Career Hub

Mentoring Odyssey with Beth N. Carvin

The quest for a mentor has taken on a whole new meaning for me when I happened across a reference to the Mentor-Me-Meg Social Experiment post in Jill Whalen's 'High Rankings Advisor newsletter.' . Jill's sister Beth N. Carvin, CEO of Nobscot Corporation, is actively engaged in a campaign to secure Meg Whitman, CEO of Ebay, as a business mentor.

In the initial Mentor-Me-Meg post you will find a list of "approach" techniques used by Beth that could just as easily work in a job search or career promotion situation. Follow Beth's progress in Mentor Me Mission-Update One where more techniques and results are discussed.

Then Jill asks the important question, "What's in it for Meg?" Why would someone want to mentor? And Beth quickly responds with The Ten Best Reasons to be a Mentor...WOW! I hope Meg read it. If not, perhaps Beth or someone who knows Meg well and could intercede for Beth may forward it to her...we'll see what happens.

In the meantime, be entertained with Beth's recent blog post Best Mentoring Pairs in TV and Film. Which film or TV star would you choose for a mentor and why?

Cross-posted at Career Goddess blog

So Where is the 4 Hour Workweek?

So just how indispensable do you think you are at work? Do you plan to take some vacation time this summer?

If the same numbers apply south of the border as they do here in Canada, according to two recent surveys by Monster.ca it would appear a high number of us feel we cannot even leave work to take a vacation - let alone need to stay connected if we do take a break.

In the first it was found that almost 1 in 5 workers (19%) will not be taking a vacation this summer because they do not want to come back to a nightmare workload. A further 16% will only be taking partial vacation - saying the 'guilt' of leaving work behind is too much.

64% of Canadians will be taking time off however, but according to the 2nd survey by Monster.ca - 37% say they will be using technology to check in with work periodically.

Some people pride themsleves on being available 24/7, I know a lawyer that reflects that as part of their personal brand on thier voicemail and although I have to admit that I will be one of those 37% over the next two weeks, whilst travelling around Ontario the laptop will be connected on occasion and cell phone will be on, I will be taking a leaf out of the 4 Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss, the notes have already gone out saying I am away, e-mail will be on auto respond and voicemail will reflect my absence.

So what about you - are you switching off completely or checking out occasionally but staying switched on?

Cross posted on Reflections of a Square Peg

The Candy Dish

In my office, I have a candy dish. Presently, it is filled with a blend of red-colored Cinnamon Disks (Fat Free 0g Trans Fat) - Refreshing Flavor and yellow-colored Butterscotch Disks (Fat Free 0g Trans Fat) - Long-Lasting Flavor. Clients help themselves to the sweets.

The other day, as per usual when a new client arrives for a session, the customary chitty-chat occurs and then we get to business. Well, it didn't work that way, that day, as the first thing the client asked was "are you a Hawk?" and I, not being in high gear (or any gear at that moment), quizzically responded "A Hawk?"  "Or, are you a Clone?" Then I got it! Duh! And I said "neither, I am a Bulldog -- as in Drake Bulldogs." A conversation went on for 15 or so more minutes about the Hawks, the Clones, this year's rivalry and it had absolutely nothing to do with our work at hand.

So what exactly, then, did the candy dish have to do with the Hawks and the Clones? At the end of our session, I found out by asking: "You know when you first came in today for our meeting and the first thing you asked was 'are you a Hawk' -- how is it you happened to ask that question?"  And he replied "the candy dish -- the colors in your candy dish -- red and yellow -- you need to take out the red and add some black for Hawk colors."

By now, surely you must think this post is a waste of your time? Sort of like the time wasted while my client and I talked about the Hawks and the Clones. Or the time you may waste in a very important interview. Suppose you've been told that you have one hour for your interview and you spend the first 10 or 15 minutes talking about something irrelevant, only to be interrupted by a knock on the hiring manager's door announcing "something's come up" and your interview abruptly ends.

Protect your precious interview time and make sure you don't tarry too much on irrelevant topics...not that the Hawks and the Clones are irrelevant. Icebreakers are good, but try to keep your responses short, sweet, and to the point. Stick to the subject. Stay on task. You are there to speak about your credentials, your value, and your brand. Gently steer the conversation back on track. Do not veer off the path. Focus on your agenda. And do not get derailed by the candy dish.

posted by billie sucher

Pot of Blog-Gold

"If a tech geek can turn himself into an online personality, anyone can" is the take Rick Mahn has on his own meteoric rise to online visibility via blogging. Wendy Marx, on Fast Company's Expert blogs, tells us what is at the end of Rick's blogging rainbow: he gets calls from headhunters, Wall Street Journal Online reporters, Microsoft folks wanting his opinion, etc. How great is that? Imagine the difference it makes in conducting a job search if you are found all over the first 3 pages of a Google search as a player in your field.

Investment? 1-3 hours/week. Payoff? A serious advantage in getting noticed in your job search!

Ideas on Finding Your Career Passion

I met someone the other day who is in a very intriguing position in her life.

She was recently laid off. She has a successful 20-year career behind her. She can take some time before moving onto the next thing. She's ready for a change and believes that now is the right time to discover what really lights her fire.

The only thing is she has no clue what that might be.

She's been working hard for years, intensely focused on the everyday challenges of her career. Who's had the time to think about fire, sparks, and true creative drive?

When we reach a pause in life and feel ready to create a new idea about how our career life could be, how do we uncover the passion?

There are many interesting people writing about this topic. Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst and blogger behind Occupational Adventure, has written and focused extensively on this. Check out his Occupational Adventure Guide, for example.

You may worry that the well of creative ideas and inspiration is dry, but I say be patient. 

You do care about something, probably many things -  trust me. You may have forgotten what they are, and you may not have a clue about how to connect them to making a living, but there are people, ideas, and/or activities that inspire you. And when you've spent some time reacquainting yourself with these things or engaging in new introductions, you will be able to think a lot more creatively.

But first, to find a career passion you need to let the analytic, problem-solving side of you take a little break. This is because passion is a feeling!

Also if you put a due date on finding your career passion, that sort of kills the mood.

So first you connect with the inspired feelings, then you invite your analytic side back in the room to help you make connections between the exciting feelings/visions/dreams and the opportunities in real life.

For many of us, our interests are not crashing cymbals but are more elusive whispers. It takes patience to notice them.

To begin, small acts of shaking up your routine can lead to more connection with the more inspired, engaged part of yourself. Here are a few examples:

1. Notice what you care about, especially if you don't think you have time.

If you haven't thought about what you really like about your job and what you really care about in life since 1994, first plan plenty of time to find that headspace.

It's ideal if you can make a habit of noticing what you care about. This can be as basic as keeping a short bulleted list of what you like about your job on the fridge, or thinking about what you loved to do as a kid. You can keep a gratitude journal for a week every other month. You can meditate on the question for 60 seconds a day.

2. Get out of your head and into your body.

Break a sweat, let your mind wander while you do so, and notice where your mind goes. Or mellow out with a massage or other bodywork if that's more your speed.

3. Get out of town.

You need to take your vacation time. Don't be one of those people who "can't possibly" be away from the office for even a couple of days.

Leave town and stop thinking about your job. Get into nature, and if nature's not your thing, go to a museum. When your mind gets a break from being entirely consumed with your current job, it's free to do some wandering. Let it.

4. Create something.

It doesn't need to be good, and you don't have to show anyone. Paint, sculpt, play music, dance, write a play, decorate a room. This is more about leaving analysis behind for awhile.

5. Write.

Write for 10 minutes each day about anything.

6. Meet somebody new.

Connecting with new people can be inspiring. We learn new things when we're around new people. Don't stress about how you'll meet somebody new, simply be open to it.

Tapping into what you really care about is not a process that you force. You don't get to choose exactly when inspiration will come or in what form it will occur to you. This can be frustrating for those of us who have allowed ourselves 36 hours to come up with our New Path.

There may or may not be one thing that pops up as the certain "Aha! Now I know what my whole life has been preparing me for!"

But if you allow yourself to pursue career passion as a possibility, you'll run into something pretty good. And if you see something pretty good, go for it.

Posted by Heather Mundell

Is Your Personal Brand Showing?

Despite all the online buzz about personal branding for career management, there still seems to be confusion about what actually constitutes someone's personal branding identity. In a recent keynote address on small business marketing, Michael Port makes the essential points that your personal brand "has to be true" and that it "emotionally connects you...".

Watch the short YouTube video "What Do You Stand For?" and you will quickly realize that Michael's brand is emotionally connecting with his audience. As William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson assert in their new career management book, Career Distinction, your authentic personal brand is about the "real you". It is more than just a well-spun tagline or clever logo - YOU are the living, breathing embodiment of your brand.

Here's one more tidbit from Career Distinction: "You already have a brand - even if you don't know what it is and even if it isn't working for you the way you'd like it to." Want to check out your online brand? Take the Career Distinction Online ID Calculator and get some feedback on the strength of your personal brand online. Then, if you would like to know exactly what your personal brand is and how to leverage it successfully both online and offline, email me. As a Certified Personal Branding Strategist I can help!

Cross-posted at the Career Goddess Blog

Running Out of Ideas?

Last week, one of my clients mentioned that he’d been following the Career Hub blog. He said he really enjoys reading the diverse posts and perspectives. He then asked…where do you get your ideas? explaining that if he were a blogger, he thought he’d run out of ideas for things to write about.

Running out of ideas. I’ve felt that way many times, wondering if I’ll ever have another idea and then, voilà, there it is! In your quest for a new opportunity, do you ever think you’re running out of ideas? Or feel like you’re at a dead end? Or totally devoid of any fresh career wisdom?  Here are a few ideas about running out of ideas:

1.                  Call time out. Sit with a blank piece of paper and a writing instrument. Don’t even think about writing something. Just be calm. Quiet. Still. Clear your mind of this, that and the other thing, seeking clarity, not more clutter and chaos. After 20 – 30 minutes, write down the one career related thing, thought or idea that seems to appear out of nowhere. What, if anything, does it suggest to you? If nothing comes to mind, no problem. It will in time.

2.                  Get outdoors, if you are able to do so, and enjoy the fresh air. Try to find a quiet spot, away from the crazy, hectic daily pace. Look around at nature’s beauty. From lakes and rivers to trees, flowers and sunshine, nature’s beauty is everywhere. What, if any, ideas do you glean from it?

3.                  Ask several people: what is the single best idea that someone ever told you about finding a new job? Maybe what they say will be just the thing to spur you on to the next great notion, or new business invention.

4.                  Listen. Whether it’s to the radio, tv, computer, your buddy, a neighbor, or children at play, simply listen. You may come up with a brilliant new idea.

5.                  Browse through a bookstore. From business to travel to self-help and career sections, grab a book that looks interesting to you. Read a page here, there. Any ideas come to mind? Or, if you prefer, browse the internet for areas of interest to you. Any ideas?

Better yet, if you have an idea that worked well for you when you stalled out in a job search, how about posting it here in comments? Now that would be a most appreciated idea!

Money = Happiness? Not!

You'd think that people making $200K+ per year would have tremendous job satisfaction. They've been selected for challenging roles and are well compensated for their expertise. But a recent ExecuNet survey reveals, disturbingly, that 48% of executives with an average salary of $221K are dissatisfied, and 52% think they'll leave their company within the next 12 months.

Recruiters, this is good news for you! When you make that call to an existing CFO or HR executive, there's better than a 6 in 10 chance he or she will be unhappy and welcome your call!

But for executives, it's not such good news. Life is short, work is long, and we deserve to expend our time and talents in jobs that will enrich our lives with meaning and satisfaction.

I can't help but contrast this picture to my experiences this weekend. My 19-year-old son and his band hit town in the midst of their national summer tour. They're on the road for more than month, lucky to make gas & food money, sleeping on floors and having "experiences" like van breakdowns and show scheduling snafus. Yet their energy, excitement, and pure satisfaction were unmistakeable!

"Do what you love" may sound like simplistic advice in the context of lifestyle expectations and commitments. But try seriously to recapture the joy you felt - at ANY age, in ANY job - when you were doing what you loved. And quite possibly the money will follow, attracted to the vitality and passion you pour into your work life. Otherwise, you may end up part of the unhappy majority, dissatisfied with what you're doing for one-third or more of your waking hours.

Posted by Louise Kursmark

Digital Dirt Strikes Again!

Ms. New Jersey's recent experience with digital dirt may serve as a cautionary tale to all job seekers. Setting your Facebook or MySpace page to private does not ensure that the photos will stay that way. Fortunately for Amy Polumbo, the pageant board did not strip her of her crown, but would an employer who expected you to represent their company and service their customers be so forgiving? Think before you post...if you wouldn't want a previous or potential boss to see the picture or entry, don't post it.

Posted by Barbara Safani

Does Your Resume Tell a Story?

This post about the importance of story-telling in blogging reminded me that I haven't written about this subject for a while.

If I could get all my readers to make just one change to their resume, it would be to add stories. As the post points out, stories allow you to make a connection. Your reader can understand what you're saying, and feel connected to you much more closely when you tell a story than when you just recite facts.

Not sure what I mean? Here's an example.

I received a resume today from a potential client. She's a mid-level marketing manager and she's looking to advance her career to the next level. Her resume included a series of concise bullet points outlining the impact she had made on her company.

Here's one of them:

• Helped increase sales by 10% through new marketing campaign.

Well that's good, right? Actually I'm not sure. Is a 10% sales increase good in her industry at this time? She hasn't told me. Maybe the whole industry is up 30%! And what was the new marketing campaign? Without knowing more about it, how can the reader know whether such results would be possible at his or her company? For example, if his company is struggling and his marketplace is sluggish, he may read that bullet point and say "well, that's nice, but it's not possible here. Things are too tight."

But what if our candidate told a story instead:

• Repositioned outdated service provider by adding and promoting 3 market-leading services - drove a 10% increase in sales after 3 years of decreases. (Increase was achieved despite an overall market decline of 5%.)

Well now our manager would be NUTS if he didn't sit up and pay attention!

Context is key when you are convincing someone else that you can help their company. So go through your resume to check whether you have told a story about each of your accomplishments, as opposed to just listing them.

You'll find an amazing difference in your response rate if you make this change.

Cross-posted at Blue Sky Resumes Blog