Re-Discovering Your Career Passion – Part 2 of 2
Complete the following sentences without “over thinking” your answers. You may list multiple answers for each of the items below. Be sure to keep your responses focused only on the career/work aspects of your life:
- In my free time, the activities or hobbies I like to do best are …
- Whenever I go to a bookstore, the section(s) I always seem to be drawn to are …
- My closest friends work in the following fields/businesses or professions …
- The kinds of environments I feel most comfortable working in are …
- My friends/colleagues/family have often told me that I should be a …
- The things that have always motivated me most are …
- I have often been praised for my work in …
- If I were to get involved in volunteer work (unpaid), I’d like to work in the field of …
- I love to …
- I am passionate about …
- I am excited about …
- What I really like is …
- My greatest contribution is …
- I am particularly good at …
- I am known for …
- I have an exceptional ability to …
- Colleagues often ask for my help with …
- I would feel disappointed, frustrated or sad if I couldn’t do …
At this point, I suggest you go back and carefully review your answers to the questions above. Refer to those answers as you respond to the four additional questions below. Be as thorough and detailed as possible with your responses:
- What do my answers above tell me about my core values, interests, and motivational patterns?
- Where in my work do I still find real energy and enthusiasm?
- What implications do these answers have on my current and future career choices?
- What is one thing I can do right now to enhance or change my current career situation?
Your answers to all these questions are important for several reasons. First, they point to your natural talents, gifts and skills.
Secondly, they point to areas where your own internal satisfaction will most likely match your external success – professionally, financially, and as a “whole human being” who is able to bring your complete self to the work.
And, finally, your answers will highlight the critical areas on which to focus your next career move – those areas where your talents and passions intersect with market demand!
Now that you’ve performed this brief internal evaluation, ask yourself this final question: Is your current career direction aligned with your true gifts, goals and passions? If not, remember: it’s never too late to correct the problem – as long as you have the right resources and support!
So, if you’ve been feeling resigned or cynical in your work-attitude, I urge you to take responsibility and take action NOW. Leverage the resources that are available to you, and commit to improving your career situation. You CAN STILL re-discover your career passion!
Read the entire article – visit: http://careerpotential.com/articles/discover-your-career-passion.html
Re-Discovering Your Career Passion – Part 1 of 2
Do you ever feel like you’ve lost touch with the enthusiasm and passion you once felt about your career?
Remember when you were just starting-out at your first job, or you were a recent graduate? You probably thought that any job would be available to you; that every employer would want to hire you. You were excited about your prospects and believed that you had something wonderful to share.
But now that you’ve been in the work-world for quite a while, and have had a series of jobs with several different companies, have you become cynical or resigned in your work-attitude? Are you unsure as to which direction to turn next?
As a professional Career Consultant, I have found that this loss of career passion and enthusiasm is very common – and it’s one of my most troubling observations.
To address this problem, I came up with an amazingly simple exercise, which I use with my clients. It helps them understand why this has happened to them, and what steps they need to take to re-discover their career passion.
If you’re thinking, “It’s too late for me,” I’d like to challenge you on that assumption. Allow me to show you how, by performing an internal evaluation and re-visiting your true priorities, you really can re-discover the career of your dreams!
Ready to get started?
To read the entire article – visit http://careerpotential.com/articles/discover-your-career-passion.html
How to Bulletproof Your Career – Part 1 of 2
To read the first part of this article – visit
http://careerpotential.com/articles/career-planning-advice.html
Job Market Trend 2:
Companies are still very cautious and careful about making any hiring decisions of high-paying, senior management positions. Executives seeking such jobs must now “sell themselves” more than in the past. They need to demonstrate just how they will enhance the company’s productivity, efficiency and profitability – or they probably won't get the offer. This means that the job seeker really needs to learn how to effectively present and market himself or herself. Just having the right job titles on one's résumé, or having the appropriate technical skills for the job, are no longer enough.
Job Market Trend 3:
Executives are receiving smaller career transition programs than ever before from the large outplacement firms – and many displaced professionals are getting no career transition programs at all. This means that greater numbers of executives are seeking-out help from smaller, more personal career consulting firms and career support groups.
Strategies to Bulletproof Your Career
Although the transition programs mentioned above do offer important career management techniques, let me share with you the most important activities you should always be doing to overcome the challenges outlined above, and bulletproof your career for the future:
- Keep all your success documents up to date
- Put time aside every week for active networking
- Join and take leadership roles in appropriate associations
- Write articles or do presentations in your area of expertise
- Continue your career education, including new credentials
- Research and be aware of the competition
- Offer to help people in your network on a regular basis
- Look at new jobs and investigate other opportunities
- Always ask yourself, “How can I contribute more?”
- Practice your networking, interviewing and negotiating skills
If you want your career to be truly bulletproof, you’ll need to educate yourself on topics you probably thought you’d never have to worry about again – like self-marketing, networking, interviewing and negotiating. To master these skills, many management professionals are also discovering helpful online programs, free audio seminars, local networking groups, and so on.
And here’s the GOOD NEWS: If you seek-out the right support and leverage vital resources like those mentioned above, you may actually be thankful for the experience of going through transition – ultimately finding a career or landing a job that will be a much better “fit” than those you’ve previously had.
How to Bulletproof Your Career – Part 1 of 2
In the not-too-distant past, ascending the corporate ladder assured management professionals of a bigger office, a stronger compensation package and a more secure future. But today, executives are being told: Don’t get too comfortable in that corner office, and don’t buy that fancy new car or boat you’ve always dreamed of – because your job is just as vulnerable as everyone else’s. Evidence suggests that the higher up the ladder you go, the more precarious your position may become!
The attitude toward executives and the roles they play within companies have drastically changed in recent years. I’ve seen executives who have been with the same company for 20 or more years. They’ve worked their way up the corporate ladder and felt that they had proven their value – then they were unceremoniously dismissed from their positions as if they had just been hired as an entry-level worker.
As a Career Consultant, it’s my job to re-instill the client’s confidence, identify his or her strengths, and “re-package” that individual for the current job market. But, to navigate effectively through the career transition process and ultimately make your career bulletproof, you must first be informed about what’s really going on in the work-world. I see several important trends taking place with regard to executive-level job stability and security, including:
Today's Challenging Employment Trends
Job Market Trend 1:
More and more positions, even at senior levels, are now being offered on a contract or temporary basis. The position, in these cases, lasts only as long as is needed to fulfill the employer's contract with their client. This requires job seekers to think differently – more like an independent consultant who works on assignment – rather than as a permanent employee. In many business sectors and industries, it could be said that the “permanent, full-time job” no longer exists as we knew it. This trend also puts the responsibility on the part of the executive to consistently promote and market himself or herself for the next opportunity – and the one after that!
To read the entire article – visit:
http://careerpotential.com/articles/career-planning-advice.html
New Year, New Career – Just Claim It!
Would you like to start the New Year off right – with much more career success, support and inspiration? As a member of “The Ultimate Career Group,” you’ll position yourself to experience 2011 with a wonderful new job or a dramatically improved career! Get the details now at:
http://www.ultimatecareergroup.com
THE ULTIMATE CAREER GROUP
We all know that time and money are tight these days. “The Ultimate Career Group” is designed to address both of these issues with limited time commitment and a low fee structure. Plus, this program offers great convenience because it will be conducted 100% via teleseminar. You’ll be able to attend from anywhere in the world, and from the comfort of your home.
I’m limiting enrollment to JUST 20 PARTICIPANTS, so that everyone will receive the attention they deserve. There are only a few spots left, but you can still claim one. There are only a few spots left, so if this seems like the right opportunity for you, enroll now at:
http://www.ultimatecareergroup.com
THE ULTIMATE CAREER GROUP
“The Ultimate Career Group” offers a cost-effective, high-impact experience that will make a huge difference in your career success. It’s a New Year, and this is YOUR time. If not now – when?
I look forward to welcoming you into the program!
Best of Success,
Ford
P.S. There’s a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose except your “career pain.” Visit the web site now to learn more and register.
Ford R. Myers
www.ultimatecareergroup.com
www.careerpotential.com
