There is something incredibly rewarding about working they way I want to work, not because someone is telling me what to do or how to do it. Something so fantastically different about working my own gig and knowing that the compensation is a result, from start to finish, of my own efforts. Not to mention that I value the money so much more because I’m in a helping/teaching/giving role which is where my gut knows, and past career experiments show, I belong.

There is something so decadent about having the freedom to structure my work day as I choose. It might mean the ability to take a break to eat the last piece of cheesecake for a mid-morning snack (I just did that), or thinking through a presentation while taking the dog for a walk (much better option than the cheesecake.)

But that’s me.

Does it mean I sometimes work at midnight, or during the evening between my boys’ baseball games, and on weekends? Yes, it does. There’s a cost to every decision. However, for me, this way works best.

I love my offices. I have a home office where I work with candles lit, or incense burning, or loud music, or soft music or Howard Stern on XM. I talk to (and answer) myself. At my other office, where I see clients and pay rent and get my dose of human interaction, it’s tiny and cozy and it’s me. (Sans Howard Stern and the out-loud personal dialogue.)

I value freedom, and variety, and days that I get to structure any way I like. Some days I’m seeing clients all day, some days I’m delivering workshops, other days I’m writing resumes, or LinkedIn profiles, or blog posts. I love options.

But that’s me.

What about you? Do you need quiet? Do you need lots of social interaction? Do you need tight deadlines to perform your best? Do you want to walk away from the day at 5:00 and not have to think about it until you punch in again the next morning? Do you need to be outside?

There is no one way, no way more important than another, to work. There is only your best way and you need to know what it is so you can help make a well-informed decision about your career options.

If you know that you need structure and clear-cut, specific guidelines during your time at work, then that is a huge piece of the puzzle for you. And when you know something like that about yourself, and how you work best, you begin to make choices. Better choices. Aligned choices. Choices that lead to career wellness.

How do you find out what your best way is? You experiment.

Pamela Slim talks about “thinking like a scientist” in her book Body of Work: Finding the Thread That Ties Your Story Together.

When talking about what makes or breaks an entrepreneurial journey, Slim writes;

What I mean specifically is a willingness to create a working hypothesis, test it, observe with curiosity, ask why, tweak, retest, observe, et cetera, until you are satisfied.

Experimentation is not only a journey for entrepreneurs, I believe it is how we need to view career development as a whole. Anyone’s career. We are all experimenting in our own way, to find our individual best way, to work.

Take some time to reflect on past experiences, pay attention to current situations, and make a list of times when you know you preformed at your best.

It’s not for the weak; this experimentation thing. There are lots of hypotheses that deliver disappointing results. When this happens, add the experience to your list, break down what you learned about yourself, and experiment again. And again.

Keep experimenting until you notice that one of your experiments leads to unexpected peace, surprising happiness and an increased feeling of overall wellbeing.

When that happens, celebrate with cheesecake.

He’d rather walk!

cheesecake photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10506540@N07/5806546039

by Barbara Berger

Mid Life Professionals

New Career Without the Newbie Feel

February 3, 2015

One of my favorite career-change sites is Careershifters. I always discover something valuable in their articles that helps a client or two of mine along the way. I found this gem today and had to share for anyone who is thinking of changing careers or making a move to a new industry. http://tinyurl.com/k4mdkzl Nobody likes to feel like the newbie…so don’t be one!

by Barbara Berger

Blog Page, Mid Life Professionals, Uncategorized, Women in Transition

Enough with 5 Tips, 3 Tricks, 10 Ways….Gimme Just One Thing!

November 13, 2014

You want one thing? You already have it. Question is…are you using it?

I was having coffee with a friend a few weeks ago. This friend happens to be a millennial. She also happens to be a gifted writer who, instead of flexing her award-winning literary muscles, is flexing her biceps and triceps doing backbreaking work in the fields of her organic farm in Eastern PA. She’s also getting an intense workout in the business world as she is building her “Lady-Run, Earth-Friendly Vegetable Farm” brand as well as her strategic partnerships in Philadelphia. She works harder than anyone I know. She still writes when she has time, and you can read her story in her own words at her Farmer Liz blog.

We were talking about how it can appear that people who have successfully changed careers or started a business had something in their corner that made it easier for them to get a leg up; a spouse to cover expenses for a year, a key contact at a dream company, a mentor who seems to appear and take the person under their wing. Farmer Liz said, “But everyone has one thing. My one thing is that my relationship with my parents is great and I can be a transient there when I need to be.” This allows her to be mobile between Philly, and her farm and her part time gig as she grows her full-time business. She went on to talk about a few of her friends and their respective ‘one things.’ She was right; they all had something. And they used it.

Sometimes the thing is easy to see – the trust fund, the free ride to college, the friend who knows a friend, etc. Sometimes, sheer determination, courage, desire or intuition are not as tangible and, therefore, more difficult to recognize as a competitive advantage. And, believe it or not, sometimes we see it, but we don’t use it.

So, in the world of formulated how-to posts, the obligatory bullet point for career shifters, industry jumpers, new grads, business starters or dream builders is:

Identify your one thing and leverage it.

There are people who don’t understand why you wouldn’t use something (ethically, of course) if it helps your career along. But, in another corner, are folks who are wired to turn a blind eye to a helping hand or to exercising an advantage; believing it will devalue any achievement. They don’t even need their peers to resent them for it; they are more than happy to discredit their own progress. It sounds like this: “It’s only working out well because…, People will think I only succeeded because…, It won’t really count because…” So, as Farmer Liz would say:

Give freely, and accept graciously and with gratitude. If you really want it, you’ll swallow your ego and go for it.

Stop feeling guilty about your one thing and stop apologizing for it. Your peers had something in their corner, too, and maybe they didn’t use it or never took a helping hand when it was offered; and maybe they are all still stuck. Success doesn’t only count when you work tooth and nail to earn it. It counts just the same when you acknowledge and leverage your one thing and work hard too. Because, to launch in a new direction, there will always be plenty of hard work. Just ask my farmer friend.

Go ahead and feel free to walk uphill, in the snow, for 20 miles, with no shoes, carrying a 100 lb. backpack every day for 10 years until you make it to your destination. Or water, care for and cultivate the one thing that just may make the trip a bit easier. And then use it.

by Barbara Berger

Blog Page, Mid Life Professionals, Uncategorized, Women in Transition

Faking It, Loving the One You’re With, and Other Temporary Fixes

October 27, 2014

You know you’ve done it. Somewhere along the line we’ve all done it. You faked it. You just wanted to get it over with – the day, the meeting, the week – so you delivered an Oscar-worthy performance and, surprised by how easily others can be fooled, you did what you needed to do and then got on with the rest of your world.

And then you did it again. And again. Until one day you admit that deep down you know you should be getting more out of this than a paycheck…which you desperately need. But don’t you deserve to enjoy it a little?

Yes, you deserve to enjoy what you do for a living. And, your employer deserves an engaged employee. So what happens when you know that you aren’t happy where you’re planted but, for whatever reason, you aren’t ready to make a move?

First, ask yourself this revealing question that I ask all of my career coaching clients:

Are you being a (designer, teacher, sales manager), or are you a (designer, teacher, sales manager)?

If you ARE what you’re doing from 9-5 you probably answered with certainty and a feeling of, “Duhh, how could I possibly be anything else? It’s what I am.”

Clients who answer like this typically seek tactical guidance to get them back on course. We may work on their resume, focus on job search strategy or pump some new energy into their LinkedIn profile to get them to the next step of what they already know they are. The feeling of faking it often dissipates as they begin to make some strategic adjustments.

If you are BEING your title from 9- 5, you probably answered with a sigh of frustration and something like “I’m BEING a _____, it’s not what I am.” (a.k.a. “I’m pretending. I’m faking it.”)

Clients who answer this way usually want to find work that is aligned with what they know about themselves, or a way to bring more of themselves into their current situation. Many times they aren’t even sure where they belong. It’s a different level of faking and they are drained and uninspired for most of their work day. Even though they may be good at their job, there is no communion between who they are and what they do.

First of all, it’s important to note that probably at some point in your life you’ll find yourself being something in order to cover the bills. It may be during your early career as you are paying your dues or during a financial or family situation that takes priority. When that’s the case, you have to try even harder to are it in other areas of your life to make sure you aren’t depleted. So, if you know that you’re being it (faking it) from 9 –5, begin to notice when you are it outside of your day job. Who says you have to define yourself by your 9 -5 title anyway? Oh, that’s right…the world. Don’t listen.

I’m not saying that passion can’t equal a paycheck. It certainly can. But it doesn’t always. And, rarely at every stage of life are you getting paid for doing what feels perfectly right.

Sometimes there is a little faking involved as you put in your time, try things on and discard titles that don’t fit. But you don’t want to be placed on a performance improvement plan, and you don’t want to look like a slacker, and you don’t want your reputation to be affected just because you’re putting the puzzle together. You also don’t want to feel this level of detachment from your work forever.

Try these mind tricks to help sustain you and keep you as engaged as possible:

Start telling yourself (and others if you want) your story in a new way: “I’m an organic gardener and I work as an accountant from 9 to 5.” I’m a musician but I work as an office manager during the week.”
Begin to subtly infuse value into what you’re being by seeing how it contributes to your ability to are outside of a paycheck. (The money you make being it affords you the resources you need to are it in your private life.)
Love the one you’re with. Seek other areas in your organization that might sound interesting. The more you experiment, the more you learn. Sitting still is like dying a slow death.
Find ways to try to bring some of your are into the daily being.
If you have ideas of what you really want to get paid to do, start taking meaningful action steps to determine what it will take to make that a reality. Doing is the bridge from BEING to AREing.

I really don’t believe that we were born to fake it through life. Even at work. If you find yourself in that pattern, it’s a signal for you to pay attention and make some adjustments. Play some mind tricks to create a subtle shift in perspective and to help you get unstuck. And then, when you feel a pull that can’t be ignored, start building a little bridge….you may find what you are on the other side.

Image: Pi from Leiden, Holland via http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lab_coats.jpg

by Barbara Berger

Blog Page, job search anxiety, Mid Life Professionals, Uncategorized, Women in Transition

Career Wellness Partners, LLC, Named Resource for Divorce Mediation Center

March 12, 2014

ALLENTOWN, PA – Career Wellness Partners, LLC, a Lehigh Valley Career Consulting Company, has been named as a Professional Service Provider by Doylestown-based Alpha Center for Divorce Mediation. The Alpha Center, founded in 1995 by Keila Gilbert, Esq., is dedicated to “providing families with excellent legal, financial and parenting guidance; thereby, empowering them to intelligently navigate their divorce transition and establish the best quality of life possible after divorce.”

The Alpha Resource Center, LLC, a sister company, was formed in 2006 and is dedicated to providing programs for saving marriages and assisting with divorce recovery. It is here, where Alpha partners with professional service providers including family therapists, financial advisors, mortgage brokers, health and wellness professionals and career advisors who can be helpful during the transition of divorce.

Barbara Berger, Certified Career Coach and owner of Career Wellness Partners, works with individuals in career transition. “Divorce is one of life’s most difficult transitions and, as if the pain of separation itself isn’t bad enough, often one or both parties find themselves in a career crisis as well. They may have to change jobs or re-enter the work force. Sometimes a divorce is a wake-up call and a spouse decides it’s time to switch industries, relocate, or re-focus their career goals. Other times, divorce proceedings have a negative impact on an existing position and one of the parties finds themselves out of work and needing to take a transition job. My company works with these individuals to help them find a way through the overwhelming career decisions and helps them find focus. Many times, people just need a place to begin.” Berger said, “I look forward to the partnership with the Alpha Center as we have a mutual desire to help people find their way during a very difficult and emotionally-challenging time.”

Since its inception, the Alpha Center has grown to 10 locations in Eastern PA and is continuing to expand. “The key to Alpha’s long history of success is the quality and dedication of the professionals who are a part of our program and resources. We believe that Career Wellness Partners will be a wonderful resource for our clients since many of them face career transitions as direct result of their divorce transitions. Life after divorce can be richly rewarding and Career Wellness Partners will be there to ensure that it is all that it can be.”

Career Wellness Partners is not a search firm or headhunter, but provides resume writing, mock interviewing, and job search strategies in addition to Career Consulting and Coaching.

For more information about Career Wellness please contact Barbara Berger at 484-862-9523, Barbara@CareerWellnessPartners.com or http://careerwellnesspartners.com/ For the Alpha Center please contact Arielle Krause at 800-310-9085, alphaoutreach@alpharesourcecenter.com, or http://www.alpharesourcecenter.com/

by Barbara Berger

Blog Page, job search anxiety, Mid Life Professionals, Uncategorized, Women in Transition

How Saying “Yes” Moves Careers

February 11, 2014

Check out these 3 scenarios where saying “yes” moved real people to the next leg of their careers. None are over-the-top-non-relatable-stories where someone with a few million in savings chucked it all to find their bliss as a scuba instructor. These are examples of how saying “yes” to occurrences which, in hindsight, we call “serendipitous events,” can re-chart your career course. They may seem inconsequential at the time, but when we connect the dots and see how staying open can influence our career path, it’s worth a serious look.

1. “Have you ever done any bookkeeping?” L’s aunt asked. “Some, but I’m not a fan;” L replied. “Well,” her aunt continued, “your kids are getting older and I need to find someone to manage my part-time bookkeeping job while I head to Florida for three months this winter. Wanna do it?” In her head, L thought, “Why not, I can do anything for 3 months, even bookkeeping, and I’ll get paid, and I’ll see what it feels like to work part time after being home with kids for five years.” After taking a few days to consider what she would do for child care, L agreed, not knowing that this “yes” began her re-entry into the workforce. (When her aunt returned in the spring, L was asked to join the organization in a role more suited to her past experience and skill set.)

2. “I heard that you do some freelancing on the side. Do you want to work on some marketing materials for my business?” Already balancing work, freelance, family and more, the “Yes!” that S heard coming from his mouth surprised him. It eventually led to a significant freelance gig and ultimately to being signed on as an employee of the company where he stayed for the next 6 years. This new assignment allowed him to relinquish some of his more time-consuming (and stressful) freelance jobs and build on a specific product area of expertise. His “yes” resulted in a total industry change (even though he wasn’t looking for one) and propelled his career in a new direction while achieving a level of work-life balance he never even expected.

3. The voice on the phone said, “E, we want you to work here, in the poorest school district in the area. With your experience, we’d love to have you.” She thought; “Out of the burbs and into the bowels of the city? Hmmmmm? I’ve been teaching students in a district where bedtime stories are expected, where pantries full of food are taken for granted and test scores are highest in the state. Why would I go teach where the school feeds their students three meals a day, where resources are scarce, and where turnover is ridiculously high?” The answer came quietly, but with clarity; “Because I’m needed there. There are a ton of teachers waiting to take my place at this school; they don’t need me here. But those kids…they need me there.” “Yes, I’ll take, it;” she answered.” (E is now on the road to making a difference in lives of disadvantaged youth and, she says, evolving as a human in ways she could have never imagined.)

Note that each person above dealt with a fear of saying yes. Fear of becoming a working mom and all that goes with that, fear of taking on more work and upsetting family balance, fear of going from a cushy-comfortable routine to something unpredictable. In each case, the gut instinct, the unexplained pull to say yes, trumped fear.

I’m calling for guest bloggers who are willing to share how an unplanned YES moved them in an unexpected career direction. Click for submission guidelines.

Photo credit: Flickr via renaissancechambara

by Barbara Berger

Blog Page, job search anxiety, Mid Life Professionals, Slider, Uncategorized, Women in Transition

Call for Guest Bloggers

February 10, 2014

Career Confidence – How Saying YES Makes All the Difference

Flickr credit: greeblie

SEEKING GUEST BLOGGERS to share YES stories….opportunities that made no sense to your career “plan” but you said YES and it took you in a new direction. Maybe you accepted a random project, agreed to a networking event, was lured by a different industry recruiter, volunteered somewhere that led to a valuable new connection, etc. Click here for three mini-examples.

When you can look back and identify times when saying YES changed your career trajectory, you become more mindful of how opening yourself to “random” events can hold career potential. Sometimes YES results in a perceived “failure” but the “failure” holds value too.

From students who have options outside of their selected college majors, to women re-entering the workforce after divorce (or empty-nest or staying home with kids), to mid-lifers longing for a career change but not knowing where to start, I work with people in all stages of career development who can benefit from personal accounts of how YES breeds career confidence.

Things you may want to include in your post:

Give a brief overview of the situation.
When in your life did this happen? In college/early career/laid off/after divorce/empty nest/staying home with kids/mid-career job change/ retirement?
Why did you say yes?
Did a gut feeling or intuition play a part in your decision?
Did you know with 100% certainly it was the right decision?
Did saying yes to that decision breed new opportunities?
Did you have all of the skills you needed to say yes or did you believe that you could learn what you needed to know?
How did it feel when you said yes?
In retrospect, how did that decision affect your career?
What form of career confidence came from that yes?

What things below might have stopped you saying yes?

Financial concerns.
People will think I’m stupid.
People will think this is below me.
People will think I can’t do this.
I’ve wasted all my schooling/degree/work in another industry.
My work schedule will change.
What else?

Nitty-Gritty Guidelines

Word Count: Roughly 400 – 800 words, 1000 tops. But use what you need to tell your story and share your point efficiently and effectively.

Content: Original unique content – not published on your blog or any other blog in original or any modified form.

Editing: All submissions will be edited for correct grammar and formatted before publication. Keep titles short and simple, preferably no more than eight words.

Author bio: Please include a brief author bio, name, title, company (if you want included). One link in your bio is encouraged.

Audience: Ranges from college students, to young professionals to women in the middle of transition, to mid-career job changers.

Images: We welcome image submissions with your blog along with appropriate photo credit.

Submissions: Please submit all entries to barbara@careerwellnesspartners.com

Payment: We do not pay for guest blogs but we’re happy to promote your website, business or blog on our social media in return.

Exclusivity & Promotion: The same article cannot be modified and published elsewhere. You can link back to the article from your own blog and promote on social media to let your readers know about your post.

Notification: Notification of when your post will appear will be sent one week before publishing.

Deadline: Right now there is no deadline for submission on this topic.

Photo credit: Flickr via Greeblie

by Barbara Berger

Blog Page, job search anxiety, Mid Life Professionals, Uncategorized, Women in Transition

The Squiggle Phenomena

January 27, 2014

How to DRAW Mindful Career Squiggles

You’ve seen these images depicting the difference between what we are taught and the reality of success or achieving our goals. It’s the same for career evolution. For most of us, we draw squiggly career lines without even being aware of it. Squiggles happen because that’s just the way life works. They happen when we connect with a new networking contact, get laid off, agree to a new ”short-term” project, or have a conversation with a total stranger in a coffee shop.

Squiggles are the unpredictable events in a world of things that we try to predict and control.

Knowing about the squiggle phenomena isn’t enough. You could decide that since “random stuff happens” you’ll sit back and put pen to paper to connect the dots after the fact. It is true that with hindsight you can link defining events more clearly; however, you can choose a more active role if you are first open to the curves, and then mindful of things that appear to have squiggle potential. This way, you fully participate in moving the pen across the paper.

Remember these DRAWing tips when contemplating the art of your career:

Define and acknowledge your interests when they arise. Notice long-standing themes.
Refine these interests and choose one or two on which to initially focus. (It may make no sense to anyone around you that you would attend a conference on pet rocks, but, for some reason you’re really curious about pet rocks. So, go. New career opportunities unveil themselves when you boldly follow your curiosity.)
Act! Create situations in which an opportunity for a squiggle could present itself. (Say yes when a friend in a different industry asks for your help on a project, accept a board nomination, agree to be a guest blogger, etc.)
Watch for “serendipitous” events and align next actions with opportunities that show up. (A Partner in XYZ firm invites you to an event. Go if your gut says you should go, even though your brain doesn’t know exactly why.) Pay attention to intuitive reactions.

While you’re DRAWing, don’t forget that:

Uncomfortable situations, the ones where you are forced to stretch sideways from your straight line goals, hold treasure.
“Failure” is often a most valuable curve! Sometimes more important things are on the other side.

Look back from where you are now and consider the unexpected connection or chance meeting that led you to your current position. Accept squiggly lines as career reality and you’ll be free to get out of your own way!

by Barbara Berger

Blog Page, Images, job search anxiety, Mid Life Professionals, Uncategorized, Women in Transition

Is Fear Sabotaging Your Job Search?

January 14, 2014

Still putting off the job search you vowed to begin after the holidays?

The yearly bonus is safely in the bank. The holidays are over. You’re back to the grind and already feeling drained about the idea of spending another year, let alone another week, doing what you’re doing. It’s time to start looking, but the fear of beginning your job search is paralyzing and you can’t seem to get moving.

Common among job seekers in all stages of their career, anxiety surrounds the search process. Market conditions and state of the economy aside, it feels like you’re putting yourself in a position to be judged. Somebody will judge you on everything from your resume format, to your education, to your work history, to your choice of interview attire. You put yourself in front of others, and then wait to find out if you’re “good enough”. At least that’s how it feels. Even a healthy self-esteem can find the process daunting.

If you’re stuck, consider these tips to help change your mindset and face fears head-on so you can get out of your own way:

1. Are you stressed because you don’t have it all figured out? You can’t “think” yourself into the perfect job. There is no way for you to be certain that you’re going like what’s next until you try it. Too much introspection breeds paralysis. Think for a little while – but then act.

2. Worried about selling yourself in an interview? Be yourself in the interview. There’s a difference.

3. Transform the “I’m not good enough” worry by remembering that the Hiring Manager is considering if you’re a right match for a position; not if you’re a good and decent human being. You’re so much more than your job title.

4. Take the “I might fail” fear and accept that you might. You can learn tons about yourself (and what you don’t want in another job) by NOT succeeding.

5. Afraid of putting your resume together? Prepare. Have someone else put their eyes on it. Get help from a pro. Same goes for interviewing. If you are rusty, or if you know you’ve bombed before, enlist the help of a mentor for some mock interview practice. Better to “bomb” in practice than in real life.

6. Eliminate some of the fear of the unknown in an interview by concentrating on things you can control: your attire, arriving on time (10 minutes early), bringing a fresh copy of your resume, eye contact, general body language, questions for the Hiring Manager, etc.

7. Set small, attainable goals. (Warning – this may mean disturbing your comfortable routine of wine and FaceBook at night.) So, do you want to make this change or not? Commit to some type of action each day (or every other day) to keep your job search moving. One phone call, one resume submission, one bullet point on your resume is a step.

Fear leads to overthinking which leads to anxiety which leads to paralysis which keeps you stuck. Action, no matter how small, can interrupt the fear and allow you to feel a sense of control over the process. Once you feel like you have some control over the stress of the search, maybe you’ll even want to consider turning any remaining fear into curiosity. And that’s when the magic really happens.

by Barbara Berger

Blog Page, Mid Life Professionals, Uncategorized, Women in Transition

Systems + Processes = FUN (NOT!)

November 21, 2013

That formula was written on a sticky note and affectionately placed on my computer screen by my colleagues in my former role as a Hiring Manager. It was no secret that I fell short when it came to details and rule-following. My company used DISC assessments (love that tool) internally and helped clients do the same. It was obvious that I, as a D/I, found it a real stretch to follow the systems that were put in place and necessary for others to do their jobs properly. A business needs systems to run smoothly and I know this, but I really struggled with upholding my end of the deal.

I don’t believe I’m entitled. I don’t believe that I have the right to NOT do things the way they are supposed to be done. I try to follow the formulas provided to ensure a streamlined work flow but I don’t always succeed. My files are a mess, the way I organize isn’t like everyone else’s way, and I often make it difficult for others to fulfill their responsibilities without coming back to me with things I’ve missed. Thankfully, in that company, I worked with dedicated, professional, authentic women and we all supported each other’s strengths while acknowledging and helping to fill in where we were weak. Every organization should be so evolved!

I’ve tried my entire life to follow the formulas. I was constantly trying to figure out what was wrong with me and why it was so challenging to stay on a straight line. Then I finally realized that there’s nothing wrong with me and I accepted that, for me, Systems + Processes = Hell.

Systems + Processes = Hell!

There are employees everywhere who, unlike me, may have been written up, or terminated or left to their own devices to try to keep their heads above water. If that sounds like you, it doesn’t mean you’re not worthy. It may mean you’re in the wrong job, maybe you’re not in a position that draws on your strengths and minimizes your weaknesses. It may mean you have to reevaluate the types of jobs you’ve been searching for because this is a consistent theme in your work history. Finding Career Wellness can sometimes be as easy as starting with these things:

1. Deem yourself worthy (even though you have weaknesses).

2. Acknowledge where you fall short.

3. Laugh at yourself – find humor in your flaws (and in others’).

4. Support others who are weak where you are strong.

5. Do your best; and ask for help where you need it.

6. Seek out positions and companies that value and utilize your strengths.

The sticky note with the formula is now proudly framed and displayed in my office. It reminds me that I’m not perfect. It reminds my clients that they don’t have to be perfect either.

If you do well working with formulas, why not write your own unique formula for Career Wellness? Once you have your formula, you are better armed to make career decisions that align with your core strengths and values. Mine would be:

Creativity + Freedom + Relationships + Helping = JOY!

Commit to creating your own formula for 2014, either in your current role or as you seek a new position, and ask yourself if your choices fall into the formula. Even I can see that this system, which is really just taking what your gut already knows and putting it on paper in front of you, is a necessary first step for gaining a new perspective on your life at work.

by Barbara Berger

Have Your Career Cake

Experimentation is not only a journey for entrepreneurs, I believe it is how we need to view career development as a whole. Anyone’s career. We are all experimenting in our own way, to find our individual best way, to work.

New Career Without the Newbie Feel

Enough with 5 Tips, 3 Tricks, 10 Ways….Gimme Just One Thing!

You want one thing? You already have it. Question is…are you using it?

Faking It, Loving the One You’re With, and Other Temporary Fixes

Career Wellness Partners, LLC, Named Resource for Divorce Mediation Center

How Saying “Yes” Moves Careers

Call for Guest Bloggers

Career Confidence – How Saying YES Makes All the Difference

Nitty-Gritty Guidelines

The Squiggle Phenomena

How to DRAW Mindful Career Squiggles

Is Fear Sabotaging Your Job Search?

If you’re stuck, consider these tips to help change your mindset and face fears head-on so you can get out of your own way:

Systems + Processes = FUN (NOT!)

Recent Posts

Archives

Categories

Meta

Contact

Related Links: