A lot of people aren’t comfortable asking for what they want. How about you? A bit squeamish? A bit shy? Or does it completely depend on the situation or ‘ask’? Keeping quiet and hoping someone will figure out what you want is a recipe for frustration and miscommunication. Expecting someone will notice your extra hard work, or your exemplary effort, your loyalty, or that you need a rest from all of the chores, cooking or family management creates more resentment than peace of mind. Read on for healthy and smart things to ask for! The 3 things you must to ask for: Quiet time to think and process. Whether you are at work or at home, an extrovert or an introvert, everyone needs some time to process, rest or just have downtime. I had a client who had tremendous responsibility, and she was an introvert. The only alone time she… Read More
Career
What to Expect from Career Coaching
I remember when I first started working as a career counselor in the early 1990’s when no one had heard of a professional career coach because career stability was still expected; 30 years at one company was the rule, not the exception. College students knew of the career services office on their campus but it seemed odd for professionals to seek out this kind of guidance once they were out in the real world. Fast forward to the wild and wacky world of the accelerated pace of the 21st century workplace that’s full of complexity and change. Now nobody is immune to layoffs and reorgs. Job hopping is no longer taboo. Fifteen years at one company? Really? The Essential Secret Weapon Now that job insecurity is a given, and most everyone knows that meaningful work is a possibility not just a luxury, who wouldn’t want and need their own secret… Read More
Job Searching in Los Angeles: The Popular Jobs and Companies Edition by Sydney Frazer
When you think about Los Angeles, you probably think about the iconic Hollywood sign, the Walk of Fame, and the beach. You probably don’t think about it in terms of its thriving local economy and labor market. But you should! Los Angeles has the second largest economy in the United States. So what does this look like for the Los Angeles labor market? For starters, the LA unemployment rate is right on par with the national average at 4.7 percent as of December 2016. In addition, there are 91,415 open jobs in the area and a population growing faster than the national average. This means a high cost of living, similar to the rest of California. The cost of living in LA is most greatly affected by the housing prices. However, the median base salary reflects this by standing above the average salary in the United… Read More
Ready for your ideal job? Do these 3 things.
There comes a moment when you hit the wall and realize you’re really ready to let go of the ‘good’ to go for the great! These 3 actions are the shortcut to make your dream a reality. 1) Find a comfortable place to sit down to write – coffee shop, kitchen table, wherever. It’s important to get this out of your mind and onto paper. Otherwise it stays in the ether of your mind; writing it down makes it more real. Make a list of all the accomplishments that have made you feel most satisfied and proud. Notice how you feel as you list these. Feeling energized and excited? Good! If you feel a little squirrely know that this is just your inner critic trying to get in your way of recognizing what’s inspired you, and gets you feeling good about yourself. In fact, this can be good news, because going… Read More
Are You Really Ready To Quit Your Job?
Ask yourself these 4 questions before you take the plunge Sometimes you just want to throw in the towel and move on. After the holidays, coming back to work can leave you feeling drained and wiped out at the end of the day. Your motivation is low, perhaps your mood is too. To compensate, you scan jobs on all of the internet, but nothing looks interesting because these jobs look like what you’re already doing. Or perhaps, they ALL look inviting because even if it’s similar, it’s not where you are now. Maybe you feel boxed in because you need the money you’re making and don’t feel like you can afford a cut or loss of benefits right now. Maybe you’re finally doing well and have accumulated some good vacation time and a bit of stature and really don’t want to lose it. So what do you do… Read More
Ready for that New Job? 5 Actions You Must Take
January is the big month for job changers. But did you know it can take 18-24 months to land a job? You can cut your job search short by starting with these 5 actions. 1) Write your ideal job description; include all of the criteria that are essential like commute time, environment, desired responsibilities and those new challenges you’re ready for, salary range, perks and benefits you’d like, even the organization’s mission if that’s important to you. Write about the immediate contribution you can make in this job. Get excited about this. Really see yourself here. Make it real. 2) List all the work you’ve done that you’re most proud of. Be detailed and write down the skills you’ve used to be successful at what you’ve done. Note what the results have been when you’ve contributed your efforts. 3) Think of everyone you know and write their names down. Read More
Cartography For People In Their 50s In The 21st Century
When I was in my 20s I was trying to figure out my next steps in life, often feeling bewildered and doubtful. How would I know the right moves for me? I had notions of my own criteria for what I wanted in my life and I saw that some of my ideas seemed different than those of my friends. Nonetheless, I found that I was measuring myself against others to chart my progress. It seemed like I was working hard at keeping up, or catching up, and then worked hard to surpass my friends in my own fashion. That’s a lot of evaluating progress. A lot of pressure. Over time, I did find my own path, my own rhythm, and I came to trust myself and my goals. I gained confidence in my strengths and life journey no matter how unique. Keeping score is something we… Read More
5 Ways to Raise Career Savvy Kids
I was pregnant with my unborn son and already had ideas for what sort of work he would do as an adult. I figured that, with my interest in people and wanting the best for others combined with my then husband’s analytical brain and approach to the world, that our son could be an important weather scientist who could predict terrible storms and save hundreds of lives. Ok, so maybe this sounds a little nutty. But really, don’t we as parents think about our child’s future all the time. Who will they be? How will this little person’s life turn out? We spend hours researching schools and encouraging our children to do well in school. We are constantly doing things for our child’s future. But oddly enough parents often unknowingly overlook sharing some very important information that could greatly impact their child’s future – they don’t share the realities… Read More
Finding Meaning in Your Life
How – and where – do you find the meaning and value of what you do in your life? Hopefully, the work that you’re doing is feeding you (and your loved ones) in more ways than one. But I know for many of you, the nourishment feels – or actually is – less than what you desire. Take a moment to check in right now, and think about how your work (and home!) life is adding up for you. The following short quiz will help you assess signifiers that are important to most of us: 1) When I wake up, I think about the people and the projects that I get to work with in the upcoming day, and feel energized to get going. 2) My significant other/friends look to me for advice about managing their time and money because I… Read More
And now for something a little different…
Goodbye, Golf Clubs. Hello, Hiking Boots and Kayak. Source: New York Times By ABBY ELLIN THEY call him “Elusive,” at least on the hiking trails. And that’s pretty much where Dave Roberts spends his time these days, crisscrossing the country by foot, by bike, even by kayak. Mr. Roberts, a retired teacher and software engineer, is on a mission to navigate the United States powered only by his two legs and two arms. Hotels and lodges are out of the question; he camps out at night and lugs 25 pounds of equipment — including his tent, sleeping bag and food — on his back. And oh yes: Did we mention he is 72 years old? “I expect to keep doing it until I get tired of it,” said Mr. Read More
