================================================ "Achieve Your Dreams" - Volume 7, September 2004 ================================================ Greetings! Welcome to "Achieve Your Dreams", a bi-monthly newsletter for people with a dream - - whether it's accelerating a career, changing careers, building a business, securing a new job, achieving that long-desired goal, or discovering a new life vision and direction. Each newsletter will offer 1-2 noteworthy articles, a section on "Office Happenings" and "Helpful Resources", and some favorite quotes and sayings to motivate and inspire you. In this issue: 1. "Successful Career Change Strategies" 2. Office Happenings (2 New Career Assessment Offerings) 3. Helpful Resources (Zinger Interview Questions) 4. Favorite Quotes Feel free to forward this to those you believe would find it useful. Feedback is encouraged and appreciated. If there is a specific topic you'd like covered, please send the suggestion to me via the e-mail address below. Enjoy ... =================================== Successful Career Change Strategies =================================== Are you ready for a career change? Does the thought of doing something entirely different fill you with excitement - or stop you dead in your tracks? People contemplating a career change often do so with trepidation. They know it's time for a change... they're either burned out, bored, frustrated, or they've merely put in their time and are ready for something new. But as they consider launching a new career, questions and fears abound that hold them back and cause them to wonder if it's truly doable. The most widely asked question, "What do I do next?" is the biggest hurdle to overcome. But other concerns... How do I break in?... Will I have to start over?... Do I need retraining?... can make navigating a career change overwhelming and often frustrating. If you're ready to embark on a career transition, the following strategies will help jumpstart the exciting process of identifying a career that's right for you. - Know Thyself. Potential career changers must first know who they are - their skills, values, passions, motivations, and lifestyle preferences. Having a fulfilling career, instead of merely running away from an unsatisfying one, means knowing where you are going, not just what you are leaving. Start by keeping a journal or taking some career/interest assessments to help you hone in on who you are, what you're passionate about and what's most important to you in your career and your life. - Brainstorm Possibilities. People often get stuck thinking they have to come up with the "right" one career that will last them a lifetime. And the anxiety of finding that one perfect career keeps them from exploring possibilities that would have been wonderful for them. Stretch your perception of what might work for you. Explore career fields that are new to you and commit to keeping your options open. - Research. Once you've identified three or four possible career options, research them to find out how to enter those fields and what it takes to be successful. This is an important step... nothing is worse than leaping before you look or escaping to a field that fits you just as poorly as your last. Get in-depth information about career choices you're considering by networking, reading, and doing online research. Meet with people who are currently doing the job and ask them to describe "a day in the life" so you get a true sense of what that field is all about. - Experiment. People who have successfully changed careers began by experimenting - trying out new opportunities part-time, doing weekend projects, volunteering, taking night classes, or going back to school. They found a way to "stick their toe in the water." When you experiment, you actually begin to experience your possible future and what it might look and feel like. You can then make adjustments in your course as you gain more experience and your direction becomes clearer. - Be Patient. Career transition rarely happens overnight and seldom follows a straight line. No two transitions are the same, and a complete career change usually takes a minimum of six months to a year, often up to two years. A successful career change is often a case of three steps forward and two steps back, and if you wait until your plan is perfect, you increase the chance that nothing will happen. So begin your search with who you are and where your passions lie. Continue by experimenting and trying things out. Then set your goals, take action, build your momentum, and never give up. ================= Office Happenings ================= I'm pleased to now offer my clients the opportunity to take two outstanding personality/career assessments: The first is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the most widely used personality inventory in the world and an extremely useful tool in helping people identify their natural style and personal preferences. Knowing one's 4-letter personality "type", which is measured on four scales (extraversion/introversion, sensing/intuitive, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving) can lead to vastly improved work and personal relationships, increased productivity, and more informed career and life choices. The second instrument is the Strong Interest Inventory, a widely used career assessment that measures a person's interests in a broad range of occupations, work activities, leisure activities, and school subjects. Interests are then categorized into six themes that provide insight into potential new career options. These assessments are all easily completed on-line and are offered to all of my full-time clients as part of their monthly coaching fee. Individuals who are not current clients, but would like to take one (or both) assessments are welcome to contact me at jeanne@careerdesigns.biz to arrange for a special coaching session. ================= Helpful Resources ================= Zinger Interview Questions: Have you been preparing for that interview and think you're ready to tackle any question that comes your way? Here are some zinger questions that some of my clients have been recently asked that you definitely may want to prepare for if you're in the midst of a job search: Before-the-Interview Question: "Please prepare a brief report on some aspect of our industry." (This request is often a trick to help narrow the field of candidates.) During-the-Interview Question #1: "If your former boss and I were to meet at a social function, and I asked him/her to describe you in just one sentence, what would that sentence be?" (This question is designed to catch the candidate off-guard and avoid a "fluff" answer.) During-the-Interview Question #2: "What legacy did you leave at your last company?" (This question forces the candidate to identify their unique value proposition.) After-the-Interview Question: "Could you write up for me the 'minutes' of our interview today, highlighting the key points?" (Hint for candidates: Take notes and pay attention throughout the interview!) =============== Favorite Quotes =============== "Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit." -- Conrad Hilton "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." -- Walt Disney "The successful person has the habit of doing the things failures don't like to do. They don't like doing them either necessarily. But their disliking is subordinated to the strength of their purpose." -- E.M. Gray "I've always believed no matter how many shots I miss, I'm going to make the next one." -- Isiah Thomas "I didn't just jump back on the bike and win. There were a lot of ups and downs, good results and bad results, but this time I didn't let the lows get to me." -- Lance Armstrong Enjoy this beautiful fall season everyone! In support of you, Jeanne