I was talking to my career coaching client Chris from Chicago the other day, and he brought up one of the techniques he’s using to help him in his job search and in his life in general. He has a tough habit of focusing too much on why he doesn’t like his job. It’s hard to break out of this habit because he’s there every day for 8 hours! At the end of the day he feels drained and frustrated and it can be difficult for hi...

Now that I have started working with a marketing consultant I realize that networking requires more of a strategy and more thought than I ever knew. My career coaching client Kelly is a great example. She recently made a list of networking contacts to build her new business in home renovation. We came up with this basic strategy to help her create a structure for her networking efforts and not have them be haphazard. Once e...

My career coaching client, Dan, recently texted me saying he needs to stop going on so many job interviews so that he has time to breathe and really think about his long term career direction. This is a nice problem to have! Are you managing your time to the best of your ability? It is is crucial to stay on top of networking in your job search, but it is just as important to be efficient and stay organized along the way. Do...

I was talking to my career coaching client, Margaret, about celebrating her successes, even the small ones, in her job search. She identified three new things she wanted to have in a dream job. I don’t know about you, but I’m the type of person who has a success and moves on to the next goal way too quickly. I think this is part of why I’m a successful business owner, but I know this is a double edged sword. It gets me into...

I recently spoke with my career coaching client, Damon. He said something to me that I often hear as a career coach and I wanted to share it with you. He said, “Don’t just focus on 1-2 aspects of your life or what you want in a job because that was where I went off track before. I hadn’t looked at other areas of my life to help me determine the big picture of what I wanted in a career.” You want to narrow down your career i...

One thing that everyone must consider when defining their ideal career direction is whether they are more introverted or more extroverted. This can be a make it or break it for whether or not your job is a fit for you. It is also a critical piece to figuring out the best work environment for you. I had a job a long time ago that did not match with my more introverted nature. I was required to be extroverted for much of the...

Sometimes it’s hard to see clearly who we want to be right now, how we define success, and how to find career fulfillment over time. If things are blurry for you, try writing your Career Obituary. Here’s how it works: Fast forward 20 (or however many) years to your ultimate retirement party. Significant colleagues, loyal networking connections, and supportive friends and family are all in attendance. Several of your colleag...

I was talking with my career coaching client, Margaret, the other day. She was giving me positive feedback on our career coaching process, which of course is always great to hear. One of the things we discussed I wanted to share with you, because it’s something you can do to help you define your ideal career direction. Many people I encounter have thought about their career direction but wind up confused with either too man...

I had the privilege of being on a radio show for Q100 here in Atlanta last week. We talked about staying on top of New Year’s resolutions. Here are 4 steps to help you meet your goals that I shared on the show: Create a job search plan that includes your ideal career direction, plus two other possible ideas related to it, in case you need to expand your search over time. Firm up your elevator pitch. What makes you unique? Y...

A key element to spicing up your job search is to ask for information. After working with many career coaching clients recently, I’m finding that people aren’t using the right networking strategy for their job search. Here are some key tips to spice up your job search: Informational interviews are resonating and helpful in your jobs search. Talk to the people in your network who work in an industry you want to be part of. A...