career transition – Success Strategies

YOU CAN DO IT IF YOU REALLY WANT

You Can Do It if you really want…

I snuck away at the start of this year to a Cool place in DC to finish my Doctoral studies, and am thrilled to say that by mid-year…I did it!! But nothing I did compared with the greatest challenge I embraced when I faced my fears and jumped 12,000 ft. from a small aircraft in a tandem skydive!!! Yikes!! View it here http://youtu.be/KbaFsgRZJC0. It was the most exhilarating experience! Amidst a feeling of fear, and the desire to accomplish a planned feat, I embraced the challenge. It affirmed to me that we can do great things when we put our minds to it. Even when we’re afraid, we can do it with God’s divine help. So, what’s holding you back from achieving your dreams, your goals, and your desires? Make a decision today. Do what’s laid on your heart. Put your plans in place. Don’t worry about the resources because…

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CNBC’s 10 Most Regretted College Majors…

Student loan debt is top of mind to many college grads these days. The promise of high paying jobs that would not only cover the debt but also provide a lifetime of satisfaction has left many regretting their majors. CNBC shared the 10 most regretted majors and the 10 majors grads wished they had pursued instead. Dive in to see which of your majors made the list.

10 Least Valued College Majors

10 Most Valued College Majors

Where did your major fall? Least regretted or most valued? What are your thoughts? Do share. We would love to hear.

Cheers!

Career Transition: Bezos Minimization Framework…

The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.
J.P. Morgan

The Regret Minimization Framework is a simple mental model to minimize the number of regrets in the long run. Jeff Bezos after a conversation with his boss asked himself what he would regret more when he was 80 years old: Trying to build something he had strong conviction in and failing, or failing to give it a try? He realized that not trying would haunt him every day (Utkarsh Amitabh HBR).

Walking away from a great job is not an easy decision. I know that because I did it. I walked away from a great career in the pharmaceutical industry. Naturally, this decision came with it’s fair share of ups and downs but when you decide to make a decision based on purpose, all you need to do is weigh the consequences. Like Bezos did, he considered himself at age 80 and thought about it in the context of regret. If you know Amazon, then the rest is history.

As a Certified Professional Coach who specializes in career transitions and people management, I have help many leaders become clear on the next step in their career journey. It may not mean that you want to venture out into entrepreneurship. It might very well be that you want to shift into a new career in the same company or another. I reflect on a client who left his career in the financial industry to venture into a new career in social work. Hmmm, pretty drastic change, right? But the change proved satisfying.

So what’s your plan? What’s your purpose? What’s your passion? Can’t figure it out? Let’s connect.

Have a success story? Do share, we would love to hear.

Cheers!

11 Top Habits Of High Achievers…

Small daily improvements over time lead to stunning results. ~Robin Sharma

Inc shared Christina DesMarais 25 Simple Daily Habits That Separate High Achievers From Everyone Else Here I Share my top 11 favs from her list.

Top Habits of High Achievers

Every morning, delegate, defer, and delete.
Start every day very early
Get outdoors for physical activity.
Focus on quality, not quantity.
Set aside 30 minutes to focus on long-term improvements
Make time for joy.
Start the day with meditation.
Listen, read, and create something new.
Never book more than half your day.
Put creativity back on your to-do list.
Visualize success

Personal Favs

Of the traits the two that stand out are delegate, defer and delete. Too often we try to do everything ourselves without delegating or deferring to those aptly capable. Often too we hold onto stuff that we have been doing for years not realizing the process is no longer applicable and should be …yup…deleted.

My other fav is Never booking more than half our day with meetings. I have have known colleagues who book their entire day without thinking about when they will find time to check emails or communicate with issues awaiting their approval. What then happens is the rush to work late nights, weekends and holidays. Years ago I was as guilty as charged. Then I learnt. Balance is important.

How about you? Any that stands out for you? Do share. We would love to hear.

Cheers!

5 Points To Consider When Transitioning Into A New Career…

It’s the New Year and often it comes with a time of reflection. Several calls came from individuals who hold senior positions in their organizations enquiring how they could transition from one career to the next especially at their level. A few wanted to maintain the same salary level due to financial obligations. Others had children who already finished college and was therefore more flexible and willing to take a pay cut and sacrifice to make the change.

Neither is wrong. Life involves change, and change comes with things we have to give up or shift to achieve our desired goals. So here are 5 points to get you going into that transition if you too are experiencing a desire for change.

Steps To Progress

1. Carefully Consider the Reasons You want to Change Career

Making a serious decision based on a temporary situation is never good. For example… is it that you are working for a team that you are unhappy with? Is it because you are tired of what you’re doing? Or is it because you are faced with a personal situation that is affecting your job? Think seriously. Look before you leap.

2. Consider your Transferable Skills

What skills do you have that can be transferred into another occupation? Have you been in business long? Are you in an area that involves people skills such as banking, healthcare, other? Perhaps you have been in technology? Sales? Journalism? Such skills can be applied to other evolving jobs.

Are your skills outdated? You may need to upgrade. Consider getting a certification in your area of your interest.

3. Research Changes in The Wider Market

If you have been too busy with your head engrossed in your job, chances are there are tons of changes in the market. Explore. One nurse shared that she never had to search for a job before. Now it seems she has to be begging recruiters to see her. She feels useless and unworthy because no one wanted to hire her after a sickness that took her out of the industry for a while. Things happen. Chin up and keep going.

4. Update Your Profile

When was the last time you looked at your Resume? LinkedIn? Do a personal name search and see what comes up? Do you like it or do you need to make changes? Search job boards to see what new opportunites exist on for example Indeed.com, LinkedIn and more.

5. Network

Last but not least, network. You May be changing industries. If so, it might be wise to start networking with others in your intended industry. Join an associations. Groups. Attend meetings. Get to know others who eventually will be able to recommend you because they are aligned with your network.

So there you have it. Here’s hoping these five points will make a difference as you or a friend contemplate a life or career change. Need further help? Learn more in Success Strategies Book

Cheers!

Attrition’s Rat Race: Fact or Fiction?

Attrition is Obsolete! Often so many still considered this as a mark of the good. Even me! Why?….

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) shared an article by Daniel Sonsino titled Attrition is Obsolete. In it he discussed the very necessary topic of attrition. Often so many still consider this as a mark of the good. Even me! Why? Because in my capacity as head of Human Resources for a major international pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, boasted of less than 5 percent turnover for years! Wow! What an achievement!

Not so today. Workers in today’s workforce are the least bit Tame. They are restless and not Cloaked as Sinsono argued in the following points:

People are changing jobs more frequently. staying with a job from lifetime, then over 4 years, to now less than 3 years.
Millennials are restless. Over 60 percent are open to new job opportunities
Employment relationships are changing. 40 percent of the U.S. workforce is made up of continent workers including temps, self-employed, and part-timers
Talent is in charge. People have more career options and leverage.

Reducing Attrition: What to do?

Reducing attrition rates is like keeping ice solid in the hot sun…it’s futile. People leave for reasons including spouse’s new job, family care-giving responsibilities, or lower cost of living.

Sonsino suggested that employers focus on:

Accepting that you will not retain all your employees
Focus your efforts on the employees who are most important to retain (i.e. those with the knowledge, skills and abilities critical to your business).
Build an alumni network so you can keep track of those who leave. Attract them back when the time is right.
Revise HR policies that make it harder for former workers to return. Welcome back boomerang employees with potentially continued vacation, stock options etc.
Establish shared accountability. Partner with other executives and when employees leave, counter with an offer letter good for up to 2 years in the future.
Devise a workforce composition strategy. Devise programs to attract to full-time status those contingent workers critical to your business. In exchange, also do the reverse. Move some full-time workers, to contingent worker status.

Does the above bring an Exceptional level of curiosity and discomfort to your business? Indeed it is cause for concern. If you need help with shifting up your workforce, consider an external partner. It will be worth it.

Cheers!

Fired To Hired!

Fired to Hired1 (2)

It’s Definitely a Tough Blow to be Fired

Thorny! Stop! Come on in, we understand!

A colleague received a call that her mom had to undergo emergency surgery due to a toe injury. By the time she got to the hospital, the leg had to be removed. Naturally, this was a shock as her life was immediately turned upside down. She had no choice but to voluntarily resign from her position to be by her mom’s side. She had to be there to assist in any way she could. That was her voluntary decision.

You may not have had the choice. Things happen. You lose your job because of restructuring, organization change, Tentative changes, and more. All involuntarily. You’re sad. Filled with remorse, and totally depressed. But you don’t have to go it alone. This is where we come in to assist you with getting pass this hurdle and getting settled into the job of your choice in your time. Here are the details:

Fired to Hired is a 5-Week Series of Group Online training sessions for individuals who have been:

Laid off
Out of Work for a while including Mothers who are ready to return to the workforce
Dismissed
Anyone frustrated with their current job situation

Class size is small with a Group of individuals experiencing the same circumstances.

You will learn strategies on:

Rebuilding your Public Profile (Resume, LinkedIn Profiles etc)
Developing Success Mindset
Matching The Right Job for you
Job Search Strategies

With the techniques taught, you will be able to land a Flavorful job that will make you want to jump out of bed each morning.

See you on the inside!

Cheers!

Comfort Zone Is Beautiful But Nothing Grows There…

Comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there.

Comfort zones…, don’t you just love ’em? I have always taken pride in the care of my skin, especially my face. I just hate it when it looks neglected. When I was 18 years old, I discovered a skincare product that worked. Many years after i moved away, I would import the product because…it worked. When it became increasingly difficult for me to access the product, I embarked on a research to find a replacement product that would work as well.

In so doing I found one. Yea! Me happy! Then years later, I discovered that I couldn’t find that product!!! What the heck?! I searched Amazon (they have everything right)? Sure enough, I still couldn’t find it. Now what am I going to do? Implement the same ritual? Research to find a replacement? Just hate that!

Then I started thinking....

Don’t we just love our comfort zone? In our comfort zone we are assured of things working the way we want it. We can predict it. There are no surprizes. But…in our comfort zone is the exact place we find no growth! I wrote previously about who moved my cheese ….going to the little grocery store and finding it was sold! How dare the owners move on to something better? Yet that is exactly what I preach everyday. Though I apply it to my professional life, I tend to forget those areas associated with my personal life. The skin care product; the little grocery store; my kids growing up! Why do we have to move on? Why? Why? Why?

Because….

Our comfort zone is a beautiful place, but NOTHING Grows there! We must move on in order to grow… to reach our full potential. Is there something that you have been trying to do for years? Maybe moving on from a job that you’re sick of? A desire to get that dream home? Start a family? Going on that dream vacation? Start that business? Get that education for that dream career? Why not step out today? Connect with me and learn how I helped many others do just that. Learn how they stepped out into doing what they have always wanted to do with no regrets.

Come on, make that move right now. Just do it.

Cheers!

Take This Job And …

HLN’s Carol Costello in her interview with a representative, clarified his statement that he was resigning right there and then… on The Across America National TV program. As she probed, he confirmed his decision that he was resigning effective immediately. Did he submit a written resignation? He replied that he had not, and did not intend to do so. The interview was his way of saying Take this Job and Shove it.

Is that form of resignation acceptable? It sure is. I have seen resignations done in numerous forms ranging from a hilarios post-it note on a supervisor’s desk, the flight attendant who resigned on-flight, to the news reporter who resigned while delivering her report. And of course, let’s not forget the usual acceptable form to Elevate notice… in writing.

But before you jump to do the same, there are things to be considered. I am certain that the representative that was being interviewed live, had given some thought to his decision before. We were just not privy to it. Undoubtedly, there are many who have turned in their resignations with immediate effect without thinking about it. The next step was filled with regrets and excuses about being emotional and angry. As an HR practitioner for many years, I have had my share of employees who have acted in the heat of the moment, then later we had to work together to clean up.

Resignation: A Few Tidbits

Think before you act. You’re frustrated. Yes it’s understood. But are you adequately prepared for the next step in your career? Do you have up to 3-6 months savings to cover your bills while you job hunt or decide on the next step? How is your public profile? When employers conduct a research, what will they find? Educate yourself on life after your frustrating job.

If you experience that negative feeling in your gut in your attempt to answer these questions, let’s connect. I will help you decide on the process to get out of your comfort zone to do what you always wanted to do.

Remember, Consult with me before you act!

Cheers!

Refocus: Your Brand. Their View…

You have made up your mind about where you want to go and what you want to do. Now what? It’s time to set Sail. Take a look at what others will see when they start searching for you. How is your CV/Resume? When was the last time you looked at it? By the way, your Resume should be kept current every time you make a change on the job in terms of your achievement. It should be added. Don’t wait until years later you start scrambling to find what did I do again? What are the gaps between the Dash?

What about your public profiles? Do you have a LinkedIn profile? Is it a ghost (i.e. no picture); does it reflect where you want to be? Or is it depicting some Plucked career you did back when you just started working years ago? What about Facebook? It’s where most headhunters go to look to find out about you before they even connect with you. What are their likes? Dislikes? What activities are you involved in? We can sell ourselves in an interview but when doing a public search, what will they find? Make sure their search comes up with what you want them to know about you.

Need help? Lets Connect.

Cheers!

7 Essential Steps To Busting Career Barriers…

It’s the most devastating news! I sat across from Kate with her manager. We shared the news that today was her last day. It was nothing she had done wrong. It was simply a change in business due to the crisis. Over 70 percent of employees had to go. Kate was one. She cried. Begged. Pleaded. She had kids, and was the sole provider. But there was nothing we could do. She had to go, as did the others. It was a uniform strike across the board.

Have you or anyone you know ever been blindsided by such horrific news? You worked hard. You were a diligent worker who went above and beyond the call of duty. Yet, it was now your time. You wonder how you will survive. Life seems insurmountable. I am here to tell you that you can survive. Here are 7 Steps that will help to guide you through such trying times of change.

Discover The 7 Essential Steps to Busting Those Career Barriers & Land That Dream Job

1. Busting the Fear (New Mindset)

2. Refocus: Your Brand Their View (CV/LinkedIn Profile & More)

3. Job Search: Apply the Right Techniques

4. Ace That Interview!

5. The Aftermath (what to do while waiting)

6. Happy Landing (The Job)

7. Acclimated (Settling in the New Role)

If these steps resonate and you need help getting started, let’s Ask me How today. Download the full details of the 7 Steps to Busting Career Barriers as you ride the waves and develop a new mindset to land that new and exciting dream role!

Cheers!

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17 Ways To Inspire Creativity…

It’s a story of humility, bravery, admiration, fear, teamwork, leadership, and most of all calm in the midst of tragic…

Who would have thought a flock of birds would create such havoc? Yes indeed. Though extremely rare as one in a billion, it happens. The movie Sully shared the real life story of the pilot whose quick decision saved passengers on an aircraft he was flying. He landed in the Hudson River, and Miraculously saved over 150 lives. It’s a story of humility, bravery, admiration, fear, teamwork, leadership, and most of all calm in the midst of tragic circumstances. Doesn’t this story inspire you?

Who Inspires You?

Brian Tracy asked his audience “Who inspires you?” Many responded giving answers such as God, family including mom, dad, spouse, as well as leaders like Brian Tracy, Oprah, John Maxwell, mentor, teacher, coach, political leaders, and more. But surprisingly, one response stood out when a male said that he was not inspired by anyone or anything. Bewildered? Should this be reason for alarm? Do human beings need to be inspired? What happens if we are not inspired? Even more, can we survive without inspiration?

Inspiration is the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially something creative.

Inspiration is described as being mentally stimulated to do something. If we are not inspired, chances are we will become stuck, de-motivated, lethargic, and life may become meaningless. It’s like there’s no Reprieve. So here are a number of things to do to keep those motivation levels high, as well as arouse your critical thinking skills.

17 Ways to Become Inspired

Listen to Music
Watch animals or children play outdoors
Enjoy nature. Go to the beach. Watch the waves
Travel someplace you have never been
Tune-in to motivational speakers such as those on the increasingly popular Ted Talk
Listen or Read about others who have overcome adversity
Try something new that you have always wanted to do but were afraid
Create a vision board
Consider the challenges you’re facing. Identify solutions
Ask people what they are grateful for, and reflect personally
Join an organization of people making a difference in the world
Read an autobiography
Disconnect and write in a journal
Get a hobby. Express yourself creatively e.g. sculpting, or playing an instrument
Let go of something
Take pictures outdoors. Breathe.
Reflect on what you have learned/accomplished and how it has helped you make a positive difference in the life of others