 |
The Springtime of Your Career
Rick Jarow, author of Creating the Work You Love, introduced many of us to the notion of career seasons. When we're struggling with a career, we're most likely to think of winter. At some point a career change (or other transition) feels like being buried under a coat of ice, hibernating through long, dark days. Hopefully we learn to see the beauty of winter -- sun on the snow, clear air, the bare outlines of trees denied their leafy cover-ups.
Spring gets promoted as a time of new beginnings -- and it's a fragile season. Buds appear on trees, only to become leaves in a matter of days. Cherry blossoms, forsythia, and daffodils seem to last just long enough for us to learn their names.
Spring also brings energy. Here in New Mexico, we're blown about by winds. The dog races around the park like a young puppy and the cats spend hours bird-watching.
Spring can be harsh. Frost can crush the brand-new blossoms and a sudden snow will take care of next summer's harvest.
And you can be fooled. Just when you think it's safe to shut down your heating system, pack up your parka and begin a joyful summer of shorts-and-a-tee, you get a cold day. The dog is thrilled -- but you're not.
You probably see where I'm heading with this. Often clients seek out my coaching services after a long, hard job search, or a long dry period of seeking customers for a new business. They've glimpsed a taste of success: a few nibbles to the resume, a few customers who seemed happy but then disappeared. They're really ready for summer.
Spring can be harder than winter. After slogging through ice and snow, you're ready for warmth! I remember living in cold climates -- Alaska, Connecticut, Manitoba -- when a gray, cold spring seemed like the last straw. We deserve more!
Inevitably, we do move on because the earth turns and life goes in cycles. Longer days bring more sunlight to fight the frost. Icicles start dripping and then one day we notice they're gone and a dandelion sprouts on the front lawn. At last!
Your experience of spring depends on where you lived up to now -- literally and metaphorically. By midlife, some people have experienced only summer. The first winter can be terrifying. You don't own a parka and have no idea how to shop for one. Boots? Gloves? Where do we start?
If you've been there before, it's easier to believe spring is coming -- and you've learned some tricks to protect your fragile new growth.
Need an extra boost to get through spring -- your own or the season's? Talk to people who have been there. Find a coach or counselor. Join a new group. Take the dog for an extra long walk. Devise your own Spring Festival. And keep looking for glimpses of summer every day -- even when you've had to pull an extra sweater out of storage.
Exercise: I recommend keeping a record of spring. Write down the changes you see -- and the dates. When do you first notice a snowdrop or a dandelion? When does the ice start to melt? How are you responding? How does this spring compare to the last one? And put aside your record in a safe place -- to read the next time spring comes around.
About The Author
Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com.
"Ten secrets of mastering a major life change" mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com
Contact: cathy@cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294
|
|
|
|
CAREER TOPICS
Need a Job? Put a Gun to Your Head
A legendary marketing genius once said that, if he had to write a killer sales letter, he would imagine he had a gun pointed at his head and that he would be shot if his advertising didn't deliver.This motivated him to create some of the world's most-profitable ads.
Resume Writing - Get That Job
Looking for a new job, whether it is with a new company or a promotion within your own organisation, requires time and effort. To make your job search more effective you need to take five fundamental steps on the road to success:· Analysing your skills· Writing a winning Resume· Managing your job search· Coaching for interview success· Negotiating your job offerStep 1: Analysing your SkillsThe most crucial step in the job search process is to assess what skills you have to offer to your future boss.
How to Close Your Interview and Leave a Lasting Positive Impression
Closing the InterviewKnowing how to successfully close an interview can make the difference between getting the job and being one of the unfortunate individuals who receives a rejection letter in the mail. While much attention is given to the matters of how to write a resume and cover letter as well as what to expect in regards to interview questions, far too many job seekers are unprepared when comes to knowing how to successfully close an interview.
Employment Screening Today - Are Online Database Searches Enough?
In today's employment environment, HR managers are faced with the monumental duty of hiring and maintaining, as well as the ongoing development, of employees. But the single most difficult task lies first in hiring the right people.
Back to School for a Career Change
Q. I hate my job as a computer consultant.
Ten Things About Your Career Development
There are some tactics you can action whatever you wish for from your career. Whatever you might think right now, you have all the tools you need for a career which give you joy and fulfilment.
College Labor is Available in Ohio
Ohio has always been big on education and that means a bright, energetic and reliable workforce for expanding businesses. A business which wants to expand its number of outlets should be looking strongly at the Ohio market place as there are many very strong and economically viable areas to do business.
So Youre Thinking of Changing Careers
"You don't have to take life the way it comes to you. By converting your dreams into goals, and your goals into plans, you can design your life to come to you the way you want it.
Evaluating Job Offers -- Eleven Warning Signs You Must Watch Out For
Moving into a new job always involves some degree of uncertainty. You should do your best to find out all you can about a prospective employer, starting right from the pre-interview stage.
Creating a Feng Shui Power Office: 6 Easy Tips to More Successful Surroundings
More and more people are looking to gain an edge in their working environments. One method that business people are increasingly turning to is feng shui.
Dissatisfied With Your Job? Stop Putting Your Attention on What You Dont Want!
If I were to ask you the percentage of time you spend thinking about what you don't want, what would it be? And the percentage of time thinking about what you do want?Experience with my clients has shown me that most of us spend a lot more time thinking about what we don't want. Some examples when it comes to our job include:-I hate my commute.
What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up? Something That Hasnt Been Invented Yet!
Most of us were brought up to study hard, get good grades, choose a "practical" college major, and strive for a "good job."Talk to a stranded midlife career-changer and you realize the game has changed.
Business & Career: Know Your Ruling Star!
"Know your Ruling Star. One man is better received by one nation than another, or is one welcome by one city than another.
Simple Interviewing That Works
Powerful questions to get below the surface1. Ask for specific "stories" of complete situations"We all meet situations where people disagree on the correct way to proceed.
3 Questions No Job Seeker Ever Wants To Be Asked?
Employer and interviewers expect you to answer tough question during interviews. Take a few minutes to brainstorm on how you might elaborate on the following answers.
Writing Resumes
Use a resume as a foot in the doorWhen you go to college, they don't really teach you how to advance your career. In order to get the jobs you want, you need to know how to write an effective resume that will win you interviews.
Job Interview Preparation - What Employers Are Looking For
When an employer decides to conduct an interview with you, there are certain things that they are looking for from you. Naturally, you are likely to focus on these things during an interview, but you should remember all of the tips in this manual because following those tips is what is going to make the employers see all of those things in you.
Resume Objectives: How Do You Know if Resume Objectives Are Right for You?
Some experts say NEVER bother with resume objectives.
While others say they should be an essential element on
every resume.
Ten Great Careers That Don't Require A Four Year Degree
One of the great myths associated with the "American Dream" is that you need to have a four-year college degree to be successful. As the economy has shifted to the information age, with a greater reliance on technology and services, this belief applies less and less.
Kick-In-The-Pants Job Search
Believe it: three obstacles will hold you back from your ideal job -- your résumé, you, and your job-search methods. There's no hidden formula; there's no bribery needed; there's no one standing in front of employment - other than YOU!You've probably heard all the excuses, or used them yourself.
|
