Career

On Your Career Journey, Get Help and Give Thanks

inthecurrent — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

[Editor's note -- If you're changing careers, you're not in it alone. Chances are you've got a small army of helpers, possibly including a coach, teachers, outplacement specialist or mentor, past and present coworkers, family, friends - even the babysitter.This week in the Reinvent Yourself series we're examining how to cultivate such a career support system - and why you should always accept and thank people for help. -- Michelle V. Rafter]

After months of networking and doing all the things that a professional is supposed to do when they're laid off from a 30-year career, Genevieve hit a low point.

During two painfully quiet weeks waiting for the phone to ring, all she felt was discouraged. Then it happened. In a matter of a few days, six invitations for job interviews streamed in along with a solid offer. Marveling at how things could change so quickly, Genevieve was grateful to see the seeds she had planted finally sprouting.

The very first thing she did after accepting an offer was make a list of people to thank. That list had 72 names on it that's 72 people who helped her in some way during her job search. As she set to work writing thank-you notes, Genevieve told me she had "writer’s cramp for a great reason."

Picturing Genevieve writing all those notes got me thinking about my own list of 11 people who -- within a period of two weeks — helped me in some way with a project I'd been working on. Considering that this list would be longer if the snapshot was of a month instead of two weeks, I'd say I'm not shy about asking for help!

Attendees at BlogHer Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology conference '11 (this year, called BlogHer Entrepreneurs.)

Opening Up To Help

Rebecca, someone who completed my coaching program last year, called later to tell me how happy she was with the direction she was pursuing, and that after going through a period of uncertainty, she had made great progress. I asked her what made the difference in creating this new momentum. Without hesitation she answered: "Opening up to accepting help. Accepting that we can't do it all. You work it out by letting go. Piece by piece, you learn to let go of many things. Opportunities show up. Things fall into place once you start moving."

My niece Mary Grace, now a college sophomore, wrote about this issue in one of her college application essays. Acknowledging that she previously viewed needing help to be an admission of inferiority, Mary Grace said, "Now I consider the art of asking for help not as a sign of weakness, but of self-assurance, maturity, and courage. So at the risk of appearing imperfect, I ask for help anyway."

Who Can Help You?

Rebecca cites opening up to accepting help as her breakthrough from uncertainty to momentum. Mary Grace now considers asking for help an "art." How good are you at asking for help? If your answer is "not so good," make it a point to get better.

Call to Action:

Within the last 30 days, who has given you some kind of help? Whether it was in large or small way, appreciate the value of what was offered and apply it well.

Name three people who can help you with a current problem or endeavor. Reach out to them now.

I eventually realized that learning comes at least as much through exposure to and interaction with others’ gifts and knowledge as it does through individual effort.— Mary Grace Mangano

Virginia Kravitz is a life and career coach and founder of In the Current, helping accomplished professionals find more fulfilling careers and a greater sense of joy and abandon in life. She is a professional certified coach credentialed by the International Coach Federation, deputy editor of the Now What?® Coaching blog and co-author of the 28 Day Guide: OASIS in the Overwhelm — Rewire Your Brain from Chaos to Calm. Read more on her websiteor biweekly e-zine, Current of Life, or contact her at info@inthecurrent.com.

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Kaplan University provides a practical, student-centered education that prepares individuals for careers in some of the fastest-growing industries. The University, which has its main campus in Davenport, Iowa, and its headquarters in Chicago, is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (www.ncahlc.org). It serves more than 53,000 online and campus-based students. The University has 11 campuses in Iowa, Nebraska, Maryland and Maine, and Kaplan University Learning Centers in Maryland, Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri and Florida.

The Future of Work Is Marching to Your Own Beat

Michelle Rafter — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

This Week in Kaplan University's Visionary Voices video series: Bloggers have a leg up on other job hunters. Watch the video now!

Bloggers have a leg up on other job hunters.

If you've been blogging for any length of time, you're used to expressing your opinion, marching to your own beat as it were.

There'll be a lot more of that type of individual improvisation as the 21st century unfolds and a lot less of the corporate lockstep that characterized the workplace of yesteryear.

That's according to TIBCO Software Chairman and Chief Executive Vivek Ranadivé, who talks about career transformation and the future of work in Kaplan's Visionary Voices video series.

Speaking at the recent Techonomy industry conference, Ranadivé says that because economies and technologies are changing, people must equip themselves to adapt.

"The 20th century was really about the large corporation and I think of that as a Sousa marching band where everybody robotically marches to the beat of a single drummer," he says. "The 21st century is going to be more like jazz, where everybody is going to be adding value and doing their own thing."

In such a changed work environment, the job of a manager is to allow people to improvise, get feedback from employees and customers "and then make it sound like music."

A good education will help prepare you for your part, whether you're the conductor or part of the band, he says.

Watch the video to hear more of what Ranadivé has to say:

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The 500 Blog Posts That Changed My Career

Michelle Rafter — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Sometime in June 2010, I pushed the "Publish" button on the 500th post on my blog.

Those 500 blog posts changed my life – by helping me reinvent my career. In two and a half years, I went from stay at home mom to full-time journalist and blogger making a lot more than I ever did as a staff writer at a major daily newspaper.

And it all happened because I blogged.

Since then, I've written a total of 750 posts on WordCount, my blog for freelance writers, and contributed hundreds of other posts to publications I now write for on a regular basis.

An attendee at the BlogHer|BET '11 (now BlogHer Entrepreneurs conference. Image: BlogHer

I don't point this out to brag. I am proud of what I've accomplished, especially at a time of change in the media business when many freelance writers question their ability to continue working in a manner to which they've been accustomed.

The main reason I'm sharing is to reassure you that if I can do it, you can too. All it takes is commitment, confidence -– and a blog.

How Blogging Reinvented My Career

Here's how blogging played into my career reinvention:

In late 2000, I put my work as a technology journalist on hold to have a baby. That made three kids, a husband, dog, assorted lizards and goldfish, a house and yard. It was too much to handle all of that and work without constantly feeling stressed out.

By the time the baby was a toddler, I dabbled with a little part-time work: a semester teaching journalism school here, writing a couple articles there. But no way was I prepared to take the full-time plunge.

That happened a few years later when our oldest went to college and our youngest went to first grade.

It turns out that writing was the easiest part of re-entering the freelance business.

Much harder was figuring out everything else that had changed since I'd been away. I'd quit during the dot-com bust and wasn't up to speed on online innovations. At coffee one day, a friend casually mentioned LinkedIn and I needed her to explain it to me -- me, who'd spent years keeping everyone else informed on the latest and greatest tech news.

To get myself up to speed, I started a blog. I signed up with Blogger but quickly switched to WordPress.com because, honestly, the free version of WordPress had prettier themes, and more of them.

At first, I blogged with no specific subject in mind. Most of my initial posts were marginal, though a few have held up surprisingly well.

The Transformative Power of Blogging

I got the hang of it soon enough, and the next two and a half years blogging literally transformed my writing business. Here's how:

By teaching myself the mechanics of blogging, I nabbed assignments to write about blogging and social media for publications like Inc.com.

By teaching myself to blog, I made myself more marketable by showing perspective clients that in addition to writing news, features and columns, I was proficient in another writing form, no small matter as more publications add contributor-written blogs.

By using the blog to showcase my resume, bio and clips, I landed one of the biggest freelance gig of my career, a contract to edit a corporate finance website for American Express that launched in spring 2010. I later learned that prior to contacting me, the website's project managers vetted me by reviewing my work experience on my blog and in my LinkedIn profile.

By showing I understood the medium and could post week in and week out, I was asked to be a paid blogger at SecondAct.com, Entrepreneur Magazine’s website people for over 40. You can read my posts on workplace issues, careers and retirement on SecondAct's Prime Time blog twice a week.

By using my blog to track what's happening in the digital media industry I’ve been invited to speak at journalism conferences and industry groups, including the American Society of Journalist and Authors' annual writers conference (ASJA just opened registration for its 2012 conference, which takes place April 26-28; here’s the schedule).

By inviting other writers with blogs to join me in a personal challenge to blog every day for a month, I started the WordCount Blogathon, an annual event that's created a community of writers and bloggers and become one of the highlights of my year.

By holding myself to a regular blogging schedule and strict editorial standards, I qualified to join the BlogHer Publishing Network, which pays me to run ads on my blog.

I realize not everyone reading this is a professional writer -– but you don’t have to be to make a blog part of your career transformation. If you're on BlogHer, you already have access to amazing resources for starting a blog or taking an existing one to the next level. BlogHer's How to Blog (Better) series is a great way to get started.

Has blogging changed your job, or your life? I'd love to hear how – leave a comment!

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In Recareering, What You Learn Today, You Earn Tomorrow

Michelle Rafter — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

To stay competitive in the workforce, you have to continually invest in your education –- especially if you're making a career change. Or as former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman likes to say, "What you learn today is what you earn tomorrow."

Herman was labor secretary from 1997-2001 and currently is chair and chief executive of New Ventures LLC, a corporate consulting firm. She also serves on the boards of Coca-Cola Co., MGM Resorts International and other major U.S.companies.

Education is important for someone going through a career change because it's a way to keep your skills fresh and pick up tools you'll need to prepare for the future, Herman shares in this installment of Kaplan University's Visionary Voices video series. "It's also teaching you patience to take the time to invest in your future through learning, through continuous education, through training," she says.

Changes in family life and the workplace are making it more difficult to do the full-time school thing, whether for an undergraduate degree or to prepare for a new job or career. That's giving a boost to online learning, which offers more flexibility, Herman says.

Watch the video to hear more of Herman's thoughts on the value of education, life-long learning and flexible learning programs:

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My Career Switch from Marketing to SAHM to Yoga Teacher

cheryllynnyoga — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

As my kids began leaving the nest, I found myself with time and energy that needed an outlet. I wanted to contribute and be part of something. My former corporate marketing career did not excite me, and frankly after raising a family, I wasn't sure I had the skills to go back to the same job. Instead, I started teaching yoga and love my new career.

Here is how I reinvented myself:

About five years ago, I meekly told Tom Abrehamson, my yoga teacher, that I might want to teach. Much to my surprise, he was thrilled and supportive. First, I worked as his in-class apprentice to see if I really enjoyed the role of teacher. I loved it. This wonderful relationship continued for three years, with me taking over more teaching responsibilities in his classes. I learned to speak with a full voice, do manual adjustments on students and lead a class of 25 while Tom watched my back and provided critical feedback so I could improve.

Me.

After a year of apprenticing and with newfound confidence, I asked the studio's owner about teaching, only to learn that before that could happen I had to complete a 200-hour certified yoga instructor training course.

My Teacher Training

Fortunately, there are many yoga teacher training programs, and I found several that provided minimal disruption to family life. I enrolled in a five-month, 200-hour yoga teacher training program at Avalon Yoga in Palo Alto, California, that allowed me to be certified through the Yoga Alliance, an international yoga training organization. My training included history and philosophy lectures, hands-on anatomy sessions and time on the mat learning about popular types of yoga, including Iyengar, Anusara, therapeutic and others. I attended night lectures and studio classes that took place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. In order to be certified, an Avalon staff teacher monitored my class attendance and notes and watched me teach three classes. In all, the cost for my training was $1,600.

Since then, I have completed an additional 120 hours of teacher training in Anusara and Jivamukti yoga in Tucson and New York, and another 80 in children specific yoga in San Francisco. While not a certification requirement, additional training gives me more arrows to put in my yoga quiver. As I enjoy learning different styles of yoga -– slow flow, vigorous vinyasa and alignment based -– my teaching has become more comprehensive and dynamic. Today, my oldest student is 80 and the youngest is 4.

I now teach a total of 10 classes each week at four different studios, including the one where I apprenticed, and have private students. I thoroughly enjoy what I do and look forward to every class.

Here's my advice for approaching a career change, based on what worked for me:

Make a commitment to re-invent yourself and go public with it. Tell your family and friends and ask for their support.
Have a game plan with a final goal -- in my case it was to become a yoga teacher -- and stick with it.
Don't be afraid to revise your plan. I thought I would teach Anusara yoga, but realized I enjoy learning and sharing different styles, which explains why I went through so many additional teacher trainings.
Get a credential or certification to show you are serious about your new profession.
Be creative. My website, cheryllynnyoga.com, is socially connected. Newsletters, blogs, Facebook, etc., challenge me. I enjoy learning about this part of the business.

Cheryl Acheson is a certified hatha yoga instructor working in Menlo Park and Los Altos, California, and still a dedicated student of Tom Abrehamson. Read her blog and get more information at www.cheryllynnyoga.com.

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To Switch Careers, Hit the Books

Michelle Rafter — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:12:36 +0000

[Editor's note -- Starting this week, the Reinvent Yourself series will feature a weekly Q&A with a Kaplan University professor or instructor on some aspect of changing careers. – Michelle V. Rafter]

Switching careers almost always involves learning something new, whether it's computer skills or a completely different industry. In some cases, the best way to pick up new skills is going back to school, according to Thomas "Tom" Boyd, dean of Kaplan University's School of Business and Management. Boyd learned that firsthand: He left a project-manager position at Motorola, Inc., to get a PhD. Since then, he's taught classes on consumer behavior, marketing strategy and other business subjects, and won numerous teaching, research and service awards. In this post, Boyd explains what steps to take first, options for returning to school and what support you'll need along the way.

BlogHer: It's the beginning of the year, when people set goals to change their lives. If you've made a goal to change careers, what's the first step?

Tom Boyd: This may sound funny, but the first step should be to decide on the new career you want. Often people decide they need a change and start taking action before deciding on a new path. Spend time to decide what you want to do before heading off into the sunset.

Or, if you have already decided on a new career, the next step is a gap analysis. Think about the skills, qualities, strengths and knowledge you will need in the new career and honestly assess which ones you have or don’t have. This is something you could do with a friend or a mentor. Finish with a list of things that you need to acquire, such as a degree, courses or certifications, professional experiences or knowledge, or personal qualities or experiences.

BlogHer: Career changers are told to go where the work is, but how do you find out what the hot jobs or industries are?

Boyd: The popular press often runs stories on this topic, but the hot jobs can change pretty quickly if they are in volatile industries. When I want to know what the hot jobs are, I do a Google search on "hot jobs" and several recent articles pop up. When you look at what's hot, be sure to consider your time horizon. If you're going back to school, today's in-demand jobs may not be quite so hot when you graduate three or four years from now. Don't pursue a job or career just because it's hot. If it doesn't make you happy or at least feel valuable and challenged, it's probably not going to work out.

In the field of business, the hot careers continue to be in accounting, human resources and project management, a trend that is several years old. I personally believe that as the economy recovers there also will be more jobs in sales. If you like working with people, sales is a good way to break into a new industry.

BlogHer: What steps should you take to prepare for a career change?

Boyd: The steps you take will vary depending on where you are coming from and where you are going. It's safe to say that you need to make sure you have two things.

The first is a functional knowledge of the field you are going into. Getting that often means getting some education, whether that's simply reading some books or going back to school.

Second, you need to have the qualities that will help you stand out from the crowd when you go to apply for a job in your new field -- or, if you don't have them, a plan for getting them. This is where reinvention comes in. Assume that 200 people with the exact same credentials will apply for any job you want. Those credentials are necessary, but they're not sufficient enough qualification to get the job. You also have to show the qualities and experiences that make you stand out, which will get you an interview. Such experiences include:

holding an additional degree
taking on leadership roles
showing you know how to make things happen or get things done
performing volunteer work
completing difficult tasks

Not all your evidence or experience has to be on the job. You also can accomplish these things as a student, community member or volunteer. Opportunities for reinventing yourself are as varied as people are.

BlogHer: How does going back to school fit into a career change?

Boyd: Going back to school helps you meet the minimum requirements you need to get in the door in a new career. But perhaps the greatest benefit of going back to school is that it's often the springboard to reinvention. In school you can expand your support community, create networks, take on challenges in and out of the classroom, and identify the need for and create change. You can also undertake other forms of personal growth that make you stand out to a hiring manager.

BlogHer: If it's been a while since you were in school, what should you know?

Boyd: One of the biggest changes is the number of options available. Traditional college classrooms, where students are mostly on their own, are less dominant than they once were. If you're going back to school, you'll find institutions with great support systems and a culture of helping people get back into the college routine. You don't have to be in class with a bunch of 18 to 20 year olds, although that can be fun. Look at your options and find a place that will provide rigorous programs that will support your success.

To succeed in going back to school, you'll also have to overcome some obstacles. If you have kids, do you know who's going to watch them when you study? If you don't have a computer, how are you going to access academic resources? If you are using student loans to finance your education, can you make ends meet if something unforeseen happens, like needing car repairs? Know your support system. Make sure the people you need to rely on are on board before you jump in.

BlogHer: Any parting thoughts for career changers?

Boyd: Changing careers is scary, hard, intimidating -- and can be the greatest decision you ever make. The key is knowing the role your reinvention will play in achieving your life's goals, and then creating a plan. Along the way, don't be afraid to ask for help and support from your family and friends.

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How Social Media Helped Me Change Careers

Kerry Scott — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:00:00 +0000

I know. I'd roll my eyes at that cheesy title too ... but it's true, social media did help me reinvent my career.

I spent 14 years in human resources. In 2008, I was the head of HR for a small airline that was going under. When the time came for me to make a list of people to lay off, I put my own name on the list. Then I took my severance, pulled my infant and toddler out of daycare and went home.

I had no idea what was next, but I knew I'd had enough of corporate HR. After a few months, I got a little antsy, so I started a blog that gave advice for job seekers. I wasn't excited about the topic, but I was scared to let go of HR completely.

A year later, I was finally ready. I told my blog readers that I was dumping them ... for dead people. I'd been into genealogy for years and I'd often thought about trying to make a living from it. I still wasn't sure how that would work exactly, but I was ready to try.

That was in January 2010. In August 2011, I had another announcement for my readers: I’d taken a full-time job as the online community editor for Family Tree Magazine. In a little over 18 months, I’d completely changed careers without leaving my house.

My social media-savvy business card.

Here's how social media contributed to my transformation:

It helped me make connections. I didn't know any other people interested in genealogy when I gave up my old career. Through Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, I met hundreds of genealogists and genealogy company employees. Those relationships helped me become established in a brand-new field and made me a far more attractive candidate to my present employer than someone who didn’t know a soul.

It helped me figure out who was who. There are a number of genealogy product and service companies out there. Connecting to individuals and companies in advance of my job search helped me figure out which ones I liked best, and which ones might not be a good fit for me. That saved me -- and potential employers -- a lot of time and grief.

It helped fill the gap on my resume. Most stay-at-home moms worry about that gap. My blog allowed me to list a real activity during those years I was home with my kids. Since I built my blog's traffic entirely via social media, it also gave me some new skills to list. In fact, if I wanted to go back to HR, I’d have a wealth of new ways to do my job thanks to my greater understanding of how people use social media.

It kept me sane. I love my kids, but they aren't adults. They weren't interested in helping me figure out how to change careers; in fact, they were laser-focused on how to get me to play Candyland with them 24/7. Staying connected with other career changers helped me keep my goal in front of me, and gave me people to turn to when I was losing my nerve.

Career change can be hard. It can also be lonely and scary. I don't think I would have made it without the tools social media gave me.

Kerry Scott blogs about dead people, career change and other stuff at Clue Wagon. You can also find her on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Ravelry, and occasionally in the genealogy room at the Milwaukee Public Library.

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What Plants Vs. Zombies Taught Me About Paying Off Debt

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:16:11 +0000

Other than my occasional stint with Angry Birds, I’m not normally into playing games. But one evening my kids convinced me to play Plants vs. Zombies, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Plants vs. Zombies strikes the perfect balance of being not too hard to make me frustrated, and not too easy to make me bored. So even though I’m fighting a violent battle against flesh-eating zombies, I find myself surprisingly relaxed doing it. It’s the perfect way to . . .

How to Make Oat Flour

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:15:53 +0000

Ready for some rocket science? Hmm, well, you might have to look elsewhere then because this is way easy. I use oat flour in several of my recipes and thought that it deserved its own little page. Homemade oat flour doesn't come out quite as fine as store bought, but it certainly comes close. It takes 3-5 minutes and it costs only about $.90/lb. I didn't find anything even close to that cheap online, even without shipping costs. How . . .

Working Moms Exercise: Lunchtime Options

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:15:37 +0000

. . .

Career

On Your Career Journey, Get Help and Give Thanks

Opening Up To Help

Who Can Help You?

Call to Action:

The Future of Work Is Marching to Your Own Beat

The 500 Blog Posts That Changed My Career

How Blogging Reinvented My Career

The Transformative Power of Blogging

In Recareering, What You Learn Today, You Earn Tomorrow

My Career Switch from Marketing to SAHM to Yoga Teacher

To Switch Careers, Hit the Books

How Social Media Helped Me Change Careers

What Plants Vs. Zombies Taught Me About Paying Off Debt

Read more from What Plants Vs. Zombies Taught Me About Paying Off Debt at Minting Nickels

How to Make Oat Flour

Read more from How to Make Oat Flour at The Tasty Cheapskate

Working Moms Exercise: Lunchtime Options

Read more from Working Moms Exercise: Lunchtime Options at Liberating Working Moms: One Voice At A Time