Career Transitions Group

Addressing our Obstacles!

2010-07-01T16:42:00.002-05:00

WOW!

In June, each person received feedback from the group on the most pressing obstacle they are currently facing in their career change. The room was filled with energy as ideas and suggestions were shared! Most everyone made a breakthrough because of the new ideas they received. Practically everyone left with specific action items they could do to take steps forward in their new career.

AMAZING results!

If you're feeling stuck on how to move forward in your career change, you missed a GREAT meeting in June.

But, don't worry! We're doing it again in July!

Hope to see you there!

Spring Break in May

2010-04-26T16:35:00.001-05:00

No meeting this month!

Please use the time that we would normally meet to continue making progress on your career change.

Here are a few suggestions on what you might want to spend time on.....

meet with a mentor to bounce some ideas off of them or to just ask for advice
gather a few friends on that evening to discuss your career change obstacles. Ask them to share ideas, resources, suggestions with you.
meditate to sort out your thoughts and get new ideas on your new direction
journal - write down career ideas and goals
work on your resume
answer questions from "The Pathfinder" or "What Color is Your Parachute". (I had a few "light bulb" moments when I did this!)
Address a non-career topic that is acting as an obstacle to your career change - finances, organization of your environment, relationship issues
read a book - about changing careers or, specifically, about a career that you're interested in learning more about
schedule informational interviews

See you again in June!

Answer the Call of Your Talent

2010-04-14T16:27:00.003-05:00

Angela Loeb, President of InSync Resources which helps people live in sync with their purpose, facilitated April's meeting.

Angela discussed how to answer the call of one's talent.

She shared tips on discovering what makes you unique, and how to use that information to determine the right career for you.

For more information on InSync Resources and the services offered, click here:

http://insyncresources.com/

Master Mind

2010-03-12T11:40:00.002-06:00

Our March meeting topic was MasterMind, facilitated by Tonja Eaton, professional coach and owner of Full Circle Coaching and Consulting.

This month's meeting was all about the original concept of the Career Transitions Group - providing support, ideas and resources to each other. It was very powerful and productive!!

We sat in a round-table format, then one-by-one stated the most pressing obstacle keeping us from moving forward in our career change. The rest of the members offered suggestions to our dilemma, while we were not able to respond.

Tonja explained that, not allowing us to respond to each suggestion was a key part of the exercise because our natural tendency is to think of reasons why a suggestion won't work. Our silence allows us to hear the many suggestions offered, process them, then narrow down our choices to the ones we believe are the most viable.

The creative energy was certainly flowing in that room the night of the meeting! We all walked away with something tangible and specific to our own situation to help us to move forward.

About Tonja:

Tonja Eaton is a professional life, business and career coach in the Austin area with 13 years of experience in corporate and non-profit organizations, from healthcare to technology. She has expertise in communications, public relations, human resources, diversity and leadership. In her corporate career, she led women’s groups, employee programs and leadership initiatives at a Fortune 50 company, and served as the co-chair of the work/life team leading up to their first “Top 100 Companies” award in 2008 by Working Mother Magazine. Tonja holds a BS in Healthcare Administration and received her coaching education from Co ach University.

Stay tuned for more Career Transitions Group meetings with this format in the future!

New Resume, New Career

2010-02-10T11:07:00.000-06:00

Catherine Jewell just wrote the book on today’s most powerful job-seeking techniques-- “New Resume, New Career”, and we were lucky enough to have her as guest speaker at our February 8th meeting!

A resume is, typically, a listing of your past job experience. So, how do you create one that shows you're qualified to do something different than you've done before? Catherine says to focus on your transferable skills....

Think about your new career direction. What skills will be valuable in that line of work? Where and how have you used those skills in your past work and life experience?

The key is in how you word your accomplishments on the resume. If you were in sales, but would like move into the financial industry, highlight the responsibilities you've had in past jobs that allowed you to manage budgets - any kind of budget, or times when you managed financial records, etc. It takes some energy to think about your experiences a little differently, but the results can be amazing!

Also...Find a job description of your ideal job. Use key words from the job description in your resume! This helps you highlight the times when you've actually done the responsibilities they're looking for. It shows that you're really qualified to be given a shot at the opportunity.

Check out Catherine's website: www.CareerPassionCoach.com

And, here's the link to her new book on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/New-Resume-Career-Experience-Already/dp/1592579752/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271434397&sr=8-1

Overcoming Overwhelm

2010-01-12T10:48:00.002-06:00

Katie Raver, a Master NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) Practitioner, spoke to our group this month about overcoming the overwhelm feeling that often comes with a career transition.

She recommended different ways to look at a situation in order to feel less emotional about it and more objective.

Katie suggests that we focus on putting things into perspective in order to reduce a feeling of overwhelm.

Ask yourself:

What's the most important part of this situation?

What's the bottom line in what I need/want to accomplish?

What will get me closest to my goal in less time?

Katie has a passion for helping people regain their awe for themselves and humankind. She presented our April program, "Your Purpose: The Heart of a Career Transition."

http://katieraver.com

Determining Your Hidden Skills

2009-12-04T16:55:00.005-06:00

Our November meeting was fun!

Suzy Drapkin, founder of Career Achievers, discussed ways for us to recognize skills that we don't even realize that we have. We all have them, but they're "hidden". They are skills that we don't even know are there.

A great exercise that helped us identify our hidden skills was to list 5-10 positive experiences from our past. They can be experiences from our work, social life, childhood, volunteerism, etc. Any experience from the past that has the following three criteria:

The experience was something in which YOU were responsible for doing something or making something happen.
The experience was enjoyable. It made you feel good when completed.
The results were positive. You felt that you did it well, and you were proud of the outcome. (NOTE: It does not matter how anyone else perceived the activity, only that YOUR feelings about it were positive.)

Take your time in thinking about and choosing the experiences from your past. Be willing to put it aside and come back to it later, if necessary. Then, share your experiences with a buddy. Explain details about the experience like what was involved in making it happen, and why you have a positive feeling about the experience. Now, let your buddy point out to you the hidden skills that they recognize in you, based on the discussion about those experiences.

To continue with this exercise, let's recognize which of the newly acknowledged skills we should try to incorporate into our daily work life....

Apply the skills, which your buddy listed for you, into three categories:

Enjoy doing the skill
Willing to do the skill
Want to avoid doing the skill in the future

Look at the "Enjoy doing the skill" category and prioritize each skill, in order, based on how much you want to use that skill in your career.

Now, also apply those skills to skill patterns: working with things, working with data, working outdoors, analytical, creative, service and leadership.

Based on the number of skills in each pattern, which pattern is strongest for you?

This exercise can be very helpful in gaining new insight into your career direction!

As a bonus topic, Suzy also discussed decision making steps with us.

Many of us get overwhelmed by making decisions (stay tuned for our January meeting topic!), so it was very helpful for Suzy to break it down for us.

How should we approach decisions? Just follow these steps...

Identify the decision
Gather information

- about yourself (your wants, needs, capabilities, etc.)

- about the situation (facts about the job market, a specific company, a specific career field, etc.)

Identify options (List ALL possibilities. Even if they don't seem possible, at first. Ask a friend for help in seeing options that may not be obvious to you.)
Identify pros and cons of each option.
Choose an option
Make a plan and take action
Review the decision (Did that solve the problem, or should you try another option?)

Important: We must all be willing to choose the wrong option sometimes! Practice makes perfect. The only way to find the right decision, is to experience a few wrong ones. Please don't be afraid to make mistakes. Doing so will keep you stuck and unable to make any decisions at all.

All my best to you in making progress in your career transition!

Don't take this stuff lightly! The Career Transitions Group believes that life is about more than just getting a paycheck. Find the work you were meant to do, and the rewards will be infinite!

Until we meet again in January...

Happy Holidays!

Career Management - The RIGHT Way !

2009-10-22T12:27:00.006-05:00

Hey, guys! Sorry for the delay in blogging this month. Our October meeting was held last Monday, the 12th, but I've been so busy with my own career transition, that I haven't taken the time to write....till now.

Linda Ginac with the Ginac Group, Inc., joined us as guest speaker to discuss the "Right" way to make a career transition. The discussion hit home with practically everyone there!

Linda helped us look at various signs that mean it's time to leave a career and make a change, like the work environment doesn't feel good anymore, we feel undervalued and unappreciated, we don't have the support we need to get our job done, we've hit a ceiling, or we realize that the job just doesn't fit our personality. There are many reasons someone might feel the need for a change. Evaluate your own needs to determine what's best for you.

There are different types and/or levels of career change. If you want to stay in the same industry AND in the same career, then all you might need is a job change (doing similar tasks, but for a different company). If you feel the need for a bigger change, but with some familiarity, you might want to maintain similar job responsibilities, but change industries (like an accountant might move from the medical industry to the construction industry). Other times, a need to change job functions is needed, but you can stay in the same industry to do it through career development (like making a change from marketing to engineering within the high-tech industry). Then, there's the total "transformation" - when we just need a completely fresh start in a new job AND a new industry. This type of change can be the most challenging and can take the longest to achieve, but if it's the right thing for you to do, you won't regret it!

Before making a change, though, determine what level of risk you're willing to take. How much change are you willing to take on? Are you willing to go back to school? How long are you willing to wait to get where you want to go? These decisions are important in determining what type of change is right for you.

In order to determine your new direction, spend some time learning about yourself! What are your strengths, interests, talents, values? What knowledge do you already have that you can apply to a new career? What types of people do you enjoy working with? In what environment do you enjoy working? Remember that "people are hired for skill and fired for fit." So, do as much ground-work as you can to make sure that your new direction is a good fit for you.

Linda pointed out that having structure and a plan in career change is crucial ! Without them, a career change will likely NOT happen. It's also very important to track your progress. As individuals, we need to see that our efforts are getting us somewhere. The career development framework that Linda uses with her clients at the Ginac Group helps each person determine what they're looking for in a career and allows them to explore different options in making a change. She, and her team, helps the client narrow down the options to just one, then creates a plan on how to achieve the new goals. Lastly, the client is taught how to market themselves in their new career roles.

Other options for creating structure through your career transition include attending Career Transitions Group meetings monthly, set weekly or monthly goals for yourself, get a career change buddy who will hold you accountable to the goals you're setting and who will help you measure progress towards those goals, and keep a career change journal to write all your ideas, contacts, plans and goals in one place.

Just remember to take baby steps and don't expect too much too soon. Linda worked for one hour, every day, for 7 years toward a new business idea before it actually became reality. Not every change will take that long, but that's a good reason to start NOW and stick with it!

Linda says that career change happens with the five P's:

Purpose
Passion
Patience
Persistence
Plan - Have one!

Don't be afraid of change. Just DO it!

till November....

The Job Search as a Creative Journey

2009-09-22T17:13:00.007-05:00

Well, our September meeting was amazing - as usual!

Sherry Ransom, Life Purpose Consultant and Trainer, published author, and founder of Sherry Ransom Productions, spoke to us about how to change focus in order to insure that our new position enhances our beliefs, values and energy. She explained that we have to be creative with our search for a new career by thinking differently, and asking new and different questions of ourselves.

The first question is "Am I doing what I want to do?" If not, do something about it!

Sherry pointed out that, although many of us want something in our lives to change, we continue to do the same things that perpetuate our current situation. Like, if you don't like your current career, stop looking for the same kinds of jobs you've had in the past! (Sounds obvious, but so many just don't do it.) Instead, find a way to get experience doing what you really want to do.

We should build our future on our future, NOT our past. In other words, make decisions based on where you want to go, not where you've been. (Like the aforementioned case of continuing to look for the same types of jobs you've had in the past, even if you really want to do something different.)

Every day we have the chance to start over. So, every day we should make plans to create the future we want, instead of living "groundhog day" over and over and over again!

To help in this, Sherry recommends writing intentions. Visualize the details of your perfect life - including career, relationships, location, atmosphere, etc. Write, as specifically as possible, what you see and how you feel in the situation. It's amazing how being open to what we want allows life's energy to bring it to us. Sherry shared how writing her intentions got her on the Oprah show! Cool, huh?

Of course, the main reason why most of us don't make changes in our careers and in our lives is FEAR. But, what IS fear? Sherry says it's Framing Everything bad As Reality. Get it?
We tend to believe that our negative thoughts are real, even though they're just that - a thought. If we addressed that fear with the thought of "so, what?!", we would accomplish SO much more in our lives.

Lastly, Sherry mentioned that the 3 rules of spirituality are:

You are 100% responsible for your life.
There is no such thing as a coincidence. Everything has a meaning or a reason.
You must believe that anything is possible.

She also recommended the book, "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle.
And, Sherry is a published author, as well. Check out her book, "Three Paths, Three Choices" available on her website and other online retailers like Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.

Yes, it was another very inspiring meeting for us this month! ...Just the kick in the pants we need to make some positive changes in our lives!

...Stay tuned for more great career change info coming in October. We have a great meeting planned. Hope you can make it.

The Power of Storytelling

2009-08-11T17:07:00.005-05:00

We had another great meeting last night!

Tommy Chiodo, M.Ed., LPC, explained how telling a story about a personal experience in an interview can help develop a stronger connection with the interviewer. Stories convey more than just skills and experience. The passion, emotions and body language we use to tell a story actually tells the interviewer a lot about us! It helps the interviewer see a little deeper into our personality as compared to the standard Q&A interview format.

For those of you who are story-telling "challenged" like me, focus on an experience that you're passionate about. When we have truly enjoyed an experience, it's difficult not to talk about it. Go ahead and share what you liked about it, and why it was memorable to you.

Stories can convince the listener of your strengths, even if you don't specifically mention what those strengths are. They help the listener experience a situation along with you, which allows them to form their own opinion of your personal characteristics.

When it comes down to it, getting a job is about more than just skills and experience. It's about that extra something that says "I'm a good fit for this job and for this organization." And, telling a story in the interview can be just the thing that makes you stand out above the competition.

For more help with story telling, Tommy recommends "The Story Factor" by Annette Simmons.

Happy Birthday!

2009-07-14T10:51:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday to the Career Transitions Group!
Our meeting last night marked the 6th year that we have met monthly to support each other in our career transitions.

And, the success stories keep coming!
One member started her own marketing communications business a few months ago and her business is steady - even in this tough economy. This is a great example of, "Do what you love, and the money will follow", which is the title of a book by Barbara Sher.

Last night, we revisited the wealth of great information that our guest speakers have shared with us, so far this year.

In January, Kathleen Radebaugh discussed with us "The Power to Find Meaningful Work". Kathleen is the Developer of Spatial Relations Changework and Certified in Neuro-Linguistics Programming (NLP). She shared with us the stages of transition and characteristics of each stage. She says that one stage of transition is called chaos. If we expect the chaos phase and accept that it's coming, we will get through it much easier than if we reject it. Then, after chaos, things come back to order, but in a better state than they were before.

In February, Angela Loeb discussed with us "Get Clear, Get Focused, then Shift". Angela is founder of InSync Resources Consulting. She says we should evaluate our actions and always ask ourselves, "Is what I'm doing right now, moving me closer to my goal?" We should also evaluate our skills, habits, environment and mindset regularly. Do you have what you need to accomplish your goal? If not, do what it takes to address each area of your needs before moving on. This might include taking a class to improve your skills, changing your schedule to use your time more wisely, creating a productive work environment and/or addressing mental blocks that are getting in the way of your goals. Lastly, stay motivated. Reward yourself along the way during your career transition.

In March, Tonja Eaton with Full Circle Coaching & Consulting, guided us through the creation of our own vision boards. "A vision board can be a strong visual reminder of the life that you are creating. By setting specific intentions, demonstrating them in a creative way, and displaying them where we will see them at least once (preferably multiple times) daily, we invite specific feelings and goals to play front and center in our lives and let the rest fall away." My personal take on vision boards is that it's a visual form of writing intentions or affirmations. I enjoyed the process and have placed my vision board where I see it every day.

In April, Katie Raver, Master NLP Practitioner and co-founder of Austin NLP, guided us in creating our own life purpose statements. Katie says that a life purpose statement can remind us of the direction we should be taking in our career path. It can also keep us motivated to continue searching for work that fulfills who we are. A life purpose statement should be short, concise and direct. It should be written in the positive and focused on actions that you've taken that have brought you the greatest satisfaction in your life.

In May, we did not have a meeting. I encouraged everyone to use the time that we would have normally met, to focus on their own career transitions.

In June, Sherry Ransom with Sherry Ransom Productions discussed with us "Change your focus, Change your life". See last month's blog entry for a summary of tips that Sherry shared with us.

I am very, very thankful to each of our wonderful guest speakers who take time out of their busy schedules to help our members make progress in their career transitions!!
Stay tuned for more great career transition topics in the coming months of 2009!

June Meeting

2009-06-19T16:52:00.007-05:00

Thank you to Sherry Ransom who was guest speaker at our June meeting last week! Sherry presented on "Changing Your Focus to Change Your Life".

What a great speaker! I was definitely inspired.

Sherry recommended that we write our intentions daily. We should be as descriptive as possible and continue adding to them to make them very, very specific. I've been to presentations where the speaker recommended writing intentions before. I liked the idea of it, but never actually sat down to do it - until now. I just started writing my intentions and I LOVE it!

She also recommended assessing our business skills and our life skills. We are happiest when we merge and use BOTH sets of skills, but most of us find jobs using only our business skills. This leaves us feeling like something is missing.

Lastly, Sherry recommended that we set goals for ourselves to accomplish each month. This will keep up moving forward toward our dreams. I thought this was great advice, especially since we do this regularly at our monthly meetings. What will YOU do by our next meeting to move closer to your career goals?

Remember - Just DO it!
See you in July!

Finally!

2009-06-10T18:52:00.000-05:00

As our group approaches it's 6th year anniversary in July, 2009, I'm finally getting around to creating an online resource for us (i.e. this blog)!

The idea to have an online resource was planted a few years ago by one of our members who has, since then, made a very successful career transition to business owner. But, since changing careers is time-consuming in itself, finding the time to create a blog proved to be too challenging.

But, alas. The time has come....

Stay tuned for future postings regarding topics and resources discussed at our monthly meetings.