The implicit assumption is that if you want to get a new job, you need to know people who have jobs.  But that could be ANYbody with decision-making authority, so it’s not as helpful as you’d like to think.

Read more on my Workbloom blog»

Realize that being a manager is a real job, and your boss is a real person.  She probably doesn’t WANT to make your life miserable, she just finds it a necessary part of getting the work done.

Read more on my Workbloom blog

What would happen if you got in an accident and were in the hospital for six months?

Read more on my Workbloom blog»

The Career You’ll Love

Sponsored by Carl Dierschow’s career blog at www.Dierschow.com Welcome to my career tips newsletter! I encourage you to pass this to anyone who might have an interest in revitalizing their career – instructions for subscribing are at the bottom.

When others bail out

My client this morning was feeling some doubt and uncertainty because other folks in his situation are bailing out of their jobs.  It made him wonder whether he’s just the last person to notice that there’s something bad going on.

Should he leave?  It’s not at all clear.

I’ve been in this situation before, and it’s a tough call.  But the place to start is by stepping back and having a bit of a deep think.

First, realize that others’ decisions may well have nothing to do with your own situation.  Perhaps it was even quite random – three people made their independent decisions, and it just happened that they occurred in a short time span.

Or it could be more serious, yes.  So it’s time to gather a bit of data.  Find out what’s going on, what events happened, what might have changed, what the trend is.

Then come to you own conclusion, based on YOUR priorities and needs.  Perhaps this will even provide an opportunity for advancement and growth, moving into those others’ roles.

Look for the best-case scenario.  Three others have left.  This will give an opportunity to hire some fresh people, maybe shake up some of the bad patterns that you’ve fallen into.  You could make some new friends, and be seen as knowledgeable mentor relative to the new folks.

Then look at the worst-case scenario.  Yes, those people left, and it may well put more pressure on you.  Maybe there’s something going on behind the scenes that you’ll find worrisome.  But life will continue on.  Even if you happen to lose your job, that’s not the end of the world.

The purpose of exploring these two scenarios is to help you think through the range of possibilities, how you might react, and to realize that you have knowledge and resources which can help.  Don’t get too emotionally attached to either, as most likely the outcome will be somewhere in between.

What action you choose to take will make a great difference toward either the best case or worst case.  So think through it and take some action – even if the action is to wait things out and gather more information.

  Carl Dierschow is a Certified Small Fish Business Coach and author of the career management guide, Mondays Stink! 23 Secrets to Rediscover Delight and Fulfillment in Your Work. He is a career coach for those going through interesting transitions, and works with small business owners who need to create breakthroughs in achieving their business goals. Find out more at www.Dierschow.com and www.SmallFish.us.

If you are interested in individual career coaching, group coaching, or other resources which might help you with difficult choices, please contact Carl at carl@dierschow.com.

Connect with Carl on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to get timely updates and connections to a broader range of professionals. To subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, send an e-mail to newsletter@Dierschow.com

© 2011 Possibilities Partnership LLC ]]> http://dierschow.com/wordpress/career/when-others-bail-out/feed 0 http://dierschow.com/wordpress/career/ten-steps-to-starting-your-own-business http://dierschow.com/wordpress/career/ten-steps-to-starting-your-own-business#comments Sun, 02 Oct 2011 01:25:38 +0000 Carl http://dierschow.com/wordpress/?p=1253 No job?  No problem!  Create your own by forming a company!

OK, so it’s not that easy.  But it’s not that hard either.

Read more on my Workbloom blog»

OK, maybe not.   Run your own business and destroy your life savings.

How do you decide?

Read more on my Workbloom blog»

But you also feel locked in, unable to leave your job lest you enter the Great Ranks of the Unemployed.

Read more on my Workbloom blog»

Stories are the way you talk about your life to others.  Through a story you can convey who you are, what you’ve experienced, and where you’re going.

Read more on my Workbloom blog»

The Career You’ll Love

Sponsored by Carl Dierschow’s career blog at www.Dierschow.com Welcome to my career tips newsletter! I encourage you to pass this to anyone who might have an interest in revitalizing their career – instructions for subscribing are at the bottom.

Spending money to make money

Now that I’ve moved out of the corporate world and am running my own business, I’ve experienced a huge mindset shift.  Quite simply, I now look at my life decisions – not just business – in a Return On Investment (ROI) frame.

Growing up, my schooling and activities were paid for by my parents.  When I got to college, they helped me out with the first year and a half, and I paid for the rest.

But I wasn’t thinking of this as an investment of my money that would give me great returns – I wasn’t that sophisticated.  To be honest, I went through college because it was expected, because I was good at it, and I looked forward to the kind of work that would give me after I graduated.

When I moved into the corporate world, any work-related expenses were generally paid by my employer.  If my boss said we could afford it, great, and if not, I’d get annoyed but would comply with the constraints.

This is a dangerous mindset.  You’re giving up responsibility for key decisions to other people.

When it came to personal expenses, I adopted a frugal savings philosophy taught to me by my parents, and combined with a great-paying job, we’ve done very well.  I was never challenged very deeply.

Then I lost my job.

It was hard to know how to make decisions in this environment.  With no income, everything was more than I could afford.  So I had to switch to a different way of thinking about it:  What would give me the greatest return on what I spent?

Here’s an example:  I recently signed up to have a booth at a local business expo.  $400.  I need to have a big sign that will make a professional impression, $325.  Other bits of necessary marketing paraphernalia, another $100 or so.  All things considered, this is actually quite cheap – it would have been trivial for me to spend $3000 on this.

But here’s the return:

• I’m making a significant impression with my target clientele that I’ve had some trouble reaching.
• It looks professional and substantial, reinforcing the value I provide to clients.
• If I sign just one new client out of this, I’ll pay for this entire investment in just the first month.

Of course, I have to make sure I’m not kidding myself about getting a client.  But I’ve done my homework and I’d say the probability is well over 50%.

In the past, what would have held me back from this?

• This is something new I’ve never done before.
• There’s a risk associated with getting the return, it’s not a sure thing.
• I’d be looking for other authorities to make the decision to spend money.

Here’s the challenge I’ll give to you, then:  When you’re working on your next job change or career transition, what’s it worth to YOU?  Not to your current employer. Not to your future employer.  To you.

If you’re going to get value – in having a better life, achieving your goals, increasing your possibilities – then go ahead and spend the money and time.  Don’t look for permission or help from your boss.  OK, go ahead and ask for some assistance, that might help.  But don’t let that hold you up.

  Carl Dierschow is a Certified Small Fish Business Coach and author of the career management guide, Mondays Stink! 23 Secrets to Rediscover Delight and Fulfillment in Your Work. He is a career coach for those going through interesting transitions, and works with small business owners who need to create breakthroughs in achieving their business goals. Find out more at www.Dierschow.com and www.SmallFish.us.

If you are interested in individual career coaching, group coaching, or other resources which might help you with difficult choices, please contact Carl at carl@dierschow.com.

Connect with Carl on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to get timely updates and connections to a broader range of professionals. To subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, send an e-mail to newsletter@Dierschow.com

© 2011 Possibilities Partnership LLC ]]> http://dierschow.com/wordpress/career/spending-money-to-make-money/feed 0 http://dierschow.com/wordpress/career/how-to-remove-competition-for-your-next-job http://dierschow.com/wordpress/career/how-to-remove-competition-for-your-next-job#comments Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:59:51 +0000 Carl http://dierschow.com/wordpress/?p=1201 There’s huge competition for almost every job opening.  No doubt you’ve experienced this yourself, or have watched as others struggled in their job search over the last few years.  If you now are back to work, congratulations.

Now it’s time to be planning your NEXT job, so you have a much better chance to reach your career goals.

Read more on my Workbloom blog»