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Career Advice

Lady Gaga, persistence and the power of never giving up!

June 8, 2020

There’s not many of us that haven’t heard of Lady Gaga. Her catchy pop songs, unique sense of fashion and acting credits have seen her become an accomplished creative professional. She has an impressive list of achievements including seven Billboard Music Awards, 21 BMI Pop Awards, nine Clio Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, 11 Grammy Awards, 14 Guinness World Records, six International Dance Music Awards, 10 Japan Gold Disc Awards, 10 MTV Europe Music Awards, 13 MTV Video Music Awards, 21 RTHK International Poll Pop Awards, 8 Virgin Media Music Awards and nine World Music Awards to name a few.

Lady Gaga, who’s real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, developed an early love of music when she learnt to play the piano at age four. She attended a Catholic School in New York City where she honed her love of music and began performing in nightclubs as a teenager. She was one of only 20 students in the world granted early acceptance to study at New York’s University Tisch School of the Arts. Although she left after two years to further develop and manage her own career.

In 2007, she began performing a burlesque show called “Lady Gaga and the Starlight Revue” where singer Akon discovered her and signed her to his label. She drew creative inspiration off David Bowie, Grace Slick, the New York Dolls and Freddie Mercury of Queen. Her stage name, “Lady Gaga” derived off Queen’s song, “Radio Ga Ga”. She wrote and recorded her first album, “The Fame” which was released in 2008. Her debut single, “Just Dance”, along with singles, “Poker Face”, “LoveGame” and “Paparazzi” all reached number one on the charts.

Through this time Lady Gaga also developed her own fashion identity through her creative team, Haus of Gaga. This included amazing wigs and space-age bodysuits.

Several albums followed including “The Fame Monster” and in 2011 “Born This Way”. Her third album “ArtPop” released in 2013 didn’t resonate as much with the fans as the other albums had. In 2014 she recorded “Cheek to Cheek” a collection of jazz duets with Tony Bennett. In 2016 she performed the anthem at the Superbowl and followed this up in 2017 with a powerhouse performance at the Superbowl halftime where she performed a medley of her hits.

Expanding her creative talents has also taken Lady Gaga into the world of acting. She has co-starred in American Horror Story: Hotel, with her portrayal of The Countess earning her a Golden Globe. There have been other roles along the way but one that earned her significant acclaim is her role as “Ally” alongside Bradley Cooper in “A Star Is Born”. The duet “Shallow” she performed with Cooper, rewarded her with Golden Globe, Grammy and Oscar wins.

At the end of 2018, Lady Gaga commenced a Las Vegas residency at MGM’s Resort Theater. She performed two separate shows over 27 dates, Lady Gaga Jazz & Piano and Lady Gaga Enigma.

February 2020 saw her release the single, “Stupid Love”, her first music in three years. In April this year, she partnered with Global Citizen to support healthcare workers and WHO, organising the virtual concert, “One World: Together At Home” featuring stars such as Elton John, Keith Urban, Celine Dion, Lizzo and Jennifer Lopez. The event went on to raise more than $127 million to fight the Covid19 pandemic.

If there’s one thing that Lady Gaga shows us, it’s persistence and never giving up on your dreams. Having the courage to keep your dreams firmly in your vision and take steps towards them is something embodied by Lady Gaga. As you look back over her career to date, it’s evident that every step she has taken has moved her closer to her dreams. She’s always backed herself, taken some risks and worked incredibly hard along the way. She’s not afraid to stand out, be different or try new things in her career. Above all, she’s comfortable with her uniqueness and individuality which has allowed her audience to fall in love with her.

Lady Gaga has made an impact in the music and acting world by embracing challenges. It is these challenges which have revealed her authenticity and vulnerability. She is also deeply passionate about communicating messages of hope and struggle which have shaped who she is as a person. Her music reveals messages about her life, love and family. She’s also used her fame for good. It’s enabled her to give back and revealed a deeply compassionate side to her personality.

It is through the words of her speech at the 2019 Oscars, in accepting the award for “Best Original Song” (Shallow) where she inspired all of us with dreams for our career.

“If you are at home and sitting on your couch and you are watching this right now, all I have to say is this is hard work. I have worked hard for a long time, and it’s not about – you know – it’s not about winning, but – what it’s about is not giving up. If you have a dream, fight for it. There’s a discipline for passion, and it’s not about how many times you get rejected or you fall down or beaten up, it’s about how many times you stand up and are brave and you keep on going.” – Lady Gaga

As you think about where you are in your career right now and the dreams you have, I hope this inspires you to never give up on your dreams. Keep going. Find a way. The future is yours. Don’t let some bumps in the road take you off course. You deserve your dreams and they are yours to reach.

Often we need a little support along the way to achieve our career dreams. I’d love to help you with your career dreams, sign up for a complimentary 30 minute career dreams chat.

References:

https://www.biography.com/musician/lady-gaga

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lady-Gaga

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Lady_Gaga

https://lybio.net/lady-gagas-full-acceptance-speech-transcript-from-oscars/people/

Why a Career Coach is essential for your career!

June 7, 2020

There’s great saying that when you “Fail to plan, you plan to fail”. This is true for most things in life. Thinking about what you want and devising a plan is a great way to ensure you reach your goals. It’s also true for your career goals. Most people often go about their career with little thought or specific steps and it’s often that they find themselves at point in their career questioning how they go there. It’s no wonder they lack true career fulfillment.

We live in a world where you can find a specialist on anything. Struggling with pain management? You can see a pain management specialist. Troubles with your nasal passage? You can see an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist. Troubles with your back? You can see a Chiropractor. Ready to get into shape? You can see a personal trainer or fitness coach. Yet when it comes to your career, you often think you can work it out yourself. Or worse still, you think your manager should tell you what’s next in your career.

Here’s the thing. Your career is yours to own. You are the CEO of your career. So unless you want someone to decide your career path, then it’s time you realised that your career is something unique to you and you need to have a plan. That’s where a professional career coach can help you. By getting to the heart of what your value, what your strengths are and what skills, knowledge and experience you have, they can help you to package up your most valuable assets to ensure your marketability to an employer.

Leaving your career to chance or crossing your fingers and hoping for the best, is best left for playing lotto. But when it comes your livelihood, your happiness and your career fulfillment, why would you leave it to chance? Don’t you owe it to yourself to realise your potential? This is where a Career Coach can help you. There are 3 essential parts to your career:-

Knowing yourself

Values – One of the most important parts to knowing yourself, is knowing what your values are. Values are those intrinisic things which shape our decisions and help us decide what we want. It’s really your internal compass. Being clear on your values is important for your career in determining what you would like in your next job, team or work group and the company.

Needs – A job can affect every area of your life and as such you will have needs to be met. These needs can include a paycheck (specific amount), benefits (such as retirement), interesting work, supportive manager, flexibility and opportunity. Getting clear on what you need from your next job will assist you to know whether a job is right for you.

Knowing your assets

Skills – these are your work-related competencies. The specific competencies required to do a job. Skills can fall into one of three categories, hard or job specific/technical skills, soft or adaptive skills or transferable skills. It will depend on where you are at in your career and where you are going as to which skills may be more applicable. For example, if you’ve been working for 15 years, then transferable skills may be more relevant for you.

Knowledge – this is really the stuff you have learned. It can be formal or informal. Formal knowledge is things like education, courses, qualifications or licenses. Recruiters and potential employers want to know what formal knowledge or training you have obtained as this is often an entry point to some careers or professions.

Experience – this is really the informal knowledge that you’ve learnt along the way in your career. Through both your personal and professional life, you’ve gained experience which has helped shaped who you are today. Often experience has enabled you to develop tools, techniques and processes which are great selling points for a new employer. Actually capturing your experience isn’t as easy as you think. It’s not until you’re challenged to go back over your career or until a career coach helps you to identify this, do you stop and think about it.

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Knowing how to market yourself

Branding – whether you like it or not, you are a brand. In the job market, your skills, knowledge and experience are really a commodity which you’re trading. It can be competitive in the job market, so knowing how to brand yourself and confidently sell your skills, is an art. Not only knowing how to do this but to be able to do this effectively to ensure you stand out, is essential to your success.

Careers can be complex and challenging. However, they can also be fulfilling and fruitful. A career coach will help you to close the gap between your current career situation and where you want to be. It can be truly transformational. In this ever-changing world of work, you are being asked to evolve and adapt your career in ways you would’ve never imagined. Having a professional career coach to help you navigate your career journey is an investment in yourself. You deserve to enjoy Mondays, be paid your worth and feel fulfilled in your career.

Feeling lost in your career? Do you need help with your next career move? Most importantly, a career coach can help you close the gap between your current career situation and where you want to be. Above all, Feeling lost in your career? Do you need help with your next career move? Most importantly, a career coach can help you close the gap between your current career situation and where you want to be. Above all, having a career coach to help you navigate your career journey is an investment in yourself. It can be truly transformational. Don’t leave your career to chance. Your career is yours to own. Ready to transform your career?

It can be truly transformational. Don’t leave your career to chance. Your career is yours to own. Ready to transform your career?

Why you need to start a side hustle today!

May 17, 2020

There was a time when simply having a job meant job security. You knew that as long as you turned up to work everyday and did what was expected of you, you would have a job and a pay check as long as you wanted it. Sadly, those days are over. Job security in any industry is no longer guaranteed. We’ve recently all experienced unprecedented times brought upon us by Covid-19. Particularly when it comes to employment. Jobs and industries that we thought were stable, were eliminated overnight and without warning. What Corona virus has highlighted to us is no industry or job is safe. It’s been devastating to many individuals and families right around the world. Having no reliable income has highlighted why now more than ever, we need other sources of income.

According to the International Labor Organisation, full or partial lockdown has affected almost 2.7 billion workers, or four in five of the world’s workforce. Industry sectors that have been hit the hardest are retail and wholesale (482 million workers), manufacturing (463 million), food and accommodation (144 million) and business services and administration (157 million).

What happens when job security is suddenly taken from you? What do you do?

On the other hand, the cost of living is increasing, debt is higher than it’s ever been and your salary increase just isn’t cutting it. The Covid pandemic has shown us that having an additional source of income adds more security to your income. Security that also comes in the form of, peace of mind. Money stress is one of the highest forms of stress out there in the world. Being able to reduce that stress is something we’re all keen to do. Starting a side hustle is exactly the way to reduce stress and increase your financial independence. It also reduces your reliance on one main source of income. Now, more than ever, it’s time you took control of your income.

What is a side hustle?

According to Chris Guillebeau, “A side hustle is not a part-time job. A side hustle is not the gig economy. It is an asset that works for you.” Chris is an American author, blogger and speaker. He has written the books, The Art of Non-Conformity, The $100 Startup, The Happiness of Pursuit, Born for This and Side Hustle: From idea to income in 27 days.

Chris also adds a side hustle is not your primary source of income. It’s not meant to replace your full-time job and it’s also recommended that it is different from your main occupation. The reason being is it’s good to utilise different skills and more importantly you want to ensure that you don’t become bored by doing the same thing.

Having a side hustle isn’t a new thing. According to a new study commissioned by GoDaddy, one in ten Australians have a side hustle making an average of $24,000 a year. An astonishing 44 million Americans have a side hustle, according to Bankrate.com.

Why have a side hustle?

More income means more options. More options equals freedom and freedom means living a life on your terms. You are no longer reliant on your employer as your main source of income. You are able to create security for you and your family. The extra income can go towards paying bills, paying off debt, saving up for larger items such as a car or house or putting extra money towards your retirement. The extra income can really increase the quality of your life and is yours to do whatever it is you like.

What work do I perform in my side hustle?

A side hustle can be many things but as Chris talks about in his book, Side Hustle – From Idea to Income in 27 days, side hustles fall into three categories. These are selling a product (your own or someone else’s), selling a service or being a middle person in some way. Examples of selling a product could be an ebook, online course or craft through an Etsy shop. A service example could include selling coaching, tutoring or social media management. The third option of being a middle person, could involve buying products cheaply and reselling them on eBay.

Examples of side hustles – starting a blog, transcription work with companies such as Rev, coaching, reselling on eBay, developing and selling an online course, driving for Uber or a dog minding business. With the increase in working from home, there are so many opportunities for side hustles. Ideas are everywhere, there is really no limit to what your side hustle could be. Check out this post by Nick Loper which is loaded with ideas for you side hustle.

How do I start a side hustle?

Keep in mind a side hustle has low start-ups costs. After all, you are starting this to make money.

Why do you want to start a side hustle?

Getting crystal clear on your purpose provides a bigger why. As you set about establishing your side hustle, knowing your ‘why’ will help to keep you focused and clear on the bigger picture. It also helps to keep you from getting bogged down in the day to day. Put simply, your ‘why’ is your vision.

What skills do I have?

When thinking about what side hustle to start, it’s important to think about what skills you have. What are you passionate about? What things are you interested in? It’s important to not just copy and do something because you see other people doing them. You need to be true to yourself. When you force yourself to do something, it becomes a struggle and you’ll find it hard to stick with it.

Develop a timeline

An important part of building a side hustle is to set a timeline for yourself with each step along the way. By doing this, your mind focuses and you start to take action to move you closer to your achievement. Regardless of whether you offer a service or have a product to sell, get clear on what you want to achieve and by when.

Photo by Emma Matthews Digital Content Production on Unsplash

Another great resource for starting your side hustle is Nick Loper’s website http://www.sidehustlenation.com. Nick is a former nine to fiver who escaped the corporate grind and built a very successful side hustle business. He also has a podcast which is a fantastic resource to increase your knowledge and hear inspiring side hustle stories.

Like anything, you’ll need to take action, massive amounts of action. You’ll also need to be disciplined and motivated to keep going even if you encounter some challenges. It’s not going to be a walk in the park, but it will be worth it. Just think about what it would mean to you and your family to have another source of income. It’s difficult to put a price on freedom, particularly financial freedom. What does financial freedom mean to you? What would an extra $2,000, $3,000, $5,000 or more each month do for your current situation? It’s up to you. The only thing that is stopping you, is yourself. If you’re still unsure, here’s a quote to inspire you on your side hustle journey.

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” – Earl Nightingale

4 Questions you should ask before becoming an Entrepreneur?

May 16, 2020

Have you ever wanted to start your own business but are unsure whether you’ve got the entrepreneurial spirit in you? Are you feeling unfulfilled in your career?

With the arrival of a birthday each year, it’s fairly common for us to reassess where we are at in our life, relationships and career. We ask ourselves questions such as, am I happy in my job? Am I feeling fulfilled at work? Is this really what I want to do for the rest of my life?

When you spend up to a third of your life at work, it’s fairly important that you enjoy what you do. For a lot of us we get up, go to work, do our job and enjoyment is often fairly low down the important priorities list. Whilst enjoyment should be at the top, often other things such as financial security and what job options you have take precedent. With so many of us not enjoying our jobs and careers, it’s no wonder we look outside our cubicles for something else. That something else could be finding another job or career that aligns with our passion or starting a business based around what you enjoy.

If your job doesn’t excite or energise you, and you want this year to be a year where you explore other options for your career, then it’s time to think about becoming an entrepreneur. Maybe you’ve never stopped to consider this as an option. Entrepreneurship can be a rather daunting thought. That little voice in your head takes over and bombards you with more questions. What would I do? How would I earn money? Where would I begin?

Before you succumb to that little voice, let’s look at 4 simple questions you should ask yourself which might help you decide whether entrepreneurship is for you.

Do I want to help others?

As humans, we’re wired to want to help others. It makes us feel good and often through helping others we are in fact, helping ourselves. It also brings a sense of community into our interactions and provides purpose to our life. If you recall a time when a natural disaster such as a flood or fire occurred, it’s very evidence there’s a strong bond in the community as people rally together to assist those affected. There’s an extra bonus when you know your work impacts others for the better, you often experience greater job satisfaction. Think firefighters, nurses and social workers. Scientists refer to this feeling as a “helper’s high”, adding that the release of endorphins positively impacts mood and boosts morale.

Can I solve a problem that others have?

Solving problems is really at the core of business today. Find a solution to a problem and you have yourself an instant money-making machine. Okay, so money won’t magically appear in your hands but if you think about business as nothing more than solving a problem, you’re thinking like an entrepreneur. How do you know what problem you can solve? Grab a piece of paper, sit yourself somewhere quiet where you won’t be disturbed and fold the paper in half lengthways. Next, think about all your skills. List them down the left side of the paper. Then for every skill you have listed, think about the problem it solves and write this on the right side of the paper. For example, I have the skill of interview coaching, this solves the problem of a lack of confidence people have in interviews. Now step back and review your list, identify your top 5 and research whether you can build a business based on one of those.

Do I have a growth mindset?

Why does mindset matter and what is a growth mindset? According to Dr Carol Dweck, a growth mindset helps us reach greater levels of achievement. Someone with a growth mindset embraces challenges, persists in the face of setbacks, learns from criticism and finds lessons and inspiration in the success of others. For any would-be entrepreneur, it’s critical to adopt this mindset approach. It’s not all doom and gloom if your mindset still needs some work. Cassandra Dunn, a psychologist, offers 5 tips for developing a growth mindset, they are: a) start using the word “yet”, for example I’m not much of an entrepreneur yet, b) progress not perfection, c) unhook from criticism and praise, d) celebrate effort, not talent and e) learn to love the process.

Am I persistent and determined?

This question is closely linked to the adoption of a growth mindset. Any entrepreneurial journey is a marathon, not a sprint. It may take 3 weeks, 3 months or 3 years. It’s important not to give up. Keep your eye on your goal and stay the course.

We’re often quick to dismiss something if it feels uncomfortable or overwhelming. But sometimes it’s worth asking yourself, “what if”? What if I started my own business? What if I became an entrepreneur? More than ever people are taking control of their careers and entering the entrepreneurial world. A world where you can set your own hours, do what you love and feel like the work you are doing is truly making a difference. If you’re still not convinced whether becoming an entrepreneur is for you then ask yourself this question, “Will I look back on my life in 10, 15 or 20 years from now and regret not becoming an entrepreneur?”

Fancy a career change from employee to entrepreneur? Here’s 3 inspiring stories of Cubicle Crushers

May 15, 2020

When you decide to change careers to become a cubicle crusher and venture down the path of being an entrepreneur, it can be rather daunting. You often find your motivation goes up and down. It can be a case of two steps forward and three steps back. Sometimes you can visualise the success you’re after but it often feels too far away.

One way to stay motivated and energised is to read about career changers and entrepreneurs to learn how they crushed the cubicle. This helps to remind you to just keep going! Plus if others can do it, then you can too!

Here’s some examples of three entrepreneurs who’ve changed careers and crushed the cubicle. This will help you to turbocharge your inspiration and remind you it’s possible.

Mili Ponce Oliver – From Supervisor at Belkin to Affiliate Marketer

Peruvian born Mili was no stranger to entrepreneurship as her father ran a successful business. After school, she moved to London to attend university although had to withdraw from her studies when her father lost his business. As she needed to earn enough money to support her parents and herself, Mili got four jobs, working around the clock with hardly any sleep. After a host of health challenges, she realised she couldn’t keep working like this.

After a friend’s encouragement, Mili then got a ‘normal’ 9 to 5 job, securing a supervisor role at Belkin. It was a good job, in a good company and she was earning a good salary. Although she wasn’t feeling fulfilled nor happy with the salary she received. After attending an internet bootcamp, she tried making money on Twitter by promoting affiliate products. After a year, she managed to make $500 and this encouraged her to keep going. She then got serious, researching everything to do with Twitter including how to get traffic. During all of this, she was still working her day job. In her second month online, she managed to make $1,700 and in her third month, $2,500. Her success rocketed from there and by month five, she had made $10,000 by running Twitter marketing campaigns for authors, speakers and a variety of small businesses. She had crushed the cubicle!! Today, she is an international digital marketing strategist and the founder of Europe’s number one social media marketing blog, Social Songbird.

Corinna Essa – From TV production to Social Media CEO

Corinna went from an unemployed TV production worker to becoming the CEO of a very successful social media management business, Social Media Worldwide which turns over $4 million per year. With a university degree in TV production, Corinna couldn’t imagine working in any other industry. After she was made redundant at age 25, in the middle of the financial crisis, she realised she needed to do something different. Like Mili, she attended a seminar run by Mark Anastasi on social media. After listening to many strategies from all the different speakers, the one that resonated with her was selling other people’s products on Twitter for a commission.

Like Mili, Corinna studied Twitter and started affiliate marketing via the micro blogging platform. She created free accounts and built her following up to 10,000. She then started promoting products via Clickbank. Within three weeks of promoting products, she had replaced the income she lost from working in TV. After her initial success and crushing the cubicle, she went on to develop an online course in 2011, resulting in $15,492 of sales overnight. Her success continued on from there and she was invited to speak at a social media summit. From there went on to launch a ‘done-for-you’ Twitter service which led to her current business, Social Media Worldwide.

Amanda Clarkson – From career chaos to eBay entrepreneur

Amanda was always interested in making money and getting rich. Whilst her desire for success was strong, she’d had 33 jobs in a 10-year period and hated every single one of them. She would wake up each morning not wanting to go to work. She wasn’t fulfilled, nor was she happy. An honest conversation with her husband Matt back in 2006 confirmed they were both disgruntled with their life, and fed up with getting up each morning doing the same thing but hoping for a different result. The two of them embarked on the search for a better lifestyle.

In the early 2000’s when the internet was just coming into fashion, Matt said to her, “I know that people make money on the internet”. They dived deeply into the internet, even travelling to Nashville, USA to attend an internet seminar. They both fell in love with the idea of having an internet business but they weren’t sure how they would do it. One day in their home office, Matt received an email about eBay and encouraged Amanda to check it out. After doing a lot of research, she found out that all she had to do to make money was to fill a need in the market. Simply – connect people with products. What really appealed to Amanda about eBay was that she didn’t need to build a website or find traffic. They then started a business importing health and fitness products. Within six months, they were turning over $60,000 AUD per month and had become Cubicle Crushers! Check out more here.

The common thing about Mili, Corinna and Amanda is they all desired a better life. They’re no different to you. After some hard work and plenty of dedication they achieved their desired lifestyle. If they can do it, you can do it! Don’t wait for tomorrow, get started on your dreams today!

What dreams do you have for your career? How will you achieve them?

37 of my favourite all-time career quotes

May 8, 2020

From time to time we all need a pick-me-up when it comes to our career. You might be searching for a new job, trying to land your dream job or simply trying to survive in a challenging work environment. All these situations can be really trying and it can be hard to keep positive that good things are ahead. Sometimes the road seems too long and whilst cliché, it might feel like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. In times like these, you can always reach out to your partner, family and friends for a heart-to-heart career chat to help keep you motivated and on track for your career goals.

Whilst a chat with a friend or loved one can lift our spirits, sometimes we can find that “lift” in inspirational words such as quotes. Reading a quotes from a famous person or someone we admire can really provide that pick-me-up and re-energise you in staying on your path. Knowing someone else has walked our path or endured hardship and come out the other side, can be reassuring and calming to our well being and state of mind.

Quotes can be found in a number of places, but one of my favourites is on Pinterest. Pinning quotes to a board or printing them for a visual reminder are great ways to keep these words of wisdom front and centre of mind.

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford
“Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” – Suzy Kassem
“’What’ and ‘if’ are two words as non-threatening as words come. But put them together side by side and they have the power to haunt you for the rest of your life: What If?” – Letters to Juliet
“If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.” – Bishop T. D. Jakes
“Nothing happens until you decide. Make a decision and watch your life move forward.” – Oprah
“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” – Jimmy Johnson
“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then seem improbable, and then when we summon the will, they soon seem inevitable.” – Christopher Reeve
“Entrepreneurs are willing to work 80 hours a week to avoid working 40 hours a week.” – Lori Greiner
“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic, it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” – Colin Powell
“Recognising that you are not where you want to be is a starting point to being changing your life.” – Deborah Day
“Starting something new or making a big change requires effort, persistence and motivation. Doubt, fear and worry will only slow you down. Focus on doing your best now and celebrate every step of the way.” – Doe Zantamata
“Think big and don’t listen to people who tell you it can’t be done. Life’s too short to think small.” – Tim Ferris
“If you think you are going to love something, give it a try. You’re going to kick yourself in the butt for the rest of your life, if you don’t.” – Joe Penna
“How can you squander even one more day not taking advantage of the greatest shifts of our generation? How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?” – Seth Godin
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.” – Steve Jobs
“Epic things start with small humble steps. Pay respect to your beginnings. And if you’re just starting out, know that it’s okay to be sucky. To be small. To be messy and chaotic. Just make sure to never ever stop dreaming.” – Vishen Lakhiani
“When you grow up you tend to get told the world is the way it is and to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family, have fun, save a little money. That’s a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact. Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.” – Steve Jobs
“Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” – Dwayne Johnson
“Work for someone who believes in you, because when they believe in you they’ll invest in you.” – Marissa Mayer
“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius
“Success isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.” – Michelle Obama
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” – Neal Donald Walsch
“Create the highest grandest vision possible for your life because you become what you believe.” – Oprah Winfrey
“A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do.” – Bob Dylan
“Success means pursuing a career that inspires you, brings passion to your life and totally absorbs your energy.” – Marin Alsop
“Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams.” – Lady Gaga
“Find out what you like doing best and get someone to pay you for doing it.” – Katherine Whitehorn
“Go where you are celebrated – not tolerated. If they can’t see the real value of you, it’s time for a new start.” – Unknown
“What would happen if we encouraged all women to be a little more ambitious? I think the world would change.” – Reese Witherspoon
“I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.” – Estee Lauder
“I failed my exam in some subjects but my friend passed. Now he’s an engineer in Microsoft and I am the owner.” – Bill Gates
“Success comes from taking the initiative and following up…..Persisting……what simple action could you take today to produce a new momentum toward success in your life?” – Tony Robbins
“What one skill, if you developed it, could have the greatest positive impact on your career? This is the key to your future.” – Brian Tracy
“Whatever you want in life, other people are going to want it too. Believe in yourself enough to accept the idea that you have an equal right to it.” – Diane Sawyer
“If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat! Just get on.” – Sheryl Sandberg
“Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.” – Maya Angelou
“All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney

There’s so much wisdom, boldness and hope in this list of career quotes. You should be feeling inspired and energised to continue on in your career journey. Find your favourite 5, write them out or print them and stick them somewhere you can see them. Read them regularly whenever you need a “pick-me-up”. Your dose of inspiration is only a “quote” away.

5 Ways To Get Out Of A Career Rut!

April 28, 2020

Are you one of those lucky people who found a job they’re passionate about? You absolutely love what you do and it doesn’t feel like work at all. Or have you found yourself in job where you dread every Monday? You spend your working week counting the days till the next weekend.

You’re not alone if you find yourself in a career rut and hating your job. In fact, according to a Gallup poll 85% of people worldwide hate their job. It’s not as simple as handing in your resignation and saying “I’m outta here” to your boss. There’s a number of things for you to consider. Number one is that all important pay check. Let’s face it, we all have bills to pay. You also might be really good at your job, the pay is decent and you know the company. However on the flip side, there’s no excitement or passion for your job. Instead of fulfilling you, it’s draining the heck out of you and impacting other parts of your life. Your relationships, health and happiness are all taking a back seat as it takes every bit of energy to go to that job every day.

You know you need to do something but what? Complacency may have crept in and you find it almost easier to get up and go to that job than to get off your butt and do something about it. Let’s face it, getting another job is pretty much a full-time job in itself. You quietly hope for a miracle. To win Lotto? To find that rich partner? I’m afraid to tell you, while either of those would be amazing, the odds aren’t in your favour for either of those happening.

So that means the only person to change this situation is YOU. Yep, that person who’s looking back at you in the mirror.

How the hell do you get out of a career rut? It’s not as complicated or as difficult as you think. I’ve got 5 ways for any budget that will help you change your job situation for the better.

As Confucius said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”.

“If you want to be successful in this world, you have to follow your passion, not a paycheck.” – Jen Welter, NFL first female coach.

1 – Conduct a skills inventory

It can happen that you find yourself in a job that wasn’t part of your plan. This could’ve happened for many reasons. Maybe your job options were limited at the time or maybe you thought you would enjoy it more than you are. Whatever the case, don’t discount the skills you have learned. Sometimes you can overlook what skills you have and focus only on what you don’t have. However, it’s important to remember that every skill you have gained is valuable. They are never a waste. Your skills are also transferable into another job or career. It’s time to sit down and list the skills you have so you are clear on what value you could bring to a new job.

Take a piece of A4 paper, make yourself a cup of tea or pour yourself a glass of wine, grab a pen and sit yourself at a table. Think of your current job and list all the skills you have in order to perform the role effectively. Repeat this for all the jobs you have had. Once you have finished, look for any commonalities as this will give you a guide to what is a strength.

2 – Know Yourself

One of the greatest attributes an individual can have is self-awareness. The ability to know yourself inside and out, your strengths and weaknesses, what you like and don’t like in a job can be very beneficial for your career satisfaction. Whilst this sounds simple, you’d be surprised how often people overlook the powering of deeply knowing oneself. The best way to do this is to invest in a personality assessment. These tests measure your personality (relevant to the workplace) and behaviourial style. There’s no right or wrong answers and they help to determine your suitability for a role or job. There’s a number of different ones available. The more popular ones include, Myers Briggs, Strengthsfinder, Enneagram and DISC. Each assessment offers something slightly different but they all show your inherent strengths and potential blind spots. For the full benefit, I recommend working with a certified professional in the respective test as they can assist you to interpret your results. For access to each test, click below:-

Myers Briggs – https://www.mbtionline.com/?utm_source=MBF&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=online

Strengthsfinder – https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/store/en-us

Enneagram – https://tests.enneagraminstitute.com/

DISC – https://www.discprofile.com/products/?c=7

3 – The Power of Books

One of the most valuable resources you have at your fingertips, is books. They are a great way to get practical steps and advice from an expert without the hefty pricetag. Additionally, they are also a great alternative if spending the money on a personality assessment is not an option for you. Here are some great ones that I highly recommend.

“Do What You Are” – by Paul D. Tiger, Barbara Barron and Kelly Tieger

This book goes into more depth on the Myers Briggs Type Instrument (MBTI – which is it’s official name). It breaks down everything about the test including the four personality preference scales. There’s information on to how to identify your strengths, detailed explanation on the 16 different personality types and also how each of these types is at work. The in-depth chapter on each type identifies different job or career options, gives practical examples of different types at play in work and outlines a pathway to success. Whilst this book will provide enormous benefit to you for your career, it will also help you to understand other personality types which can lead to stronger relationships and assist you with working with others.

“Pivot” – by Jenny Blake

If there’s one book I recommend you buy, it’s this one. Pivot is a fantastic resource for anyone who has hit a career plateau and trying to work out their next move. Jenny is a former career development program manager at Google. Her book gives you a 4-stage process to help you work out how to pivot in your career. It is an easy read, very relatable with examples from successful pivoters and filled with practical exercises aimed at helping you answer, “What’s Next?”. Everybody should have this book regardless of where you are at in your career.

“The Element” and “Finding Your Element” by Sir Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica

Ken defines “The Element” as the point at which natural talent meets personal passion. When you find your element, you feel fulfilled, inspired and will be able to achieve at high levels. There’s many inspiring stories and a theme of getting active in finding your element.

In “Finding Your Element”, Ken helps you to discover and find your element. There’s a series of practical exercises to help you uncover your natural strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, there’s stories of others who found their element.

In both of these books there is a theme of opportunity. That is, having, creating and seizing opportunities that provide you with a new experience aimed at getting you closer to finding your element.

4 – Talk to a Career Coach

There are various situations and times in our lives when we need a little help from someone outside our friends and family. Just as you would see a Chiropractor when you have an issue with your back, it is a worthwhile investment to see a Career Coach when your career needs a little boost. A Career Coach can help you to identify where you are now, where you want to go and how to get there. They can help to keep you accountable on your action plan and assist you with each phase of the job search process. The sessions can vary from 30 minutes to 90 minutes and you will generally require a number of sessions to explore your career in full. There will be a cost involved however when you think of how much time you spend at work, the investment is definitely worthwhile. Any cost you outlay for your coach will often be recouped when you secure your next role either through personal happiness, career satisfaction or a salary increase.

5 – Have a Plan!

The easiest way to stay in a career rut is to do nothing! But that’s not you.

There’s that great quote which say, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. You need to spend some time and come up with a plan. Your plan might include:-

Who do you need to call?
Is there someone in your network you can reach out to?
Do you need to meet with some recruiters?
How up-to-date is your resume?
Is it tailored to the types of roles you are after?

Knowing what steps you need to take provides clarity and confidence. It also feels less overwhelming and motivates you to keep going on the journey.

Don’t let another day go by going to a job that is sucking the life out of you. You can do something about it! Your happiness depends on it.

Tell me about your career rut! What are you doing to change your situation?

5 Tips To Ace That Job Interview!

April 26, 2020

I love a good movie. One of my favourites is The Devil Wears Prada. I love following the story of Anne Hathaway’s character Andy and her time working for one of the largest fashion magazines. Although she certainly got off to a rocky start. Remember Andy’s interview with Miranda Priestly? It’s fair to say she certainly didn’t make the best first impression. She hadn’t heard of the magazine and didn’t know who Miranda was. Let’s also not sugar-coat the fact she didn’t have impeccable fashion sense. Nevertheless, lucky for her she ended up landing the job and the rest is history.

Whilst Andy’s interview wasn’t the best start, there is a few things you can do to ensure your interview goes smoothly. You’ve sent off your resume and based on your experience and education, you’ve secured an interview. Yay!! The interview is really your time to shine. It’s not every day that you go for a job interview, so you need to take some time and plan for a successful outcome. To avoid making a first impression like Andy, here’s 5 tips to ensure you ace the interview and land yourself that job.

Presentation

Let’s face the facts! People make a judgement about you within the first 30 seconds of meeting you. First impressions count and this is especially important when you are at a job interview. Whilst it’s unrealistic to think you can control what other people think of you, however you can make sure you are presenting yourself in the best possible way.

Dress to impress! I know there are plenty of workplaces that encourage casual dress, but the interview isn’t the time to show your casual wardrobe. Leave the jeans at home and put on some smart corporate attire. Ensuring you are dressed professionally for the interview sends a positive message about you.

2. Be on time

Being on time is basic courtesy and says a lot about you. It goes without saying but ensure you know where you are going. Take some time to know your route. Will you be travelling via public transport or driving? Traffic can be chaotic and there can be unexpected delays with public transport so it’s best to build in some contingency time to avoid extra stress. Plan to arrive at least 10 minutes early. There are times when sh*t happens and you are delayed due to circumstances beyond your control. Be sure you have a contact number in case you are running late and phone to let the interviewer know you’ve been delayed. Whilst being late for your interview isn’t ideal, your potential new boss will be understanding if you’ve called ahead to let them know.

3. Research the company

With so much online these days, there is really no excuse for not conducting research into the organisation. In most interviews, you will be asked what you know about the organisation. At a minimum you should know what your company does and be able to confidently answer this question. What are their values or mission? Spend some time on the organisations website to learn as much as you can about them as your knowledge will be tested.

With the professional networking site of LinkedIn, it’s also a good idea to review the profiles of your interviewers. It helps you to understand their background and also to know how long they have worked for the organisation.

4. Engage with your interviewers

From the moment you meet your interviewers, make eye contact with each person and address each person by name. Similarly, when you answer a question talk directly to all interviewers, regardless of who is asking you the questions or who is more senior. I’ve interviewed many people in my career and it always amazes me how many people only talk to the person who will be their boss. It’s important to engage with each interviewer as each person who is part of the interview will be asked their opinion about you. I’ve often placed more importance on what my team members or peers think of the candidate, so don’t think that your new boss is the only decision maker. Connect with each person in that interview!

5. Ask questions

Always, always, have a few questions to ask. An interview is a two-way street, so asking questions is important for you to clarify something, understand more about the organisation, the job or environment you will be working in. Try to have at least three questions ready. These could be about the culture of the organisation, your potential boss’s management style or key objectives to focus on in your first three months.

Taking the time to plan and prepare for your interview helps set you up for success. These simple tips will help you put your best foot forward in your next job interview and secure your next role!

Click here to download The Interview Preparation Guide