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What’s Your Best Strength?

August 3, 2011 By // by DigitalJenIPC

You’re blushing. What are you like! It’s ok to blow your own trumpet occasionally, it doesn’t mean you have an ego the size of Donald Trump. Us Brits are far too modest for our own good, it is important to acknowledge yourself.

There is a lot to be said for doing work that plays to your strengths. One of my best strengths is spotting insights, making connections and coming up with ideas. Just as well I’m in the right job then, isn’t it, as a career coach?

I remember doing a course once and we all had to share something we were brilliant at. One person chose flirting. We had to ask each other questions about how we did what we were good at. Very interesting exercise!

What are you really good at? Download our free report and find out:

http://careerstrategies.co.uk/changingcareersreport/

Jigsaw Puzzles For Grown Ups

July 30, 2011 By // by DigitalJenIPC

I love jigsaw puzzles. Not wooden ones mind you but people ones. What on earth is she on about I hear you cry. I love the jigsaw pierces that make up someone’s new career. You need to have all the pieces to create a picture of their future, you know what the pieces are but not what is on them at the outset.

You know there will be a certain number of pieces but you don’t know exactly how many as everyone is different. First you create the border and then fill in the pieces, one by one. It is exciting seeing what picture emerges and it isn’t always what you think it might be when you start off.

The other day I even shocked myself when I came up with 21 career ideas for a client for how they could use their skills and interests, plus honour their values and motivations. They are now going great guns and their planning of their new business is getting off the ground really fast while they are working 4days a week – cunning plan.

If the only committee you are a member of is the escape committee, then read this inspiring example of a client who changed from & design and architecture to holidays around cheese.

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs 042/1102862873131/archive/1106787631322.html

Do You Love Your Job?

July 23, 2011 By // by DigitalJenIPC

You do? You’re kidding right? Oh you’re the one.

You see it’s a bit like relationships – there are lots of ‘all right ish’ ones but ones that are brilliant are as rare as a nesting osprey.

If you are a typical employee, if you have a job, you will be hanging onto to it for dear life like an aging footballer with a supermodel girlfriend.

If you are fed up to the back teeth of your job, your boss or your employer, what can you do except grin and bear it? The behaviour of people who don’t like something but don’t know what to do about it easy to spot:

You talk more behind your boss’ back than to their face
You wake up on a Monday morning with lead weights in your shoes rather than a spring in your step
Weekends and holidays feel like an oasis and you cling to them like a drowning man
You get ill a lot because your body is being obliging to get you out of there
You drink too much alcohol, shop to excess, eat comfort foot to excess and do drugs to distract yourself, or maybe all of them
Soap opera storyline feel positively cheery compared to your lot

So what’s the alternative? Here are 3 options:

1) Bump off your boss and steal their job

2) Resign with no job to go to

3) Download the Energise free report ‘Pain free career change’ as the first step to keep sane http://www.careerstrategies.co.uk/

Itchy Feet? Need New Career Ideas?

July 5, 2011 By // by DigitalJenIPC

I adore those moments of blinding insight. An oxymoron if ever I heard one. Moments of utter clarity about what someone REALLY wants to do. Most people fall into their career by accident and plod along, leading a half empty working life. Shame.

A client came to me looking for new career ideas. They knew they wanted a career change, they just weren’t sure what. My favourite challenge! I asked what she really loved doing. She replied: “I don’t know if it is significant but, when I was a teenager I used to babysit and I would clear out and tidy the cupboards. I absolutely loved it.” As she talked about it, she glowed with enthusiasm and her energy completely changed from 60 to 240 watts. The seed of a new business was sown.

Bingo, or Bob’s your Uncle. Whoever Bob is. That wonderful moment that informs a new career. Utterly exciting. Hugely rewarding. New career ideas are hard to come up with on your own. You are too close to yourself. A career that fits you is like finding a partner with whom you are compatible. It has an unquantifiable large impact on your happiness and fulfilment.

Here is an example of a career change http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1106375841019.html

Do you like something for free? Thought so. If you have got itchy feet and could do with some new career ideas, why not download our free report, “Pain free career change“? Click on the link: http://www.careerstrategies.co.uk/

What’s Your Limiting Belief?

June 21, 2011 By // by DigitalJenIPC

A client of mine claimed to be ‘the world’s biggest procrastinator’. Quite a mean feat bearing in mind how common it is and the population scattered around the globe. I love limiting beliefs – they are fascinating. Beliefs drive behaviour and what we do and don’t do so have a huge impact in success, action and change.

Other common limiting beliefs are; ‘self-employment will be difficult’, ‘career change is hard’, ‘marketing is pushy’, ‘all public sector workers are institutionalised’, ‘women are bad drivers’ etc.. Most of the time limiting beliefs are irrational, created on a small shred of evidence, one comment or a snippet in the media. They are really powerful, stopping people from doing what they want or creating bias and inequality.

Limiting beliefs can be about anything; money, relationships, work etc. One client had a belief that ‘money is misery’. They wanted more of it but were stopping themselves because of their limiting belief. Beliefs can usually be spotted by generalisation such as all… or I must/should. What are yours? Have some fun noticing people’s beliefs wherever you are reading this. Read this bulletin on ‘Mind reading’ when we create beliefs about other people:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1103698726463.html

She Went With A Bang

June 12, 2011 By // by DigitalJenIPC

I fainted recently and hit my head. I’m hoping it will improve me. I have been thinking a lot recently about my brain wearing out with overuse. Not wise, as it will wear out even faster. Perhaps I could buy a new one or two brains for the price of one might be an idea too; come in handy in the future as we are living longer.

I fainted because I got up too quickly. More haste less speed is a quote that was created for a reason! Doing something too quickly is easy to do because there is so much to pack in, and this is magnified by social media. Responding in an argument, eating something hot too soon after it is taken out of the oven, giving someone feedback without thinking about the best way to express it is taken out of the oven all have consequences.

Wouldn’t it be brilliant if there was software that enabled humans to defrag their brains and refresh them? We could erase negatives memories of redundancy, critical comments, bad bosses, broken relationships and stress. I am sure it won’t be too long before that innovation happens. Being replaced by robots is next. I’m off to search Google.

Does Size Matter?

June 1, 2011 By // by DigitalJenIPC

Size matters. Or does it? Isn’t it how you use it? I’ve been thinking about this a lot. The older I get, the bigger is my network. Throw in a dollop of Twitter followers, LinkedIn connections and Facebook ‘friends’ and the whole world could be my network. This is hugely exciting and absolutely paralysing overwhelming! I need a lie down.

That clever chap Pareto said that 80% of your problems come from 20% of people, 80% of business come from 20% of your contacts. The key is working out the 20%. If your network is increasing fast, how can you keep up with who need to be culled, which contacts need to be nurtured and which is the 20% when it changes minute my minute.

I think I shall go and live in a cave.

Does your career matter? If so, download our free report ‘Pain free career change’ and see if you need a career rethink.

http://www.careerstrategies.co.uk/

Tweet Tweet!

May 19, 2011 By // by DigitalJenIPC

I did a session explaining social media recently. Here’s my layman’s explanation of how Twitter works: I follow you so you will follow me. I thank you for following me. I retweet your tweets in the hope that you’ll retweet mine so I get more followers. I suggest my followers follow you if you support me, especially on a Friday. Still with me?

I share my miscellaneous thoughts as ‘tweets.’ These are the random thoughts occupying my headspace in the hope that you will spread them around the world virally and a celebrity will become my Twitter friend. The 140 characters tweet limit stops me from being verbose and boring the pants off you. I hope that by not selling, we will have a connection and it will lead to business, but subtly. You can de-follow me at any time but I won’t know, so my ego is undented. Feeling fog free now about how Twitter works?

I wonder if people will start speaking in 140 character sound bites? Parents of teenagers might say that is already the case. Could save a lot of time and increase productivity. Twitter enables you to connect with anyone, is free and if managed is a great tool and is the modern way to connect and get a job.

If you would like to understand more how Twitter works, click on this link:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1103738068874.html

To follow us on Twitter, we are @talentliberator

Want To Plan Your Escape??

April 19, 2011 By // by DigitalJenIPC

I spoke to someone today who hates their job. Like many people, about 50% I’d say, they fell into their career by accident. They have 2 young children and commute 4 hours a day, 5 days a week. Not what you would call ‘quality of life’ or ‘work life balance’ or ‘job satisfaction’.

When they had decided to do something about it and end the misery, you could hear the lightness in their voice. They said having made the decision; they could feel themselves smiling more. With 20 hours on a train each week, it won’t take them long to do our career change e course and define a new career that makes them smile and fits them better.

Who does this remind you of? A friend? A family member? Maybe it’s you. End the misery and take action to plan your escape. Isn’t life too short, downturn or no downturn?

http://www.careerstrategies.co.uk/telegraph/