Thank you, clients

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.

Thinking about a Gap Year?

Gap Year is defined as a period of a year (or so) between high school and college.  It can also mean a time between undergraduate and graduate work, and, occasionally, it can mean the time between jobs.  It’s on the minds of many families these days.

If you have a teen in your family who doesn’t have a clue, doesn’t seem to have focus, or lacks maturity to tackle college courses, then someone has probably suggested a gap year.  I hear about it quite often.

There’s an article available at the ever-helpful website of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  You can find it at www.bls.gov.  There you will find a discussion of programs and things to look for in choosing one.

There are a few points that I would want to consider if I were in the market for a Gap Year program:

• Is there useful work to be done that is of interest to the young person?
• Is there ongoing guidance and discussion of goals for the year?
• Is there security and supervision in housing?
• Have you checked with a favorite college to see how they view/evaluate gap year programs?
• What about the cost?
• How does the high school student feel about the program?

The article cited above, published in the Occupational Outlook Quarterly (fall, 2009) is written by Elka Maria Torpey.  She has concisely identified pros and cons of gap years, provides timely advice (get accepted to college first if possible, then ask for a deferment), and lists resources for organized gap year programs.  This is well worth considering.

What an effective Gap Year is not is a chance to sleep late, hang around, or get more depressed about the future.  Each family should set goals, structure the time, and establish clear understanding of expectations.  If career counseling can help,  feel free to contact me through my website at www.anneheadley.com.

Note to adults in career transition: my next posting will discuss your own Gap Time and how to make the most of it.

Career Choice: Keeping it Simple

A client who is seeking a new direction, away from the really boring work she’s doing now, recently received a fascinating piece of advice.  She said that the other day, her young son, overhearing her expressing frustration with her current situation, said, “Mommy, why don’t you just do something you like?”

I love this.  I should hire the kid as an assistant, right?  But wait, if everyone knew that choosing something you like is at the core of career counseling, my whole industry could fold up and go home.  Think about it:  what do you like to do?

• chat with people,
• make the money stretch,
• dress up and go out to lunch,
• solve a problem,
• persuade people to do it your way,
• correct others’ grammar and spelling,
• raise money,
• read something new,
• fix something that’s broken,
• give a speech,
• taste frosting mixes.

Okay, probably kidding about that last one.  It’s not that your whole paid job is doing something that you like, but it’s a great place to begin your self-assessment.

What do I like to do?  I actually love listening to people’s stories, focusing on how they got from there to here, and where they’ll be going next.  Their style of decision-making, their ability to roll with bad situations, their willingness to let friends help them, their courage in walking away from something that’s not working out — these are all considerations in helping people make their next career moves.  I consider it a privilege to be part of someone’s life for a little while.  That’s what career counseling means to me.

If you would like to talk with me about how you would like to adjust your career toward something that you like, please visit my website at www.anneheadley.com for contact information.  Remember, that’s what I love to do.

A note to young people: how was your summer?

Hello, you juniors and seniors in high school. And hello to you, college students.  It’s October, you are in classes, and summer is now a fading memory.  How was yours?

If you had a (paid or) unpaid job,

• how was the experience?
• (did you save some/most/any of your money?)
• what skills did you acquire?
• what mistakes did you make?
• what fun did you have?
• what memories did you create?
• how did you say good-bye?

Now that you have had time to think about your summer, I have a suggestion:  What about a thank-you letter to your boss and to anyone else who helped you significantly?  This is not the note you were forced to write after holiday gifts were received.  Rather, this is a career step.  Here’s a sample, which you may feel free to adapt and use:

Dear Charlie/Ms. Grant/Eileen,

I want to thank you for being so patient with me this summer as I learned the position of cashier/lifeguard/counselor/———.  You trusted me with responsibilities which I never could have expected in an entry-level job.  Specifically, I will remember how I learned to be patient with customers/kids/tourists and their many questions and needs.

I will also remember the advice and coaching as I learned the job.  Thank you again for the wonderful farewell card.  I will drop by to visit you soon.

Sincerely,

________.

What might happen because of this note?

• You will leave a strong, positive impression of yourself.
• You will enjoy the sense of completion as you say good-bye to the summer and hello to the next phase of your life.
• You will learn the art of appreciation, which will serve you well for the rest of your life.

If you would like to share some of what you have learned this summer, feel free to write a comment here.

The lessons of that first job…

Think for a moment about your first job.  It affected you for the rest of your life.  It may have been the most tedious thing you ever did, or it might have been a really productive step into adulthood.

In my case, it was both.  I was a summer clerical worker in a small insurance/real estate office in Tampa.  I liked answering the phone, felt important when I handed out messages to people, prepared bills, made coffee.  My role model had been Della Street from the Perry Mason show, and this job, at $1 an hour, made me feel important.

The downside was the tedium of the real estate contract.  I knew how to type, but oh, those maddening little lines on contracts to fill in!  I never got it right the first time, and I loathed that part of the job.  It was an inspiration to go back to college and prepare to do something – anything – other than typing home sale documents.

And what do young people think about it?  I recently talked with 20-year-old Danny Karbeling, who has spent time in the workforce as a camp counselor and as an assistant in a graphics reproduction business.  Danny has learned a few things:

• managing time by prioritizing,
• meeting very nice people, both as colleagues and as customers,
• getting a paycheck, which ends up not going as far he thought it would,
• just doing the job without waiting for a lot of instruction.

If you have the opportunity to be working with a young person, remember these few points and be that encouraging supervisor or colleague.  You might be creating a positive memory that will last a lifetime.

Ask an Intern: What did you do this summer?

If other interns are like Jackie Witkowski, they are going back to college with stories to tell – beyond their expectations.  Jackie is completing a twelve-weeks’ stint at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC, and will be heading back to DePaul University in Chicago.

What did Jackie, a twenty-one year old from St. Louis, actually expect?  Well, she expected that she would do whatever she was asked, that maybe she would get involved in a special project, and generally enjoy her first visit to the nation’s capital.

True, she enjoyed herself.  But her 40-hour work week quickly progressed from all-around helper in the Education Department of the museum to, well, running a few things on her own.  Here’s the short version of how her responsibilities rocketed upward:  the already-small department was depleted by job changers, including the Intern Coordinator and the Volunteer Coordinator.

• Suddenly, instead of assisting the intern coordinator, she was organizing other interns in all the departments for training, sharing, and socializing.
• Instead of assisting the volunteer coordinator in continuing education training,  she was herself  coordinating a special tour at the National Gallery of Art for the museum docents.
• Instead of reporting to coordinators, she suddenly reported directly to the Director of Education.

As one of the weekly volunteer docents at this museum. I noticed Jackie early in the summer.  She introduced herself to one and all, asked to sit at the information desk and began to learn the answers to questions posted by visitors.  She remembered names from week to week.  She kept on smiling as her workload shifted in responsibility.

Jackie’s performance did not go unnoticed.  The chairperson of the Department of Education, Deborah Gaston, describes Jackie as a rock star.  Ms. Gaston, who has seen many interns, says you can tell early in the summer who will be capable of increasing responsibility and ownership of projects.  She cites evidence of the high quality of Jackie’s work:

• She wrote enthusiastically, prolifically, and  professionally for the new blog on the museum’s website (http://womeninthearts.wordpress.com).
• She displayed an excellent work ethic.
• She had a fine grasp of the basics of art history, as shown in her blog postings.
• She asked for help when she needed it.
• She continually showed a fine sense of humor, something needed in an art museum in these tight times.

As Jackie returns to her senior year in college, she reflects on the lessons learned during her internship:

• You need to immerse yourself in your work as soon as you arrive – there is no time to lose.
• You need to meet every single person you can and learn as much as you can about the work of the whole organization.
• You can leave your internship with vastly increased confidence in your own ability.
• There are many career paths that lead to your goal, not just the ones that professors tell you about in the classroom.
• You can stay in touch with your new friends and associates, because you’ll be looking for a job very soon.
• You can plan a return visit as soon as possible because it will keep your network alive.

Ms. Witkowski has set a high standard for interns at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.  She is to be congratulated for  recognizing  opportunities and for creating solid accomplishments to carry back to college.  Other interns, please take note!

The Power of your Online Presence

According to a study by CareerBuilder.com, 45% of employers are now searching social networking sites for information about job candidates.  Their searches are almost evenly divided among Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn.  In addition, some are reading blogs and following candidates on Twitter.

What does this mean for you, the job seeker?

The study goes on to summarize a few reasons you might be accepted or rejected based on what you have put out there in cyberspace.  Employers may reject you if:

• You have posted inappropriate, gross, drug-influenced material,
• You communicate poorly (spelling, grammar, overall appearance),
• You lie about your qualifications for the job.

On the other hand, your online presence can work for you if:

• You seem to be a good fit for the company,
• You show creativity,
• Your entries support the qualifications you claim to have.

This is a fascinating study, and I urge you to read the whole story.  You will see that your online identity cannot be ignored in your job search, but rather it can be a real plus to you.  Don’t self-destruct by careless comments or unwarranted bragging.  Ask a friend – call a career counselor – be your own most severe critic.  Clean up that site now!

To read the whole story, go to:

http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?id=pr519&sd=8%2f19%2f2009&ed=12%2f31%2f2009&siteid=cbpr&sc_cmp1=cb_pr519_

To get help in repairing or enhancing your online presence, please contact me through my website:  www.anneheadley.com.

Basic career message with a light touch

If you know someone who needs to brush up on the tools of the job search, yet dreads the process of slogging through all those steps, here’s a suggestion:  pick up a copy of Courting your Career by Shawn Graham. This paperback book draws parallels between courtship and the job search in a way that should be appealing to job seekers, especially the young ones.

• What to include/leave out in your resume?
• Why should you write a cover letter?
• Why fill out these tedious forms?

Well, let’s think about it.  When you are going out on a date, or arranging to meet someone,

• does it matter what you wear?
• why take a shower?
• why did you choose that shirt?

I find this analogy not only fun to think about, but persuasive .  According to Graham, the first characteristic in effective resumes is to be attractive.  Easy to read, lots of white space, not too much detail.  And no typos, no spelling errors, no misplaced apostrophes (my personal campaign).  Easily related to no ketchup stains on the shirt or spinach stuck in the teeth.  We get it!

If you have a recalcitrant job seeker in your life, this just might help.  Congratulations to Shawn Graham, who has combined very basic career information with an easy-to-digest, funny metaphor about the quest for romance.

The Enemy of the Successful Job Search

If there is one thing than can defeat even the most talented or experienced job seeker, it is inertia.  Call it boredom, depression, discouragement, frustration, I am referring to the condition of doing nothing.  Nothing.  No phone calls, no neighborly chats, no research, most of all, no human contact.

Remember the lottery slogan, You Gotta Play to Win? There is such obvious truth in it that we need to consider it here.

The small mistakes that people can make while looking for a job (not sending a thank-you letter, not asking references for permission to use them, not doing adequate research on a company of interest) pale beside the error of doing absolutely nothing.  If you are in this situation, Couch Potato, it is time to take a step forward.

(Well, hey, I’m reading a career counselor’s blog, doesn’t that count?)

Reading a blog or a website only really counts if you take the effort to write a comment, follow up on the advice you gained, read a suggested book or article, or otherwise show that you gained from reading the item.

What are you going to do today?

• But it’s Sunday and nobody’s at work…
• I have three applications out there.
• Haven’t you heard about the high unemployment rate?

I’m not impressed with the above-listed whines.

• Yes, it’s Sunday. And tomorrow, people will be checking their email and listening for phone messages.  Will yours be there?
• You can leave messages about those applications, restating your interest.
• Yes, unemployment is climbing.  And I could name you a few clients of mine who just got good to great jobs.  Why?  Because they worked at it.  They aren’t really any smarter or more experienced than you.  They’re hard workers.

Need more of a nudge?  Feel free to contact me through my website, www.anneheadley.com.  I’d love to help you recover from your inertia.

Looking back at unemployment: what will you say about it?

I’m speaking to you if you are unemployed, underemployed, or stuck in an unpleasant job because of today’s tight economy.  I know that you listen to experts about the economic recovery, and wonder when the economic recovery will happen for you.  And the answers are not immediately reassuring.

New employment will remain dismal for a few more months.  Economists tell us that full-time jobs are the last step in recovery from a recession.

Is it all bad news?  No!

Someday you’ll be telling your grandchildren about the great recession of ‘09 just as many of us heard about the Great Depression from our grandparents.  The story you tell is entirely within your ability to form.  When they ask you what you did, you can be embarrassed to relate that the answer was “not much”, or you can tell them that it was the nudge you needed to get going.

I met a person the other day who is planning to go back home and bake gourmet cupcakes to sell to tourists.  I was skeptical at first, but she convinced me that it is in fact a really good option for a few months.  Not a career, but survival.  And fun.

I know another young person who is enrolling in a short-term nurses’ assistant training program at a community college.  It is possible that she will be employed within the year, bringing in a bit of money while continuing her professional training.

Note that both these examples depend on the support of others.  I am observing that in tough times, families and friends have new opportunities to support each other.  Those who have enough are thinking of others and extending a hand in whatever way they can.

When you tell your story to your grandchildren a few years from now, what will you say about this year?  It is part of your legacy and will live on long after you.  Make it a great story, make it inspiring, make it about the stepping stones to a successful future.