tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62052997545935141672024-03-05T13:38:45.881-08:00WORK IT!WORK IT! is a blog dedicated to career/life coaching & career management. Certified Career Coach, Barbara Wulf of Beckon Call Coaching addresses topics related to work:
Finding Work When No One is Hiring,
Job Search Strategies,
Career Change,
Retooling for a Changing Workplace,
Life Purpose,
Work/Life Balance and
Being in the Driver’s Seat of Your Life
www.beckoncall-coach.comWORK IT!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17202871747417582173noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6205299754593514167.post-14902368656756514512015-07-19T14:43:00.000-07:002015-07-27T13:55:25.565-07:00Keeping Up Your Job Search Vocabulary<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9zvJ4fvypj-Wp3azeWJBWMvR_ClhKbUVg1oVBFvT2guw_WgsD_lVwu8bgH_s-4LCehVSRj1La3WLp6zCaPvYs2QHMtS6iTNUH4ldhlzo-wxXqBzyX9i65XZAVZrIubCYWVeBnLNoXG4/s1600/IMG_0847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9zvJ4fvypj-Wp3azeWJBWMvR_ClhKbUVg1oVBFvT2guw_WgsD_lVwu8bgH_s-4LCehVSRj1La3WLp6zCaPvYs2QHMtS6iTNUH4ldhlzo-wxXqBzyX9i65XZAVZrIubCYWVeBnLNoXG4/s320/IMG_0847.jpg" width="220" /></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">The way we job search has moved to a new frontier. We have expanded our job search beyond the traditional methods of word of mouth, using the phone or mailing our resume. Now with a smartphone, you can be in touch or do research 24-7 from just about anywhere.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Like a Trekkie, we are moving our job search strategy to “where no one has gone before.” Change happens. What was once cutting edge now starts to fade and is improved or</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> replaced. You have to evolve and move forward too or risk becoming outdated.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Here is a primer to expand your job search vocabulary:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Netiquette</span> - network etiquette. This is the Internet merging with Emily Post. The guidelines are a code of conduct for acceptable behavior for online communication.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wikipedia</span> - a web-based, free encyclopedia written and edited by volunteers. The site combines the word “wiki,” a type of collaborative website along with “encyclopedia.” Since Wikipedia is a collaboration, be aware that it contains some misinformation and bias. Consider it a starting point for research.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Googling</span> - obtaining information on the Web using the search engine Google. You can google an employer during your research. Google your name. See how you show up. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Digital Dirt</span> - An employer or recruiter can find information about you on the Internet that is not complimentary. It might show you as you lapsed in judgment with your words/actions or were photographed at a party. Remember what happened to Olympic swimmer, Michael Phelps? Ouch!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blog</span> - a contraction of “web log” is a free, shared on-line journal where people can post diary entries about their personal experiences, expertise, hobbies, you name it. A blog is frequently updated and meant for public consumption and comment. Today, specific blogs are being created like corporate blogs (internal/external/ceo), video blogs (YouTube) and mp3 blogs (music/audio).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Social Networking</span> - the way users build online networks of contacts and interact with personal or business friends. We have seen our sons and daughters on Facebook and now mature adults are using it too. Just don't go too far with your postings or photos as your reputation is at stake. Professionals can meet and be introduced to other business contacts through LinkedIn. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Microblogging</span> - allows the subscriber to broadcast short messages to other subscribers of the Web service. Microposts can appear on a website and/or be distributed to a group of subscribers in real time as an instant message or a cell phone text message.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;">Microblogging is immediate, portable and brief. Presidential candidate Obama used <b>Twitter</b> on the campaign trail to the White House. The New York Times and the BBC are sending headlines and links. You can follow others as they<i> tweet</i> and you can <i>tweet</i> as well. What possibilities can you create to forward your job search?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">JibberJobber</span> - Need to get more organized with your job search? If a spiral notebook or Excel spreadsheet doesn’t work, www.jibberjobber.com could aid your career management.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">“E”</span> - in front of any word, means electronic. We know about email, but the list continues with esignature, ezine, ecommerce, etc. <b>Watch for more e-words as our e-world continues into new frontiers!</b></span><br />
<br />WORK IT!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17202871747417582173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6205299754593514167.post-4630414461443136512015-06-19T14:22:00.000-07:002015-06-18T21:23:47.658-07:00Ice Cream Flavors of Work<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HuaKH0tey79FyHPuyTx9jxd4xJUSPtIXNMao8L0rIGYYu7rMq15FyWtiMoa4ds4ySRtZFNeIQ-kB8rJRC_IjhuMq-AWuLRtojN8KqcmWhJEiBnicOF9arqRZYyiaKZLOwY86PbEWY-s/s1600-h/sundae1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369193510111014194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HuaKH0tey79FyHPuyTx9jxd4xJUSPtIXNMao8L0rIGYYu7rMq15FyWtiMoa4ds4ySRtZFNeIQ-kB8rJRC_IjhuMq-AWuLRtojN8KqcmWhJEiBnicOF9arqRZYyiaKZLOwY86PbEWY-s/s400/sundae1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 195px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 100px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: arial;">It’s been a long day—started at 7:00 a.m. and finished at 5:30 p.m. My day? Helping human resources at a Fortune 500 company with notifications for the downsizing of production and salaried workers. So, how was your day?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: arial;">Some of us have had a day like this. Maybe you were notified once upon a time or recently notified—downsized, excessed, terminated or fired. No matter what it is called, there is a loss. The company lost you along with your skills, education, leadership, ideas, dedication, etc. You lost your career path along with your salary, insurance, 401k, co-workers, and a place to go 40 hours a week or more. </span> <span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: arial;"><br /><br />Life is filled with beginnings and endings and that encompasses our career. I always celebrated the beginning of new employment. It was a time of excitement, electricity, new challenges, new people and new possibilities. And then, there are employment endings.<br /><br />Endings come at different times and in different ways. Some endings are by choice and some are imposed. </span> <span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: arial;">Endings are like the flavors of ice cream. Some are smooth and predictable like your retirement day; maybe the flavor is Vanilla or Chocolate. Sooner or later, we will generally have one of these basic flavors.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: arial; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: arial; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">Sometimes the flavor is Rocky Road. Remember a time when you had an off day at work, missed a deadline, had conflict with a co-worker, or a poor performance report. The taste of Rocky Road offers those big learning moments with its chocolate ice cream mixed with marshmallow and nuts. Soft and hard…Rocky Road is full of contrasts and gives us something to chew on.</span> <span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: arial;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 100%;"><b>The flavor of the day during the recession would have to be Elephant Tracks. The flavor of chocolate ice cream with a swirl of chocolate and peanut butter cups was a gooey mess and we struggled to eat our way of it. The elephant like the recession had a heavy impact on our lives, careers and busin</b></span><b>esses</b><span style="font-size: 100%;"><b>.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><b>I have had the privilege of meeting wonderful, talented people who are making the most of the recession, working hard to have a rebound or new direction. I am amazed to see people who are co</b></span><b>ping</b><span style="font-size: 100%;"><b>, networking and supporting one another to find innovative ways to keep moving forward. It’s so true, tough times call for a tough attitude! I have seen people volunteering, updating their education, thinking outside the box and using creative self-marketing to move through uncertain times.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: arial; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">We are amazing human beings. We continue to look forward and not backward. We fight the role of victim and self-pity. I wish you well as you persevere in your job search or recreate your career path. What’s your ice cream flavor?</span> WORK IT!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17202871747417582173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6205299754593514167.post-77448709834296487402015-06-18T20:57:00.000-07:002015-06-18T20:57:54.519-07:00Life is like MahJongg<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuy6L_ZAmksJOLWJy9t6hpUACsrA-NyLMtRH1LaD5qJVUpPXR98U-J5JOdjnyhuPj1svFI_HXLzgeihBkmZFJ8jDmqTf1vcl-Em2IVetKxSLpcTpoJlSWLgwTSB3mzlwBA7QX-oh3Otc/s1600-h/Mahjongg.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403298766691981682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuy6L_ZAmksJOLWJy9t6hpUACsrA-NyLMtRH1LaD5qJVUpPXR98U-J5JOdjnyhuPj1svFI_HXLzgeihBkmZFJ8jDmqTf1vcl-Em2IVetKxSLpcTpoJlSWLgwTSB3mzlwBA7QX-oh3Otc/s400/Mahjongg.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 400px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 300px;" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I have read all of Amy Tan’s books starting with the Joy Luck Club, Kitchen God’s Wife, The Hundred Secret Senses, and more. Each book carries the reader to the Far East and often, the author mentions people playing the game of Mahjongg, an ancient Chinese game of skill, strategy, and calculation with a certain amount of luck. I usually paused and thought, what’s that?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Recently, a friend invited me to learn how to play <span style="font-weight: bold;">MahJongg</span>. I didn’t know anyone who played Mahjongg, no matter how you spell it (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Mah-jongg or Mah-jong</span>). I thought the game was no longer played in China, let alone in America!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Reaction & Reflection on Learning Something New<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I wondered, do I have time to learn the how to play the game? I felt insecure, out of my comfort zone. I wondered, would I catch or would I need remedial MahJongg for the slow learner. I decided to take a risk and show up for the first learning session. I got hooked and committed to show up and practice weekly for two hours. After five sessions, as Professor Higgins would say, “By jove, I think she’s got it!” And the added bonus, I made a new friends and had a few laughs. Just like playing cards, there’s an amount of memory, concentration and strategy involved. I think I stimulated a few brain cells.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Steps to Learning<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Most of us would like to say we are life-long learners. That’s good. Yet, when we are asked to step up to the plate to learn or try something new, we often find an excuse like:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">I’m too busy, no time</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">I’m too old</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">I’m not coordinated</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">It’s too expensive</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">I'd feel guilty</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>When is the last time you learned something new? <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As a life coach, I tell people I coach clients to get in the Game of LIFE and not merely be spectators. I think it is easy to get sidelined in our lives and become spectators rather than participate when we get stressed, get overwhelmed, get older, get complacent in life or work. We think being on the bench will be easier and safe. Yet, I think, most of us want to get reinvolved, but don’t want to fail. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">What has been calling to you? Do you feel like you want to try something new, but something is holding you back? Maybe it's a new exercise, a new hair style, a new job. Take some time to sit down, check in with yourself and write it down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>What am I curious about?</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> What have you been thinking about, but put it on the back burner. Remember the movie, The Bucket List</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">?</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">We don’t have to wait until we are running out of time.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Maybe it’s reading a book, joining the church choir, learning to knit, taking an online class, visiting a yoga class, meeting a friend for coffee or trying out snowshoes.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Raise the antenna on your life for better reception.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Maybe it’s about fun/recreation, career, health/exercise, home, relationships with family/friends, or spirituality/personal growth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>What gets in the way? </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Usually it is time, money or fear. These familiar items seem to multiply and feed on each other. Yet, we find ourselves stymied by them time and again. Like a broken record, these items replay in our lives. How can we become bigger than the obstacles? How can we shrink the items and regain control rather than let the items control us?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Gains vs. Losses<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">What do you have to gain? A lot. This is about what you value, what you find important, what you find meaning in? If you are resisting and saying “no,” you continue to live your life small by sitting on the bench. The excuses become the default in your life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Who losses? You. It can become habitual to play life small by letting the obstacles hold you back. Are you happy in this place? Are you fulfilled? Are you tired of the broken record of excuses? Are you ready to regain control?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I challenge you to try something new, push the envelope for yourself, and move forward. I’d love to hear from you. Tell me what you are saying “yes” to. Good luck!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--> WORK IT!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17202871747417582173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6205299754593514167.post-40103831611591912032015-05-26T10:15:00.000-07:002015-06-18T22:10:39.221-07:00<div style="color: #009900; font-family: georgia; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Big Picture vs Detail Oriented</span></span></div>
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Are you a Big Picture person or Detail Oriented person? Some of us have a natural instinct to be one or another, we have a preference. We need both kinds of people in the world. Both skills are beneficial. Neither one is better than the other. Both skills are needed on the job, needed in life. We often feel more comfortable with one versus the other, but being able to develop both and call it forward when you need it is a worthwhile exercise. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Can you move between the two?</span></div>
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Like me, you might find one easier than the other, <span style="font-weight: bold;">but wait…there's hope!</span> Yes, we usually have a preference, but with awareness and intention to improve on a skill, you can increase you ability to think big picture or detail orientation.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Here are a few suggestions:</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">1.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"> Form the big picture in your mind and let your life be guided toward it.</span> It often helps to write or sketch what you see or sense. People who are big picture thinkers focus on the future. They can visualize the end product in their mind. They might orchestrate or employ the people they need to connect the dots and fill in the detail to accomplish the goal.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Need more big picture thinking?</span> Let the big picture be the lighthouse that sends out the beacon of light to guide and direct your boat to shore. Look around, look at the horizon.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Now for the detail.</span> Adjusting the sail and moving the rudder will bring your boat to safe harbor. The tacking and making small adjustments help you to move forward and accomplish your goal. Keep your eye on the beacon of light and not just the waves lapping at your boat.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">4. You need a destination or plan to move forward, otherwise your boat can move in circles. </span>People with a preference for detail need to know what the plan or goal is or need to create the plan before getting into action. Once the plan is laid out, they are generally able to move it along. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Forward the action, deepen the learning!</span><br />
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<br />WORK IT!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17202871747417582173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6205299754593514167.post-74974774835905334612015-02-13T07:28:00.002-08:002015-07-27T13:47:50.870-07:00Be Like Gumby in Your Job Search!It's still a rather tight, fickle job market out there, no question about that. It looks like there are job openings, but many remained unfilled and reposted. Finding the right fit to fill a job opening is a bit of luck, timing, persistence and having the right stuff. Tough times call for a tough, flexible attitude. There isn’t time for self-pity or feeling like a victim.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0pycpvcRnqI1fOSkPFHMQE3m2BqWIrWy0p30gGj-63-A7CTLWrk1DJg3iQ9sle6PvQwwmrxs0Zj1GV4cryxLDfljMYHRJQOExOdA7oan8pF1gmvpttz_-NDXLSIw8HyNQqjRVRXxwk8c/s1600/1024x768gumby2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0pycpvcRnqI1fOSkPFHMQE3m2BqWIrWy0p30gGj-63-A7CTLWrk1DJg3iQ9sle6PvQwwmrxs0Zj1GV4cryxLDfljMYHRJQOExOdA7oan8pF1gmvpttz_-NDXLSIw8HyNQqjRVRXxwk8c/s320/1024x768gumby2.jpg" width="320" /></a>Remember <b><span style="font-size: large;">Gumby</span></b>, that pliable green guy made of clay? Just the thought of Gumby makes me smile.
I encourage you to find the emotional support you need to keep you from spiraling down. These are trying times, but remember, this is not All About YOU, it's been about the economy, the global economy. Take charge of yourself! You can’t change the economy, but you can change your attitude and take control of you. You can work on bending, swaying and learning to be adaptable.<br />
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Here are some ideas to consider:<br />
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<b>Self-Preservation</b> - Walk, read, go to the library, go to the park, go to the Workforce Centers, go fishing, plant a garden (seeds are cheap), go to church, call a friend, go to a work support group...just go. Refuse to get stuck, become rigid, breakable and fragile. That sense of desperation will not fuel your ongoing job search. When you get to an interview, you will have a better "state of mind."<br />
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<b>Volunteer</b> - It is often a true that we get more than we give. Now you might have the gift of time of your hands. Look around. Where could you use some of your talents to assist others? Maybe it’s a week working on a Habitat for Humanity building project, serving a meal for the homeless, tutoring a student or helping an elderly neighbor. Volunteering can help us stay connected and there might be some unexpected networking that results.<br />
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<b>Work Smart, Not Just Hard </b>- Make sure you are working your job search in the most efficient way. I encourage all of you to "think outside the box." Write an IMPACT Letter not merely a flat, traditional Cover Letter. Add interest, appeal and a “hook” to your letter. Be genuine and enrolling.
Informal<br />
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<b>Networking</b> - In the meantime, you might connect with a temporary employment agency, become a coffee barista or work retail. When you are around customers, there is a chance to talk with people you don’t know and expand your circle of contacts. These kinds of jobs expand your casual networking and can lead to an informational/referral meeting to expand your work and training options.<br />
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<b>Your Sense of Humor</b> - Laughter can lower your blood pressure and kick in natural endorphins. You need several laughs a day and most of us don’t get that. We all need to lighten up to help cope with stress.<br />
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<b>Retrain or Diversify</b> - Be realistic. Are your skills “cutting edge?” Are you in a saturated field? Has your job been outsourced? Is it time to get reinvested? Online classes or an additional certification might unlock some doors to opportunity. Learn how you can transfer your skills or expand your skills with an informational meeting with another professional or schedule a visit with a college advisor or career center.<br />
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<b>Be Gumby-like! Stay flexible and don't get bent out of shape!</b><br />
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WORK IT!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17202871747417582173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6205299754593514167.post-36725280796719951262008-06-03T22:44:00.000-07:002008-12-09T10:14:41.529-08:00Pomp & Circumstance<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vBK5L-Y7u5bevQMIaa7sdWresEOiYdiXN0-FQdK1Hsu-qC2ZtSwk1q_tf1aPrZypNYOUHydJCz4xP8p3JXsw_6cgl6E67P9iAB6qeLLbIXCLBdWwqtU7n8A0j1k_031j1FYGAIP9iRE/s1600-h/IMG_5041.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vBK5L-Y7u5bevQMIaa7sdWresEOiYdiXN0-FQdK1Hsu-qC2ZtSwk1q_tf1aPrZypNYOUHydJCz4xP8p3JXsw_6cgl6E67P9iAB6qeLLbIXCLBdWwqtU7n8A0j1k_031j1FYGAIP9iRE/s320/IMG_5041.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207900866629397714" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">I’m packing my suitcase to attend my daughter’s college graduation. It seems like yesterday when she was deciding which college to attend and now, four years have flown by. During her college life, she would call with snippets of happenings about her classes, long hours at the library, writing a big paper, summer job prospects, preparing for study abroad, and the like. I’ll miss those conversations. Now, it’s time to step out into the “real world,” but first a little POMP!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">After Commencement, there are parties, dinners, photographs, yearbooks, gifts and well wishes. It’s a right of passage, a send-off. Our sons and daughters are moving on and stepping into adulthood, and some of us as adults are graduating as well.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Graduation always does it to me. Graduation is about endings and beginnings, doors closing and opening. Soon I will hear the tunes of the familiar march, Pomp and Circumstance, which is virtually synonymous with graduation exercises in North America. Pomp and Circumstance brings images of graduates processing in flowing gowns with mortarboards with tassels swaying.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">After the POMP comes the CIRCUMSTANCE, which can look differently as the graduates move forward with their life plans. For most, it’s employment, employment search, military or more school. It will be a time of new places, new independence, new people, new assignments, new opportunities and new challenges.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Life is a series of becoming, arriving and ending. We spend years preparing for the destination and often arrive at the destination only to repeat the process or find ourselves dissatisfied with the destination. It is said that life is about “the journey.” These words ring true as we know that a diploma or degree marks the beginning of lifelong learning. Many will take their life experiences and benefits to reenter the workplace or return for more training. People change jobs and careers several times or more in life. Change is more of the rule rather than the exception. Some people in their 40’s and 50’s with established careers are finding themselves back in the beginning stages again. In some cases, they find themselves competing with the new graduates except they have 25 years of experience, a full resume, well-honed skills, a proven work record and often, a family and mortgage. In today’s job market, nothing is certain. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Yes, grads, enjoy the POMP as CIRCUMSTANCES will weave in and out of your career. As the Boy Scout motto says, “be prepared” and may I add, continue to prepare, avoid complacency. Change is the future.</span>WORK IT!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17202871747417582173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6205299754593514167.post-41975855868476132282008-04-27T15:47:00.000-07:002008-12-09T10:14:41.734-08:00Go Green With Your Career Search<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCeVvGF-OM8dqZZjPQyrJvDQVLIQLCIEJFc-3QcYg1P5vzlrSfnyFHaWIQ4v1Vh7leax5NPc6Uo41nmx3J_cGW8yV7lF5nC4HZ32mNh4KKPpiiIhDXcOjRO8LuwbycEklW5vGtoDt25k0/s1600-h/IMG_4956.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCeVvGF-OM8dqZZjPQyrJvDQVLIQLCIEJFc-3QcYg1P5vzlrSfnyFHaWIQ4v1Vh7leax5NPc6Uo41nmx3J_cGW8yV7lF5nC4HZ32mNh4KKPpiiIhDXcOjRO8LuwbycEklW5vGtoDt25k0/s200/IMG_4956.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194067301633450562" border="0" /></a><br />In April 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin launched Earth Day. It evolved after seven years of observation, discussion and planning to bring the environment into the "limelight." Today, I'm buying bottled water and see our air, ground water, soil, oceans and glaciers under siege. As we hear more about Going Green to save the planet, what can we do to Green our Career? Just like the environment, we cannot take anything for granted in today's workplace. Keeping our career path intentional and updated is necessary for career survival and redesign.<br /><br />In honor of Earth Day, April 22nd, here are some ways to green your career:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Sustainability:</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> I</span>t's can be tough to stay motivated in a career search, but to persevere and stay with it are necessary. Be the glacier and resist having a "meltdown!" Looking for work is work. So, eat healthy, go for a walk, get fresh air, join a work support group, hire a coach, etc. It's about survival, and you can do it. Remember, Darwin's Survival of the Fittest? The village blacksmith will not return and neither will hand milking or the keypunch operator. You have to move on, retool and renew. That means an investment in you.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Recycle - Reuse - Renew: </span> When did you update your resume? Did you ever attend a professional development workshop or use a career tool that identified your strengths, interests or leadership style? I have talked with so many clients who discounted this kind of experience and shoved the results in the back of the file cabinet. In good times, we tend to think, that's nice, so what! Dig out the results and reread them. The results could be insightful.<br /><br />Even if the resume or a performance evaluation is 5-10 years old, it can be a springboard. Dig it out, dust it off and remember who you were. It can provide direction as you ask, who am I today? Reflect, regroup, react. Just like paper or plastic, we can be "reused." Besides, it's spring and it might be time to spring clean your files and get reorganized.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Preserve: </span> How can you preserve your identity and integrity? Some traits are timeless! It is important to "know thyself." Some workers think, it's over, I'm outdated, too old, too inexperienced, washed up. Hold on! A solid work ethic, good work record, willing to learn and retrain still mean something in today's workplace. We are not "throw-aways" waiting for the landfill. You are a valued entity in today's workplace, so market yourself, get grounded and persevere.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Save Energy:</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> </span>Like the new energy-saving light bulbs, they cost more, but save money and energy in the long run. How about you? Can you save an employer money and energy in the long run? Are you a good investment? Can you glow brightly and provide long-lasting productivity? Think about the value you bring to the workplace.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Increase Efficiency:</span> In your work search, work smarter and be efficient. Focus your job search, schedule your calls and keep accurate records of your applications, follow-ups and responses. To stay efficient, you need a plan and a schedule for your workweek. A "hit or miss" philosophy or "when I feel like it" attitude will not serve you.<br /><br />Keeping your career path green means you are aware, enlightened and alive. Spring is a season of renewal. The workplace is dynamic and your career path and credentials need to be dynamic too.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Quote for the Month - Celebration of Spring</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">and then the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. - Anais Nin</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">In Conclusion</span><br /><br />Spring is here! Is your career and your life ready to green out and bud with new growth, new vitality and a fresh outlook? Coaching can help you clean away the old snow and clear the pathways. Give it a try with a complimentary session! Come on, take a risk, try someting different for different results.<br /><br />I look forward to your questions, feedback and suggestions about this ezine for work/life balance and fulfillment. Whether you are a college student, growing your career, maintaining your livelihood, or eyeing retirement, we all experience ups and downs in the various stages of life.<br /><br />I coach and write with your agenda in mind, where you are today and where you want to be tomorrow.<br /><br />Thank you for taking time to balance our planet. It all starts with YOU!<br /><br />If you are new to coaching and wonder if coaching could be helpful, contact me for a complimentary coaching session.WORK IT!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17202871747417582173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6205299754593514167.post-63398182288390458672008-03-13T22:24:00.000-07:002008-12-09T10:14:41.930-08:00Brett Favre - Career Lessons from #4<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMdgLruRbyoIOXenxuWGRK7JuolHBMRGIcSIoHP7ACeH4FFegaCGXof5eM_H0mfjO90hlAmupYDgo474qNQ92tk3zcTdpsHS6kxaD8kAIDhHab3XHfBEP778VHAuystdSAyafp5FwMhg/s1600-h/fb_AAIT086_8x10~Brett-Favre-Posters.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMdgLruRbyoIOXenxuWGRK7JuolHBMRGIcSIoHP7ACeH4FFegaCGXof5eM_H0mfjO90hlAmupYDgo474qNQ92tk3zcTdpsHS6kxaD8kAIDhHab3XHfBEP778VHAuystdSAyafp5FwMhg/s200/fb_AAIT086_8x10~Brett-Favre-Posters.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177475766952882946" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Brett Favre’s resume profile might read: 17 year career in the NFL with 16 years as the Green Bay Packer’s quarterback.</span> </span> Broke most quarterback records in passing yards, touchdown passes, and wins along with all-time franchise records. Holds the all-time consecutive start record with 253 games and a Super Bowl win in 1996.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Well, # 4, you sure look like # 1 in my playbook! And now that he announces his retirement, what lessons can we learn from #4 to help us catapult our career path to #1? What was behind the man, the athlete, beyond the numbers who accomplished this career legacy?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Work Ethic</span> - What we saw on game day was just a small portion of his week. In fact, his football career at Southern Mississippi was almost cut short when he had a near-fatal car accident. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Inquiry:</span> What motivates you in the workplace?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Preparation</span> - Whether he was in the weight room, reviewing game footage, analyzing plays, practicing, or doing mental and emotional preparation, there are many aspects of preparing for game day. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Inquiry: </span>Prepare for your work success. Success usually doesn't just magically appear.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Team Player</span> - Brett has been called the ultimate team player, # 1 in team. He led by humility and was devoted more to the “we” than “me.” <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Inquiry: </span>The old days of looking out for ME, #1 are self-centered and are about control. Remember, there is no "I" in TEAM. Move beyond your ego!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Leadership</span> - What is it to lead by example? He started 275 consecutive games (including playoffs) from 1992-2008, which certainly earns a gold star for attendance! <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Inquiry: </span>How can you become a Leader in Your Life? Take time to explore your leadership potential and skills.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Passion </span>- For the love of game. Brett was lucky, he found his calling in life, yet millions of Americans are dissatisfied and feel stuck in their jobs. <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Inquiry: </span></span>We spend a lot of time at work, so why not find something that your enjoy... something that gives you a sense of accomplishment, something that challenges you, something that gives a sense of pride, etc. Find it...life is too short to work in a deadend, lose-lose job. The longer you wait, the harder it is to make a change.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Strategy </span>- Play to win. Work to win. <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Inquiry: </span></span>Winning at work. Make it work for you.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Perseverance</span> - He had setbacks…coaching and player turnovers, injuries, his addiction to pain medication, his father’s unexpected death, his wife Deanna’s breast cancer, even damage to his home in Mississippi from Hurricane Katrina. <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Inquiry: </span></span>Life is not a "bowl of cherries," you will find pits. Take care of your health...mind, body and soul. What will serve you? Is it prayer, mediation, yoga, running, walking your dog, a massage, journaling...find it, use it. Don't forget to ask for help to cope with the pain and disappointments in your life.<br /><br />Thank you #4! I look forward to seeing “what’s next,” but in the meantime, enjoy the time to pause and reflect on an outstanding career.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Barbara Wulf MS, GCDF, CPCC</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Beckon Call</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>WORK IT!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17202871747417582173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6205299754593514167.post-57882710749331911122008-02-26T21:23:00.000-08:002015-07-19T14:48:37.693-07:00Work It<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3HR7Gk0Y9lc8W8Rr2ZuRkfGx2fhN8CgIrA00sXZgsU06P8vSZsYK4NfJeN5MDHFJ1vTh0Sd-qYjfeM0M_CJlh4EuosR94ZGUe-hbSNqJiRojfjahign8bgJ1BPEB2ttx1mjbsxyeGeg/s1600-h/IMG_3881.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171543236206199938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3HR7Gk0Y9lc8W8Rr2ZuRkfGx2fhN8CgIrA00sXZgsU06P8vSZsYK4NfJeN5MDHFJ1vTh0Sd-qYjfeM0M_CJlh4EuosR94ZGUe-hbSNqJiRojfjahign8bgJ1BPEB2ttx1mjbsxyeGeg/s320/IMG_3881.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Welcome to my first posting of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Work It!</span> I look forward to connecting with you as a career/life coach to help you create, redesign or revive your career path and life purpose. Whether you are just entering the work world as a Gen Y, seeing retirement on the horizon as a Baby Boomer or somewhere in-between, I hope my blog will speak to you, and you to me.</span></span></span> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I hope to talk about the changing world of work, how we work, the value of work (beyond the $), work/life balance, work fulfillment, life purpose, finding work that suites you, career change, quitting a job, resumes, job search strategies, entrepreneurship, leadership at work, volunteerism and retirement. You get the picture, right.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Just like the old song by singer, Peggy Lee, who sang, "is that all there is?" I will close and say, yes, that is all there is for this posting, but check back</span>…<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">there is more to come.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-weight: bold;">Barbara Wulf MS, GCDF, CPCC</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-weight: bold;">Beckon Call</span> <span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-weight: bold;"><br />www.beckoncall-coach.com</span> <span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-weight: bold;"><br />Beckon Call...what's yours?</span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-style: italic;">Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your wild and precious life? - Mary Oliver, poet</span> </span></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></span></span>WORK IT!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17202871747417582173noreply@blogger.com0