Communications and Career Coaching

Your own Arab Spring...

2012-01-25T18:33:00.000-08:00

Today is the one- year anniversary of the beginning of the Arab Spring movement in Egypt and the Middle East. Is it time for you to begin your own Arab Spring in your professional life?

Start off the New Year with your memoirs

2012-01-13T18:26:00.000-08:00

Writing your memoirs - no matter what your age may be- is one way to motivate & inspire yourself and others. You get to see how much you have accomplished & how much you have survived.

It will also help identify accomplishments that can be put in your profiles for LinkedIN, Twitter, VisualCV, and YouTube video.

What a wonderful way to start off a New Year.

Some new sites to check out

2011-10-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

Great place to learn new stuff for those life- long learners out there- Independent Learning Centre-- www.ILC.org

Defend your reputation at this site-- reputation.com

For career resources and educational resources, go to iTunes and Youtube educational libraries

New sites for job and career planning

2011-08-27T17:53:00.000-07:00

Here below are some new sites to check out for your career plan and job search:

1-Frasers.com- is an interesting site because it is a directory of Canadian manufacturing companies- a good one for research.

2- You can also take an inside look at companies and jobs through glassdoor.com. This site has tips for interviews and other great material for job search and the like.

3-Branchout.com is a different kind of site for career networking.

Good luck!

'Social Media now drives recruitment strategies for companies

2011-07-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

More and more companies are using social media to win the war for recruiting the best talent.

The big four are: LinkedIn, Facebook ( career page), Twitter, and YouTube.

Google + though will eventually eclipse LinkedIn for finding the best talent.

Remember when you post anything on these sites that it can be viewed by current and future employers so always practice due diligence.

Reality check about who you are.....

2011-06-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

Kelly Culrone in her book Normal Gets You Nowhere comments that you are unique as your fingerprint as deemed by our Creator.

We need to capitalize on this fact.

She advocates that you figure out who you are- your unique selling points and features, and get down to it; but bring conciseness and awareness along for the ride.

She also recommends that you be realistic about yourself and others, and not play the fool.

In other words, take off those rose -coloured glasses and get to work on your self- assessment, and your career and life plan that outlines your goals.

Canadian Discovery Portal-- for your research

2011-05-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

www.canadiana.org is great new search engine that searches 60 million pages of info from library, museum, and archives collections from Canada.

Use it to get data for your career and employment research.

Business and Customer Trends Research

2011-04-21T18:15:00.000-07:00

Here are two sites you might like to check out:

1. To do some serious customer trendwatching-- you can go to www.trendwatching.com & click on briefing

2.www.trendhunter.com is also a great site to some research as well.

Good luck..

Focus—An Acronym for Success

2011-04-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

F-Forge on despite the obstacles you are facing. Believe that you are the power within yourself and keep on going. Do not give up.

O-Opportunize—look for opportunities in all situations you encounter.

C- Apply courage and go for your targeted, well -researched goals.

U Use your talent to the utmost best of your ability in well- researched targeted areas . Similarly, as in the movie Flash Dance—take your passion and make it happen.

S—Strategize with your mentors, mastermind group and network with a well- formulated plan. Realistically, go through your SWOT s- Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats with your mentors and mastermind group to develop this plan.

Online branding

2011-03-28T18:24:00.000-07:00

Branding is about identifying your rainbow of talent and applying it with a plethora of passion in your well -researched target areas.

Your online brand should have the WOW factor but this needs to be accompanied by authenticity.

Your brand—your tag line for your online portfolio—has to be a ladle dropper. Like listening to Ted Koppul s great new stories, this tag line makes you drop your ladle as you are cooking in the kitchen and run to the TV set.

Book on Online Networkingt

2011-03-23T18:16:00.000-07:00

Take the time to check out this book and its tips- Seven Days to Online Networking. 2008. Leverage the power of Social Media to achieve your goals.

Tips on maintaining your professional profile

2011-03-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

To maintain your professional profile, remember to continually update your status on LinkedIn, your business profile on Facebook and Plaxo. Answer questions when you can and try to connect with those you can mentor or can mentor you.

Also, develop and maintain a professional blog at blogspot.com and wordpress.com

Good luck..

International Women s Day March 8 th

2011-03-06T18:27:00.001-08:00

International Women s Day - March 8 th,which is celebrating its one hundred- year anniversary, is dedicated to all women , warriors in pink, who fight discrimination based on skin colour, gender, culture , age, religion, educational and socio-economic status, or simply their weight, or the colour of their hair.

Instead of being divided, we have to be united in our battle for equal status in the workplace, and in the world.

As we honour this significant day and remember all those who fought so hard so we may observe it, let us make a promise to ourselves that we may never turn away from another woman in need- no matter the circumstances involved.

Employment Law Sites

2011-02-20T19:35:00.000-08:00

Here are some sites you might find helpful for your case--layoff or not-- it pays to investigate and make sure you get what you are entitled to by law.

1- Martin Gorodensky--www.dismissed.ca-- he has a free half-hour consultation

2- www.toronto-employment.com Daniel A. Lublin- Employment lawyer

3-Lawyer Referral Service- you can call them for a free half- hour to one hour appointment with an employment lawyer. Just specifically mention when you call them that you need to speak to an employment lawyer and the specific issue involved.

How to use LinkedIn strategically for your career

2011-01-31T18:17:00.000-08:00

Here below is a great article on how to leverage LinkedIn for career purposes.

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/career/how-to-use-linkedin-strategically/2734?tag=nl.e124

Good Luck.

Sites for business research and trends

2011-01-11T19:33:00.000-08:00

A new year means new beginnings and that also means new research re: career and business trends.

Here are some great sites for business research and trends. You can also subscribe to ezines from them, when they are avaiable and timely updates.. Good luck

www.forbes.com

www.economist.com

www.canadianbusiness.com

www.businessweek.com

www.canada.com

Promote your career with online article writing

2011-01-10T18:39:00.000-08:00

With the new year, it is also time again to promote your talents and competencies online. One way to do this is to write an article and submit it to a reputable site.

Here below are some sites to submit articles on various topics related to many types of fields, such as business and career sectors. Good luck.

http://www.ezinearticles.com

http://www.goarticles.com

http://www.ideamarketers.com

http://www.selfgrowth.com

http://www.submityourarticle.com

http://www.zeromillion.com

What is the colour of your grass

2011-01-09T18:08:00.000-08:00

As we begin 2011, a lot of us make resolutions for change in our lives and yes, change is good, yet at the same time- to play the devil s advocate here- we have to reflect on what things we really genuinely should change in our lives.

To elaborate here,do you seriously believe that all the grass in your life is yellow. Something we sometimes simply have to come to terms with is that there is no perfect life, job, spouse, relationship, child or parent.

In other words, there is always going to be yellow and brown spots in our grass. This is something that we must take into account when making a major decision in our lives.

Yes, we all have heard of people who have made a drastic change in their lives—thinking that the grass is green over there only to find out that the grass was just as yellow over there. We often have used filters that coloured our experiences making the grass brown or yellow and so much more delectable on the other side... these filters often make us colour blind to the fact that our current grass is actually quite green exactly where we are. The filters have distorted the true picture for us thereby making us sometimes foolishly ponder a drastic and unwarranted change in our lives.

An epiphany is experienced when you realize that the grass is greener where you water it—in other words-- that only you and you alone are responsible for your life satisfaction and happiness. So sometimes you have to take out that hypothetical watering hose (vessel) and pour more efforts into your life to make that part of it green again.

We can look to others for inspiration and motivation in our watering efforts and how our water vessel is created. We also can journal to explore some of the issues that may be responsible for our yellow and brown spots. Depending on the situation, we can have conversations with loved ones, colleagues, coworkers, our life and work managers to get a deeper perspective on some of these issues.

With a more mature, seasoned perspective with the help of mentors, or life and career coaches, we can now look at our grass with as few of these filters as realistically possible.

Along with these efforts , we can with a little more initiative and patience ,slowly and purposefully, turn the grass green under our feet once again.

If we go through this contemplative and reflective process, better career and life decisions can made if we embrace and accept the reality that the grass is not always greener on the other side.

Journalling and the year 2011

2011-01-02T18:22:00.000-08:00

As we begin a new year, I thought it might be nice to revisit the benefits of journalling in my life and in others.. Journalling is a wonderful way of seeing your life- both professionally and personally in a different light.

So here again are the main benefits of journalling:

-getting clarity re: what you want in your life.

-Creating and setting boundaries.

-Ferreting out life goals.

-Beginning a journey to walking your own pathway.

-Tapping into your intrapersonal/ retrospective side by means of reflection.

-Helping you take yourself and others through the experiential learning cycle.

-Finding hidden talents and abilities within your authentic self

-Finding the positive strengths in yourself and others, and building on them

For a great guidebook on journalling, you can check out my journalling workbook at " A Year in Serendipity: A Journalling
Workbook"http://tinyurl.com/serendipityjournal .

All the best for 2011

Holistic Employee Engagment

2010-11-14T18:59:00.000-08:00

As you work on your communication and career goals, you might like to reflect on nurturing and creating holistic employee engagement.

Holistic employee engagement is really about creating a positive influence on people s behaviour.

This goal can be achieved through many of the following means:

1. Support them emotionally, within the context of workplace communications
2. Provide guidance and positive feedback for performance enhancement
3. Recognize good work publicly and openly
4. Demonstrate a commitment to honouring their views and opinions—ask for their perspectives and act on their workplace needs and wishes- what is needed to do their job
5. Work one- on -one in positive collaboration with employees on their work
6. Avoid too little or too much guidance
7. Avoid detailing to extreme measures about their respective projects
8. Avoid unconstructive feedback by addressing only the issue at hand—not all their past transgressions at once or vague comments that do not address specific work behaviours and performance..
9. Do not hold grudges—move forward each day in your attempt to engage them holistically

Joining the Digital Revolution

2010-10-28T19:04:00.000-07:00

The 21st century is ushering in the Digital World—gradually shifting from the analog world.. Even Canada is getting onboard building its national Digital Media Action Plan across the spectrum. One example is the Canadian Digital Media Network.

Universities are also now exploring Digital Media opportunities by blending together liberal arts, computer science and business marketing.

Likewise we need to have a Digital Media Plan for our career. Most positions are now found through such social networking sites as LinkedIn and Facebook. As such, it is crucial that we map out a strategy for our Digital Media Action Plan and consciously implement it with all our actions and updates on these sites, along with the other business and career apps that these sites offer.

Furthermore, in our current knowledge economy, we need to focus on sensitivity,intuition and willingness to collaborate. These factors have to be an integral part of our digital media strategy and part of our personal brand.
.Workopolis is also leveraging the power of the net & digital social media to help companies find new talent . In fact, Workopolis has redesigned its site offering a new service called Employer Brand Optimizer .

Workopolis audience numbers is about 15 million potential employees with the help of Facebook and Twitter—once again showing the power of Digital Social Media in action.

Moreover, Facebook has recently developed a career app that is making strides in developing and promoting your professional portfolio. LinkedIn also has updated its professional follow of companies apps.

Those persons who fail to join the Digital Generation – Revolution will fall behind in the competitive workplace and professional world of the 21st century.

Job and Career Exploration

2010-10-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

Job and Career Exploration

Below are some questions to reflect upon and journal about when contemplating and choosing a job or exploring a career option:

1. Why do I want to go in this direction with my career or want to do this job.

2. What is my motivation for choosing this career or job.

3. What is my thinking behind it.

4. What is the emotion behind it.

Be brutally honest with yourself when answering these questions as you consciously make choices based on your values.

If you get blocked in answering or journaling about these questions ,get overwhelmed and are no longer able to focus, then take a break from it all . Have cup of tea coffee or beverage of your choice, close your eyes for awhile and visualize yourself in another setting, go for a walk, exercise—to recenter and refocus yourself.

Emotional Intelligence and leadership role

2010-10-17T11:38:00.000-07:00

The key to success is good leadership . Good leadership from many perspectives is the ability to handle your emotions and the emotions of others.

This ability encompasses being able to process other people's emotions-- to perceive, use and understand and regulate emotions.

Perceiving emotions is considered to be a critical attribute for leadership in the 21st century.

In a management/ leadership role, there has to be a strong emphasis on communication and emotion is a form of communication.

Therefore, a person's emotional intelligence is strongly connected to a person's leadership strength.

As the author: " A Year in Serendipity: A Journalling
Workbook"http://tinyurl.com/serendipityjournal , I recommend this journal as part of this journey to developing your emotional intelligence for your leadership role.

Scrapbooking- a career development tool

2010-10-16T21:12:00.000-07:00

As a writer of a one-of-a-kind journaling workbook “ A Year in Serendipity” http://
tinyurl.com/serendipityjournal -written to help people in their life and career goal
attainment, I have come to experience first-hand some of the unique insights
regarding how to use scrapbooking in both my professional and personal life.

There are ,some very inspiring practical reasons for scrapbooking.

It can be a multifaceted technique/approach to career and life management and planning. For example, it can be applied in creating professional autobiographies, diaries for self-development and even as base for a professional career portfolio/webfolio/ blog.

Scrapbooking, in a life skills sense, can be employed to focus on motivating and
inspiring moments , and even to retrace a journey to life transforming/ life –changing moment(s). For instance, you can immortalize a pictorial of a significant historical event you were involved in , or an episode of personal achievement that changed your life forever-- making you stand out in an interview!

Scrapbooking can be one way to figure out who you used to be, how you got to be who you are today, while at the same , rediscovering the journey that got you there. This kind of info is practical when fielding those self-reflective interview questions.

The possibilities for its uses and benefits for career development can be limitless.

Advisory panel --Mastermind group

2010-10-02T18:47:00.000-07:00

How many of us have an advisory panel-- mastermind group-- that you can access for feedback to evaluate your career management plan and goal setting.

Such persons can guide and mentor us... But choose wisely-- try to choose people whose strengths are your weaknesses.

Technology, Social Media and Career Management

2010-09-30T18:45:00.000-07:00

1-LinkedIn has updated its Professional Company Follow Program-- great company research tool and one for business trend watching.

http://jobsearch.about.com/b/2010/09/29/linkedin-company-follow.htm?nl=1

2- This article below is about the new career app for Facebook

http://blojavascript:void(0)gs.techrepublic.com.com/career/?p=2404&tag=nl.e124

Radio Canada on the Internet-- a great research resource

2010-09-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

Radio Canada is a leader in Internet TV --Tou.TV--get full programming, catchup viewing and simultaneously webcasting.

Use this resource to keep up with the news for your career research and planning.

Brainding and photo collages

2010-09-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

Branding is sticking with something you will have a monopoly on and standing out in a positive proactive way.

To help you in this endeavour, do a photo collage to inspire and motivate yourself. Place it where you will see it often and it will be imprinted on your mind.

Try it out and you will find it quite effective.

Site for making the workplace better for you

2010-08-22T22:34:00.000-07:00

There are some good articles on making the workplace better for you at www.asmarterplanet.com. This site provides different perspectives on key issues for the workplace.

The importance of body language in an interview

2010-08-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

Here below is a great article on the significance of body language in an interview. Baseline magazine has a wonderful career management section on it site.. You can sign up for its articles offered through Baseline Briefing.

http://www.baselinemag.com/c/a/Business-Intelligence/Body-Language-Influences-Hiring-Decisions-277906/?kc=BLBLBEMNL08202010STR5

Sites for Research

2010-08-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

Here are some sites for research in your career planning:

www.fumsi.com and www.freeprint.com.. Both of these sites provide practical help with info skills, and with company and trends research.

You can also check out Moreover Newsdesk-- it has the most news content from the Web.

These are definitely some sites you should bookmark.

Do not forget the importance of the personal touch in our Digital Age

2010-08-06T10:32:00.000-07:00

In the 21st century, we have a growing concern among communication specialists that the power of the human touch is being lost in our Digital Age in sharing an experience and story telling.

While facts and figures often will put listeners to sleep, a story/ an illustration from real life can motivate them to action.

Author Annette Simmons says, The missing ingredient in most communication is humanity.

Remember these words: In the high tech era, the human-personal touch is even more important in making the connection that makes a difference in the workplace and in the world.

Know your rights and the rights of others

2010-06-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

Here are two sites that you should be familiar with re: workplace issues and concerns...

Privacy Laws in Canada( Privacy Legislation in Canada)
www.priv.gc.ca

Business Ethics Magazine—is an online publication dedicated to promoting ethical business practices… Articles cover anything from human rights issues to opportunities for profitable sustainable development.

www.business-ethics.com

The new ecosystems of business

2010-05-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

In the 21st century, the emphasis on fair trade illustrates that companies are value-led and not market driven… They are now integrating social and economic concerns into products.

Most companies just do the basics—assess what consumers want and the levels of demand and then don’t look any further than filling those needs… This approach does not cut it anymore!

The most successful companies of this century now gear the life force of their company based on not demand, but instead are driven by internal values. , principles and believe in supporting social responsibility, such as supporting fair trade.

Like the Ben and Jerry’s ice cream icons, who were the forerunners for peace activism, rain forest conservation, and political messengers , companies are now dealing with –marketing to—such sensitive issues as climate change, politics and global warming. – the new ecosystems of business.
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Invest in Technology and Social Media

2010-05-10T19:23:00.000-07:00

The world is flat, especially when looking at it with the perspective of using Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 for building and maintaining online communities and fostering valuable business relationships within any industry.

Recognize this fact and the world will be your oyster.

It is crucial to invest in technology, in particular specialized software that enables us to be more efficient in our competitive and ever-changing industries.

Skills and competencies of the 21st Century

2010-04-25T20:49:00.002-07:00

Here below is a list of skills and competencies that can used in a resume or in an online professional profile or e-portfolio as represented on LinkedIn and VisualCV.com.

This list is a segment from one of my articles on branding that I am currently working on.

• Comprehensive knowledge of marketing , e-marketing principles and green marketing strategies and techniques
• Proficiency in computerized integrated online systems –excellent research skills
• Knowledge of current and emerging trends/developments in your respective industry
• High-impact training in electronic databases, and Internet systems
• Experienced mentor, trainer, and team builder
• Knowledge of Wikis and Web 2.0/ Web 3.0 applications for company’s internal applications
• Project management: such as planning and scheduling, cost and procurement, and risk and quality management
• Mitigation techniques
• Risk Management
• Conflict resolution
• Cultural sensitivity and awareness
• Collaborative leadership and team building
• Conversational knowledge of a 2nd language

• Knowledge of Social Media—Web 2. 0 and Web 3.0-- to leverage business objectives of the company in our Digital Age

• Web based Collaboration-- the need for more collaboration both inside and outside today's organizations.

• Using cutting-edge information technologies

• A unique vision of the changing role of technology.

• human management capital . As we progress into this new decade of social media and web-based collaboration, it is really about developing relationships of reciprocity—both online and in-person.! Fostering partnerships become the cornerstone of a successful business/ organization

****Always remember that the key component of relationship management is reciprocity. ****

Skills of the 21st Century

2010-04-25T20:49:00.001-07:00

Skills of the 21st Century

2010-04-25T20:49:00.000-07:00

Aligning Your Occupation With Your Inner Core

2010-04-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

Your career interest is not what others expect of you but what You enjoy.

Enhancing your quality of life often means pursuing your passion or aligning your occupation with your inner core-- personal values and goals.

Have you ever read the book by Janet Bray Attwood, Co-Author of the NY Times Bestseller "The Passion Test - The Effortless Path to Discovering Your Life Purpose" or gone to the site and taken the free passion test to explore YOU.: http://www.thepassiontest.com/TPT/Free/index.cfm?

Good luck pursuing your passion(s)!

More directives for your personal brand development

2010-03-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

Here below are a few significant directives re: the crafting of your personal brand.

• Your personal brand provides the opportunity to explain attributes and benefits that aren’t readily apparent.

• Stand out. What makes your product or service different? In a crowded marketplace, you have got to dare to be different. Don’t come across as boring or indifferent in your word usage.

• The beginning words of your personal brand statement must be very well thought out. Remember that and choose these words very carefully.

• Know your targeted employer. Who are 'they'? What are the demographics of the population they serve. Step in their shoes( employers’ ) and get inside their minds, and speak directly to them. Find out who specifically they are( their work culture, social corporate responsibility directives, corporate directive/mission statement) before aligning your brand with them.

• Try to write the statements for your personal brand as if you're speaking to one person.

• In the accomplishments aspect of your personal brand ,be as much specific as you can. Use "26.74%" instead of "25%". Use "double your sales" instead of "increase a lot".

You also may be interested in this article: “ There Are Important Online Reputation Management Tips That You Should be Aware Of”—see this site for details. http://is.gd/aTA5q .

Remember too that your online reputation is a reflection and personification of your personal brand.

Tips and sites for doing R & D for your personal brand and career plan

2010-03-02T21:22:00.000-08:00

To find a professional association for your career planning and research and development: type in Google or another search engine— but make sure the setting is programmed for Canadian content ,
Example: “ professional association + writer”..

Then, you will get a list of professional writers associations, from which you can explore job opportunities; professional development and events, trade shows, etc..

Other sites to peruse for research and development:

You can try goldbook.ca—biz search .. It is like the yellow pages…

Whois.com –enter web address.. whois.com for a “who is” search

Research workplace and business trends sites: thecareerclinic.com, working.com/resources, sbtv.com ,
o

Initial Tips for Developing Your Personal Brand

2010-02-14T18:11:00.000-08:00

Some Initial Tips for Developing Your Personal Brand

• Start doing research and development ( R & D) re: possible core strengths for your field/industry, then customize it according to your abilities/ strengths, talents, skills, competencies, and passions. This can be done by through various websites: Canadianbusiness.com , Forbes.com, Economist.com, Fortune.com, profit.com, itworldcanada.com, itbusiness.ca, profitmagazine.ca, BNN.ca,Businessweek.com, careerjournal.com, etc.. If possible, get an inside coach for the companies ( someone you can connect with) that you have specifically targeted from your R & D strategies.

• Find a Mentor in your field and choose one whose strength is your weakness. You can also find a person ( not a friend or family member) to become your accountability partner- someone who you can share your goals with and holds you accountable to them. An accountability partner will kick your butt when you need it, but not kick you when you’re down. :) Depending on the circumstances, this can be your Mentor.

• Write out a one-page career marketing plan and refer to it daily.. Keep it front and center.. If it is not working for you, then change/ adapt and modify it accordingly—in conjunction with your research and development, and your mentor’s and accountability partner’s feedback.
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Reflections for resume content development:

2010-02-02T19:19:00.000-08:00

1-Please note that the design of your resume always goes back to the specific goals and objective you have for it. Everything on the resume has to have a goal - a specific purpose for it being there.

2- You need to determine who your target future employers are and their demographics( chief characteristics and their specific needs) from your list. From this vantage point, you can start developing and adding to the content.

3- Once you have done this, you have to determine what do your employers care about and put that first.--- in the few quarter/half part on page one of your resume.

4- You also have to ascertain what your brand is and what are your unique selling points prior to the content development.

So, I kindly ask you what is your personal brand? What things differentiate you from the competition and drive that point home in all of your job search and career development materials .Figure out what you can offer to employers( that they need) that no one else can- this becomes your unique value proposition.

The top part of the resume is first thing the employers sees so it is a critical part of your resume development and marketing plan, and this is where your unique value proposition is introduced.

Always keep in the back of your mind.- be specific about what you are offering
Always focus on the benefit to the employer!

Focus on the CAB( Competency, Advantage, Benefit) formula.. State the competency/skill/ specialty, describe its advantage to the company and specifically outline its benefit to the customer…

Also, use "the company’s culture” words – use the language of your target employer- use their language. You will get a feel for it after doing your research and development re: the company.

A Reflective Task for 2010

2010-01-25T11:16:00.000-08:00

As we continue into the new year of 2010, it is important to reevaluate your interests, values, ethics, hidden talents and passions – to take a look at where we are in our professional and personal lives..

There are various sites that can help us in this reflective task. . Some of these are free and others are not.

For example you can take MAPP at http://www.assessment.com or you can review your
results online! Simply logon using your email and password. And if you haven't used your free MAPP Match, take advantage of it at:
http://www.assessment.com/MemberCenter/Matching/Onet.asp

Listening in Relationship Building

2010-01-03T11:58:00.000-08:00

There is an expression that says: “ Our creator gave us one mouth and two ears for a reason” This adage illustrates the significance of listening in human relationships, and particularly for career success.

Dale Carnegie from his book “ The Leader in You: How to Win Friends, Influence People and Succeed in a Changing World” provides these pearls of wisdom based on the power of listening in human relationship building. ( p. 92-93)

1- Listening is still the best way to learn.
2- People respond to those who listen to them
3- Listen patiently with an open mind.
4- Be sincere about it
5- Encourage people when you are listening to express their ideas fully.

And never forget this one he wrote”“ Nobody is more persuasive than a good listener.” Dale Carnegie…

The New Mountains to Climb of 2010

2009-12-28T22:35:00.000-08:00

Mark Twain once said that “twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do !

And to put a more positive spin on Miley Cyrus’s recent song “The Climb”, there is always going to be a mountain to climb in our lives… new challenges … new treasures to uncover in people and in ourselves.

As we begin the adventurous expedition of the year 2010, maybe it is time to throw off the bowlines and sojourn away from the safe harbor of your current personal and professional life.

As we approach the New Year- 2010,is it the year to catch the trade winds in your sails? Explore?. Dream? Discover? Do you dare activate and actualize your passion by climbing the new mountains in your life and share the experience with others?

Are you ready to climb those new and challenging mountains in 2010?

The knowledge economy ... is it really our future?

2009-12-02T20:56:00.000-08:00

Jeff Brownlee, spokesperson for the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters , has commented that the future of manufacturing isn’t about mass production but customization. He emphasizes that businesses need to find their niche, then do it well and offer value add.

Instead of making one million mass produced items of questionable quality, you make 1000 products that are customized to your specifically targeted niche based on your research.

They say that the 21st century is all about the knowledge economy but Brownlee tends to think otherwise… “ At the end of the day, innovation and creativity are what sets us apart from other countries.”

Daniel Pink author of “ Free agent nation” and “A whole new mind: why right-brainers will rule the future” would most likely agree wholeheartedly with him.

What is Your Change Quotient? Resources

2009-11-01T20:23:00.000-08:00

For more resources on 360 degrees Assessment and Self-Awareness:

1. Paul Copcutt—A personal branding expert: www.paulcopcutt.com .
2. Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton (2001)

I particularly recommend the book "Now, Discover Your Strengths" , because it provides an on-line code for the Strengthfinder- an assessment of your strengths/ potential talents.

You can also go to www.authentichappiness.com for a complimentary self-assessment.
3. Go Put Your Strengths to Work by Marcus Buckingham (2007)
4. One of the first books on this kind of feedback: 360 Degree Feedback: The Powerful New Model for Employee Assessment & Performance Improvement Mark R. Edwards and Ann J. Ewen. ( 1996)

What is Your Change Quotient?

2009-11-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

Are you a driving force for Change? What is your tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty in your personal and professional life? If it is low, then it is time to work on increasing and developing your change quotient.

Can you cultivate a passion for the needed change? Can you make that tremendous effort to realize and actualize that Change? Is a passion for Change an subversive idea? Yes, indeed, you can ignite that fire within to make the changes you feel so strongly about.

Our current economic downturn means upheaval and revisions in the roles and responsibilities for companies/organizations. A significant impediment to Change is that you often hear and perceive only what you want to hear. Your auditory view of things is filtered and processed based on your own values, beliefs, prejudices, and personal history.

Behaviours that hinder embracing ambiguity and uncertainty act as blocking agents that can be touchy areas to deal with. The first step in this process of self-development for Change is creating and nurturing self-awareness. Your 360 degrees Assessment from your manager, boss, mentor or career coach can specifically target some of these behaviours.

Eccentricity and the 21st Century

2009-10-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

Eccentricity is the key driver for the 21st century. What does being eccentric mean in this case? It represents standing out in a positive, professional manner from the competition- but don’t be ostentatious. Be different but be very good at what you do.

Innovation and creativity will set you apart from the competition and put you ahead in your career achievement milestones.

Break out of the mold of mediocrity --- Part 2

2009-09-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

Referring back to Dr. Wayne Dyer classic book “ Pulling Your Own Strings, he comments that “If you want to achieve your own greatness, to climb your own mountains, you’ll have to use yourself as your first and last consultant.” ( p. 94)

To this end, in cultivating your Serendipity Quotient, you must work on your mind, body and spirit awareness in displaying creative aliveness while undergoing the greatest of adversity.

Victor Frankl in his book “Man’s Search for Meaning” also attests to this in creating and finding the purpose and meaning of your life through the most tragic of circumstances.

Another book that reflects this theme is “One Day in the Life”of Ivan Denisovich” by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. In this book, the author focuses on life in a forced- labour prison in Siberia.

These two books, in particular, tell the life- changing story of using the mind to be creatively alive in moment-to-moment contexts.

These authors, like Dr. Dyer, emphasize the significance of “applying your sense of self-worth” to the present moment and refusing to let your own attitudes and self-beliefs defeat you as being the basic ingredient to the survival of the characters in these books.

Some quotations by Dr. Dyer summarize the essence of this theme:

“ You are the product of what you choose for yourself in every life situation” ( p. 234)

“ You do have the capacity to make healthy choices for yourself by changing your attitude to one of creative aliveness”. ( p.234).

And, this one by me- “You truly are the power of your mind!”

Break out of the mold of mediocrity

2009-09-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

Break out of the mold of mediocrity and develop your peripheral vision for job searching and career planning.

One way to do this is by transforming your attitude into action.
There is an old adage that says” Your attitude determines your altitude”.

Become a non-conformist by not using the traditional ways of getting a job. Mass emailing of your resume to companies on Workopolis.ca and Monster.ca is the pathway pursued by most people; and therefore you end up behaving like “ all the other job seekers”.

Prove yourself resourceful by abandoning the so-called“ the right way” approach to job hunting by substituting creative individualized behaviour that brings results!

Don’t pigeon hole yourself with rules.. Take off those tunnel vision glasses you are wearing and throw away “ the only right way” manual of rules!

Be proactive by :
1. Getting rid of your stereotypical thinking and list some alternatives
2. Accessing the risk factors
3. Picking the best bet of these and doing it.

Don’t focus on the words “ what if”, ‘maybe” or “ I’m not sure” .

If your attitude is that you believe you cannot do it, then you become paralyzed by this self-limiting belief; and this belief will be transformed into a sad reality.

Learn to become your own marketing expert. Success in your job searching and career planning is not spotting the latest trends, but is starting them!

You can package an idea and sell it to anyone by believing in yourself and if you can demonstrate that it will work by designing a logical and easy- to- implement plan of action.

Dr. Wayne Dyer refers to this theme in his book “Pulling Your Own Strings” as the creatively alive approach to overcoming adversity. I like to refer to it as cultivating your “Serendipity Quotient” by using adverse circumstances to nurture out-of-the-box thinking.

Dr. Dyer comments ‘Don’t say to yourself that imaginative approaches may be fine for others, but they could never work for you”.

In your unique value proposition, you are succeeding by doing it “ your way” with your unique talents and competencies that can specifically benefit the company/ organization. This is all in part of cultivating your Serendipity Quotient.

Put some effort into having fun by seeing how effective you can truly be!

Breaking Out of Your Comfort Parameters

2009-08-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

Yes, we all are tempted to go back to that which we know to be so comfortable .

However, if we are not changing, then we are not growing.

You cannot move forward in your life to achieving your life and career goals if you are constantly looking back in the rearview mirror at your life.

Strive for your goals, but also be open to the possibilities of opportunities you have never thought of.

Work on breaking out of your comfort parameters by developing your peripheral vision and expand your world!

Remember too that the only rut you cannot get out of is the one you have created with your mind.

Other more complex search applications

2009-08-19T19:10:00.001-07:00

If you want to try something more challenging in your research, you can check out some of these below.

There are software applications that automatically use multiple
specialized search engines, query them simultaneously, then you can
aggregate the results.

DEVONagent for Mac:
approx. $50

Copernic for Windows:
free
approx. $30
approx. $80

Depending on your platform, either of these is well worth the
price.

More Specialized Search Engines

2009-08-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

In job searching and career planning, you must often think "outside the box". These search engines and sites below can help you do this.

www.theinvisibleweb.com features info. that is usually hidden from general search engines. This site, however, is quite complex in the choices it offers you so it will take some time on your part to see which feature best suits you.

Another personal favorite is www.copernic.com . There are various levels for this one… a free version and others you have to pay for. It is great for serious research.

Wolfram Alpha – The Internet’s new computational knowlege engine- see article at: http://www.pcworld.ca/news/column/51dde573c0a8000600b4bb658d1a1f4a/pg1.htm
Wolfram Alpha can't answer every question that a search engine can; but on topics it has data for, such as a town's historical temperature reading, it offers deep information.

Also, a good place to look for information about search engines in general
is http://www.searchenginewatch.com . Some parts of the site require a paid
membership, but there's a lot of good info even in the free parts. They
also have a newsletter you can subscribe to for the latest search engine
news.

You can also check out www.freepint.com and www.researchbuzz.com for their great newsletters and their info. rich content.

Topic Specific Search Engines

2009-07-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

Topic- specific engines:

A good way to do a highly effective search that is customized to your topic is to try out topic- specific engines , such as the following:

1-Scirus is excellent if you are searching for scientific info.

2-Topix , created by the founders of the Open Directory Project, may be the Internet’s largest news site because it draws upon articles from more than 7,000 media outlets. However, it is mainly American based. For Canadian content, try www.topix.net/world/canada.

My personal favorites

Some of my personal favorites, but they are not heavy weight search engines like the ones previously mentioned, are the following:

www.webferret.com
www.alltheweb.com
www.teoma.com- now www.ask.com
www.inktomi.com- yahoo for small business
www.dogpile.com
www.search.com
www.altavista.com
www.mamma.com

Specialized Search Engines for Research

2009-06-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

When doing research for your job search and your career plan, you can use, along with Google and Bing, other different specialized search engines .

Here below are some search engines and applications that can help you do this.

Kartoo -visual meta search engine- presents info. in flowchart form. The results can be personalized to show past searches, if you are willing to let Kartoo track such things.

Vivisimo Inc ( now Clusty)- Enterprise Search, Federated Search and Clustering .Each listing of this engine includes info. on how that site is ranked by mainstream search engines, such as Google, Lycos, MSN, and Looksmart. I like its layout , especially for news, health , blogs, and Wikipedia searches. I find the left-side clusters really helpful in targeting info. specifically to your topic search.

The Librarian's Index to the Internet contains info. you can trust. Its searchable directory only contains websites that have been personally approved by at least two librarians. Each listing is also annotated by one of these persons who felt it was worth including.

Freepint, maintained by librarian Gary Price, offers a portal into the invisible Web- hidden pages that are otherwise not visible on other search engines.

Open Directory Project (ODP) provides a free listing service, unlike some search engines that charge a fee for listings.

Social networking and people search engine service

2009-06-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a break from "going green" for awhile and revisiting " social networking" once again.

Great social people search engine service, Spokeo, like Pipl , CVGadget, Wink and PeekYou can help you locate info on others for networking purposes and vital business relationship building … Spokeo now has a premium service, which you have to pay for that provides you with more detailed info.

Such search engines are new people-tracking utilities that can help you build a detailed dossier about yourself online, and about companies/ organizations and people you would like to work for.

Construction and Our Green Economy

2009-06-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

Construction workers in “our greening economy” will be able to get jobs retrofitting homes to make them more efficient.

This, along with the $1350,00- $1500.00 rebate from the federal government in tax credits if you spend a specified amount improving your residence, makes construction an even more desirable occupation.

Hail "the Green Movement"

2009-06-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

Seeking jobs of the futures in trades and in other occupations? Then, look to those occupations that embrace “the green economy”.

We can now see a strong movement toward creating environmentally sustainable energy sources.

Yes, you can meld a strong economy with a healthy environment- they can coexist quite well with strategic planning and collaboration from all parties and stakeholders.

In the field of trades, the green movement will open up a lot of jobs for electricians, iron and steel workers, construction workers, and sheet metal workers.

The Future is Green

2009-06-01T21:49:00.000-07:00

On October 20th, 2008, I attended the Toronto Small Business Forum 2008 at the Delta Chelsea Hotel that featured renowned key note speakers and their presentations, such as Laurie Simmonds’ “ Green Enterprise”- President of Green Living Enterprises, and “Lessons Learned from Building a Green Business by Tom Heintzman- President of Bullfrog Power, stressing the global concern for environmental issues and eco-friendly products.

The emergence of” green marketing”, and “green businesses and enterprise” was indeed a prevalent theme for this year’s Forum. It seems that “ green” is now the primary foundation colour for building any current and future successful career and business venture.

The Future is Now

2009-05-04T18:46:00.000-07:00

No one can accurately or consistently predict the future. That said, it is important ,like Richard Worzel- known as “The Futurist “(futurist@futuresearch.com), recommends that you have plan B and even C ready to be implemented, especially when it comes to your career.

For instance, whether we like to acknowledge it or not, the Canadian economy is affected by the American one- more than 70 % of Canadian Trade is with the US and so our economy is very much interconnected .

With respect to career planning, it is best to use scenario planning in order to have Plan B, and C ready to go , if necessary. Use different scenarios based on your research and development, and professional network and memberships to help design your career plan strategies. This is one way of being “ proactively creative” in a very difficult market place..

List all your skills and competencies and see how they can be transferred to different fields. You will quite impressed to know that your skills can fit in with many other professional fields, particularly if you have to change fields due a layoff or a restructuring process.

Personally, to maintain “the future is now” mentality, I try to keep up on the trends -looking for declining sectors and future areas of growth by watching the channel- CP24, reading the online version and e-updates from the Canadian Business magazine ,Business Week, Globe and Mail, and Macleans.

Watching the Business News Network or subscribing to their e-newsletter/updates can also keep you in the “know”. You can also subscribe to the e-updates/ newsletter for Money Sense, and Profit magazines that can get you up -to -speed with what is happening in the economic world.. Other sites like Statistics Canada and Manpower can give you current information on various sectors and demographics for doing your scenario planning.

Successful Interview Planning

2009-03-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

This week, I thought I would return to my thoughts on interviews and tips for preparation.

Successful interview planning is marketing put into practice based on the market research of the companies/ organizations you want to work for , and their needs and wants by doing an in-depth analysis of such needs and wants, and of how to meet those needs to impress them.

The principles of successful interview planning are similar to that of marketing and promotion:

1- Product: - you are the product that is being offered and that you passionately believe in .

2- Pre- planning – you do a needs assessment/ analysis and the due diligence required for the orchestration of the finest details of that interview.

3- Promotion -you promote “You” -the product, through results-oriented social media applications i.e. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MeetUp, Plaxo, etc.. to get the word out about your skills, and competencies.. You can also post testimonials, and video clips and audio clips on some of these sites to heighten interest in your professional profile. But, do this professionally and tastefully, self-promotion is not about broadcasting, spamming or shouting. Using social media applications is about creating and fostering vital one –to- one relationships that will help attain your career goals.

4- Personal Touch- you develop a personal connection with the interviewers . For example, never forget to include the authentic and professional touch by addressing the needs of the company to create a fit that is right for you and for them.

5- Strategic Implementation- you follow through on a well structured plan- including all parties involved- for different scenario planning( have numerous back-up plans) to cover the Murphy’s Law aspect. Do an assessment with a SWOT analysis ( strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats for yourself and for the company to address specifically related questions that may be asked at the interview) to develop these scenarios for the interviews.

6- Perseverance in Follow up- you follow up after the interview with the prospective employer using a phone conversation, and personal thank you letter and/or email. As part of the follow- up stage, have a debriefing process/ meeting with yourself by creating an interview journal . In this interview journal, you also do a SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats) as part of this post -planning portion to improve the quality of your next interview and its success.

You basically have to consider the interview as a project and apply project management techniques with a strong commitment to maintaining a genuine and professional connection.

Social media applications and your career

2009-03-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

I am taking a break from strategies for interviews by visiting a subject that is very "hot" today-- the use of social media applications in career management.

Recently, I got a reality check re: blogs, social networking sites, and social bookmarking sites ( e..g. LinkedIn, Facebook, Meetup, Twitter, Plaxo, Digg, Delicious, etc.) and their ability to significantly impact our career development and our professional lives.

If you fail to connect and interact with these sites, you are missing the opportunity to leverage their tremendous power to promote yourself ,your key skills/ competencies, and talents to the targeted companies in your job search/career plan. By making full use of these sites, you are truly optimizing your competitive advantage, because they are the primary results-oriented, self- marketing tools of the 21st century for all “careerpreneurs”, particularly for those who wish to be proactive about implementing a well-designed strategic career plan.

More on Interviews.. the First Critical Minutes

2009-01-18T17:43:00.000-08:00

e) Breath- I recommend my clients to always carry and use breath mints or breath spray. Don’t use gum to freshen your breath as you can forget you have it in your mouth.
f) Grooming- try to be impeccably turned out at all times
g) Tone of voice- watch that your voice is even tone- not harsh or anxious.
h) Posture- don’t hunch over or slouch. Don’t cross your legs. Your posture gives away your attitude and confidence level.
i) Confidence- remember that your stance is portrays how you feel about yourself.
j) Content- try to be articulate and not ramble on. Say what you have to in a concise manner.
k) Listening.- shut off your own noisy thoughts in your mind and focus on their words and issues of concern- not yours.

More on Interviews.. the First Critical Minutes

2009-01-04T16:56:00.000-08:00

From a personal perspective, I now these make the following recommendations :

a) Clothing-wear the high -end clothing from your wardrobe. Prior to the interview, try the outfit on first and wear it front of a full-length mirror… Practice sitting down and shaking hands as well in front of this mirror to see how your clothing presents itself. Women, please bring, if you are wearing nylons, an extra pair of panty hose/ nylons in case of accidents. Also, men and women, bring a stain away pen for emergencies to remove stains and spills on your clothing.

b) Smile, but not excessively during your interview. Please check a pocket mirror or car mirror to see that nothing is between your teeth , and that there are not any pen marks, dust particles, etc.. are on your face.

c) Eye contact- I suggest you try to not to stare intensely( eyeball- to- eyeball), but focus on the space between the eye brows.

d) Body scents- I coach my clients both men and women not to wear any scented deodorant, cologne or perfume as a lot of people have allergies/ chemical intolerance these days.

More on Interviews.. the First Critical Minutes

2008-12-15T19:50:00.000-08:00

According to Sherkin, the most critical factors we must keep in mind during the first few critical minutes of an introduction are:

• Messages are sent out consciously and unconsciously.

• Immediate judgments are made-- sometimes even before you open your mouth re: your background e.g. cultural, religious, sociopolitical status, psychological wellbeing, job status, economic status,, birth location/country of origin, various countries lived in and current geographic status, etc..

• “Communication Key Tells” are always the major non -communicative events. They are the interpersonal signs that you give out more often than you ever thought possible.

Interview strategies

2008-12-01T09:57:00.000-08:00

More tips for developing rapport and building blocks for success in interviews.

Timing is critical in the introduction of the interview- it starts/ begins with (and your chance can be lost right there by their first impression of you), simply by failing to ignite a spark of dynamic interactivity between you and the interviewer.

Pay attention to what takes place in the dialogue. I recommend you get to know their agenda- do your research about them before introductions happen re: their interests. Google them first to research their involvement in the business sector/ industry, community involvements, achievements, publications written, etc… and familiarize yourself with them so you can bring these topics up in the discussion at the appropriate time.

In your interview, try to get a sense of the person regarding how they make you feel and how you make them feel. I suggest you “read them”- conduct an emotional read- to see if they are they engaged in your PAR ( Problem ,Action taken and Results achieved stories)or SAR (Situation, Action and Result stories)-- the telling of your success examples/ accomplishments. Try to determine what their reaction was – by their body language, facial expression, and tone of voice.

Interview Strategies and Introductions…. The First Few Critical Minutes..

2008-11-23T21:18:00.000-08:00

I recently attended a seminar re: persuasive communication skills for business owners with Suzanne Sherkin, CPO Highborn Communications on”The Power of Presence” and came away with some lasting thoughts. I believe that introductions, especially in interviews, are like first dates in their dynamics, because snap judgments are made in the first few minutes of the encounter. Here of some of my lasting thoughts:

1- Practice and hone your personal technique to encourage the colleague or interviewer to listen- encourage them to listen empathically by engaging their hearts in your dialogue with them
2- People will remember how you make them feel- not what you say…Treat them like they are the most special person in the world- like they are the CEO of the company. Try to honor and respect them in a genuine and caring way.
3- Focus on how you will pay attention to what the real needs of the company/organization are and communicate acknowledgement of these needs. This is the first step in creating /building a vital relationship.
4- Timing is critical in the introduction of the interview- it starts/ begins with (and your chance can be lost right there by their first impression of you), simply by failing to ignite a spark of dynamic interactivity between you and the interviewer.

More lasting thoughts to come in the next post....

The Key to Achieving Your Life and Career Goals

2008-08-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

The key to achieving your life and career goals is knowing yourself – what works for You and what is your authentic heart print.

Each of us knows within our heart what we are good at/ what we have a natural inclination for.

Find out what your strengths are and flow with them.

Follow the energy within you when you are doing something you love and let it take its natural course, along with the help of a well-researched action plan, and you are on your way to achieving those goals!

Recommended books on this subject:

1-Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton (2001).

I particularly recommend the book "Now, Discover Your Strengths" , because it provides an on-line code for the Strengthfinder- an assessment of your strengths/ potential talents.

You can also go to www.authentichappiness.com for a complimentary self-assessment.

2- Go Put Your Strengths to Work by Marcus Buckingham (2007)

3- Do What You Are : Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type--Revised and Updated Edition Featuring E-careers for the 21st Century (Paperback) by Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger (2001)http://www.amazon.com/What-You-Are-Personality-Type-Revised/dp/0316880655

Forms and further suggestions for your Career Plan Operations Manual

2008-07-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

To continue with the forms that are an integral part of your Career Plan Operations Manual:

Such forms could include the following content:1. Your personal characteristics, style , life values and learning styles.
2. Analysis of your fit with the organizational culture (i.e. small or large organizations, non-profit or public sector).
3. Your skills' inventory- both professional and functional.
4. List of personal priorities re: what is important in your future workplace.
5. An evaluation of your priorities and obligations- an holistic view of your life that gives you a work/life balance.
6. The perfect employment opportunity for you that outlines the professional and functional skills you like to use.
7. Tools you need for marketing: business cards, executive summary of your resume, one page biography, portfolio, your resume on CD or DVD, a video resume and a strategy for your personal website.
8. A Networking Track Sheet with a list of your contacts and how you are following up.
9. An evaluation sheet of employment opportunities in terms of job content, your fit with the boss, peers and subordinates, and job related factors, i.e. personal development opportunities, travel required, the vision of the organization and its corporate culture, future prospects i.e., opportunities for promotion and direction of the industry, and remuneration, etc..

These forms become the central theme for your templates, for your job proposal, your marketing letters, and so forth.

In general, this manual gives you systems -in -place to pursue and administer your plan in relation to the following: 1). financial goals, 2). marketing goals 3). sales and networking goals, and 4) life goals.

Other tips for creating your Career Operations Manual are the following:

• Construct a dynamic telephone script for cold calling and follow -up system to reap those vital prospects.

• Develop a weekly log re: to see how you spend your time on your career plan and goals.

• Build your support system- talk to people about your career goals. In doing so, you become accountable for your goals. In other words, Buddy up!

• Write out each idea you have to enhance your career goal and place it prominently in view in an appropriate place e.g. on your desk at home. Breakdown your career goal into yearly, weekly and daily goals.

• Fashion a template for correspondence i.e. cover letter, marketing and broadcasting letter that is consistent in style, format and professional and resonates in its appearance with your personal key strengths.

Always remember when you are managing your career as you would a small business, you are continually setting up systems- in -place and building the foundation that will guide your career.

So, don’t hesitate to seek out a career coach who will direct you in the process of fulfilling this vision that will ultimately become your “brand” as “You Inc”.

Copyright © D. A. Wright July 2008 All Rights Reserved

Developing a career plan

2008-06-16T19:11:00.000-07:00

The first step/strategy in developing a career plan is to conduct your research before you start , such as information interviews , researching journals, trade magazines, and occupational websites, then integrating this research with an outline of your vision, ethics, beliefs, values, and interests. After this, comes fitting the research in with the market research ( labour market research ) that targets the area(s) that you wish to pursue in your career.

Other strategies could include the following:

1. Develop your vital network ( alumnae, colleagues, previous coworkers, professional associations members, the Rotary Club, cultural and religious organizations, etc..) and expand it to include persons outside your field . These people will in time become a critical part of your career plan.

2. Design a tentative career action plan after a review of your SWOT- Strengths; Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats as they do in business. Get feedback from friends, family, colleagues, people in your field ( those you can trust and who you hold in high esteem) so you have a balanced, realistic viewpoint .

The career plan that evolves from these steps becomes in actuality part of your career operations manual. A Career Plan Operations Manual is defined as a logical and systematic method of following up on your ideas and directs you to fulfill your vision.

The manual -essentially the breakdown of this career plan- is created with the help of a Career Coach. For example, you can use a software program, i.e. MS Access, MS Outlook, and contact management software to develop forms and checklists that will become the core ingredients for attaining and evaluating your goals. These software programs can help you streamline your plan that is based on your original vision.

I will provide more structure for this career operations manual in the coming weeks.

Welcome to my world of communications and career coaching

2008-05-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

Most people do not realize that you need to manage your communications and your career as you would a business, because in the 21st first century you define yourself by what you do and how you get it done- not by your job title. And as such, you need to develop a game plan for your communications and your career as you would a business plan- delineating how you are going to achieve established goals by clearly outlining all the steps involved.

As a Communications and Career Coach, I help people develop a vision for their careers. In time, this vision becomes the basis for a communications and career plan. From this plan , I will work with you to develop systems- in -place to meet the goals evolving from that vision.

The structure of the systems- in- place in turn leads to developing follow-up systems to track, evaluate and improve on this foundation. Then, finally comes the Annual Review and analysis to determine what goals were met and design/ brainstorm new strategies and systems to meet goals that remain unattained.