Three ways to find the right job fit for you.

One, list all the things you really enjoy doing and next to them list all the skills involved in doing them. Next list things you are naturally good at doing. Then compare the two lists to see which of your natural abilities are used in doing the things you really like. Now list other jobs that use those same abilities. For example, I like surfing the Internet for business news. That takes computer savvy, research skills, navigation skills, reading skills, comprehension etc. So what "jobs" involve using computers, Internet, navigation skills, computer savvy, etc.? How about web design? Or maybe teaching computer classes?

A second way to find the right fit is to think about the things that you are passionate or very enthusiastic about. What "causes" get your heart beating faster and your mind racing? Are you an outdoor activity enthusiast - hiking, camping, boating? Are you passionate about preserving nature for future generations to use and enjoy? You could be a camp counselor or a hunting and fishing guide. You might want to work for REI, The Mountaineers or Sierra Club.

The third way to discover your job fit is to think about and list the jobs of people you know that interest you or that you have thought about trying. Spend some time talking to them about their job and what it involves. Spend a day with them at work. Get a feel for how it works for you.

Actually, this third method is a good one to use regardless of how you find your dream job. Nothing is more powerful than that moment when you say to yourself, "This person has MY job."

New Creation = New Career Opportunity

Getting a chance to start over is what the New Creations program at Seattle's Union Gospel Mission is all about. That doesn't mean it is easy ... or quick. And starting over as a new spiritual being and leaving behind old behaviors and addictions is only the beginning.

Starting a new career to go along with your new creation is an important ingredient in the recipe for a healthier, happier, more fulfilling life. The first step is the most challenging. You have to believe it is possible.

If you have never dared to dream or have a vision of your future it may seem unattainable. If you have never experienced the luxury of looking beyond the next week, the next day, or even the next hour, thinking about one year, two years or more down the road may be unimaginable. Yet that is the first step - simply believing that God has a plan for you and a multitude of options to achieve His purpose for your life.

Give yourself the gift of throwing off the chains of your past and accepting that God has an incredible future in store for you.

Coach

Affordable coaching, anytime access!

I thought the pace might slow down after the Fourth of July. No. I have been speaking to services clubs, adding coaching clients, developing new materials to share and even more exciting, building a membership site for easy, economical access to career coaching. If you are even thinking about thinking about changing careers or jobs within your current employment, this is definitely the way to go. Think you can't afford coaching? Think again. Think you can't squeeze coaching into your schedule? Think again.

For the price of a grande, non-fat, mochaccino per week you can experience all the value of coaching, minus the one-on-one. You get all the articles, all the audio and video files, all the guest experts. And you get it 24/7 when you want it. Download MP3's and listen on your iPod! Plus you can email questions to our expert panel and join us for forum discussions.

Do I sound excited? Yes. Why? Because I want everyone to have the opportunity to make confident career choices through coaching. Everyone deserves to have someone in their corner.

Stay tuned for the launch date. I'm confident you'll wonder how you got along without it.

Oh, and if you are in the market for a new kitten, I have six little bundles of joy who will be ready to change your world in about 8 weeks.

Coach

Working to live, not living to work.

Well, it has been a whirlwind of activity the past three weeks. The end of June I went to a career coaching "bootcamp" in Portland, OR. The theme was moving into "Coaching 2.0" the next generation of coaching. Marcia Bench, founder of Career Coach Institute, offered several options for delivering coaching that will give many more people the opportunity to experience the power of coaching in their career decisions.

This week it was the National Career Development Association National Convention in Seattle. Career professionals from across the country and Canada attended to share tips and techniques, learn about new best practices and technology. Two of the best workshops were focused on coaching models - Marcia Bench's "laser coaching" and Gail Michalski's "Solution Focused Career Transition" model for career counselors. Both workshops focused on clients driving the process, active listening, empowerment and keying on strengths, rather than weaknesses.

What a concept! The client actually knows more about their situation than anyone and if they are going to be successful the focus needs to be on what's working, not what isn't working. (Hmmm... reminiscent of the Law of Attraction - whatever you focus in you get more of.)

More on these events in days to come.

There may be benefits to taking care of yourself now.

We talked before about taking care of the stranger you don't know - your future self - by the action you take today. Today's New York Times has an interesting article about the value of downsizing plans for the future security and spending more time on relationships and other endeavors that enhance your current life. In the long run you may be healthier and happier. It is a new twist on the "grasshopper and ant" parable. It Might Pay to Follow Your Bliss is the story.

It fits with what we've been discussing - following your strengths to a better life. Better quality relationships and healthier mindsets follow in part from meaningful and fulfilling work.

In the end, confident career choices lead to a happier and more rewarding life.

Coach

Changing careers is all about taking care of those you love.

Is it OK to take care of others? Of course. Concern for others makes us more aware and appreciative of our own good fortunes. What about the other you? You may remember the "best friend you never knew" speech I told you about. Your future self is your best friend. Would you let your best friend languish in a job that drains their energy and life? Of course not. Well, if that best friend is your future self, what are you waiting for?

Your health, happiness and well-being are intimately connected to your work. In five years at a particular job I developed high blood pressure, bladder cancer and found myself becoming depressed with my situation. Medication addressed the symptoms but action addressed the causes. I went back to school to complete my degree, got additional training and established my coaching practice. The damage was done but further damage has been minimized by opening the doors to a world of fulfilling work. If you "just can't" give up your current position at least give yourself the gift of volunteering. Harness your untapped potential and energy giving something back to society. The life you save might be your own.

Update - My Palm Treo was turned in to the bus driver who took it to lost and found. Talk about relieved!!!! Lesson learned. From now on it goes in its holster where it belongs. Expect good things to happen and they will.

Any thoughts on this or anything else (career-wise)?

Coach

Technorati link - networking for jobs

Hey sports fans. I am now linked to Technorati. It is all part of my own career transitioning that you are observing firsthand. Of course getting a job takes more than technology. It takes personal relationships, built over time, developing trust and respect.

"How?" you say. You start by networking with your friends and contacts. Let them know you are looking for a job. If you know them well they are probably aware of your skills and may have ideas about possible opportunities. Get some phone numbers and call to schedule informational interviews. Now this requires some integrity. You really are just conducting informational interviews at this stage. This is where you find out about the many variations on a theme that might allow you to work in your preferred area with or without specific training or education.

Why is that important? We'll talk about that next time.

Meanwhile I am anxiously awaiting the morning, specifically 10:00 to find out if my Palm Treo (which apparently fell out of the pocket on my fleece vest this morning) has turned up in the Seattle Metro lost and found. The biggest loss is the pictures on the phone that I had not yet backed up on other media and the SD card with soooo much information and photos on it. I can recreate my contact list but I sure hate to lose the other stuff.

My next confident career choice may be a new Treo - and a holster!

Coach

Making yourself a personal brand.

One of the newest trends in business is personal branding. That is, identifying yourself as a brand, much as Ford or Starbucks or McDonald's are identifiable brand names. The premise is that you need to differentiate yourself from the crowd to improve your chances of advancing or getting hired.

This goes along with what we have explored in the area of defining strengths, talents, etc. that set you apart and then focusing your efforts on those areas. Your brand becomes that specialty and is how employers identify you. Reach Branding Club is an interesting site to visit. Take the video tour at www.reachbrandingclub.com.

I think we could all benefit from the clarity, consistency, constancy that are the 3 C's of branding. Be clear on who you are (and aren't), be consistent in your actions and be constantly visible to your audience. This isn't about tooting your own horn, rather letting your actions speak for you.

So have a look. Then let me know what you think. It might be part of your decision making process when you make confident career choices.

Let's talk.

Coach

A friend is retiring next week. After 16 years in this organization he is calling it quits. Not because of age or because he has some can't miss opportunity. He is leaving because the door was slammed shut on any chance to advance and his current job has become so routine that he actually hates coming to work.

He was an educator before. When he describes the joy of being able to make decisions and impact daily activities, plot the course and have his input valued and accepted a big grin replaces the tears that well in his eyes talking about today.

I gave a coaching client the assignment to describe her ideal day. She has struggled with this exercise. After 31 years at the same organization, the only thing she knows about her ideal day is that it doesn't include coming to work. In planning her retirement activities her first vision is doing nothing.

She has become involved in a nutrition product company due to some health issues of her own. When she talks about sharing with others what these products have done for her, she becomes animated and excited. Her answers to each question I pose seem to end up involving this opportunity to share with others and impact their health and wellbeing.

Sound familiar? Fortunately they are doing something about the situation. Good for them, bad for the organizations, losing valuable employees because they are unable to apply their passions and talents in their work.

Marcus Buckingham, http://www.marcusbuckingham.com/ , researched strengths and how the focus on strengths by organizations and individuals is the single most reliable predictor of outstanding performance. What a shame for people to languish in a job, dreading their days, waiting for a date on a calendar when they can pursue their strengths.

Want to pursue your strengths? Ready to make some confident career choices that bring work and joy together? Share your story. Post a comment. Let's talk.

Coach

Memorial Day

Imagine your career ending not with a pink slip but with a bullet. Imagine your customers, the people you are trying to help, shooting at you. Imagine coming home at the end of your shift to be greeted with resistance.

Imagine being in harms way so that others are not.

Of all the career choices, none is more serious nor dangerous than the military. Yet every year thousands of young men and women make the confident career choice to serve their country and the world in uniform.

Thank you.

Coach

One of THOSE days!

Ever have one of those days? No, not the days you wish you had stayed in bed. I'm talking about those days when you experience the work you were meant to do. The whole ball of wax - the people, activities, setting - just like love at first sight. You just know it is right.

Today was one of those days for me. Volunteering at a local homeless shelter I coach several men in their residential program. These guys are recovering from life - substance abuse, mental/physical abuse, homelessness - you name it. They are learning to take responsibility for their circumstances and move on with life.

As a coach I get to experience their incredible growth and the insights they gain every day. They are eager to learn and anxious to make changes in their thoughts, actions and relationships. Talk about career transition! It is a huge step forward from panhandling, etc. to a 40 hour-a-week "real" job. The excitement in their eyes and voices when they consider the possibilities they never knew existed is a joy to see.

What would it feel like for you to have "one of THOSE days?" Are you ready to get started on the path to confident career choices that will help make every day one of those days?

Let's talk. Oh, and volunteer. Nothing beats serving others to improve your attitude.

Coach

How's that working for you?

Bills to pay. Orthodontia. Mortgage. Car payment. School loans. Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go.*

"How's that working for you?" I first heard that phrase on a radio "shrink" show. The caller was talking about how they had been dealing with a dysfunctional mate and the host asked the question. Obviously it wasn't working so well or the person wouldn't have aired their laundry for a national radio audience. The host then asked, "What are you going to do differently to change the situation?"

So, how is your work "working for you?" Are you earning lots of money, enjoying harmonious relationships with your spouse and family, getting adequate leisure time and a joyful heart? No, you say? Well, then, what are you going to do differently to effect the changes you want? You know the cliche definition of insanity - doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results. Not gonna happen!

We all make choices. Will you choose to make a difference in the life you lead? Will you take the steps to research yourself and find your "heart work" (you know, the work that makes your heart sing)? Making confident career choices is easy but it takes some heart work.

Ready to sing? Talk to me.

Coach

* Apologies to the Seven Dwarfs.

Environmental Influences

Every so often I have to get away from it all. Right now I am in Arizona visiting family, basking in the sun and enjoying the change of pace. When I begin to absorb the negative environment - people and work conditions - it affects my attitude and focus on where I am going by drawing me into the muck like a sponge. Time away is like using a cleanser to get the stains out of the kitchen sink. The more regularly you use it the easier it is to come clean and recapture the shine.

I am working on a new workshop and have a short deadline for the first run through. Plenty of ideas were swimming around in my head but nothing was spilling out onto the page (computer screen, that is.) My energy was being sapped by the negative comments and attitudes (including my own) at work. Within hours of starting this trip I became clearer on a structure and format. In one session I wrote a draft outline that will actually develop into a series of four workshops, giving more value to all who attend. I was able to continue coaching clients - cell phones are wonderful.

Have you ever rinsed and wrung out a sponge, the one's with an outer cover for scrubbing, by the kitchen sink? It is amazing how much stuff comes out even if the surface didn't look that bad. That's how our negative environment can soak into us leaving an facade of cheerfulness while inside we are sloshing in sludge. It is hard to think about your future, let alone take action, when your head is in the old game of life. Like the dirty sponge, you can't absorb anything until you get rid of the grease and grime of time.

Plan time for yourself to get away - an evening, a day, a weekend - and wring the sludge out of your sponge. Give yourself a clean sponge and soak up some energy to make confident career choices.

Coach

At the end of the day.

When all is said and done we are responsible for our own happiness. That includes our work. "How can I be happy at work when it is a terrible place to be and is nowhere close to what I really want to do?" you ask.

I am glad you asked. One way to relieve the unpleasant reality of the workplace is to pursue outside activities that accomplish three things. One, they serve others. Two, they provide a welcome pleasant change of pace from work. Three, they prepare you to transition into the work you really desire. Service organizations offer great opportunities to serve others in the community. Nothing takes your mind off the drudgery of life like doing something for someone else. Besides the obvious differences in circumstances , which may change your view of our own situation, there is a sense of joy that comes from making a difference. Plus, the exposure to other organizations and chance to learn new skills and hone old ones, are wonderful ways to network and open doors to your next career.

Check out these organizations and others to see if there is a place for you to flourish and replenish your energy while being part of the solution.

http://www.kiwanis.org/; http://www.rotary.org/; http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/index.shtml.

There are many more. What a great place to prepare for confident career choices.

Coach

"I get by with a little help from my friends..."

We all need help from time to time, especially in times of change. I can't tell you how many times I have read Monica Guzman's blog or column and gotten great ideas and insight for my business and the people I serve. Lisa Wells is an example of a "friend of a friend" who has been invaluable in designing my web site, inspiring ways to reach people and general support in my venture.

Whether you are already in business or just starting one, or even if you are just starting the career change process a virtual assistant can help with all those tasks that you either dislike or don't know how to perform. Think of yourself as a highly paid athlete or movie star. Why spend your time doing anything that doesn't enhance your core talents? Let yourself focus on the job of getting a new career and let others handle the details.

Difficult as it may be to admit it, this is not all about me. Or you. Reach out for help, and then reach out to help others.

What better way to be confident in your career choices than by having a world class team on your side?

Have a comment or response? Just holler, "Put me in, Coach!"

Coach

Vision

Hindsight may be 20/20 but a vision for the future is even better. Having a vision of what you want to accomplish - finances, career, relationships - even what kind of car you want to drive or the view from your living room window - having a vision gives it form and substance. It's amazing how focused you become when you have envisioned an end result. Actions and words become centered around the goal. You start noticing and recognizing opportunities when you focus on what you want and let go of what you don't want.

Have you ever groused about the job you didn't get or the promotion - YOUR promotion - that went to someone else? Meanwhile you missed other opportunities because all your attention was on what you didn't have instead of what you really want. The old country song said "I overlooked and orchid while looking for a rose." Let yourself be open to results even better than you would like and stop worrying about the woulda, coulda, shoulda's.

Coach

Get a life!

Do you ever feel like your job is really getting in the way of your life? You know the feeling. After eight (or more) hours on the job, a long commute and a couple of errands on the way you are beat. So it's eat, veg for a while, fall asleep in front of the TV and then get up to go to bed.

It seems like there is never enough time for fun relationships or to stretch and grow so you can break the pattern and get a life.

So where do you start the process and how do you do it? Well, before you can start a trip you have to have an idea where you are and where you want to go. Are you in Seattle, WA or Barcelona, Spain? Do you want to go to Paris, France or Paris, Texas? Big difference! Your starting point and destination determine how you get there. You can take a bus to Paris, Texas from Seattle. Not going to work from Barcelona. Likewise you can take a train from Barcelona to Paris, France. Not happening from Seattle. Now it might be a piece of the journey, but you get the point.

So step one, take a look at your current situation - job, relationships, finances, health, etc. Is the work you do fulfilling or draining? Do you have healthy energizing relationships or are people sucking the life out of you? Do you have the money to spend AND the time to spend the money?

What kind of life do you want to have? Do you and to own a business or have employment that counts and is appreciated? What kind of relationships do you want? Do you want a spouse and children, lots of friends or just a few really deep friendships? Do you want to have enough money to do the things you enjoy and enough time to enjoy them?

Once you know where you want to go you can start making travel arrangements.

We'll look at that next.

Remember the key - making confident career choices.

Coach

What makes you tick?

Each of us has something that makes us unique. Bright red hair. Eyes as blue as Nordic waters. Seven feet tall. We also have innate talents that make us uniquely equipped for a specific purpose. Manual dexterity. Agility. Hand/eye coordination. When we connect those talents with the work they love, the pieces fit together like a masterpiece puzzle. The dentist is able to perform those intricate maneuvers in our tiny mouthes. The seven-footer deftly tightropes the baseline before a spinning shot to the hoop. That is a confident career choice!

Part of the career journey is discovery those talents and the work they complement. Not surprisingly, when we are doing what gives us joy it doesn't seem like "work". At the same time other areas of our lives improve as our overall well-being increases. It is easier to be kind, loving, patient and accepting when our neck isn't knotted and our head isn't aching.

OK. Now for some fun. I have added a link to one of my favorite sites. Monica Guzman is a columnist for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper. Her column is Net Native and she has lots to say about fun places to get your daily requirement of caffeine and wi-fi. Check it out.

Share your thoughts on work and change. Let's talk.

Coach

Career DNA

One of the more important aspects of choosing a career (or changing) is finding out who you are - your career DNA. Life experience may change your priorities and values, but your DNA doesn't change. DNA determines the color of your eyes. Career DNA hardwires your innate abilities, the talents you are born with, not the skills you develop through experience. If you are born with blue eyes, they will always be blue eyes. Yes, you can wear contact lenses to disguise the color of your eyes, but they are still blue. Likewise, you can camouflage your career DNA by overcompensating, forcing yourself into a role like a square peg in a round hole.

If you have ever worn contact lenses you know they take lots of attention and can cause irritation, even damaged eyes and sight. You have to expose your eyes to the air and light occasionally to keep them healthy. On the job, working outside your natural DNA takes lots of extra care and may cause irritation, stress and dissatisfaction.

Confident career choices involve matching your career DNA with the job.

BTW - if you live in the Northwest treat yourself to some time on the Long Beach peninsula in SW Washington State. This is the longest beach in the world (28 miles) and a great place to go for some R&R.

Confidence

I am in Portland today and Saturday learning how to share a tool to help people, like myself, make confident choices about their careers. After 15 years at a job that I dislike and doesn't come close to using my real talents and abilities, I am making a change. But I want to be as sure as possible that what I am gong to is better than what I have. So I am taking courses and assessments to determine what my ideal, fulfilling work really looks like.


So how about you? Care to share what you are doing to make your work work for you?

OK. Time for R&R. Another long day of class tomorrow.

Take this job and ...

If you have ever worked in a cube farm under the watchful eyes of "the boss" you know my world. But I am ready to escape. I am throwing off the chains. I am going to stop doing what I don't like to do and do what I like to do! (Thank you Marcus Buckingham.)

Have you ever felt that way? Have you dreaded going to your job, not going to work, just the work you are doing now? What keeps you from pursuing your dream? Is Saturday the only morning you can get out of bed early because it is the only day you get to use your strengths doing something that brings a smile to your face?

Well you are at the right place. We are going to do this together. We are going to break the chains and run for daylight. If you want to come with us just say, "Put me in, Coach!"

See you soon.

Coach