Career Strategy Roadmap

Creating Star Quality in your Interview

posted on April 7th, 2011 in Interviewing

Imagine the person that would be a real “star” in the position you are applying for. How do you imagine they would be dressed? How would they enter the room? Introduce him or her self? How would they be managing the conversation? What would they want to get from the 60 minute interview? What information is critical so that they can move forward and get the job done? How would they end the meeting? What would be the next step?

What shift do you have to make in how you view yourself to be create that presence? What homework about the …

What is getting your juices flowing?

posted on March 25th, 2011 in Changing Careers

I had an eye opening experience yesterday when I asked a question that I always ask my clients as a way of getting to know them: “What is getting your juices flowing these days?”

I expect to hear about the stimulating projects or creative endeavors they are working on; or the fun things they are doing either at work or outside of work OR even that their juices aren’t flowing at all!

The answer I got was “Let me pull out my folder of all of my complaints”… about everything ranging from the phone company to major global threats. The thing …

4 Strategies for Mastering the Whitewater

Like it or not, there is no new normal that looks anywhere near what the old normal looked like – a nice period of stability between periods of change. Change is the order of the day – not just periodic incremental change, but big disruptive change – permanent whitewater as Gregory Shea describes in his book Your Job Survival Guide: A Manual for Thriving in Change. Naturally this calls on us to develop a different approach to what our real job is – thriving in change no matter where you are on our career path. Shea uses …

Would You Win An Academy Award for Your Interview?

posted on March 3rd, 2011 in Interviewing

I just saw the King’s Speech this past week and recognized some of the anxiety that Bertie felt when he stepped up to the microphone! While Colin Firth put on a brilliant performance, it is probably not a performance that would win anyone an Academy Award in the interview process or in a presentation!

Bertie (soon to be King George VI) made a few mistakes in his attempt to solve a persistent problem and to overcome the fear he knew would be disabling for him in his new role:

He thought he could maintain his façade (identity) …

Climbing the Ladder of Success

posted on February 8th, 2011 in Changing Careers

Yesterday I heard someone say that they had climbed the ladder of success but when they got to the top, they realized it was leaning against the wrong wall. What a great visual metaphor for our career journey!

I think the concept may have come from a Stephen Covey quote: Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.

It is good to ask ourselves from time to time if OUR ladder is leaning against the right wall. After all, once you get to the top, the only way to choose …

Stepping up to bat

posted on January 19th, 2011 in Changing Careers

When you think about it, the whole process of finding a job is like playing a game of baseball – you probably aren’t going to get to home base the first time you get up to bat, so keeping your eye on the next base is the name of the play!

STEPPING UP TO BAT: You have to step up to bat over and over so you get the practice of focus and fine tuning the way you present yourself (the resume)!

FIRST BASE: Your goal at bat is to hit the ball so you can get to first base and at least …

Adding Meaning to the Season of Giving!

posted on December 13th, 2010 in Association Leadership Development, Association Management Careers, Changing Association Management Careers, Changing Careers, Finding Association Opportunities, Finding Opportunities, Leadership Development, Managing Your Association Career

I guess it started with the three magi and their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh or the miracle of the oil and Chanukah Gelt, or maybe the introduction of St. Nick or Santa Claus or perhaps gifts to celebrate Epiphany or the New Year! Whatever the messages from your past or from the media that stimulate you to think about giving – here are three different ways for you to think about gifts during this season:

The first is to consider your own gifts and to give them freely! Often we undervalue our own …