July 12, 2009 • 7:04 am 0
There is a saying, “It’s not personal, just business,” which implies that you can somehow remain removed from the emotion of a business outcome.
However, when thinking about your job search, it is better not to be removed but to be invested very, very emotionally.
Read the rest of my advice on my recent post for CNBC.com Executive Careers at:
Filed under: career coaching, philosophy, resource recommendation , attitude, business, job search, motivation, personal, professional
February 20, 2009 • 6:46 pm 0
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/launchnotes/2009/02/20/caroline-ceniza-levine-six-figure-start
www.herstartup.com is a great resource for women entrepreneurs. All throughout February, Her Startup, founded by Khrys Vaughan, is featuring women of color entrepreneurs on their BlogTalkRadio interviews.
Filed under: career coaching, life coaching, philosophy, resource recommendation , Asian-American, blogtalkradio interview, entrepreneurs, HerStartup.com, Khrys Vaughan, women entrepreneurs, women of color
February 3, 2009 • 1:47 pm 0
Looking for a job is not an easy task. It requires a great amount of planning, followed by a great amount of effort.
But instead of writing about that planning and effort, I’m writing to remind you to enjoy life along the way. Here is a shortened version of a story I read this morning:
A man sat at a Metro station in Washington, D.C. and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station on their way to work.
Barely anyone noticed him at all. The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy! His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes he played, only 6 stopped and stayed a bit. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk. He collected $32 in total. When he finished playing, no one noticed and no one applauded.
The violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell, sold out a theater in Boston and the seats averaged $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the Metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people.
In a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written.
How many other things are we missing?
Filed under: career coaching, life coaching, philosophy , gen y, job search, Joshua Bell, Music, Violinist
January 28, 2009 • 4:21 pm 1
The most successful college students get connected at school: they join a student club or sports team, volunteer for a good cause, or get a job at school. That connection keeps you going when things aren’t going your way.
The most successful job seekers do the same. Those that are laid off need to immediately connect to a group or a coach or an outplacement effort of somekind or they risk becoming isolated. Worse yet, they don’t have the vast resources that a group can share. This is the reason why no country will every send one person into outerspace. Better decisions are ALWAYS made with 2 or more people.
So if you are in college – get connected. When searching for internships – consult your buddies at school, your professors, and of course, your career services group.
And if you’ve been laid off – get connected. When searching for a job – form a “mastermind group” that meets once a week for coffee – to share the information they’ve found along the way.
New resources are popping up every day. I just networked with the founder of www.greatplacejobs. This new website (just formed this past September) lists jobs at the very best companies that are still hiring in this tough economy. There is a small fee to belong, but I searched their database yesterday and was impressed!
So whatever your situation, search for or create a mastermind group of people going through exactly what you are going through. You’ll be surprised, and pleased with the results!
Connie Thanasoulis
Filed under: career coaching, life coaching, philosophy , Career Search, Career Services, Drea Job, gen y, Laid off, Mastermind Group, www.greatplacejobs.com
December 24, 2008 • 6:10 am 0
When conducting a job search, I’ve found that many individuals are their own worst enemy. They beat themselves up about things that happened in the past and they tend to make sarcastic comments about themselves.
But this is the worst possible time to treat yourself this way. During a job search, you MUST remain positive, at all times. You must create a plan and work that plan, which will only make you feel better about the entire process. Here are some tips on how to do just that.
1 – Make sure you read very positive things. Dr. Wayne Dyer is an exceptional writer and motivator and makes you appreciate your individual make-up. Any book of his will no doubt pick you up!
2 – Listen to positive music – no sads songs here Elton! Anything upbeat will do because it’s a proven fact that music makes everyone feel better.
3 – Treat youself to something you really want. When you are not employed, you don’t want to spend a tremendous amount of money, but if you want something – buy it! You’ve always worked hard and you will get over this period of not being employed or not having the job of your dreams – so treat yourself (once in a while!)
4 – Have faith that things will work out. I know it’s easy to say, but we all know that positive thoughts will beget positive outcomes. I think we can all agree that negative thoughts drag the entire room down to dust level. Act like you are having a good time … smile when you don’t want to and you can’t help but feel better.
Enjoy the holidays! We all have a lot to be greatful for. We may not have the job of our dreams right now, but hopefully you have your health, your family and friends, and maybe an adorable cat or dog that instantly makes you feel accepted and loved. I know that 2009 will bring you very good things!
Filed under: life coaching, philosophy , Dr Wayne Dyer, Holidays, job search, Positive thinking
November 29, 2008 • 6:08 pm 0
http://www.cnbc.com/id/27821812/site/14081545
Yes, gratitude sounds good, but as my above article in CNBC.com’s Executive Careers mentions, there is actually a very practical reason to adopt gratitude as regular practice. Optimism stands out in the best way in down markets.
Filed under: philosophy, resource recommendation , CNBC.com, Executive Careers, gratitude, job search, optimism
November 6, 2008 • 5:41 am 0
I cannot stress how important it is to surround yourself with positive people, at all times, but especially during the job search process.
The search for a job is a process that requires you to be at the top of your game at every stage. You must research the firms you are most interested in, you must craft an amazing resume, you must practice your interview skills, and your follow up skills, and more.
When a friend or family member has a bad attitude, or when they are negative or critical, they drain your energy which in turn hurts your chances of doing well.
Tonight, my partner and I attended a silent auction held by a great organization called Savvy Ladies. One of the speakers there was Kim Kiyosaki, author of Rich Woman, and married to Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad.
Kim is a positive force and speaks often about how women must be proactive to build and maintain their wealth. She writes about how women and men are different when it comes to money and investing. Kim wants women to find the “Rich Woman in you … a woman rich in spirit, rich in life experience and rich in all ways financial. To that Rich Woman”, Kim says “Let her soar!”. Who would not want to be around this person?! It was a cold rainy night but we wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
If you are in a job search, make sure you find time for energy boosters. Being in the company of such people can only help you do well and ultimately succeed. Keep your spirit up and your activity high and good things will come your way!
Filed under: book review, career coaching, life coaching, philosophy , energy, Investing, job search, Kim Kiyosaki, Positive attitude, Rich Dad Poor Dad, Rich Woman, Robert Kiyosaki, Savvy Ladies, Success
October 20, 2008 • 2:20 pm 0
The SixFigureStart job search methodology has six steps. I repeat this so often to clients and workshop participants that I can do it front to back and in my sleep. It is so logical, so obvious to me. I have modeled it based on what is most effective of thousands of candidates I have hired and what I have advised coaching clients and what I have personally used myself…And yet, at a routine workshop the other day, I realized that there is a pre-step, a step 0, if you will before any of the six other steps. Before you identify what you want, before you try to attain it, there is step 0 that is simply the belief that it is possible.
I was talking to a young professional at the start of a promising career. This was not supposed to be your grizzled, down on your luck middle-aged executive. But she was indeed grizzled and down on her luck. For every suggestion I offered she couldn’t see it working — at least in her case. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t yet tried it. It wouldn’t work, and she wouldn’t get started only to be doomed to fail. She couldn’t take the disappointment of potentially being disappointed.
Here is the catch-22: we have to believe in the efficacy of our actions in order for said actions to work, but we often have to act in order to believe. Since I couldn’t get her to believe, I couldn’t get her to act, even when the action would have helped her belief which then would have further promoted the actions. This confusing loop is not so confusing really. Aren’t we all attracted to confidence? Don’t we all want to align ourselves with people who will make it happen and not just hope something happens? In this anxious market, isn’t the best thing to be right now to be an anchor and calm in the storm? Confidence, make-it-happen gusto, anchoring and calm are results of a strong belief in yourself.
I opened my workshop differently that night because of my pre-workshop conversation with this jobseeker. I made a disclaimer about our job search methodology. I pointed out that it only works if you believe that it will work. Half-hearted attempts are very obvious to recruiters and prospective employers. If you don’t buy what you’re selling (and as a jobseeker you are selling yourself) then no one else will want it. It is not up to recruiters or employers or friends or anyone else but you to believe in yourself. That belief becomes infectious. Then people gravitate to that. Then possibilities open up and networking becomes easier and the stars seem to align. But only when a strong belief preceds every step of your job search.
Filed under: career coaching, life coaching, philosophy , career coaching, job search, self confidence
September 29, 2008 • 2:40 pm 0
Last week, one of my clients seemed down. I could hear the bad energy over the phone and sensed it in the subtext of her emails. She admitted she was frustrated at the pace of her search. She felt like she was pushing hard with no end in sight. (Keep in mind that her search started less than two months ago, and she was getting great reception from her networking overtures.) In her eyes, she didn’t have that new job yet, so the progress seemed hollow.
My answer was the opposite of what she expected. She expected that I’d do the coach as cheerleader routine and get her to push even harder. On the contrary, I told her to slow the search down. Rather than working every day on it, cut back to 3-4 days a week. Spend the other days on something fun, something that will rekindle her passion, something that will refresh and renew her energy.
Filed under: career coaching, life coaching, philosophy , career coaching, finding a job, job search, self care
September 17, 2008 • 7:45 pm 0
The Chinese Proverb says “May you live in interesting times.” Many also consider it a curse, and you may feel that way if you are an employee at the following firms: Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, AIG and perhaps Merrill Lynch.
When pink slips are circling overhead like vultures over a rotting animal, there are several things a Wall Street vet could do:
1. Be the calm in the storm and focus on your job. It’s so easy for less experienced people to get caught up in the hysteria of it all. If you are a vet, you’ve seen these times of crisis before and you know that we’ll all see them again. Remember the crash of 1987, the layoffs of 1991. We all remember 2001 & what happened in 2002 .. when unemployment benefits were extended to 1 year! Then came 2003 and by 2004 & 2005 companies were hiring like mad again. So live in the present: you have a job … bring all your positive energy to work every day and focus on accomplishing things.
2. Be proactive at work. Think about how to streamline processes and build teamwork. Think about any moral boosters and bring them to your bosses attention. They would be very welcomed during these tough times.. update that resume. it always feels good to have a resume ready to go. It cuts the stress significantly to be able to start networking asap versus.
3. Network with others in your field. If you belong to a professional organization (and we all should join some organization) ensure that you attend these meetings and meet as many people as possible. Networking isn’t about looking for a job, it’s about building relationships. So put a little more time into this area of your life. It’s all about the network!
4. Do not call in sick, do not take 2 weeks vacation at once, do not complain about your job or about your coworkers. Stay connected and be reliable at all times. Make your boss feel like they could not do without you.
5. Do things to lower your stress now … should a pink slip act like a “heat seeking missile”. Forgo that $4,000 vacation & don’t eat out if you can avoid it. Keep your older car instead of getting a new one right now. Keep a “saving log” showing how much you have avoided spending. Make it a contest in the house and have fun with it. Do anything you can NOT to spend money right now. It’s great to see a savings account build up because having 6 months of living expenses in a savings account is a wonderful thing.
6. Spend quality time with family outside of work. Bring the stress down on the weekends and at night by having fun. This will no doubt lower your stress and you will look more relaxed and you’ll be better able to stay calm when and if layoffs come your way.
7. Work out regularly! Endorpins will only make you feel better during this time. It will keep you centered and able to handle whatever comes your way.
8. Find religion! Believing in a higher power brings down the stress. There is something very empowering when you say “I’ll give it all up to you God.” 95% of this country believes in a higher being, so I don’t think I’m out of line to suggest tapping into that higher being for a sense of peace and wellbeing.
Good luck & may the pink slips fly by without even looking your way!
Connie Thanasoulis-Cerrachio
Filed under: career coaching, life coaching, philosophy , AIG, Baby Boomers, Bear Stearns, Family, Fitness, gen y, Generation X, Lehman, Merrill Lynch, Millennials, Pink Slips, Religion, Working out
