Enthusiasm: more revealing than you think!

Did you catch President George W. Bush being interviewed by NBC’s Bob Costas at the Olympics in Beijing?

I did, and was reminded of how passionate interests can add sparkle and energy to one’s whole presentation. This man clearly loves athletes and sports. During the interview, he was knowledgeable and chatted easily with the commentator on all aspects of swimming, basketball and beach volleyball. Leaning toward Costas, he laughed easily and looked like a happy man, willing to discuss his youthful years spent in China, riding a bike around the city of Beijing.

If this man were my career client, I would be asking him to describe the last time he was truly happy, and I fantasize that he would mention going to China to watch the Olympics.

Facial expressions don’t lie for long. It’s tiring to force yourself into an interest in something or someone for very long. You can find your true career path by identifying what you really care about. If you don’t know, ask a trusted friend to tell you:

• when your voice reveals a surge of energy,
• when your eyes light up with excitement or interest,
• when positive feedback is particularly well-received,
• when you say you wish (……) had gone on longer.

I have no idea if George Bush enjoys being the chief executive of the United States. I do believe, however, that he cares deeply about competitive games, and I hope he includes some involvement in sports as his life takes a new direction. Enthusiasm is a powerful career guide.

As all those people the age of Mr. Bush face retirement, I hope they remember that now is the time to move toward areas of passion and commitment, bringing those skills accumulated in jobs that they did/did not get excited about. In the next round of job interviews, remember what it looks like to speak with enthusiasm and energy.

If you would like to discuss finding your enthusiasm and/or letting it point the way to a more satisfying career direction, please visit my website at www.anneheadley.com for contact information. This can be a very exciting process for you.

The Mind of the Job-hunter: Open? Closed? Both!

Have you ever noticed the conflicting information in those shelves of career books?

Career specialists frequently say at least one of the following:

• You should know what you want. You have undergone an analysis of your strengths, skills and experience. You don’t have to settle. Know what you are looking for, communicate this clearly, and you will find it.
• Be open to the possibilities. Yes, you have an idea of what you want, but other people know what is out there. And they may see things in you that you do not.

Which is right? Actually, both have the ring of truth. Life choices are not neat and clear-cut very often. Most times of transition are fraught with feelings of being tugged in many directions. Some people call this caught in the tension. It’s just the way life is much of the time.

So what’s a job-hunter to do? I’d like to suggest a few steps that can help you draw on the wisdom that both these viewpoints can yield.

1. Do a personal/professional inventory. Start with who you are and what you want. Know what you love to do.
2. Think about other people like you. What jobs do they hold? What successes do they achieve?
3. Ask people you trust to suggest ways that you can widen your perspective and search for jobs in new areas. Try to be open to listening to what they have to say.
4. Of course, you don’t have to follow their suggestions, but they will be happy to learn that you investigated their ideas to some degree.

Does this process contain conflicting information? I don’t think so. If you are a young person just entering the labor market, you will learn that feedback is as valuable as knowing yourself. If you are a person planning something new for your retirement, you have (I hope) learned that the feedback you have received over your years of employment falls into a pattern. Maybe it is time to follow where that pattern takes you, especially if it parallels what you have thought about all along.

If you would like to speak with a career counselor about balancing the two threads of self-awareness and ideas from other people, please visit www.anneheadley.com for information on career counseling.

Your Future Career: what did you do for it today?

Think about the activities and events of the past twenty-four hours. As you replay your day, try to notice if your activities, thoughts, and feelings were oriented toward the past or the future.

• Exercise? that’s an investment in the future.
• Phone a friend? if your conversation moved past complaining, you may have offered encouragement as you made plans to get together – definitely the future.
• Sorted through that box of old photos: if you left them as is, you were rooted in the past. If you wrote labels, discarded duplicates, set aside some to send to your cousin, you were taking some steps toward the future.
• Paid bills? a great step for your future.
• Updated your resume? Signed up for a class? Read a professional journal? These are steps toward your future career that indicate you will be competitive and prepared when an opportunity presents itself.
• Finally met your new neighbor? It’s a possible investment in your future, because you know by now that networking is almost everything in a successful job search.

I am indebted to a wonderful book called The Art of Growing Old by Carroll Saussy for being reminded of the essential quality of mindfulness. Saussy suggests the inventory of a day’s activities to focus on the present moment and prepare for the future.

I think an inventory of your day’s activity can also be revealing in a career sense.. This analysis of your time can tell you if you are productively looking toward the future or if you let yet another day go by without taking positive steps. Wake up!

If you would like to talk to a career counselor about your approach to your productive future, please visit
my website at www.anneheadley.com for contact information.

When are you too old?

Is there a magic number, beyond which you are too old?

It used to be 50. An invitation to join AARP around one’s fiftieth birthday has been considered an all-American tradition for several decades. That venerable organization must have had a reason for establishing the age of 50 as a benchmark, after which one must be prepared for employment discrimination.

But some will tell you that 40 is the point after which your chances lessen at being successful in a job search.

40, 50, 55, 60, 65, etc. At some point, every individual bumps up against a birthday that signifies (or might signify) a death-knell to career advancement.

What do you think? What have you experienced? What do you fear about age?

Let’s distinguish between your own fears of advancing years and the job market out there. Yes, there is age discrimination. Yes, you might be a victim of it. Yes, it’s extremely hard to prove in court, so this blog posting is not going to address that option.

What can you do? You can:

• stay current in your field,
• offer one more skill than your competition,
• keep a sense of humor and a sensible perspective,
• listen more than you speak,
• keep your network alive and active,
• decide that your chronological years do not need to dominate your state of mind.
  

If you would like to discuss a concern about age with a career counselor, please visit www.anneheadley.com for contact information. Together we can revisit your resume, removing irrelevant information, we can develop current interview strategies, and we can identify ways of finding new associates and colleagues who will welcome your experience.

Career assessment: feedback and possibilities

Remember being in the seventh grade when someone handed you a test to complete? I do. I was totally into music, and the report form of the test said I should work in a music store. I was crushed. I had no ability to think critically, to remember that the test had no measure of talent, that I was free to question and even reject the results if they didn’t suit me.

I find that most people remember similar experiences: being told they “should” be an undertaker, a lawyer, a dentist, a farmer. a homemaker. We joke about these findings now, but we took them very seriously at the time. What were they thinking?

Tests are different now, and you are different. If you are an adult of any age, you will still be interested in your test results, but I hope you will not allow a print-out to change the course of your life if you don’t like what it says. Here are a few observations I’ve made after going over many, many assessment results with people ranging in age from college-bound to retirement planners.

• They hope to see something they are dreaming of,
• They are afraid that there won’t be anything of interest to them,
• They are afraid of being labeled mediocre,
• They are afraid of being found to have enormous potential,
  
• They will have to adjust their thinking,
• They won’t understand the results,
• They will have to explain the findings to the people in their lives.

A good interpretation should allow plenty of time for you to receive an adequate explanation of the results. You might like to know how the test was developed and normed (established statistically), how stable the results will be in your life, and how to implement the results in your educational and work life.

A client recently found validation of a strength she had not considered and didn’t particularly want to go into. She just told me that although her new job is in the field she wanted, it will also contain the possibilities of being more focused on this newly-discovered interest. She therefore approaches the new job with a curiosity and willingness to go in that new direction. It is possible to use your test results to build up your willingness to learn something new.

Whether you are taking a test online, in a class or a training program, or with a qualified career professional, remember these tips:

• keep a light touch about it,
• be willing to explore new possibilities,
• be open about the ideas you’re considering,
• be willing to laugh at yourself,
• remember that assessment is only part of career decison-making.

If you would like to discuss career assessment or take a test or two, please visit my website at www.anneheadley.com to schedule an appointment.

What should I be when I grow up? Revisiting the question

What should I be when I grow up?

Do career counselors get tired of hearing this question? Sadly, yes.

Do you get tired of asking it about yourself? Definitely!

Here’s a thought: let’s table the question and simply ask something else.

Try these questions instead:

• What skills do I want to use all day?
• What course(s) did I enjoy the most in school?
• What is my passion?
• What triggers my enthusiasm?

That question about what I should be when I grow up is ultimately depressing. No matter what your age, it might suggest that you are immature, unsuccessful, unfocused, and undecided if you don’t have a ready answer. I think that can be destructive to your self-esteem and a put-down to all your accomplishments.

The question occasionally gets raised in job interviews, which is tricky. Even if you have frequent job changes on your resume, it is possible to answer that question with a confident smile and a summary of your most important skills and how they continue to develop. You do not have to be defined by your job title.

Some of the most interesting people continue to unfold, try new things, develop new skills, and redefine themselves throughout the lifespan. This makes other people nervous and even guilty – why can’t things stay the same?

The lucky ones are those who strive to develop themselves anew, whether on the next job or in retirement. Today is the best day to prepare for tomorrow, especially given the changing nature of the work force. Don’t be defined by a job title… it is way too transient.

If you would like to discuss your options for tomorrow’s work, please visit my website (www.anneheadley.com) for contact information. I have no preconceived notions about what you are going to do with the rest of your life. You’re already a grown-up and you are already a person of accomplishment. Let’s build on that!

Networking; everyone’s talking about it, many are doing it – are you?

It’s in all the books, every career coach, adviser, or counselor tells you to do it, and many people dread it like a root canal. Yet most of us can quote some variation on the statistic that 85% (or so) of jobs are filled by whom you know.

There is a wonderful article in the Washington Post Job section of 1/27/08. Jeanine Cogan of Takoma Park, MD, urges the reader to think of networking as meeting someone new or developing a relationship.
I remind reluctant clients that if they heard of someone in need, they might be the first to offer assistance, especially if what is needed is information. We all need to expand our ability to receive help as well as offer it.

Extroverts network easily and well. They speak comfortably to strangers and can discuss a wide range of topics. But in their enthusiasm, they can get carried away, lose track of time, and talk too much about themselves. A practice session can help them set and remember the goals of the networking conversation. They can learn better listening habits, which will be an asset in their quest for a new position.

For introverts, networking seems like more of a barrier. They can be effective networkers, though, because they can be excellent listeners, and can remain focused on finding the information they seek. With a practice session, they can feel far more comfortable in this all-important aspect of the job search.

You young people seeking a summer job, you adults who yearn to change career fields, anyone who is contemplating retirement and will need/want to work at something different, you all need to make sure your networking ability is in top form. If you would like to make an appointment to speak with a career counselor about networking, please visit my website at www.anneheadley.com for contact information.

Job interviews: you never thought of this!

Did you ever notice that many job openings include the phrase ability to read and write a must? Did you ever imagine that you’d be put to the test on this point?

Many of us take the ability to read and write for granted. We assume that since we have received at least minimal education, we should not have to prove our literacy. This may be a false assumption.

I recently found that at least one interviewer at the Maryland National Capitol Park and Planning Commission takes this very seriously. If you apply at the MNCPPC, you may be given a passage to read and a brief writing assignment – nothing complicated, just enough to prove you are competent in written communication.

Stephanie Neal, a long-time supervisor there, says she does not want to hear about how you forgot your reading glasses. She concludes from this that (if it is true) you are forgetful or (if it isn’t true) you are hiding something. In either case, you are out of consideration.

Ms. Neal also suggests that you tuck a small pocket dictionary in your portfolio, briefcase, or purse. In case you are challenged in spelling, particularly under stressful conditions, here’s an excellent tool to use if you need to and (by the way) look like a careful writer.

Lots of people have tips on interviews, but the ideas on glasses and a dictionary are new ones to me.

What are your favorite survival techniques for job interviews?

If you would like to confer with a career counselor about any interview situation you have encountered and wish you had handled differently, please visit www.anneheadley.com for contact information.

Your Resume: community involvement

• Hobbies or volunteer work on resumes – do they belong there? These are activities that, unlike your affiliations or special skills, will not necessarily be directly related to your career or the position you’re applying for.

• How about coaching Little League or being a Scout Leader?
• What about the church choir or Neighborhood Watch?

The answer used to be simple: NO! You might look like a dilettante; it reveals your age, marital status, religious affiliation, etc.
But job-hunting has changed. I still feel that activities revealing your personal belief system can hurt your chances for getting job offers. Age is still best kept to yourself. And political action groups are way too divisive in today’s red/blue world.
Nevertheless, there are situations in which the answer is YES! Hobbies that are of interest and reflect well on you should be listed.

Activities that show physical activity are great – dancing, hiking, tennis, bike-riding or golf are effective ways to add to your resume. Just make sure you are currently active in whatever you put down.

Activities that reveal your intelligence or ability to communicate are wonderful to include. If you write book or film reviews for online or other listings, say so. Of course, you should be prepared to produce examples of your writing.

There are times to put down even the controversial political, ethnic, or religious activity if you are applying for a position in that subculture. Example: teaching in religious school while applying to work at a seminary. Singing in the choir if you are applying to a musical group. Working for a particular political campaign if you are applying to a sympathetic special interest group. These are things that establish your credentials as well as your commitment to the cause.
If you have gained experience and responsibility while pursuing an interest, then by all means say so:

• Secretary of the Regional Depression Glass Club.
• Mediator for the Better Business Bureau.
• Event Coordinator for the County Historical Society.

If you are uncertain about what to include on your resume, feel free to talk about it with a qualified career professional. You can contact one through www.anneheadley.com.
Think about what John Wanamaker once said: People who cannot find time for recreation are obliged sooner or later to find time for illness.

Your Resume: affiliations

Here is the section for your list of formal memberships in organizations. Many of these can be an asset on the resume. If your profession has an official organization, this should be here.

Member, National Association of of Indoor Tennis Court Owners
Member, American Counseling Association
Member, State University Alumni Association
Member, Toy Manufacturers of America

These affiliations are read with interest. A good interviewer may pick up on one or two of them and ask you a question, so remember to be prepared to discuss your involvement. Keep it positive and specific!

Can this hurt you? Think twice about listing organizations that reveal your religious or political convictions and loyalties. This can be a real turn-off to some other people.

It could hurt if your list is so long it overshadows other accomplishments on your resume. If this is the case (hey! you’re a joiner!) you should carefully prune the list down to a length that supports, rather than trumps, your work and education. This is often the case with an older worker with a lifetime of affiliations and associations.

It can also hurt if you claim membership and you have not recently rejoined. You don’t know if the person you’re meeting with is also a member, has access to a directory, and has discovered you are not an active member. This embarrassing blunder can make someone wonder what else is not true on the resume. If you are not a current member, drop the listing.

If you hold a position of leadership, be sure to mention it.

• Chairperson, planning committee for annual trade show
• Treasurer, State Counseling Association
  
• Health and Safety Committee, Community Swim Club
• Fundraiser, Doctors without Borders

If you are navigating a career change, this is an important section of the resume for you. You have control over what you join; make sure it is forward-looking, rather than reflecting your past choices. It shows dedication and commitment.

If you would like to confer with a career counselor about the design of your resume and what organizational involvement might be helpful to you, please visit www.anneheadley.com to connect with a career counselor.