Not long ago I bought a little souvenir magnet that reads, "Step back and leap farther". When I look at it I smile because I am reminded of the many times I have done that. It is often not easy to take a step back and we may not be convinced that it will allow us to leap farther, but I encourage you to consider that as an option. So often we feel that we must continually be moving forward and upward to be considered successful. There are times when it may be more efficient and helpful to take a step back, or to the side, to get in position to be able to move forward - just as track athletes preparing for a high jump take a step back before they begin their run toward the bar.
If the path you are on does not seem to be getting you where you want to go, you may want to consider if you need to take a step back. Sometimes when I talk to people who are considering a new occupation, they indicate some reluctance to "start over" in a new field when they have gotten so far in their current area. In those instances, I encourage them to consider their options to determine if they really want to continue along their current path. Sometimes people who are relatively close to retirement decide their new direction can wait a few more years when the transition will be less complicated. Often people who are in mid-careers struggle with their options. "Starting over" in a new occupation, or even a new organization can mean a reduction of income and/or benefits. But it can also mean the start of a new, and often more rewarding, life. Only you can make those decisions.
In any case, I encourage my clients to think about what their real options are. If the current job is slowly eroding their self-confidence or contributing to poor health, is it really worthwhile to stay? Or would it be better in the long run to make a change in work? Sometimes by just reviewing why we work, we can become clearer on which factors are the most important after all.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or a job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest, and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor. Visit her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com.
To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
National Career Development Day
The National Career Development Association celebrates National Career Development Month each year in November and Wednesday, November 19, 2008 is National Career Development Day this year. The theme for this year's celebration is "Inspire your career; develop your dream."
In today's world of great economic uncertainty, it could be fairly easy to lose sight of your dreams or to even remember to dream. Certainly we are about to go through some changes as a country and perhaps on a personal level, but one thing I would encourage you to do is to continue to dream. Many people are looking at working longer in life and, if there is something you have wanted to do, work wise, there probably are still opportunities to pursue some of those dreams.
So, whether you are 16 or 60, spend some quiet time dreaming about your career direction and how you would like things to be. Have you wanted to go back to school to study a particular subject, or prepare for a different career? Perhaps you have dreams of starting your own business. Maybe there is a totally new line of work that you would like to pursue. Whatever your dream entails, if that is what you want to achieve, try to create a plan that will allow you to take the steps necessary to get you from where you are to where you want to be. Once you have developed a plan in your mind, you need to write it down so that you can look at it, add or delete steps or actions as necessary.
The more clearly you can picture or visualize your dreams, the more clearly you can plan to achieve it. Include as many pieces as you can in developing your plan. If the steps you have developed are too large, break them down into smaller, manageable actions that you can achieve. Try to take some action every day, or at least each week, that will relate to your goals. Even if they are just small things, it will help you feel you are moving in the right direction if you accomplish something from your plan. As you begin to see some progress, that should help to keep you energized and working toward your goal.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor (L/WC) by the National Employment counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Visit her web site at http://www.YourCareerPlan.com.
To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
In today's world of great economic uncertainty, it could be fairly easy to lose sight of your dreams or to even remember to dream. Certainly we are about to go through some changes as a country and perhaps on a personal level, but one thing I would encourage you to do is to continue to dream. Many people are looking at working longer in life and, if there is something you have wanted to do, work wise, there probably are still opportunities to pursue some of those dreams.
So, whether you are 16 or 60, spend some quiet time dreaming about your career direction and how you would like things to be. Have you wanted to go back to school to study a particular subject, or prepare for a different career? Perhaps you have dreams of starting your own business. Maybe there is a totally new line of work that you would like to pursue. Whatever your dream entails, if that is what you want to achieve, try to create a plan that will allow you to take the steps necessary to get you from where you are to where you want to be. Once you have developed a plan in your mind, you need to write it down so that you can look at it, add or delete steps or actions as necessary.
The more clearly you can picture or visualize your dreams, the more clearly you can plan to achieve it. Include as many pieces as you can in developing your plan. If the steps you have developed are too large, break them down into smaller, manageable actions that you can achieve. Try to take some action every day, or at least each week, that will relate to your goals. Even if they are just small things, it will help you feel you are moving in the right direction if you accomplish something from your plan. As you begin to see some progress, that should help to keep you energized and working toward your goal.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor (L/WC) by the National Employment counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Visit her web site at http://www.YourCareerPlan.com.
To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Never Say "Never"
If you would love to do a particular type of work, but have thought, "They would never hire me." or "I could never get that type of contract for work.", maybe you should reconsider. Granted, there are some things that you are not qualified to do and others that you would not likely be able to qualify to do, but there are many occupations that may fall within the realm of possibilities. One of the phrases I use frequently is, "It depends". If you are in your 30s and would like to become a doctor, your likelihood of succeeding depends on a number of factors, but that may still be possible. However, if you are in your 60s and want to be a doctor, and you have no bachelor's degree, it may be less likely to be achievable, but may not be entirely out of the question - depending on a number of other factors. I recently read a story about an individual who graduated from a college of medicine at the age of 61. Another story referred to a 66 year old who was recently hired as a consultant with a major firm. Other individuals have received their GED years after they left high school and have been admitted to college, even though they previously doubted any of that could happen. So, it depends - and part of that uncertainty has to do with how much desire you have in achieving your goal. Another factor has to do with how much work you are willing to undertake to achieve your goal.
Realistic opportunities to some career changes depend on a number of factors, but it is important that you not let your career dream dissipate without giving it due consideration. If you have not gathered actual information about your career dream, that is the place to begin. You would not want to make that decision without information, and base it only on what you 'think' is involved or required. Do some reading to see what the educational or training requirements are and other skills or experiences needed for the type of work or other activities you would love to do. Then, if you have not already done so, you should talk to some people who are doing the type of activities/work you dream of doing.
You can look at what is required for your dream work and compare that information to the skills and abilities you already possess, as well as your values and interests. Then you can decide if it is still what you want to pursue now, save until later, or postpone indefinitely. If you decide that now is the time, you should then develop an action plan to get you to your dream.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor providing counseling and coaching for life's transitions; including carer change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor. Check out her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com.
To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Realistic opportunities to some career changes depend on a number of factors, but it is important that you not let your career dream dissipate without giving it due consideration. If you have not gathered actual information about your career dream, that is the place to begin. You would not want to make that decision without information, and base it only on what you 'think' is involved or required. Do some reading to see what the educational or training requirements are and other skills or experiences needed for the type of work or other activities you would love to do. Then, if you have not already done so, you should talk to some people who are doing the type of activities/work you dream of doing.
You can look at what is required for your dream work and compare that information to the skills and abilities you already possess, as well as your values and interests. Then you can decide if it is still what you want to pursue now, save until later, or postpone indefinitely. If you decide that now is the time, you should then develop an action plan to get you to your dream.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor providing counseling and coaching for life's transitions; including carer change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor. Check out her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com.
To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Tips for Written Communication
If you are looking for work in today's world, your written communications are a very important part of your search. Obviously you need a well-written cover letter to send with your resume when you apply for or inquire about a position. Your cover letter should be no more than one page in length and should be neatly typed and error free. You should find a creative way to begin your letter and explain why you are writing. If you are responding to an actual advertisement, you should try to match your qualifications to those required in the ad. You should also include what you would like to happen next or how you plan to contact the employer.
You should also have a marketing letter. This would be used to send to networking contacts - either with or without a resume. Depending on your contact, the letter may be not quite as formal as a cover letter, but it should still be very well written, neatly typed, without errors. You should have a letter you can send to your networking contacts that you do not know personally and a slightly different one for people that you do know.
Of course, you will want to send a thank you note to individuals you have met - either for a formal job interview or for a networking meeting. A thank you note does not have to be typed, if your handwriting is legible. It is also acceptable to send a thank you note as an email. Either way, it is still important that the note be well written and error free.
At some point, unless you are starting your own business, you will need to send an acceptance letter to your new employer. After you have been offered a position and finalized the details of your employment, it is good to send an acceptance letter. In addition to formally accepting the position offered, you should include your start date and any agreements made regarding the terms of your hiring and employment. If you are offering or accepting contract work, your letter will also outline the details of the agreement or those should be spelled out in an attachment.
It is a good idea to send a follow-up letter to your networking contacts to let them know of your new situation. In most cases, that can be accomplished by sending a hand-written note or an email. In each instance you should keep a copy of your correspondence; that gives you a record of who you contacted and why.
Mary Ann Davis, M.A., is a Licensed Professional Counselor providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor. Check out her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com.
To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
You should also have a marketing letter. This would be used to send to networking contacts - either with or without a resume. Depending on your contact, the letter may be not quite as formal as a cover letter, but it should still be very well written, neatly typed, without errors. You should have a letter you can send to your networking contacts that you do not know personally and a slightly different one for people that you do know.
Of course, you will want to send a thank you note to individuals you have met - either for a formal job interview or for a networking meeting. A thank you note does not have to be typed, if your handwriting is legible. It is also acceptable to send a thank you note as an email. Either way, it is still important that the note be well written and error free.
At some point, unless you are starting your own business, you will need to send an acceptance letter to your new employer. After you have been offered a position and finalized the details of your employment, it is good to send an acceptance letter. In addition to formally accepting the position offered, you should include your start date and any agreements made regarding the terms of your hiring and employment. If you are offering or accepting contract work, your letter will also outline the details of the agreement or those should be spelled out in an attachment.
It is a good idea to send a follow-up letter to your networking contacts to let them know of your new situation. In most cases, that can be accomplished by sending a hand-written note or an email. In each instance you should keep a copy of your correspondence; that gives you a record of who you contacted and why.
Mary Ann Davis, M.A., is a Licensed Professional Counselor providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor. Check out her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com.
To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Are Your Dreams Just Dreams?
When you dream about how your life could be different, does it bring a smile to your face? Are you thinking of how it could be better or are you counting your blessings because you have come a long way or have had a pretty easy life? If in your dreams or daydreams, your life is different and better than it is in real life, then you have begun to create a new reality. But your dreams will be just dreams and nothing more if you don't take some actions.
To begin with, you should write down your dream that you want to create. Write it as a goal statement and include as much detail as possible. My belief is that as long as a dream is still just in your head, it remains a dream. Once it is committed to paper (or a computer screen) then it can become a plan.
After you have written down your goal statement, then you can begin to develop plans of action to take you from where you are to where you want to be. Again, include details and time frames in your action plan. It is often during this state where we begin to put up thoughts of why our plans won't work out the way we want. There may be a little voice in your head telling you why the plans won't work out or why your dreams won't come true.
I encourage you to pay some attention to those voices or thoughts, but only to serve as a type of reminder to check your details. It is very natural to have second thoughts, but don't let the uncertainly of your new plans keep you from implementing them. Once you have set your plan into action, then you must act as though your goal has already become a reality; as others have said, then you "fake it 'til you make it." The idea being that you begin to act as if your plan has come into being and you begin acting as if your new circumstances or situation already exists. But it all begins with a dream!
Mary Ann Davis, M.A., is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor. Check out her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com.
To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
To begin with, you should write down your dream that you want to create. Write it as a goal statement and include as much detail as possible. My belief is that as long as a dream is still just in your head, it remains a dream. Once it is committed to paper (or a computer screen) then it can become a plan.
After you have written down your goal statement, then you can begin to develop plans of action to take you from where you are to where you want to be. Again, include details and time frames in your action plan. It is often during this state where we begin to put up thoughts of why our plans won't work out the way we want. There may be a little voice in your head telling you why the plans won't work out or why your dreams won't come true.
I encourage you to pay some attention to those voices or thoughts, but only to serve as a type of reminder to check your details. It is very natural to have second thoughts, but don't let the uncertainly of your new plans keep you from implementing them. Once you have set your plan into action, then you must act as though your goal has already become a reality; as others have said, then you "fake it 'til you make it." The idea being that you begin to act as if your plan has come into being and you begin acting as if your new circumstances or situation already exists. But it all begins with a dream!
Mary Ann Davis, M.A., is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor. Check out her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com.
To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Assess Your Risks
Some individuals I have worked with explained that they knew they were not really happy in their work situation, but they were not sure if they should consider leaving. If you are trying to decide if you should stay with your current job or employer or change jobs or leave the organization, I encourage you to assess your risks - on both sides of the issue.
Think about the risks that may be involved if you leave your current situation. Since nothing is certain and there are no crystal balls, it is hard to determine if things would be better or just different in a different situation. You should consider in what ways you would like your work to be different and consider the likelihood that those differences are realistic or just a day dream. You should also consider those that things that you would like to be the same or similar to your current situation.
Also, think about the risks that may be involved if you stay in your current situation. Again, since nothing is certain and there are no crystal balls, it is hard to determine if things could be better or at least different if you stay. Since you are willing to consider leaving, you should also identify the reasons you are having those thoughts. Is it just because you wonder what else is out there or are there things that are problematic for you in your current situation?
In addition to assessing the risks if you stay or leave, I also think it is important to identify whether or not you feel that you are utilizing your skills and personal traits and whether or not your values are appreciated or able to be demonstrated in your current situation. Sometimes people can find other ways to put their skills and personal traits to good use, but if there is a conflict with their values or personal strengths, that becomes ever more difficult to cope with. So what is it for you?
Once you have considered the significant factors related to your situation, then you can think about the options you have. In some cases, people decide to pursue something different with the same employer. Others decide to look for similar work but in a different organization. Some decide they need a complete change - employer and work. And, of course, some people decide their current situation is OK, at least for now. Whatever the decision, it should have been given careful consideration and not made in a moment of heightened frustration.
Mary Ann Davis, M.A., is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice providing coaching and counseling or life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest, and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; a Life/work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor. Check out her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com.
To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Think about the risks that may be involved if you leave your current situation. Since nothing is certain and there are no crystal balls, it is hard to determine if things would be better or just different in a different situation. You should consider in what ways you would like your work to be different and consider the likelihood that those differences are realistic or just a day dream. You should also consider those that things that you would like to be the same or similar to your current situation.
Also, think about the risks that may be involved if you stay in your current situation. Again, since nothing is certain and there are no crystal balls, it is hard to determine if things could be better or at least different if you stay. Since you are willing to consider leaving, you should also identify the reasons you are having those thoughts. Is it just because you wonder what else is out there or are there things that are problematic for you in your current situation?
In addition to assessing the risks if you stay or leave, I also think it is important to identify whether or not you feel that you are utilizing your skills and personal traits and whether or not your values are appreciated or able to be demonstrated in your current situation. Sometimes people can find other ways to put their skills and personal traits to good use, but if there is a conflict with their values or personal strengths, that becomes ever more difficult to cope with. So what is it for you?
Once you have considered the significant factors related to your situation, then you can think about the options you have. In some cases, people decide to pursue something different with the same employer. Others decide to look for similar work but in a different organization. Some decide they need a complete change - employer and work. And, of course, some people decide their current situation is OK, at least for now. Whatever the decision, it should have been given careful consideration and not made in a moment of heightened frustration.
Mary Ann Davis, M.A., is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice providing coaching and counseling or life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest, and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; a Life/work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor. Check out her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com.
To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Assess Your Risks
Some individuals I have met with explain that they know they are not really happy in their current work situation, but they are not sure if they should consider leaving. If you are trying to decide if you should stay in your current employment situation or leave, I encourage you to assess your risks - on both sides of the issue.
Think about the risks that may be involved if you leave your current employment. Since nothing is certain and there are no crystal balls, it is hard to determine if things would be better or just different in a different work situation. You should consider in what ways you would like your situation to be different. You should also consider those things that you would like to be the same or similar to your current work situation.
Also think about the risks that may be involved if you stay in your current employment situation. Again, since nothing is certain and there are no crystal balls, it is hard to determine if things could be better or different if you stay. Since you are willing to consider leaving, you should identify the reasons you are having those thoughts. Is it just because you wonder what else is out there or are there things that are problematic for you in your current work situation?
I also think it is important to identify whether or not you feel that you are utilizing your skills and personal traits and whether or not your values are in sync with the values of your employer or in your current situation. Sometimes people can find other ways to put their skills and personal traits to good use, but if there is a conflict with their values or personal strengths, that is more difficult to cope with. So what is it for you?
Once you have considered the significant factors related to your situation, then you can think about the options you have. In some cases, people decide to pursue something different with the same employer. Others decide to look for similar work but in a different organization. Some people decide they need a complete change - a different employer and work. And, of course, some people decide their current situation is OK, at least for now. Whatever the decision, it should have been given careful consideration and not made in a moment of heightened frustration.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest, and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor. Check out her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com.
To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Think about the risks that may be involved if you leave your current employment. Since nothing is certain and there are no crystal balls, it is hard to determine if things would be better or just different in a different work situation. You should consider in what ways you would like your situation to be different. You should also consider those things that you would like to be the same or similar to your current work situation.
Also think about the risks that may be involved if you stay in your current employment situation. Again, since nothing is certain and there are no crystal balls, it is hard to determine if things could be better or different if you stay. Since you are willing to consider leaving, you should identify the reasons you are having those thoughts. Is it just because you wonder what else is out there or are there things that are problematic for you in your current work situation?
I also think it is important to identify whether or not you feel that you are utilizing your skills and personal traits and whether or not your values are in sync with the values of your employer or in your current situation. Sometimes people can find other ways to put their skills and personal traits to good use, but if there is a conflict with their values or personal strengths, that is more difficult to cope with. So what is it for you?
Once you have considered the significant factors related to your situation, then you can think about the options you have. In some cases, people decide to pursue something different with the same employer. Others decide to look for similar work but in a different organization. Some people decide they need a complete change - a different employer and work. And, of course, some people decide their current situation is OK, at least for now. Whatever the decision, it should have been given careful consideration and not made in a moment of heightened frustration.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest, and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor. Check out her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com.
To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
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