[Career information] Can I Afford to Move Here?

Q. I live in a wonderful house in the Midwest. Recently a recruiter asked if I’d consider a new job with a move to Southern California. The salary would be higher but the cost of living – ouch! Should I go on the interview? A. Let’s do the easy part first. I almost always recommend going on the interview. Of course, don’t jeopardize your current job or current clients. But you have little to lose. Occasionally you will be considered for other jobs in the company. You may be able to negotiate a telecommute option. Your interviewer may know of other opportunities in more desirable locations. And now let’s say you get a job offer for Los Angeles. You wonder if you can find a place to rent or buy. The only affordable homes seem to be 2 hours away from your job. What can you do? We’re focusing here on finding a place to live, but the process works for other must-haves, too: access to the ocean, driving versus public transportation, art museums...even a good bakery or deli. (a) Visit your new city before you accept an offer. Don’t skip this step, even if you pay your own way. (b) Look around on your own – not with an agent or company representative. (If an agent offers to show you around, take another day alone.) As you look, make detailed notes. Stay in touch with an objective friend, family member or paid consultant – someone who can be a sounding board when you’re facing a tough decision. (c) Revisit your offer. Don’t be surprised if the dollar amount and the terms look different – in either direction -- after your “Explorer Day.” Consider negotiating for a signing bonus or additional salary. Or make your acceptance contingent on finding a place to live. (d) Be ready to walk away from an offer. We tell ourselves, “Sure, I can handle a two-hour commute.” Or “I can downsize to a 500-square-foot studio apartment for me, my St. Bernard dog, and my three cats. And if the guy in my life becomes my life partner, we’ll squeeze him in too.” My friend “Tim” is like that. He’s super-easygoing and he can live in anything from a dungeon to a palace. Most of us can’t. (e) Be ruthlessly honest. Resentment leads to frustration, anger and stress. This is not the time to grit your teeth and mutter, “I can do this!” or, “I can do without that!” (unless, of course, you’re trying to survive the Marine Corps Boot Camp – a career choice that draws my admiration but not my expertise). When I was in graduate school, one of my classmates had been a successful corporate manager. When he decided to go back to school, he sold a large house and downsized to a tiny dark studio apartment, determined to live the student life. He dropped out of school in the middle of his very first year, although he had been identified as a promising scholar. I am convinced he’d have completed the program if he had chosen a nicer place to live. Bottom Line: Every time I (or my clients) have said “No” to an offer for honest, realistic reasons, a better opportunity seems to turn up, faster than expected. No guarantees but don’t be surprised if that’s your experience too. Considering your own relocation? Don’t move without my ebook. Manage your money during a life transition. Download here. And if you’re struggling with a decision like this one, teach your intuition to send a telegram – not a post card. Download here.

[Great Career Information] Myth of Midlife Crisis Career Change

Recently the Wall Street Journal carried a story about a 49-year-old public relations specialist, laid off four years ago, currently working as a seasonal post office employee. “Could he hope to be back on a payroll?” the article asked. Here’s what I’d advise if he called me. (1) Gain momentum early. When you first suspect your job is going away, begin taking steps to your new career. If you’re not sure what to do, invest in a coach or consultant before you need one. (2) Discover the difference between career change and career success. Long time readers will recognize this idea. Corporate success is like pro football: you’re rewarded for following someone else’s game plan and being in the right place at the right time. Career change is like playground basketball: be ready to scramble. (3) Avoid a functional resume. Midlife professionals often wonder if they should leave off dates and focus on skills. Alas, HR managers realize what you’re doing. Everyone’s reading the same career advice. Employers have become suspicious of functional resumes, suspecting you have something to hide. (That’s why they used functional resumes in their job search.) I’ve seen people hit a wall with functional resumes, then hit a home run with a well-designed chronological resume. (4) Use a backdoor strategy to search. You may find a job on the Internet, but more likely you’ll connect with someone who knows someone who ... I don’t recommend, “interviewing for information” when you’re a seasoned pro. Instead, find creative ways to develop contacts that build on your experience. Ideally, your resume (and your age) will be viewed as irrelevant. (5) Consider self-employment. I would never encourage a client to stop searching for a “real” job with a paycheck and benefits. But sometimes you’ll earn more income -- faster -- by hiring yourself. The WSJ article describes a retired PR person who earns fourteen dollars an hour as a relief mail carrier. Scary. But not necessary. Most likely he could come up with half a dozen ways to sell his skills for a much higher hourly rate. Some of my clients have been surprised at how well they performed as solo-preneurs. But they were even more surprised to realize they were becoming more marketable as job candidates. Who would a hiring manager choose: Mark, a desperate soul who’s been pounding the pavement in between minimum-wage jobs? Or Mary, a confident businessperson who’s demonstrating that she can attract paying customers? Jobs are like bank loans. They’re most likely to arrive when you don’t absolutely have to have them. Ready to turn your lazy, good-for-nothing website into a powerhouse profit center that works 24/7? Visit the Copy Cat. Download your valuable 10-page fr*e Report: 7 Best-Kept Secrets of Client Attracting Websites. Click here.

[Career advice] Your Career's Midlife Crisis: Are You a Jumper or a Clinger?

Over the years, I have identified two kinds of midlife career changers: Jumpers and Clingers. Jumpers thrive on energy, enthusiasm and improbable luck. The last three times they leaped, a net appeared. They see no reason why the next jump should be any different. Clingers thrive on careers that offer security, money and identity. When they outgrow their careers, or find themselves forced out, they feel lost. They can't remember the last time they found themselves in this position. Coaching jumpers and clingers for career change Jumpers call a coach when they are ready to find a new mountain. Suggest a destination and they ask, "Where is it?" Often they've made another leap before the coach realizes what is going on. Clingers call a coach when they find themselves lost in the jungle. They ask, "How do I know if I've made the right decision?" and, "How can I find security?" They hold out a one-way ticket, asking, "How do I change to a round trip?" Jumpers have learned to accept that sinking-feeling-in-the-gut as they leap off the mountain. Climbers are not used to feeling edgy. They don't want a roadmap; they want a hotel reservation, preferably chosen from a listing in the auto club directory. Career change lessons for jumpers and clingers Both Jumpers and Clingers face a new reality. Even the bravest Jumper can run out of luck. Choose the wrong mountain and the net never appears. And in the twenty- first century, Clingers must create their own security. Jumpers must stop at the edge of the mountain, before the point of no return. "Does this feel right?" they have to ask. "Should I look first this time, to see if the net really exists? Or maybe instead of leaping it's time to climb down more carefully, one ledge at a time." Clingers also have to ask, "Does this feel right?" Like Jumpers, they must look for safety nets. They learn to read maps and differentiate between dangerous potholes and afternoon shadows. And when they can't get a guaranteed hotel reservation, they learn to make a contingency plan to avoid sleeping in the park. Jumpers learn to walk where they used to run. Clingers learn to walk where they used to ride. Most people will combine the qualities of jumpers and clingers, but you can save a lot of grief by knowing your prevailing style. Jumpers need guides who say, "Stop! Think!" Clingers need guides who motivate them to go. Over-motivated jumpers become daredevils; over-planned clingers lose momentum. Disasters and Victories Both jumpers and clingers can head for disaster. Jumpers leap into icy water or treacherous rocks. Clingers find their once-secure shelter has been blown over by a hurricane. Jumpers bring energy and daring to a new venture; clingers bring planning skills and a track record of past accomplishment. Ultimately, both achieve success by recognizing their own operational styles and using their own strengths to survive and thrive in new terrain. Career Consultant Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D. created the 21-Day Extreme Career Makeover guide for midlife professionals who want to transform career breakdowns to career breakthroughs. Download here. Download your fr*e Report: Why Most Career Change Fails (and how to write your own success story) Sign up here.

[Great Career Information] "Reached goal...feeling miserable"

“Cynthia” just passed the bar exam, after trying unsuccessfully a year ago. To everyone’s surprise, she’s not glowing with joy. Instead, she’s feeling a big letdown. “Ivan” just landed a new job, after searching for months. “Karen” just sold her business for a 7-figure sum – enough so she may never have to work again. She’s feeling lost and dazed. What’s going on? Any transition involves loss – even when you’re experiencing positive change. So it’s not surprising when you experience re-entry shock. Here are three steps to take before you reach the finish line. Once you’re there, you won’t feel like planning. And in my experience, anticipating a reward can be a great motivator. 1. Plan a big event to celebrate. Transitions are best marked by ritual. Society has few rituals to celebrate getting promoted or landing a dream job after a long campaign. So we have to create our own. Plan a big party and invite everyone you know. Get a cake. Serve champagne (if it’s part of your value system) and get someone else to drive you home. 2. Plan activities you will enjoy. When you’ve worked toward a goal for a long time, your days were filled with purposeful activity and (probably) interesting people. Cynthia, for instance, spent long hours with her study group. Karen worked 11-hour days with frequent calls to her business advisors. Suddenly your days can seem bleak in comparison. Cynthia faces a daunting round of job interviews. Ivan has to experience a learning curve before he can dig in and begin to enjoy the job he wanted. Best to begin your new life with a busy calendar. If your career days seem mundane, search elsewhere: art classes, camping, volunteer work and family time. Develop a project, in or out of your career. 3. Plan your next big win. What will your next big meaningful goal look like? Karen wanted a new career in the arts. Ivan wanted to start his own business. Cynthia wasn’t sure – which is fine. A law degree can take her in many exciting directions. But she can begin by exploring options now, years before she needs them. My own experience happened more by luck than design. As I completed my PhD dissertation, I knew I would miss my classmates and friends in the Bay Area. In fact, I would miss everything about the Bay Area. So I planned a six-week overseas trip, beginning right after graduation. My friends organized a great party and someone even made a healthy California cake. (Well, it had fruit on top.) Luckily, I had a job waiting. I’d started a research project, with a new goal of becoming marketable. It worked. And I’ve repeated the pattern more than once, just filling in the blanks a little differently.

[Time Management] Conquering a Mountain of Messages

Q. I just moved into a management position and have more email than ever. Right now 200 items are waiting in my inbox, unread, because I don't have time to give them the attention they deserve. If I stop and read, I lose the rhythm of my "real" work. A. One skill we didn't teach in business school was, "Know when to knock yourself out and when to do the bare minimum to get by." For example, "Leo" worked for a management team that demanded one report after another. While his colleagues toiled weekends, Leo tossed the requests. Most of the time nobody noticed. As a new manager, you're probably not ready to follow Leo's style. Some consultants would advise you to "accidentally" trash every single one of those emails and wait to see who follows up. I would encourage you to consult your sense of job security, ethics and intuition before taking such a drastic step. But you can begin to conquer the mountain and conserve your energy. Some specific tips: 1. Evaluate your own skills. Are you a fast reader and writer? If not, can you enhance your speed with practice and training? 2. Group your emails by sender and subject. Are a few people sending all the emails? Do they seem to repeat themselves? Can you design processes to handle repetitive requests automatically? 3. Read each email once and make a fast disposition. Don't wade through paragraphs of dense prose. Head right for the bottom line. Chances are you already know the question or you realize you don't need to respond. 4. Find out what's happening to the folks who sent all those messages. Has their work come to a grinding halt? Are they holding up production lines, waiting for your answer? If not, chances are you may never have to respond. They probably forgot what they sent you in the first place. 5. Train your subordinates and (if possible) peers. When you get a long-winded, dense email, return it with a request for rewrite. Encourage everyone to combine several messages into one. Mostly, though, I would question why you think these messages "deserve" attention. How will your own boss judge your performance? Your company's bottom line deserves your best efforts and your own career deserves your best ability to set priorities. In our personal lives, we can devote attention to anyone we want. We can prioritize time for family, friends and dogs. But in business, you owe attention only to bosses, customers and those who require answers in order to do their best work. And you owe them just enough attention to get the job done effectively and courteously. This article is based on Cathy Goodwin's ebook, Your 21 Day Time Management Makeover. Click here to download and discover Cathy's practical (and highly irreverent) tips for making more time in your life. Click here for a complete list of Cathy's ebooks.