[Career planning] "Career change means I have to speak"

Your new career calls for public speaking. Whether you're shy or eager to take the floor, you're wise to prepare ahead of time. Speaking can be a skill that sets you apart from the pack. I happen to be a natural extrovert and a bit of a ham (okay, more than a bit). And I study manuals and attend classes to improve my product. Ask the professionals: they never stop trying to get better. Here are my favorite tips: (1) Choose a title that captures your audience’s attention. Your title works like a headline in copywriting. Grab the audience, demonstrate a benefit, and get them on the edge of their chairs. ”Five career-killing mistakes most new managers make” will be stronger than “Tips to survive your first month as a new manager” (although that’s not bad, depending on your audience). (2) Choose 3 takeaways. Your audience won’t remember more than 3 main points or “takeaways,” i.e., what they “take away” from the talk. Choose three straightforward topics and build your talk around them. (3) Identify your own biggest challenge. Practice with a tape recorder. Get used to the sound of your own voice and get comfortable with your style. For instance, I’ve been told I’m a “compelling” speaker who commands attention. But I tend to speak fast (I was born in New York). So as I speak, I consciously slow down my words and pause from time to time. I’ve learned that my timing is perfect when I feel that I’m speaking at snail speed. (4) Involve the audience. If possible, discover your group’s most pressing needs. Call a few members of the organization. Personalize your talk with a reference to the group’s unique interests, qualities and/or needs. During your talk, hold attention with stories and ask your audience to respond to questions. If time is tight, your questions can be rhetorical: just get everyone nodding or ask for a show of hands. (5) End early. Better to finish ahead of time and take questions than to go past your assigned time. Of course, we could write a book on this topic. Some people have! To hone your skills, some managers join groups like Toastmasters. Chapters vary widely, so I recommend attending at least three to five meetings as a guest before making a commitment to join. Some chapters include professional media anchors and highly paid professional speakers while others attract shy novices. Ideally, you won’t be the best or the worst speaker, and you’ll have good role models as well as opportunities to practice getting up to speak. Few people start life as great speakers. Getting ready for my high school reunion, I spoke to a classmate who remembered me as “rather quiet and shy.” Well, it was a very long time ago... Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., works with corporate executives, business-owners and professionals who want to transform career breakdowns to career breakthroughs. Cathy has created the 21-Day Extreme Career Makeover. Get a headstart on finding your dream career. Fr*e Download: Why most career change fails (and how you can write your own success story). Sign up here for your free download. mailto:goodwincathy@yahoo.com or (206) 819-0989

[Job Search Tips] Maybe you don't need a resume...or do you?

Nick Corcodilos, author of Ask the Headhunter, usually offers first rate advice in his weekly newspaper column. But last week's column, for some reason, bothered me (Seattle Times on Sunday, April 16th). An anonymous reader I’ll call “Matthew” complained that his career counselor (let’s call her “Jennifer”) advised that “most” resumes are chronological, not functional. Jennifer also noted that recruiters often refuse to review functional resumes. “I like my functional format,” wrote Matthew, “and have gotten some good feedback about it, but I must consider Jennifer’s advice.” Corcodilos suggested, “Fire the career counselor.” Jennifer, he said, was stewing over resumes, when in fact applicants should present themselves to employers with solutions for specific problems. He’s half right. Ideally, job hunters should try to get in front of decision-makers. They can pitch themselves not as employees, but as resources who can deliver solutions. You have to be pretty savvy – and probably quite senior – to do this effectively. But Matthew didn’t ask, “How should I run my job campaign?” And Jennifer didn’t say, “You must have a resume.” Jennifer made two statements. (1) Most resumes are submitted in chronological form. True! (2) Recruiters like chronological formats. Also true! Their reputations are on the line every time they present a candidate. Typically they’re filling positions that call for specific experience. Recruiters work for employers. They’re not motivated to translate the Matthew’s skills into an employer’s language. Matthew says he received good feedback on his functional resume. “From whom?” I would ask. “And is this feedback translating into interviews?” Corcodilos concludes that job hunters should “use what you think works best for you,” not follow someone else’s rules. No one, he says, will be as invested in your job search as you are. True. But sometimes others will be far more knowledgeable about the job search process than you are – especially if you haven’t looked for a job in the last twenty years. And often you have to demonstrate that you understand the rules. If you want to work with a recruiter, you’ll most likely need a strong chronological resume. And if you’re answering an ad, save your creativity for the cover letter. See http://www.cathygoodwin.com/reports.html#wantads Intuition usually helps, if you know how to listen. http://www.cathygoodwin.com/intuitionbook.html But why fire the career counselor, the one I call “Jennifer” so we can keep everybody straight? She answered her client truthfully. Without knowing Matthew’s professional skills, industry and interpersonal skills, we can’t advise Matthew to get in front of potential employers and sell himself. Cathy Goodwin created the 21 Day Extreme Career Makeover System. Click here to learn more.

[Midlife Crisis Career Change] Can this job be saved?

Q. Building my business is taking longer than anticipated, so I recently accepted a part-time telecommute job with X company. X just announced a company meeting at their headquarters, 1200 miles away, next month. I am scheduled to speak at a major networking group – an opportunity that won’t come around again – on the same day. I had made the commitment well before I joined X company. The contract says I am “expected” to attend “periodic” company events at headquarters but has no provisions for notice or penalties. My work involves editing and writing projects with no requirements to put in specific hours. I didn’t realize “expected” meant “you must go or you’ll be fired,” but that’s what management now says. I don’t want to invest more time in this job if I’m going to be fired, but I like X – and it’s money. A. Ouch! I am not a lawyer but I suspect X company went the cheap-o route for drawing up the contracts. (Any lawyers out there?) No one can tell you what to do but I’ll offer some comments. And I invite readers to chime in, because this topic may be quite controversial. I suspect your relationship with X is doomed, no matter what happens. (1) Part time jobs often lead to overtime stress. It’s usually to draw the line and stop work exactly on time. And how do meetings count towards your work requirements? (2) It’s hard to overcome a rocky start. Unless you desperately need the money, you should investigate your options for leaving immediately. If you have to invest time learning the company’s operations, you are taking time from your business – and from exploring more reasonable opportunities. (3) Technology has eliminated the need for face time for most meetings. But many companies haven’t caught on. And some organizations, such as universities, need (or feel they need) face time for licensing and accreditation. (4) When starting your own business, keep your day job as long as possible. As you’ve demonstrated, once you start working for yourself, you lose the ability to roll with corporate punches. Often you truly can’t go home again. (5) When a company acts unreasonably at the beginning of a relationship, you can only expect the situation to get worse. Occasionally organizations show their worst side during the hiring and new-employee phases. More often you get at least a brief honeymoon. Don’t count on this job! Okay, readers – let’s hear your views! Please post a comment. Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., works with corporate executives, business-owners and professionals who want to transform career breakdowns to career breakthroughs. Cathy has created the 21-Day Extreme Career Makeover Click here to start your makeover today. Fr*e Download: Why most career change fails (and how you can write your own success story) Why Most Career Change Fails (and How To Write Your Own Success Story) Get your FREE download here! Email me directly.

[Time Management Tips] Overwhelmed? Tame the time tiger here

Clients often begin a career consultation with, “I feel overwhelmed.” Often they’re right. These days we really have more to do than ever before. Ironically, much of our overwhelm comes from awareness of what we need for a healthy, meaningful life. Our grandparents (and maybe our parents) didn’t schedule three gym visits a week. They probably didn’t engage in networking activities or career exploration. And their best friends and close family members probably lived in the neighborhood, or at least the same city. They had time for lunch. So when we look for answers, we don’t find many role models. Clients tell me, “My friends and colleagues all face the same challenges.” To start to tame the time tiger, I recommend reviewing the messages you’ve heard about time. Many of us don’t realize the lessons we’ve learned, let alone where we found them. Here’s an exercise to get started, based on my 21-Day Time Makeover System (1) What do your friends say about time and time management? (2) Do your friends seem to have more or less time than you do? Are they more or less frazzled than you are? (3) What did your family teach you about time management? Did they teach by example or by instructing you? (4) What kind of feedback have you gained over the course of your school and work lives? Have you been berated for lack of organization? Missing deadlines? (5) How would you like to be viewed by friends, family, coworkers and others? As a highly organized, impeccable person? As a person who always has time for leisure? As a leader who’s too busy to bother with the small stuff? Power Exercise: Ask friends directly about time. Are they friends with time – or do they struggle constantly? What have they learned? And how do they view you when they think of time and time management? Send me your comments and I’ll respond. I may have to be brief, though: it’s a matter of time. Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D. Creator of the 21-Day Time Management Makeover System Learn more!

Career Planning: Career Booster vs. Career Hurricane

In just a few months, readers in several parts of the world will begin preparing for Hurricane Season. I lived in Florida for three years and I know first-hand what's involved. Shutters. Supplies of water and food. A "safe" room with a door that closes. No matter where you live or what you do, I recommend you also prepare for a Career Hurricane. But before you click off with, "What a depressing topic!" I want to emphasize that career disaster planning has a whole different meaning. You probably heard that the Chinese character for crisis includes a symbol for "opportunity." And the same plans you create for a career crisis will help when good times come around. A recruiter calls unexpectedly. You get a surprise promotion. You decide to leave your job and start your own company. And sometimes your career breakdown happens without outside intervention. You wake up one day and realize, "I can't keep going back to that company for the next ten years...maybe not even ten months." So what goes into your career emergency kit? (1) An updated resume: Keep your resume current. Update at least once every six months. If your resume looks the same after your last update, evaluate your job or your business. Either you need to make a change or you need to recognize accomplishments and promote them. (2) Documentation to support your accomplishments. Documentation means you don't just say, "I'm a good writer." You have sample white papers, reports, brochures and booklets. Were you Sales Rep of the Year? Did you win a company wide award? Get recognized for your innovation? Keep copies at work and also at home. (3) An active professional network. "Dig the well before you're thirsty" is the title of a popular networking book. While you're happily employed -- and have a business card with an affiliation and a title -- join organizations and let colleagues get to know you. (4) Upgraded skills. Continue to take classes and attend seminars. A six-week marketing seminar can help a techie jump-start a career change. (5) Create a list of phone numbers. You'll need a personal support system -- friends and family members. They'll offer empathy and general support - but they won't know how to help you take concrete steps in the direction of a new dream. You'll also need professional sources: recruiters, consultants and/or coaches. When you're caught up in a crisis, most people find their emotions dominate. It's hard to make effective choices under pressure. A small investment in an hour or two, when you have a fairly straightforward question, will help you decide who to call when you face a genuine crisis. Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., works with corporate executives, business-owners and professionals who want to transform career breakdowns to career breakthroughs. Cathy has created the 21-Day Extreme Career Makeover System. Learn more Email Cathy