple streams of income around this passion. He organizes downtown shows of old cars. He actually fixes other people's old cars. He acts as a broker helping people to get the spare parts they need for their vintage cars. He works one day a week at a junk yard. He likes being outside and this also gives him access to new parts which come in. He works 2 days a week changing tires at a local shop. While this doesn't relate directly to his love of old cars, he knows how to fix tires and this part time job keeps him around cars!
Find new ways to work
Start with a business card. What would you call yourself? What would your tagline be? What would your marketing flyer look like? What products and services could you develop and sell to others. Which part-time jobs could you combine in similar areas?
It all starts with a sense of purpose and path
Focus in areas where you feel deep interest. It is very important especially after 40 when you start feeling a sense of urgency around your work and what you do.
Over 40 the OLD way of looking for just one job no longer makes sense. The new way is to create multiple streams of income. This is important in mid-life as the need to explore, to travel, and to be creative rises to the surface. Getting just ONE job is hard work- Getting five is much easier!
I'll be cheering you on as you go - Craig Nathanson
Having Trouble Finding One Job? Get Five Instead Which Is Much Easier And Here’s How!
Have multiple streams of income
In this economy the idea of having just one job doesn't make sense. First there is much competition for a single job. Second, once committed to just one job, independence and flexibility is taken away. The best strategy in this economy especially for those over 40 is to have multiple streams of income. This gives one the best sense of security. If one stream of income doesn't work out, there are many others to turn to. I suggest the number five as a target to aim for. Why? No scientific reason other than you can keep track of them on one hand. This approach, of course, takes a whole different thought process.
One of the best ways to start is to search on the various job sites under part-time work. I recommend indeed.com. Also start to look at sites like guru.com and elance.com which give people the opportunity to bid on work and offer themselves and their talents.
Align all work around a central theme
It is important for focus, energy, and momentum to look for five sources of revenue which all relate to one another. For example, I had a client who was a high school teacher and decided to leave because of new stress on teachers. She still loved to teach. Today, she helps high school seniors to discover what they want to do in their life and to find the best colleges for them. She has a coaching business helping high school students who are struggling with grades. Her third source and core business is developing training programs for teachers as part of their in-service training days teaching them how to communicate with students better. Her fourth and fifth sources of revenue are working part-time for others. She is a substitute high school teacher for 3 districts 3 days a week. She likes the challenge and no longer has the state testing pressure. Her other part-time job is working for a text book company selling textbooks to high school teachers. This keeps her close to her target audience and customers. Her overall revenue after 2 years of developing is slightly higher than she made as a full time teacher. Now she has to pay private health insurance and she gave up her "retirement"but she is happier now with no need to ever stop doing what she loves. Recently she told me that she was considering a sixth source of revenue which is assisting teachers on the path and process to teach overseas.
Establish You.inc
Like the example above, this same opportunity is available to you. First, you must think through which abilities and interests align the best. This is where you should focus. You will surprise yourself with the ideas you come up with. It is much easier to get 5 sources of revenue and customers then just one traditional job which lock you into a time, place, and a salary! So outdated for those over 40!
Establish a niche
I have one client who loved working with old classic cars. Fast forward today and he has multiple streams of income around this passion. He organizes downtown shows of old cars. He actually fixes other people's old cars. He acts as a broker helping people to get the spare parts they need for their vintage cars. He works one day a week at a junk yard. He likes being outside and this also gives him access to new parts which come in. He works 2 days a week changing tires at a local shop. While this doesn't relate directly to his love of old cars, he knows how to fix tires and this part time job keeps him around cars!
Find new ways to work
Start with a business card. What would you call yourself? What would your tagline be? What would your marketing flyer look like? What products and services could you develop and sell to others. Which part-time jobs could you combine in similar areas?
It all starts with a sense of purpose and path
Focus in areas where you feel deep interest. It is very important especially after 40 when you start feeling a sense of urgency around your work and what you do.
Over 40 the OLD way of looking for just one job no longer makes sense. The new way is to create multiple streams of income. This is important in mid-life as the need to explore, to travel, and to be creative rises to the surface. Getting just ONE job is hard work- Getting five is much easier!
I'll be cheering you on as you go - Craig Nathanson
Craig Nathanson is the author of "Don't JUST retire and die: A new approach to your life and work after 40" and he is a coaching expert who works with people over forty.
Visit Craig’s online community at http://www.thevocationalcoach.com where you can take a class, get more ideas through Craig Nathanson’s books and CD’s, get some private coaching over the phone or skype using webcam or in Craig’s office.
A new year is the time for a new approach to work
Good. Then you won't need permission from your parents to read this article. If you are under 40, I give you permission now! I would guess if you are over 40 you have begun to question your life and your work. Good. This is normal and healthy. Perhaps you have also started to question your contributions to society. Perhaps your accomplishments for this period of your life have not reached up to your internal or external expectations. That’s ok. Life tends to get in the way as we are making plans. And, this is the right time to deal with the disparity between where you are and where you expected to be in your life. This is important now so you can change your internal expectations to the one that suit you better at this point of your life. This can be a magical process. Do you experience sometimes that you are no longer young? This can generate an awareness of who you are, what you have done and where you might be going. It’s normal from time to time now to sense a recognition of your own mortality as this can drive new healthy change. This is an invaluable time to ask yourself key questions around what is most important and whether your lifestyle aligned to your values and sense of identity.
If your answer is no, you are not alone. Most people don’t find meaning in their work. Many people afraid of failure continue to work harder at jobs which have no meaning. This overemphasis on productivity and sense of doing things which are not personally rewarding causes their inner conflict.
This is the most important lesson to learn from. For example, don’t go back to jobs which didn’t provide joy or meaning. Don't go back to jobs which you didn’t enjoy or lowered your self-esteem. Don’t go back to jobs which you didn’t feel made a difference to yourself or others. For sure don’t go back to jobs JUST for the money as this has a way of catching up to you. You will spend the money you earn faster than you can earn it and then the emptiness of the work will set in.
This usually requires risk, courage, and an openness to change in one’s life. Why not? What have you got to lose or gain? What could you do which would be completely different with regards to your work? What small steps might you take now to get started?
What can you become an expert at? Being really good at one thing vs. average at many things can raise self-esteem and give one especially those over 40 a greater sense of self and contribution in the world.
This is not just for fun. Even if your goal is to work for someone else, the process of thinking through what you could make as a product or service and then selling this to just one other person can create even more possibilities in your life and work.
The world of learning is unlimited. For each idea which you want to pursue you will find many people already doing this. Within seconds you have the world’s knowledge to pursue new learning and new ideas.
Let me help. Decide what you want to change in your life and work now. Define WHY you want to change. Define how your life will be different if you do change. Define what your life will be like if you don’t change. Take one action now which will start to build new habits.
Why not? It might just be the right prescription for a healthier and happier life.
I’ll be cheering you on as you go-Craig Nathanson and Happy New Year-2010!
The five biggest myths about work
Myth One: Work leads to retirement
This is the biggest myth of all. First of all, most people simply can no longer afford to stop working. Even for those who do stop working soon they find their lives are filled with too much leisure time. Not too long after a feeling of wanting to make a greater difference in the world will emerge. For most of us it is the question how can I keep working? It seems now organizations are hiring the youngest workers at the lowest price they can get. Just looking around it seems those over 40 seem to get pushed out sooner than later.
Take Control
After 40, it is mandatory to take control of one’s life and work. First, only those who truly don’t love their work want to retire. Otherwise why would anyone want to stop doing what they love? Our society sends a strong message for planning for retirement. Despite this it is mandatory to take responsibility for finding work which last a lifetime.
Money magazine
Just this month Money magazine stressed that now was the time to increase the retirement saving. Sure, so others can make money at your expense. This advice is very misleading and irresponsible I can add. This is like telling people they should save more for when they die. When you do what you love there is no reason to ever stop working. So why save for death?
Our education system
Our education system throughout high school, college, and later adult education rarely teaches us how to discover and do the work you love forever. What can be more important?
What happens when you don't retire?
You start to place a new emphasis on living, especially in the present. You are able to make more choices, take more risks and have more courage with your life and work. Don’t fall for the retirement message, its outdated and no longer useful.
Myth Two: Do work which you are good at
After 40, for many people the work we are good at in many cases no longer brings the same joy as 15 or 20 years ago. You are not same person at 40 or 50 as you were at 20 or 30. Much has changed. In many cases this same work no longer provides passion, meaning and fulfillment.
However, there is a tendency to continue to do work which we are good at even if we are no longer interested. This is a strategy to retirement and quick death. The best way to prolong life is to live fully each and every day doing work which makes a difference to you. That will impact others in a good way as well. After 40 it is much better to focus around your deep interests and then learn how to do it. I hear stories all the time from clients, I would love to do this but I don’t have the skills. But it turns out that what you are interested in the most you can learn quickly and can be good at. Do you find yourself working in areas which others are proud of and you are good at but no longer interested in? It is time to change.
Myth Three: Work is not something to be enjoyed
The historical view of work is that work should be hard, not enjoyed, and not even something one might be good at. This notion has stayed with us. Even career counselors today will nudge people into jobs and careers which the market wants. This is the wrong approach. First you must start with work which you enjoy and then build a market around you. I had a client once who loved to build model airplanes. For sure, the world didn’t rush to his doorstep. Also, he had a family to support and bills to pay. Fast forward 3 years later he owns a model airplane hobby store, rents out the store to Boy Scout groups for adventure days, and many related activities which bring in income he needs. Is he rich by society standards? Probably not, but he pays his bills and he might live longer. Are you working in an area you don’t enjoy? It is time to change - no excuses!
Myth Four: Work is for only making money
I hear this one all the time. Work after forty has nothing to do with making money at a deep level. Work has to do with feelings of self worth, contribution, deep happiness, and a sense that your life matters. Also, work has the opportunity to pay your bills and living expenses. It is a nice combination.
One should never confuse work and money. The best work is when it feels voluntary and the worse work is when it feels obligatory. Of course, one needs to make money but the question is how to make money and live a life which feels fulfilling. There are many ways to make money. The more important question is what will you make money at and where will it lead you? If the answer is retirement, time to change direction.
Myth Five: A resume is necessary and sufficient
It is necessary only because the shallow way we have approached work in our education and thinking. The resume covers only an external view of what you have done. This form doesn’t cover your dreams, plans, goals, and deep desires when it comes to work. At least the Vita (usually reserved for college professors) gives one the opportunity to discuss what they are most proud of along with current and planned activities. More important is to develop another document. This is your future biography. I suggest that you write in second person describing the life you wish to live focused around the work you want to do. 2-3 years is a good timeframe. Then you will see the gap and the way how to close it. At least now by the time you write a resume, it will truly reflect the direction you most want to take. The resume is necessary but it is not sufficient.
I'll do anything!
Recently a man in the audience of a recent talk said with arms crossed, "I have been out of work for several years and at this point I’ll do anything".
This is not a good strategy for work. Better to take down time and figure out your life’s plan around work and then pursue it vs. wasting away time applying for just jobs. Don’t fall into the top 5 myths for yourself.
As a result your life will be fuller, happier, and more coherent.
I’ll be cheering you on as you go!
Craig Nathanson
Craig Nathanson is the author of "Don't JUST retire and die: A new approach to your life and work after 40" and he is a coaching expert who works with people over forty.
Visit Craig’s online community at http://www.thevocationalcoach.com
How to “rig” CareerBuilder and other job boards
Is it helpful to your job search to rank highly in a resume search? It should be, since only about 2-3% of resumes sent through job boards are actually read by humans.It's frustrating, isn't it? Many take it personally, getting angry or depressed.But it's also your best weapon to landing interviews…LOVE THE PRE-SCREEN:Computerized pre-screens are a necessary result of the number of resumes that CareerBuilder and other job sites flood companies with. But pre-screens give you a job seeker a HUGE opportunity to stand out from the crowd, if you know how to "rig" your resume.So how can you get an Unfair Advantage? Do the same thing that SEO experts do to websites – game your resume to show up near the top of searches. It's a technique called Resume Search Optimization, and the idea is simple.Use the same words as the job description. Sounds simple, doesn't it? But you'd be amazed at how few job seekers use this simple method. It pretty much like when you figured out in High School that the more of the teachers vocabulary words you used in your papers and essays, the higher your grade was.Why do so few job seekers use Resume Search Optimization? There's a few reasons:
Try Resume Search Optimization with the next 10 resumes you send. Make your resume detailed, and make sure to use the employers words. Please comment back with success stories!
Phil Rosenberg is President of reCareered, author of www.reCareered.blogspot.com, and Moderator of the Career Change Central group on Linkedin (www.tinyurl.com/cccjoinLI), recently named one of the top Linkedin groups job seekers must join.
Career Change Coaching Strategies and Values Clarification
"The Indispensable first step to getting what you want out of life is this: Decide What You want." -Ben Stein
Let's say you reach a fork in the road and have to decide which way to go on your career journey. This is naturally a difficult place to be in, but you have to make a decision.
Values clarification becomes indispensable when you are at a point where you must choose between two or more career options, but you're uncertain which option is best for you.
At such times, you must ask yourself this question:
What are my most important career values?
The rub is that when you choose one option, you often leave behind some values connected with your alternate option. The trick is to be certain that in the end, you choose the option that is most closely identified with your top values.
For example, I recently spoke with a graphic artist employed by a small publishing company. The key to his career success has been his mentor relationship with the soon to retire company president. He knew that he did not want to work with the incoming president. He was paralyzed, however, to choose between his two remaining options; Either move to a new company where he feels positive about the executive leadership. Or, start up his own business.
What to do? Make sure you clarify your career values in order to make your decision with confidence.
First, under each option list your top 3 to 5 values or benefits to you, of each. In this case:
Option One
Option Two
Here's the challenging part, now rank your top five values drawing from both lists.After several go rounds and some major soul searching, this individual ranked his top five values:
You can see that the majority of his values including his top two values, are drawn from list one. Although choosing which projects he takes on is important, when push came to shove he ranked it lower than the opportunity to work with a new mentor and not having to do marketing and sales.
After taking a step back and carefully considering his competing values, this individual chose option one.
When facing this kind of difficult choice, the above described coaching process insures that you make the best decision for YOU. One that will make your career soar and brings you joy and pride.
To learn more about how Seth can help you and to download his free Special Report: "10 Ways to Jump Start Your Career by Leveraging Your Strengths," visit his website: http://www.CreativeVisionCoaching.com or email him: Seth@CreativeVisionCoaching.com
(c) Copyright - Seth Kaufman. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Job Seekerâs Dilemma: Is it time to change career direction?
Todayâs job market is tough. Millions of people are looking for jobs for the first time in years. Theyâre looking for jobs that donât seem to exist. Recruiters donât return phone calls. Job seekers are fed up and frustrated. They wonder if all the effort is ever going to pay off and if itâs time to change careers. You might be wondering the same thing. But, it seems so risky in this economy.Â
If you are experiencing these feelings, it might be time for a career change:â¢Â Youâve always been interested in other career areas but went with the âsafeâ route and now you feel burned outâ¢Â You donât enjoy your work anymore and you wonder what other options are out there for youâ¢Â You feel stuck and stagnantâ¢Â You are finding fewer and fewer jobs available in your industryâ¢Â Youâre over-qualified for the jobs that are available in your industryâ¢Â You feel the effort to get a new job in your industry is more than you want to undertake
How do you know if now is a good time to change career direction?
The reality is that job loss and job creation are natural components of the world of work. It happens all the time to varying degrees. So there probably isnât one perfect time to change jobs or careers. The decision depends a lot on your personal situation.
Before launching a job search or career change, though, there are several important steps to take which I also outline in my career guide and audio program, Fast Track Your Career: Three Steps for Finding Work You Love.
Gaining Personal InsightBefore you change careers, you need to figure out what you want. By assessing your current situation you can determine what you need in your career to be satisfied. Analyze your values, skills, personality characteristics, interests, and lifestyle preferences. Itâs also useful to take inventory of your financial situation, especially if the career youâre considering might require additional education and training or relocation.
Getting a Reality CheckA critical mistake in making a career change is making the leap without getting enough career information. By exploring career possibilities youâll be able to identify options that are best suited to your personal attributes and preferences. There are online and print resources you can use to learn about job outlooks and industry trends. The people in your network can also be great sources for information about trends and opportunities in various career fields. In addition, they can make introductions and give you referrals.
Charting Your Career PathAfter youâve done some self-assessment to learn what you want in a career and done career research to generate options, you have to make a decision about next steps. Your transition and job search plans will guide you to successfully getting the job you want and expanding your professional network. Youâll also need to update your resume, cover letter, and other support materials and fine-tune your interviewing and networking skills.People change jobs or careers in search of greater satisfaction. By following the steps outlined above, you will increase your chances for finding a career that better suits your personal goals and uses your talents in meaningful ways.
If you're thinking about a career change, purchase the The Fast Track Your Career: Three Steps for Finding Work You Love career guide and audio program today. You will go through a step-by-step exploration and planning process by completing several exercises, so you can get clear about your career direction.
Special thanks to Andrea Delgado for contributing to this article. For more than 10 years, Andrea, was a program manager at an international development organization during which time she held multiple positions involving program and grant management and administrative support. Andrea has been networking to find employment opportunities and has considered a career change into the private sector. Her dream job would take her into the international financial arena analyzing economic policy and regulations. Andrea has her M.A. degree in International Political Economy and Development from Fordham University; a Graduate Certificate in Womenâs Politics & Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts at Boston and a B.A degree in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst."
Andrea can be contacted on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrea-delgado/10/3b6/717
Interior Design or Home Staging: Which is Career Right for You?
Many women approaching their 40's write to me to ask my opinion about whether or not they should go to Interior Design school. It's an issue I struggled with myself many times over a twenty year period.
I interviewed a number of interior design schools at various points in my past career but never followed through on actually applying. I already had a BA, an MBA and years of experience. The thought of being a full time student for two to four more years with a bunch of kids twenty years younger than me was not very appealing. And the cost was huge considering the significant income I would be giving up over that period.
Over the past five years, I have been approached by a surprising number of interior design graduates that asking me to hire them for my home staging company, Six Elements, Inc. Most seem to be working as sales people in furniture stores and are looking for a way out.
Just this week, a woman called me who was working on 100% commission. I couldn't image working retail hours for a furniture store after studying interior design for four years and not even be earning a salary. If you are going to work on a commission-only basis, you should absolutely be in your own business. At least then all the sales come to you instead of a hefty percentage going to your employer.
Here's what I've learned over the past five years about being a Professional Home Stager instead of an "Interior designer":
* As a Home Stager you get many more projects to work on because each project is short-term in nature which translates to much more variety in the job.
* As a Home Stager your clients often give you complete creative control because they understand that they only have to live temporarily with the changes you make to their homes. So, you get to be creative AND make the decisions.
* As a Home Stager you get many referrals for interior redesign and color projects because your staging clients love what you do with the house they are selling and often ask you to work on the new home they are moving into.
* As a Home Stager you have a much larger pool of potential clients to work with because many people who would not normally hire an interior designer or decorator do hire a professional Home Stager when selling their home. As a designer fresh out of interior design school, I know I would not have been able to decorate hundreds of homes in so short a period.
Although I have never attended design school or a design course, the people who hire me never seem to care. They have usually visited my websites, heard about me from their neighbors or real estate agents or have read about Six Elements or Staging Diva in the media. They are not interested in whether or not I can tell them if their chair is Louis the XVI or if I can draw plans to build an addition to their house. They hire me because I'm an expert in decorating a house to sell.
Now that I've staged hundreds of homes, I'm so happy I followed my instincts and stayed out of Interior Design school, and it was a huge relief to finally let go of the stress I had about the decision. Once I had focused my creative energy and talent on my own Home Staging business, I knew I had made the right choice for me.