A Note to Graduates and Everyone Else

If your job doesn’t feel like “you” but you can’t put your finger on why – pay attention. It is a clue. You may not know what it means until you string many clues together, but when you have enough experiences and combine the clues, it can lead you to what feels EXACTLY like you. ~Barbara Berger, CPC, CCC

The above is a comment I made on a LinkedIn post from Sarah Johnston asking what career advice you would give your 19-year old self. She was looking for comments, but somehow it turned into a post overnight in my head.

Do you know what geocaching is? It is like a scavenger hunt using navigation skills to find “caches” hidden all over the world. You find the hidden container, sign a log book with all the others who discovered it, take and leave a small token item, and put it back for the next treasure hunter.

Every job is a cache full of clues to your strengths, the type of environment you prefer, how you handle established workplace processes, if providing service is your thing or if designing products makes you happy, whether you like to work behind the scenes or be in front of clients, and more.

When we are propelled into the real world most of us aren’t advised to be clue collectors. We are usually:

Adjusting to the rat race
Hyper-focused on advancement and growth
Questioning why we didn’t continue right to grad school to delay this uncomfortable feeling of being a real adult

Who has time to think about clues? You are busy producing, fitting in, learning about office politics, going to meetings, and networking. Before our young people launch, we should be teaching them how to gather career clues from the start.

Every job is a “careercache” site. There is something of value even in a location that doesn’t feel right. If you leave the site before you find the clue, you’ve missed the point.

In an article on the Geocache.com blog, readers contributed their top 15 reasons for geocaching. Here are three that relate to careercaching as well:

You’ll find that discovery, exploration, and adventure still exist in the real world.
- Reframe! Career as adventure. Really.
Discover places you never knew existed right in your own neighborhood.
- Evolve! Learn new stuff about yourself.
You will have stories to last a lifetime.
- “That time when I was 22 and came home from a networking event and cried for days because it all seemed so fake and I never wanted to be “one of them.”

When students are taught the art of careercaching they have a new tool to navigate challenging terrain and help them remember why they started this adventure in the first place.

My advice to the graduating class of 2018: Sign your name on the offer, stay long enough to navigate the environment and discover new gems about yourself, take a few clues with you, and leave something good for others when you go.

Image: https://pixabay.com/en/geocaching-mountain-alps-italy-540336/

by Barbara Berger

Change Careers, Meaningful Work

Career Coach Q&A: The Morning Call

January 29, 2018

Thrilled to be tapped by The Morning Call, Lehigh Valley’s leading newspaper, for this piece in the Sunday career section. Thank you for great questions!

Read here: CareerWellnessInTheMorningCall

“Meaningful work, for me, is about helping others find their meaningful work.” ~Barbara Berger, CCC

If you want to brainstorm ideas for your next career move, contact me at barbara@CareerWellnessPartners.com

by Barbara Berger

Change Careers, job search anxiety

2018 and Still Job Hunting?

January 4, 2018

Not getting anywhere with your job search? Maybe you haven’t considered the intangibles that will make or break your chances of success.

I just gave a talk about the value of these intangibles during the job hunting and interviewing process. A video from one of my favorites, Anthony Iannarino, author of The Only Sales Guide You’ll Ever Need appeared in my inbox this morning. It’s clear, concise and is finished before the blog post I’m creating from my talk – plus, it’s hard to say it better than Anthony – so I am pointing you in his direction.

Focus On The Intangibles

This is a must watch for job seekers. “But I’m not in sales” you say? Anthony writes about sales and he also writes about life. What is the job search if not a sales interaction? I promise that if you are looking for a job this video is for you.

The differentiator ends up being the intangibles, the things that you have personal control over. Develop these to a greater level than your competitor and it creates a competitive advantage. ~ A. Iannarino

There are tactical parts of a search and a need to connect skills and experience to the position but there are also critical components to which you can’t point on a resume. They are just as important, if not more important, to the efficacy of your search.

I hear clients ask, “I am perfect for the job, why I’m not landing anything?” You will be up against job seekers with similar backgrounds and skills, but the person who knows the value of the intangibles will take the prize over the job seeker resting his search on only the hard facts.

At 1:10 he hits the core of what I want you to hear. Listen until the end – about 5 minutes.

Thank you, Anthony Iannarino, for your perfect timing and perfect video.

Image courtesy of Pexels

by Barbara Berger

Change Careers, job search anxiety

Career Change: The Great Equalizer

November 17, 2017

Executive or hourly employee, admin or mid-level manager, career change – even the thought of it – strikes the same basic fears and insecurities regardless rank. It is true that every individual brings a unique mix of circumstances to a career transition, but at the basic human level the fears, self-doubt, and concerns of the unknown exist on all steps of the ladder, on the lattice, in the silo, across the matrix, on the plant floor, and in the cubicles.

This is assuming that basic survival needs are covered.

I am talking about the idea of changing from a career, a company, or a position we know to something new. When our instinct fiercely fights to hold on to a familiar identity, we struggle to navigate the changes that career transition represents. We hold on, white-knuckled, while we try to align a new career direction with notions of who we may want to become next.

Yes, we are all different. But, underneath it all, we are so very much the same.

by Barbara Berger

Uncategorized

LinkedIn’s Virtual Mentoring: A Wake-Up Call for Companies

July 19, 2017

Your employees need career help. So much so that LinkedIn is testing a new feature that matches professionals seeking career advice with mentors at the ready.

There is no arguing the value of a fantastic mentor. Suzi Owens, group manager of Consumer Products, Corporate Communications at LinkedIn, is quoted in a FastCompany article about the new service as saying, “[The service] is not meant to be a replacement for long-term mentorship. It’s meant to tackle those ‘quick question’ requests such as whether you are taking the right approach in different scenarios.”

The article explains that the program was launched in part due to the changing workplace and the shorter amount of time employees are spending with one employer. Both issues make it difficult to establish solid mentor-mentee relationships and this new service, Owens says, is “a new form of mentorship that’s virtual, lightweight, and that fits today’s changing workplace.”

Agreed, times have changed and old strategies no longer work. And yes, mentoring and coaching are different things but your employees need career advice. Period. It’s time you rethink how you want them to get it.

Companies who want to differentiate themselves, and demonstrate commitment to employees’ individual career development goals can do so by finding a way to offer this benefit in house. A few ideas:

Carve a space in your corporate wellness program to provide the confidential career service that your employees desire. After all, career stress is a leading contributor to health issues including depression, obesity, sleep issues, addiction and more that your wellness programs try to address.
Collaborate with a qualified career coach to determine a strategy that works for your budget. It is as easy as offering a set number of career coaching hours available per employee per month/quarter/year so they don’t have to go outside of the organization. Measure ROI using existing engagement surveys, stay and exit interviews, etc.
Hire an in-house career coach – trickier for smaller businesses
Incorporate career development workshops into your quarterly training budget

Companies fear that if an employee talks with a career coach, they will be coached to leave. Good coaches do not offer advice like this. Companies that support the individual’s’ overall career growth are likely to see positive effects on the organization in terms of loyalty and engagement.

The job market is hot, and the war for talent even hotter. With shorter stints of employment making it harder to establish mentoring relationships and fueling the need for on-demand career support, it makes sense for forward-thinking businesses to do all they can to not only retain but inspire their workforce. The good news is that technology makes offering mentoring and career counseling immeasurably easier, and affordable.

If you want to know more about how outsourced career coaching works or how to incorporate a career wellness component into your company wellness program, contact me at Barbara@CareerWellnessPartners.com.

Image source: stocksnap.io

by Barbara Berger

Employee Engagement

Five Career Lessons from The Wizard of Oz

June 15, 2017

[This guest post was written by Sybil F. Stershic, president of Quality Service Marketing. Sybil has extensive experience helping service-based organizations and nonprofits strengthen employee and customer relationships. A respected thought leader on engaging employees with internal marketing, she is the author of several books and the long-running Quality Service Marketing blog.]

Five Career Lessons from The Wizard of Oz

One of my favorite childhood films, The Wizard of Oz, offers many wonderful life lessons. As a devotee of professional development as well as the film, here are several of my favorite career take-aways from Oz.

Seeking Your Dream Job in the Emerald City
While the term “career path” implies a straight line to a destination dream job, the reality is stuff happens — like avoiding a bad witch with a minion of flying monkeys — that makes the path curve in unexpected directions.

To survive, you’ll need to carefully navigate a series of twists and turns that involve obstacles to be overcome and opportunities for self-discovery. As Dorothy Gale learned, it’s an incredible adventure that’s best shared with people you trust.

The Good Witch or Bad Witch School of Management
While at some point we’re likely to work for an Elvira Gulch-like clone, wouldn’t it be great to have Glinda the Good Witch watching out for us on the job? Along with that wishful thinking, many people naively presume that everyone in a position of authority is competent and capable of leading and/or managing effectively.

Sadly, not every manager is skilled at communicating and working well with others, and keeping a bucket of water nearby won’t remedy the situation. In addition to bad bosses, there are managers who feel they have to “hide behind the curtain” to be perceived as power players. Nonetheless, it’s important to respect even those self-proclaimed Wizards’ position and authority level, even if you don’t respect them personally.

The Path to Wisdom
The Scarecrow’s journey may have ended with being awarded an official degree, but there’s no end to seeking knowledge. On-the-job training and continual learning (e.g., reading, networking, personal and professional development, etc.) are just as important as formal education.
Courage in Your Endeavors
Despite the Lion’s false bravado, you can’t lead when you’re paralyzed by fear of failure. “Fake it til you make it” isn’t an effective strategy for the King of the Jungle or anyone in a position of power. As Conan O’Brien acknowledged, “[Don’t] be afraid to fail … whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction …”
Heart – a Key to Success
As the Tin Man would learn, “Do work with your whole heart and you will succeed — there is so little competition.” – Elbert Hubbard

And one other quote from Conan O’Brien that relates to Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Lion on their fantastic journey: ”Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen.”

Your turn
There are many more film-related lessons that are applicable to the workplace, and I welcome you to share your favorites.

[Photo source: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/the-wizard-of-oz/images/35086966/title/ruby-red-slippers-ii-wallpaper]

by Barbara Berger

Uncategorized

If You Hate Mondays

February 6, 2017

Another Monday morning and you can’t pull yourself out of bed to get to work?

If this is not just an aftermath of the Super Bowl, but a recurring weekly dread, then you owe it to yourself to figure out why your career is not well.

Is it your boss? The environment? Your co-workers? The strengths you’re not using? The lack of freedom? All of the above? Maybe you know there is something else you should be doing with your life, yet you can’t seem to break the comfortable routine. Do you feel stress the night before and are you drained when you leave your office for the day, so the only energy you have is to be a blob on the couch for the rest of the evening?

Investigate my program on the Mindsail app and figure out how to get your career on track.

Find more of Career Wellness on Mindsail.

by Barbara Berger

Change Careers, Meaningful Work

How to React to the Career Judgement You Will Face

January 17, 2017

“Are you still just consulting?” she asked me. At a networking event. In front of a colleague. In a room of professionals where I belonged. After realizing her blunder, she tried to recover, “Oh, I don’t mean it like ‘JUST consulting,’ and then she mumbled something else that only made her fabulous flub worse.

I brushed it off and continued my conversation with my colleague. The comment that would have made me question my professional existence (with that one word “just”) ten or fifteen years ago, now simply made my soul giggle.

Look, I’ve interviewed enough candidates to know when consulting is a gap-filler on a resume. But as the world of work evolves, the contingent workforce swells, and more people embrace a gig mindset to craft their ideal careers, we will eventually have to shift our model of what constitutes a “real job.”

I smiled as I walked to my car because I’ve held more traditional and acceptable (I guess) titles that, if asked that question back then, “So, are you still just a sales coordinator?” the “just” would have stung because I wasn’t sure of my path, or my contributions, or how it aligned with what I desired from my work.

“THIS is career wellness;” I thought to myself.

This brief exchange was a gift that I will now share with my clients and with any of you who are struggling with doubt about doing what you desire to do for fear of how others might judge you.

You will know for certain that you are doing what you’re meant to do when you come up against a “just” question, while perhaps not intentionally demeaning, and you are rock solid inside. And you can answer, if only internally, “Yes, I’m just building my career exactly the way I want it.”

Get weekly boosts to your career wellness here.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

by Barbara Berger

Meaningful Work

The Middle of Things is Where the Good Stuff Is

December 28, 2016

I’m right in the middle. Always have been.

Between corporate and oh-so-not. Between business consulting and individual coaching. Between hard facts and intuition. Optimism and realism. Between progressive and being “too far out there.” It’s a good place to be, now. It wasn’t always. It is exhausting to find the right balance between the need for risk and security, freedom and contentment, leading and supporting.

But one day I realized that “the middle” is an important part of things. The double stuff stuff. Jan Brady. Peanut butter and jelly. What would the ends be without the middle?

Then I built a business around the middle.

When I stopped worrying about the personal branding BS, stopped forcing myself to use buzzwords (because it’s not how I speak), and evaluated all the f*cks that I mistakenly gave (nod to my favorite, Mark Manson) to people in suits who I feared were judging my message, or how I was or was not using social media, that’s when things changed. I accepted that in the middle is exactly where I am meant to be.

It wasn’t until I stopped paying attention to the ends, the extremes, and trusted my own middling strengths that I experienced growth, both personally and professionally.

Do you know what else is in the middle? A bridge. A bridge between two sides of the abyss. A bridge carries you across one bank of the river to the other. I am grateful and humbled to have mentors and colleagues who stretched like a bridge in 2016 when I was standing on one side of the mountain and couldn’t figure out how to get to the other side. You know who you are. Thank you.

Where would we be without bridges?

Stranded. Struggling. Stagnant. The middle stuff is important stuff. It’s the stuff growth is made of It’s good to be in the middle even if it’s not where you typically spend your time.

As you enter the new year, even if your personal strengths aren’t innately middling strengths, challenge yourself to bridge a gap for someone in 2017. The middle is often just the right place to be.

Happy New Year!

Image courtesy of att3mpt on Flickr

by Barbara Berger

Change Careers, Employee Engagement

Honest Career Discussions are Scary for Managers and Employees

December 6, 2016

Clients come to me because they are thinking of changing careers, are unhappy in their position, or want to grow and develop in their current company. I’m often their first stop for this discussion. In a perfect world, managers everywhere would know how to facilitate career development conversations and employees would be confident that having a real career discussion inside the organization wouldn’t have a negative impact. But we’re not there yet.

Who is responsible?

Is it the manager’s job to give employees all the answers for evolving in their career? No. The heavy lifting has to be done by the employee. But here’s the question:

How do we inspire employees to “drive their own career car” if we can’t support the message internally?

If full-on career conversations are not embraced internally, people come to career coaches where the certainty of anonymity and confidentiality allow a full exploration of options (including staying within their current organization) without jeopardizing their current role.

Hiding from the career development discussion doesn’t help.

After attending a SHRM workshop this summer about employee engagement and career development, I spoke with HR managers who confirmed the challenge of honest career conversations. It’s a fact that some organizations have departments where employees would never talk honestly with the manager for fear it would make life in their current role intolerable. And, sometimes, it’s because managers haven’t been introduced to the coaching skills required to navigate that type of conversation.

As I implement programs that inspire employees to slide into the driver’s seat, I also challenge companies to explore a confidential career resource for employees until internal career dialogues are fully embraced. If your organization has adopted an approach that works, I’d love to hear your comments.

As you plan for more holistic support of your team in 2017, consider making career coaching available to drive engagement from the employee side. Career Wellness Partners can help – ask me how!

Image courtesy of Pexels.com

by Barbara Berger

Geocaching Your Career

A Note to Graduates and Everyone Else

Career Coach Q&A: The Morning Call

2018 and Still Job Hunting?

Career Change: The Great Equalizer

LinkedIn’s Virtual Mentoring: A Wake-Up Call for Companies

Five Career Lessons from The Wizard of Oz

Five Career Lessons from The Wizard of Oz

If You Hate Mondays

Another Monday morning and you can’t pull yourself out of bed to get to work?

How to React to the Career Judgement You Will Face

“THIS is career wellness;” I thought to myself.

The Middle of Things is Where the Good Stuff Is

Honest Career Discussions are Scary for Managers and Employees

Who is responsible?

Hiding from the career development discussion doesn’t help.

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