3 Lessons from Ted Lasso to Help Your Job Search

I’ve already confessed my love for Ted Lasso in my 5 Lasso Lessons to use to create a healthier work culture article.

With Season 3 (finally!!!) being officially teased as “coming soon” – what better way to celebrate than to discuss how this show can bring lightness to an often-heavy thing – the job search process.

Okay… one better way to celebrate would be to rewatch Seasons 1 and 2… this will be here when you’re done 😊

With significant layoffs happening lately, this topic is even more important to discuss.

Here are 3 Lessons from Ted Lasso for Job Seekers

1. Be curious

Photo credit https://tenor.com/view/ted-lasso-tedlassogifs-be-curious-jason-sudeikis-dont-judge-gif-21044956

If you watched the show, you’ll remember one of the best scenes from the series (in my opinion!) being when Ted beat Rupert in darts in front of the entire pub. Here’s a refresher, or a little sneak peek if you’ve never watched.

Random fun fact: I played a LOT of darts when I went to college at Villanova University and was actually fairly decent. RIP Maloney’s Pub!

This mindset can be very helpful when you’re interviewing for a new job. It’s easy to get distracted by the excitement of moving forward after applying and to forget that you’re interviewing the organization too!  

One way to stand out from fellow interviewees is to think strategically about what to say when asked “What questions do you have for us?”

Here’s where being curious comes in.

If you’re interested in and excited about the role, then you’re likely starting to envision and think about the realities of what it might be like to actually:

…do that job

…be a part of that organization

…work with the people interviewing you.

Asking questions about the details of those things will absolutely make you stand out from your competition and show that you’re invested in this opportunity. An example of what this could look like:

“I noticed in the news recently the announcement of a future partnership with XYZ Company. I’m curious to know how that partnership might impact this team, and the scope of work for this role in particular?”

A related note: If you’re genuinely interested in the organization and the job, this is much easier to do.   😊

2. Culture clues are all around

Pulling on this curiosity thread, if you keep your eyes open, there are often clues on company culture all around.

Ted Lasso treats every member of the AFC Richmond organization the same – from executives to the MVPs to kit man Nate. While that’s the norm for a person of his character, it’s clear that when he takes over as head coach that this way of treating others is not the norm. In Season 1 Nate is absolutely shocked when Ted is talking to him, remembering his name, and including him in any decision-making.

Photo credit https://www.getyarn.io/yarn-clip/e5d9a5d2-cdbd-414e-b64e-d27365c88e52/gif

That was a clue for Ted to see what the former leadership was like. For anyone at AFC Richmond wondering how this new coach would influence the team culture, it was clear from the start that outdated hierarchical dynamics would not be a part of the new system and that everyone had value and something to contribute.  

Many clients come to me looking to leave a toxic work environment – but a common theme? They know they want to make a change, but they’re terrified that they may end up somewhere just as bad or worse.

While we can never be 100% sure about what it will be like at a particular employer until we’re employees, there are a number of ways we can try to collect culture clues.

Here are some strategies:

• Look at feedback and company reviews on Glassdoor: I do think of this as being analogous to Yelp reviews for restaurants – you need to have these be only one piece of the puzzle I’ve looked up my favorite restaurants on Yelp and been shocked to see some of the poor reviews – everyone has their own unique experience 😊 That being said, if there are tons of reviews saying there is a toxic work culture, that’s important data to consider.

• Ask questions in your interviews – other than the basic “can you tell me about the company culture” – to keep collecting clues. I approve of the sample questions included in this article with 6 ways to figure out a company’s culture, and the other tips they share are great as well.

• You can also use the interview process, particularly the types of questions you get asked, to reverse engineer and see if they’re pointing to any red flags. If every interview round has multiple questions about how well you handle challenges, lack of information and clear direction, and conflict… take note! Write down the questions you’re asked right after finishing each interview so you can zoom out and look for these themes before accepting an offer. Also, if you arrive early for any in-person interviews, use that time to be a fly on the wall and see what you might observe about employee dynamics.

• Is there high turnover? You can ask how long the person who held the role you’re interviewing for was in it, but you can also do an advanced search on LinkedIn and see if the organization is churning out people. Lastly, I love these 9 “sneaky” ways to keep assessing culture.

One last point on this Lasso lesson: you can also use this idea to your benefit when onboarding at a new organization. Look to learn from everyone, not just those in leadership or roles more senior to yours!

For example, if someone technically “below” you in an organizational chart has been there for 10 years already, they have a lot of institutional knowledge. This is one of the hardest things to learn when starting somewhere new, and something that can contribute to your ability to hit the ground running.

Everyone has something valuable to contribute.  

3. Be a goldfish*

When Sam is beating himself up after a play, Ted shares that the happiest animal in the world is a goldfish because they have a 10 second memory. He then encourages Sam to be a goldfish and it’s perfectly awkwardly received.

Photo from https://tenor.com/view/ted-lasso-tedlassogifs-jason-sudeikis-goldfish-be-a-goldfish-gif-20788379

I put an * on this lesson because there is some nuance to it.

If you’re applying to jobs with a thoughtful job search strategy and aren’t hearing back or never making it to final rounds of interviews, channeling your inner goldfish can help you not take any radio silence or rejection from employers personally.

However, it’s important to not completely goldfish this scenario: if you’re never moving forward in your process, look for the message that might be under the surface.

• Is there room to articulate your background better to connect the dots for employers?

• Can you make your resume stronger?

• How do you deal with answering negative interview questions?

Once you’ve assessed whether there is anything to learn, let goldfish mentality come in to avoid past “losses” impacting your future performance.

It’s much easier said than done, especially if you were a part of layoffs as that can take a toll on your confidence, but fostering job search resilience is key to being able to employ this strategy. 

Surrounding yourself with a community of people that treat you with kindness and cheer you on, when you’re winning or losing, is always a sound strategy in life. If you don’t have your own Lasso-like coach to be a part of that community, feel free to book a complimentary consultation with this coach instead 😊

Happy job hunting, and don’t forget to BELIEVE!

Photo from https://tenor.com/view/ted-lasso-believe-gif-18590055

How to Job Search When You’re Feeling Burned Out

The calendar starts fresh.

There is a lot of that “New Year, New You” vernacular out there and a wiry energy abounds… but we all know that the holiday season is not exactly recharging for most adults (I’m especially looking at you, parents of young kids!).

With all the talk of creating new habits and setting goals, you may wonder how anyone manages when you’re just trying to stay afloat.

If that sentiment resonates for you, you may be burnt out.

Some other traditional warning signs of burnout, as per the OG psychologist on the matter, Herbert Freudenberger, are:

• Depersonalization

• Decreased sense of accomplishment

• Emotional exhaustion

Whether you’re burned out or “simply” experiencing the stress that comes with being in a job you don’t want to be in anymore, energy is a finite resource either way.

So, what do you do with this Catch-22:

You need energy to look for a new job, but your current job is taking your energy?

Four tips for job searching when you’re feeling burnt out:

1. commit to calming your nervous system

   It may sound counterintuitive, but I recommend starting by NOT going all in on job boards and applications. This is how approximately 99% of my clients begin their search before we work together 😊 This approach can easily become a time suck – here’s how it often plays out:

   You sit down in front of your computer thinking, “Okay here we go, job search time!” and then three hours and 30 open browser tabs later you are left questioning what you’ve accomplished. Maybe you started with clicking a link for an open position, which led you to look up the company on LinkedIn, which led you to click on an employee profile to learn more, which brought you to another company page, which…. you get the point. Long story short: before you know it, lots of time and energy have been expended... both of which you typically don’t have an excess of if you’re burnt out.  

   Start, instead, by becoming militant about your stress management.

   This doesn’t mean you need to spend all day everyday meditating. What I mean is, take the step of discovering (or simply recognizing) which activities help you feel like your best self. I’m talking your tried-and-true go-to stress reducing strategies – the things you either already do (or could integrate more), and commit to prioritizing them even when adding a job search to your plate.

   Are you feeling so far down the burnout cycle that you don’t even know what helps you feel better?

   I’m obsessed with the book Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski. These are their 6 evidence-based strategies to turn OFF your stress cycle and turn ON your rest and repair mode. The good news? They’re all simple, free, and doable (and they work!).

   A related note for business owners or if you have to plan a lot of content in your work: Tracy Stanger has a Planning Your Year program that I did for 2023. One thing I love is that she has you input your down-time and personal commitments FIRST. We all know those can easily get kicked to the curb, so prioritizing them first then making the rest of your life fit around it is the kind of anti-hustle counter-culture messaging the world needs.

2. Believe in Boundaries

   We’ve all heard about the power of saying no by now, and if you’re burned out you have FULL permission to scale back your committments and expectations of yourself.

   When you feel like you’re treading water, tell yourself that staying afloat is enough.

   No need for any fancy swim strokes.

   In addition to saying no and taking pressure off of yourself, explore creating boundaries at your current job to mitigate additional stress (if possible!).

   I love this breakdown of 10 traits of an anti-burnout employee.

   If you work from home and feel like work just bleeds into all of your time, these simple strategies can help create both literal and metaphorical space between you and your work.

3. control what you can control

   Along those lines, what are the additional sources of stress in your life? There are plennnnty of stressors we have zero control over (hence my strong nudge to double down on the stress reducing coping strategies). But, which might you have some control over reducing?

   For example:

   A. Are you surrounded by negative people – otherwise known as energy vampires – and is there room to distance yourself from them? Here are 6 strategies to protect your energy.

   B. Do you feel exhausted every time the alarm goes off in the morning and if so, is there any wiggle room in your control to go to bed earlier? Create a wind down routine to help “land the plane” of your brain before bed? Here are other reasons why you may be so tired (and what to do about it).

   C.  Are you stress-scrolling and spending time (the same time you feel like you don’t have enough of!) getting sucked into a comparison trap on social media? Here are some free resources to create more screen life balance.

4. know, and keep coming back to, your why

   What is driving you to make a change?

   What kind of impact would it have to stay where you are and not put energy towards this new role?

   If you land what you’re looking for - how will life look differently for you / your family / your friends?

   Being clear about these answwers and having these bigger picture drivers in mind can help you keep perspective and stay resilient through the process.

I hope these strategies serve you in restoring and protecting your energy, so you can land work you love!

Job Search Stress... and How to Effectively Manage It!

April was Stress Awareness Month, but around here we talk about managing stress on a regular basis!

I hope you enjoy this conversation and get what you need to reduce stress and land work you love!

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A post shared by Becca Carnahan | Career Coach (@with_love_becca)

One major contributor to stress for many people is their jobs (where we spend about 1/3 of our lives).

For some, the job search process itself is one of the most challenging experiences they have in their professional world.

The stress can arise from any number of parts of the process, and manifests in several ways. I’m guessing that if you’ve ever been on a job search, at any time in your life, you know the stress that it can bring!

These are some of the most common questions I have seen stress out job seekers:

• What do I want to do in my career / what kind of job do I want?

• What type of organization will have a culture that aligns with my interests and needs?

• What am I qualified for?

• What do I even write on my resume?

• Do I need a cover letter?

• How do I actually spend my time in my job search and what do I need to do to hear back from employers?

• How do I connect my experiences and relay it clearly in an interview?

• When and how can I follow up with someone after interviewing?

• How do I negotiate the salary in an offer?

…and more!

When I work with clients, I not only help them with these tactical topics, but I make sure we address their overall stress management in life.

We explore how they can take care of themselves to have the energy and ability to execute on all of the components that make up a successful job search strategy.

I sat down (virtually!) with my wonderful colleague Becca Carnahan to talk about some of the ways to manage job search stress. It’s always such a joy to connect with my career coaching colleagues and see all of the ways that job seekers can get the support they need.

3 Benefits of Working with a Career Coach

You might think this post is going to be very biased since I’ve been a career coach for well over a decade now.

While of course I can’t remove that lens, I know what it’s like to be on the other side of the table, too!

It was through working with a career coach myself back in 2005 that I discovered this path.

I was at a crossroads. I realized I didn’t want to be a teacher – something I worked towards for almost 4 years of college already, and my go-to reply whenever anyone asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”.

Feeling completely overwhelmed and stuck, and then finding my way after working with this coach, was an incredibly formative experience. What I learned from being a career coaching client myself is influencing what I’m sharing here as well.

This post is aiming to answer a lot of the common questions I see when prospective clients originally reach out to me for a complimentary consultation. There is often a period of a lot of stress, nerves, or anxiety before people end up reaching out, so my goal is to provide tons of information so no matter which coach you explore working with, you have a good sense of things and feel more excited than nervous 😊

With all of that in mind, let’s get into 3 of the benefits of working with a career coach!

1) You get to talk about yourself with an un-biased person who has your best interests in mind

When you’re working with a coach, you’ll notice a difference in the way they listen to you compared to how it feels when your friends and family listen (no offense, friends and fam!).

Not only will they be fully engaged, attentive, and attuned to what you’re saying, they’ll ask lots of follow up questions to dig deeper and learn more. In addition to this open and mindful listening, a coach has no ulterior motives steering them to encourage you to make a particular decision.

In fact, most coaches won’t even tell you what decision to even make! They’ll reflect back what you’ve shared, what they have heard you articulate as your values, interests, and drivers, and help you to connect the dots you may be too close to the situation to see.

Their true goal is to help you feel empowered, informed, confident, and supported enough to make a decision that feels right to you based on what matters in your life. A coach can help you see the forest from the trees when you’ve potentially gotten caught up in the opinions of others, which are usually well-intentioned but clouded by the values of those people.

Here is how a former client of mine shared how this felt for her:

“While Aileen is amazing in so many ways, I think one of her most outstanding qualities is her ability to listen. Aileen never told me the job she thought I should want - she always made sure that my career decisions reflected my passions and aspirations.” – Megan Quill

I’ve had previous clients joke with me that they feel like I’m their therapist, which is (definitely not what career coaching is!) so flattering as it illustrates just how heard and supported clients can feel when working with a coach.

2) They hold you accountable

This may be the most valuable benefit of working with a career coach!

For some people, having an external source of accountability as they work towards a goal in their lives can make or break their progress.

You may know this about yourself already, but if you’re wondering whether or not you’re one of those people – or if you just want to learn more about the kind of structure that enables you to maintain momentum when working on something – I highly recommend taking the four tendencies quiz by Gretchen Rubin.

If you’re curious about diving into the four tendencies more, you can read this article about how understanding your tendency can help you improve your life. Gretchen has also been on countless podcasts and written many other articles in addition to her books.

Image is from https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast-episode/podcast-120-happier-four-tendencies/

I’m an “obliger,” which is the most common tendency, and Gretchen states that “Obligers meet outer expectations, but struggle to meet inner expectations. They’re motivated by external accountability; they wake up and think, “What must I do today?”

I can know that I need and want to move my body, but if I don’t sign up for a yoga or barre class, I’m much less likely to do it. I can know that I need to take time to focus on marketing my business, but not do it until I work with a marketing consultant who is checking in on my deadlines and progress.

(Yes, I’m a coach who basically loves having coaches herself!)

This is part of why we see group fitness classes, personal trainers, business coaches and more being so popular – for most areas of life there is likely a solution that involves creating external accountability for it.

When you work with a career coach, you have a dedicated person invested in your professional success who is there to give you the tools and create the structure needed for you to succeed. That accountability stops the cycle that is common for countless people - wanting to prioritize your career development but often having it fall at the bottom of your to-do list because life gets in the way.

When I work with my career coaching clients, I ask them what kind of accountability feels good for them. Questions I ask most often include:

• Do you want to set a deadline to do these action items by and if I haven’t heard from you by then I’ll check in?

• Would you prefer to schedule our next session, so you force yourself to have to have updates by then and see a goal on the calendar?

Every person, their style, and their life circumstances look different, so I meet each person wherever they are based on the kind of support that makes them feel good.

If you know you thrive when there is external accountability, what areas of your life have you implemented this and how has it helped you move forward?

3) They offer reliable resources and bring structure to a structureless process

Another benefit of working with a career coach is having a reliable, knowledgeable go-to source to answer all the million questions that come up throughout your job search. Questions such as:

• What should be on my resume vs my cover letter? Do I really need to write a cover letter? How long should a cover letter be? And Who do I address my cover letter to?

• I haven’t updated my resume in forever… what do you even put on them anymore?

• How do I follow up with an employer after an interview if I haven’t heard anything?

• What’s the best way to prepare for an interview?

• How do I answer the “what’s a weakness” or “tell me about yourself” questions?

• I have a LinkedIn profile but I haven’t updated it in years and I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to do on there anyway… help?

• Is it okay to negotiate the salary offer?

• I got an offer from one company but I’m waiting to hear back from another that I like more... what do I do?

Instead of spending hours googling the answers, and getting lots of conflicting advice, you have an expert in your back pocket. Moreso, someone who understands you, your background, and your personality so they’ll tell you the best practices but also help create some workarounds if a typical approach doesn’t align with your comfort zone.

Additionally, many people feel overwhelmed when job searching. They’re not sure where to start to create a job search strategy, what to focus on, and how to spend their energy efficiently to get the best momentum and results. They may come out of the gate strong but then if they’re hearing crickets after applying they aren’t sure what to do next.

Working with a career coach will help you create structure and efficiency in an often structureless process, so you can get results, and, get back to the rest of your life.

Now that we’ve exhaustively covered the top 3 benefits of working with a career coach, let’s delve into what it actually looks like to work with someone.

What to expect when working with a career coach

One of the most common questions I get from people is “So… what… does... it actually look like?! What do we really do if we were to work together?”

Which always makes me think of this scene from Office Space:

The answer depends on two things:

1. you and your unique situation and

2. the coach

In my practice, if you’re in a good groove and just want an extra pair of eyes on some application documents, a refresh on job search strategy or interviewing, and a sounding board, I typically recommend we focus on 1-1 appointments. These are done via zoom, phone, or in person as you feel necessary.

This means I’m here when you need or want to connect, cheering you on and checking in in the ways you’ve said feel good for you, but we don’t have a regular standing meeting filling your calendar.

If, on the other hand, you’re feeling rusty on all things job search, overwhelmed with how to proceed, and/or know you thrive with more support and accountability, I supplement those 1-1 sessions with “on demand coaching.”

I created five comprehensive learning modules with an arsenal of resources (videos of me teaching you what you need to know, workbooks, templates, guides) for each step in the road – figuring out your path, updating resumes and cover letters, LinkedIn, interviewing, taking care of yourself while doing this work, and more.

With instant access to this kind of coaching, you can chip away at your job search on your own time (no schedules to coordinate!) and then we end up being able to dig deeper in our 1-1 coaching time together. To make it manageable, based on where you’re at, I’ll get specific with your “homework” and point you to the resource/module to start with and then we plug away together from there.

Clients have access to this for life, and my whole ethos is that I’d rather teach you how to write an effective resume vs do it for you so you don’t need me again! Most people change jobs a good number of times in their life, so I believe it’s powerful to equip each person with the tools they need to feel supported in future job transitions as well.

The nitty gritty of what coaching looks like can be very different, so I always encourage people to shop around and ensure they find a coach that feels like the best fit for them, their personality, and their needs.

This brings me to my final point – how to find coaches, and what to do if you want to dip your toe into more self-guided work in this space before/instead of reaching out to someone.

How to find a coach + ways to explore working on this yourself

I always do a complimentary phone consultation with anyone interested in working together. I do this to not only make sure they feel like I’m the right person for them, but I also want to make sure I feel like I have the right skills, approach, and background for what kind of support they need.

If I don’t think I’m the best coach for the job, I typically refer prospective clients to my trusted colleagues and friends in the field, helping me feel confident that they’re in good hands.

I also always recommend that people explore free coaching options, especially if budgets are tight. Most people are surprised when I tell them that if they studied somewhere for an undergraduate degree, there are often a number of free resources (including coaching sessions at times!) available to them through the Career Services office. This typically is not heavily advertised, so I recommend people reach out via phone/email to the center directly to ask. Often there are 1-3 sessions for free for graduates, and/or access to internal job search resources.

Lastly, one of the most frequent recommendations I give to people exploring making a change in their professional lives is the book “Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life.” This is an incredible resource filled with hands-on activities for building self-awareness and deepening your understanding of what work means to you and what might be exciting to integrate into your next opportunity.

I hope that this comprehensive post not only helps you understand some benefits of working with a career coach, but also gives you tools to find someone that is right for you to work together towards achieving your professional goals.

Here’s to feeling supported in the process of doing more of what you love, no matter what that is!

5 Signs It's Time to Look for a New Job

I’ve been career coaching since 2007 (!) and have worked with people of all ages and backgrounds. There are common themes that arise after having so many conversations with people when they’re exploring a change in their professional lives.

While of course every person and situation is different, I often see these five signs. Use them as one tool to evaluate your career satisfaction – how many are true for you?

1. You’re bored

Have you noticed that projects that used to excite you don’t anymore? Perhaps the tasks that make up most of your work lead you to dread your workday or even roll your eyes when you see the email request come in?

While these don’t mean you need to kick a job search into action, they are indicators that your innate desires to continually learn, grow, and challenge yourself are not being met. Note which types of tasks may still excite you and see if you can speak with your supervisor or colleague to get more of those in the mix.

If it’s not possible, that is information to take into consideration when assessing whether your current role and employer is still a fit or not.

2. You don’t see any room for growth

(Can present as “I don’t want my boss’s job”).

For some time in your professional life, you may be very goal oriented. For certain people this looks like wanting to work towards a particular job title or scope of responsibility. For others, it’s more nuanced, and is more about wanting to continue to be in positions where they acquire new skills and are pushed outside of their comfort zones.

If that’s you, and the role you’re in isn’t providing continued opportunities to hone existing and/or acquire new skills, that may not feel like a good fit.

Of course, before simply jumping to the next organization, it makes sense to have candid conversations with your organization about making this happen. Sometimes all it takes is an ask!

To note, for people who are at a certain point in their careers and/or lives, this may not be a dealbreaker. For some people, once they’re reached a particular point in their professional lives, they don’t want to keep climbing and moving onto the next. This is not my nice way of saying “once you’re older you stop wanting to grow” either!

It can happen at any age when you’ve found work that aligns with your values, interests, personality, skills, and fits well with your personal life. Bigger offices, more pay, and shinier titles are not what it’s all about for many people… these days more than ever.

3. You’re not using the skills you thought you’d get to use

This one is often a stand-alone reason why people end up leaving their current role.

This can happen in a few ways – perhaps it’s a startup or a new position, and what the company anticipated the role requiring didn’t end up being what was needed. Or, someone may start off with a role looking one way, and then it evolves into something different due to staffing changes or simply because that’s where the organization is headed.

It can feel very disappointing no matter the circumstances. You’ll notice a theme, though, with the tips I shared above.

Especially in a culture where growth and changes are happening in the organization at an exponential rate, this may be something management has simply overlooked vs a sign they don’t care about you. An option is to reach out to your manager and ask to get some time on their calendar to discuss the scope of your work – giving them a heads up to prime the conversation can often yield a more productive chat.

4. You often find yourself daydreaming or wondering about what’s next

…maybe even during planning meetings at your current company.

If this is happening – noticing a strong disconnect when your colleagues are looking at the future – it is a big piece of data potentially pointing to disinterest in your current professional whereabouts.

Other ways I often hear this start off…

 “I’m happy where I am but I just started scrolling through jobs on LinkedIn...”

“It’s fine where I am but… I’m starting to wonder what else is out there.”

“I’ve always known the next step in my career, but now I’m not sure what I’m going to do… I just know it’s not this.”

Let me clarify – daydreaming alone does not mean it’s time to make a change, but if you’re noticing this internal pull to do something else, something different, and this innate sense of longing or wondering “what else?” – that is information to pay attention to and explore deeper.

5. You feel burnt out or misaligned

A toxic work environment, not gelling with the company culture, not believing in the organization’s mission… these are some of the top contributors to employee burnout.

We spend over 1/3 of our lives at work, so if you’re not being treated well or feeling a sense of purpose connected to how you’re spending the majority of your time, especially now as work bleeds into home life, it takes a toll.

This comes down to personal preference, but for many people, they want to work where they feel there is alignment and where they are valued. Employee burnout can also come from that lack of using skills you want, as discussed above, so it’s important to clarify where this energy drain comes from so you can create a clear path forward.

Are any of these resonating with you?

If you’re noodling on making a change, or maybe have even been trying to make one but not getting traction, I’m here to chat over a complimentary consultation should you need some support.

Here’s to finding more flow in our work!

Designing Your Life + Giveaway!

I’m starting the week with a way to make your future workweeks more enjoyable!

Over the last 10+ years of career coaching, I've had many people come to me because they disliked the work they did but had no idea how to figure out what they'd enjoy more. This usually came with fear around making the "wrong" choice, and a lot of overwhelm.

I still meet people who feel this way every week, and I've found that this is the book I'm constantly recommending as a starting point. It has lots of practical exercises and prompts to help people move from feeling stuck to taking productive action.

I've had clients call this book "life changing" so I'm giving away a new copy to hopefully positively impact the life of the winner!

To enter, head over to my Instagram page and follow the simple prompts (*This giveaway is now closed*).

If you’re not interested in the giveaway but you're not feeling fulfilled by your work, here's part of the model I use with clients to help them brainstorm/assess other options. I encourage you to stop asking friends or googling "jobs in <insert your location>" when trying to make a change - start with YOU.

When you find something that aligns with your VIPS, that's when it all clicks.

To be clear, I don't think a "perfect career" exists - every job will have tasks you'd rather not do or things you don't love, even if you work for yourself. But, as cliche as it sounds, when you love what you do, work feels less like work. You’re also less likely to experience chronic stress and burnout.

How might you take some time to pause and reflect on these parts of yourself?

It may seem simple, but it can help you get a better sense of where your dissatisfaction is coming from and also have a framework to evaluate new options.

Happy exploring!

Courageous Career Choices: Episode 3

The third episode of the "Courageous Career Choices" monthly series is up! I'm interviewing people from all industries, both entrepreneurs and employees, who have made intentional decisions (not just major career changes) to do work that's aligned with their values. The goal is to to inspire you if you're curious about:

• the impact that our work can have on our health

• what makes people move from thinking about leaving their jobs to actually taking action

• how to manage stress and prioritize wellness when in a big transition (or simply in your everyday life!)

This episode featured Brendan Quinn, Managing Director, Strategic Capital, Silicon Valley Bank. This was unique/special for two reasons- one: he's my husband and two: unlike the first interviews, Brendan didn't change careers or decide to make an extreme pivot... he chose to stay at the same organization for 12 years. 

If you're thinking of staying where you're working, but want to manage your stress so you can perform better and/or make more sound decisions, join me for a free virtual training "Stress Less, Sleep More" in two weeks!

Courageous Career Choices: Episode 2

The second episode of the "Courageous Career Choices" monthly series is here! I'm interviewing people from all industries, both entrepreneurs and employees, who have made intentional decisions (not just major career changes) to do work that's aligned with their values. The goal is to to inspire you if you're curious about:

• the impact that our work can have on our health 

• what makes people move from thinking about leaving their jobs to actually taking action

• how to manage stress and prioritize wellness when in a big transition (or simply in your everyday life!)

This episode is with Alfredo Axtmayer, cancer survivor and career changer, now a Nurse Practitioner in Oncology at Yale New Haven Hospital. He's the epitome of someone who has shown courage in both his personal and professional life, and shares some inspirational messages we can all learn from. 

Please fast forward to 2:30 as Facebook and Zoom didn't sync and those first 2 minutes are garbage! If you have questions or comments, or want to tune in to next month's episode, head on over to the Facebook page.

Are You Making Career Choices With Courage?

The first of a new monthly series called "Courageous Career Choices" is done! I'm interviewing people from all industries, both entrepreneurs and employees, who have made intentional decisions (not just major career changes) to do work that's aligned with their values. 

The goal is to to inspire you if you're curious about:

• the impact that our work can have on our health

• what makes people move from thinking about leaving their jobs to actually taking action

• how to manage stress and prioritize wellness when in a big transition (or simply in your everyday life!)

The first interview was with Jen of Wander Free Wellness. You can watch here (just skip to the 1 minute 30 second mark to ignore the tech trouble!) or head to the Facebook  page if you want to leave a comment or question. The next three months are scheduled and in the events section there so you can RSVP to receive a reminder when we're going live! I truly hope you enjoy this series.

What's Your Weakness?

In the 10 years I've spent helping people move from feeling nervous to confident before interviewing, this is often the questions that's most dreaded by my clients. 

When asked "Describe a weakness of yours?" it's important to first and foremost think about WHY the employer is asking you the question.

What do they actually care about and hope to learn?

This video will discuss what the question within the question is here, as well as three strategies for structuring your answer. For a complete guide to answering this, along with the "Tell me about yourself" question, you can download my free guide to the two most dreaded interview questions here.

You can also grab more free interviewing tips here, and how to answer negative interview questions here. I LOVE doing mock interviews, so if you're ready to get out of your comfort zone and practice, reach out for a free consult to set yours up!
 

Today's video is going to focus on how to answer everyone's least favorite interview question, which is to “describe a weakness of yours.” We're going to go through what this question is really asking, as well as what the most effective strategies to answer it are. 

Let's begin with actually dissecting what this question is really all about. A lot of my clients get frustrated or confused about why this question even gets asked. They think it's kind of a silly one to cover in an interview. What the question is really asking is, “Are you self-aware? Do you think you're perfect? Or do you know that there are some areas where you can work on and improve the skills and qualifications that you have?”

The second part of the question within this question is employers are trying to get a sense of if you're really picturing yourself in this role or not. If you give an answer that actually is a skill that has something to do with the position, it can showcase to the employer, you're picturing yourself in the role and really thinking through where you might have the ability to succeed and hit the ground running.

Conversely, what is an area where you would need a little bit more training? Those are the actual questions within the question, and that should give you a better sense of what employers are really looking for in their responses. 

Now, let's talk about the three strategies to use when answering this question in an interview. First things first, do not answer with an example, a skill, or a piece about yourself; that's a deal-breaker. For example, if the role says you need really strong Excel skills, and you don't have them, that's definitely not something you want to emphasize proactively. Another thing you want to avoid is any character flaws. If you have a tendency to run late, this is not something you want to seek out to share with your employer.

Strategy number two we’ll cover is you will want to think through and focus on if there is part of a job description that says desirable or preferable skills. This would be a really safe space to focus your answer on highlighting your skills compared to what the employer has posted on the job description.

For example, if they're talking about proficiency in certain software, highlight your proficiency in that system. If it's something you could learn quickly, or that you perhaps have demonstrated an aptitude for by learning in different related software, you could showcase that in your answer.

This brings me to the third strategy for answering the “Tell me about a weakness or describe your biggest weakness question.” The number one thing any answer, regardless of what you're focusing on saying should include is what you're doing, have been doing or will be doing to improve upon said weakness. An employer is not just looking for self-awareness, but also the ability to grow, develop and prioritize personal or professional development. 

If public speaking is the weakness you're going to emphasize, then you can talk about how this is an area you're working to improve upon. If you've proactively sought out speaking opportunities, or even taking a Dale Carnegie or a public speaking class, those would be things you would want to emphasize in your interview. Be sure to conclude your answer by saying, “These are the things I'm doing to improve upon this and I feel confident I will continue to develop in this area.”

This concludes my biggest tips for understanding both what the weakness question is really about, as well as the strategies to use to answer this in the most realistic, thoughtful, and thorough way for the employer. 

Thanks for watching, and if you have any other questions on this topic, feel free to leave me a note in the comment section, or download my free guide to interviewing to get you as prepared as possible for this exciting time.

How to Create an Effective Job Search Strategy

There are many common missteps that happen when trying to land a job. Submitting applications and never hearing back or refreshing your inbox every few minutes to find out whether or not you have been selected can certainly make you feel helpless.

Learn how to use a simple, two-pronged, proactive approach to feel energized and empowered instead. The more you operate from this position of strength when searching, the more motivated you'll be to take time to do the work AND you'll have more energy to do other things you love.

When creating a job search strategy, it's important to keep two things in mind. You want to have both proactive and reactive goals as part of your approach. In this video, I'm going to define what those are and how to create a really effective strategy to manage your job search with confidence and to feel empowered in the process. 

Let's talk about reactive goals first because this is where I find most people spend the majority of their time. When I talk about reactive goals as being part of your job search strategy, what I mean is just reacting to things that are coming your way. The most common area where I see this is people just applying to positions they see posted online or they're getting job alerts for. While this can be a helpful part of the process, it is not where you should spend the majority of your energy. But that is how most people end up navigating their jobs or when they're approaching it on their own. 

The reason I don't recommend spending all of your time here is that sometimes positions get posted, and they've actually been filled already, or there is another candidate in mind. So when we see them posted we think, “Great, I'm starting at the front of the line,” but realistically, there might be other people who are already being considered ahead of you. If you're spending all of your time and energy justifying to those, it means you're missing a lot of opportunities. You want to be the person that is at the front of the line, and in consideration before something even gets posted. 

This brings me to the proactive approach to goal setting when you're navigating a job search. Being proactive or setting proactive goals, is referring to networking. I know this is not everyone's favorite activity, and there's a lot of stigma and generalizations made around networking. So to kind of counteract, I want to talk about what I mean by that. While your longer-term goal is to land a job, the networking I'm talking about is focusing on your shorter-term goal.

It's important to learn about the roles that exist in the field you're targeting. One should learn what skills are really valued and would make you stand out from your competition. Then ask questions from people in positions that you're targeting like how they landed them, what was the hiring process, what were the interviews like, etc? Focus on building connections and relationships more authentically. It’s so much more than just approaching networking, like many people think, which is “Hi, are there any openings? And can you make sure my resume gets to the top of the pile?” When you shift your perspective to think about networking in this mindset of really learning and building connections, it will help you incorporate more of these strategies into your search. 

A quick fact I’d like to share with you is over 80% of people land positions through networking. So if you're spending your time 80% on the reactive side, and 20% networking; I'd invite you to flip flop that. I'd rather see you spend way more energy building relationships and learning how to make yourself stand out than just blindly submitting applications online. 

One other note on the reactive side is I'm making the assumption you're really tailoring your application materials with each position. Many employers are using artificial intelligence to scan your materials before they even make it to a human being to vet your qualifications. If you're not taking those extra minutes to make sure you're connecting the dots for the employers, then you're spending even more time and energy on things that are not most productive to the process.

Hopefully, this helps you create more of a clear-cut approach to navigating your job search. Each week, I invite you to spend time on both the proactive and reactive goals so you can feel like you're not just waiting to see openings come up. We're also not just waiting to hear back from people for informational interviews. This approach is a more holistic way to ensure that you feel empowered in the process, and you always have some actions to be taking instead of refreshing your inbox every five minutes and waiting for other people. 

I hope you find some value in the lessons I shared today. If you have any questions on your job search, feel free to leave a note in the comments or reach out for a free 30-minute consultation. I'd be happy to be a sounding board and hear what you've been doing in your strategy and see if there's room for any improvement. 

Thanks for watching, and best of luck in your job search.

3 Ways to Make Your Resume Stronger

There are three things that every resume should aim to do, regardless of your level of experience, or which industry or position is at hand. These are tools which will help you maximize the way employers and recruiters scan through your document, ensuring you can get as much information across in as short of an amount of time as possible. 

This quick video will walk you through each of these tips! 

If you're ready for more information, here are two related blog posts with more resume tips, or reach out for a free consultation to ask questions specific to your situation:

• Simple Resume Writing Tips

• My Favorite Resume Loophole

When you're writing your resume, there are three things you want to do, regardless of what industry or position you're applying to. Those three things are to start with strong action verbs, be as results-oriented as possible, and quantify when possible. In this video, I'll go into more detail about what I mean by each of those things. 

The first tip is to start with strong action verbs. I highly recommend using bullets on a resume instead of using the paragraph format when describing experience due to employers only may have time to give your resume a very quick scan. Using a paragraph format is really, really dense to read. 

When using bullet points, start each experience listed with one strong action verb. Phrases you want to avoid using are, responsible for or assisted because they lead the employer to assume you're about to give a laundry list of unimportant information, or that you didn't contribute much assistance at all. If you used the word “assisted” because you weren’t the only one working on the project, you can add you were doing the task with a team or in collaboration with a colleague. 

Starting with a strong action verb will give the employer the opportunity to get valuable information in a short amount of time. If you have trouble thinking of action verbs, a lot of career service offices have resume guides, with a whole laundry list of strong verbs to use. When in doubt, don’t forget to utilize a thesaurus.

The second thing every resume should have is the tendency to be result-oriented. If you scan through your resume as it is now, I guarantee you have what's called a “so what” bullet. A “so what” bullet is where you're describing something you did, but the reader is left wondering,
“so what” was the point of that? What was the intention or goal? What impact did that have on the place of employment? 

Be sure to add a lot more value by talking about what the purpose or the intention of your activity was, and what it was used for. Another important thing to note here is that some people have bullets like this because they left an employer or a job without seeing the project through. And that's okay! You can still add value by talking about what the intended goal or result was, and what your actions were used to contribute to. I invite you to look through your resume and look line by line and see if there's any room to add a bit more results-oriented context to your experiences. 

The third thing every resume should do is quantify when possible. Numbers really stand out in a resume, and they can also show more of a description or more gravity to what you're doing. For example, if you delivered presentations to classes talking about X, Y and Z, that's great to list, but it has a lot more impact if you say something like “I delivered presentations to up to 500 attendees discussing X, Y, and Z. Understand it's not always possible to add numbers, but if you've been in a sales role and you exceeded goals, brought in a certain amount of revenue, or worked on deals, those are all places where you can add some of these numerical pieces of data to showcase to an employer the scope of your work. 

And that's it! Those are the three biggest things you should do on every resume, regardless of what industry field or type of role you're applying to. If you have other questions about resumes, feel free to leave me a note in the comments below. And if any of your friends are working on their resumes or job searches, feel free to share this video with them as well.

What Should You Include on Your Resume versus Cover Letter?

One of the biggest sources of frustration when writing a cover letter is trying to decide what information is most relevant to include for employers. Many people wonder if they're allowed to repeat information that's on their resume, and others wonder how much detail to go into overall.

This video will walk you through an exercise that will help you determine what employers want to read in cover letters, and how to assess which parts of your background are most important to include.

The even better news? The activity I recommend in this video is also an incredible way to prep for interviews, too! 

Today we're going to be talking all about the differences between what material goes on your resume versus your cover letter. I think this is one of the areas where people get most frustrated or confused when they start trying to write a cover letter. Often times it's because they have no idea what the point of it is, what information makes sense to repeat, and what can just be left on the resume. So that's what we're going to focus on today!

When you're going to write a cover letter, I recommend you go back to the job description and do a little activity to ensure all of your materials are as tailored and applicable to that job as possible. This exercise is something you can do in editing your resume as well. I recommend printing out the job description, or copying, pasting it, and putting it into a Word doc. The reason I suggest this is because when an employer goes to interview candidates, sometimes they remove the listing. If you don't have a copy for your records, you're going to have to ask for it, which can just add another complicated step to the process. 

Most relevant to this exercise is I really want you to sit down and dissect the job description. Don't just look at the qualifications or the skills, which is what many people do, but slowly work your way through the entire document to notice what themes the employer is bringing up. They might be talking about having to work in a fast-paced environment, and the culture being really innovative and new, and that's in the company blurb. Then you move on to the job description where you may see there are similar sentiments shown. It will be beneficial to you to look for the same tasks or qualifications repeated throughout the listing. If it’s repeated throughout the listing, that’s when you know it's a really critical part of what they're looking for in a candidate. Based on that exercise, you can now look at what is most relevant and important to emphasize about yourself in both your resume and your cover letter.

Let's go back to the original question, which is what should stay just on the resume versus the cover letter. When you're doing an exercise of walking through, and really breaking down the job description to notice what themes exist, and how your background and skills align. You will most likely have what I call “aha!” moments. These are moments where an employer is describing a skill set that they have or are a part of a role, and you think, “Oh, that's exactly what I've done in this position, or that's exactly what my job is right now.” In those moments, when you notice there's such a strong connection between what they're looking for and what you have. It's important to make a note that that is exactly what should go into your cover letter. That's really critical information! This section should be the real meat or the biggest part of what you're emphasizing. 

Secondly, anything else repeated in the job description and the qualifications correlating to your skillset should tie into your cover letter in a more narrative. When in doubt, your resume should have certain keywords, verbs, or consistent phrasing that is coming up in the job description.  Remember, your cover letter is the chance to really go into more detail about an example of a skill you have that maybe only got half of a bullet in terms of the description on your resume. If there's a volunteer experience or something that isn't on your resume, but it's one of those “aha” moments, your cover letter is the perfect chance to go into detail and describe exactly what that is. 

I hope this helps give clarification about what makes sense to keep on your resume and what you really need to give more attention to in your cover letter. If you have any other questions, feel free to drop them in the comments section or reach out for a free 30-minute consultation. Thanks for watching and have a great day.

If you found that helpful, keep learning how to craft cover letters that convert through my step-by-step guide!

How Long Should A Cover Letter Be?

One of my goals for 2018 is to create more video content, knowing that people have different learning styles and also feel more connected when they can see the person they're learning from. 

...truthfully, this was a goal for 2017 but I procrastinated because while I love presenting, shooting and editing videos of myself is a totally different experience! I know I'll get more comfortable and my true personality will come out more with time, so I'm honoring this growth period and not letting perfection be the enemy of good. 

So without further adieu. here is my first video (outside of my online coaching program)! It's called "How Long Should A Cover Letter Be?" and you can view it through clicking below.

When helping people with their job search, one of the most common questions I get asked is, “How long should my cover letter be?” If you want more information on the pros and cons of writing a cover letter, I'm happy to share with you my free cover letter writing guide. 

For today, we're going to focus on the length of a cover letter. When you're writing the letter, you want to keep in mind you only have a really short amount of time to deliver a lot of valuable content to the employer because they read your application materials so quickly. With that in mind, knowing you have only a short period of time to deliver valuable information to an employer about why you're the best fit for the role, your cover letter should never be longer than one page. Also, it shouldn't come close to the bottom of the page either. Let’s discuss a little bit more about the structure of the letter so you can get a better sense of what really goes into it. 

In your first paragraph, and I say that loosely because it's only a sentence or two long, should cover what position you're applying for and how you found out about it. This section is where you would name drop if there was someone referring you, or someone you did an informational interview to include a quick summary sentence talking about what you're going to discuss in the rest of your letter. 

For example, you could say “I'm writing to apply for X, Y, Z role, and I found out about it after Bob Smith referred me to this opportunity. The combination of my x y, and z skills coupled with my A, B, and C, makes me a great fit for this position.”

Then you get into the next, the second and third paragraph, which is what I call the meat of your cover letter. So this is where you're really thinking strategically about what is most important about you and your background to emphasize to an employer. It should not be a regurgitation of what's on your resume. It's more of a narrative approach to maybe fleshing out an example or a story that showcases multiple qualifications you have for the role. 

The most important part of a letter that most people leave out is why you want to work for that organization. It doesn't have to be again a verbose thing. It can be a short and sweet sentence or two, explaining what about this organization and what they do is unique and why that makes you want to deliver and use your skills for them in this role in particular. 

So hopefully this helps you get a little bit more clarity on the length, as well as the structure of your cover letter writing. If you have any questions feel free to shoot me a note or download my cover letter writing guide posted in the comments below.

If you learn better through reading, you can see this information in my previous cover letter blog posts or my free comprehensive guide. If you have questions, leave a note in the video comments! 

How To Figure Out Your Career Path

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom”

— Aristotle

When evaluating career paths, it can be tempting to look everywhere but inside of yourself for the answers. Common questions that come up when exploring ideas are: What’s valued by society? What does my family think? Hey, Google- what pays the most and where’s the growth? Which companies are rated the best to work for?

While some of the information than can be gleaned from these questions can be useful, it’s wildly ineffective to start there.

Why?

If you’re asking “What career path should I pursue?” and want the world to curate an answer that’s specifically relevant to you, you’re going to be disappointed. Searching in this broad, unfocused, and generic manner will make you extremely overwhelmed, as occupational options are endless. “One estimate suggests that 65% of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in completely new job types that aren’t on our radar yet.” (source)

Use self-understanding to find a job that's the right fit. Get your guide here.

Additionally, you know yourself better than anyone else.

Slowing down, turning inward, and getting more clarity on your values, interests, personality, and skills (VIPS), and how those align with potential career paths, is an incredibly valuable place to start.

Many people get to this point, but then get overwhelmed by how to do this self-reflection. What questions do you ask? How do you think through your interests and different career options?

Knowing this, and that many people like to work through some of this on their own instead of or before working with a coach, I I created a comprehensive 20-page self-assessment guide. It's a combination of open-ended questions tapping into your values and interests, along with more formal assessments like the SkillScan. It wraps up with resources and an action plan for you to have concrete steps to move forward with your exploration.

In my 10 years of coaching people, I've found that the more clear people are on their VIPS, the more certain they are about their career paths, and the happier they are in their work. Start with finding your why, and then the rest of the answers will come.

I hope this helps you in your journey towards finding work you love! 

6 Ways Yoga Can Help You Reach Your Career Goals

Pure Style Photography

What does yoga have to do with your performance at work? Can nailing a headstand get you that promotion? It may sound strange at first listen, but there are a few ways yoga may help you excel on the job.

1)  Mental Clarity

Every time you step on your mat, your practice is different, even if you’re moving through the same sequence. From frequent mindset shifts to our bodies feeling differently every day, our perspective is never exactly the same.

We have to learn to meet ourselves where we are, and to check in with what’s real and what we truly need versus what we expect or think we “should” need/feel. Once we’re more in tune with this skill, it can be applied to life off of the mat. We can use this as a tool to decipher what we really want in our work – if it’s a promotion, what are we craving? If it’s a change in paths, what are the sources of dissatisfaction?

The more deliberate way of harnessing/developing this self-understanding is through the meditation within a practice (or that you do on your own). Asana, or the physical movement of yoga, was traditionally created to prepare the body for meditation, enabling you to be more comfortable sitting in stillness. Meditation teaches us how to notice when we may be stuck in a cycle of self-limiting thoughts. In some forms of meditation, we’re encouraged to notice our thoughts as they arise and redirect our attention elsewhere. When we do that, we take some of the power away from those thoughts.

We learn how to change the channel, and can recognize when we’re being unkind to ourselves or starting to believe our thoughts instead of experience. We can redirect our energy to something more productive. For example, imagine consistently telling yourself you’re “not as good as ________” (insert colleague name) or underserving of being rewarded and praised for your work, when those thoughts have no basis in reality. By building awareness of when these thoughts arise, you can then shift the energy away from feeding them, perhaps to a positive, empowering mantra like: “I am worthy. I am skilled. I am enough.”

2) Goal Setting

Many yoga classes start off by encouraging students to set an intention for the practice. This serves as a guiding framework for your thoughts and energy; it’s a simple focal point. This intention setting, working to keep it front of mind, and directing your energy towards it is analogous to goal setting in your career. Many people only set career-related goals 1-2 times/year (January 1st and during performance reviews, perhaps?!). Developing a way of checking in with yourself, or breaking large goals down into smaller intentions, can set you up for greater success and increase your motivation to keep this front of mind.

Pure Style Photography

3) Keeping Calm

I once read that “Yoga without breathing is just stretching” and think it’s important to point this out. “Awareness of breath and synchronizing breath and movement is what makes yoga, yoga; and not gymnastics or any other physical practice.” (source) That resource describes how this breathing has physical, emotional, and biological impacts. To focus on one, deep belly breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system. Simply put, it helps our bodies relax and stop operating in a state of stress. As you can imagine, having the ability to remain calm can be incredibly useful in the workplace!

Managing difficult coworkers or clients, dealing with a stressful situation or approaching a deadline can all feel a bit differently when you tap into the power of your breath. In a culture where many outwardly exude high stress, you can stand out from your peers.

4) Developing Self-Awareness

There’s an assumption that if you’re flexible, you’re automatically skilled at yoga… but that’s not what it’s about and even bendy people need to be mindful. If not, they can hyperextend, injure themselves, and/or lose the mind-body connection which is integral to the practice. The movement requires both self-reflection and, perhaps most importantly, self-compassion. From cold weather to travel to stress, your body can show up differently each time regardless of your skill level, and you have to be comfortable listening to what you need in that exact moment and not pushing yourself beyond your limitations. Not all bodies can do all poses, just as at work, very few (if any) individuals are a master of all skills. In both situations, we must pause, notice our strengths, and build upon those instead of forcing it where we’re less gifted. Just as forcing a pose can lead to injury, forcing a skill you just don’t enjoy can lead to burnout.

5) Feeling Energized  

A big focus on my work is to help clients restore their energy through making changes to their work and/or lifestyle habits. I’ve discussed other ways to increase productivity, and touched on movement in that post, but it deserves another shout out. When doing inversions, you’re literally shifting your perspective. You can also achieve a similar mindset shift by taking a break and just moving your body. If you’re frustrated on the job, this physical practice helps you release endorphins, your “feel good” chemicals, so you can clear your brain and approach your work with new energy.

““It is confidence in our bodies, minds and spirits that allows us to keep looking for new adventures, new directions to grow in, and new lessons to learn — which is what life is all about.” Oprah Winfrey

”

6) Building Confidence

Doing yoga poses all around Boston in front of people definitely required confidence! (Photo by Pure Style Photography)

Lastly, when we’re consistent with a yoga practice, we notice progress. Maybe we can do more chaturanga push-ups without taking a break. Perhaps that elusive arm balance that once seemed impossible is now in your arsenal. Or it may simply be the ability to stop running through your to-do list and focus on your breathing (easier said than done!). Whatever the change, this growth can help you build confidence in yourself. That confidence can be contagious and spread to other areas of your life, including at work. From asking for a raise to deciding to change careers, believing in yourself is key. Keeping your spirits high and having faith in yourself is particularly useful if you don’t feel valued at your company or if you’re not hearing back from employers when job searching.

Not a yogi? You can reap some of these benefits through other forms of movement. From spinning to weight lifting, this same sensation of accomplishment and pride can be present.

Whether it’s through yoga or not, how can you create more space in your life to do more of what will propel you forward towards reaching your personal and professional goals?

4 Essential Steps to Find Work You Love (+ exciting announcement!)

If you get my newsletter, this isn't new information for you (Want to hear news first and get access to freebies? The form is at the bottom of the page!). For the rest of the world, I have an exciting announcement. Last week, I ran a webinar "4 Essential Steps to Find Work You Love" and officially opened registration for something big! 

I've just launched a new online course "A Holistic and Strategic Approach to Finding Work You Love"

It's comprised of five modules (delivered over four weeks) of videos, assessments, workbooks, expert guides, and activities. The self-paced model lets people fit this process into their busy lives when it works for them, while still having access to one-on-one support from me. I have over 10 years of career coaching experience and compiled the most critical tools and skills I’ve used during this decade into this program.

The content covers everything from clarifying what you want to pursue in your career to the tactical side of getting there. One module focuses on how to take care of yourself, so you can have the energy and mindset needed to manage any additional stress that can come with this work. Full details and a program schedule can be found through the webinar.

Registration closes on Halloween (10.31.17). If you'd like to get a sense of my style and this topic, listen to the webinar while it's still available or reach out for a free consultation to decide if it’s the right fit for you.

I hope to see you there! 

How Do You Address Your Cover Letter?

Read more about the benefits of writing letters here.

A common question that arises when writing cover letters is which person should be addressed in the opening of the letter. Here are some options, along with the pros/cons for each of them:

To Whom It May Concern

This is your worst-case scenario option. It’s fine, it gets the job done, but it’s cold and doesn’t show much effort to get more personalized information.

Dear Hiring Manager or Dear Selection Committee

Still not ideal in terms of personalization, but it's a bit warmer and a better option if you truly can’t find any information regarding the person/people in charge of hiring.

Dear Mr./Ms. _________ (insert last name)

Best-case scenario! But indeed, not always possible. This would be the name of the person in charge of the department/office/team you’re applying to, and there are a few ways to dig in to try to find this information. Start by looking on the website of the organization, as some have tons of information including names, emails, and an organizational chart.

If you strike out there, you can do an advanced search on LinkedIn. Try the name of the organization in the “company” section and input the division you’re applying to in the “keyword” section. If that doesn’t work, play around with other keywords or try your luck with Google to see if there may be clues in publications/news.

This little step can help demonstrate your attention to detail and enthusiasm for the opportunity. Bonus tip: if you’ve done an informational interview with someone before applying, ask them for a name and/or include their name in the body of your cover letter too!

NEED MORE SUPPORT? DOWNLOAD MY COVER LETTER WRITING GUIDE SO YOU CAN STOP STRESSING AND START WRITING LETTERS THAT CONVERT TO INTERVIEWS!

Prefer one-on-one support? Or not even sure of what you need to land work you love? Learn more about the 3 benefits of working with a career coach.

My Favorite Resume Loophole

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Writing a resume can be challenging. My clients often come to me with these three common concerns:

• Is it too long? If I delete something that’s less relevant to save space, will employers think there’s a gap?

• I do have an employment gap. How do I make it less noticeable?

• I’m changing roles/fields and something from years ago is now more relevant than my most recent work experience. How do I get that to stand out more?

There is, amazingly, ONE solution for all three of these. The answer, and my favorite resume loophole, is this:

Divide your experience into multiple sections, so you can work around the rule that everything has to be in reverse chronological order.

For example, imagine you’re applying for a research role and want to highlight the job you held two positions prior to your current role. You could have “Research Experience” and “Additional Experience” as your two sections, include the older role in “Research Experience” and your current role in “Additional Experience” (research is just one example, but you can put whatever field/industry you’re targeting in the title).

Side note: the word “additional” reads better than “other” as the latter implies the experience is not really relevant.  

This brings the more related experience up the page on the resume, helping it be seen by employers during their first quick glance. It also changes around the order of the dates, so the employer would have to spend more time looking at each date to check for a gap.

Try this simple yet effective trick and you’ll notice how much more creative you can be on your resume!

Was this helpful? Here are more ways working with a career coach can help you land work you love.

Job Search Resilience

Other than balancing a job search with everything else going on in your life, one of the hardest parts of looking for a new position is keeping your spirits up throughout the duration of the often-tedious process.

Whether it’s deafening silence from employers or making it to the final round of interviews only to not be selected, the experience can certainly take a toll on your confidence.

Those examples are (unfortunately!) a normal part of looking for a job whether you’re highly qualified for what you’re applying to or not. From political hiring decisions, technical interference causing your application to never be seen by a human, or simply an extremely competitive market, there are a handful of challenging layers that have nothing to do with your competency levels (let that sink in!)… yet, the longer you spend applying, the more likely you are to start to doubt yourself.

So, how do you keep your spirits up?

I heard this definition from Jennifer Racioppi while listening to a webinar on emotional resilience

As with many challenges in life, it comes back to resilience. There are countless definitions and studies about this concept, but two of my favorites include: “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness” and meeting life exactly as it is and being able to thrive anyway. Some believe that “more than education, more than experience, more than training, a person’s level of resilience will determine who succeeds and who fails. That’s true in the cancer ward, it’s true in the Olympics, and it’s true in the boardroom.”

Below are a few of the strategies I’ve found help job seekers recover from the challenges and setbacks that come with the territory.

Talk to people.

This will sound like the last thing you want to do when your confidence is tanking or you’re doubting yourself, but trust me on this. Networking not only increases your likelihood of landing a position, it also can do a myriad of things to get you out of the job search rut. For example, people in your field can:

• Validate that your background is impressive/you do have valuable and relevant skills. You can get this information through asking questions such as “What skills do you think make someone stand out in this field/role?” or “What qualities make someone most successful in this position?”  

• Help you see your blind spots and where you may be lacking competitiveness. That may sound like bad news, but this insight can show you where to seek out development and growth to proactively increase your ability to compete.

• Give you ideas about other companies, job titles, or openings to look at that you may not know about.

Any of these outcomes can serve to reinvigorate you and the energy you need to keep plugging away.

Look in your happy-face-folder 

This may sound weird if you don’t have one, so let me explain. Every time I get a thoughtful thank you email or positive feedback after an event, I file them into a folder aptly titled “😊.” If I have a really challenging day or am doubting myself (in the life of an entrepreneur it happens often!), I skim through and am reminded of my skills, value-add, and the positive impact I’ve had on other people’s lives. If you don’t save these types of emails, I recommend that you start!

If you don’t have these emails, you can still seek out this kind of info from other sources. Old performance reviews are a good place to look. Chatting with any colleagues you’ve let in on your search, checking in with your references, and reviewing former letters of recommendation can all raise your spirits too.

Take Care of Yourself

When in doubt, taking extra care of yourself is always a good idea. It may sound counterintuitive to step away from applications, but restoring your energy and mindset will ultimately make you much more productive. That renewed confidence will translate in your application materials. You have permission to take this space. Often a short stint away, or coming back to an application after a restorative activity is all you need to reframe your perspective.

This comes back to stress and the impact it can have on our personal and professional well-being. Clinical psychologist George Bonanno has been studying resilience for over 25 years and he says the following: “All of us possess the same fundamental stress-response system, which has evolved over millions of years and which we share with other animals. The vast majority of people are pretty good at using that system to deal with stress. When it comes to resilience, the question is: Why do some people use the system so much more frequently or effectively than others? One of the central elements of resilience, Bonanno has found, is perception: Do you conceptualize an event as traumatic, or as an opportunity to learn and grow?”

Taking time to take care of yourself and counter job search stressors can make it easier to view whatever challenges have come up in your process as opportunities to grow, and you can use this resilience to handle other life hurtles with more grace and ease.  

• What are some examples of challenges you’ve faced in your life that you see as teaching moments or times of great personal growth?

• How can you reframe your perspective of your job search to meet it where it is and yet thrive anyway?

• Where can you apply these mindset shifts to other areas of your life to restore your energy and get back to feeling like your best self?