The Most Important Lessons From My Career Change (Part 2)

The Most Important Lessons From My Career Change (Part 2) Expert Advice > How to believe its really possible The Most Important Lessons From My Career Change (Part 2) * It's been 18 months since our Community Manager Natasha kick-started her career change. While she's loving where she's reached, it's also been an up-and-down journey to get there. Here, she shares a second set of candid lessons from her shift. (Click here for Part 1) Dear Careershifters, The process of articulating these lessons for you has been deeply interesting for me. What I’m clearest about is the fact that my ‘career change journey’ is far from over, even though I’m firmly established in jobs I love. I realised early on that changing career isn’t just about changing your job. It’s about exploring your identity, your priorities, your place in the world. It raises questions of growth, of power, of what it means to live. And once you crack the lid on this box of frogs, my friends, it’s very hard to put it back on. I love my work. But I’m still discovering more things that I’d love to do at some point in my career. And I’m still using the lessons I learned right back at the start of my journey. I’m practicing new ways of looking at things â€" and that’s the most powerful move you can make when you’re searching for a career you love. It’s a mindset switch â€" a sidestep and a shift in perspective. It’s a new way of looking at work, at yourself, and at the way the world operates. In the same spirit, here are four more lessons: Change your relationship with ‘work’ I was at a crossroads in my career change. I was sitting in a coffee shop, totally confused about what I wanted to do with my life, and seriously considering packing in my efforts and going back to the familiar 9-5 grind. And then I overheard an interchange between a man and his daughter, out for lunch near the university. I didn’t catch much of the conversation, but what I did hear was this: “What do you think the word ‘work’ means? It’s work â€" you’re not supposed to enjoy it. It’s just a way to make money so you can afford to enjoy the rest of your life.” That line has been uttered so many times, by so many people, but at that moment it was exactly what I needed to hear. Something about what he said just felt so wrong. Whoever that man was, I owe him a thank-you, because that sensation both spurred me on and prompted me to put some of my own thought into what work actually is, and what it could be. I’ve always loved the way people talk about an artist’s ‘work’. In this context, the word work means something completely different: a contribution; an offering; an oeuvre. And it’s directly connected to who they are as people. It’s a personal effort; a manifestation of what they’re like, what’s important to them, what they want to say. Artists don’t talk about ‘work-life balance’. Their work is such a fundamental part of their life that the term simply doesn’t make sense. Why, I wondered, should it be any different for the rest of us? When I switched my thinking around the idea of work, the ideas for what I could do completely changed. Rather than trying to find jobs â€" boxes that I needed to contort myself to fit inside â€" I looked for ways in which I could contribute authentically to the world. What work could I construct that was fundamentally me-shaped? What did I want my offering to be? Who did I want to be in the world? What do I want to be remembered for? Rather than holding ‘making money’ at the centre of my conception of work, I tried to focus on the idea of contribution â€" of adding value to the world â€" and naming that ‘my work’. And the whole experience became so much easier. I started doing what I wanted to do â€" whether it was paid or not. I started writing. I set up a blog (more on that below) and explored an idea for a project that I’d been ruminating over for months. I signed up for a course. I started offering people my time, my energy, my knowledge, my service, and they accepted â€" gratefully. That gratitude eventually turned into cash. I’m still not sure exactly how. But I’m pretty sure it had a lot to do with that mental switch from ‘work-as-money’ to ‘work-as-offering’. What does the word ‘work mean to you? Let me know in the Comments below. Stop thinking, start doing Right at the beginning of my career change, I started a blog. Launched with the intention of researching and setting the stage for a book, I set up the page for free in about half an hour. Three weeks later, it was picked up by a major figure in the field and shared via her social media streams. My stats rocketed, and I found myself on a whole new path. I’d thought about that project for months. I’d imagined how things might go if I ever started it. I doodled logos on napkins, dreamed of readerships, comment streams, the book launch. I doubted the integrity of the concept, wondered if anyone would care, tore my hair out over the fact that I didn’t know how to scale my business… and at the end of all of that thinking I had got absolutely nowhere. Half an hour of fiddling about on a blogging site and a few weeks later, and I was clear about what the project was capable of, where it could go, and how successful it could be. I learned more in one month of that project about who I was, what I wanted and what I didn’t want than I did in the entire previous year. And elements of what I discovered were a total surprise. I knew the elements of it that I liked. I knew what I didn’t enjoy doing so much. I knew what people responded to and what they didn’t. I could navigate my way around the tools I needed well, and I could see a way of monetising what I was doing that I would never have thought was possible before I got started. I shelved the concept for that blog shortly afterand left it on the back burner of my mind. I may pick it up again in a while, but for the time being I’m simply enormously grateful for what it taught me. Doing trumps thinking, every time. Don’t let an idea pass you by without picking it up for a shake and a test-drive. Small, low-risk experiments:a5-Minute Works Of Genius, for example. You know this already. I know you know this already. But knowing isn’t good enough, buddy. Thinking isn’t good enough. Get on it. What action could you take today to test-drive an idea? Let me know at the bottom of the page Ask for what you want, not what you think you can get Remember that time I told a guy I was a freelance writer, when I’d never been paid to write a single sentence? That guy wound up as my first ever client. And when he asked me what my fee was for the job… I decided to take another punt. I had no idea what to charge (freelance writing is a variably paid gig), so I asked him for what I actually wanted to earn for the job. It was a figure far, far higher than I thought he’d be willing to pay. He thought it was a bargain. I lived off that paycheque for three months. We are our own greatest limitations. One of the most insidious negative habits we often have is self-censoring our own desires. When given an opportunity to make a request, we bypass the moment where we ask ourselves: “What do I want?”. Instead, we leap straight to: “What’s reasonable? What’s realistic? What do I think I can have?” We ask for the fee we think someone would be willing to pay, instead of what we want to be paid. We ask for a ‘realistic’ option, instead of what would truly make us happy. We ask for the garden salad, when our belly’s howling for the steak. Stand strong in your commitment to getting what you want from life. Dare to be honest (with yourself and with others) about your desires. When offered an opportunity, take a minute to think about what you actually want, and be gracious and bold in your articulation of it. Give people the chance to give you what you want. Maybe they’ll say no. But maybe they’ll say yes… What do you secretly want that you’re not asking for? Tell me in the Comments below Don’t take my word for it I eat blogs and articles on career change and lifestyle design for breakfast. I’m constantly hungry to find out more about what it means to craft a life you love. But when I first started changing career, I was more interested in questions like: Is it really possible to make money doing X? How hard is it to start a career as a Y? Am I the kind of person who would be good at / enjoy Z? I took personality tests, interviewed friends and family, sent enquiring e-mails to people who worked in the industry I was interested in. And that was great. I’m still proud of myself for taking those actions. But let’s be clear about something. You ask questions like those, and everyone has an answer for you:your parents, your neighbour, the guy behind the counter at the phone shop; bloggers, philosophers, consultants, entrepreneurs, people like me. And analysis-paralysis has a twin brother called ‘Stuff Other People Say’. What other people have to say is never, ever to be taken as truth until you’ve experienced it yourself. Everything that has ever been done was once done for the very first time. Everyone’s experience of the world is joyously and frustratingly unique, and what worked for me may not work for you. What I think is ridiculous may be exactly what you need. And what the experts say today might be achingly, hopelessly wrong tomorrow. Please, don’t take my word for anything. Get out there and try it. Which piece of advice could you test-drive tomorrow? Until next time, Natasha X Hide this article from listing pages:

John Hancock Professional Resumes Writing, 2781 Kearney Creek Lane, Lexington, MA

John Hancock Professional Resumes Writing, 2781 Kearney Creek Lane, Lexington, MAWhen John Hancock Professional Resumes Writing, 2781 Kearney Creek Lane, Lexington, MA, was first mentioned on a great list of fantastic places to get a resume posted. Not, because I have anything against it or anything, but it really is one of the most prestigious and high-paying places for resumes to be posted. Many websites that pay money to people to write their resumes seem to have an endless supply of Jonathan Hancock resumes posted and it seems like they can never fill up. Why not?Well, I have a theory that may explain it. There are so many CVs to be written for so many positions out there that the person who writes a John Hancock Professional Resumes Writing, 2781 Kearney Creek Lane, Lexington, MA, resumes has a better chance of being contacted by an employer than the average person. So the person with the 'better' resume gets the interview over the other. And this theory seems to be confirmed by a lot of job seekers.So, when you see a John Hancock Professional Resumes Writing, 2781 Kearney Creek Lane, Lexington, MA, resumes listing, why not give it a try? I believe that it will probably be a great deal easier than any other site for getting a resume posted. In addition, if it's the first time you are trying to get a resume posted, they will likely give you the address of someone who is willing to write one for you. Most of them also have help files and forums for helping people to get better jobs. And if you aren't happy with the job they offer, you can always go back to them for more jobs.There are also a number of great John Hancock Professional Resume Writing, 2781 Kearney CreekLane, Lexington, MA, resumes samples available to use if you would like to write your own resume. It isn't free, but it will save you some time and money. If you really want to write your own resume though, keep in mind that there are also a lot of people who are out there just looking for newbie s.If you really do want to write your own resume, I would consider hiring a professional resume writer to help you out. They may charge a pretty penny, but the cost of replacing lost jobs can sometimes be much higher. You should be sure to get references from the writer before agreeing to their quote though.Some of the best and most inexpensive resources that I found for getting a new resume posted on the Internet are at online resume sites. These sites are extremely user friendly and are designed to help you find the best candidate possible to write your resume. You can find one by typing in something like resume writing search engine and then in order to locate a list of sites, you will need to type something like employer directory search in order to access some of the larger ones.The biggest problem with these online sites for professional resume writing is that you won't have access to their own personal teams of writers who will do all of the heavy lifting for you. As you can imagine, if you are just starting out, that isn't very affordable.The best thing that you can do to get a new resume posted on the Internet is to contact someone who is already experienced in professional resume writing. You can try them for free, or you can pay them to post your resume for you, but either way, the results will be worth it.

How to Choose the Right Law Degree

How to Choose the Right Law Degree Studying law and practicing it are two completely different things. As a student, no one expects you to know what area of law you intend to specialize in in the future. But when practicing law, you’ll meet a wide range of clients from individuals to large corporations. You also deal with different aspects of the law. Thus, it helps if know your area of specialization. This knowledge becomes critical when you apply for a job at a law firm. Keep in mind that different firms deal with different types of legal work and clients. For this reason, recruiters will want to know why you chose their firm in the first place. They will also test your knowledge on what they do.   So, how do you choose a practice area? Know Yourself The best way to choose a practice area is to figure out what you are good at, and then play to your strengths. For instance, if you have good mathematical skills, you could do an online LLM degree specializing in tax law. This field involves handling and deciphering lengthy financial documents. A field like family law, on the other hand, is about the practical application of a few principles. To excel in this area, you need more common sense than mathematical ability. Some practice areas, such as handling personal injury cases, demand patience from you. According to Sarah Cunliffe, an attorney at Shoosmiths, it can be years before you resolve a case. So, you need to have a patient disposition if you are to sit it out. Others areas, such as environmental law, are ever changing. You have to be able to keep up with the new environmental laws mainly from Europe being made every year. Be Open Minded When Working as a Trainee When working as a trainee solicitor, you will rotate seats, which can make it hard for you to pick a specialty area. Some areas might capture your imagination quickly. Only later do you realize that this is not the path you wish to follow. Others, though difficult at first, grow on you with time. Either way, think of your training as a learning experience. Even if you have no desire to pursue an area permanently, learn what you can from it such as project management skills, or learning how to work alone. Mark Everiss of Edwards Wildman Palmer UK, gives an example on how to be open minded. He says that a specialty such as insurance and reinsurance is difficult for trainees at first. It is a highly technical and intricate area. However, he notes that it is intellectually stimulating and varied. Trainees get to love it in time and they learn a lot. Consider Where You Want to Live Some specialty areas are rooted in certain regions, which can impact on where you live should you choose to pursue them. For example, an area like tax-exempt practices is largely centered in Washington DC. If you live in Dallas or Atlanta, and decide to pursue this area, you might be forced to move your family to Washington. If you have no intentions of moving, it makes sense for you to pursue another specialty instead. Another location-specific specialty is investment management. To work as an associate dealing with hedge funds, you must move to New York. There is no way you can work in this field from Denver or Cleveland. So, do your homework well before you do a master of law online. Choose a specialization based on where you see yourself living in the next five years. Conclusion How you choose a law degree to pursue depends on the specialty area you intend to pursue. Is it environmental law, family law, tax law, or personal injury law? Once you decide on an area, you need to consider a few things. First, ensure that you play to your strengths. Second, have an open mind, especially when working as a trainee. Third, consider where you want to live in the future. Some specialty areas are rooted in certain geographical areas. Cornell Image  

Your Chances Aint Good

Your Chances Ain’t Good A well-placed comma could save the life of an innocent dog. Kyle Wiens is CEO of iFixit, the largest online repair community, as well as founder of Dozuki, a software company dedicated to helping manufacturers publish amazing documentation. He’s also, to put it mildly, a real stickler for grammar. In a recent post for Harvard Business Review, he proudly states that he won’t hire anyone who uses poor grammar. In fact, he administers a grammar test to everyone who applies for any job in his company, even if they are not writers (which comprise a significant number of his workforce.) I agree with him, and not just because I make my living with words. Wiens writes, “Good grammar is credibility, especially on the internet. In blog posts, on Facebook statuses, in e-mails, and on company websites, your words are all you have.” People do judge you by how well you speak your native language, and there is still (believe it or not) a standard for how English is spoken and written. While Wiens is a little harsh in his judgment of people who simply ignore grammar (“If it takes someone more than 20 years to notice how to properly use its, then thats not a learning curve Im comfortable with”) I agree that there are some assumptions people make when you speak or write improperly. Most people assume that college-educated individuals have mastered the ability to read and write at, well, the college level. Lots of bad spelling examples occur in text and email messages that are typed and sent hastily. For sticklers, and I count myself among them, the only way to ensure that a message is error-free is to type it first in word processing software. Who has time for that? Wiens says, and I agree, that when it counts, you should make sure that you do your best work. When writing a message to a potential employer, for example, it should be triple-checked and mistake-free. Grammar and spelling errors in important messages are, therefore, signs of carelessness or ignorance â€" pick your poison. Of the two choices available, many people may decide that you are simply careless. And if you are careless when a great job opportunity is on the line, what will you be like when you’ve settled in?   I wrote a post on that theory: How you do anything is how you do everything. Wiens agrees; “Ive found that people who make fewer mistakes on a grammar test also make fewer mistakes when they are doing something completely unrelated to writing â€" like stocking shelves or labeling parts.” You may also reflect badly on your employer. Sharon Eliza Nichols started a Facebook group called “I judge you when you use poor grammar.” She has over 430,000 members in her group, and people have sent her enough cringe-worthy business signs to fill two books. (Her latest is “More Badder Grammar.) Her collection shows that, while hilarious, hand-lettered (and sometimes professionally produced) signs undermine the credibility of the company and lose business every day. Even large corporations are not immune. Starbucks misspelled “vegetable” in a large poster in its new juice bar, and the Rachel Ray magazine cover above will alarm any thinking foodie or animal lover. As I looked for examples of grammatical misses, I came across this thoughtful question posed in an online forum: “Does bad grammar mean your less intelligent?” Perhaps not, but your chances of getting hired ain’t good. Word.

Resume Tips For New Graduates

Resume Tips For New GraduatesWriting resume tips for new graduates, it can be hard to know how to make your resume stand out. Often times it's simply a matter of finding a way to grab the attention of the person you're applying to.The real eye opener is to stand out from the rest. You want to show them that you are the best candidate for the job, and that you deserve the job. If you take the time to work on this part of your resume, you'll find that it's easy to stand out among the other resumes.The first step is to write your top headings in bold. Do this on each page of your resume. Don't include the entire resume in these headings, it should only be about one page per heading. Once you've done this you will be able to draw the reader's eye right to your top headings.Next you will want to make sure that you format your resume properly. You should be using double spacing between paragraphs and at least one space between lines. Using one space at the end of each line will ensure that your resume has a clean appearance, as well as make it easier to read.The final tip that I have for you, is to use bullet points. You will find that a lot of times, people are scanning their resume, looking for keywords. And they may miss the point of what you are saying if they don't see the bullet points. By placing bullet points, your resume will stand out and be easier to read.When I was writing my resume, I found that I used bold text for my accomplishments. I used it for different sections, like my work experience, my education, and my awards. By using this approach, I was able to make my resume standout, while still showing off my accomplishments.By using these tips, you can make yourself stand out from the rest of the new graduate pool. It may be just a little bit of extra work, but when you're trying to sell yourself and impress a potential employer, every little bit helps. Don't be afraid to be the best new graduate that you can be, because your future depends on it.Good luck with your future, I hope you enjoy these easy tips for writing resume tips for new graduates. Remember that you should always be proud of your accomplishments, no matter what type of person you are.

An interview with me - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

An interview with me - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Stephen Hopson interviewed me by email for his excellent blog Adversity University and the interview is now up in 2 parts. Part 1 Part 2. Stephens focus is on overcoming adversity and some of his questions forced me to re-think stuff. Damn you, Steve :o) Also, Steve adds some great comments to my answers. Check it out. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

4 Great Career Options for English Degree Holders - CareerAlley

4 Great Career Options for English Degree Holders - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. English majors get a lot of flak from naysayers, calling their degrees useless and irrelevant. Tell anyone that you have a degree in Literature or Creative Writing and theyll give you a sympathetic look and perhaps even a reassuring tap on the shoulder. Its time to crush those misconceptions and prove to these unbelievers that English degree holders have a place in this world too. The old starving writer/artist clich is now long gone, thanks to the ever-changing media landscape. There are more opportunities for English graduates now as traditional media work hand-in-hand with new media in their quest to look for bright, creative minds who have a knack for words. This degree builds a strong academic foundation and a discerning mind in its graduates which are highly prized in fields as diverse as law, publishing and the arts. Simply put, English majors are more than just servers of French fries! With an English degree one can go on to become a(n): Writer They are the storytellers, the dream weavers, the visionaries; they capture your attention with words that seamlessly flow together like water. They take you to other worlds and to different times and eras. The best novels were made by writers. That blockbuster movie that you have seen on the cinema was just once an idea in some writers mind. Writers also bring the news to you from all four corners of the world. Ad copywriters, speech writers, public relations writers; many of these professionals with a writer suffix on their job titles were once all English majors. The demand for these jobs is growing steadily and does pay well in the long run. Entry requirements: Writers can come from various disciplines and backgrounds, though those who graduated with English, Communication and Creative Writing degrees certainly have an edge. The job does not require any form of professional qualification so aspiring writers can start right away! Salary expectations: The pay scale for working writers differ base on ones experience, training and medium. New writers may start out with 5,000. In contrast old-timers (those who have 10-15 years of experience in their belt) may earn up to 120,000. Writers in the media are often paid on a per word or per minute basis. For example, a freelance writer working for a large magazine earns 700 per 1,000 words, while those who write for BBC dramas get paid for 104.34 per minute. Lawyer The work of a lawyer involves more than just appearing in court, talking to witnesses and examining evidences. To get there, they need to conduct loads of research and writing. They have to go through countless documents and legal texts in order to come up with strong arguments in court. Communication and critical thinking skills are essential here and an English degree can prepare you for that. In fact, most experts would recommend aspiring lawyers to take up English and Communication courses as their pre-law degrees. Entry requirements: A law degree (LL.B.) is required, which is offered in many universities across the nation. For those who graduated with a non-law degree, a 1-2 year law conversation course is needed. From then on, the job entry path differs depending whether one wants to become a Solicitor or Barrister. Aspiring solicitors are required to enroll with the Law Society of England and Wales as a student member, take a one-year course called the Legal Practice Course (LPC), followed by two years of apprenticeship. Future barristers, meanwhile, must complete the Bar Professional Training Course, followed by a year-long training (known as pupillage) under the guidance of a trained barrister. Salary expectations: The good news is that lawyers are paid well, earning on average 52,049 yearly. Trainees may start with 18,590 as a salary, but can go up to 300,000 as one goes up the career ladder. Librarian Librarians are pros when it comes to organizing information, in print form or those found electronically. They work in curation and for corporations information management systems though generally they have careers in school and local libraries helping students conduct research. English degree majors, meanwhile deal with the creation and deconstruction of literary works. With all those elements in place, librarians who graduated with an English degree are very much equipped to handle your queries when you come visit them at their places of work. Entry requirements: Having a degree in Library and Information Management (LIM) will tip the scales in your favor if you want to take this career path, with those with a background in Language and Literary Arts also at an advantage but any degree will do. If you are gunning for professional posts, an MA/MSc in LIM is required. Salary expectations: Library assistants (entry-level positions) may start with 19,195 which may go up to 32,310 for professionals with 2-5 years of experience. Actor Going through hundreds of script pages to memorize can be a piece of cake for English majors who were trained to absorb loads of literary works in school. Critical analysis of these texts are also a core component of the degree which is a skill needed for a career in acting. Internalizing a character then comes much easier for actors with this degree in their belts. These are just a few career options that anyone with an English degree can look into. The secret here is to do research and work hard at networking as many more career paths (academe, advertising, government service) are just waiting to be discovered. Entry requirements: A degree in Drama or Theater is nice but not required. Many got into acting through informal training which includes local theater or school productions. Workshops also help and add to the training to get into the profession. Securing a job in the industry requires going to auditions. To get job leads, actors seek out the services of talent agents. Salary expectations: The pay for actors depends on the location, nature of the work and number of performances. Experience, popularity and the actors marketability also determines their worth. As an example, theater actors have a minimum rate of 350. Compare that to British actor Daniel Craig who is set to earn a 31 million paycheck after he stars in two more installments of the James Bond franchise. Still not convinced about an English degree holders place in our society? These famous people took up the course during their time in college: Stephen King Mario Cuomo Diane Sawyer Toni Morrison James Cameron Sting Barbara Walters Mitt Romney Conan OBrien So heads up, English majors! And if ever somebody still calls you out for having a worthless degree, just smile and just shrug off the comment. The truth is, English majors might be (secretly) running the world all along. * With additional info from: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/ About the Author: Sherry Franklin is an Academic and Career Consultant for a top UK essay writing company. Shes currently taking up her Masters in English Literature and volunteers for an animal shelter in her spare time. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Joey Trebif