Unearth Your Worth™

Are you the Wind or the Sun?

Lori — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:32:41 +0000

May I share a story with you? It’s one you may already know, but one that I think applies to our pursuit of a new career, a new job, or any dream.

The North Wind and the Sun is one of Aesop’s fables.

Once upon a time, long ago, the North Wind and the Sun were arguing over which of them was stronger. Far below them, a man traveled along a winding road. He was wearing a warm winter coat and a woolen cap on his head.

“We shall have a contest,” said the Sun. “As a test of strength, let us see which of us can take the coat off that man. Whoever does so is clearly the stronger.”

The North Wind laughed, “It will be quite simple for me to force him to remove his coat.” So the North Wind began to blow, making the birds cling to the trees. He blew harder and harder still until the whole word was filled with dust and swirling leaves. The air grew cold and the ground began to freeze. But the man, he clung to his coat.

Finally the North Wind blew directly on the man, as hard as he could, thinking he could blow the coat right off the man. But the shivering cold man wrapped his coat even more tightly around himself.

At last the North Wind gave up the attempt. The dust and leaves settled. “It’s just not possible to make that man remove his coat.”

Then it was the Sun’s turn. So the Sun came out from behind a cloud and began to shine. The birds began to sing. The Sun warmed the air and melted the frost on the ground. And the man on the road unbuttoned his coat, and removed his cap.

Slowly, the Sun grew brighter and warmer. The man began to feel hot. So he took off his coat and sat down beneath a tree for shade.

Amazed, the North Wind asked the Sun, “How did you do that?”

“It was easy,” said the Sun, “I lit the day. Through gentleness I got my way.”

The reason I am drawn to this story is that I am often more like the North Wind than the Sun. Sometimes I need to be reminded to slow down, be patient, and be gentle in my pursuit of what I want.

I also notice this with people searching for their dream job or a career that feels like a calling. They want it so badly they push for answers and clarity, and it just won’t come. Or during a job search, job seekers can get so aggressive in their search for leads, that the job lead becomes like the coat gripped even tighter by the man.

The answer lies in finding ways to be more like the Sun: warm, gentle in our approach, patient, and confident of a positive outcome.

I know I need this reminder. How about you? Are there areas where you might benefit from a more Sun-like perspective?

Don’t let one of “those” days keep you from your dreams

Lori — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:01:11 +0000

Have you ever had one of “those” days? Have you ever thought that the way your life is unfolding, you will never reach your dreams?

Today I have had one of “those” days. I overslept and got up late. I felt rushed and behind schedule before I even got out of bed. As I scrambled to shower and get dressed, in my mind I was shuffling the things on my schedule to make things fit. I ended up cutting the time to design the content for my upcoming teleclasses, because anything related to a longer term goal just wasn’t important enough anymore. I felt awful, guilty for the work I wasn’t going to get done. And I gulped down my cup of coffee so I could perk up before I made my first call of the morning.

I was really tempted try to make everything fit into my day. I thought about working through lunch and dinner, and skipping my workout all together. I also know that for me, working out clears my head and manages my stress. In that moment, I decided that rather than try to make the day fit the plan I had, instead I would throw out the original plan, and make up a new one. I would still workout. Then, rather than spend hours today on developing my teleclasses, I scheduled a little bit of time every day for the next week to work on the outlines and content. Today I’ll draft one outline. Tomorrow I’ll review and edit it. The next day I’ll draft a second outline. And so forth.

Some days are like that, aren’t they? Unplanned, unpredictable things happen. It can really muck with our plans and pursuit of our goals. Sometimes it’s a good thing, like a surprise visit from a loved one. Other times it’s something serious, like illness. And other times, it’s something mundane, like oversleeping.

What if one of those days turns into one of those weeks, or one of those seasons of life. You may feel like you have to put your dreams on hold, just to survive.

Instead of fighting your life circumstances or giving up, find small actions you can take with confidence. Move yourself forward tiny step by tiny step. At the end of the next week or month, in spite of, or perhaps because of your ‘crazy life’ – you’ll find you’ve made great progress toward your goals and dreams.

How do you press on when life interferes with your plans? I’d love for you to share your experiences on my blog.

What it’s really like to have a job you love

Lori — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:31:57 +0000

Where are you on your path of discovering your ideal job? Do you know what you are meant to do? Do you dare to take the next step toward a job and career you love?

I was in a bakery having hot cocoa with a former client of mine. We were catching up and she showed me her portfolio which she put together for her current job search. I was looking at photos of the cakes she had created and decorated. As a fan of the Food Network and baking shows, I feel I can judge a good cake. These were incredible, stunning, amazing.

But even more amazing to me was the woman sitting before me. When we first met she was an artist working at a dead-end job. She was bored. She was burned out. She hated going to work. And she had no idea what else she could do. She didn’t want to go back to school.

As we worked together, I learned one of her hobbies was to bake and decorate cakes for friends and family. When she decided that’s the career she wanted to pursue, she created a tiny portfolio of the cakes she made for family and friends, and she wrote a resume that highlighted the artistic skills that would transfer to cake decorating. As she looked for a job, she feared no one would give her a shot.

Just 3 years later, she’s an experienced professional cake decorator who has worked at several bakeries. She sat before me, confident, thoughtfully considering her options. As we talked over coffee, she discussed the type of decorating she enjoyed the most, told me about the different types of cake environments. She shared with me the types of opportunities she really wanted to focus on.

Before we left the bakery, she introduced herself to the owner, and obtained a referral to the person who provided his cakes, cupcakes, and cookies. She planned to reach out and apply for a job.

I’m inspired by the changes in this lovely woman. When she came to me, she was uncertain, unfocused, and very unhappy with work. Today she loves what she does. She is proud of her work. She is looking forward to her next job. She’s confident and focused in her search.

Having seen her work, I know it won’t be long before someone snatches her up and hires her for their team. And they won’t regret it.

Do you know what you would really love to do? Wherever you are in your path of discovery, I challenge you today to take the next step toward a job and career you love. I encourage you to share it with me on my blog. Then come back after you’ve taken your next step, and share that too. I’ll be here to cheer you on, and to celebrate your success.

Does your ideal job meet your needs?

Lori — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:54:57 +0000

I first met Phil after he had been laid off from work. Phil was a social worker who worked for a mental health hospital. He was depressed to have lost a job he loved so much. He was also an artist who wanted to do more commissioned works. He was hoping that he could take advantage of his time off to do that. His dream was to live and work as an artist full time. He thought this might be an opportunity to create that life. But Phil’s wife had been ill a few years ago, and continued to have a lot of medical expenses. She depended on him to provide medical insurance. He needed a job now, and he needed medical benefits and a certain salary to take care of his wife and family. Phil wanted to have it all, but was convinced that wasn’t possible. He dreamed of having time for his art, he wanted to have a job he enjoyed, and he needed to continue to provide for his family.

It was important for Phil to be clear about not only his dreams, but also his immediate needs. Needs are non-negotiable. Your needs must be addressed in your ideal job description for your next job. Phil’s ideal job description included specific major medical insurance benefits for him and his wife, and a flexible work schedule that allowed him time to work on his art.

Once Phil identified his needs and wants, he found a job at a local hospital that allowed him to use the skills he enjoyed most from his prior job. While it didn’t offer a high salary, it offered opportunity for growth, and more important to Phil, excellent medical benefits. This job also allowed him to work 12-hour shifts only three days a week, freeing up the rest of his time for his artistic pursuits.

Because Phil spent some time getting clear about his immediate needs, in addition to his dreams, he found a job he enjoys, and that meets his needs.

What do you need from your next job? What do you need now? How can you blend your job dreams with your immediate needs? When you do that, you will find a job you love and that truly provides for you.

Ask for the support you need

Lori — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:01:29 +0000

Last week, a woman told me about her experience, and I wanted to share it with you.

Karen works full time in retail sales, and is burning out. Karen has been working for months to figure out what new career she really wants. She has been doing this work on her own, reporting her progress occasionally, and feeling frustrated and scared. She had settled on a career choice, and before she completed the research on it, she began to second guess herself, and started to panic. She wanted more assurance that she was choosing the right path for her.

Last week Karen called me with a new energy and enthusiasm. She had been talking with her husband, and he offered to be more involved in the process of choosing a new career. She was ecstatic. She described him as someone who is smart and objective and who knows her really well. She is excited to have him offer her, not just encouragement, but feedback and more active support.

Karen realized she hadn’t thought to ask for his help. Karen felt she should be able to do this on her own. Once she had his support, and saw its value, she began to seek support from others she trusted as well. She identified a close friend, and another family member, and asked for their help. She also hired a coach to work with her.

I like this story. The reason I like this story is that when I heard it, I realized that I too often forget to ask for support from trusted friends, family, and my own coach. I get caught in the trap of thinking, “It’s my life, I’m the one who needs to figure it out.” Karen’s story reminded me that engaging my support system will give me renewed energy and enthusiasm as I pursue my own dreams, for my career and my life. When I turn to the people who know me, whom I trust, I set myself up for bigger success, and I’m much happier on my own journey.

So as we embark on a new or refreshed journey in 2012, I encourage you to ask for the help and support of others. Make a list of those you trust, those who know you best, and ask them if they will help you in your pursuit of a job and career you love. Consider seeking a mentor or hiring a coach to help you. Ask them to provide their insights, their feedback, and their encouragement. While you’re at it, offer to reciprocate and support them in their dreams as well.

I’d love to hear your stories of support – please share them with me on my blog below.

Fit your ideal job into your ideal life

Lori — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:52:55 +0000

I often write about people who don’t know what they want. I want to talk to today about someone who really does know, and how that may not be enough.

Yesterday I talked with a woman, Dawn, who is rapidly approaching burn out on her job and career. She considers leaving her job every few years, wanting more, but doesn’t take any action because she is afraid she doesn’t know what she wants. As we talked, it became clear that Dawn does know what she wants. Five years ago, she decided she wanted to have children. She wanted a house and family and a lifestyle that revolved around that. She was working at a job that paid her well, enabling her to save money for a house. The company also was very supportive of working mothers, and offered great maternity benefits and childcare. While she hated what she did at her job, these other elements made it worth it for her to stay. Instead of leaving, Dawn looked for creative ways to make the job bearable. She volunteered for new projects, and ultimately transferred to another department.

Today, Dawn is a working mom with a house, who loves her family. She also very clearly is burning out on her job and career. Now she is truly ready to find work she loves. As we talked, she was angry with herself for staying so long. But the truth is she understood that a job, a career, needs to fit into your life, not define it. Five years ago, staying allowed her to pursue other dreams for her life, so staying was a good option for her. Her life has a different form today than five years ago. Today, leaving is the good option. Today she is eager and ready to unearth what type of work would feel great doing. She is ready to move forward toward a job and career she loves.

It is important to know what you want from your life, what is important to you over all. Then choose a job and career that support your dreams and goals for your life. If you’re not sure what that is, this exercise can help. My favorite exercise, the Ideal Day Exercise, is one that allows to you dream about what you truly want from your life, today. Let’s take a look at it now.

Take a moment to imagine your life in 1 to 5 years from today. Imagine what an ideal day in your life at that time will be like. Where are you? What are you doing? How do you feel? Who are you spending your time with? Imagine your day from the moment you wake up all the way through the moment you drift off to sleep at night. Imagine this ideal day in detail – what does it look like? What does it smell like? What sounds do you hear?

Now, write it all down. Take special note of anything that surprises you. For a more detailed description of this, click here http://unearthyourworth.com/my-favorite-exercise-designing-your-ideal-day/

(Note: I believe you receive maximum benefit from this by being very specific. However, I have had clients approach this by doing an outline – and also got something from it.)

Once you know what you want, you can imagine how your career and job fit into your ideal day. Part of knowing what job you want involves knowing how it fits into the life you truly want.

What have you discovered about what you want from your ideal life? Or how your ideal job fits into your life and supports you? I’d love it if you would share your discoveries on my blog.

Can you talk about your strengths?

Lori — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 23:55:49 +0000

“My boss doesn’t value me or my input.” How many times have you had that thought? How many times have you griped to your friends or coworkers, “This company just won’t let me do what I’m capable of!”

I’ve been there. I’ve been frustrated and angry that I wasn’t truly seen for what I offer, valued for what I bring to the mix, or allowed to work on projects I’d do really well. In my case, I hadn’t learned that to succeed in any field, I needed to know what I was good at. I also needed to articulate it clearly to others, like my boss and my co-workers.

My client Bob really struggled with this. He (like many of us) were raised believing the notion that you simply need to work hard and others will notice and reward you. He has since decided that others are often very busy sorting out their own problems and concerns, and just don’t have time to focus on him or what he does well.

Bob was very frustrated at the lack of recognition in his job. So he got a new one. He encountered the same problem again. And changed jobs again. After the same thing happened at a third company, Bob decided maybe there was another way.

That was when he realized that while he wanted recognition from others, he wasn’t very clear on what his strengths were or what he was doing that deserved recognition. He began to do some digging and identified his strengths and skills. He began to keep what I refer to as a Master Accomplishments List, which is a master list of all his accomplishments and achievements from his paid and volunteer work history.

At his next performance review, Bob took a portion of that list to his boss to be sure she knew what he had achieved. She was appreciative of this list and they had a good conversation about Bob’s contribution to the company. Bob felt acknowledged at last. As a result of his conversation, he got assigned to some new projects that he was really interested in.

When Bob decided to change jobs the next time, he again was able to use his ability to describe his strengths and skills to hiring managers. His master accomplishments list provided him concrete examples to talk about during interviews. Bob now feels much more in control of his career, and even better, his satisfaction on the job.

Do you know what you’re great at? Do you know how to talk about your strengths and skills and the value you bring the mix at your job? If you’ve had an experience like Bob (or me), I’d love for you to share your discoveries on my blog.

How to stay motivated and in action

Lori — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:48:07 +0000

One of the challenges of finding a new career or changing jobs is staying motivated and in action.

Kathy had worked hard to determine what career she wanted, and what jobs she wanted to pursue. She prepared her tools (i.e. resume, cover letter, etc.). She was so excited to begin looking for a new job, in a new career as a marketing communications specialist for financial services companies. After about 4 weeks she began to get discouraged in her search, and then she lost momentum. Once she knew what she wanted to do, Kathy thought the new job would just show up, like a reward for her efforts at self-discovery. At first she looked for jobs daily, but by week four, she was looking once a week. She also stopped following up with her network of contacts. She quit following leads if they required more effort than a simple email. After about 8 weeks, Kathy gave up the effort completely. She felt like a failure.

Erin, on the other hand, took a different approach. Once she knew her new target job and career (marketing communications for small arts or education firms), she created a schedule of activities to go get it. The first thing she did was create a support system for her search. She connected with others she met at networking events, who were also looking for work they loved. They agreed to meet every other week for lunch to offer each other support and encouragement. Next Erin made sure she blocked out time daily in her schedule to apply for jobs as well as follow up on applications and job leads. She then blocked out time weekly to research new companies and network online using LinkedIn and Facebook. She also committed to attending at least 1 live networking event a week. Finally, Erin made sure she scheduled time with her family, away from her job search, every day. She didn’t want her search to consume her life. She also scheduled time for volunteering, doing online marketing communications for a local non-profit arts organization. It was a great way to add relevant experience in her new field to her resume, and got her out of the house and focused on others.

After a few months, Erin secured a job working for an arts education organization. Because she had a concrete plan to stay motivated and active, she successfully changed careers and found a job she loves.

What do you do to keep yourself motivated, focused, and in action toward finding a career and job you love? I invite you to share it on my blog.

Is it realistic to pursue your dream job today?

Lori — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:16:42 +0000

I recently received an email from Mary who told me, “I identified the job I wanted, my dream job. I went back to school full time, and racked up a lot of debt. By the time I graduated several years later, the economy tanked, and my dream job was no longer hiring. And the jobs that are similar pay so much less than what I was making before. I’m broken hearted and deeply discouraged. How can you encourage people to go after their dream job when it only leads to disappointment?”

Mary’s story makes me sad, and she is not alone. In fact, one of the reasons I am in this business and do what I do, is to help people find their way without becoming another Mary.

Mary’s story is one most people fear will happen to them, isn’t it? So how can you avoid Mary’s experience? Do you have to throw away your dreams, and just take what comes your way? Or do you put everything on hold until the economy turns around, whenever that may be? I don’t think so. If you do your research and careful planning, you can have a job you love and a thriving career, and you can have it now.

Rhonda worked hard to unearth the strengths and skills she loved to use, along with where and how she loved to use them. She also identified her ideal working environment, and the roles she preferred when working. It is from that list that we began to brainstorm different job titles she could go after. Rhonda’s list included Project Manager, Executive Director (for a Non-Profit), and Event Planner/Party Planner. Before Rhonda chose one of these to pursue, she did her research.

First Rhonda met with at least 3 different people who held each title, so 3 Project Managers, 3 Event Planners, 3 Executive Directors. She conducted an informational interview with each one, to find out what their day to day responsibilities were, what the major challenges of the jobs were, and what the job market was like for each of them. She learned that in her area, Event Planners were losing jobs, and struggling to find work. She learned that Executive Directors needed a bit more experience than she currently had, but that she could easily get that experience volunteering.

Next Rhonda did some research online to learn about the salaries associated with each position. She learned that Event Planners didn’t make as much as she needed. She began to rule out the Event Planner idea, and narrowed her research to focus on Project Manager and Executive Director jobs. Both still appealed to her, and after doing more research, she discovered there were more Project Manager jobs available, especially if she pursued certification.

Since Rhonda wanted a change sooner rather than later, she decided to pursue a Project Manager position now, and keep her eyes open for any Executive Director opportunities that might be available later.

Rhonda is now on a new path, one that works for her financially, and provides her with the security and future she desires. She ruled out the options that wouldn’t work for her.

Once you know what types of jobs appeal to you, I encourage you to do your research. Find out as much as you can about the reality of those jobs and careers. Are they growing? Do they pay what you need? Are there certifications or training required? What are the real day to day responsibilities of the job? How hard is it to break into that industry or area? If you research all your options, you will find one that will work for you, now. You can end up like Rhonda, not Mary.

What are some of the aspects of a new job or career that you feel are critical for you to research in advance? I invite you to share them on my blog.

Translate your strengths into an ideal job

Lori — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:32:59 +0000

Rick was an IT Help Desk Manager looking for job satisfaction. He had lists of strengths and skills, values, roles, responsibilities, and a description of his ideal work environment. He still didn’t have any idea what he wanted to do, or where he wanted to do it. He was feeling frustrated and overwhelmed by all the information he had collected. Yes, he knew himself better than before, he was clear on what he offered, but he didn’t know how to pull it all together.

So Rick wrote himself a story about the work day he really wanted. This is a story about the job he really wanted, and how it fit into his life, on an ideal day when everything goes smoothly, and everything went his way. It’s a way to see how all the information he’d learned about himself fit together into a job or career. The story had no job titles in it, just activities and people. What he did, who he did it with, along with when and where.

Rick’s story answered the question: What is an ideal work day like, from the moment you wake up to when you go to bed at night? It answered the questions of who, what, where, when, and how. He included his strengths, his values, and his ideal work environment.

Now, at first you might think Rick’s ideal work day (or yours) would include being independently wealthy, in charge of everything, and in a world where nothing went wrong. That wasn’t true. Rick’s ideal work day included people coming to him all day long with hard IT problems to solve. It included him working closely with a few others to problem solve, and then find solutions. It included having people come to him who were difficult to deal with, and in his story, he helped calm their anger and frustration. They left with a smile.

As Rick reviewed his story later, he found clues to the type of job he really longed for. He found the types of challenges he enjoyed, as well as clues to the types of technologies that were important to him. Rick was later able to transform into his own “Ideal Job Description” to compare to job postings and to guide his interview questions. In writing his story of his Ideal Work Day, Rick gained clarity regarding his ideal job, and what he really wanted.

This clarity helped him focus as he moved forward with his job search. It helped him focus his search on the right positions for him, and no longer waste time on jobs that would never satisfy. Ultimately, he landed a job that met about 75% of his Ideal Job, and 100% of the elements that were most important to Rick.

Have you taken the time to write your story about your real ideal work day? I’d love to hear what you discover. Please share it on my blog.