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4 steps to get you noticed for that next career opportunity!
In person, over the phone, on paper and electronically, you literally have just seconds to make a positive impression. A thoughtful shift in how you present yourself at the start could go a long way toward swaying results in your direction later on: In your cover: Address the letter to specific hiring managers, in human resources as well as within your functional specialty. If you’re unsure who that would be, call the company, or research contacts on LinkedIn.com. Be sure to confirm the gender of each contact, as many women now have men’s...
read moreAre you a fraud?
I’ve worked as a career counselor since 1993, logging over 25,000 hours of client time, and there are still days when I feel like a phony. A client can ask for advice, and I can give my opinion based on observing the results of others I’ve supported, but I can’t predict how things will turn out. Each person is unique, each situation is different, and my work doesn’t operate with formulaic precision. Wikipedia defines Imposter Syndrome as, ”…a concept describing high-achieving individuals who are marked by an inability to internalize their...
read moreThe Power To Explore Career Growth
Recently I interviewed two professionals working at Colorado State University about their strategies for maintaining thriving careers. They’ve both worked at the institution for over 10 years, and while they like the stability an organization like CSU can offer, they’re also driven to keep their work interesting and expanding. This ties to the concept of wanting a level of certainty in our lives, such as having a predictable source of income and knowing our jobs well enough to do them successfully, while also desiring an element of...
read moreThe Secret To Career Confidence
“If you build it, they will come.” This quote from the movie Field of Dreams has application beyond the ball field. Recently a client asked for help re-entering a career he’d left during the recession. Having been out of the industry for a while, and being over 50, he was concerned that the switch would be tough if not impossible. But he was motivated to give it his best effort, so before applying to any positions, he put himself through some preparation paces: First he created an inventory of accomplishments relevant to his former line of...
read moreInternship tips for a better future.
Our son JP is a junior in college, and hopes to land a computer science internship next summer. In this kind of situation, having a mother as a career counselor can be a blessing and a curse. “I can just sign up with the college’s internship system and see how it goes,” he informed me. Yet I know from experience that your first professional gig can have a huge impact on the rest of your career: what you start out doing can lead you down a long road of doing the same thing, whether you like it or not. Since computer programmers exist in nearly...
read moreLife change? Suggestions on getting back in the groove.
After 15 years as an at-home mom, her husband announced he wanted a divorce, and she’d need to fend for herself after a few years of financial transition support. This is a scenario I’ve heard many times, as displaced homemakers (DHs for short) tell me their situations. In a conversation with a DH last week, this is what we discussed: She was feeling overwhelmed at having to choose a career focus that she’d a) enjoy, and b) be able to do, and c) would support her desired lifestyle. As she described, “I’ve been out of the workforce for 18...
read moreDefining Your Niche.
With a New Year comes new career hopes. Along this line, one of my closest friends is considering launching a sideline meal prep business; she loves to cook, raves about the value of meal prepping, and would like to earn some extra income. Often, as people like her toy with the idea of starting an entity, their thoughts first turn to what to call it, and how to promote it. Yet northern Colorado business coach Teena Barnett with Team Building Dynamics recommends clearly defining your niche before making any major marketing decisions. She then...
read moreShould you accept that job?
Not long ago, I got this question from a client about how to respond to a job opportunity: “I just received an offer for a position. I have some concerns however. They are looking for long-term employees and I am not sure it’s the kind of work I want to do. Also, the commute would be far so I would probably need to move. How do I differentiate not being excited about the job from the reluctance of all the other changes I would have to make in my life for it?” I suggested that he answer these questions to help with his decision making: –...
read moreThe 80% Approach.
Last Monday I put together my monthly business newsletter. In it, I had an inspiring client success story to share, as well as details about an upcoming free webinar on creating effective cover letters. I love writing, and organizing the newsletter is mostly fun for me. “How can I present this in a motivating, helpful way?” I asked myself as I happily put it together. But then, as usual, I ran into a wall. Some of the hotlinks weren’t working properly, and the setup it takes to get it launched to my email lists and social media accounts is a...
read morePay It Forward! Benefits to you and others for helping out.
Last Monday, I overheard my husband Pete as he had a conversation with a recruiter. Pete works as a firmware engineer, a specialty that lately has been in strong demand. Because he maintains a complete profile on LinkedIn and has strong experience, he frequently gets calls from headhunters. Yet he’s happy in his current position, so I was curious about how he’d handle the call. Would he say, “Thanks for reaching out, but I’m all set for now”, or something different? What he did raised my already-high opinion of him. First, he listened...
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