If you are home reading blogs, I congratulate you for not being out there buying toys, gadgets, acrylic throws, appliances, and cheese logs. Now we can consider carefully the needs of the person on your list who is unemployed.  You want to be helpful, you want to make a difference, you might want to reflect the spiritual reasons we celebrate in these short, dark days, so here are my top ten gift suggestions in no particular order:

1. A food basket that looks like a luxury, but contains essentials such as  fresh fruit, coffee or tea, and maybe a grocery store gift card  (especially for someone who is getting by on unemployment),
2. A great book with either an overview of the job search process or a focus on one particular aspect of it (arranged alphabetically by author, because they are all my favorites):

• Anderson, Maureen, The Career Clinic: 8 Simple Rules for Finding Work You Love,
• Bolles, Richard, What Color is your Parachute 2010?
• Baber, Anne and Waymon, Lynne, Make Your Contacts Count (2nd edition)
• Krumboltz, John and Levin, Al, Luck is no Accident
• Taylor, Karol, and Ruck, Janet, Guide to America’s Federal Jobs.

3. A coffee or lunch date with you and a friend who happens to work in a field that interests the job hunter,

4. A debriefing after the next job interview, including a pot of tea (insert beverage of choice here) and you as a great listener,

5. An appointment with:

• a very good hair stylist,
• a computer coach,
• a massage therapist,
• a career counselor/coach,

6. A pay-as-you-go cell phone and/or prepaid phone cards for those who are suffering financially. It’s important to keep that cell phone operating to keep the job search current,

7. A classy accessory, such as a watch, pen, business card holder or cell phone cover that reflects the position to which the recipient aspires (doesn’t have to be expensive, just look it),

8. An invitation to a play, concert, or movie designed to (1) get one’s mind off the current situation  and (2) provide an intelligent answer to an interview question about what you have been doing recently,

9. A gift certificate to try a new career for a day.  Splurge on one of the offerings of Vocation Vacations (www.vocationvacations.com).  This is a dazzling program that promises experience shadowing someone in a totally different career field.  Pricey and memorable.

10. A card or note reminding the job seeker that 2010 brings promise of an economic recovery and that this time next year, the world will seem very different. You can also use the card to list what you think are the person’s gifts that will be welcome in the  workforce.  It has been suggested that you could use a “Top Ten Reasons You Are A Gifted Employee” format.

Your gift of concern, support, and love will add a unique dash of sparkle to the season.

God bless us, everyone!

As I consider my work this year, I marvel at how difficult life has been in 2009 for so many people.  And some of you found your way to me.  You think I helped you, and I hope that’s so.  You think I know the answers, or maybe you have figured out that I only know a few of them.

What you don’t know is how much I have learned/been reminded of from you this year.  Here is a sampling:

• creative people can also be organized, and need help in explaining that to others,
• organized people yearn to express their creativity, which is also hard to explain,
• family leave is an excellent time to explore career changes,
• people can internalize trends in their own professions, which can be depressing indeed,
• fearful people can take enormous risks,
• spiritual struggles are hard for some people to express, easy and natural for others,
• keeping your day job can be okay if you are doing it with a purpose in mind,
• writers just keep on writing no matter what,
• new college graduates can get discouraged way too easily in this economy,
• the most confident-appearing people need positive feedback as much as anyone,
• career clients are almost all willing to do homework that is specific, not willing to do it if it is vague,
• career counselors can be struck dumb by their own ignorance sometimes, which may be a good thing.

Thank you for reaching out.  Thank you for keeping your appointments and for coming on time (our horrendous traffic notwithstanding).  Thank you for paying promptly. Thank you for sharing your work experience and your aspirations.  Thank you for showing me your portfolios. Thank you for letting me know how the interview went.  Thank you for recommending me to your friends. Thank you for your amazing understanding when I am forgetful. Thank you for reading my blog and making comments.

We live in distinctly uncomfortable times. As a career counselor, I think/hear/worry/contemplate the job market on a daily basis. I cling to success stories (yes, I hear them) and am beginning to avoid the tragedies on the evening news because I don’t want to get overwhelmed.

Jobs, money, homes, retirement funds are at risk. If you seek comfort by pulling the blankets higher and retreating for the day, your fears will mount and your sense of helplessness will increase as well.

Here’s a thought: go out today and do something risky. No, obviously I do not advocate driving while under the influence, going without a coat in the cold, or taking the remainder of your savings and buying lottery tickets.

Good risk, however, gives you a good story at the end of the day. Here are some examples:

• meet the new neighbors,
• learn a new skill on the job,
  
• telephone someone you’ve lost touch with,
• pick up a different book at the library,
• express gratitude for something/someone you have taken for granted,
  
• clear out a bookshelf of things you will never need again,
• follow a new recipe for vegetable soup,
• speak with a co-worker you’ve never known very well,
  
• mail the package that has been sitting there staring at you reproachfully.

Does this get you a job? or secure the one you have?

No, I don’t think so. But these small steps clear out some cobwebs and allow new ideas to form. You can network in low-key ways that make people smile (including yourself).

The conclusion will be that your world will be a bit broader or cleaner or neater. Think of it as clearing the decks for the next stage.

What strategies do you have for brightening a day that might not look so promising in the morning?

Are you waking up this New Year’s without a job? It is time to awaken also to the realization that 2009 can be the year to bring new energy to your job search.

Let me suggest a half-dozen resolutions for you:

1. Resolve to network more effectively. This is more important than anything else I can name. If you quake at the thought of making cold calls, relax. Networking is much more than that. Read Make Your Contacts Count by Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon. This book contains manageable examples of ways to network… how to explain what you do (or would like to do), how to arrange a follow-up meeting with an interesting person, how to say thank you to people who have helped you along the way.

2. Resolve to be positive. Boy, this one is tough. There is enough negativity around, and it’s contagious. Don’t be someone to avoid. Work on points like:

• I was looking for a change in focus anyway when this reorganization came along.
• I look forward to working more creatively in a small organization such as this one,

3. Resolve to develop work samples. For many people, this is a portfolio of writing samples (a research paper from school, a clipping of a letter to the editor, a print-out of a web article you did, or a reader review of a book, toy, or movie). For others it might be an album of your event photography or a few brochures you have designed. It might be a collection of thank-you letters from the people on a team you coached last summer. It might be a customer service award from a previous job.

4. Resolve to acquire a new skill or credential. Become certified as a human resources professional. Receive a credential in substance abuse counseling. Earn a certificate in project management or graphic design. Complete your GED. Get your AA degree. Tackle that doctoral dissertation. Your application/resume will be current and more appealing.

5. Resolve to restore balance in your life. This supports resolution #2, about being positive. When all parts of one;s life are in balance, you cannot feel like a total failure. Your body can be in tune, your home can be in order, you can improve your culinary skills, you can get your car tuned up, you can balance your checkbook and do your taxes. Success! Accomplishments in one area can give you confidence in other areas. Try it.

6. Resolve to put your spiritual house in order. Whether you adhere to humanistic ethical standards or belong to an established religious community, there is guidance for your job search. Gratitude is waiting to be expressed. Regret is waiting to be acknowledged. Growth is not only possible, but part of one’s spiritual journey.

I hope at least one of these resolutions is helpful to you. If you would like to speak with a career counselor about energizing your job search, feel free to visit my website at www.anneheadley.com for contact information. I’d love to hear from you. I wish you a happy new year, with much career success in 2009.

Do you think that career counseling is about assessment, decision-making, and strategy?

I think so. And that’s what I’m trained to do. Clients want/need help with one or more of these areas.

But is there more? Something that is not taught in graduate school courses? Creation, trust, individuality?

I think so. And many of you do, too.

Spiritual or religious counseling has gotten a scary reputation, often deservedly. Let me be clear about what it is not:

• persuading you to see it my way,
• embarrassing prayer sessions you don’t want,
• reminding you of the “shoulds” in your life, thus increasing your guilt load,
• being passive and letting God do the work,
  
• suggesting that I know more than you do about your life’s direction.

What I mean by spiritual career counseling starts by getting where you are. This may mean open discussion of your spiritual beliefs and support structure or your sense of your mission. Or it may mean not going there.

Where it fits, I’d like to share my experience of using my gifts as I see them. We might find common ground.

I find that people may be hungry to share their questions about the meaning of their lives and how best to use their unique talents. This is surely a spiritual question, but we may all be afraid to phrase it like that.

As a counselor, it is my task to perceive who wants to talk about mission and who does not. Either way, I’m fine with it.

Would you like to speak with me about your quest for a meaningful life and career? Please visit my website at www.anneheadley.com for contact information. Or you can leave a comment right here.