The Career Encouragement Blog

How to Develop a Career as a Writer (or anything else you want to be)

Almostgotit has a great guest post by Emily Anderson on how to break into a career in writing.  The two rules she suggests will definitely benefit anyone who wants to be a writer:

1.  Don't be so arrogant as to think you have all the good ideas.

2.  If you're not writing for pay, you're not likely to get paid for writing.

Brilliant!  These are two very good rules that can be applied to any career goal.  Whatever it is you want to do, assume that lots of other people have good ideas for how you can go about it.  Seek them out.  Learn from them.  Collaborate with them.  Then find a way to tailor what it is you want to do for people who need to have it done and will pay for it. 

For example, I have a friend who really likes to do career development work and wanted to do it in the corporate world.  What she found was that many companies don't hire in-house career advisers for their employees.  As she continued talking to people to investigate her interest in career development, she found a position in a financial services company called an "Adviser Coach" that was a great fit.  Her job is to work with financial advisers in the field who are building their practice. She is an expert on all the internal resources for building a practice - marketing tools, training tools, etc. She meets regularly with advisers to share these tools, and also incorporates all of her knowledge and enthusiasm for career growth.  She's not working as a "career counselor" per se, but as a result of her willingness to combine her interests and skills with the marketplace need, she is now one of the highest rated Adviser Coaches in her company and she is making a great salary doing something she truly enjoys.

Have you done this in your career?  Post a note and let us know!

Quote for Wednesday

Saw this quote the other today and couldn't help but think of how things are going in the job market lately:

"Sunshine all the time makes a desert."  ~ Arab Proverb

We've had lots and lots of sunshine in the United States workforce over the past 5 years.  Our 401(k) accounts were up, and there was a "war for talent" so job opportunities were plentiful. The result?  Greed and self-centeredness - somewhat of a desert in our collective souls, perhaps.  

Now it seems the rain has come - the economy has tanked and each day brings news of more layoffs.   We're being forced to re-evaluate our priorities.  We're confused and disappointed in how our business leaders are handling things in many cases.  Yet deep down, we know that we as individuals are being given a chance to change how we operate in the world - an opportunity for our souls to grow perhaps.

What do you think?

 

Advice For Young Women

Over the past 2 years I have been working on a research project where we are conducting focus groups with mothers who have professional careers.  We have been asking the mothers how they combine a career and a family, what resources they rely on, how the "changing landscape" in America is impacting them, and whether/how they experience flourishing.  It has been such a privilege to hear their stories - I am impressed and inspired every time I listen to a group. 

We conclude each session by asking the women what advice they would give to young women who expect to become working mothers one day.  Recently, one of our participants (we'll call her Alice) offered the two pieces of advice .  Alice is the mother of three children under 5, and a Director of Organizational Change at a Fortune 500 company. He husband is building a business.  He is having success and his income is consistent, but Alice provides the health benefits for the family. 

I was intrigued by how clear and passionate Alice was in offering the following advice (paraphrased):

1. First, no matter what you want or hope your life will be like when you're a mom, plan on having to work.  It's just unrealistic to think "Oh, I'm going to marry a man who can make enough for the whole family I'll stay home with kids."  You can end up in a great marriage to a great guy, and still have to go to work to pay the bills.  That's just the reality for most of us.  So plan on having to work, and build your career accordingly when you are young.

2. Second, get a career with a name.  This is just my perspective maybe, but it seems to me that if you ever want to be able to scale back to part-time it's just easier if you have a career with a name on it.  I am a Director of Organizational Change - what does that mean?  How can I do it part time?  My dentist just went down to part-time and she's so happy.  It just seems that it's easier for her because everyone knows what a dentist does, so it's easier to plan on how she can help her practice by doing it part-time.

Alice's advice made perfect sense to me.  I always planned on being a stay-home mom, and it just didn't work out for us.  So I feel I have scrambled more in my career that I would have if I had planned all along to be a working mom.  Also, as an independent HR consultant, I have been very blessed with part-time work that has allowed me to schedule around my family priorities and school commitments.  But I must admit that I do feel a wee bit of stress at times when people ask me what I do.  It feels a little ambiguous because I do what my clients need to have done, and I cannot always predict what that will be.  I've often thought that it would be nice to have a clear name for what I do that was immediately understandable to others - something like a "dentist" maybe?

What do you think of Alice's advice?

Giving and Receiving Feedback - Part II

Part I of this posting discussed 3 ways to receive feedback.  As you grow in your career due to all that great feedback that you are able to receive so gracefully, you'll likely have the opportunity to give feedback to others as well.  Here are some ideas to consider:

Here's how to give feedback as a gift and profit from it:

1 - Always start with what's working. Your main job, whether you're giving feedback to your kids, the guy who's painting your living room or somebody who works for you, is to motivate them. People can't hear your suggestion for how to improve if they don't think you already appreciate the good stuff they're doing.

2 - State clearly what's not working. Once you've positively reinforced the person, explain in detail the area you'd like to see improved. Be sure to give them the impression that you're confident that they can make the changes you're recommending.

3 - Determine what's missing that can be supplied. If a different approach to the project, the client or even the homework is needed, brainstorm how you can put your heads together to make that happen. Come up with a solution you can be enthusiastic about. Commit to providing all the support you can.

Here's the bottom line: Feedback is a gift. Treat it that way. When you're getting it, remember that you don't have to be perfect. You do have to be willing to change. When you're giving it, remember to be a motivator and a coach, not a disciplinarian or a critic. You'll be amazed at the results you produce.

 

Giving and Receiving Feedback - Part I

A trusted mentor recently forwarded to me a terrific e-mail about how to receive and give feedback. It was a timely and positive message for me.  Today I'll post the part about receiving feedback.  Look for Part II about giving feedback in a day or so! 

So here's how to take feedback as a gift and profit from it:

1 - Listen! Don't argue, don't say, "Yes, but..." and don't explain why you acted the way you did.  Instead, say, "I had no idea that I created that impression, it's not what I intended. I'm so glad you're telling me." Of course, you're not always going to agree with the criticism or feel it's fair, but listen anyway. Take what's useful and leave the rest behind.

2 - Don't make the person giving the feedback wrong!  Don't run out and find a bunch of people who will agree that you're perfect the way you are and don't need to make any changes whatsoever! And you'll definitely be able to find those people. Don't look for them. Keep your own counsel and decide what makes sense to you.

3 - Be open to making significant changes. Hey, you're always going to be a work in progress. Imagine that you're marketing a product - and the product is you. Naturally, there will be times when you want to change the "label" or the "copy" or even the "ingredients" to serve your targeted customers better. Don't take it personally, just make the changes and move on.

[Note - I did a search to see if I could find a source for the information and had no luck - so my apologies in advance to the original writer.  If you know who the author is, please let me know!]

Top 10 Irritating Phrases

Fajita has a fun post on the Top 10 Irritating Phrases Unmasked.   I like that he adds his own explanation as to why each phrase is irritating. 

What would happen to communication in the workplace if we eliminated some of these gems from our daily language?  I (note I didn't say "I personally"!) would be okay if we all lost the following:

2 - Fairly unique - There is absolutely nothing in the world just like this one, except there are a few things that are pretty much just like it, but they are few in number.

5 - With all due respect - I do not respect you nor do I believe you are due any respect.

7 - It's a nightmare- (Usually accompanied with an overly dramatic eye roll). It was bad, but I have limited vocabulary, and I want to try to get you to say "Oh my God,," or better yet, "OMG." (If the responder DOES give in with an OMG, then the manipulation was successful).

8 - Shouldn't of - I messed up and don't read much.

Check out the full posting here.

Carnival of HR

The Carnival of HR is up and running for the new year!  Thanks to Guatam Ghosh of White Spaces for hosting it - you can check it out here. 

Great Quote for the New Year

What a glorious, marvelous, lazy winter break I had - a true break from the cares of the world of work!

How about if we start the new year off with a great quote?

"The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails."  ~ John Maxwell.