101 Best Sites To Use In Your Job Search

101 Best Sites To Use In Your Job Search I saw another one an article listing 99 sites that everyone should (1) know about and (2) use. So heres my list of 100 Best Sites to Use in Your Job Search: 1.  Linke. Wait!   NO!   I dont like lists like this. Thinking practically, who in the world has time to (1) know about all of these sites, especially since they seem to come and go with whimsical weather (Ive had more than a couple JibberJobber competitors fold up and drift away into oblivion). Yes, of course job seekers have time, right?  They have nothing else to do but to check out new sites that might be gone in three months. NO.  Job seekers dont have time.  They are not technical analysts for VC firms, trying to decide what is going to be the next LinkedIn or Facebook.  Or figuring out what popular sites will be the next MySpace.  They need to know the handful of high-impact, must-use sites to get them from Point A (no paycheck) to Point B (paycheck). Dont waste time on the lists, that take entirely too much time to read, feeling bad about not being up to speed on the you must know about and use sites.  Instead, figure out what your gaps are, and address those gaps. Here are three, countem, THREE sites Ill recommend to every job seeker.  Beyond that, YOU have to figure out what your gaps are and where else you should be. One: JibberJobber Yes, I put JibberJobber as number 1.  Partially because this is my website, my blog post, and I can order these however I want.  But more than that, the ability to keep you organized in a job search, help you with your follow-up, and be a hub for the information you are collecting from online and offline sources. In my recent phone calls with users Im amazed and humbled to hear how people use and depend on JibberJobber, not just in a job search but to manage their personal and professional relationships.  Indispensable.  Logged in all the time.  People are using it the way I envisioned they would use it, and have come to depend on it to help keep them organized its very cool to hear from people around the world that for them, JibberJobber is more important than LinkedIn, or other sites. Two: LinkedIn LinkedIn has changed a lot since I wrote the first edition of the LinkedIn book.  They have decreased the value by removing features, or moving them to the paid side. Recruiters tell me they arent using LinkedIn much, or as much (they are going to where their target audience is engaged, which isnt necessarily LinkedIn).  They seem to be saturated in the U.S. and, while expanding globally is fine for them, the change in the userbase means that the value to a U.S. user has lessened. Having said all that, they are the 8,000 pound guerrilla in the professional networking space.  You should turn to LinkedIn (or, if you are in a country that has a more powerful professional network, like Xing in Germany, then use that one) for research.  Learn about your target companies, your prospects, come up with a prospect list, figure out the structure of, and players in, a company, etc. I regularly go to LinkedIn to figure who the heck people are, and why we should get on a call or have a conversation.  I cant think of any system or site that is as helpful as LinkedIn is to help me understand that, and make a decision on how much time to pursue on a person or company. Dont use LinkedIn to read all of the influencer stuff, blog posts, or immerse yourself in Groups in the name of learning and education. Do use LinkedIn to help you focus on networking and targeting prospects, and being more prepared for conversations. And then, of course, go to JibberJobber and enter relevant information about your companies and contacts Three: _____________ Im really kind of stuck on this one.  Do I tell you to use Indeed?  When Im on the road, at job clubs, they all talk about Indeed and LinkedIn.  My hesitation is that too many people use Indeed the wrong way.  They use it to find and apply to jobs.  WRONG!  WASTE OF TIME!  DONT FALL INTO THIS TRAP! Okay, applying to jobs isnt totally wrong or bad, but if you do it a lot, because its easier to do that then to call someone, email someone, go to a network meeting, etc., then you are chickening out of your job search and probably wasting time. Use Indeed as a research tool.  Find out whats going on in an industry or company by the postings on Indeed.  Or, if you are preparing for an interview for a Product Manager, go to Indeed and open up ten Product Manager openings. Then, study those job descriptions and make sure you understand the lingo, keywords, phrases, expectations, qualifications, tasks and duties, etc.  What a great way to prepare for your interview!  Marry what you learn with your interview preparation (which you can wordsmith and store in JibberJobber), so you have stories that exemplify the phrases from those job descriptions, etc. Or instead of indeed, should I tell you to use Google?  The starting point for the internet Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. to find information and do research.  You can find too much information, which becomes a pain to sift through, but if you can get over your fear of picking up the phone, a search engine + your tenacity can be invaluable. Im not sure what #3 really is. There comes a point in your job search where you have to accept that your problems arent going to be solved by widgets or websites, and that you simply have to send *that* email, or make *that* phone call. Dont hunt for silver bullets.  Work on relationships, and your messages, and how you request help.  You need to add a bit of old fashioned elbow grease to this job, and not hope you stumble into your next dream job just because you are on the 99 right tools. What am I missing? 101 Best Sites To Use In Your Job Search I saw another one an article listing 99 sites that everyone should (1) know about and (2) use. So heres my list of 100 Best Sites to Use in Your Job Search: 1.  Linke. Wait!   NO!   I dont like lists like this. Thinking practically, who in the world has time to (1) know about all of these sites, especially since they seem to come and go with whimsical weather (Ive had more than a couple JibberJobber competitors fold up and drift away into oblivion). Yes, of course job seekers have time, right?  They have nothing else to do but to check out new sites that might be gone in three months. NO.  Job seekers dont have time.  They are not technical analysts for VC firms, trying to decide what is going to be the next LinkedIn or Facebook.  Or figuring out what popular sites will be the next MySpace.  They need to know the handful of high-impact, must-use sites to get them from Point A (no paycheck) to Point B (paycheck). Dont waste time on the lists, that take entirely too much time to read, feeling bad about not being up to speed on the you must know about and use sites.  Instead, figure out what your gaps are, and address those gaps. Here are three, countem, THREE sites Ill recommend to every job seeker.  Beyond that, YOU have to figure out what your gaps are and where else you should be. One: JibberJobber Yes, I put JibberJobber as number 1.  Partially because this is my website, my blog post, and I can order these however I want.  But more than that, the ability to keep you organized in a job search, help you with your follow-up, and be a hub for the information you are collecting from online and offline sources. In my recent phone calls with users Im amazed and humbled to hear how people use and depend on JibberJobber, not just in a job search but to manage their personal and professional relationships.  Indispensable.  Logged in all the time.  People are using it the way I envisioned they would use it, and have come to depend on it to help keep them organized its very cool to hear from people around the world that for them, JibberJobber is more important than LinkedIn, or other sites. Two: LinkedIn LinkedIn has changed a lot since I wrote the first edition of the LinkedIn book.  They have decreased the value by removing features, or moving them to the paid side. Recruiters tell me they arent using LinkedIn much, or as much (they are going to where their target audience is engaged, which isnt necessarily LinkedIn).  They seem to be saturated in the U.S. and, while expanding globally is fine for them, the change in the userbase means that the value to a U.S. user has lessened. Having said all that, they are the 8,000 pound guerrilla in the professional networking space.  You should turn to LinkedIn (or, if you are in a country that has a more powerful professional network, like Xing in Germany, then use that one) for research.  Learn about your target companies, your prospects, come up with a prospect list, figure out the structure of, and players in, a company, etc. I regularly go to LinkedIn to figure who the heck people are, and why we should get on a call or have a conversation.  I cant think of any system or site that is as helpful as LinkedIn is to help me understand that, and make a decision on how much time to pursue on a person or company. Dont use LinkedIn to read all of the influencer stuff, blog posts, or immerse yourself in Groups in the name of learning and education. Do use LinkedIn to help you focus on networking and targeting prospects, and being more prepared for conversations. And then, of course, go to JibberJobber and enter relevant information about your companies and contacts Three: _____________ Im really kind of stuck on this one.  Do I tell you to use Indeed?  When Im on the road, at job clubs, they all talk about Indeed and LinkedIn.  My hesitation is that too many people use Indeed the wrong way.  They use it to find and apply to jobs.  WRONG!  WASTE OF TIME!  DONT FALL INTO THIS TRAP! Okay, applying to jobs isnt totally wrong or bad, but if you do it a lot, because its easier to do that then to call someone, email someone, go to a network meeting, etc., then you are chickening out of your job search and probably wasting time. Use Indeed as a research tool.  Find out whats going on in an industry or company by the postings on Indeed.  Or, if you are preparing for an interview for a Product Manager, go to Indeed and open up ten Product Manager openings. Then, study those job descriptions and make sure you understand the lingo, keywords, phrases, expectations, qualifications, tasks and duties, etc.  What a great way to prepare for your interview!  Marry what you learn with your interview preparation (which you can wordsmith and store in JibberJobber), so you have stories that exemplify the phrases from those job descriptions, etc. Or instead of indeed, should I tell you to use Google?  The starting point for the internet Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. to find information and do research.  You can find too much information, which becomes a pain to sift through, but if you can get over your fear of picking up the phone, a search engine + your tenacity can be invaluable. Im not sure what #3 really is. There comes a point in your job search where you have to accept that your problems arent going to be solved by widgets or websites, and that you simply have to send *that* email, or make *that* phone call. Dont hunt for silver bullets.  Work on relationships, and your messages, and how you request help.  You need to add a bit of old fashioned elbow grease to this job, and not hope you stumble into your next dream job just because you are on the 99 right tools. What am I missing?

Resume Writing Service For Teachers Written By A Teacher

Resume Writing Service For Teachers Written By A TeacherSo you are looking for a resume writing service for teachers written by a teacher? I'm sure you were trained to write a resume that is appealing to employers. If you still have a question about this, then read on.If you are a teacher looking to become one, you are probably having a difficult time getting a foot in the door of a school. Your resume is either not good enough or it needs a lot of work. The best way to take advantage of an established resume writing service for teachers written by a teacher is to submit your own.The difference between a resume and the one you will send out when hired by a school is what really makes the difference between a teacher who gets hired and a teacher who is passed over. A great resume will stand out from the rest of the resumes that have the same information as yours. That is why it is imperative that you pay attention to the details on your resume.Another way that a writer can help you to become a teacher is through the one-on-one coaching that a writing service for teachers can provide. Some writers may not be able to give you as much insight into the ways that teachers write their resumes as others can. Even if you can not afford them, you can find someone online that can write your resume for you that is professional enough to get you hired in no time.The quality of a writing service for teachers written by a teacher can be judged by how well they write for a certain education field. When you start looking for a resume writing service for teachers written by a teacher, make sure that you do not choose someone that specializes in subjects that you are not qualified for. A resume should be unique to you and your education and career goals. The more general the subjects are, the less likely the potential employer will be to hire you.If you are not going to take the time to prepare a resume for teachers written by a teacher, you should first write one that covers you r intended field of teaching. Then after you have done that, contact a service that can write one for you based on your education. You can also find one online or elsewhere in your local area.You should include information that will help you get noticed by your prospective employer. Before you even think about sending the resume, decide what kind of information you want. A great way to personalize your resume is to write down your desired educational background.When you write your resume, you should have a good idea of the career and education that you have earned. If you did not know what type of teacher you want to be, you may want to get a resume writing service for teachers written by a teacher. A resume writing service for teachers written by a teacher can provide you with the help you need to write the resume that will get you hired as soon as possible.

Mistakes People Make When Negotiating a Salary for a New Job

Mistakes People Make When Negotiating a Salary for a New Job Most people are very excited when they are offered a new job. These people often sell themselves short  when asking for a new salary. They may be so happy that they have finally gotten a job that they don’t  think about the long-term salary benefits. They may also be afraid that if they try to negotiate they  will lose the position. Negotiating a salary can be nerve-racking, but it is imperative that you do it right. Here are some  common pitfalls people make that you will want to avoid. They Don’t Negotiate at All The biggest mistake that people make is that they don’t negotiate at all. You need to make sure that you  are going to be paid what you deserve when you take a new job. Many people get gun-shy because they fear the employer will decide not to hire them if they ask for  too much. You need to stay confident. They invest a lot of money making sure they hire and keep  people who are going to move the organization towards its goals. They will pay a fair salary to make that  happen. They Talk about Salary before Being Offered the Job This is where people go wrong in negotiating. You don’t want to discuss the salary until you have been  offered the position. Negotiating is important but you need to make sure you don’t scare off an  employer before they’ve even decided to hire you. Try to Avoid Bringing up Salary First Employers usually try to get new hires to make the first offer. Don’t bite if you can avoid it. You need to  get them to make the first offer and use that as a baseline for your negotiation. This is where you can try  to ask for more. However, you need to know when there are some situations where you have to stipulate your salary  expectations before moving forward with an application. This is especially true if you are filling out an  application online. Most online applications require you to state what type of salary you are looking for.  These are situations where you need to have a good idea of what to expect beforehand. They Don’t Do their Research Ahead of Time You need to be careful when it comes to stating your salary expectations beforehand. You need to make  sure that you have a clear idea of what the employer is likely to agree to beforehand. There are two  ways you can do this. You can try to look at the average salary for people with your qualifications in the industry as a whole.  However, you need to also take the business’s financial position into consideration as well. A start-up  may not be able to afford to pay you as much as other companies. You may want to try doing some  informational interviews with other employees or associates with the company. They may be able to  shed some light on what the company is like. They Take an Offer They Arent Happy with Too many applicants are willing to accept an offer that they can’t be happy with. You will need to know  the minimum that you are willing to take and try to negotiate above it. Keep in mind that the salary you  accept when you are starting off will set the trajectory of what you will earn the rest of the time you are  working with that company. About the Author: Kalen is a business writer and advisor. He shares tips about receiving a Masters in  negotiation and similar fields of study for people looking to further their careers. photo credit: ntr23 via photopin cc 15

A Thousand Words - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

A Thousand Words - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career We’ve all heard the warning to never post pictures of yourself you wouldn’t want others to see. As far as this generation of those born with the internet are concerned, it’s the oldest rule in the reputation rulebook. Are there any new rules revolving around pictures anymore? The short answer is, “Yes.” This is further evinced by the fact that every major social media site asks for a profile picture of some sort. Beyond this are the various galleries that then provide you with more space to build your visual portfolio. Unfortunately, how to do this isn’t openly discussed much. It’s obvious you should have a good, high quality photo, and yes, there should be more than one, but how do you do this? Where do you even start? The Search for a Snapshot As a rule of thumb, all of your social media sites, blog sites and anything else with a personal profile should have the same photo of you and, if an option, the same picture for the banner space. This way, when people click to any site you are on, they will immediately have a general understanding of what to expect, reducing confusion. How do you go about finding this one, perfect image? The easiest route is to hire a photographer to take headshots for you. Instead of searching online, however, your best bet is to ask around your network, especially those that have pictures you like. Typically, they’ll have a go to photographer that potentially costs less than the competition. Once the appointment is scheduled, the photographer will give you a rundown of what you need to bring and what to expect. They’ll also feel out what you’re hoping to get from the shoot. Expect to bring a few outfit changes and have your hair done in a way you like. The Stock Photo Beyond a signature look, your blogs and other posts will do much better if there’s a visual story attached to them. Unless you have a professional photographer that takes shots specifically for your company, the best way you can do this is through the use of stock photography. Online, for free or for purchase, are innumerable amounts of photos just waiting to be used. Unfortunately, many companies misuse these photos, resulting in a very awkward or even legally detrimental situation. To avoid this, here’s what you need to keep in mind. DO pick images that are directly related to the content. This can be as straightforward or as subtle as you want. For instance, you can write an article about leadership and either choose a photo of a CEO giving orders or an image of ducklings following their mother. Don’t assume the audience will relate to a photo. The safest route is to go with an image you have no doubt the audience will understand. If you’re writing an article about job hunting, it’s best to avoid any stock photos of newspaper classifieds. Do modify the pictures. Just because you’ve found a great addition to your article doesn’t mean you have to keep it exactly the same. Feel free to play around with adding text to otherwise clarify and enhance its usefulness. You can even crop out bits you don’t want to use. Just be sure to check the creative license of the photos you’re using since they might have very specific rules on what can or cannot be altered. Don’t use just stock â€" not for your personal accounts (unless you’re using an image with text over it to emphasize a thought or quote). Remember, people are more interested in seeing your photos to get to know you in a more personal level.   Variety is the spice of life and with apps such as Instagram, you, too, can become a decent photographer. Take some time out of your day to practice snapping photos of things you plan on using in the future. Do optimize images with text. When you go to add an image, sites will typically come with areas for you to attach phrases or keywords to the picture. This then helps its chances of appearing during image searches thereby increasing the likelihood of new people stumbling upon your site. The Final Results The thousand words a picture is worth is solely based on the story you choose to tell. In business, this means remaining as concise and focused as possible across all mediums. From a unified social image to adding visual storytelling to blog posts, your brand can become so much more with something as simple as showing the world you understand how to make connections on varying levels. Take a look at our Recommended Sites to see what free and for fee photo sites and tools we recommend.

Resume Reference Examples - A Great Source Of Career And Job Help

Resume Reference Examples - A Great Source Of Career And Job HelpResume reference examples are everywhere, and it's easy to believe that they can be an invaluable tool in making your job hunt easier. But just because these samples are readily available doesn't mean they're accurate. Too many companies have used sample resumes and cover letters as part of their hiring process without ever checking to see how they turned out. With a little digging, you can find the real gems that help you land the job you've been chasing for years.A common mistake made by many candidates is that they choose to use only the resume reference examples that come directly from the company they're applying to. It's common for applicants to apply to multiple companies without checking to see if any of them made errors in their sample letters. This only shows you where the real mistakes in hiring originate. After all, it's not always possible to get a glimpse into the life of the person being interviewed, so t he company's sample letter is the best way to get the gist of what it's like to work for the employer.You might think that you need to take everything in the resume reference examples and run with it. If so, you may be missing out on some important information. The real trick is to consider things like the position the cover letter or resume is referring to, the specific qualifications of the job applicant, and how they'll benefit the company you're interviewing with.Many people assume that their sample cover letters or resumes are all that they need to have when they begin job hunting. They ignore the fact that there's more to a good applicant than that. For instance, if you're applying for a position that involves technical knowledge of computers, you're going to want to look for a sample letter that shows how technology has changed over the past few years. That's why it's so important to know how the company's culture works as well.No matter which position you're looking for, the job seeker should keep in mind that each is a unique job. As a result, they're going to need to start off with the right mindset and vision. This means addressing the company on a personal level as well as that of the individual person who will be responsible for finding them a new job. If your resume reference examples show the results of past performance, you should pay attention to the length of time for which they worked there. How long it took them to find work after they were let go is also important.You can find plenty of companies that have multiple positions open for the same job position. The key is to apply to all of them in order to have a better chance of landing that job you're after. In this way, you also increase your chances of getting the best interview possible. It's also important to be honest about what you can and cannot do.Your resume reference examples should include any experience you had that they might find useful to the company or individual that you're interviewing with. Maybe you played golf with the boss or worked as a janitor in college. It's also good to provide a specific example of your previous work, such as your recent work as a receptionist at a financial company or in management positions at a major corporation.If you're considering using resume reference examples as part of your job search, you should really look at everything you can find. Because it's all you've got to go on at this point, you don't want to miss anything that could give you insight into the hiring process.

How to Launch and Build the Foundation for Your Freelance Career - CareerMetis.com

How to Launch and Build the Foundation for Your Freelance Career Photo Credit- freshbooks.comFreelancing careers are one of the quickest ways to earn an income and also one of the most convenient. It can provide experience and salary on a field you like, or something related to your hobbies.Simply, freelancing careers are fun and at the same time, rewarding. But remember, it’s not always rosy, competition also exists in the freelancing world and that means doing your best on the job is a must.Sometimes job dealings could be so underwhelming and could rely on luck, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pursue freelancing because the majority of doing this is winning and gaining.evalAnd in order to shift your career as an extra-time freelancer up to full-time freelancer, you must first have the willingness and devotion on the path you want to take. Have commitment towards what you do.Another possible and can be a better way of earning in freelance is setting up an online business. People build and create different online business ideas that have that potential to revolutionize the whole industry gaining greater profit gain than they could imagine.Creating website content and advertising platforms are examples of these online business ideas. There are much more possible ideas you can come up with so you won’t feel left behind or inadequate in any way.In this article, you will be guided to understand how to launch your full-time freelancing career and what you will be needing to be successful in doing so.1) Commit to your visionevalThe first rule on getting started is removing the negative thoughts and hindrances that constantly bug your mind. You have to overcome the mental hurdle that is telling you, “You can’t do it and you won’t do it”.In order to overcome that thought, you have to realize and show yourself that freelancing can be a reality, and it is not just a whim, but a business plan that will benefit you long-term.Commitment is the number one attitude that you must have in order to make your freelancing pl an a reality. And the next thing you need here is a business plan. A business plan will help you organize and think ahead.2) Build your personal brandevalBranding is the perfect form of advertising you can possibly have as it can make a certain person or company iconic, like the infamous curved check of Nike, and the apple logo of Apple. These serve as symbols of the giant companies that represent themselves with or without words.Like those companies, it is important to establish your brand in order to attract more clients. That also means that creating a logo to represent your business must be on your list.Also, building your own brand enables you to establish your presence on social media sites. By doing so, your services will be more open and accessible to clients than before.3) Analyze your potential clients and prepare documentsBefore you can start reaching out to your clients, you need to have the essential business documents. This enables you to be composed and confident in r eplying back to your potential clients.evalIf you do this, your job at gathering clients and opportunities will be much easier since your clients will be also confident in transacting with you.One of the important things to consider is a portfolio as it would display what are your capabilities and how many long have you been doing such tasks which show experience.Another thing is creating a generalized freelance contact and invoice information which will be needed at the start and end of every project.Briefings for client projects are needed as well and to develop a briefing program for the client, you have to consider everything you’ll need to know from the client in order to begin a project. You can simply list these questions in an email, send a text document, or direct the client to an online form.Have this plus your business documents ready to go before reaching out to clients in order to make your life easier at handling multiple clients.Speaking of multiple clients, compili ng a list of potential clients that you’d like to work with or currently working with could benefit as you’ll be using this list to reach out, introduce yourself, and to inquire about freelance work.4) Find your first clientNow that you’re all set with your established brand, essential documents, work process, and compiled list of clients, it’s the appropriate time to put it all to use.Try to start by getting 5 to 10 potential clients from your list, reach them using their email or phone and be sure that you are contacting someone within the business directly.Start introducing yourself and find what they are lacking then promote your social media sites in order for them to easily recognize you and what you can do for them. Inform them about your services.evalCreating content is another way to promote yourself to clients. Activities like blogging and updating your content are one of the best-proven methods of generating traffic for your website.Either build a blog on your own or a guest post on an established blog with a bigger audience that you’d like to draw back to your website will be effective. And this process should be done continuously in order for your business to flourish and earn more opportunities.eval5) Continue to grow and stabilize your foundationBy doing all of those listed above, you should be able to circulate workloads and projects efficiently while gathering new clients to work with.Along with those, you also should have the foundation of your freelance business in place such as:Understanding freelance business in detailGoals should be set to work towardsBranding that you perceive that your business currently hasAn online presence with the best works that you made on displayEasy approachability and able to accept work from clientsAnd finally, ready to share and get the word out about your freelance businessBut growing from here is up to you as your own decisions will carve the path of your future in the freelancing business. Divers ify, adapt to the current nature of the industry, and keep working hard in order to continue to grow and stabilize the foundation of what you currently have.evalContinue to work with clients, build up your experience, turn your completed work into case studies so it can market its own for you, then consider the idea of side projects. There is no end or limits to what you can do in the future.Those simple steps are the backbone of becoming a full-time freelancer. Take heed of those and you’ll see, you would be effortlessly juggling jobs and getting the best pay possible as a full-time freelancer.

How is running a marathon like career management - Wolfgang Career Executive Coaching

How is running a marathon like career management - Wolfgang Career Executive Coaching How is running a marathon similar to career management? Let me tell you the story In 2004, I ran the Chicago marathon.   Let me start out by saying, I am not an avid runner. In fact, I don’t think I ran more than 1 mile until my mid-twenties.   I also don’t particularly like running, though I do like the endorphin release it produces and it is a good exercise to keep me in shape.   So how and why did I run a marathon then? Running a marathon was not on my bucket list. Instead I decided to train and run a half-marathon with a friend. It was more about connection and achieving a goal together.   Once I ran the half-marathon, my logical side said, “Amy, after running 13 miles, you will never be closer to running a marathon than you are right now.”   So I decided I would run a full marathon and here is what I learned from that experience. Career management is about utilizing your resources Search for information I didnt know anything about training for a marathon. Looking back, I should have joined a running group for this purpose.   However, I had just moved to Austin, TX and didn’t really know anyone. Instead of reaching out to a running group, I identified a ‘marathon training guide’ on the internet and used it.  Unfortunately, I injured myself 3 weeks prior to the marathon, so, in hindsight, a running group may have been a better idea as they may have been able to help me with a plan to avoid injury. Career management takeaway It’s fine to try it on your own. If you find the resources that work for you great! However, don’t be afraid to seek out expertise from people, even if you don’t know them, or are new to a city.   Finding a group or individuals who can provide information and share their experiences with you might move you farther along on your track more quickly. Career management is about creating a support network Identify your supporters Many people supported me throughout my training. My friends and family encouraged me. My housemate road her bike alongside me on my 18-mile run to keep me company. My sister showed up at the marathon to cheer me on at miles 11 and 17 (and this was before smart phones gave you information on how quickly runners were advancing). Even though I was training for the marathon by myself, my support network was integral  in helping me accomplish this goal. Career management takeaway You are not alone in achieving your career goals! Utilize your support network. Declare your goal out loud and share it with others. Find an accountability partner or partners to help you move forward. Reach out to your network and ask them for help in specific ways that can help you move forward (e.g. connect you to an individual for an informational interview, practice interview questions, send you inspiring text messages, etc.)  Social support is key to achieving goals! Career management is about opening your mind Be open When you have an open mind, you will get help from unlikely sources. I mentioned that I injured myself three weeks prior to the marathon. I suffered a quadriceps strain. This resulted in intense physical therapy and limiting my running to no more than 6 miles during the time I should have been running much longer distances.   While I was cleared to run the marathon I recognized I needed some additional emotional support during the race. On the front of my t-shirt I wrote in tape “Amy, Austin, TX” and on the back of the t-shirt I wrote in tape “My leg hurts. Cheer for me”.   While I was running the marathon, lots of spectators called out my name in support. I also received a lot of “hook ‘em” shout-outs from UT alumni.Having strangers cheer for you really motivates you to keep going.   The unexpected help I got was from the other runners.   The runners are the ones who read the messaging on the back of the shirt.   Several runners gave me messages of support. One runner offered me some Advil in case the pain got too bad. One runner in particular asked me about my pain level at mile 15. I told him that my leg was hurting. He said ‘Buck up! We still have a ways to go.’   It was honestly the exact message I needed to hear at the time. Career management takeaway Your support network will help you in so many ways.   So stay open-minded and pay attention to others you encounter on your path. They can have an impact on your career trajectory more than you can imagine. Career management is not a solo activity! Make adjustments and set realistic goals Know your limitations When I first met with my physical therapist after the injury, she told me that I would not be able to run the entire marathon. She said I would need to walk part of it. This information burst my balloon. I had been training so hard and recognized that after this marathon, I had no intention of running another one.   I had to ask myself, ‘would I consider my goal achieved if I didn’t run the entire thing?’   I decided that my goal was to finish a marathon. To me that meant by running or walking. I wanted to finish.   I was not willing to risk my health and make my injury worse. By the 3rd week of physical therapy, my PT gave me the thumbs up to run the entire race.   I was happy to be ‘physically cleared’, but also at peace that I could still accomplish my goal if my injury flared up during the race and I needed to walk part of it. Career management takeaway We won’t always accomplish our goals in the way we initially set out to do it. This does not mean our goals cannot be met. If you encounter limitations on your path, understand how to best address them. How do they change your goal?   Do you need to adjust the goal or just accomplish it in a different way? A limitation may require adjusting your goal, but doesn’t mean you can’t accomplish it! Leverage what motivates you Knowing what does and doesnt motivate you I mentioned that during the race I received a lot of positive support and a kick in the pants when I needed it.   This support helped motivate me to continue running. I know that I respond well to encouragement. I’m not the type of individual who responds to challenging motivation. For example, if some yelled to me ‘I don’t think you can do this!’   I am not motivated to prove them wrong.At mile 20, a runner passed me and yelled, ‘Only a 10K left to go!’   He was so happy. That motivated him. For the first time in the race I felt deflated. I didn’t think I could run 100 more steps at that point and to have someone verbalize that we had 6 miles left to go was not what I needed to hear at that time. I continued to push through “the wall” and kept going. Career management takeaway Everyone is motivated by different messages and actions. Know what motivates you and encourage your support network to motivate you in those ways. Also, identify ways that you like to be held accountable for meeting your goals. For example, I have some clients who email a friend every week with their progress on a goal. If the client does not send the email, their friend asks them for it.   Others like to be held accountable in 1:1 meetings, text messages, phone calls, etc. Ask your support network to utilize those methods to help you manage your career. Believe in yourself I believed I could finish I still look back at that race and at times cannot believe I ran the entire thing! This is especially true now when a 4-mile run takes every ounce of energy I have.   I sometimes wonder, how did I do it?   I recognize it was a combination of setting a goal, working hard, engaging my support network for help, and something else I believed in myself. I believed I could finish that race. Career management takeaway Managing your career or making a career transition is hard work. It is much easier to stay where you are at, where you are comfortable, even if you don’t enjoy the work.   When undertaking this work, it is imperative that you believe in yourself that you believe you can make the change. New Texas Exes members can jump start your career search with special packages designed just for you! I hope you enjoyed my story it was a big part of my life and taught me many lessons. Have a similar experience? Id love to hear it in the comments below!

I Quit My Day Job The 28 Month Update

World Domination Summit Takeaways/I Quit My Day Job The 28 Month Update I wanted to put my World Domination Summit wrap-up/I Quit My Day Job update in 1 video because theyre so interconnected, and making 2 videos would just be redundant. Right? Right. When I was recovering from my surgery,  I decided that I needed to refresh my website design-wise, so I reached back out to my original designer Bekky. She, as expected, totally got what I wanted and nailed it on the first try! Now were going back and forth on some tricky pages, because when I worked with her on the site in the fall of 09 (!!!!) I only had one offering: 12 45-min sessions and that was it. The whole site existed to drive people to book that package or a consultation call. As you can see now, almost 3 years later, I have about a dozen more offerings at any given time. I want to make sure people find exactly what they need when they come here a $2,000 coaching package, a $19 workbook or something in between and Bekkys helping me do that. But beyond that.well, thats where WDS and my I Quit My Day Job: the 28 Month Update comes in. Click below to see what question sparked different aspects of my website design refresh, my next product/service/offering, a glimpse into how much money Im reaching for to make as an annual salary, pics of my ukulele-playing for 1K people, my new haircut, and My Two Big WDS Takeaways: Stuff I talk about: my I Got Boob Cancer video more of my photos from World Domination Summit Danielle LaPorte