Classy Career Girl

The Secret to A Great Day – Gratitude (VIDEO)

2013-05-23T13:34:40Z

In today’s episode, I tell you about what I do instantly to improve my day. I share with you why you need to create a gratitude list and I tell you what I learned from watching the movie, The Secret.

Tune in to learn the secret to a great day:

Here is what you will learn in the video:

The Secret is a great movie about the law of attraction which says that everything that is coming in your life, you are attracting. When you focus on what you want, the law of attraction will give it to you. If you focus on what you don’t want, the law of attraction will give it to you. So which one do you think you should focus on? What you want, right?!!

Start making a list of things to be grateful for. Don’t focus on what you don’t have. Gratitude is how you will bring more to your life. Every morning and evening say thank you and think about what you are thankful for. When you think of what you are thankful for, you will get more things that you are thankful for.

Get a gratitude journal and every night before you go to bed, write down a few things that you are thankful for in your day. I did this yesterday and I woke up this morning and noticed the sunrise out my window for the first time in a long time. The more you think about how thankful you are, the more aware you are of the great things in your life.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my Youtube Channel for more career related videos!

Book Giveaway: Dealing with Emotional Vampires at Work

2013-05-22T13:31:41Z

When you get into the professional world, you will most likely have to face head some difficult bosses and co-workers. So today I am giving away 5 copies of Albert Bernstein’s book, Emotional Vampires at Work: How to Deal with Bosses and Co-workers That Drain You Dry.

DO YOU WORK WITH VAMPIRES? LEARN HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF!

ANTISOCIALS, who crave excitement in all its forms, including aggression
If your boss or a coworker is trying to push you around . . .
Learn that the most important battle to fight with a bully is in your own mind.

NARCISSISTS, who believe that the universe revolves around them
If your CEO makes Louis XVI look like Gandhi . . .
Learn techniques that diplomats have used throughout history to teach infantile monarchs to act like grown-ups.

VAMPIRE CULTURES: when vampires get promoted to positions of power, they remake organizations in their own image . . .
Learn the 15 warning signs that tell you to get out before sunset.

Here are the ways you can enter using Rafflecopter below:

Like Classy Career Girl on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter @classycareer
Tweet about this giveaway (make sure you mention @classycareer)
Sign up for Classy Career Girl’s newsletter and get her free resources at freecareertoolkit.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open US residence only. It begins NOW and ends on May 29, 2013. We will be giving away 5 copies. The winner will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 24 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. Good luck!

Note: I was provided a copy of the book to review but it did not change what I wrote about it.

Live Resume Makeover Webinar with Anna Runyan THIS Thursday

2013-05-21T13:58:53Z

To celebrate my book coming out this summer, I am giving away something FREE each week until my book comes out! Make sure you check out last week’s giveaway: A Free Networking Success Ebook with tips from 13 Successful Women.

This week you get to ask me your resume questions LIVE. Join me this Thursday, May 23rd, at 5pm PST (8pm EST) to learn how to makeover your resume so that it stands out from your competition. I have been getting a lot of resume questions from readers so I know its a hot topic and I want to help you all out! After reviewing hundreds of resumes over the last few years as a Hiring Manager, Career Coach and Career Development Professor, there are a few resume tips that I repeat OVER and OVER to students and job applicants. I want to tell them all to you on May 23rd!

Sign up for the webinar here.

In this webinar, you will learn:

The #1 MOST important part of a resume
What happens after you submit your resume and how to improve your chances of getting an interview
How to correctly format your resume
Exactly what hiring managers are looking for in your resume
How to grab an employer’s attention in your cover letter
And much more!

Sign up for the webinar here.

The webinar will be recorded so if you can’t make it, don’t worry! Still sign up and I will send you the recording afterwards!

Here is a video that explains a little more about the webinar. Hope to talk to you on Thursday!

What are your resume questions that I can answer in the live webinar?

Monday Motivation: Your Weekly Career Links

2013-05-20T17:09:26Z

This past weekend I was invited to The University of Redlands to deliver a presentation about my advice for professional success. The University wrote a nice little article about it here if you want to read it. I shared my thoughts on networking, job searching with social media, what to wear to work and office etiquette. (I even had to give advice on what men should wear to work which definitely required a bit of research on my end!:)

I will also be sharing photos and videos of the presentation and my trip to Lake Arrowhead over the weekend on the blog soon. And more weekly giveaways will be announced this week! Mark your calendar for THIS Thursday, May 23rd, at 8pm EST but I will be doing something LIVE where you can ask me your questions!:)

Note: If you know any other University or professional group looking for a speaker, make sure you them to my speaking page here.

Here are your weekly career links to start your week off right:

25 Things Every Young Professional Should Know by Age 25 by News to Live By
8 Blind Spots Between the Sexes at Work by Forbes
6 Ways to Improve Your Credit Score Now by Daily Worth
10 Ways to Develop a Mastery Mindset by Escape from Cubicle Nation
6 Daring Women Reveal Where They Find Their Confidence by Oprah

“The greatest form of maturity is at harvest time. This is when we must learn how to reap without complaint if the amounts are small and how to reap without apology if the amounts are big.” – Jim Rohn

Interview with Christine Hassler: Author of 20-Something, 20-Everything

2013-05-17T14:33:52Z

Last week, members in the Get Ahead Club had the opportunity to listen to my interview with Christine Hassler. Christine is the Author of 20-Something, 20-Everything: A Quarter-life Woman’s Guide to Balance and Direction. She is a Gen Y expert and from her passion about education and student development, Christine created a life balance curriculum for the Leadership Institute. She is member of Northwestern University’s Council of 100, The Young Entrepreneur Council and is a faculty member at the University of Santa Monica teaching programs in Spiritual Psychology.

Read this book if….you are in your 20′s or 30′s and are feeling the pressure to make this the time when everything needs to be decided from where to live, to what to do for a living and who to live with.

A few things Get Ahead Club members learned is…

A “quarter-life crisis” is defined in the dictionary as feelings of confusion, anxiety and self-doubt experienced by some people in their twenties, especially after completing their education.
Many of us live beyond our means because we feel pressured to do so. Saying no to things we want or feel others expect us to do or have is difficult because of the “wanting it all” mentality. We want to have fun. We want to go out. We want to look good. We are constantly tempted.
One of the simplest sacrificies we can make is to give up the “wanting it all” mentality.
Everything we do in our twenties to improve our present financial picture makes for a brighter future.
Focusing on others successes weakens our own security and when we compare ourself to others, we risk tying our self-worth to external standards and to our expectations that we should more, better, or different.

Want to get the rest of the interview and start taking action to get ahead in your career this year? You can try the Get Ahead Club for only $1 today and listen to the recordings from all the interviews, get the action plan worksheet, the Cliff Notes and interact with Anna Runyan and the rest of the Get Ahead Club community right now! Click here to learn more.

How to Use Twitter For Your Job Search (VIDEO)

2013-05-16T20:46:58Z

Don’t be afraid of Twitter! In today’s episode, I tell you exactly how to integrate twitter into your job search. Do NOT be scared of Twitter any longer! It is truly an untapped resource for your job search!

I teach a career development course at DeVry University and the other night I was doing a social media tutorial. I asked everyone what social media accounts they used and everyone had a LinkedIn account and a Facebook but NO ONE had a Twitter account. My students thought I was crazy when I said it was a great job searching website….

Tune in to learn how to use twitter to find your next job:

Here is a checklist you can use for job searching with Twitter:

Create a list of recruiters (search recruiter, (your city)
Professional photo and bio (160 characters only)
Link bio to your LinkedIn profile or online portfolio
Make sure what you tweet is job related (quotes, a question, an insight, a recommendation, something personal occasionally)
Participate in tweetchats for your industry
Uncover Twitter Job boards (search (your city) jobs) and add to local jobs list
Follow twitter hashtags #jobs #careers #employment
Set up a week of tweets in 10 minutes (twuffer.com)
Retweet people you are interested in (flatter them!)
Follow industry blogs and news sites to stay up to date with the knowledge you need for interviews

Don’t forget to subscribe to my Youtube Channel for more career related videos!

Free Gift For You: Networking Tips From 13 Successful Women

2013-05-15T13:37:48Z

In yesterday’s book update video, I shared that I will be doing fun weekly giveaways on my blog until my book is in your hands later this summer! Our first giveaway begins today with a BRAND NEW Networking Success Ebook that you can download immediately. The ebook is a consolidation of networking and career tips from 13 successful businesswomen, authors and career experts who share how to use networking to find your dream job and get ahead in your career.

Click here to register for your free gift.

After interviewing hundreds of women on my blog. I have realized that it is really not about WHAT you know. Instead, it is about WHO you know. Interview after interview, successful women tell me how networking has been pivotal to their success.

After reading this ebook, you will learn:

How to get over your fear of networking
How networking can help differentiate yourself in the competitive job market
How to get started networking
What to do at networking events
How to remember other people’s names
Networking strategies for career success

Click here to register for your free gift.

Watch this video to learn more about my free gift for you TODAY!

Click here to register for your free gift.

Classy Career Girl’s Book Update (VIDEO ANNOUNCEMENT)

2013-05-14T14:55:46Z

So….finally a book update!!

I know I promised you that my book would be coming out in May….well…it’s May and no book! But have no fear! The book is just slightly behind schedule and will be in your hands later this summer.

Until the book is in your hands, I have some fun announcements of what I am going to do on the blog instead! And the big keyword is FREE, FREE, FREE!

So watch the video and find out what fun things are going to be happening until my book is finally on the market!

P.S. Did you miss my original book announcement? Do you want to read more about what my book is going to be about? Check out this post where I announce that I finally have a book deal!

Now you tell me, what free things should I add to my weekly giveaways? Ask and you shall receive!

Monday Motivation: Your Weekly Career Links

2013-05-17T19:37:10Z

Happy Monday! This weekend I went out to Target to pick up a People Stylewatch magazine because I “thought” I was going to be mentioned. After cruising through the magazine, I finally found my summer office shoe tips on page 104! Happy to featured with other career bloggers such as Sayeh Pezeshki, of TheOfficestylist.com, Megan Broussard, of Professiongal.com and Alino Cho, CNN national correspondent and host of Fashion: Backstage Pass.

P.S. Stay tuned for a big video announcement about my upcoming book TOMORROW on the blog!

Here are your weekly career links to start your week off right:

Career Advice for Young Professionals from Successful Go-Getters by Brazen Careerist
The 10 Companies With The Happiest Young Professionals by Forbes
5 Ways to Beat Stress and Climb the Career Ladder by Position Ignition
6 Tricks To Increase Your Odds On Job Boards by Careerealism
101 Career Experts all Job Hunters Should Follow on Twitter by Career Pilot

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.”–Norman Vincent Peale

11 Ways to Relax on the Job

2013-05-17T19:38:00Z

Picture this: You’re reclined inside a private chamber with ambient noise lulling you into restfulness. As your naptime concludes, a refreshing white light grows brighter and soft vibrations gently call you back to the day. You feel rested, rejuvenated, ready. Are you imagining yourself at the office? Perhaps, only if you work for Google. Several years ago, the search engine giant began offering nap rooms equipped with pricey “Energy Pods” to help its staff members relax. This top employer, consistently named the number one best U.S. company to work for, understands that when employees are less stressed, they are more focused, more confident, and more productive. By giving them space to unwind, Google has created a calm and satisfied workforce.

Unfortunately, we don’t all have access to such on-the-job sleep technologies. But that doesn’t mean you can’t relax while at work. In fact, since a person’s stress level directly impacts her ability to excel at her job, it would benefit you to do so. Below are 11 simple actions that you can perform at the office to relieve tension, reenergize your body and mind and increase your professional performance.

Exercise

1. Keep a pair of sneakers and socks tucked in a desk drawer. At midday, take a brisk walk around the building to get your blood flowing. Computers, phones, and other technologies drain your energy, but spending even 10 minutes away from the screen can recharge your batteries. Experts say that three 10-minute spurts of physical activity throughout the day earn the same benefits of one 30-minute session. Use this time to check off a third of your daily exercise requirement!

2. If your office is large enough, spread out a yoga mat and stretch for 10 minutes with simple poses you can achieve even in a suit. Stuck in a cubicle? Many moves can be performed right in your desk chair. A quick Internet search for “office yoga” yields numerous workday yoga sequences for relieving neck and back strain. Think of this as the home stretch when done in the late afternoon.

3. Place your feet up on a stability ball or padded ottoman tucked discreetly under your desk. If your office environment permits it, kick off your shoes and wiggle and point your toes. Another way to treat your feet? While seated at your desk, roll your bare soles over a golf ball or rolling pin placed on the floor.

Rest

4. If your company is cool with it, take a power nap. According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, a brief catnap during the day “may be a useful strategy to improve not only mood but also job satisfaction.” If you have 15 minutes, why not run out to your car and take a quick nap in your car.

5. Engage your senses while letting your mind slip away with a mini-meditation session. Light a candle in a soothing scent such as lavender, which alleviates stress headaches, anxiety and fatigue. Listen to ocean or rain sounds (such white noise can be streamed online). Then close your eyes, breathe deeply, and allow your thoughts to slow for a few minutes. Candles prohibited in the office? Mix four drops of lavender essential oil with a half cup water in a spray bottle and spritz in the air.

6. These days, we are multitasking machines. Give your mind a breather by tuning out distractions for one hour and focusing on just one task. Close your email inbox, turn off your phone’s ringer, close extraneous windows on your computer, and shut your office door. You’ll be amazed how easily you can complete a project!

Relocate

7. If you work on a laptop, switch up the scenery by shifting outside or to nearby coffee shop. A change of venue may help you move past creative blocks and can keep your mind fresh. Plus, your body will appreciate a dose of Vitamin D from the sun — or a dose of caffeine from that latte! If you can’t leave your office, ask to work in the conference room or a different office with sunlight and maybe a view.

8. Set a timer for 15 minutes, then curl up on an upholstered chair in the corner and take your mind off work for a bit. Read a good novel, leaf through a magazine or write in a personal journal. Afterwards, you’ll feel refreshed and ready to wade back into tedious projects and reports.

Eat & Drink

9. Make yourself a cup of hot tea — ginseng is energizing and chamomile is soothing. As you sit and sip, wrap both hands around the mug to warm your palms, and then place them on your neck and shoulders to ease built-up tension. Breathe deeply and allow the steam to enter your nose.

10. Take your full lunch hour away from your desk. Perhaps meet a friend or ask a coworker to join you (just steer clear of office talk) for a healthy meal. Your body gets a welcome boost of nutrients and your mind benefits from the mental holiday.

Organize

11. Is your desk or cubicle a mess? Can you find the files you need on your computer? If your immediate surroundings are a wreck, your daily work life can feel unmanageable. Devote a few hours to organizing everything into a place and make a point to keep it that way, and you’ll be less likely to get stressed out in the first place.

What are some of the ways you unwind in the middle of a tough workday?

Today’s article is written by Garret Stembridge of Extra Space Storage with storage locations in over 400 cities, including a self storage facility in Cranbury, New Jersey.

(photo credit: visit_fingerlakes)