Crafting Your Career Lifestyle for 2030

One thing the COVID-19 era has taught us is that we can work very effectively and efficiently from almost any place in the world. However, it has also revealed many MUSTs for workers, including greater flexibility of schedule, less time spent commuting, and more opportunity to work for yourself.

Today is the perfect time to set up a new career lifestyle and the one you want to have in the next decade. The truth is, your employment and career can match lifestyle facts and that it is not only OK but also preferred that you not following a traditional approach.

Here are (7) seven ways YOU can beat the odds and overcome things you lack to help you get hired, explore the entrepreneurial spirit in order to advance in your career lifestyle to fit your needs. Working for yourself is not a goal for everyone. However, it might be the ideal way to create a life and career that you love.

1. Get to know the right people: If you’re just starting out or looking to make a career switch, your main goal is to create a wide network of professional connections with decision-makers. Your network will ultimately impact your network and success as a freelancer, entrepreneur, or small business owner.

2. Accept failure is completely normal: Everyone fails at something, but it’s how you respond to failure that matters and what you do with that information. The more you embrace that all things will not go as planned – the more you can quickly adapt and succeed working for yourself and others.

3. Doing the best at this moment: Often people think when planning for the future that the real work will take place at some future point in time. However, what will prepare you for 2030 and beyond is about putting your best efforts to plan and strategize for the future.

4. Learn to multitask and work on multiple projects simultaneously: Prepare yourself for working on multiple things at once. One key to success in any career – especially one that offers greater freedom and flexibility in your work life – requires you to become masterful in maximizing your time and working (or Zooming) from anywhere.

5. Apply to twice as many jobs as other candidates: Finding new positions or opportunities is a numbers game. However, so is finding new business as a self-employed person.

6. Position yourself to compete with others who may get opportunities solely because of their age and appearance: Whether we like it or not, as we age, the potential for us NOT to fit into the traditional workplace increases. Working for yourself even in a small capability better prepares you for pivoting to work as a freelancer or entrepreneur to fill in the gaps or help sustain you during a layoff or extended period of unemployment.

7. Take steps to ensure you’re prepared for the opportunity when it appears: This seems like a simple task, but maybe, I believe, one of the greatest reasons DO NOT succeed. They are not prepared with a camera-ready resume or to meet with a prospective employer or client. Interviewing is a great way to prepare for success in your career. So go on interviews for jobs even if you’re not very interested in the position or company. Interviewing is a skill you must practice.

Do you get what you deserve or do get what you go after?

If your life and career are not what you want them to be – perhaps you need to make an immediate change. Stop asking, waiting, and hoping, and start doing, taking, and making. Of course, life is not easy, and you will not succeed in everything that you try. However, the key thing is to give it your best and see what happens.

The process to change starts by believing in yourself - even and especially when that “self” is a work in progress. Believe in what you can do helps drive believing in what you can be. And, if you need a little help along the way, simply lean on those people in your life who support and believe in you – until your own confidence kicks in.

Take time to celebrate, share and expand your uniqueness. When you know exactly what you do (better than anyone else), you will be perfectly prepared to promote it to others.

Follow us all week on social for some great advice from some famous dads on doing the one thing that you cannot fail at – being yourself.

Recognizing (7) Seven Key Skills That You May Be Great At

We are all great at something. What’s that thing that you do better than anyone else? This week is about tooting your own horn and recognizing the many things that you are great at doing. In case you need some help in getting started - here are seven (7) things to consider when determining where you excel. 

1.    Are you passionate about a group of people or a cause? Something matters to all of us - what’s the cause that you believe in? I am committed to people who want to find a way to live life doing what they love. I believe we would all be much happier – and the world a better place – if more people could spend their time and talents on what interests them.  

2.   Did you take a risk that paid off? More than a decade ago, I created a course called Turning Your Passion into Your Profession. I sent the proposal to the Learning Annex, a professional development organization in NYC. When they turned down my course, I took a chance and sent it to NYU, Columbia, AND Baruch College. Even though I had zero prior teaching experience, I took a risk. Lucky I did.  NYU ran the course for more than 10 years, and Baruch College hired me to teach 5 courses over 5 years. Teaching then became a new part of my career. Whether you bought a one-way ticket to NYC, quit your job to travel the world, or just found a new job and no longer have to sleep on a friend’s couch – celebrate your big and small risks that paid off.

3.   Are you really good at your job? What’s the one job or aspect of your professional life that you do better than others? I am great at motivating people to want to work with and for me, in part, because I continually let others know how much I appreciate them and value what they do. I pride myself on being a great supervisor, mentor, and coworker. What do you pride yourself on?

4.   Are you a go-getter who goes after what you want? Sometimes life is simply about trying new things. Pat yourself on the back for trying new things and pushing yourself and others out of your comfort zone. Next time you decide you are going to “go for it,” no matter what happens – celebrate your ability to venture into something new.

5.   Do people turn to you when they need encouragement or support? You may be a great cheerleader in your personal life. That person who motivates and inspires your family, friends, and others to work towards and achieve their goals.

6.   Are you a great friend or coworker? Perhaps you are that person at work who makes anything seem better. There are some people who make work “work” because they are pleasant, positive, and flexible people.

7.   Are you organized and able to help others organize their life and/or goals? Some people are really good at creating organization, structure, and discipline for others. Maybe you are a kick-ass personal trainer or life coach. Or perhaps you are simply that friend who helps others organize, declutter and simplify their homes, businesses, or lives.

This week identify and remind yourself of at least one thing that you do very well. Pat yourself on the back and celebrate this one thing that makes you uniquely special and one-of-a-kind.

If You Think Having Too Many Jobs on Your Resume is a Bad Thing? – Think Again

Millennials have our collective career expectations in a big way. Generation Y single-handedly has made it more acceptable, and perhaps even desired, to stay with an employer for a brief tenure. Having more jobs means that you are a risk-taker and risk-takers with an entrepreneurial spirit make great employees. Gen Z is also shaking things up and changing the rules when it comes to how people view one’s professional experience.

Regardless of your generation, here are three (3) things that your resume might be saying about you without you even knowing it:

1. Numerous jobs mean that you are a risk-taker: Gone are the days when you work for one employer for 30 years and then retire. Many companies no longer expect their employees to stay in a job for a decade or even five years. In fact, having a job listed on your resume that you only held for one year could be an asset – because it shows your ability to welcome change, adapt easily, and try something new. Remember, today, it is perfectly acceptable to share with a potential employer that you “always wanted to work for a start-up but soon found that such a fluid environment wasn’t a great fit for me.”

2. Traditional job titles make you look dated and out of touch: In today’s job market, everyone is focused on digital technology. However, did you know that the mere fact of having a digital term in your job title can help improve your chances of getting hired? If you are a Communications Coordinator, it’s better to call yourself a Digital Promotions and Marketing Specialist instead. Of course, if you were an intern, you can’t take on the title of CEO. However, you can and should tweak your title a bit to help the resume reader better understand and appreciate your position and role.

3. Not including “extra-curricular” hobbies and interests can make you appear as one dimensional: Your ability to share your personal interests and passions is welcome in today’s HR culture. Many progressive and traditional employers want to hire people who are multi-dimensional and are active in their communities, give back to charitable causes, and demonstrate their creativity on social media. Don’t wait until you start working at a new job to start sharing qualities and experiences that make you shine and stand out from the competition.

This week take time to tweak your resume to help ensure that it communicates and expresses who you are in the best possible light. Making these and other small but important changes can mean the difference between being a prospective applicant and a qualified employee.

The Best One Liner Career Advice Quotes That I’ve Ever Heard.

Hope you are still celebrating the official start of Summer! Since it’s a short week - here are seven (7) “brief but bold” quotes that can help you set and celebrate your personal goals.

1.     You get what you work for, not what you wish for: Intentions are great, but they are not actions. Dreaming gives you a goal to work towards. Success happens when you are doing the things you dream about.

2.     Say it, forget it - write it, regret it: When it comes to what we do and say – you should always be measured. It is generally best (especially when you are frustrated) to verbalize your thoughts but not put them on social, online, and IRL writing where it lives forever.

3.     Don’t solve a permanent problem with a temporary solution: Sometimes, we must do whatever it takes to survive. Even though it may be tempting to take a “quick fix,” – you should approach every decision by considering how it fits into your long-term plan.

4.     Life is a game, so learn how to play it: There are “rules” to everything, including life. However, part of life is learning when to follow the traditional rules and when to make your own. Ask friendly, encouraging mentors to share their most important rules for business, life, and career.

5.     Everybody does a better job when they do what they love: Enough said.

6.     If you don’t have a cheerleader – be your own: We all need encouragement and someone who believes in us. If you have at least one person that has your back – anything is possible.  

7.     Ask questions of others, challenge authority, and the status quo, but never second guess yourself: Some people are their own worst enemy. Paralysis by analysis can prevent you from the very thing that you say you want. Nothing is guaranteed – but once you make a decision, stand by it. If it doesn’t work out, no worries, just make another decision.

This week find a new favorite quote and take it to heart. Or select one of these to guide your thoughts for every day of the week. Whatever you do this week, embrace a new idea or perspective.