I Dont Hate My Current Job. Is A Career Change A Crazy Idea

“I Dont Hate My Current Job. Is A Career Change A Crazy Idea” Help from our Community “I Dont Hate My Current Job. Is A Career Change A Crazy Idea?” * Nora isn't unhappy in her job, but she can't shake the feeling that there's something else out there. Is she being ungrateful for what she's got, or is this a valid reason to change career? What's your career history and current job? I work as a teacher in a Steiner School. When I finished university I wanted to focus on my art, so I did freelance illustration for a while. But the money was unreliable and I got lonely hanging out on my own in my studio all the time, so I started assisting a teacher in my local Steiner School with her art lessons. From there I've trained and developed, and now I have my own class. How do you feel about your work? I actually really enjoy it. It's not amazing money and there are some very tough days, but on the whole I like my job. My colleagues are great, my kids are lovely, and I really respect and enjoy the Steiner method of education. I'm proud to do what I do. But I can't help feeling restless. It's corny, but it feels like there's something inside me calling out to be noticed; or like there's a string attached to something far away and it's being gently tugged. I just have a feeling there's more out there for me to experience. Of course my job is great, but do I really want to be a teacher in this school for the rest of my life? Sometimes I watch a documentary on architecture or permaculture or travel, and I just want to burst out of my skin with excitement. Is it too much to ask that my life and my career feels THAT great, at least sometimes? I haven't felt that way about my current job since the week I started. What would you like to be doing instead? Travelling? Studying? Maybe something with animals and conservation work? An outdoor job? Something to do with permaculture? Music? Crafts? I don't know for sure, but I want to test myself, and to find out what I'm capable of. I want to try lots of different things before I settle into a long-term career, and I want to know what this tug on my heart is pulling me towards. What's the biggest obstacle in your way? I'm a pretty flaky person; I get distracted by shiny objects. I wonder if I've been in my job for a while now and the shine has just rubbed off, rather than a career change actually being the right thing for me. For the first time in my life I can pay my bills and smile on my way into work in the morning; isn’t it ridiculous to consider giving that up? I've been reading previous Café entries and I feel embarrassed that this is my problem. It doesn't seem very serious; I wonder if I'm just being selfish and flighty. Maybe I should just accept that I found a great job really early on in my career, and be grateful for that. Can you help Nora? Have you been in a similar situation, or are you in the same boat right now? Do you think she should start thinking seriously about a career change, or settle down in the job she enjoys? Do you know anyone she could talk to? Share your thoughts in the comments below and click the thumbs-up button to show your support. Give Nora a cheer of encouragement by hitting the thumbs-up button here:

How Much Does a Resume Writing Service Cost?

How Much Does a Resume Writing Service Cost?It's always a good idea to determine the cost of resume writing service, and you'll have a good idea of how much you can expect to pay for your resume writing service by looking at the information available online. You may want to compare the services of different resume writing companies in order to find the best price and best quality resume writing service.When you consider the cost of resume writing service, you will need to know what it is that you're paying for. It's very important to compare the cost of services, because they are both used for exactly the same purpose: to help you market yourself, your skills, and your qualifications.Your potential employer may not be a typical job seeker, but may be a hard working professional who want to make sure that they do everything correctly in order to get the job. A resume writer might help you get started on your resume by creating a professional looking document that will help your resume stand out among the millions of other resumes in the same position. Resume writing services will help you write a professional looking document that has all of the necessary information about you and your background.When you hire a resume writing service, the company needs to look at your resume and give it a thorough review. If your resume is lacking information or is not professional looking, the resume writing service will be able to identify this, and help you revise your document. They will also know how to edit your document in order to make it look professional and help you present your best possible self to the potential employer.The resume writing service needs to review the details of your resume in order to determine what will be most important to the prospective employer. There may be specific information that you will want to highlight about your qualifications, such as your work experience. The resume writing service will have the skills and expertise to figure out wh at information will be most important to the prospective employer.A good resume should have appropriate information that will attract the eyes of the reader, as well as information that will show how you have previous experience in the position that you are applying for. For example, if you are a lawyer, your past experience might include litigation, trial, or consulting experience, which could be helpful to your prospective employer.When you hire a resume writing service, they will work closely with you to create an effective resume. Because of this, you will be able to rest assured that your resume will be written to be as professional looking as possible, and will look as though you did the work necessary to get the job that you are applying for.You may be surprised to learn how cheap a resume writing service can be. Compare the cost of resume writing service with the cost of hiring a resume writer, and you may find that the former is far less expensive.

Importance of Keeping a List of Companies You Applied - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Importance of Keeping a List of Companies You Applied - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career When you are actively looking for a job, you generally apply to so many companies that you even forget which ones you applied unless you hear back from them within a month. However, if you write down all of the companies you sent your resume and keep a list, you can follow-up on your application as well as be more prepared when they respond to you. Another reason why it is better to track all the applications you submitted is that you don’t forget and reapply to companies that you have already contacted. But sometimes it is very difficult to keep track of where you apply, especially if you are applying to multiple positions a day. However, it is very useful to track who called you or who responded to your applications or inquiries so that you can always follow up if you didn’t hear back from someone that you expected to hear from. You can always look up the document you created and follow up with people from whom you expect to hear. There are situations where you apply to a company and you hear back very quickly. Potential employers may respond in a week or two if you met with them at a job fair or at a networking event, but sometimes you don’t hear back for months and sometimes you just get a rejection letter. You never know what is going to happen. Let me tell you this story. During my mentee’s job search, she attended as many career fairs and met as many employers as she could. She met so many employers that it was very hard for her to keep track of all of them and remember them unless they contacted her within a month. She is currently employed and she gave her resume to her current employer at a career fair on October. When someone from that company called her for an initial phone interview, she couldn’t remember when or how she met with the company’s representatives, so she asked. The interviewer explained to her that his supervisor had met with her at a career fair on October and was very impressed. He then told her that they would like to invite her to their office for a day-long interview session. Do you know what is strange about this story? They called her in March! Yes, five months after she met with them! She was very impressed that they actually kept her resume for five months and still remembered her. She had even forgotten that she applied to that company. However, if she had kept an Excel spreadsheet to track her applications, figuring out when and how she applied to that company would have been much easier. Also, she would be able to follow-up on her application and maybe start working for them much earlier.

The Power of the Thank You Letter - Career Geek

The Power of the Thank You Letter - Career Geek Standing out from the crowd can be a struggle. For an interviewer, it can be equally as hard to choose between prospective employees. So, the important question is: what can you do to improve your chances? Sending a thank you letter after your interview can be a quick and easy way to give you the edge. Remind the Interviewer of Who You Are! Put yourself in the shoes of the interviewer. They’ve had a busy day and may have interviewed 20 people already. They’re tired and struggling to remember everyone that they have seen. Over the next few days or so they will mull over the results of the interview and take a last look over the CVs. A few days after the interview, a well worded and friendly thank you letter arrives on their desk. They read the letter and instantly it reminds them of who you are. They might have a closer look at your CV or have a little look over their interview notes again. All this puts you at the forefront of their mind and helps you to stand out a little from the crowd. Show Your Professional Side Sending a thank you letter can help to show that you are professional. Employers want to hire professionals that can help their business run smoothly in whatever role that you are going for. Making that extra effort shows that you know how to communicate in a business setting and that can make a real difference when it comes to their final decision! Find out Whether You Have the Job The time after an interview, waiting to find out whether you’ve got the job can be agonising. Sending a thank you letter may encourage the employer to get in touch to tell you about the progress of your application. Whether it is good or bad news, at least you will know sooner rather than later. If it is bad news, it allows you to get on with the rest of your job search and if its good news, you can get out and celebrate with full vigour! Image courtesy of HYPERLINK http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/woodleywonderworksHYPERLINK http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/ via Flickr 59

Writing a Resume - A Resource For UNC Charlotte Alumni

Writing a Resume - A Resource For UNC Charlotte AlumniIt is important that if you are a UNC Charlotte alumnus to be able to create an amazing resume to help land that perfect job and landing your dream job. However, creating a perfect resume can take up a lot of time but this doesn't have to be the case with a great writing resource for alumni resume writing for UNC Charlotte alumni.The goal of any new job or career move is to find a job that will pay the bills and allow the person to provide for themselves and their family. Having a great resume is only half the battle though and how a person puts the information on the resume can make or break the outcome of getting the job.There are many ways to build a person's resume. Most schools have some kind of career development services that offer training and skills improvement workshops to help people who want to improve their resumes. However, this takes up a lot of time which in turn can cost you more money to get the experience you ne ed to make the best resume possible.This is where an online writing resource for alumni resume writing for UNC Charlotte is beneficial. With this resource you will be able to learn all about the different resume writing techniques and how to write a great resume to land the job of your dreams.This online writing resource offers the new writer a variety of tips and information to help them improve their resumes. If you have been looking for the perfect resume for yourself or someone that you know, then this is a good place to start.One of the most important tips from this UNC Charlotte writing resource for alumni resume writing for UNC Charlotte graduates is that all resumes should include the school affiliation of the employer. The main goal is to show that you are committed to the University of North Carolina and that you have taken steps to ensure that your resume has all the information that is required to get you the interview that you want.You don't have to hire a recruiter to do this for you, it is easy and you can even do it yourself if you have the time. Just be sure to include the address of the school, what position you are applying for, and other information such as contact numbers, job titles, and salaries.Your resume is the first impression that your potential employer will get of you so make sure that you get it right the first time. If you are looking for a way to create a resume that will stand out from the rest, this UNC Charlotte writes resource for alumni resume writing for UNC Charlotte graduates is a great resource.

Marcs Lessons on Disappointment from Three Recent Events [Podcast] - Career Pivot

Marc’s Lessons on Disappointment from Three Recent Events [Podcast] - Career Pivot Episode #133 â€" Marc Miller shares his reflections on how he has changed his attitudes in the second half of life, especially, most recently. Description: In this episode, Marc explains how he â€" but not his website â€" got a mention in the New York Times, how he was glad to see family members after a long separation but was not glad to be acting out old roles, and how a negative Amazon review helped him reflect on the direction of the next edition of Repurpose Your Career. Key Takeaways: [1:27] Marc welcomes you to Episode 133 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Career Pivot is the sponsor of this podcast; CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of life and our careers. Check out the blog and the other resources delivered to you, free of charge. [1:56] If you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with other like-minded souls. Subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media or just tell your neighbors, and colleagues. The more people Marc reaches, the more people he can help. [2:15] Marc has released three chapters of the next edition of Repurpose Your Career to the Repurpose Your Career review team. A fourth chapter will be released by the time this episode airs. Sign up to be part of the review team at CareerPivot.com/RYCTeam. [2:36] You will receive new chapters as they become available. Marc is looking for honest feedback and would love to get an honest review on Amazon.com after the book is released. [2:47] Marc’s plan is to release the book in late-September and do both a virtual and a real book tour. He will be in Austin, the NYC Area, and D.C. during the months of September and October. Marc would love to meet his readers and listeners. [3:05] Reach out to Marc at Podcasts@CareerPivot.com if you’d be willing to give him some advice on venues or groups who would be interested in hosting an event. [3:15] Marc had planned to read a chapter of the next edition of Repurpose Your Career but decided to delay that a week so he could record this special episode. [3:27] This week, Marc talks about what he has learned in the previous couple of months from three different events he experienced. Marc hopes you will learn from this. Now on to the podcast… Download Link | iTunes|Stitcher Radio|Google Podcast| Podbean | TuneIn | Overcast [3:43] Marc welcomes you to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. When Marc woke up on the day he is recording this, he thought of three events over the last eight weeks that have shown him how much he has changed in his attitude and behavior. [4:18] Event 1. Marc was approached by Mark Miller who was writing an article for the New York Times on people who have had their retirement plans disrupted by being laid off. Marc gave Mark a couple of names from his Career Pivot Online Membership Community. You can learn about the community at CareerPivot.com/Community. [5:07] Mark selected Cleo Parker. Cleo was written up in the New York Times article, titled “Why Working Till Whenever Is a Risky Retirement Strategy.” Marc was really happy to see in the article from May 16 that Cleo got a lot of visibility including a photo of Cleo with her dogs in Livonia Michigan. [5:47] Cleo had expected to keep her job as a marketing analyst in the automotive industry well into her 60s but at 62 is on the job hunt instead. Her plans blew up in 2008 with the whole automotive industry crashing. Cleo was one of the early members of the Career Pivot Online Membership Community. [6:16] Over the last 10 years, Cleo bounced from job to job, mostly by contract. She has turned her life-long love of dogs into a business. As Cleo has written, what was really exciting was that the author, Mark Miller, included a link to her Dog Marketing Blog. [6:51] Cleo was pretty uncomfortable for being the poster child for the unemployed of our [Boomer] generation. This is similar to what Marc heard from Elizabeth White, who wrote the book 55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal: Your Guide to a Better Life. Learn more about Elizabeth White in CareerPivot.com/episode-109. [7:12] Out of this article, Cleo has gotten a decent consulting gig of 20 to 30 hours. [7:33] Marc was pretty excited about the article. When Mark asked Marc how he wanted to describe him, he wrote that Marc Miller was a career consultant based out of Austin, Texas. Marc didn’t ask to include the link to his website. In the past, Marc would have really beaten himself up over that. This time, he said, “Oh, well … That’s fine.” [8:01] Marc has noticed that he is not as bothered by his mistakes anymore. A website link in the New York Times would be a very big deal for search engine optimization. He was thrilled that this is playing out for Cleo. [8:30] Event 2. When the article published on May 16, Marc sent an email to his brother and to his own son about being quoted in an article in the New York Times. His brother replied and invited Marc to his son’s wedding. Marc and his family have been estranged. [10:06] Marc and Mrs. Miller attended the wedding. Marc wants his sister-in-law, who listens to the Repurpose Your Career podcast to know they had a great time and it was an interesting experience. It was nice to see all the family, but New Jersey is not where Marc and Mrs. Miller want to be. [11:43] As much as Marc’s brother’s family are very wonderful people, Marc doesn’t want to go back to the United States all that much. [11:56] Marc grew up very learning-disabled. When he went to college, he graduated from Northwestern’s Engineering School in three-and-a-half years, never taking an English course. When Marc graduated from high school, he could barely read. [12:17] Like many Boomers, Marc became an ‘actor.’ He went to work for IBM and played roles in his jobs and changed himself to fit those roles. He made very good money but wore himself out and became someone he was not. [12:47] When Marc was with his brother’s family, he went back and forth from being his normal introverted self to being someone talking way too much at the dinner table. How Marc behaved at times at the wedding is not who Marc is. It is a learned behavior. The learned behaviors Marc used in his career have been emotionally damaging to himself. [13:52] It’s only now that Marc is learning that he doesn’t have to behave that way. He has choices. He thoroughly enjoyed himself and he is glad he went and he will not be repeating the trip frequently. Marc will go back for his 40th high school reunion, in October. He hopes not to slip into his old behaviors. [14:44] Event 3. When the Millers came back, Marc went back to his routines. He asked a few people to write reviews for his book. One person wrote a very, very negative review, which Marc shares here. [15:15] The review is titled, “Title misleading.” It turns out the reviewer assumed the book was about starting a business. The reviewer gave a synopsis, which Marc agrees with, but the reviewer was really looking for a different kind of book. [16:00] Marc’s response on reading it was, “Wow!” In the past, he would have beaten himself up over this review. [16:09] Marc is looking at refocusing the next edition of the book he is working on with his co-author Susan Lahey right now. The key piece to remember is that we are living in a time where things are changing rapidly. The rules for careers are changing rapidly. Healthcare in the U.S. is a huge problem for the Millers, which is why they are expats. [17:19] It is really hard to get anyone to write a review on Amazon, either good or bad. Most people simply will not do it. Marc read the review and saw that it fits in with where he is headed with this podcast and the website. In the second half of life, the rules are being rewritten. For a lot of us Boomers, this is really, really uncomfortable. [18:07] Marc sees the old guard in Washington trying to maintain the way things have been and it’s not working. The younger generation taking over are not like us who are over 60. See the three-part series “The Career Pivot Multi-generational Workplace Workshop” in Episode 111, Episode 112, and Episode 113. [18:42] This next edition will be more about how things have changed. Your life and career â€" which will last into our 80s â€" will look very different than it did 20 years ago. Work in your 70s and 80s will probably not be full-time employment. It may be multiple part-time jobs and freelancing. [19:36] That will be a big shakeup for many folks â€" not being an employee but possibly being self-employed. [19:46] Marc has reflected from these three events how much he has changed and how much his mindset has changed. Two years ago, Marc would not have believed he would be happily living in Mexico, and his wife would be incredibly happy in Mexico. [20:21] In spite of being well-paid, and being a good saver, Marc has always worried about money. Marc doesn’t worry about money, anymore. He is about to make a significant investment in the Career Pivot website. He wouldn’t have done that five years ago. [21:34] When negative things come in, like the three events Marc talked about, none of it bothers him anymore. He can make mistakes and move on. That is a huge shift for Marc. [22:01] Marc has built his world the way he wants it to be now, which is not how he was raised. They have gotten rid of pretty much everything they owned. Next year they plan to sell their car in the U.S. and go carless for a while. They make decisions based on their ideas, not on what society tells them to do. Marc’s roles are in mainly in the past. [22:54] The next edition of the book is meant to be more aspirational and get you to understand what is happening, what you need to do, and to get you to think and reflect. [23:09] Some people have asked Marc for generalized roadmaps to remake yourself. The answer is, he can’t give them that because we are all so different. Marc has done about 400 Career Pivot evaluations and he can tell you that people are really different. Many people cannot separate themselves from the actors they became in their careers. [23:56] This is the second time Marc recorded this episode. The first time, he went into way too much detail. Marc hopes you will see some of yourself in this episode. [24:40] Marc hopes you enjoyed this episode. A solo episode requires a lot of editing! Show notes can be found at CareerPivot.com/episode-133 with links to the New York Times article and Cleo’s Dog Marketing Blog. In the near future, you will hear about others in the Career Pivot Online Membership Community. [25:10] The Career Pivot Membership Community website has become a valuable resource for about 50 members who are participating in the Beta phase of this project. Marc is recruiting new members for the next cohort. [25:21] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you’ll receive information about the community as it evolves. [25:34] Those who are in these initial cohorts set the direction. This is a paid membership community with group coaching and special content. More importantly, it’s a community where you can seek help. Please go to CareerPivot.com/Community to learn more. They are starting a group for bloggers, writers, authors, and publishers.[26:07] Marc invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn.com/in/mrmiller. Just include in the connection request that you listen to this podcast. You can look for Career Pivot on Facebook, LinkedIn, or @CareerPivot on Twitter. [26:24] Please come back next week, when Marc will read the next pre-release chapter from the next edition of Repurpose Your Career. This chapter is called “Building on Weak Ties.” [26:35] Marc thanks you for listening to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [26:39] You will find the show notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-132. [26:48] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe to get updates on this podcast and all the other happenings at Career Pivot. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, the Google Podcasts app, Podbean, the Overcast app, or the Spotify app. Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

Monday Tip Anagrams - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Monday Tip Anagrams - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog I got an email from Mike Dytham, a project manager at Barclays, whos been doing anagrams for all the people in his department. The new names are interesting :o) Chris Benton = Robin Stench (a proud 2nd place!) Claire Rainbird = Cider Librarian (a creditable 3rd place) Dan Hartwright = Hard Thwarting James Knupfer = See Frank Jump Tom Coulbeck = Emu Boltcock (what a great name!) Matt Risk = Smart Kit (or even Mark Tits) Kate Baron = Anorak Bet or Oat Banker Dominic Gloag = Claiming Good, Coiling Dogma Anup Purohit = Pinup Author Harris Musau = Samurai Rush (he is one of my Kenyan team) The winner of best anagram goes to the name of their department, PMC operations, which shall henceforth be known as (pick your favourite) Campsite P0rno, impact snooper, promotes panic,? or tampon copiers. Mike also informed me that my new name is now Axe Fulljerk. Thanks, Mike! From now on, youre The Dimm Yak. What are some good anagrams for your name, your co-workers names or your departments name? Get a competition going and see what people come up with. Mike recommends http://wordsmith.org/anagram/advanced.html, if you want to get in on the game. The Chief Happiness Officers Monday tips are simple, easy, fun things you can do to make yourself and others happy at work and get the work-week off to a great start. Something everyone can do in five minutes, tops. When you try it, write a comment here to tell me how it went. Previous Monday tips. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

5 Warning Signs you shouldnt accept a Job Offer IM HIRED

5 Warning Signs you shouldnt accept a Job Offer Dont just say yes to the job Dont just say yes to the job After a long job search, the relief of being offer a position can overshadow any concerns you have about the role or company. But before you pop open the champagne and celebrate, you really need to consider what youre saying yes to. These are 5 warning signs you should be looking out for when offered a position. They havent put it in writing Getting offered a new position is an exciting time and definitely deserves a celebration. But once youve had time to cheers with a glass of wine (or bottle) then its time to review your employment contract. Employers should be forth coming with your offer letter and contract and although you might have to wait a few days to receive everything in writing. You dont need to make any final decisions until you have seen it in black and white. If after a few days there is radio silence or every time you chase there is another excuse for the paperwork being delayed then dont give in and stand your ground. Inform them youll not be starting with their organisation or even be resigning from your previous job until you have everything in front of you. If the company is being funny about doing this and just wants to get you in, really consider whats the rush? Its never a good sign for a company to want to rush things through, this is a big decision so take your time. Theyre being vague with the job duties In any position its assumed that your job description will not include every little detail about the role. There will always be ad hoc responsibilities or occasions  where you will have to support other functions. However, the warning signs should start to appear when the employer is attempting to widen the range of day to day duties after the interview. For example, if you applied for a sales role and certain tasks were discussed, then after offer theyre trying to add on managerial responsibilities, question how the job is expanding. If these additional functions are coupled with an increase in salary or benefits thats one thing but if they are trying to add without giving any more. Then you need to stay true to the original  agreement. Dont be forced into a role that wasnt the position you applied for. The reviews arent good We all scroll the internet for hours to find that one terrible review when were holiday shopping. But we rarely do this same practise when researching the company were applying to. Hopefully, you did your research prior to the interview. But if not, make sure to double check any reviews before signing your contact. Whilst you shouldnt read too much into just one negative comment if there is a pattern of opinions then this can be a warning sign. Look out for reasons why previous employee left the company and if something is questionable. Then consider approaching the recruiter on the subject. If they get instantly defensive or refuse to discuss the topic this is a red flag. A good company will respond to their bad reviews and will want to investigate. And improve on any issues that are raised to them. There isnt develop opportunities available A fulfilling career will allow you the opportunity to progress. That doesnt always mean there has to be chance for promotion. However, the ability to learn through internal or external training is an essential benefit in any role. During the interview or at very least during the offer conversation you should be enquiring as to the prospect of training available. A company that doesnt offer any chance to grow within a role should ring alarm bells. They obviously dont see the benefit of bettering their employees . The environment isnt right Id always advise during an interview to ask for the chance to do a tour of the working environment. In an interview, similar to your approach, the employer is wanting to put their best foot forward. Whereas in a tour youll get a more relaxed and realistic insight into the company. Youll be able to explore the work space. How people are working, the noise levels and the types of employees currently working for the company. If you notice things such management shouting at employees, high pressure to meet targets or potentially employees who look as though theyd rather be elsewhere then see theses as signs. Make sure the environment fits with your requirements and you can see yourself working there.