Here’s why the President is speaking Thursday:
http://cohort11.americanobserver.net/latoyaegwuekwe/multimediafinal.html
Tune in to the Job Summit on December 3 to hear what he has to say. Call your friends -- tell them to watch. It's important.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Learning From Life
A friend called this week to tell me she got laid off. Her tone, her words, all told me that she was among the newly wounded; still looking in the rear view mirror of job loss. "Maybe if I had started that new project", "made the boss shine more", "stayed later every day" . . . a difficult place to be.
At one time or another I think we’ve all said: “You don’t understand.” “You don’t know what it’s like to have this happen to you.” Truth be told though, whether it’s a job loss, a family loss, a lost opportunity, the loss of a friendship, a lost puppy or lost luggage, we can’t get too far in life without experiencing loss.
Loss always teaches us something though, there’s always that “take-away.” Something the mind stores away. . for next time. Here’s what I’ve learned about loss: I learned that it’s really not about loss — it’s about life. Anyone out there that’s never experienced loss, please step forward.
Life is all about preparing for loss, isn’t it? It's the reason we have Wills, life insurance, car insurance and life jackets. It’s why I talk with clients about having a “Plan B” for their careers even though I can see that even the thought of a "Plan B" makes the hair stand up on the back of their necks. Just like having a will and insurance — you’re going to need it — one day.
By the way--do you wear a seat belt when you drive? Just wondering.
At one time or another I think we’ve all said: “You don’t understand.” “You don’t know what it’s like to have this happen to you.” Truth be told though, whether it’s a job loss, a family loss, a lost opportunity, the loss of a friendship, a lost puppy or lost luggage, we can’t get too far in life without experiencing loss.
Loss always teaches us something though, there’s always that “take-away.” Something the mind stores away. . for next time. Here’s what I’ve learned about loss: I learned that it’s really not about loss — it’s about life. Anyone out there that’s never experienced loss, please step forward.
Life is all about preparing for loss, isn’t it? It's the reason we have Wills, life insurance, car insurance and life jackets. It’s why I talk with clients about having a “Plan B” for their careers even though I can see that even the thought of a "Plan B" makes the hair stand up on the back of their necks. Just like having a will and insurance — you’re going to need it — one day.
By the way--do you wear a seat belt when you drive? Just wondering.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Continuous Learning
I just returned from Orlando, FL where I attended the Career Empowerment Summit hosted by Career Directors International of which I am a proud member. The conference was like a "immersion” course for professional coaches and resume writers. Smart people talking about the most important issues of the day in the career business. Topics like: where the jobs are, new trends in social networking, managing your on-line identity, writing outstanding LinkedIn profiles, and new trends in employment compensation.
I listened, took copious notes, networked, made new friends, and added to my own professional growth as a writer and coach. I don’t think there’s a topic related to jobs, careers, or resumes that I couldn’t have an answer for or expert I couldn’t reach out to or refer a client to in 15 minutes!
Today’s take-away: Research the professional associations for your industry, join them, and most importantly, attend the meetings and conferences. Talk about ROI – this will be one of the best investments you could make in your career and professional development!
I listened, took copious notes, networked, made new friends, and added to my own professional growth as a writer and coach. I don’t think there’s a topic related to jobs, careers, or resumes that I couldn’t have an answer for or expert I couldn’t reach out to or refer a client to in 15 minutes!
Today’s take-away: Research the professional associations for your industry, join them, and most importantly, attend the meetings and conferences. Talk about ROI – this will be one of the best investments you could make in your career and professional development!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Why The Giants of Wall Street Stumbled
With the financial meltdown about a year behind us now, what exactly have we learned from the tsunami that took down Lehman and brought other major banks to their knees? As an avid news-hound, I read all I can about the industries and trends that affect my clients; banking is one of them. I follow what businesses are doing and how they maintain a competitive edge. I stay on top of where the jobs are and the industries and companies that are hiring — that’s my job. I have clients, colleagues, friends, and family who work (or worked) in the financial services industry and am myself a veteran of Wall Street.
People ask me “when it will be safe to work in a bank again?” Folks rely on me for straight-up, no-spin answers, so my reply is: “If you like risk, now is the time to be working in a bank. If you are someone who values job security — look elsewhere.” Why? Because the accountability factor is still missing in the banking industry.
It’s a bank’s job to be profitable which in turn keeps the economy healthy and people employed. Banks should not take risks that will cause the government to step in, pick them up when they stumble or worse yet, put them on life support when they sustain a life threatening blow. I’m not seeing that though. What I see are banks that are beginning to walk the same paths that caused them to fall down in the first place. Now, instead of trading mortgage backed securities, banks are trading on life insurance policies. So who exactly is watching the store these days? Seems to me that Jane and John Q. Public (us) are pretty much pre-occupied with holding on to our jobs and paying down debt. Yes, the banking giants are paying back the stimulus money, not because they no longer need the dollars, they don’t like the accountability that comes attached to the stimulus money. And they certainly don’t like the government telling them how much they can pay in bonuses. So banks are paying the money back as quickly as possible to get out from under the compensation accountability that came with accepting the tax-payer funded bailout. This worries me.
I’m not a financial expert — I’m a career expert. But I have common sense. I’d feel a lot more comfortable if I saw some responsibility placed upon banks accompanied by some big, fat fines if they take dangerous risks with other people’s hard earned money. Let’s face it — Wall Street loves risk — it’s like dangling red meat in front of a predator. The very symbols of Wall Street, the bull and the bear are both ferocious animals. Would you like to come face to face with either of these animals without being protected?
I have to applaud Andrew Cuomo, New York State’s Attorney General. He’s holding some feet to the fire on recent bank debacles. He wants to know who knew what and when exactly they knew it. It was after all, someone’s job to know what was going on. Accountability is the great equalizer. Thank goodness someone is asking the right questions and acting as a lifeguard in the pool of life.
For those of you who are still employed at a bank, please post a comment. I’d love to hear what your employers are doing to safeguard the little guy – you know him, he’s the one at the shallow end of the pool, holding on to the edge, the one who never learned to swim with the sharks.
People ask me “when it will be safe to work in a bank again?” Folks rely on me for straight-up, no-spin answers, so my reply is: “If you like risk, now is the time to be working in a bank. If you are someone who values job security — look elsewhere.” Why? Because the accountability factor is still missing in the banking industry.
It’s a bank’s job to be profitable which in turn keeps the economy healthy and people employed. Banks should not take risks that will cause the government to step in, pick them up when they stumble or worse yet, put them on life support when they sustain a life threatening blow. I’m not seeing that though. What I see are banks that are beginning to walk the same paths that caused them to fall down in the first place. Now, instead of trading mortgage backed securities, banks are trading on life insurance policies. So who exactly is watching the store these days? Seems to me that Jane and John Q. Public (us) are pretty much pre-occupied with holding on to our jobs and paying down debt. Yes, the banking giants are paying back the stimulus money, not because they no longer need the dollars, they don’t like the accountability that comes attached to the stimulus money. And they certainly don’t like the government telling them how much they can pay in bonuses. So banks are paying the money back as quickly as possible to get out from under the compensation accountability that came with accepting the tax-payer funded bailout. This worries me.
I’m not a financial expert — I’m a career expert. But I have common sense. I’d feel a lot more comfortable if I saw some responsibility placed upon banks accompanied by some big, fat fines if they take dangerous risks with other people’s hard earned money. Let’s face it — Wall Street loves risk — it’s like dangling red meat in front of a predator. The very symbols of Wall Street, the bull and the bear are both ferocious animals. Would you like to come face to face with either of these animals without being protected?
I have to applaud Andrew Cuomo, New York State’s Attorney General. He’s holding some feet to the fire on recent bank debacles. He wants to know who knew what and when exactly they knew it. It was after all, someone’s job to know what was going on. Accountability is the great equalizer. Thank goodness someone is asking the right questions and acting as a lifeguard in the pool of life.
For those of you who are still employed at a bank, please post a comment. I’d love to hear what your employers are doing to safeguard the little guy – you know him, he’s the one at the shallow end of the pool, holding on to the edge, the one who never learned to swim with the sharks.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Plantings
I finally planted the Black Eyed Susans that we purchased at a farm stand on our way back from Milford, PA almost three weeks ago. They sat patiently in the pot, right at the foot of my front step, waiting for me to find just the right spot in my garden. And there they sat, for almost three weeks, waiting. Finally it dawned on me that getting them planted was more important than where they were planted. Getting them in the ground, where they could receive nourishment from the soil, spread their roots after being cramped up in the pot, was more important to their survival than where they got planted.
Isn’t it the same for anything we want to accomplish in life? It comes down to the same thing: taking action. I needed to put the shovel in the ground, dig the hole, remove the plant from its confinement, put it in the ground, cover it with soil, gently water it in and let the sun do the rest.
It occurred to me that this logic can be applied to many of life’s situations by people with different sorts of dilemmas— like parents who are having trouble with their teenager who won’t go to school, or do their chores, or adhere to a curfew. “No, I’m afraid to put too many restrictions on her/him, afraid that will drive them further away.”
Or, the woman in the supermarket with her baseball cap pulled down low on her brow in an attempt to cover her black eye— “Why don’t you leave; get to a safe place?” “I can’t right now. The kids are starting back to school in a few weeks … maybe after the holidays.” Or, the unemployed colleague, beleaguered by the search process and too many rejection letters, or, worse yet, receiving no responses at all after so many months of trying to find work. “How’s it going?” “Not bad, I decided to take the summer off, enjoy life a little. Too many people out of work right now. I’ll get back into search mode in the fall.”
You know, I get it. I really do. Sometimes it really is easier not to do something. But I’ve learned that easier isn’t synonymous with better, ever! All those years in corporate America taught me that successful people were the ones who learned how to take appropriate risk. That it’s better to stretch beyond the comfort zone, reach out into unknown territory, because that’s where the growth is.
When I went out to retrieve the papers from the driveway this morning, I noticed those Black Eyed Susans. Yesterday they were drooped over the edge of the pot. This morning, they are standing tall with their faces turned toward the sun. At least now, they have a fighting chance.
“You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
~ Phil Jackson, Former Coach of the Chicago Bulls
Isn’t it the same for anything we want to accomplish in life? It comes down to the same thing: taking action. I needed to put the shovel in the ground, dig the hole, remove the plant from its confinement, put it in the ground, cover it with soil, gently water it in and let the sun do the rest.
It occurred to me that this logic can be applied to many of life’s situations by people with different sorts of dilemmas— like parents who are having trouble with their teenager who won’t go to school, or do their chores, or adhere to a curfew. “No, I’m afraid to put too many restrictions on her/him, afraid that will drive them further away.”
Or, the woman in the supermarket with her baseball cap pulled down low on her brow in an attempt to cover her black eye— “Why don’t you leave; get to a safe place?” “I can’t right now. The kids are starting back to school in a few weeks … maybe after the holidays.” Or, the unemployed colleague, beleaguered by the search process and too many rejection letters, or, worse yet, receiving no responses at all after so many months of trying to find work. “How’s it going?” “Not bad, I decided to take the summer off, enjoy life a little. Too many people out of work right now. I’ll get back into search mode in the fall.”
You know, I get it. I really do. Sometimes it really is easier not to do something. But I’ve learned that easier isn’t synonymous with better, ever! All those years in corporate America taught me that successful people were the ones who learned how to take appropriate risk. That it’s better to stretch beyond the comfort zone, reach out into unknown territory, because that’s where the growth is.
When I went out to retrieve the papers from the driveway this morning, I noticed those Black Eyed Susans. Yesterday they were drooped over the edge of the pot. This morning, they are standing tall with their faces turned toward the sun. At least now, they have a fighting chance.
“You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
~ Phil Jackson, Former Coach of the Chicago Bulls
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Getting Noticed
Did you hear the one about the guy who walks into church with his cap on? As he approaches the entrance one of the ushers taps his head and whispers, “Your cap.” The man walks on, down the aisle, to his seat. One of the parishioners smiles and motions to his own head and whispers “cap.” The man smiles and looks away. The service begins. As the celebrant comes down the aisle he leans over to the man as he passes and whispers, “your cap.” After the service ends everyone processes out where the celebrant is already greeting parishioners as they exit. He asks the man with the cap why he never removed it while he was in church. “Father,” he says, “I’ve been coming here for four years and this is the first time anyone has ever noticed me.”
So what does this have to do with work, job search or your career? It begs one question and one question only: What am I doing to get noticed? — by my boss, my employer, an interviewer, as I send my resume over the internet in response to an ad?
So what does this have to do with work, job search or your career? It begs one question and one question only: What am I doing to get noticed? — by my boss, my employer, an interviewer, as I send my resume over the internet in response to an ad?
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Half-Time Check In
The 4th of July is officially history for this year. We had the BBQs, enjoyed the fireworks and wore the red, white and blue. We’ve passed the half way mark in 2009 and it’s time to check our progress on the things we promised ourselves we would take care of.
What about that job you took after the layoff—the one that gave you benefits and kept a positive cash flow coming in. The one that was meant to be temporary. You accepted that job with the understanding that it would be a short-term fix not a long term solution, right? OK, that was a good idea — then. Many folks made similar decisions in this economy. There’s something noble and downright responsible about doing something for the greater good like keeping a roof over your head and the family insured.
So now that we’re several months into the year, what are you doing to move forward? What are you doing to put your plan back into active mode — or did you just settle in?
It’s time for a little introspection. Are you ready to take the deep dive? Ready to ask yourself the hard questions? Questions like: Why haven’t I done anything about my job search yet? . . . . . .updated my resume? . . . . . hired that career coach? Did you get comfortable? Figured any job is better than no job? OK. But if you’re waking up at night wondering where you go from here, it’s time to put first things first.
Half the year is over and yes, unemployment hit 9.5% in June and yes, it will probably go into double digits soon. But there are jobs out there. I have clients that are getting offers and landing jobs. Why? Because they’ve been working at it. Stephen Covey, in his book First Things First, had the perfect response when someone asked the difference between “urgency” and “importance.” He said: “The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing.”
It was urgent to get a job after the layoff; it’s important to find a job that feeds you.
What about that job you took after the layoff—the one that gave you benefits and kept a positive cash flow coming in. The one that was meant to be temporary. You accepted that job with the understanding that it would be a short-term fix not a long term solution, right? OK, that was a good idea — then. Many folks made similar decisions in this economy. There’s something noble and downright responsible about doing something for the greater good like keeping a roof over your head and the family insured.
So now that we’re several months into the year, what are you doing to move forward? What are you doing to put your plan back into active mode — or did you just settle in?
It’s time for a little introspection. Are you ready to take the deep dive? Ready to ask yourself the hard questions? Questions like: Why haven’t I done anything about my job search yet? . . . . . .updated my resume? . . . . . hired that career coach? Did you get comfortable? Figured any job is better than no job? OK. But if you’re waking up at night wondering where you go from here, it’s time to put first things first.
Half the year is over and yes, unemployment hit 9.5% in June and yes, it will probably go into double digits soon. But there are jobs out there. I have clients that are getting offers and landing jobs. Why? Because they’ve been working at it. Stephen Covey, in his book First Things First, had the perfect response when someone asked the difference between “urgency” and “importance.” He said: “The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing.”
It was urgent to get a job after the layoff; it’s important to find a job that feeds you.
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