High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Career Advice Business Leaders Wold Give Their Younger Selves

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• Career Advice Business Leaders Would Give to Their Younger Selves: "Here’s what they told me about picking the right career path, finding the right mentor and getting in the right mindset to land the career of your dreams."

• What You Need to Know to Become a Great Leader: "If you want to be a leader who attracts quality people, the key is to become a person of quality yourself. Leadership is the ability to attract someone to the gifts, skills and opportunities you offer as an owner, as a manager, as a parent."

• How to Pursue Your Dream When Everyone Says it Won't Work: "Other people’s concerns about your potential for success or failure often have more to do with their realities than your own."

• Give Working Parents What They Really Want: "Companies that prioritize family-first benefits that support family responsibilities while emphasizing self-care and healthy living will see greater return on loyalty, morale, productivity and performance from all employees."
• 3 Types of Questions That Are Crucial for Employee Coaching:"Great managers use questions to lead employees to mutually agreed-upon solutions -- it significantly increases the likelihood of success."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Reasons to Turn Down a Job Offer

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• 6 Reasons to Turn Down a Job Offer: "If many team members are recent hires, be sure there is good business reason for the hiring spree, such as a new product or client or a round of funding. Otherwise, too much employee churn hints at a toxic boss or culture."


• What Prevents a Happier Life and Career?: "This one fear keeps people stuck for years, and sometimes for a lifetime. This “what if it doesn’t work out?” worry is crippling."


• How to be a Good Coach: "Choose encouragement over criticism; but when you must criticize, give feedback as soon after the event as possible. Be honest but compassionate, then move on."


• Don't Look for a Job, Look for a Life!: "You have to plant in your mind the idea that you will no longer tolerate less than happiness. You will need to challenge the negative self-talk that keeps you stuck in your current situation."


• 6 Essential Elements to a Good Life: "You won't be happy if you don't produce. The game of life is not rest. Yes, we must rest, but only long enough to gather strength to get back to productivity."

Being Coachable Is Key to Career Success

There is no question that companies want employees who are coachable. As the pace of business quickens, companies expand globally, new technologies surface, and employers expect their employees to adapt quickly, learn new things, and take on more responsibilities. Thus, being coachable becomes even more important to your career success. The question is: Are you coachable? Following is a list of actions you can take to develop character traits that will make you more coachable.

• Strive for continuous improvement, professionally and personally.
• Display an Interest in learning and trying new things.
• Set and pursue career goals and objectives.
• Own your career and give it direction, but be flexible enough to change direction if needed.
• Be willing to learn and apply new information, processes, techniques, and work habits.
• Accept feedback concerning work performance, habits, and attitude.
• Allow ample time for changes to take effect.
• Be accountable for your actions and outcomes.
• Use active listening techniques and follow instructions.
• Don’t assume you have all the answers; consider other perspectives and ideas.
• Step outside your comfort zone and stretch yourself professionally.
• Maintain professionalism and respect others, even in challenging situations.

Others can help with this process if you open yourself to being coached professionally. A good manager can help you with professional development as opportunities arise on the job and, of course, through constructive performance reviews. A professional mentor can also be a great coach. Look for someone who has many years of experience in your occupation or industry—it’s even better if he or she works in the same company as you. Another option is to employ the services of a professional career coach; however, before hiring a coach, be sure to look into that person’s qualifications, credentials, services, fees, and client referrals.

Can’t Conquer Your Career Goals? Consider Hiring a Coach

Ever hear of Sean Foley? If you’re not a golf fanatic, you probably haven’t. But if you do closely follow the sport you would know him as Tiger Woods’ swing coach. You read that correctly: one of the best players in the world has a guy telling him how to swing. And Sean wasn’t Tiger’s first swing coach: Hank Haney was his coach for over six years. If someone as prolific as Tiger Woods can see the benefit of hiring a coach to help him, what is holding you back from hiring one to help you with your career? Here are situations where hiring a personal coach (or lifecoach) can benefit your career.

You don’t know what career to go into The common belief is that you can expect to change careers over six times in your lifetime (I, personally, think I am somewhere around three or four right now). Some of these transitions are easily navigable; others can be fraught with difficulties that can spill over into other aspects of one’s life. A coach can listen to the problems you are encountering with your current career and suggest courses of action that coincide with you level of risk, personal comfort, and ambition. It could be that you can enhance your current career in some way, or that you abandon it entirely for a new one. You will not be told what to do by your coach, but guided in a holistic way to best help yourself.

You don’t know how to progress in your career A lifecoach can also be of assistance if you are not progressing in your career the way that you feel you should. Through inner exploration and tailored exercises you can discover areas in your career life where you are being held back-by you or by your employer-and work to overcome those obstacles to rediscover what initially ignited your passion.

Your personal life is affecting your career No one exists in a vacuum and it is commonplace for one’s personal life to affect one’s career. While a lifecoach is not a therapist, he or she can help you identify the anxiety you are feeling and help you create goals or strategies that will point you in the direction of success.

The Beatles sang that you get by with a little help from your friends. If you find yourself spinning your wheels, stuck in career circumstances that you are not happy with, a coach can be the person to help give you a push out of the mud and down the road to a brighter tomorrow.

Book Review: The Shark and the Goldfish: Positive Ways to Thrive During Waves of Change

I was introduced to The Shark and the Goldfish by my boss. He tacked a post-it to its cover that said “I think this will change your perspective on things” and left it on my desk.

My first impression wasn’t positive. The story is illustrated, so it reminded me of a children’s book. The opening statement--Are you a shark or a goldfish?--made me wonder what the heck my boss was trying to tell me. Was he suggesting that I needed to be more of a man? I didn’t get it. I skimmed the book’s contents within five minutes, decided the story was too hokey for my tastes, and dismissed it as unimportant.

Sometime later, a coworker recognized the book in my cubicle and asked me about it. After explaining why I didn’t really read it, my coworker agreed that although the story was corny, the message is what really mattered. He suggested I try reading it again, saying “Make sure you read the introduction this time.”

After reading The Shark and the Goldfish front to back, I’m happy to report that I get it now. The author Jon Gordon starts off with a confession saying that of course a goldfish, a freshwater fish, cannot survive in the ocean. Gordon goes on to explain that his “Shark or Goldfish?” concept started out as a story he liked using in motivational speeches. The story is intentionally short so he can communicate his point quickly. Consequently, The Shark and the Goldfish is more of a quick-and-dirty tool than a magnum opus:

A goldfish is alone is his bowl, perfectly content with being fed each day. During a trip to the beach he is accidentally swept away into the ocean, where he starts to go hungry. He fears that he is done for, until he meets a friendly shark who challenges his thinking.

The message shines through in this bit of dialogue between the shark and his newfound friend: “You know what your problem is?” “I’m starving and no one will feed me.” “No, you are waiting to be fed.”

The focus of the story revolves around one important truth: You can’t control the events in your life. You can, however, choose how you respond to them.

This truism is the motivation that the shark uses to teach the goldfish how to “be a shark.” In order to be a successful shark, the goldfish will need to work hard for his food. Furthermore, it’s not a “once in a while” type of work -- it’s a mindset that reinforces the need to work hard every day.

It is a lesson that translates well into dealing with adversity. If you’re unemployed, you can’t wait for jobs to come knocking at your door – you must actively search for jobs and beat out the competition to a job offer. If you’re working in a dead-end job, you can’t wait for something better to land in your lap – you must actively seek out new opportunities. If you’re anxious to get a raise or a promotion, you can’t wait for someone to notice you – you must take on extra projects, leverage your contacts, and do other proactive tasks that will help get you get noticed.

Though the main focus of The Shark and the Goldfish is about turning misfortune into fortune by seeing opportunity in the midst of adversity, there are other lessons to be learned from the story. The book highlights these different lessons that the goldfish learns through illustration: Whenever the goldfish learns something, he’ll inscribe a reminder into different rocks or pieces of coral throughout the ocean. The reminder that resonated most with me is the importance of faith over fear.

Faith and fear are similar because both are beliefs of a future that hasn’t happened yet. Fear is the belief in a negative future, while faith is a belief in a positive one. Fear is most common, because of the multiple forms it comes in. There is fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of starving, fear of change, and even fear of fear. Because fear can be so paralyzing, it’s no wonder that so many people will settle for their small goldfish-bowl world. We are content, so long as we’re being fed.

As a result, we forget about our options for a different future. We lose sight of our own potential because our faith in a positive future is drowned out by all of the fears we carry.

In The Shark and the Goldfish, the goldfish successfully overcomes his fears. In the face of adversity, he chooses to be proactive. Despite negativity from naysayers, he proves himself to be a shark capable of finding more food than he’d ever need. He decides to create a school for fish that once thought like himself, and teaches what it takes to be a shark like him.

At about 80 pages, many of which have less than 15 words on them due to illustrations, The Shark and the Goldfish can be read in under an hour. Gordon admits that he’s received criticism regarding the length and simplicity of the book, and I almost dismissed its significance because of just how small it is.

In spite of my poor first impression, I am grateful that The Shark and the Goldfish was recommended to me a second time, because I see now what my boss was getting at. When it comes to success, attitude is everything. With a proactive approach to life, you can handle everything that’s thrown at you, even if it’s as terrifying as the vastness of the ocean to a tiny goldfish. You realize that against all odds, you are still in control over yourself. As a result, you are in control of your life.

As Gordon puts it, the choice is yours. What do you want to be? A shark or a goldfish?

Having a Job vs. Building a Career

College students: have you ever had someone tell you that he decided that he will never work a day in his life? You may ask yourself “how is that possible? EVERYONE has to work!” The operative words in the sentence are “work” and “decided.” Work is generally associated with an obligation, something that you have to do to survive. However, the decision you can make is to see work for what it can be: a stepping-stone in your career, a path to personal and professional fulfillment. If you feel that you’re going to work every day, follow these steps to start building your career:

• Understand your reasons: If you are employed during college you most likely will not be at that job for the rest of your life. Engage in some self-assessment: why are you working there? Perhaps it’s the only work study job that you could find close to your residence hall, or maybe the pay was greater than the alternatives. The idea here is to get clear with your reasons why you took that job, to think about this decision critically. Once you are clear about your reasons you can make some new decisions. What are your most important needs right now? Is it to pay loans? Maintain a lifestyle? Work close to your residence hall room? Or maybe you now want to find something that fits more with your academic interests?



• Make the decision: When you have achieved clarity regarding why you are working where you are and your needs, you can make the decision to stay or go. No job is meant to last forever and your needs not being met could be a sign that you are not feeling fulfilled. But if you decide that this position truly is meeting your needs, there’s only one thing left to do…



• Excel: Blow away your boss, your boss’s boss, and your coworkers with your ability to perform, your upbeat demeanor, and your willingness to take feedback and criticism. Show initiative and put thought into your job, looking for ways to improve it and improve yourself. The skills that you are accumulating and the attitude you are displaying are now part of your career and will carry you for years to come.

To paraphrase author James Allen, circumstances do not make you: they reveal you. By putting thought into and assessing your employment needs, you can create a foundation that will bolster your chances of success no matter what career field you choose. Choose career success today.

First Impression Finesse

You have heard the phrase “you never get a second chance to make a first impression,” right? It is doubly true when it comes to interviewing. That brief time you have in front of an interviewer (or interviewers) can make or break you. It is, therefore, in your interest to plan on locking up the job the first time. Here’s how.

• Look the part: Just as it is wise to play two shots ahead in pool, it is equally prudent to dress two positions higher than the one for which you are applying. That generally means wearing a suit for both men and women. Be clean and well groomed, from the hair on your head to your toenails. Your confident smile and your well-executed handshake will also exude “it’s a mistake not to hire me.”
• Know the part: So now that you look good; you must be halfway there, right? Wrong. Next you need to do your research. Know the ins and outs of the company to which you are applying. Study its history, business practices, press releases, market position, and competitors. And you had better know that position description backward and forward.
• Be the part: You look good and you sound good: now, tie it together. Take your experience and demonstrate how you can solve problems and make strong contribution to the organization. Leave no question in their mind that they would be worse off without you.

Treat your interview with the same reverence as you would studying for a critical final and success will be yours!

Book Review: The Secret of Transitions: How to Move Effortlessly to Higher Levels of Success

My first impression of Jim Manton’s Secret of Transitions was that it was a typical self-help book. I fully expected Transitions to contain general topics written in a motivational tone. I anticipated 130 pages of simple suggestions that were little more than common sense. When I sat down to read it, I predicted that I’d gain maybe one or two original thoughts.

Thankfully, Transitions is not your typical self-help book. Manton uses real-world examples in the form of short stories to convey lessons he’s learned from his own life. He opens on the subject of “awakening,” where he explains an interesting revelation that caused him to promptly trade away job security for happiness. According to Manton, living consciously is accomplished by following one simple truth: happiness requires purpose. Once he realized this, he left the comforts of his day job in pursuit of a more purpose-driven life as a career coach.

It’s a quick hook that leads to more short chapters discussing other lessons, like how conscious awareness of reality creates intention, which in turn helps to overcome fear. He stresses the importance of working with others, acknowledges that conversations can create transitions, and notes that there are no shortcuts for excellence.

Some of Manton’s stories span multiple chapters. I really enjoyed the tale of his combat experience in Vietnam, because it’s not a heroic tale. When pinned down by enemy fire, he stopped fighting back, and felt frightened and guilty about how his inaction endangered his fellow troops. It was a story illustrating how he wasn’t cut out for combat, and how his choice to enlist in the army to prove his father wrong was a mistake. A far cry from the typical Hollywood Hero story, I feel like Manton’s Vietnam story makes him seem more human.

The majority of his book, though, focuses on the story of two corporate players who don’t see eye-to-eye. As a young person, I had difficulty relating to what these potential chief operating officers found interesting or important – but I expect another reader might find their story riveting. What distanced me from the corporate story was Manton’s change in style: most stories are a reflection of past memories with him narrating, but the corporate story introduces characters and tells their story via extensive dialogue. It reads more like a fiction novel than a self-help book, causing the story to feel more imaginary. Consequently, the underlying lessons are less powerful.

All in all, Manton’s Transitions is a unique look at his personal experiences as a human being, as he shapes his love for inspiring people into a passionate career as a life coach. His casual storytelling captures your interest early in the book. He makes his points quickly with short chapters, and offers several good book recommendations for topics you might want to explore further. If you read Transitions, you can finish it in an afternoon, but will gain a lifetime’s worth of notable experiences that will help you during your own life’s transitions.