Archive for December, 2007
Monday, December 31st, 2007
Okay, by a raise of hands, how many of you have read this classic book on job hunting and career changing? Well, for those of you with your hands down, I suggest you get on over to your favorite bookstore and grab a copy of What Color is Your Parachute? 2008 Edition. And if you want to save a dollar or two, you can always find older editions at your local used book store. Now, with that book in hand, you can drop in on the virtual book club that Trent is hosting over at The Simple Dollar.
The Simple Dollar has been publishing a series of articles this past month that review and discuss What Color is Your Parachute?. Trent is only halfway through with the series, so drop in and get caught up. Here are the articles so far in the series:
A Quick Note About The Book Club Reading of What Color Is Your Parachute
What Color Is Your Parachute?: Buy or Don’t Buy?
What Color Is Your Parachute?: Overview
What Color Is Your Parachute?: Resuming The Search To Find Your Dream
This read would be a great way to start the New Year!
Posted in Career Planning, Employment, Self-Employment | 3 Comments »
Sunday, December 30th, 2007
job•re•pre•neur [job-bruh-pruh-nur, -noor] Am. Eng. 2007, noun 1. a person who own and operates a business while employed by another. 2. a dual-career specialist who is both employed and self-employed.
The word may be new to you, but jobrepreneurs have been around for a long time. Now we have a word to describe the practiced art of working for others while working for yourself.
I coined this term to describe something I will be speaking of regularly. And being a practicing jobrepreneur, I wanted a word to describe those of us who are not ready to give up our job or our business. I’ve even added it to U-Turn’s newly revised categories list.
So, whether you freelance while still employed or wait tables and run a dog sitting business, you are a jobrepreneur. You might even be someone who is operating a business, but decided you also need a regular job. Being a jobrepreneur is a proud tradition. So go ahead. Say it out loud. I know, it doesn’t roll off the tongue. The word is a bit challenging…but then, so is being a jobrepreneur.
Posted in Employment, Jobreprenuer, Self-Employment | 5 Comments »
Saturday, December 29th, 2007
Okay, if you read my 8 Tips for New Year’s Resolution Success, then you know that I have advocated choosing just one resolution for 2008. I suggest this because of the largely unsuccessful attempts that I hear about every year…often because of making too many lofty goals without a plan for success. But I suspect that many of you will not take my advice. Nonetheless, whether you make one resolution or many, you should have some system for tracking your success.
Well, Lawrence from A Long Long Road has some excellent recommendations. His recent blog titled 7 Cool Tools To Help You Manage Your Goals for 2008 has a tool to fit just about everyone. From a simple, but effective paper and pencil solution to the Franklin Covey ultimate software, Lawrence presents seven tools for tracking your New Year’s success.
“It’s the time of the year to review our goals and set new ones again.
For those new to A Long Long Road, I’m a firm believer in making New Year Resolutions and setting goals. When I first started setting goals, I did it with simple, old paper and pen. Later, I typed my goals into Word documents. After a few years, I moved on to goal setting/tracking software.
Goals management tools are really important to help us set goals and track them. With good tools to facilitate good goals, you’ll have a better chance of achieving them. As such, I went scouring the Internet for goal management tools for different types of users…”
Posted in Professional Development | 3 Comments »
Thursday, December 27th, 2007
Okay, it’s almost the end of 2007 and you know what that means…time to make those New Year’s resolutions. Sure, we break most of them in the first month, but why not make 2008 a little different. So, here are my suggestions for making a New Year’s resolution that really makes a difference:
- Choose only ONE goal for 2008. We want success, not an entire personal makeover. So, what is the one thing in your life that you most want to change? Is it your career? Or maybe a relationship, or your health. Pick just one thing you will commit to changing and focus your energy on that goal.
- Spend some time thinking about the specific change you want to make. You have five days to really consider what change would be the most meaningful. You also have time to consider the specific goal you will set, how you will make the change and what support will be needed. So, don’t just go with the first idea that comes to mind. Read the next few suggestions and set a plan that you can follow.
- Choose a goal that is measurable and realistic. Don’t shoot for the sky here. If you know you have to lose 60 pounds to be at your ideal weight, set a goal to lose 20 pounds. Remember, reaching a goal is not the end of change. Life is all about change and when you reach that goal you can set a new target. Even if the 20 pounds is all you ever lose, you are still far better off. So, break up big goals into smaller, meaningful changes. Remember the saying, every journey begins with one step.
- Don’t set a goal that will take all year to achieve. This is a continuation of the last recommendation. Many people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions simply because it takes too darn long to achieve it. So, set a goal that you can reach in a couple months, even shorter, if you would like. Success is not measured in how long it takes you to achieve your goal, but rather whether reaching the goal improves your life in some way.
- Write your goal down in a place you will see it every day. You need to be reminded of the goal you choose, and I also suggest adding a couple lines about how reaching this goal will improve your life. You want to keep focused on the change you have chosen and the difference it will make. I like to carry my goal around with me, or post it where I most need to be reminded (at work, the refrigerator, on my mirror).
- Tell others about your goal. But there is a caution here…only tell individuals that will support and encourage you. If your goal is to start a business (which, of course, you will break down into smaller steps/goals), don’t wait time telling someone who is just going to tell you how most businesses fail and your idea will never work. I have found support from people I meet online to support me in my efforts. Telling someone supportive will give you extra motivation to meet your goal.
- Keep a daily log of your progress. Several studies have shown that simply tracking the results of your efforts will result in some change. So, make a simple log and keep track of the steps you make toward your goal. Seeing improvement in writing will help move you closer to your target.
- Plan now how you will celebrate your success. Along with your goal and a plan for achieving it, you should have a plan for celebrating that accomplishment. Be sure you don’t forget to reward your own hard work. Sure, achieving the goal has it’s own rewards, but the extra celebration will add some additional incentive.
So, there you have it. Time to begin planning and make 2008 a year of real change. Do you have other tips and ideas for making resolutions? Leave a comment and let us know about it.
Posted in Professional Development | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, December 25th, 2007
First, let me apologize for the lack of daily posts over the past several weeks. Of course, if you are reading this blog, then you are already in on the surprise…We are about to enter a new year, and changes are all I can think about. And the big change this week is the new look and location for the U-Turn Ahead Blog. Over the next couple weeks I will be moving my blog off the Blogger system and over to this new location. I love Blogger, then why am I making the move?
I have big plans for U-Turn Ahead and those plans require more functionality than I can get from the Blogger site. Here I am using WordPress blog software with the i3Theme from MangoOrange.com. I’ve tweaked this theme a little, but have more changes in store. By using WordPress and hosting this blog independently, I will be able to offer much more to my readers.
Also, I want to make this change before I get a larger following. The blog at uturnahead.blogspot.com is only getting a few readers each day, so making the change now will have less negative impact then if I make the change some time later.
For the next few weeks I will be posting the same content on both blogs. However, early in January I will be stopping work on the other blog and all posts will be at this new location.
So, welcome to our new home and keep reading. 2007 was just a warm up. Expect a lot from U-Turn in 2008.
Posted in U-Turn Ahead News | No Comments »
Sunday, December 23rd, 2007
About a month ago I was digging through the Internet when I unearthed a unexpected find…a website by and about Mike Bellah called BestYears.com. A visit to Mike’s home page will find a photo of him atop Wheeler Peak in New Mexico. Along with the photo are a few paragraph’s about the site and Mike’s time writing midlife essays for the Amarillo Daily News. The links are scattered throughout the text with some additional links at the bottom. The page is no award winner for layout, but then hidden treasure doesn’t usually come in a colorful box.
After clicking a couple links, one to “Mike’s Story” that is no longer available, and reading an article or two, I finally hit the motherlode…a list of articles Mike has written regarding nearly every aspect of midlife. The articles, under the grand heading of Best Years:Sometimes the Best Begins in the Middle, include titles like “Career Changes” and “I Believe in You, Santa“. Some humorous and others educational, each article brings insight and reflection on the issues of midlife change. Mike’s writing style is comfortable and friendly, like a chat with your neighbor.
Despite the lack of impressive design and the clear evidence that the site has not been maintained for some time (possibly years), this website is still a favorite of mine. I recommend first skimming through the list of articles and then visiting the Best Year’s Links Page. With nearly 150 articles and over 70 links (a few to sites that no longer exist), there is plenty to discover at BestYears.com.
Posted in Career Planning, Midlife | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 18th, 2007
About two weeks ago I posted a job ad on CraigsList.org and the response was amazing. I have over 100 applicants. So, how do I filter through all the resumes and decide which 5-6 to interview? Here are my tips for getting the interview.
1) Send a resume specific to the job you seek. Yes, it takes 15-30 minutes to move content around, change some text and highlight particular skills, but it pays off. Make the job match jump out to the person reading your resume. Don’t send generic resumes to 50 companies…send specific resumes to the five jobs you are really interested in. For advice on how to customize your resume to the job, click here.
2) Include a cover letter with the resume. Even if it’s just a couple short paragraphs in the email (with the resume attached), take the time to write why you are interested in this job and what makes you a qualified candidate. For more information on how to write a great cover letter, see this advice from Trinity College.
3) Research the company and add something in your cover letter that indicates you’ve done your research. Employers like to know that you care about their industry and, more importantly, their company. Show that you know the company by including something specific about it in your cover letter.
4) Follow up with the person who received your resume. Don’t be a pest, but make a follow-up phone call or send an email to express your continued interest in the position. Employers are busy. Give them a reason to remember you.
5) Focus on what you have to offer, not what you need. Remember, you are just trying to get the interview. Wait until you are nearer to a job offer before you discuss what you need from job. Salary, benefits, work hours, etc. can all wait until after you get that interview. Here is some great advice on JuriStaff.com regarding when and how to negotiate salary.
6) Be flexible with your availability for interviews. If you really want the job, go out of your way to be available when the employer wants to meet. Remember, she probably has other applicants eager for an interview, so don’t make scheduling difficult.
Posted in Employment | No Comments »
Sunday, December 16th, 2007
A taxi passenger tapped the driver on the shoulder to ask him a question. The driver screamed, lost control of the car, nearly hit a bus, went up on the footpath, and stopped centimeters from a shop window.
For a second everything went quiet in the cab, then the driver said:“Look mate, don’t ever do that again. You scared me!”.
The passenger apologized and said, ”I didn’t realize that a little tap would scare you so much.”
The driver replied, ”Sorry, it’s not really your fault. Today is my first day as a cab driver - I’ve been driving a van carrying dead Bodies for the last 25 years…….” –From funinlife.wordpress.com
A young man, hired by a supermarket, reported for his first day of work. The manager greeted him with a warm handshake and a smile, gave him a broom and said, “your first job will be to sweep out the store.”
“But I’m a college graduate,” the young man replied indignantly.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know that,” said the manager. “Here, give me the broom, I’ll show you how.” –From WorkJoke.com
Cartoon from AhaJokes.com.
Posted in Humor | No Comments »
