career coaching – Career Ideas

January 11, 2009February 14, 2009

Career Idea–Get Grateful, Get Happy, Get Effective

Eric was 16 and knew it all so had no reason to participate, apparently, in a journaling class I was teaching. We got along OK, and respected each other, but he wasn’t exactly a great contributor in attitude or ideas to the group. But after I gave one assignment to the group–he came back the next class and participated instead of just joking or hanging out in the back with his crew and interrupting. In fact, he wanted to tell everyone the incredibly good experiences he had because of the assignment. Probably half the class had good experiences they told, and the others just hadn’t done it.

I’ve taught journaling classes to 10 year olds and seniors and most everyone between. I’ve taught them to improve your health (yes there’s good evidence for that), to be a writer, and to explore your spirituality. But this exercise that Eric liked is some kind of universal that works with everyone who gives it a try no matter why they are journaling. I also use it sometimes with career coaching clients

The activity is simple, fast, and easy–what more can you want? In the version I give, I ask people to keep a gratitude journal for 5 minutes a day at least 3x a week for the length of the course, which varies.

It may sound obvious to some of you or corny to others, but it makes people happier, more relaxed and more energized in my experience.

In recent years, I’m finding support for this very old idea in very new research. Here’s a nice summary of some of it from PsyBlog. I was surprised to find that there were better results form doing this just once a week vs. daily or 3x as I had recommended.

The key I find when I’ve used the exercise (myself and with others) is to make sure to pick things that you actually feel grateful for and don’t get caught up in what others may say you SHOULD be grateful for. If everyone says you should be grateful you weren’t hurt badly when someone totalled your car and you’re just feeling angry–don’t list that in your gratitude journal. You might consider it, but don’t put down what you should feel. Do put down even small things that you are grateful for. You’ll know the difference.

Why is this a post in my career ideas blog?

Simple–if you’re getting stuck lately (or any time) on lousy economic news, lousy work or personal news and getting pessimistic and unhappy, you are not going to be effective in finding a new job, deciding a career or even being your best at work wherever you are now. On the other hand, if you can find things that are positive in your life that you actually feel grateful for, you will change your mindset Or rather, thinking gratefully has a cascade effect and automatically changes your mindset.

To put it simply–it makes you happier. But here’s the point even some of the researchers may not be noting–it makes you happier by CONNECTING YOU TO YOUR OWN LIFE. That kind of happiness will always get you more creative, more engaged, and more hopeful, too–which is what I saw in Eric.

Who knows? It might even make you happier with your current work when you thought you had to leave, and that might rub off on that annoying boss or colleague. Well, optimism is good too.

December 4, 2008December 5, 2008

Art as a Career–Lessons from the Internet

Art and economic/business success CAN go hand in hand. That career idea is being proven thanks to a new generation of internet and business savvy artists. A NY Times article,Transforming Art Into a More Lucrative Career Choice, presents a number of entrepreneur artists using the internet to extend the reach of their art or artistic business, choosing a career in art without the usual financial struggle.

One way is through multiple income streams–the same idea promoted some might say ad nauseum by informercials and every internet marketing guru I’ve ever read (confession–I’ve read quite a few). The article cites the case of Claudine Helmuth. “She has an online store… does custom illustrations for customers using photographs they provide. She licenses her artwork for greeting cards, calendars and other products. She has written two books about her techniques and has a third one coming out. She tours the country teaching both business and art workshops.” She also manufactures her own line of art products.

I don’t know about you, but Claudine makes me tired just hearing everything she’s doing, but it certainly shows all the directions you can go into if you don’t limit yourself to a simple model of what a career is.

Often, I have career coaching clients who say they want to be a landscape architect or a sculptor or further afield from art–a travel agent creating educational trips to little known areas or a caterer for world foods–and they think it’s just not financially feasible. They may be right–if they limit themselves to doing their work in the way they’ve imagined it or always seen it done. But they may be wrong if they can harness the powers of the internet. As with Claudine, that can mean, selling to a wider market or just getting know to a larger group that might publicize whatever you are doing thorough social networking, or having your art up and available instantly 24/7 in a virtual gallery publicized by all your friends and colleagues.

It’s not just about the internet as invaluable as that can be. It’s about looking at new ways to combine passions into activities you love that someone else will be interested in or need enough to pay you for your services and products. Whatever you want to do, don’t get stopped just because the conventional way of doing it doesn’t seem financially viable. You may need “multiple streams,” and you may need partners, but you can often find a path to your career vision.

November 24, 2008November 25, 2008

Taking the Stress from Career and Job Networking–Help Others

The NY Times published an article with career ideas about how to deal with the “no reply” problem when job hunting–that is, when you apply for a job or have an interview and just never hear back. The author, Michael Melcher, recommended a few things to deal with the job hunt in these tough times. These tips included realizing others may be a lot busier than you are, lessening dependence on the internet and basically getting out and being with other people so you are not isolated on the internet all day.

Being with others can be crucial. One of his tips around this was to make connections for other people. Melcher writes, “Whatever barriers you are facing in the employment markets, you are probably in a position to others in their job searches, whether through advice, referrals or just being a friend. Helping others make progress is a good way to remind yourself that you do have an impact on the world.”

Good points. But what can you do? Should you wait until someone asks for help? Not at all. I generally find that my career coaching clients have greater success if they are active about making connections for others and not passively waiting to be asked to help.

For instance, at any networking event, instead of focusing primarily on telling others who you are and what you offer, a technique to really get remembered is to listen carefully to others and find out what career help they are seeking. Jot down that information and let the people you are talking with know that you will be looking out for good connections for them. Then, go ahead and look out for good connections for them as you meet and mix. Even doing this for a few people, you can become the hub of the event instead of another person needing something.

Of course, it’s great when you others return the favor, taking your lead. But that’s not your focus.

This also reduces anxiety and stress many people have about what to do and how to act at networking events.

November 22, 2008December 7, 2008

Choosing Your Career? Or Is the Wrong Career Choosing You?

How can a career be choosing you?

Most people do it most of the time. “Office manager wanted—3 years exp. min. BA, prefer bilingual in Spanish and English” and you ask yourself if your 2 years experience might be enough or your 7 years might make you overexperienced and if your rusty Spanish is good enough.

That’s trying to fit you into some preset category regardless of your values and passions. All you are looking at are resume categories for experience and education. In that case, the career is choosing you. You are trying to fit yourself into the right checkboxes. Do that throughout your career and all your job changes and you will increase your authority and expertise and income. But will you be happy in your work life? Will you really be choosing your career and setting up a career vision to pursue?

It’s not that you shouldn’t look at job postings or shouldn’t pay attention to your skills or ignore what organizations want and need. Not at all. Those are critical. It’s just a question of when.

If you want a career you’ll love, an authentic or true career, you need to first determine your career vision. Second, map out a basic plan to succeed with your vision. Then you have the background and knowledge to see what jobs to apply for now, whether as stopgap measures as you earn money for education (for instance) or as learning opportunities to enjoy now and move you toward your final career vision.

Steven Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, was once asked by a TV interviewer why we needed his book. After all, the interviewer pointed out, everything Covey was saying in his book could also be found in all the philosophies and religions of the world. Cover didn’t argue. He agreed, and added, “but I’ve put these ideas into the right order.” In the same way, you need to look at job postings, but make sure you do it in the right order—after you know your career vision and direction.