Still working on some final edits…but please check out my new video — just click on the link below!  You’ll learn a little about me and my signature coaching programs for career change and career advancement.  Thanks to AJ Media Services for their excellent work!  Here it is:

Dorrie Presson – Coaching for Career Change or Advancement

One of Trevor’s graduation gifts is going to be “What Now?” by Ann Patchett, a book that’s based on Patchett’s commencement address at Sarah Lawrence College.  It’s full of  ”hope and inspiration for anyone at a crossroads.”  While perfect as a graduation gift, I’ve also recommended the book to my coaching clients who are in career transition or making a career change.

Here’s a favorite quote from the book:

What now is not just a panic-stricken question tossed out into a dark unknown.  What now can also be our joy.  It is a declaration of possibility, of promise, of chance.  It acknowledges that our future is open, that we may well do more than anyone expected of us, that at every point in our development we are still striving to grow.

Patchett offers an authentic voice on this question of  ”What Now?”   Her path to becoming a best-selling author has had its  share of twists and turns, including a stint as a waitress at T.G.I. Friday’s after earning her Master’s of Fine Arts.  If you’re a fan of her many best-selling books, you’ll appreciate learning more about her background and journey.

Pick up a copy of this quick and encouraging read at Ann Patchett’s own Parnassus Books, her new independent bookstore in Nashville, TN.

After setting up the Informational Interview, take time to thoroughly prepare and develop a list of questions that you plan to ask.  Here are some sample questions (you won’t time to ask all of these), or develop your own.

Would you tell me a little about your background and what you led you to pursue your work in _______________?

What are the major qualifications for success in this field?  What particular skills or talents are most essential to be effective?

Is a certain educational background/degree/major recommended?  What is your educational training?

What is your work like?

- What are the responsibilities of your job?

- What kinds of problems do you deal with?

- Do you work more alone or as a part of a team?

- What kinds of decisions do you make?

What is a “typical day” for you?  (If they say, “there’s no typical day,” ask them to describe what yesterday was like and how today is different.)

What is the reality of your work as compared to the perceptions?

What parts of your work do you personally find most satisfying?  Most challenging?

What kinds of changes are occurring in the profession?

What are your impressions of the job prospects for someone like me considering entering your career field?

If you could do things all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself?  Why or why not?

I’d appreciate your candid input about this career path I’m considering.  I welcome any “words of wisdom.”

And before closing out the interview, remember to ask…

Could you recommend any other people  who might also be kind enough to talk with me about _____________?

 If you requested 30 minutes for the interview, then be respectful and conclude after that amount of time unless they offer to continue.

Two final tips:

(1) Write the all important handwritten thank you note to each person who takes the time to talk with you.

(2) Going forward, keep the professionals you’ve interviewed updated on your progress and let them know of the ultimate career decision that you make.

Have you held an Informational Interview?  Did it help?  What did you learn?  

When: Thursday, February 2nd, 9:00 AM.

Where:
First Farmers & Merchants Bank (near the Marriott Cool Springs)
300 Billingsly Court
Franklin, TN 37067615-202-0225

Cost: $15 with pre-registration; $20 for all at the door, space permitting.

Meeting Facilitators:
Dan Aronoff (615) 202-0225;  danaronoff@comcast.net

Dorrie Presson (615) 336-6432  info@dorriepresson.com

Agenda:
9:00 am – 9:30 am – Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:30 am – 11:00 am – Structured Networking

Agenda: Continental Breakfast, then networking around the table, giving everyone an opportunity to have face-to-face conversations with one another that will lead to contact and lead generation. Dress is business casual.

Make sure you bring your business cards (at least 20), smartphone contacts and any job leads. And, be prepared to give and to receive.

Please contact me via phone or email if you’d like to join us this Thursday!

It seemed appropriate to share my favorites from the “tool kit” on this first day of 2012.  (I regret that I don’t know to whom to attribute the following words of wisdom.)

Keep your eyes on the prize

Set goals and know what you want, where you want to be, and how you will get there.  You will be empowered by every step you make towards your goals.

Stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone

Know your safety limits, but also dare to take risks.  Don’t be afraid to face your fears, and step out of your comfort zone.  If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always got. 

Embrace change

The dragonfly represents change.  In order to grow, you must be wiling to change. Change will do you good.

Penny for your thoughts

Your thoughts and opinions matter.  Don’t be afraid to express yourself.  Talk about your fears, your needs, your ideas, and your dreams. 

Erase your mistakes

Don’t beat yourself up over mistakes you make.  Erase your mistakes but learn from them and do better the next time around.

 Tip up loose ends

Don’t leave things undone as things undone clutter the mind. Tie up loose ends, finish what you start and you will feel accomplished and empowered to move on to the next tasks. 

Spread your wings and live

You are capable of so much; spread your wings and live your life as if you were a butterly.  Explore, take time to smell the flowers and enjoy life!

I encourage you to live these out…and have an amazing year in 2012!

1. Lack of  clarity regarding your target role and industry.

Before launching your search, take the time to get crystal clear on the functional role and industries you will target in your job search.  Without this critcal step, the search will lack focus and result in a much longer search than necessary.   This is also a step to complete before working on your résumé.

2. Inability to articulate your value.

What are your unique attributes –your skills, strengths, values, and passions?  How are you different or special from other job seekers seeking the same role?  If you aren’t yet able to articulate your personal brand, then do some self assessment before moving forward in the search.

3.  Spending too much time searching job boards.

While the job boards may be one part of a search strategy, using the online boards certainly isn’t the only or most effective way to search for a job.  In fact, less than 5% of those in a job search land their position through an online posting, so time spent on this activity ought to reflect this very low success rate.  On the other hand, since networking leads to a job offer for nearly 80% of job seekers, plan your time spent on this strategy accordingly.

4. Ineffective networking.

Before you ever contact the first person  for a networking meeting, do the necessary prep work to make  a positive impression and get the most helpful information from your contact.  Create a one page Marketing Plan that includes such things as your value proposition, ideal positions, target companies, recent positions / employers, and education. By sharing a document such as this with your networking contacts, you’ll be much more likely to have a productive meeting and get the information and referrals you’re looking for.  And don’t forget to keep in touch with your network so that you stay “top of mind”–perhaps sending a quick update every 3 weeks or so.

5. Overlooking  the importance of social media  in today’s job search.

Social media continues to grow in its influence in the job search process.   Embrace the benefits that LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter can bring.  Social networks are a powerful way to connect directly with recruiters and hiring managers and to promote your personal brand online.   Want to learn more?  I’d recommend Joshua Waldman’s excellent book, Job Searching with Social Media for Dummies.

6. Failure to devote enough time to your search

Taking an organized, planned approach to your search, with adequate time devoted to key job search activities, will go a long way towards landing a job more quickly.  If you are unemployed, some would say that job searching should be your new, full-time job.  Another view is offered by Steve Dalton who suggests spending just two hours a day in his new book, The 2-Hour Job Search:  Using Technology to Get the Right Job Faster.  I haven’t read it yet — but plan to — and will be sure to post my review. 

7. Lose motivation after lack of results in early stages.

If you persevere in giving your best effort and doing the right things in your search, you will be successful.  At the end of the week, celebrate all that you accomplished rather than just focusing on whether or not you have landed a new job.

8. Inadequate preparation for interviewing.

Anticipate the interview questions you might be asked, and then practice your responses out loud.  You don’t want to ”wing it” when it comes to interviewing, so ask your spouse or a friend to help you prepare via a mock interview. Develop 15 – 20 stories to tell in response to the expected behavioral questions that begin with “Tell me about a time when…”    No need to memorize your stories…just the 3-4 points you want to get across that highlight your strengths and are relevant to the positon.

So in which of these areas will you make adjustments in order to land that coveted position ?

On the other hand, I experienced no immediate gratification for the hard work of planting 150 crocus and iris bulbs about four inches beneath the soil, and the digging, preparation of the beds, and planting actually took considerably more time and effort than the pansies.  The lovely display of blooms pictured on the bulb packaging helped provide motivation to continue with my bulb planting project despite knowing that I wouldn’t see any results for my efforts for at least 3-4 months. 

What does planting bulbs have to do with networking?  If you’ve been in a job search for any length of time, you’ve no doubt learned that networking is the most effective way to land your next position.  At least 60% of jobs are found through networking, and I’ve even seen some numbers as high as 80%.  What’s odd is that while most people understand that networking is the key to a successful job search, I don’t see many job seekers who are actively pursuing a strategic networking plan.  Unfortunately, networking can be like bulb planting because of the lack of an immediate ROI for networking efforts.  The seeds you plant today in a networking meeting might not ”bloom” until several months later when that individual learns about a new position in her company that would be a perfect fit for you.  

I’ve heard plenty of job seekers share that they have applied for hundreds of online job postings, and that applying online has been the sole activity in their search.  Pursuing online postings can give the illusion of productivity.  (I applied for five jobs today!)  Most people don’t realize the dismal statistics–that only 5-10% of those in a search have success landing a position using this approach. 

Networking can be difficult, requires patience, and rarely brings immediate results.  But it is how every job seeker should be spending the majority of their time.  In my next post, I’ll share some ideas for designing a smart and effective plan for your job search networking.   

What “bulbs” are you planting this week as part of your networking strategy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNR9RBEJ0Uo

Enjoy and be inspired to find your purpose.

If you are at the stage of clarifying what your dream job looks like, Acuff also has some wise counsel for you, including the following five questions to ask yourself:

1. What do I love enough to do for free?

What is is that you enjoy enough that you’d do it even if no one paid you for it?

2. What do I do that causes time to feel different?

What are you doing when you are so “in flow” and “in the zone” that you lose all track of time?  According to Acuff, “time shifts when you’re doing what you love.”

3. What do I enjoy doing regardless of the opinions of other people? 

What would you do even if you never received affirmation for it? 

4.  If only your life changed, would that be enough?

Is the journey itself reward enough for you?  And what if is has no impact on others? 

5.  Are there consistencies in the things you like doing?

What patterns do you see in your life experiences (both positive and negative lessons)?

Take some time to give thought to these questions–you might just come a bit closer to identifying your dream career!

If you don’t want to continue in your current path but aren’t sure what’s next, then Acuff also has some suggestions for you, including a key question to focus on.

I appreciate the way he outlines the difference between a discovery and a recovery question, and why the recovery question is the one to explore. 

“It’s exhausting.  The question, ‘what do I want to do with my life?’  is nearly impossible to answer confidently and concisely.  You’re really asking, ‘How do I discover what I want to do with my life?’  That is a question that points you into the vast expanse of the entire universe for an answer.  But if finding your dream is an act of recovery, that changes everything.  Instead, the question becomes ‘What have I done in my life that I loved doing?’ Instead of a million different options from out there, you’re suddenly left with a manageable handful of options from within your own experience.”

So start giving thought to your life and history and to what you’ve consistently loved doing.  Do any patterns emerge?  I’ll share some additional helpful insights from Acuff and questions for career clarity in my next post.