Phoenix Jobing Community Blogs

December is a both a wonderful and stressful month in one.  At work, there is that last push to produce before the year ends and the same is true at home, where we scurry around in holiday activity.  So that you don’t fall victim to a race-to-the-finish-line mentality where everything goes by in a blur, here is a simple technique you can use to have more peace and calm. 

In the moment of feeling stressed or agitated, briefly stop and ask yourself:  What channel am I on?  Note your answer and then, when you’re ready, consciously change channels. 
 
Two weeks ago I was out running for what I hoped would be a quick errand at lunch and was anxious to get back to my office to wrap up work before heading into the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.  The parking lot was a congested obstacle course and as I trekked to the grocery store from the spot I found in Timbuktu, I noticed my neck muscles were hard as rock.  Knowing I was planning to write an article on this topic and wanting to practice what I preach, I asked myself: What channel am I on?  Answer: The rushing-around channel.  I surfed to see “what else was on” and found the feeling-the-sun-on-my-face channel.  I took a deep breath of fresh air and changed my afternoon. 
  
It sounds incredibly simple, and it is.  Like my neck muscles did in the parking lot, your body gives you signals.  You need only pause long enough to ask what channel you’re on and then consciously choose to switch from dwelling on one aspect of your reality to another one.
 
This channel-changer technique is an abbreviated version of an OASIS in the Overwhelm strategy called Cue-2-Do.  The strategy helps you connect cues from your body to the emotions they signal.  From there, you can acknowledge what’s going on and select the best course of action to take. 

This Month: Remember, the remote is in your hand.

To hear ideas for how you can create more peace on a regular basis, tune in to the WOW Zone Radio Show tomorrow, December 8, at 9:00 AM Arizona Time (8:00 AM Pacific, 11:00 AM Eastern) when I’ll be interviewed on what it means to “live in the current” and we’ll also discuss tips for reducing overwhelm during the holiday season. Listen live here. Call in questions are welcome: 866-472-5788.

© 2009, Virginia M. Kravitz

VIRGINIA KRAVITZ, Career and Life Coach, founded In the Current® to serve accomplished professionals who want to move boldy in new directions and start living with a greater sense of joy and abandon.  Ginny’s e-zine, published every other Tuesday, is entitled Current of Life.  Visit at: www.inthecurrent.com 
 
Note:  
OASIS in the Overwhelm is a coaching program based on a book written by my friend and colleague, Millie Grenough. In the book, Millie introduces you to four simple strategies to rewire yourself towards health/happiness and away from stress/disease.   

It’s easy to go into auto-drive when listing your skills on performance reports and resumes.  But if you were to stop and think about which skill in your repertoire is numero uno, it’s probably something that is so obvious you’re overlooking it. 
 
Here’s an enlightening exercise you can do over the next couple of weeks.  It’s a simple list of skills that you give to 5-7 people you know through various circumstances.  Choose one or two people close to you personally, and some with whom you have worked, including a senior manager or boss, as well as a colleague or peer.  You may also want to include someone you know through a volunteer or network organization.  Ask them to circle what they view as your top five skills and remind them that they can also add things that aren’t on the list.

Some responses may be what you expected and others may surprise you.  When I did this for myself several years ago, the top skill that people highlighted was “having fun”.  My response to that?  At first I rolled my eyes and thought, “That’s not a skill.  How on earth am I supposed to translate that into something marketable?”  But shortly after, I was thrust into an assignment where this newly acknowledged skill of mine really made a difference.  Over the years I’ve come to value that this is part of what I bring to any job: an ability to make work more fun, which in turn encourages creativity, enhances morale, and strengthens the team.

So, have a go with this exercise: Taking Stock of Your Skills.  When you collect the responses, at first you might roll your eyes like I did or think, “Oh, that again, so what.”  Just step back and consider what’s being reflected to you.  Why is it important?  What difference does it make when you bring that skill to the table?  Really think about it and begin to own this in a way you haven’t before.

What do you think?  I invite your comments. --Ginny

© 2009, Virginia M. Kravitz

VIRGINIA KRAVITZ, Career and Life Coach, founded In the Current® to serve accomplished professionals who want to move boldy in new directions and start living with a greater sense of joy and abandon.  Ginny’s e-zine, published every other Tuesday, is entitled Current of Life.  Visit at: www.inthecurrent.com

 

Talk About Food  
I knew I would like Julie and Julia, the movie about blog author Julie Powell and adored chef Julia Child, because: a) it was about food, b) it was a glorious example of following your passion no matter how late you get started, c) it was about food…oh, I mentioned that already, and d) I got to see the movie with my friend since first grade, Luisa, who is herself an amazing cook, though she’d shy away from that title. As we watched Julia on screen, I made mental notes of the ingredients that when combined, resulted in Julia’s tremendous success and what you could call a delectable life.

Julia’s Recipe

Sometimes a glimpse is all you have to go on.  In her 30’s and looking for what might be “her thing”, Julia Child experimented. Appreciating a finely prepared meal spurred her interest in learning to cook and immersing herself in French culture, which eventually fueled her desire to teach others. While she never could have imagined the role that awaited, Julia opened the door to her future simply by deciding to pursue an interest.  Read more of Julia’s Recipe here.

Get Your Pot Ready!

When Julia Child stepped foot into Le Cordon Bleu, she could not foresee the 11 books and 8 TV series that she would later contribute to the world, the American Institute of Wine and Food that she would found, or that her kitchen would eventually be transported to the Smithsonian.

You may be cooking up something bigger than you can imagine, too, so get the big pot out, just in case. Learn one way to do this here.

Be willing to experiment. Be fearless in the kitchen of your imagination. Pick up the lamb when you drop it!  Laugh at yourself, do more of what delights you, and share it with people.

“Always start out with a larger pot than what you think you need.”
—Julia Child (1912-2004)

P.S. The post above is an excerpt from a recent article I wrote which you can read in its entirety here.  Whether you are job hunting, making a major career change, or building a business, having role models is essential.  I think Julia Child is a wonderful example of persistence, fearlessness, and what can happen when you follow your passion. Have a great week. –Ginny

© 2009, Virginia M. Kravitz

VIRGINIA KRAVITZ, Career and Life Coach, founded In the Current® to serve accomplished professionals who want to move boldy in new directions and start living with a greater sense of joy and abandon.  Ginny's e-zine, published every other Tuesday, is entitled Current of Life.  Visit at: www.inthecurrent.com 

 What a Turn of Phrase Can Do  
Nine years ago I was sitting in a conference room with my colleague, Joan.  We were girding up to tackle the task of creating a brand new graphic exhibit for the company’s corporate briefing center of which I was the director.  This job, one of many within a larger project, felt particularly daunting.  Even though we had traversed this territory successfully before, this time was different.  We felt the pressure of wanting to make it bigger and better and were concerned about communicating the exact right message.  And once again, the deadline loomed.  We had allowed our creativity to be squelched and were procrastinating with the best of them. 

Sensing the need for a dose of confidence, I looked at Joan and said, “You know… they brought us in for this.”  It was meant to be humorous, as if the scope of what we were doing were critically important and we were the only ones who could do it!  The funny thing is the effect this one phrase had on us:  They brought us in.  The result was an instant shift.  We lightened up and stepped into the roles of experts who were “brought in” for a job only we could do.  Silly, I know, but it worked. From there we were able to make creative decisions and get the ball rolling. 

They Brought Me In  
Joan reports that she still uses this technique whenever she needs a jolt of confidence.  Keep in mind that it’s not important whether the declaration, “They brought me in,” is based in reality.  Two things happen when you allow yourself to get into the spirit of this phrase:  1) It helps you lighten up which makes it easier for you to deliver your best work, and 2) It invites you to step into the role of expert.  What if you really were “called in” for your expertise and it was just a matter of doing what you do naturally and easily? 

Especially in an environment where you can feel replaceable, sometimes it pays to believe that only you can do the job the way it needs to be done.  What if you knew that you were right where you were supposed to be, doing exactly what you were capable of doing, and that you were going to do a spectacular job?  Imagine the impact that donning this attitude could have when interviewing for a job, making a presentation, or asking for the sale.  How might you behave differently?  It’s very likely that your confidence and self-assurance would shine through to stunning results. 
  
Be the Expert 
 
Picture someone who you’d have to “bring in” to do a particular job.  Who comes to mind?  Bill Murray in Ghost Busters?  Underdog?  Stacy and Clinton from What Not To Wear?   Donald Trump?  Your computer guy?  I stand by my conviction that silly unleashes great things!

The next time you feel intimidated by the job on your desk or the scope of something you’re attempting to accomplish, be willing to see yourself as the expert and say out loud, “They brought me in.”

VIRGINIA KRAVITZ, Career and Life Coach, founded In the Current® to serve accomplished professionals who want to move boldy in new directions and start living with a greater sense of joy and abandon.  Ginny’s e-zine, published every other Tuesday, is entitled Current of Life.  Visit at: www.inthecurrent.com 

© 2009, Virginia M. Kravitz

Where's the Proof? When undertaking a job search or any endeavor for that matter, it’s natural to want some proof of progress. Noticing the results you're getting is critical to understanding what to do next and where to adjust your strategy.  When you really want something and it doesn't seem to be happening, what can you conclude? It's precisely how you interpret these results that will impact the ultimate outcome.

Three People, Three Interpretations
Three people —we'll call them Kathy, Conrad, and Martin— are searching for a job after being laid off. It's been four months and the number of interviews landed is lower than expected. Kathy interprets this as a signal that prospects are slim within her current industry and it's time to expand her search to areas she previously ruled out. Conrad concludes that he needs to call in the troops and ask for more specific help from his network of colleagues and friends. Martin, while discouraged, continues combing the classifieds and hopes something will work out eventually. Notice that in this example we have three people, getting the same initial result, interpreting that result three different ways, and responding with three different courses of action.

When you are not getting the results you want, here are some things you can do:

• Make sure you really want what you're aiming for. Be clear on why you want it and what the cost-benefit of receiving it will be for you and others. In Kathy's case, she had wanted to look outside her industry in the first place but had been timid about attempting to make such a big change. The low response rate on her initial round of inquiries helped her clarify what she really wanted.

• Change failure to information by asking yourself the question, "What can I learn from this? How does my strategy need to change?" Conrad realized that his strategy needed to encompass help from others in a more conscious way.

• Try a new approach. Check to see if you are holding on to a notion that no longer serves you. Martin was reluctant to shed his belief that finding a job would happen the same way it did for him 20 years ago. Persistence, when it means staying focused on your goal, is helpful. Stubbornness, when it's mainly complaining about how it "should" be happening, is a waste of time.

• Don't make your happiness contingent on getting everything you want. This may seem contrary to the spirit of "going for it" but it is not. It is about finding happiness on a deeper level and in the present. Another take on this is that one of the best ways to get what you want is to first find a way to be happy without it.

In essence, when you are not getting the results you want, you can change one or both of the following:

How you think about the situation
What you do about the situation.

Who Knows What's Waiting For You

When faced with having to accept that your plans are changing, keep Joseph Campbell's well-known quotation in mind:

"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us."
— Joseph Campbell

This Week: Keep moving in the direction of your goal, adjusting course as needed. Who knows what's waiting for you!

This article is #5 in a series called "Can You Make It Happen?".  Read the entire series here.

VIRGINIA KRAVITZ, Career and Life Coach, founded In the Current® to serve accomplished professionals who want to move boldy in new directions and start living with a greater sense of joy and abandon.  Her e-zine, published every other Tuesday, is entitled Current of Life.  Visit at: www.inthecurrent.com

Take it from Tony 
 
My father, Tony, now 86, was an IBM salesman during the 1950’s-1980’s.  In the early days of his career, he’d cart an IBM Selectric typewriter all over Manhattan.  A tip he learned from cold calling and would later share with rookie salesmen was: “Don’t psychoanalyze the door.”  Even when approaching small or obscure companies, there might be more opportunity behind the door than expected. 
 
This advice is relevant today whether you are cold calling to a prospective customer, presenting a proposal to senior management, asking for help from your network, or following up on an application for a job.  When facing a door, you have two choices.  You can imagine all the reasons it might not work out and conclude, “Why bother?” or you can focus on what is possible and knock.
  
Do You Follow Through?  
Renee, an IT professional who is working with me to explore her next career move, hadn’t heard a word in the two weeks since applying for a job on-line.  She decided to track down the name of a real person she could call to check the status of her application.  The result of making this call was that Renee learned her application had not been processed due to an apparent technology glitch.  Good thing she made the call, you might be thinking.  But there’s more.  The person she called was an HR manager responsible for screening candidates.   After speaking with him and expressing her interest in the job, she landed a phone interview for that following Monday.  She is now one of two candidates being recommended for the next round of interviews.

I was so impressed with Renee’s willingness to follow up and follow through.  When presented with situations where you have to “put yourself out there” it can be tempting to settle into the mentality of: “Well, if they’re interested, they’ll call.”  Often, it is the act of following up that makes the difference because it demonstrates your interest, your confidence, and your willingness to do what it takes.
 
What keeps you from following up?  Not wanting to feel like a pest?  Fear of rejection?  Get over it and make the call anyway!
  
What’s Behind Door #1?  
A new car!  Pardon my Let’s Make A Deal flashback.  It’s true you don’t know whether it will be a clunker or a Cadillac behind the door, but you must follow up anyway.  When you follow up and follow through you are saying: 

I’m serious about going for it. 
I’m willing to do what it takes to get it. 
I’m confident about what I have to offer.
 If I meet rejection, I’ll just knock on the next door.

This Week:  Follow up with someone.  Make the call.  Extend the invitation.  Follow through on a bold move.

 “Don’t psychoanalyze the door.”
¯Tony Mangano

VIRGINIA KRAVITZ, Career and Life Coach, founded In the Current® to serve accomplished professionals who want to move boldy in new directions and start living with a greater sense of joy and abandon.  Her e-zine, published every other Tuesday, is entitled Current of Life.  Visit at: www.inthecurrent.com 

Last month, two of my colleagues and I delivered a workshop called: Now What? Go from Thinking About a Career Change to Acting On It at Jobing.com’s Phoenix office.  Based on the enthusiastic response, we’ll be repeating the workshop twice more this summer, on July 28 and August 27. 

A few weeks later we were invited back for blog training.  Thanks to Kerry Sanderson, George Thorne, and Keith Flynn, we are entering the world of “Blogging at Jobing” (try saying that ten times fast!).  I’m looking forward to contributing some helpful ideas and perspectives on career and life fulfillment. 

I’ll be back soon with another post.  In the meantime, I invite you to visit my company profile and website.  Also, feel free to let me know if there is a certain topic or question you’d like to see addressed here.

Best to you,

Ginny

When looking for a job, it is important to acknowledge which type of search you are conducting.  Are you: 1) seeking to find a job as soon as possible to meet financial and other practical needs or 2) contemplating a future change of direction to satisfy a deeper sense of fulfillment?  Of course there are other shades of these two categories, but generally speaking these will do. 

The first type, the find-a-job-now search tends to happen as a result of change being thrust upon you, whereas with the second type, you are the initiator and have the luxury of more time.

Last summer when I delivered three workshops with two colleagues at the Jobing.com Phoenix office, we had people from both camps who participated.  It was challenging to address the needs of both groups at once, and yet, the point of intersection was no surprise:  answering the question, “What do you really want?”  And of course, your answer will be impacted by which Job Search Type applies to you at the moment.

The reason it helps to consciously identify which type of search you’re running is that it allows you to adjust your strategy accordingly.  For instance, if it’s Job Search Type #1 and you have an immediate and pressing need to find work, you’ll likely be more open to considering jobs that you wouldn’t have otherwise, perhaps taking a job on an interim basis, while continuing your search for what you ultimately want.  Your criteria list becomes simple, e.g., earn enough to meet expenses, can begin right way, lets me learn something new, etc.  It can actually take the pressure off to realize that the job you take on an interim basis doesn’t have to be for forever.  It doesn’t mean you are lowering your standards; it simply means you are employing a short term strategy.

Likewise, it’s helpful to realize if you fall into Job Search Type #2.  This also allows you to take the pressure off by declaring the search a worthy project and giving yourself the appropriate amount of time to explore without having to immediately evaluate the feasibility of every option.

Which kind of job search applies to you at this time?  It’s perhaps an obvious question, yet one that must be acknowledged in order to form your best strategy.

Writing the title for this entry reminds me of the 1950’s/60’s game show called “What’s My Line?” where celebrity panelists tried to guess the occupation of the contestants.  We certainly identify with our job titles and roles in life.  Over the course of just one day, we move in and out of various roles, at home and at work.

Have you ever taken an inventory of the roles you’ve had over the course of your career?  Try this exercise:  At the top of a piece of paper write:  I’ve been the… Then, jot down a list of every role you can think of, even the unofficial ones.  For example:

I’ve been the…
--number cruncher
--sales consultant
--go to person for a creative idea
--organized one
--sales director
--etc.

Once you have an exhaustive list, you can identify trends, themes, and maybe a few surprises.  It’s a helpful perspective for thinking about what you’d like your next role to be.  For an interesting discussion on the topic of roles and taking your career to the next level, feel free to register for tonight’s conference call.    –Ginny

This past Monday evening, we had 50+ people join us at the Jobing.com Phoenix office for the workshop: Now What? Go from Thinking About a Career Change to Acting On It.  We had a lively discussion and if you were unable to attend, you’re welcome to sign up for the August 27 workshop.
 
One of the thoughts I shared with the group is that in many ways, looking for your ideal job closely resembles looking for your ideal mate.  Depending on your perspective, this may come as good news or bad (!), however, creating a wish list of the characteristics of your ideal job does two things: 1) It clarifies what’s most important to you; 2) It enables you to more easily recognize that custom fit opportunity when it presents itself.

To create your Ideal Job Profile, make three columns on a piece of paper with these headings: Must Have, Nice To Have, Deal Breaker.  Then, start to fill in the details of your criteria under each column.  The first two columns are the features of a job that you require or would like to be present and the third column –the deal breakers– are those conditions or qualities of a job that you simply will not accept.

Two tips:

1. Don’t worry if you come up blank at first.  Just start filling it out and more things will come to you over time. 
2. If you’re looking for a job in the immediate future and you feel like it’s a stretch to consider the ideal right now, go ahead and make the list anyway.  Even if you don’t get everything you want, you’ll be moving closer in the right direction.

For a similar exercise that gets at a few more specifics, you can check out another version of the Ideal Job Profile posted in the Careers section under Tools & Resources on my website.

Best to you,
Ginny