CareerWisdom.com.au Career Counsellor - Career Counselling - Career Coach

Careeranthropy… are you “giving back” or “giving forward”?

Lois — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:21:12 +0000

Careeranthropy

Many career clients I’ve worked with over the years have expressed how they seek purpose or personal meaning reflected in their careers. I’ve come to use the term “careeranthropy” to reflect the way that your career can contribute to humankind (“anthropy”) and bring you a sense of fulfilment.

Whilst for some this may be interpreted as deciding on a deliberate shift towards working in a not for profit or starting up a social enterprise, for many it means contributing time, money and/ or skills towards helping others, either within a work context or as non paid work in your wider career.

I’ve met people who later in life after a successful career say that they now want to “give back” – by contributing their skills, knowledge, contacts and energy to help others. That’s great, and admirable. Just think though… what if everyone decided to “give forward” instead? There is certainly no lack of need in the community for assistance, be it reading with first graders, enhancing websites for charities or assisting organisations with strategic planning and governance. The wonderful thing is, you can choose to contribute to something you are passionate about and that energises you. The possibilities are endless.

At the start of your career, and on the way through, the contacts you make and skills you develop when giving (time, money and/or expertise) to the community are strong career builders.

Opportunities abound to help with general volunteering, skilled volunteering, fundraising and giving. If you work for a big company you may find that there are already programs that you can sign up for and get involved. If not, why not be an advocate for promoting a giving culture in your organisation.

Aside from the satisfaction that careeranthropy brings, it also serves to enhance your career , by building networks and new skills.

(Tip: Did you know that LinkedIn has a section for Volunteer Work? You can list your unpaid work, which can be beneficial in demonstrating your skill set and that you are a contributor.)

In what ways do you, or could you “give forward” in your career..? I’d love to hear from you!

3 Things for your Job Quest

Lois — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:06:12 +0000

My family loves to watch the TV show Merlin, the Magician. In the last episode, Prince Arthur set out on a “quest” to prove himself worthy of the throne. I thought later of the quest of job seeking - it too can seem a perilous and exhausting journey at times! Although Arthur wished to do it alone, the quest couldn’t be completed without all the representatives of Courage, Strength and Magic (which of course was where Merlin came in).

In your quest for a prized job or role – you need Courage to firstly decide on a course of action. You need courage to ask – for contacts, assistance, guidance and the belief to apply for jobs that at times may seem a stretch for you. You need Strength – to keep going in the face of hearing “no” and garner the resilience to bounce back and stay focussed. And, if you apply both of these, I believe that you will invite a little Magic to help you along the way. ”Coincidences” – like bumping into the right person at just the right time, or hearing of an opportunity by chance seem to just happen. Inviting a little of that magic into your meetings or interviews, in the form of confidence, along with some courage and strength will see your Job Quest succeed.

Grads and Job Seekers…Get Online and LinkedIn!

Lois — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 11:19:22 +0000

I spent a day recently meeting with company recruiters. What struck me is the pace of change that graduates (and any job seekers for that matter) now face as they enter the marketplace. It is costly and time consuming for companies to find good people. Employers, understandably, are looking for low cost, accurate measures of quality hires. Enter LinkedIn – a powerful online platform that allows graduates and job seekers to load information online in a professional context, so that they can be found as well as research and locate opportunities themselves and network with other professionals.

As a career professional, often working with youth and graduates, I am known to preach…”it’s not what you know (although that is a good start), it’s not who you know (although important too)…it’s WHO KNOWS YOU!” And yet, I’m astounded by how many young people don’t know about LinkedIn. It’s dangerous to only take job hunting advice from parents (who may have limited experience, decades old) or people who may mean well but have not have worked in industry themselves for quite some time. It’s a well known fact that the majority of jobs go unadvertised. Perhaps they think it’s for the ‘oldies’….news alert – the oldies (aka industry professionals, of all ages) are hiring. Connect in person, connect online.. and get LinkedIn!

Lois Keay-Smith

Director, Career Wisdom

Positive Persistence…and a little help from your friends.

Lois — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 13:24:27 +0000

I am constantly reminded when working with my clients of the importance of positivity when looking for work. Developing positive self regard is so crucial to you being able to frame your experiences in a “can do” way to a prospective employer. Similarly, job seeking is a numbers game… staying mindful of this as you contact people in your networks and apply for jobs both ‘hidden’ and advertised is vital. Learn to say “next!!” when things don’t go your way…and keep chipping away. Hang with the positive people and develop your resilience in the face of the word “no”. I just heard that finally, Apple have received approval to make The Beatles music available on iTunes. I wonder how many times they asked…? (more than once, I hazard a guess) ”All you need is….positivity” , persistence, and networks… “I get by with a little help from my friends”.

Mind the Gap…Year!

Lois — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 12:05:02 +0000

As Maggie Dent says in her recent excellent newsletter, Gap Year is starting to catch on in Australia. I’m a big fan of The Gap, as a career counsellor, parent and human being. Traditionally, it is a year off between high school and starting uni or work. It is a terrific opportunity to get to know yourself better, and the world around you.

When I was a young thing I only had a Gap week (after exams I headed off with my boyfriend to Bali). At the ripe old age of 39 I finally had a Gap of 7 months, travelling with my family overseas. A brilliant experience and one that our daughter (who turned 10 along the way, in Paris) will never forget but may well repeat herself when she leaves school.

Choosing a satisfying career involves knowing yourself first – then discovering what is “out there”. What better way than moving out of your comfort zone and seeing and experiencing how other people live and work.

Gap Year – it gets my vote, at any age.

Lois Keay-Smith, Career Consultant

What are your strengths?

Lois — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 10:57:17 +0000

A common (and oft dreaded!) interview question…”What are your top 3 (or 5) strengths?” And a powerful question to ask yourself, when you are contemplating your career choices. Firstly, know thyself! Also, it is great to know what you are naturally good at and gain energy from doing, so you can seek to do more of it. Wisdom from the emerging field of positive psychology suggests that we are best served concentrating on our strengths than pouring lots of energy into trying to improve on our weaknesses.

So, how do you know what your strengths are? There are a few ways… survey, strength cards and stories. Two surveys or questionnaires to establish your strengths that I can recommend are Dr Martin Seligman’s Strengths Survey http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu, which is free (you do have to register). A good value paid survey from the UK, which provides a useful report is found here http://www.strengths2020.com/.

St Luke’s Resources publish some excellent cards too http://www.innovativeresources.org/ – I have Strengths Cards for kids and used them recently with my daughter. It was terrific to see her recognising her strengths (one was “I am Happy”), and gaining a sense of self.

Often we fail to see our own strengths, but can recognise them in others. The hallmark of a great leader is being able to see others’ strengths and harness them in the workplace, group or team. If you have a conversation with someone about a time that they achieved something, you will find in their narrative and descriptions, that there are clues as to what their key strengths may be.

If you’d like to know more, on July 29 in Perth, I’m speaking at LunchBox List’s The Making of Me, You As a Leader Workshop, on “Realise Your Strengths, and Own Them”. http://tinyurl.com/23yn4kn

I wish you well in discovering your strengths. Drop me a line if you’d like to share them with me.

Until next time…

Go well !

Lois

Lois Keay-Smith, Career Wisdom

www.careerwisdom.com.au

Seek…and ye shall…??

Lois — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 01:11:53 +0000

…or do you? When I work with clients who are in transition we talk about tapping into networks to find work opportunities. Online job boards are great…they are easy, accessible and expedient for job seekers – therefore everyone uses them. Employers can quickly and cheaply place an ad on them, hoping to forgo hefty recruiters fees. Unfortunately, the results are not always fruitful for either party.

I suggest scoping them, but also think contrarian – don’t do what everyone else out there is doing. There are l0ts of jobs and contracts that go unadvertised that you may be missing out on – and good people who are not really “in the market” but could be open to the right opportunity coming along.

Cultivating relationships and knowing “who does and wants what” takes time and effort. But it is worth it…recently one of my clients was offered two great jobs on the same day – both through my network contacts who mentioned them. In career coaching we call it “the hidden job market”, but really, it just takes opening your eyes and ears to opportunities and using a blend of both virtual and real networking.

Here’s to your brilliant career!

Lois

Lois Keay-Smith

Career Coach, Career Wisdom

Lois comments in Sydney Morning Herald

Lois — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 08:44:04 +0000

Career Coach Lois Keay-Smith of Career Wisdom comments on shy employees in the workplace. http://tinyurl.com/job-jitters-SMH

Lifting the Mondayitis Fog

Lois — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 04:26:33 +0000

Many clients I talk to admit that there is a certain “fog” or greyness that creeps in, usually late afternoon on a Sunday, as they begin to turn their mind towards the start of another working week. Eventually they decide to seek some career counselling / coaching as a result. (I can’t recall feeling that way myself for such a long time, but do remember it at certain stages and particular jobs in my previous career.)

It isn’t a nice feeling. And of course, it serves as a signal that all is not well with your work. For some it’s a clear sign that it is time to examine what’s going wrong and to determine a better path. For others, they may actually like what they do, but the thought of the work environment (or perhaps colleagues!) creates that gnawing feeling as they approach the “on no, not again..Monday morning” – commonly referred to as Mondayitis. Funnily enough, I get the most hits to www.careerwisdom.com.au on a Monday!

If Mondayitis (and the Sunday fog that precedes it) has become chronic, it’s probably time to pay those warning signs some heed…life’s too short, don’t you think?!

Lois

Lois Keay-Smith, Career Wisdom

It’s NOT who you know….

Lois — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:05:42 +0000

It’s WHO knows YOU!

I recently watched Michael Jackson’s This Is It DVD. As a dance enthusiast I loved it…but I was also completely blown away with Orianthi, a 24 year old guitarist (and now chart topping artist!) from Adelaide who was simply amazing. How did she get THAT gig, you ask ??

1. She showed a passion for music from an early age
2. She was excellent at her craft (largely self taught immersion in guitar)
3. After lots of small gigs, she took up a visible gig – backing a singer at the Grammys, which led to invitations from artists such as Prince and the late MJ himself.

A great reminder that small things can lead to bigger and better things… What one thing can you set in motion this week?