I listened to this interview on KCRW’s Bookworm program today and was really grateful to have heard this. I thought you might be too. While the discussion about the book itself is yummy, the rest of it is very satisfying to hear — especially for any of us who have ever contemplated being a writer. Or for those who are currently writing for a living, or attempting to. I know that I wanted to be a writer from the time I was 10 years old when I read Harriet The Spy. I always have loved writing, and loved the idea of being a writer. And over the past few years have found out just how hard it is to actually write and publish a book. I hope you’ll take the time to listen to this recording and be inspired, as I was. — Daisy… Read More
Career
“YOU GOT THE PINK SLIP. NOW WHAT?”
Let’s face it: unless you’re independently wealthy being unemployed is NOT fun. It’s NOT relaxing. It’s NOT a vacation. You’re constantly stressed out, worried about your finances, family, your future, wondering how long you can make it before you have to start making the tough choices. It’s a scary place. Now is the perfect time to turn that incapacitating fear into resolve, strength, and action. Make a shift in your state of mind. Use this time to empower and embolden yourself and explore other career options. And you do have options. They’re out there, just waiting for you to uncover them. Find yourself. Find your path. Find your future. Call us. We can help make this transition easier as you find your way. Read More
The Job Not Taken…
This evening I decided to make one of my favorite cakes: The Glazed Lemon Cake from the Silver Palate Cookbook. While eating dinner with my son I told him about the beginnings of The Silver Palate company and how Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso had changed food forever with their little shop on Columbus Avenue and the cookbooks that followed.
But then this led me to the story about the job not taken. The summer after my first year in college I’d worked as a swim instructor at a camp and then headed back to my hometown of NYC. I was reeling from my parents’ divorce and had decided not to return to college in Massachusetts opting instead to live and work in New York. Somehow I got information about a job for a little food shop, The Silver Palate, that was just opening. For a girl who loved to cook and bake this was a dream first job — I put on my dress and clogs and walked over to the shop on the upper west side. I had worked hard to lose my ‘freshman 15’ that summer and had vowed to appreciate, but not indulge in, the food I admired in the shop.
Client Success Story: Britt Kurent
Britt Kurent Chef/Owner of Kurent Events www.KurentEvents.com Listen to how one former client followed her passion which has blossomed into her new thriving career path. Read More
Informational Interviewing – Again
When was the last time you did an informational interview? Contacting someone you may not already know to learn about what they do, and how their company works, can be an eye-opening opportunity. You can gain important information about the work you want to do, and learn about the culture of the place you hope to work at. Many of you have already done this kind of interview – from either side of the table – interviewer or interviewee. Some people, like me, love doing these interviews, and others, while they know it could be very valuable for them, are uncomfortable reaching out to talk with a stranger. While I really love doing these, I haven’t done one in a while so I decided to reach out and talk to a variety of people in hiring positions to learn more about what’s happening in hiring, and to be able to share this information with clients and other readers.
I had the opportunity to talk with someone who does a lot of hiring at an advertising agency with offices in Southern California. She graciously talked with me for about 20 minutes, the usual amount of time that we’ll be able to get from a busy professional who’s willing to help out. I was ready with my questions and she with answers. Below, read some of the most pressing questions my clients and I wonder about.
Entrepreneur Characteristics – The 5 “C’s” of Success
Mompreneur, dentist, franchisee, CEO, brick and mortar retailer, E-commerce Business Owner, Service Provider? How do you define yourself?
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines an entrepreneur as “one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise.” That’s true, of course, but this definition doesn’t tell the whole story—namely the entrepreneur characteristics that define their success and, more importantly, the intrinsic drive it takes to achieve that success.
There are 5 entrepreneur characteristics that are common among anyone who strives to start and run his or her own business. These characteristics are found in entrepreneurs at any age, in any industry, and at any socioeconomic level.
E-learning: all you have to know
Since internet was invented, so much changed in our daily life. First off, our way to get info or to pay for a purchase: how many online banks are there today? Probably, even more than we think to know! And how many video tutorials are out there? Hundreds or maybe even thousands. We can easily learn from watching a video tutorial rather than reading long explanation without to directly see “how-to-do”. Probably, you have already experienced how easy and free to access the web is and this is exactly the reasons why the e-learning is increasing more and more. A new way to learn things When we talk about e-learning, we basically means a sort of electronic approach to the subjects to learn. In short, e-learning means to learn something via internet through a computer. This kind of learning is particularly helpful for university and other academy… Read More
Change: Coming Soon to a New Job for You
I hope you’ll be as intrigued as I am by this article. The changes we’ll see in work in the next decade will be exciting and expanding. Here’s a taste.
Matching Life Experience With New Careers
By ELIZABETH POPE
HEALTH navigator? Conflict coach? Pollution mitigation outreach worker? These emerging jobs aren’t household terms yet, but they are a natural fit for older people looking for new career opportunities, said Phyllis Segal, vice president at Civic Ventures, a nonprofit research group based in San Francisco.
“Many of today’s new encore careers build on multiple work and life experiences, so they are a good match for older adults who’ve spent decades in the workplace,” Ms. Segal said. To help older workers upgrade skills for such jobs, she added, community colleges, online degree programs and intensive workshops are expanding training and fast-track certification programs.Jobs in health care, education, government and nonprofit organizations are likely to grow in coming years because of an aging population, pending retirements and demographic changes, said Barry Bluestone, a labor economist at Northeastern University.
What's Fun Got to Do With It?
This past weekend I had the good fortune to attend an independently organized TED (Technology Entertainment Design) event in Manhattan Beach. TED is all about Ideas Worth Spreading; you can find more about this at TED.com. While I learned so much during this one day event, I’ve found myself talking about a particular presentation about play and fun and see how this ‘plays’ out in work – mine, my clients’, and my 13 year old son’s.
Michael Shore, VP of Worldwide Consumer Insights at Mattel Inc. presented valuable research about what fun means to a wide cross section of kids, summarizing this with 10 Expressions of Fun. I’ve been measuring my sense of fun against these. And, after presenting this list to my video playing obsessed son, understand more about what he gets from these games, and appreciate more what we’re all really after. In fact, fun is absolutely key to a satisfying career. Check yourself against these 10 Expressions of Fun. How much are these a part of your work and life?
How a Black Mark Can Derail a Job Search
This is a disturbing bit of information. I know this has been a very stressful time of looking for positions, and this article can make it more stressful. I suggest 1) take this with a grain of salt as not everyone has been vetted by recruiters, and 2) do your own background check just as you might check your credit history. Read on…. By JOANN S. LUBLIN You messed up a job search, making a faux pas during an interview or handling a turndown badly. But you probably don’t realize that your mistake, exacerbated by the tight job market, could harm your long-term prospects. At a networking event last August in Bellevue, Wash., a recruiter pointed to a software developer across the room. He’s qualified, but “very bad in his presentation skills,” he told career coach Paul Anderson and a human-resources official for a big technology concern. “What’s that guy’s… Read More
