A special birthday reflection

When your daughter has a birthday, it makes a mother stop to think.  Was it so many years ago that I first held this beautiful creature?  Does everyone feel she has the cutest, smartest, funniest kid?  (Maybe, maybe not, but I really did have two little wonders!)

Amy, I know this is a tough time, but those of us who have known you for (….) years are confident that you will come through the stormy times triumphantly, returning to your gifts of teaching, speaking, writing, and caring.

You’re in a career swamp right now and the compass is not within sight.

To you and to all mid-lifers who are stuck in the career doldrums, I wish you a great day.  May you all be secure in the knowledge that you are loved and valued.

Are you lucky? Save it for the interview.

A colleague recently told me that she had heard that the latest, trendiest interview question is this:  Are you lucky?

Yes? No?Maybe?

I actually love this question, because it gives you the opportunity to reveal your gifted self.

Sample answers:

Yes!

I’ve been lucky enough to work with some great people, and together we have accomplished a lot.  For instance…

I was raised in a family that valued education.  Books were the main source of entertainment, and …

The most recent luck was when a neighbor, who knew I was jobhunting, mentioned this opening.

No!

I don’t really believe in luck.  I believe in hard work, learning by doing, including making mistakes.  I am a good communicator, and I am committed to seeking help when I need it.

I’m not sure what you mean by luck.  I think we create that thing called luck by putting ourselves in a position to take advantage of opportunities.  But no, Lady Luck has not come calling recently.

Maybe!

By luck, do you mean coincidence?  I’ve had plenty of that, often through being in a place where like-minded people can be found.  At the college job fair, I struck up a conversation with….

I was chatting with a friend, who said she liked something I had written and would like to help promote it.  Was that luck?  Well, it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t sent her the copy.

What about you – are you lucky?  And are you ready to answer that question in an interview?

More on Mushrooming and how to avoid it

Here are a few more thoughts by Katherine Coram, a newly-retired federal worker, who is writing on time management issues.  She shares a few suggestions on how to avoid the time-waster of exaggerating the demands of what you are doing:

• Think about how much time the activity really requires and allow it that in your daily schedule. 
• Limit how much time you put into an activity based on its value and whether you are actually accomplishing what you are trying for. You can always quit a household task or a writing session in the middle.
• Try to schedule several activities for one trip out of the house.
• If you have something scheduled, plan something else for before and after.
• Above all, keep your sense of proportion.  Remember, most mushrooming takes place in your own mind. Ask yourself regularly;  is this worth the time I am putting into it? How can I change?

Remember. Maybe for the first time in your life–this is YOUR Time.

Thank you, Katherine.  I hope you’ll share other insights on time management with us on this blog.

Warning for the new retiree – Beware of Mushrooming!

Today it is my pleasure to offer you some wisdom from a recently-retired colleague, Katherine Coram.  She is reflecting and writing on aspects of successful retirement, and herewith presents a suggestion for you:

Beware of “mushrooming”—the tendency of minor time commitments to take up a whole lot more time  and attention than they deserve.

A doctor’s appointment, shopping trip, social engagement or volunteer commitment that you would previously have squeezed in can become a full-day focus. I teach a one hour class, but I manage to put most of the day into preparing for it, getting dressed, and feeling virtuous afterward.

Activities around the house can mushroom too, especially since housecleaning and yard work DO take us more time.

If you decide to do a part time job or consult or freelance, it can easily take up as much of your time and energy as your full-time job did.

You can even fall into preparing a couple days ahead for an activity that doesn’t require it. A friend told me about  her mother focusing much of her week on the day she had to take out the trash.

If you would have ideas on mushrooming or would like to read more of my thoughts on time management in retirement, please email me at dvtcoram@verizon.net.

Katherine Coram is a former Federal employee, who is still trying to work out this retirement thing.

Thank you, Katherine.  I had not heard the term mushrooming as an aspect of time management.   Does anyone out there identify with the temptation of filling a day with a small matter?

Next:  how to avoid the mushrooming phenomenon.

2012: What’s a Career Counselor to Do?

Happy New Year to you.  Are you taking stock, making plans, setting goals?  This year, I’m skipping that usual stuff about losing 10 pounds, de-cluttering the basement, putting more time in the garden.  Maybe those things will happen, maybe not.

I’m excited to share the following plans with you, and ask your help in holding me to them:

• Create more book reviews of works that may be useful to career changers/seekers,
• Write more blog postings focusing on the good news of the economic recovery, including success stories,
• Make presentations on how to get and how to leave jobs,
• Assist my clients in establishing more effective networks of their own.
• Continue to accept new clients into my practice until April 1, after which time I will only make appointments with existing clients.

About that last point; the time has come to wind down my private practice.  I will not stop working with the wonderful people I already have or that I may meet during the first quarter of 2012.  This is a  difficult decision, because I love being part of people’s stories and walking with them on their journeys for a brief time.  And it will be hard to say no.

If you have thoughts on successfully transitioning into retirement, I’d love to hear them.

Calling all millenials: this is about you!

If you are between 18 and 29, your values, experience, education, politics, tattoos (!), and demographics are emerging, and you’re collectively you are a force to be noticed.

In an online article called Infographic – The Millenials: Best Generation Ever? by Jared O’Toole, the rest of us can learn about your experiences.  Less drawn to organized religion, more drawn to tattoos, very much drawn to social media and popular music, you are distinguishing yourselves through your numbers as well as your generational patterns.

I think that analysts who can preset demographics in an interesting and compelling way are brilliant communicators.  Check out this article – you won’t be sorry.  What can you learn?

• parents can be more tolerant of their young adult children,
• grandparents can appreciate the cultural gaps they may encounter,
• employers can be more patient as they integrate these high-energy young people into the workplace,
• interviewers can tailor their questions in an appropriate direction.
• and Millenials, you can learn to explain yourselves to the rest of us with more patience.

Christmas – or other – Greetings!

This is a very special time of year for me – always has been.  The ideal Christmas Eve has some quiet time, worship, some family time, lots of music,  great food, and special wishes exchanged between friends.

If you are reading this, please note that I consider you a friend. Without any readers, what would be the point of a blog?   You may have contributed to the blog through your comments, and I REALLY value that.

If you are unemployed this winter, I send a prayer that you may be enlightened, be inspired to be the best you can be, and be successful in the job search.  Take heart in the improving economic news and realize that you will be part of the recovery.

Since Christmas is in my tradition, I freely offer you a wish for a Merry Christmas.  If you celebrate some other tradition, I offer you best wishes for your own observance of light and the new year.

Together, let’s accomplish great things in 2012.

What’s your management style?

A recently-hired client says that this question comes up a lot.  Are you prepared with an answer?

Don’t you think that the best management style is the one that garners the best results?  How do you communicate this without sounding flippant or dismissive of the question?

The best answer contains some of the following points:

• A textbook answer might be …. (show that you’ve done your homework),
• The best boss I ever had …. (refer to how you were inspired to do better than you’d expected),
• The worst boss, however….(bad story here),
• So I try to strike a balance between ….(tension between organizational mandates and individual personalities).

This might also be the time to ask a question about what styles seem to work in this organization.

Any suggestions from you blog readers?  Have you encountered this question?  And how did you answer it?

Do you volunteer?

Here’s an interview question that I’m delighted to address.

When you are asked about volunteer work in an interview, how about this to reflect the reality of these tough times:

When I was laid off a year ago, I quickly realized that it was going to take time to find a great fit in the next position.  So I got involved in Habitat for Humanity because I’ve always been pretty good with a hammer and nails.  Not only did I have the satisfaction of repairing a home for a deserving family, I gained invaluable insight and understanding about how the economy affects basic survival.  Even after I’m employed full-time, I plan to continue some kind of involvement with Habitat, because I share that passion for making things better one step at a time.

Wouldn’t you take another look at such a candidate?

Have you done volunteer work recently?  Can you tie it to your work experience and your expectations for getting a job?

Take us through the process…

My friend Dorie reports that on several job interviews she has been asked to describe the process of … doing what the job would require.  What are the potential employers looking for these days?

They are evaluating your experience.  Have you really done this before?  If you can elucidate the steps in getting a publication ready or negotiating a contract with a customer or writing a resume or preparing an apartment for a new rental, then yes, you’re qualified as a candidate for this position.

But wait!  Your answer reveals so much more:

• a balance between the big picture and the details required to get there,
• a sense of being a team player,
• leaving room for problems,
• communicating throughout the process,
• acknowledging that mistakes can happen,
• clarifying the question itself.

In these tough times, you already know that there is serious competition for any open position.  A question such as this gives you a chance to reveal your experience, your thinking style, and your ability to play nicely with others.  Be prepared for it!

Next:  what’s your style?