Archive for career path
Let your hobbies be your hobbies
Posted by: | CommentsWatch my latest video as I discuss the question, “How do you know the difference between a hobby and your career path?” This question was asked on a recent career teleclass and brings up a great point. What is the difference between your personal interests and what you want to pursue as a career? Sometimes when you choose your hobbies as your career it can take the fun out of it. You have to be careful when making this decision. Be sure to ask yourself if it is something that you would want to do all day, every day.
Too many career ideas? It’s time to piece them together!
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This came up in one of my group career coaching calls – One of the participants, Bonnie, was asking about different ways to identify possible career paths that not only would she be interested in, but also qualified for.
When most people come to me they have a list of different career ideas that on the surface look completely unrelated. But, once I start working with them and asking them why they have each idea on their list, themes start to emerge. It’s really cool. You really start to see why they’re interested in each idea, and how their ideas are related to each other.
One of the ways I told Bonnie and the coaching group to find new ideas is to take out their resume, get a highlighter, and start to look for themes in their resume. What similar things have you done in the past? I can almost guarantee that you’ll be able to identify at least two themes you can run with and start piecing your ideas together.
Good luck, if you need additional help with your dream job, check out our Free Resources Page for free tools and exercises you can download right away.
Hallie Crawford
Atlanta Career Coach
Get on your career path to success!
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In a recent career coaching group this week, my client Allison was talking about the Ideal Day visualization. I have career coaching clients do this exercise to help them identify their ideal career. I have also included this exercise in our Identify Your Ideal Career Path Home Study Program. Alison said that she really loved the exercise, and I was thrilled to hear that she got a brand new career idea from doing this.
Here’s the deal: This visualization helps you become completely relaxed and enables you to think creatively about your career ideas.
Here’s a suggestion for you: Take a moment to visualize your ideal day at work.
If you could create it from scratch, what would you be doing? What would it look like? If it helps, go ahead and try writing your ideas down instead of just visualizing, sometimes that works better for some people. You can also look for tangible clues in your current life instead of making things up from scratch. Another one of my career coaching clients, Tricia, did this and it was much easier for her to gather tangible examples from her current job and what she observed in other people’s jobs.
Think outside the box, and dream big. You can always compromise later. Go to town on this exercise – good luck!
P.S. Are you frustrated in your career? Find out if you are on the right track with our free Ideal Career Quiz!
When will your Ah-Ha! moment be?
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I had a career coaching call with my client Margaret a few weeks ago. When she got on the call she was on top of the moon! She had just conducted an informational interview with someone who owned his own law firm, which was one of the career paths she had been considering. The information she got from him, and what she learned validated her decision to move forward. He also gave her a lot of good things to consider in order to be successful in her career path.
She was thrilled needless to say! So much that afterwards she said she found herself singing as she was walking down the street! She said she was embarrassed at first, but then was so happy because she realized that her epiphany about her the career direction she wanted to take was her Ah-Ha! moment.
I’m curious how many others out there have had this kind of Ah-Ha! moment, and what it meant to them? I’ve had clients who have shared these moments with me, and others who have shared their experiences that lasted for several days. It can take more time for some people, but what’s important is that you get clarity. When will your your Ah-Ha! moment be about your career? Are you working towards making that happen? It doesn’t just fall from the sky usually. Most people need to do a little work to put the pieces together.
If you need help with your career direction, contact us to learn more about our services. We offer a complimentary consultation to help you decide if this should be the next step for you.
Michelle Obama’s take on finding your dream job
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I really liked this quote from Michelle Obama’s commencement speech at Northern Iowa University. It reminds me of something I often tell my clients.
The path won’t always be laid out neatly for you. Sometimes you won’t be able to find that perfect job. Sometimes you might momentarily take a job just to stay afloat. –Michelle Obama
This could not be any truer. Just like life, your career path isn’t going to always be sunshine and roses. Nor is your career path always going to be laid out neatly for you. It’s up to you to find the path to your dream career. Make your plan, and make it happen. Take the reins and make your dream a reality. Your future starts with you!
Are you currently taking actions steps and moving towards your dream career? We’d love to hear your story in our comments section below.
If you’re interested in seeking help with your career path, please contact us today!
Hallie Crawford
Career Help Coach
Are you wasting your money on grad school?
Posted by: | CommentsAccording to a recent article in USA Today graduate school applications are commonplace when the economy is not doing well. A recent study showed that “the number of applications to U.S. graduate schools grew 8.3% from 2008 to 2009”.
More students are taking the GRE and it is estimated that this year might set record highs. Here’s an excerpt from the USA Today article discussing this trend. Read the full article: Considering Grad School? Advice In A Flat Job
Concern about the job market — and wanting to put off paying back student loans — were major factors for University of California-Davis senior Daniel Yeshiwas, who says he changed his plans to work for a few years before attending graduate school. He plans to apply for fall 2011.
“I don’t really know exactly what I want to do yet, but going to graduate school, it’s still moving me towards a career, and it’s something to further put off that question of what I’m gonna do for the rest of my life,” says Yeshiwas.
Grad school is a great investment in yourself. It does help you stand out and can also open up job opportunities that bachelor’s degrees don’t always provide. However a word of caution for current college students considering graduate school in the same viewpoint as Daniel. I have seen many people choose to go to graduate school for this reason. They don’t have any idea of what they want to do after four years of college. They don’t want that pressure of what are they going to do for the rest of their lives, and sometimes the are just intimated by the job market.
But here’s the problem… Read More→
Job Hunting for Women
Posted by: | CommentsI have enjoyed articles Penelope Trunk has written in the past and I stumbled across this article recently: http://www.bnet.com/blog/penelope-trunk/forget-the-job-hunt-have-a-baby-instead/185 Titled: “Forget the Job Hunt. Have a Baby Instead.” As a woman and a mother I found this article intriguing and thought I’d share and comment on it for you.
In it, Penelope Trunk offers reasoning on why she suggests forgetting the job search and having a baby instead. I’m sure you can guess that she has had some heated responses to her article. That’s very bold advice. Her reasons were definitely interesting. However, I think as with any career advice, every individual has unique situations and that this solution would only make sense for certain individuals.
This would make sense for someone who was planning on having kids in the short-term. With the free time it might be the opening a woman needed in order to begin a family. But the truth of the matter is that not everyone can afford financially to have a child, especially without income and maternity leave. Some women don’t want to have children and some might still be searching for a partner. Other younger women are simply not ready to have a child. While this might make good sense to your neighbor, it might be bad advice for you.
This type of advice is situational and there really is no one answer that applies to everyone across the board. Just because you are a woman currently unemployed, you should of course think about the financial ramifications and the support from your partner and family, among other things.
As a certified Career Coach, I agree with Penelope’s point that women who want children need to manage their career choices differently than men because of their biological constraints. And they need to manage kids differently, career paths and unemployment differently than men.
Still, I want to reinforce that decisions you make about your career path and motherhood should be based on your own situation; now and long-range, with lots of other factors weighing in.
So, just because you might be an unemployed younger woman right now this doesn’t mean you should jump on board and take her advice: to forget the job hunt and have a baby instead. You need to consider all the factors in your life to make this decision.
What do you think of her article?
Hallie Crawford
Career Transition Coach
Are you stuck in your job search? Download my FREE REPORT: “Take Control of Your Career Transition: Uncover Hidden Opportunities”
Your Career Search: Take Action
Posted by: | CommentsIn this video, I will show you the fourth step in reinventing yourself to identify your ideal career-Take action. Armed with your new resume and cover letter it’s time to put the pedal to the metal and apply for jobs. In this video learn why it’s important to stand in the traffic in your job search, and how you can begin to do so right away.
Hallie Crawford
Career Transition Coach
Still feel stuck in your career search? Check out this powerful e-book: “Job Search Program for Professionals: Networking and Online Strategies for the 21st Century” http://www.halliecrawford.com/jobsearchprogram.html
