The Exclusive Career Coach

Welcome to the second 100 episodes of The Exclusive Career Coach! Today, I want to talk about volunteering as a strategy for developing your career. Here’s a definition of volunteering: Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity where an individual or group provides services for no financial or social gain "to benefit another person, group or organization". ... Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Let’s begin by defining the types of volunteering experiences available. My source for this information is gooverseas.com. While the focus of this site is volunteering abroad, their information also applies to local volunteering. Type #1 - Short-Term Volunteer Programs In a short-term volunteer program, volunteers provide service to a community on a short-term basis and/or focus on the cultural learning experience. These programs can be for-profit or not-for-profit. Quick facts about short-term volunteer programs: · Offer short-term volunteer positions (from one week to three months). · Generally do not require volunteers to have specific educational or professional qualifications. · Are the most common types of overseas volunteering programs available. The biggest disadvantage to short-term volunteering is you may be “gap filling” meaning you may not have the opportunity to make much of an impact. Local examples of this type of volunteering might include helping out with a local arts festival or event, ushering at for a concert series, or helping to plan and execute a 5K race. Type #2 - Long-Term Volunteer Programs The focus of most long-term volunteer placements work is on empowering local people. These programs often involve some kind of skills transfer and may require volunteers to have specific educational or professional qualifications. Quick facts about long-term volunteer programs: · Generally not-for-profit. · Require volunteers to have specific educational or professional qualifications or provide training to support volunteers in developing the requisite skills. · Usually involves the transfer of required skills and knowledge to individuals and groups over a longer time period e.g. six months or more. The primary advantage of long-term volunteer work is that volunteers usually work very closely with local people on long-term issues; this gives you the chance to potentially see your impact on big, difficult issues. A disadvantage is that, as the project is long-term, it can take a long time for the results of the program to become visible. Local examples of this type of volunteering might include serving as a foster dog or cat parent, building houses with Habitat for Humanity, and becoming a guardian ad litem for children in the court system. Type #3 - Conservation Volunteer Programs Conservation volunteer programs are primarily concerned with conservation and environmental work in the field. Quick facts about conservation volunteer programs: · Focus on environmental issues on a local or global scale. · Can involve working with endangered animals, threatened environments (on land or in the ocean) or even with organic or sustainable farming projects. · Are generally very hands-on and offer a real chance to learn about global conservation challenges and how they are being confronted. Advantage: One good advantage of conservation volunteer projects is that they are often results-orientated so it’s far easier for you to identify -- and measure -- your impact. Conversely, your impact may not always be welcome. A notable disadvantage is that volunteers may face hostility from local people or agencies is possible, particularly where there's a tension between the destruction of environmental resources and the need for economic development. There are plenty of local opportunities to volunteer with conservation groups. Think of your specific skill set, conservation-related passion, and availability: can you clean up a stream one Saturday? Would you like to participate in a more long-term project, such as removal of an invasive plant species? How could you support recycling efforts in your community? Type #4 - Relief/Emergency Programs The focus of most relief or emergency volunteer work is on emergency situations, which could arise as a result of conflicts or natural disasters, such as volunteering with refugees or volunteering as part of hurricane relief efforts. Projects are usually run on short notice and concentrate on basic needs, such as the provision of food, water, sanitation, medicine, and shelter. Many placements require specific professional and educational qualifications, as well as relevant prior experience. Quick facts about emergency relief volunteer programs: · Work in disaster areas and help those who need it most. · Requires volunteers who can adapt to the immediate needs of the context. · Can take the form of work in the aftermath of an emergency or in destinations where forward-planning for future distasters is required. The biggest advantage of volunteering in emergency relief is that the results of your hard-work will be readily visible; you can see the impact you're having on a daily basis. This can come at a cost though; one of the primary disadvantages of this type of volunteer work is that it can be very stressful and emotional on a personal level. Many top volunteer organizations provide support to volunteers to help manage this burden. Local availability of these types of volunteer opportunities means either you’ve had a disaster in your area or you can help with local efforts towards a disaster that has happened elsewhere in the world. I want to add to gooverseas.com’s list with a more local viewpoint. When you are volunteering in your community, you have the opportunity for one-off or very short-term volunteering. Just yesterday, for example, I was telling a friend that I was thinking of volunteering with the artist series here in Tallahassee. They might want me to serve as an event usher, help take tickets, or assist with parking. Here are the benefits of this type of volunteer experience: · The opportunity to interact with the people you want to make contact with · An indirect way of supporting the arts in your community · Free access to high-quality entertainment The Benefits of Volunteering Beyond the altruism, there are several tangible benefits to volunteering; here are a few specific to career advancement: -You have the opportunity to get to know other volunteers. These people can be sources of job opportunities or even hire for their companies. -You have the opportunity to interact with those taking advantage of the volunteer services you are providing. -You have the opportunity to develop career-related hard and soft skills. -You are demonstrating community engagement, which looks good on your resume. -You can try on a different career before making a long-term commitment to that career. -You can utilize a passion or interest area that isn’t being utilized at work, which may make you more satisfied with your job.   Leveraging Your Volunteer Experience Finally, here are tips for leveraging your volunteer experience: -Connect with everyone you meet through your volunteering via LinkedIn. -If the connection has seen you working, ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn. -Include your volunteer experiences on your resume and LI profile. -TALK to people. Get them talking about their work; be interested and ask insightful questions. You never know where these conversations may lead. -Schedule one-on-ones outside the volunteer venue. Offer to help and ask for help. -Give it your best effort. Although not being paid, treat your volunteer experience with the same level of commitment and excellence as you do your paid job. Bottom line: volunteering should be, first and foremost, an altruistic act. Ideally one that marries your skills (either current or those you want to develop), your passions, and your goals. Look at several opportunities, ask questions about the organization and the leadership, try it on for size if at all possible. Commit only when you’re all in. Then give it your very best.     To visit my website: www.exclusivecareercoaching.com   Follow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of valuable career management content in easily digestible bites.   Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Need help figuring out what’s holding you back from achieving your dream career? Let’s talk. Here’s the link to schedule a 45-minute consult call with me:  https://my.timetrade.com/book/KRKLS. Hope to see you soon!     

This week's episode is a trip down memory lane, with a look at how this podcast started, how it got to episode #100, and where we're going from here.As my present to you, here's a teachable moment from the 100-episode Exclusive Career Coach podcast host: Love the work you do.No, you won’t love every day or every task.But, on balance, you should love your job. Being miserable at work doesn’t just affect the results you get at work.It affects your relationships.It affects your sleep.In other words, it affects everything. Here’s the best news: You get to decide whether to love your job or not. It’s totally up to you.The only thing responsible for being miserable at work is your own brain.Not your boss. Not your coworkers. Not your paycheck. Not your company. Not your commute. Your brain.Sure, you can get up in the morning and dread going to work.You can think “I hate my job.”But, does that thought serve you?What if you decided today you were going to love your job?You were going to be grateful for the paycheck, the benefits, the people you get to help?Doesn’t mean you have to stay there.It simply means you’ll have a better experience while you’re still there. To visit my website: www.exclusivecareercoaching.comFollow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of valuable career management content in easily digestible bites.  Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Need help figuring out what’s holding you back from achieving your dream career? Let’s talk. Here’s the link to schedule a 45-minute consult call with me: https://my.timetrade.com/book/D6KLN. Hope to see you soon! 

  I do a lot of interview coaching with my clients. I write about interviewing. I have done several podcasts around the job interview. I’ve conducted dozens of actual interviews in higher education, nonprofits, and retail management. I am considered an expert in interview preparation. In light of my credentials, and because it’s near Halloween, I decided to give you my Unlucky 13 Fatal Interview Mistakes. Probably not in the way you are thinking. Rather than talk about specific questions candidates answer “wrong,” I want to talk about the bigger picture here. The fatal ways in which candidates show up improperly for the job interview. 1. Interviewing “just for practice.” (This can absolutely come back to bite you in the butt.) 2.    Not doing your homework on the company/product/industry. (Which means, among other things, that you won’t be able to articulate how you are the perfect person for the job.) 3.    Not doing your homework on the people you will be interviewing with, whenever possible. (Think foot in mouth.) 4.    Not preparing your Challenge-Action-Result (CAR) stories to answer behavioral interview questions.  (You simply can’t ace an interview without preparing for the behavioral questions, and you can’t wing them, either.) 5.    Not being able to clearly and concisely articulate your brand differentiators. (Why should they hire you over the sea of candidates they are considering? If you don’t tell them, who will?) 6.    Minimizing your achievements/qualifications. (This one’s specifically for the ladies – it ain’t bragging if you can prove it.) 7.    Showing up late / on time. (On time IS late.) 8.    Not making a good first impression with your appearance. (Top to bottom, they are judging you on first impressions.) 9.    The dead-fish handshake. (Especially if you are a dude shaking a woman’s hand.) 10.Leaving the interview without a clear understanding of what’s going to happen next. (Not only do you need to know what’s next, it will make you look more interested in professional when you ask.) 11.Not showing your enthusiasm for the company, the position, the product, etc. (They need to know you want THAT job, not just ANY job.) 12. Being discourteous/dismissive of ANYONE you come in contact with at the company. (What – you think they don’t share this information?) 13.Thinking there’s EVER a time during this process when you aren’t being interviewed. (From the initial contact to set up an interview, to you getting out of your car in their parking lot, to your manners over lunch…it’s all interview.) www.exclusivecareercoaching.com   Follow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of valuable career management content in easily digestible bites.   Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Need help figuring out what’s holding you back from achieving your dream career? Let’s talk. Here’s the link to schedule a 45-minute consult call with me:  https://my.timetrade.com/book/D6KLN. Hope to see you soon!     

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about boredom at work. Not only for my clients, but because I’m dealing with a bit of boredom in my own work. I’ve just completed a couple of big goals in my business, and I’m challenged now with finding the next big thing I want to go after…so I’m a bit bored at the moment. Which got me to thinking about how some people stay at the same job for decades and totally love their work, while others feel stagnant after just a few years. I think it’s important at this point to talk about the stages of learning: 1. Unconsciously Incompetent 2. Consciously Incompetent 3. Consciously Competent 4. Unconsciously Competent Here’s the point: when you’ve been doing the same task, the same way, for a while, you become unconsciously competent at that task. In other words, your brain, in its propensity to want to be efficient, creates a neural pathway relative to that task, and relegates that task to your subconscious. In other words, you can do that task without really thinking about how to do it. Here are some examples of unconscious tasks you may do daily: -Drive to work -Brush your teeth -Walk your dog -Tie your shoes Once you tell your brain “It’s time to go to work,” your subconscious takes over with grabbing the car keys, locking your front door, walking to your car, unlocking your car, putting the key in the ignition, backing out of your parking space, and pointing your car in the direction of your work. If you had to give conscious thought to each of those tasks, your brain would be very busy…and would have very little capacity to think of much else during the time you were consciously getting yourself to work. How does this relate to work? Let’s say you work in public relations, and one of your jobs every day is to scan social and print media for mentions of your employer. You’ve been doing this task five days a week for a year now, so your brain has become very efficient at doing it. You have a system in place to get this task done, and your brain has practiced going unconscious until you find a mention of your employer. While you are very efficient at performing this task, you begin to find it very boring. You’re not learning anything new, so you’re not forming any new neural pathways. Your brain isn’t getting a workout, so it might be going a little soft in the middle. With all of this in mind, here are some suggestions for how to shake things up so that your brain is engaged more at work: 1. Do the rote task a different way...in a different sequence 2. Do the rote task in a different location 3. Do the rote task at a different time of day 4. Break up the rote task into bite-size chunks, if it is time-intensive 5. Create a challenge/reward around the rote task 6. Swap your rote task with a coworker’s rote task 7. Learn something new while doing the rote task (such as listening to an educational podcast) 8. Ask to take on a new responsibility that will NOT be rote for you 9. Speak with your boss about reassigning the rote task so you can take on something more challenging for you 10. Use puzzles, games, and other tools to engage your brain   To visit my website: www.exclusivecareercoaching.com Follow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of valuable career management content in easily digestible bites.   Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Need help figuring out what’s holding you back from achieving your dream career? Let’s talk. Here’s the link to schedule a 45-minute consult call with me:  https://my.timetrade.com/book/D6KLN. Hope to see you soon! 

I get a lot of questions about recruiters, so I figured some education was in order. Specifically, people ask me if they should be connecting with recruiters as part of their job search strategy. They are talking specifically about third-party recruiters, as opposed to recruiters who are employed in the HR department of a company and are recruiting solely for that company. As a general rule, I prefer recruiters as part of a long-term career management strategy, rather than as part of an active job search. Also, keep in mind that the terms “recruiter” and “headhunter” are synonymous. There are two primary types of recruiters, with some other flavors thrown in the mix. Contingency Firms These are what I like to call “one of many,” in that contingency firms are competing against each other to bring the winning candidate to an employer. Rather than an exclusive relationship with one recruiter, an employer might let a half-dozen contingency firms know about an opening. The only firm that receives payment is the one that brings forth the candidate the employer hires. You see contingency firms in use with mid-level jobs; typically the executive jobs will be managed by the next type of firm. Contingency firms will often “pre-screen” candidates ahead of an actual job opening, because speed is the name of the game here. If they wait for the job to be posted to look for suitable candidates, it will likely take too long and the position will be filled – with another contingency firm getting the fee. As a result, if you are contacted by a recruiter, the first question you should ask is “Are you a contingency firm or retained search firm?” If they are a contingency firm, you’ll want to investigate further to determine whether they have a specific position in mind for you, or they are just filling their coffers. If you are in active job search mode, you don’t want to waste time filling out information for a contingency firm so they can put you in their database for down the line. In terms of building long-term relationships with contingency recruiters, I recommend doing so with only about three. More than that, and other recruiters will shy away from you because they don’t want to get into a war over who actually “owns” you for a particular job. In other words, who should get the commission for placing you? Retained Search Firms Retained search firms have an exclusive contract with a company to shepherd candidates through the entire hiring process—from needs assessment, evaluating bench strength, advertising, interviewing, and even negotiating salary. They are paid a percentage of the candidate’s annual salary (this comes out of the employer’s pocket, not the winning candidate). Because of this structure, retained search firms aren’t typically looking to fill their database with potential candidates, because each search is highly individualized. Rather, they are focused solely on the contracts they have already won and are currently working on. As a result, trying to access a retained recruiter who is looking for someone exactly like you, at exactly the time you reach out, is a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack. Better to let them come to you. So…What Do I Do with this Information? As a long-term career management strategy, it’s a great idea to connect with a few (not too many) recruiters who operate in your space. Below I’ve provided some suggestions as to how you can provide value to these recruiters as a way to stay in their field of vision. LinkedIn is your place to find recruiters. You may also be getting contacted by recruiters on LinkedIn, and it’s okay to accept their invitations to connect as long as it’s not too many. Ways to add value to recruiters: 1. Send candidates their way. 2. Be a source of insider industry information. 3. Keep them posted on your career progression, new credentials, etc. As a short-term job search strategy, I recommend talking to recruiters who reach out to you, but not spending time trying to find recruiters who might have a position for you. The best way to attract recruiters is to have a top-notch LinkedIn profile; this is where recruiters live day in and day out. There are specific parts of your profile they search on to find suitable candidates; if you’d like help having a standout profile, reach out to me for a consult.   To visit my website: www.exclusivecareercoaching.com Follow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of valuable career management content in easily digestible bites.   Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Need help figuring out what’s holding you back from achieving your dream career? Let’s talk. Here’s the link to schedule a 30-minute consult call with me:  https://my.timetrade.com/book/D6KLN. Hope to see you soon!   

  Today, we’re talking about university career centers. I want to begin this topic by saying that I have 22 years’ experience as the director of two university career centers, so I know of what I speak. Keep in mind that what I talk about today are generalizations. There are no requirements for what career centers must offer or what their staffing levels must be, although the National Association of Colleges and Employers sets some broad standards for career centers. It is not uncommon for career centers to have a 2,000-1 staffing ratio, meaning that there is one FTE for every 2,000 students. Because of this, the availability of one-on-one career counseling is often limited or not available at all. I know this episode will be controversial for some, so I’d love to hear feedback, especially from those of you who either work at, or have used the services of, a university career center that is considerably better, or worse, than my descriptions. Tell me what they are doing that makes them great or not-so-great. What Career Centers Do Well As a general rule, here’s where I think most career centers excel: 1. Presentations to classes and organizations. Because they are on campus and interact with faculty and staff, they are usually available to come into classes and organizations to speak on a range of career-related topics. These presentations serve a dual purpose: They provide valuable information to the students, and they put a face with the office, so students may be less intimidated to walk into the career center and seek help. 2.      Career fairs. Campus career fairs that bring employers to the students is another strength of most career centers. Larger universities may have multiple career fairs for various colleges, groups of majors, or career interests. 3. Career planning. I think most career centers do a pretty good job of career planning with their students, using some combination of group teaching, one-on-one counseling, and assessments. This career planning help students identify a major and potential career paths. 4.      Alumni connections. Whether through the career center or the alumni office, career centers often at least facilitate connections between students and alumni. Alumni are valuable resources for networking and for finding out about a city, industry, or employer, and they are often willing to make introductions on the student’s behalf. 5.      Career speakers. Whether these speakers are alumni of the university or not, having people from a range of professions on campus to speak to students is a huge benefit of career centers. I have witnessed so many students over the years have a major “aha!” moment at these types of events, as they are exposed to a career field they either didn’t know about or knew very little about. 6.      Basic-level help. I am specifically saying basic-level help, because many career center staff aren’t trained to provide high-level coaching. In fact, many career centers are set up with peer consultants who provide the bulk of one-on-one assistance to students. For many students, this basic-level help is all they need to get their first job post-graduation. Career Center Limitations Again, keep in mind that I’m painting this with broad brush strokes, but my points are based on personal experience, both in career services and as someone who works with recent college grads in my practice. 1.      Outdated resume techniques. This is the biggest one for me. I’ve yet to see a resume that has been worked on at a university career center that I would consider useful. What I’m seeing are old-school, static “data sheets” rather than marketing documents that effectively market the student for the job they want. The focus is on job duties, rather than achievements. When I got my first resume certification, I had been in career services for nearly 20 years – and I realized I had been teaching students the wrong way to create a resume all that time. I was also sold the line of BS that a person must create their own resume; otherwise, it wouldn’t be “genuine” or “authentic.” I actually find it extremely helpful for someone other than you to package your skills and achievements—especially if that person is a credentialed resume writer. 2.      Focus on job boards. There are plenty of jobs available for entry-level candidates on job boards; the problem is that only about 25% of all jobs are on those job boards. Most universities have software, either canned or home-grown, that provides students with a job board specific to them. It’s extremely important, in my opinion, to learn how to conduct a targeted, proactive job search early in your career so you can hone those skills throughout your career.  While many career centers talk about networking, I don’t believe that many of them go deep enough with this topic. 3.      Limited one-on-one access to knowledgeable professionals. As I mentioned earlier, many career centers’ first line workers are students themselves, and they have limited knowledge of career planning and the job search. Even the full-time professionals often aren’t trained as career coaches, professional resume writers, job search strategists, or the like. What they’ve learned is by osmosis from their director or assistant director, so if the skill set isn’t there at the top, it’s not going to be able to trickle down throughout the center. 4.      Perception. Because career centers are the “hometown” option, they can often be overlooked while a student is in college. After all, they are right around the corner or down the hall…and the “get around to it” thing never happens. I also think it sometimes takes a recent college graduate going back home to their parents’ basement to realize they don’t have a clue what they should be doing to look for a job. While I prefer to work with recent college graduates who did take advantage of their university career center and want more than they were able to get there, I also get folks who (like me) never darkened the door of their university career center while they were a student. 5.      Wide difference in the quantity and quality of services. I used to say parents would be very interested to know about these differences, because most parents are sending junior to college so he gets a good, high-paying job. Mom and dad would be shocked to learn of the huge variations in the career services offered by the universities junior is considering enrolling at.   So let me bottom-line it for you: I DO want you to use your university career center when you’re a student, and those services MAY be available to you as an alum. You are likely to get a good foundation of career counseling and job search preparation there. However, many people will find they need more advanced help than their university career center is able to provide. There’s lots of free information out there, and that’s a good start. This podcast and all the YouTube videos I have, for example. Lots of books and online courses. You know it’s time to invest in paid services when you aren’t able to solve your problem yourself and you’re willing to invest money to solve your problem.     www.exclusivecareercoaching.com Follow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of valuable career management content in easily digestible bites.   Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Need help figuring out what’s holding you back from achieving your dream career? Let’s talk. Here’s the link to schedule a 30-minute consult call with me:  https://my.timetrade.com/book/D6KLN. Hope to see you soon!  

  I’m getting a lot of questions from people about how to navigate the sea of resume writers and career coaches out there. If I were you, I would be confused about whether I even needed a professional resume writer or a career coach, much less which ones to choose. I recently did an episode (#89) about the differences between how a life coach will likely approach career coaching versus how a career coach will approach career coaching. As I mentioned in that episode, coaching is an unregulated industry, meaning someone doesn’t have to have a coaching certification to call themselves a coach. I highly recommend a certified coach, but keep in mind that all certification programs aren’t created the same, and the fact of someone having a certification doesn’t inherently make them a better coach or resume writer than someone without a certification. Let’s talk about career coaching first, because in many respects I think it’s a cleaner topic. Let’s first talk about WHY you would hire a career coach. Here are eight possible scenarios: 1. You have been job searching for some time now, with little to show for it. You want results, and you’re willing to pay for help in getting them. 2.     You know that job boards are ineffective, but you don’t know the alternative. You want a proven program that will take you through the steps necessary to plan and launch a more effective job search strategy. 3.     You are networking averse. Or networking shy. You want coaching around the tactics and mindset necessary to build a network that will serve you now and for years to come. 4.     You are not confident in your interview skills. You want to practice with an expert to gain the skills and confidence to ace any job interview. 5.     You want to shift into a different career, and you either don’t know what that new field should be or you don’t know how to access the new field. A career coach will likely use coaching AND assessments to help you navigate this process. 6.     You need accountability and support throughout your job search. You want an expert to help you stay on track, keep the right mindset, and recalibrate when needed. 7.     You want to talk to a professional about whether the timing is right to launch a job search. 8.     You want to seek an internal promotion, and you want an expert to help you plan and execute an effective strategy. If I were looking for a career coach, here are the steps I would go through: 1. Get clear on exactly what type of help you’re looking for. I covered this in episode #89, but it’s important to get clear on whether you need the expertise of a job search expert or career management expert…someone who has a program designed to get you where you want to go, or a life coach who will work on your thoughts about your current job, your marketability, or your dreams. Some, like me, marry career coaching and life coaching together to give the best of both worlds. 2.     Utilize your network for referrals. Many of my clients come to me through referrals, so I think this is a great way to narrow down the sea of possibilities. You’ll be able to get first-hand experience of what it’s like to work with that individual. Conversely, you could do an online search and then check in with your network to see if anyone has used one of your top prospects, and if so, what their experience was like. 3.     Do your homework. LinkedIn and the coach’s website are two good places to start. On LinkedIn, does the coach’s profile speak to you – do you feel like this individual understands you and can help you? Does the coach have recommendations on LinkedIn, and if so, what have previous clients said about that coach? One thing that is extremely important to me in a coach is professionalism, and that shows through (or doesn’t) in the coach’s LI profile and website. Also, are past clients commenting on the coach’s professionalism? 4.     Schedule a consult. Most career coaches will offer a free consult call – mine are 30 minutes; they tend to range from 20 minutes to a full hour. The professional coaches are going to walk you through a series of questions designed to help you with one thing you’re struggling with. The idea is they are providing value ahead of time – before you’ve ever given them a penny – and they are demonstrating what it would be like with them as your coach. If there is no structure to the consult call, I would consider this a red flag. This shouldn’t be a loosy-goosy chat, but rather a structured coaching call. What you get in the consult, after all, is a microcosm of what you’ll get as a client with that coach. At the end of that consult, expect the coach to let you know the options for working further with him/her. 5.     Pay attention to your gut. Remember, the coach doesn’t have to be “bad” in order for the two of you to not connect…not click. There should be a bit of magic in that consult call, and if it’s just not there, don’t try to force it. And definitely don’t sign on with someone you’re not super excited about. 6.     Price isn’t everything. Finding the $50/hour coach may seem like a bargain, but make sure you’re following all the previous steps as well and not just focusing on the cost of the coaching package. As a frame of reference, many certified coaches are required to do a certain number of coaching hours for free (or a greatly reduced fee) when they’re first starting out. If there’s a lot riding on the coaching you need, this may not be your best option, as these coaches are just starting out and probably don’t have the expertise and experience of a more seasoned coach. The hourly charge varies widely, but here are the results from four sites I visited: #1: New coaches $50-$75; average for more experienced coaches is $100-$500 per hour #2: Average is $207, with a range of $75-$497 #3: Range is $50-$250 #4: Average is $100, with a range of $100-$150 Keep in mind that you aren’t paying for an hour of coaching, but for what that hour of coaching will result in for you. Most experienced coaches will have a package and can walk you through the results you can – and shouldn’t – expect from that package. In case you’re interested, my hourly rate for entry-level professionals within the first 10 years of their career is $150; for mid-level professionals it is $250, and for executives it is $350. Note that these ranges are all for one-on-one coaching; group programs will typically be less expensive but won’t be as personalized or high touch. It’s up to you to decide what format will best facilitate your success. In terms of my programs, my Land Your Dream Job! for college grads in the first 10 years of their career is a four-session group coaching program that is $295; my two-session interview coaching program is $225. Let’s shift gears and talk about resume writers. As with coaching, resume writing is an unregulated industry, so there are plenty of folks out there with no credentials in resume writing. As with career coaching, I want to start with why you would want to hire a credentialed resume writer instead of going it alone. Here are five important reasons: 1.     The Applicant Tracking System (ATS) will read your resume before a human does. There are implications here for how your resume is formatted, what words are in your resume and where, and hazards to avoid to ensure your resume scores high enough to make it to the human eye. 2.     You probably don’t do your own taxes or fix your own plumbing. Professional resume writing is a profession, and there are many great writers out there who provide a tremendous service. Don’t try to go it alone. 3.     Your resume should be a marketing document, not a static “data sheet.” Even if you knew how to write a great resume, it’s very difficult to assess yourself objectively to determine what your brand message is. It’s extraordinarily helpful to have an expert observer to work with in articulating your brand differentiators. 4.     The added benefits. One of the things my clients frequently comment on is that the process we go through in gathering the information for their resume is also preparing them for the job interview. THIS IS BY DESIGN. Not only that, clients have the opportunity to pick my brain and benefit from my decades of experience as I write their marketing documents for them. 5.     Confidence. One of the greatest by-products my clients comment on is seeing themselves through my eyes, via their resume. They often say, “I would hire this person.” A client recently said, “You made me look like a stud.” I told her, “You ARE a stud.” As with career coaches, credentials are important in the resume writing industry, but the presence of lack of a credential isn’t by itself, evidence of the writer’s ability. When I was considering becoming a resume writer, I met with a Rockstar in this industry and asked her about the alphabet soup of credentials available. The reason I chose Academy Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) is because it was the only one that provided training. The other organizations require some combination of a test and submission of examples of the resume writer’s work for review, but there is no education component. Here are the three primary players in this space: NCRW – Nationally Certified Resume Writer CPRW – Certified Professional Resume Writer (this is by far the most common) ACRW – Academy Certified Resume Writer MRW – Master Resume Writer So, if you are looking for a resume writer, here are the steps I recommend: 1.     Search “credentialed resume writer” on LinkedIn, then review the profiles of several that are most appealing to you. How are they presenting themselves on LinkedIn? This is especially important if you need your resume writer to write your LinkedIn profile, but even if you aren’t, you’ll get a good sense of the individual’s writing ability from their profile. 2.     Pick your top 3-5 to review their website. In addition to information about who they work with and their process, you should find samples of their work. Keep in mind that those samples are representations of their BEST work, so if you see errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar…keep on going. 3. Set up consults with the top contenders. As with coaches, pay attention to how connected you feel, whether you feel this person understands you, and whether he/she has experience in your field. Most resume writers operate from one of two models: they either provide you a questionnaire to get all the information they need to write your resume, or they gather your information via a phone call. There’s no right or wrong here, but if you have a strong preference for one over the other, be sure to ask about this during the consult. 4.     Price, again, isn’t everything. Here are some general rules of thumb in terms of how much you can expect to pay for a resume writer: ½% to 1% of your expected annual salary is a good rule of thumb. In other words, if you’re right out of college and expecting to make $50K, I would look for resume writers in the $400-$500 range (much below that amount and you probably won’t get a better document than you could do yourself). If you expect to make $100K, then expect to pay $500-$1K.   So let’s wrap it up with five questions to ask yourself: 1.     Is what I am doing getting me the results I want? 2.     On a scale of 1-10, how motivated am I REALLY to getting the results I want? 3.     Is getting the results I want enough of a priority that I’m willing to put money into getting those results? How much money am I willing to invest? 4.     Is now the best time for me to invest money into getting the results I want, or are there things going on in my personal or professional life that make it a good idea to wait? If I choose to wait, when will I be ready to move forward? 5.     If I’m ready to get help, what are my first three steps? Who will I speak to, where will I conduct research, and how will I decide whose help to get?   www.exclusivecareercoaching.com Follow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of valuable career management content in easily digestible bites.   Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Need help figuring out what’s holding you back from achieving your dream career? Let’s talk. Here’s the link to schedule a 30-minute consult call with me:  https://my.timetrade.com/book/D6KLN. Hope to see you soon!  

This week, I interview Ron Frazier, one of two Entrepreneurs-in-Residence at Florida State University's Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship. We talk about his entrepreneurial journey, the innovative curriculum for FSU's entrepreneurship majors, some of the exciting businesses they have started as students, and where they've gone after graduation.For those of you interested in becoming entrepreneurs or just those with curiosity about the world of self-employment, don't miss this episode!You can reach Ron at frazierron78@gmail.comTo check out FSU's School of Entrepreneurship: www.jimmorancollege.fsu.edu www.exclusivecareercoaching.comFollow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of valuable career management content in easily digestible bites.  Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Need help figuring out what’s holding you back from achieving your dream career? Let’s talk. Here’s the link to schedule a 30-minute consult call with me: https://my.timetrade.com/book/D6KLN. Hope to see you soon!  

  Let’s talk about the additional layer of challenge involved in looking for a job in another city. For any job search, you will need the following: -Updated resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile (your marketing materials) -A clear job target, and experiences to support that target -A job search strategy -A network of people -Technology (i.e. phone, computer, video interviewing capabilities, Internet) -Appropriate interview clothing -Interview skills -Money for all of the above Conducting a job search outside of the city you currently live in adds the following: -Target city(ies) – if you try to look for a job just anywhere, you’ll be in for the long haul and higher expenses -Resources to research those cities, which I talk about later -Contacts in those cities, if possible -Additional money to travel to those cities, move, etc. -Additional money for other moving-related expenses, such as a wardrobe for a different climate, geographic-specific expenses such as the tax to move into Florida As a general rule, expect a non-local job search to take longer and cost more money, although this varies by your industry and job function. Also, some companies will reimburse moving expenses, either as a flat allowance or after submitting your receipts for eligible expenses. This is a question to ask – not in the initial interview unless the interviewer brings it up, but certainly before you get to the offer stage as any moving reimbursement should be included in the written offer of employment. Here are some resources for conducting a job search in another city: -Chamber of Commerce online directories -Convention and Visitor’s Bureaus -Book of Lists -ReferenceUSA -livibility.com – list of 10 best cities to live in -Cost of Living Calculator (I like bestplaces.net) – this site also allows you to compare cities you might be considering side-by-side on a range of characteristics such as crime rate, housing, transportation, etc. For example, if you would reasonably expect a $50K salary in your hometown of Kansas City, MO and are considering a move to Los Angeles, you would need to get $106,148. More than double! So important to do this research before even looking for jobs so you can eliminate those that would net you less money than you need to live on.   www.exclusivecareercoaching.com Follow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of valuable career management content in easily digestible bites.   Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Need help figuring out what’s holding you back from achieving your dream career? Let’s talk. Here’s the link to schedule a 30-minute consult call with me:  https://my.timetrade.com/book/D6KLN. Hope to see you soon!  

  I wanted to talk about this topic today because it’s one I’ve been working on for myself. I think there’s a balance to be found between being grateful for what you have, and yet wanting more for your life. Sometimes we think we have to be dissatisfied with our current circumstances in order to want something different. We have to be really miserable at our job before we give ourselves permission to look for a different job. We have to hate our life partner before we leave the relationship.. We have to hate our current weight before we’re “ready” to lose weight.   I want to offer a different perspective. That you can be totally, 100% grateful for what you have, and still want something different. You can love your current job, and just be ready for a new challenge. You can love your life partner and still decide you want to be with someone else. You can love yourself totally and still be overweight. And from that place of love, decide you want to take better care of yourself and lose weight.   I was listening to a podcast today that was about Entitlement, and it hit me right between the eyes. It’s this notion that we deserve certain things. This notion of Entitlement takes away any hope of genuine gratitude. If you believe you are entitled to clean drinking water, then how can you possible be grateful for it? If you believe you should have a higher paying job, how can you possibly be grateful for the job you have? If you believe you should weigh less, how can you fully love yourself at your current weight?   Here are some of the things I realized I felt entitled to: -More clients (after all, there’s an alphabet of letters after my name and I have 30 years’ experience) -A new computer (after all, the one I have is woefully inadequate) -A life partner (after all, I’m a great woman) -A home (after all, successful 60-year-olds don’t live in apartments) -A new car (after all, the one I have, while paid for, isn’t completely reliable)   Do you see how insidious these thoughts are? -How can I show gratitude for my current clients if I believe I should have more? -How can I appreciate the computer I’m currently using if I believe I deserve a new one? -How can I exert the right energy to attract a life partner when I believe I’m entitled to have one? -How can I be fully grateful for my cute, little, no-maintenance apartment in a quiet, safe, and centrally located neighborhood when I believe I deserve a home? -How can I show gratitude for the car that gets me around perfectly well when I believe I should have a brand new one?   Here’s the balance: Being fully grateful for what you currently have, while striving for better. Without believing you are entitled to anything different…better. The upside: the energy you will be in will attract the “more” you want for your life. -Instead of believing I “should” have more clients, I appreciate every single one I work with…no matter how few or many. -Instead of believing I “deserve” a new computer, I appreciate the work my current computer is able to do and show gratitude for the new one that will come in its perfect time. -Instead of believing I’m "entitled" to a life partner, I love my life exactly the way it is, and express daily gratitude for him. -Instead of believing I "deserve" a mortgage, I’m grateful for my apartment and show it all the love I possibly can. -Instead of hating on my quirky 14-year-old van, I love that I don’t have a car payment (and celebrate how well I commit to my vehicles) while believing for a new car in its perfect time.   Let’s bring this back to your career. Over and over again, I have found that clients who aren’t miserable where they are the most successful job seekers. They have positive energy, are optimistic about their job search, and know that something out there is better for them, while still loving their current job. So often people choose to start hating on their current job or employer or boss before starting to look elsewhere …that’s the wrong energy to bring into a job search. They believe they DESERVE better.   What if you decided to love your current job…employer…boss…and still wanted to look for a new position with a new company? Remember, love is just a decision you make…it’s not something that happens to you, out of your control. It’s based on the sentences in your head. If those sentences are “I hate my job” “I don’t want to go to work today” “I deserve better” “My boss is an idiot” You might have feelings of despair…anger…hate…entitlement. These feelings WILL NOT spur you on to positive actions in your work. You might -Slack off -Call in sick -Do the minimum These actions WILL NOT benefit you when looking for a new position. They might even get you fired. I hear what you’re saying, “You don’t know my situation.” Yes I do.   There’s always something you can think that is better than the thoughts I just mentioned…that will get you better results. You might think: “I’m glad I have benefits” “I’m blessed to get a regular paycheck” “I like many of my co-workers” “I’m learning valuable skills”   If you think these thoughts, you might have feelings of happiness…fulfillment…success. These feelings will lead to much more positive actions at work, such as: -Coming to work every day -Putting in a full day’s work -Engaging with co-workers -Learning new things   Here are my top 5 tips for showing gratitude for what you currently have, while wanting more: -Adopt a daily gratitude practice -Do a daily thought download -Catch yourself thinking negative thoughts and look at them with compassion -Begin practicing new thoughts -Allow yourself to dream