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A Career Thanks Giving

11/29/2016

As the calendar approaches the fourth Thursday in November, we in the states arrive closer to the national holiday of Thanksgiving. In these short days before celebrating Thanksgiving, I have been thinking about my 30-year career in the corporate business world, and consider those things in my career I am feeling grateful about. If I had not been blessed, worked hard, and found some success, I would not be able to make the transition I have made doing consulting, and coaching in the areas of career transition, and business growth. So, looking back here are some things that I am thankful for when looking back at my career of 30 plus years.

I am thankful for peer’s I have worked with that pointed me in the right direction – especially when I was new at a job, or company. Ten minutes of explanation can save hours, or even days of wasted effort. To those peers, and mentors that gave me a “heads up” when they saw me struggling, Thank You!
I am grateful that once I was in the workforce I never had to be without a job for more than a couple months. I am grateful for those that have helped me in creating a great resume, and working with me on interviewing techniques. I thank authors I have read that have written books on job searches, interviewing, and career development. So, for those that have help me in job searches, and other job seeking skills – Thank You!
I am grateful for those managers that put their faith in me and hired me. In my early career, I expect managers saw a young man who had a college degree and a confidence he could change things for the better. Thanks for having patience with my high energy, and strong opinions. For the managers that hired me for past jobs, starting with my first job as a janitor at age 14 – Thank You!
I am grateful to be born and living in the USA, a land of great prosperity, hope, and promise. The American dream is not dead. I still believe that those who work hard, and deal fairly with others will better themselves, their lives, and their families. Not all can be CEO of a Fortune 500, but I still believe everyone has the ability to better themselves, and enjoy a higher level of prosperity. So, for those who continue to work to make America not just a prosperous country, but a place of fairness, justice, and freedom – Thank You!
I am grateful for my family. Whether things are going well, or we are facing challenges, thoughts about my family are ever on my mind. Without the support of my life-partner, I would not be able have the business I have now, that aims to bring clients a higher level of business quality of life, and greater success. To my family, especially my partner, a very special – Thank You!
I am grateful for my clients. Clients, you fill my thoughts, and become like my family. You have given me a new direction. You have underscored that my life has purpose, and my work has value. The challenges, and successes that my Clients experience are just as real for me. Clients, when you win, I am there to celebrate with you. I feel real joy, and satisfaction at your success, as you do. So, for my Clients, past, present, and future – Thank You!

So this is my Career Thanks Giving. Thank you to peers, and mentors that have help me, and pointed me in the right direction when I was “wet behind the ears”. Thank you to those who have helped me in job searches, and career changes. Know that I am using some of that guidance and wisdom to help others in my current practice. Thank you to managers who took a chance on an intense, opinionated young man and hired me. Thanks for your patience, and investment of time and training. I turned out OK, and I am giving back to others. Thanks to my homeland, the USA. At times, you fill me with sorrow, but I will love you always. Thanks to my family, and my partner. Thanks for your love, and support of ventures that succeeded, and those that fell short. You are always in my thoughts. And finally, to my clients, past, present, and future - Thank You. You enrich my life, and give meaning to my work. I value our work together. I am grateful for you beyond words.
Author: Brian Kail, MBA, CPC, is a Career, and Business Consultant, and Coach. For more info see AscendProCoach.com

Holidays and Career

11/15/2016

As the leaves fall from the trees, it signals the coming of the holidays. Here in the US, the first holiday, which seems to be getting bigger every year is Halloween. But you know the routine; Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas (and other cultural holidays that fall toward end of year), and finally New Year’s to bring in the new calendar year. I would be the last to suggest that the holidays are primarily about career – they certainly are not. However, there most likely will be opportunities to do some career management that can be intertwined with the holidays. Here are some suggestions on how to do this:

1)     Look Sharp: The holidays are the most social time of the year. You will see, and be seen. Is your suit looking a bit outdated? Time for a couple new ties? Probably right? In addition to being the most social time of the year, luckily clothing sales tend to fall around this time of year. This is the time to get one new quality wool or wool-blend suit. And remember ties have a limited shelf life – so most likely it is time for a couple new ties to go with the new suit. You have worked hard all year, and this is not a frivolous purchase – so go for it. Make sure you have the suit tailored properly before the holiday bashes. If the money is not there – have no fear – most suits can be brought in, or brought out, saving cost of a new suit. Add a couple new ties to the re-tailored suit, plus a clean and press and you are in good shape for the holiday affairs.
2)     Job Updates: During the holidays you will have opportunities to interact with family, friends, and yes, other business people. The topic of work is bound to come up. What things can you talk about when asked “how is your job going?” A good answer would be “we are working on a couple exciting projects that are really going to benefit our customers”. Consider how flat the typical response of “same stuff, different day” sounds. Another god response might be “things are pretty excited as we are re-aligning some departments – we think that will provide better service, and products to our clients”. There is nothing wrong with making customers, or clients the focal point of your comments. You will communicate that your customers, and clients are important to your business. In short, you communicate you give a damn. This can be a chance to talk about how you are growing your skills or learning new ones. Mention new responsibilities, or a new class you are taking. The fact is we can never predict when we might be looking for a new job. By thinking about what you want to communicate at holiday get togethers, you can tell others important things about you, and how you approach your job. You just might be pining these same people if you want to, or are forced to look for your next job. My main point here is – give some thought to what you want to say at holiday affairs. A thoughtful response can communicate positives about you, and the conversation will tend to flow better. A response of “same ole same ole” is an auto-fail.
3)     Thoughtful Questions: This is the other side of the coin to my first point. Just as you want to have thoughtful responses to seeming small talk, you want to think of thoughtful questions. From a career perspective ask others in business how their business is going this year. Some template questions in this area are: “Did your company meet their goals this year?” “Is your company (or business) growing?” “Is our company hiring right now?” All of these questions are important for career networking. The answers may let you help others you know, or even you down the road. Here is a tip for holding conversations when you don’t know the other person well: ask questions around Family, Job, and Hobbies. Questions like “do you have family in town?” “What type of work do you do?” and “what do you do in your spare time?” can drive conversations with strangers, or near strangers, and in the process, you learn more about the person you are talking with. So, no need to wonder what to talk about, think Family, Job, and Hobbies – you will not be at a loss for topics.
4)     Strengthen Relationships: The holidays are THE time to revisit, and strengthen relationships. Sharing is key. Share your experiences, your lessons learned from the last year. By doing this you bring relationships closer to you. You build stronger relationships. Also, make the effort to share plans, and time together in the months after the holidays. This is also a great time to re-commit to people and to your relationships. Many, and strong relationships can only help your career goals, and as a plus you find new friends, and revisit, and strengthen old friendships.
Keep priorities straight. As always the main focus of the holidays is celebrating family, and friends. But family, friends, and business partners do want to know how things are going – including your career. And in addition, THEY want to be asked how they are doing. By looking sharp, and spending some time considering what message we want to deliver, and being thoughtful in our questions, we can show that we care about others, and about ourselves as well.  Our biggest consideration is to form, and strengthen relationships. These relationships will enrich us – both on a personal, intimate level, and may well enrich us from a career perspective as well. Happy Holidays!
Author: Brian Kail, MBA, CPC, is a professional Career and Business Coach. For more information see AscendProCoach.com

Why November is the Best Month to Start a Job Search

11/10/2016

If you have been sitting on the fence about seeking out a new job, and need a little incentive, I have big time news for you. November is the best time to prepare for a job search. The time is now to start planning your move. There is nothing mystical about this. The reasons tie back to a typical company’s business cycle. One cyclical piece in the cycle is when to make new hires. By looking at a typical business cycle, we can see why this is so., and makes November he best month to start planning a move.

The key to understanding why November is a great time to start a job search is the fact that most company’s business year aligns with calendar year. By this I mean that for most companies the end of their business year aligns with the end of the Calendar year. By doing some simple research I found that between 70% to 80% of all business assign their end of the business year date as December 31st. A discussion of why this is so would take some time – but one obvious reason is that every year the federal government assigns the end of the tax year as December 31st. So, to align business year with federal tax year keeps accounting, and reporting more straight forward.
But there is more to business cycle than knowing end of business year. The timing of hiring is based on company projections and planning. For most companies the most significant planning is around next year’s business. This tends to happen in the business fourth quarter. So, if the business year aligns with calendar year, here is what the months look like:
October – Collect actual Sales/Revenue, and Expenses from 3rd Quarter (3rd Quarter ends September 30th)
November – Create Sales/Revenue, and expense projections for 4th Quarter. Based on projections for current year do goal planning for next business year. Identify resources needed for reaching next year goals.
December – Create job requisitions, and start interview process.
January (1st Quarter New Business Year) – Collect of actual Sales/Revenue, and Expenses for 4th Quarter, and past year. Make new hires.
In the employment industry, it is generally believed that all things equal, January is the month that typically nets the newest hires. (For one article on this topic, see https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/job-search-recruitment-cycles). And in looking at the outline of the typical business cycle above, we can see why this is so. At this point you might be thinking, “But wait, if most hiring is in January, why start my job search in November?” The answer to this question has to do with planning, and availability.
To do the best job with your job search you need to do some planning. You need to update, or even write a resume. You need to organize your thoughts around a new job – what things are critical to have, and what things to you can be flexible on. You need to consider industry, location, and narrow down the companies you want to work for. (BTW – a Career Professional like a Career Consultant, or Career Coach can provide good value in the planning stages of a job search.) I expect you can see with a list of things to get in place even before you apply for a job, there is a fair amount of work here. And this takes time. Days and even weeks can roll by until you feel you have a good job search plan in place. For this reason, with the assumption of an actual offer in January, I strongly suggest you start planning, and start a to do list for a job search in November.
The other piece that can slow the process down is Holidays. When you have everything in place you need to pursue a job, and the company has everything in place they need to, you still need to get through the interview process. With end of year holidays starting in November, manager availability becomes more and more problematic. Sometimes there can be a gap with Human Resources, or Recruiting people, as they take vacations just like everyone else. With the disruption of Holidays in mind, you ideally want to have the first interview sometime in November, or December. When you make the first cut you will be called back very late November, or as time permits in December, even into early January. Planning around the disruption of the Holidays in mind, set a goal of putting your plan in action in November.
So, if you have been considering a change in job, or career, the message here is that November is the ideal time to get off the fence and take action. The reason November is the best month to engage in a job search is due to the cycles of a typical business, where Business Year is aligned with Calendar Year. Planning, and budgeting for new hires typically starts in mid- 4th quarter. Just as the business has processes to work through to deliver that hire, you have some planning, and action steps to take as well. This planning and preparation takes time. And the best time to plan a job search, and get your action plan in motion is November.
Author: Brian Kail, MBA, CPC is a Career Consultant and Coach. For more information see AscendProCoach.com

7 Ways a Professional Coach will change your (Daily) Life

11/2/2016

“It changed my life!” This is the phrase one is bound to hear when listening to commercials, or infomercials. This implies a fundamental shift in one’s life. “I used to live in a cardboard box, but now I live in a mansion, thanks to Honest John’s real estate program”. OK. Fine and good. A massive change in one’s life is all well and good. Marriage can do that. Or birth of a child. Or a successful surgery. But today I want to talk about changes that are very real, and can be seen, and felt daily. Change one day, then another day, and pretty soon you have a new trajectory, vector in your life. So below are some ways a great professional coach and change your life at a daily scale.

You wake up with focus. Now most of us working people do have motivators to get us out of bed in the morning. Get the kids to school. Not be late into the offices. Drop off hubby to their job. But these motivators are to support other people, and organizations. A good coach will help identify a personal vision, then break this vision down into a workable plan. So this is the coaching impact; to clarify task, and action steps that get you closer to your individual goals. You wake up knowing what you need to do, and why. The daily plan is to take actions that bring you closer to delivering your personal goals.
You are more organized. Once your vision, goals, and action steps are clear, you suddenly have a new structure to your life. You have new focus in your life. A good coach will also have useful tools that they can show you that will help keep you, and your action steps, or tasks on track.
You generally feel better. A coach is on your side. They are working for you. And maybe most importantly, they listen to you. They listen to your dreams, your setbacks, your wins, your road blocks, and a whole bunch of other stuff. With a coach you suddenly have a reliable confident that will not judge you. With a good coach in place you start feeling calmer. More at peace, and yet at the same time more motivated. Your wins are magnified, and your blocks are minimized. After working with a good coach for even a short length of time you start feeling better about your life, and about you.
You reinforce yourself daily. Daily affirmations can be a powerful tool for many to keep themselves motivated, more at peace, and focused on their goals. Many good coaches recognize this power, and prescribe this method to clients that are respective, and respond to affirmations. There are dozens of good books full of affirmations; a great coach will work with the client to create affirmations that are most powerful, and effective for their client.
Lists are your friend. When working with a good coach you will find that instead of having random thoughts swirling around your head, you write things down. You tame your mind, and get it, and your life organized. One very effective tool that nearly all coaches use, and encourage is creating a lists. These lists can be goals, action steps, tasks, or even affirmations. Using lists daily brings more order into your life. Thoughts are no longer scattered; you have a method in place to give order to your thoughts, actions, and feelings.
Your calendar is also your friend. When you have your action steps clear, the next steps are usually to assign a deadline, or due date to the action steps, or tasks. One of the best features of electronic calendars are reminders. A coach will help you leverage an electronic calendar to help you keep your deliverables on track, and on time. Reminders are flexible. So you can set a reminder for a major deliverable a month in advance, or a week in advance to the final delivery date. Use of reminders keep deliverables in your mind, and this minimizes unpleasant surprises. A good use of calendar is review of the day, the week, and the month. Do every day, and you will find you meet more deadlines, and feel more control in your life.
You have a better sense of meaning. With goals clear, and a workable on plan, you understand better the meaning of your life. Your actions have a purpose. Your actions drive you closer to your life, and career goals. When you see your energy, actions, and work have purpose, then you begin to see your life has purpose. You are grounded, and have a clear sense of focus, and direction. You know, and feel this most every day.

So the above list does not include a cataclysmic change; think “I can see!” “I can walk!” “I won the lottery!”. But these changes, that can be seen and felt daily, are building blocks to a life change. By understanding the purpose of your life, and by utilizing some methods to organize your actions, and your life, a good coach can help steer your life to a new, positive direction. And changes that you can experience daily are great motivators.
Author: Brian Kail, MBA, CPC is professional Career, and Business Coach. For more information see AsscendProCoach.com

A Career Thanks Giving

Holidays and Career

Why November is the Best Month to Start a Job Search

7 Ways a Professional Coach will change your (Daily) Life

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