The Most Damaging Advice You Can Give to Your Female Candidates

The Most Damaging Advice You Can Give to Your Female Candidates Professional women have a problem. Despite making up half the British workforce, women comprise barely a third of managers and only a quarter of directors. Clearly, something is stopping them getting to the top. Cue the creation of a whole heap of female-specific career advice. Ambitious women are instructed on how to dress, how to stand, how to speak, how to lead, and how to succeed. Unfortunately for them, much of this women-only advice is, simply, awful. Segmenting anything work-related by gender is rarely a good idea. Most women, like most men, want their professional successes to be about their talents and achievements, not their sex. But if you must give your female candidates advice “for women”, at least stay away from these four shockers: “Act like a man” Theory: Bic (the pen manufacturer) is actually the Jonathan Swift of the 21st century, and their marketing campaigns are intended as a biting satire on the enduring patronization of women by our patriarchal society. How else to explain not only the laughable “Bic for Her” debacle, but their subsequent decision to release an advert â€" on Women’s Day, no less â€" which read: “Look like a girl / Act like a lady / Think like a man”? Unfortunately for women everywhere, it isn’t just Bic that propagates this notion that aping “masculine” traits is the only way for women to succeed. In fact, a worrying amount of women’s career advice boils down to talk like a man, dress like a man, and act like a man. To be clear: touting traits like confidence, assertiveness and directness is reasonable. But suggesting such characterises are ‘naturally’ only found in men is incredibly insulting. Articulate, bold and trailblazing women aren’t “acting like men” â€" they’re acting like the successful, badass women they are. Of course, some women (and -shock!- some men) do have the sort of “feminine” personalities that mean they excel at such things as empathetic listening, consensus-building, clear communication, goal-setting, and the ability to innovate. Which, of course, are all completely invaluable skills that have no place in a business, let alone leading one. “Boys will be boys” Male colleague making sexually inappropriate jokes at you? Giggle and flutter your eyelashes because you don’t want to be to stick-in-the-mud who can’t take some friendly banter. Creepy male manager stops at your desk to massage your shoulders? Keep schtum, because boys will be boys, and you don’t want to come across as difficult. Enough. Over half of women are sexually harassed at work. For a third, that takes the form of “banter”, or unwanted jokes. For a quarter, it consisted of unwanted touching. As if that wasn’t messed up enough, almost one-fifth of the perpetrators were the victim’s manager. And the vast majority of women never report any of it. This is not Okay. Moreover, any encouragement to women to hush up such sexual harassment is making the problem worse. Providing a safe environment for all their employees to work in should be the primary concern of all workplaces, and every employee who suffer harassment should both be encouraged to report it, and be taken seriously when they do. “Wear makeup and high heels” To be fair to the givers of this advice, they may well be being swayed by the results of studies such as this and this, which conclude that women with “glamourous” (read: heavy) makeup appear more competent, and that your colleagues are more likely to help you out if you’re wearing heels (although only if they’re male). But the idea that the only way for women to get on top is to force their feet into the latest pair of Jimmy Choo toe-pinchers is as ridiculous as the notion that wearing more eyeshadow than Ru Paul will somehow snag them a promotion. To be clear: if you have a shoe wardrobe to rival Carrie Bradshaw, can contour better than a Kardashian, or just generally like wearing high heels and makeup to work, then you should go for it. But neither should be seen as a requirement. Choosing to wear make-up and/or high heels should be regarded as equivalent to choosing to wear a blue shirt instead of a white one. Neither choice impacts your ability to look professional and polished, which is all employers have a right to expect of your appearance. Because -regardless of the abovementioned studies- women will only be the best workers they can be when they feel confident and comfortable. And let’s face it, it’s a lot easier to kick ass when you’re not balancing on five-inch heels! “Negotiate in a girly way” Not negotiating salary can cost employees $1,000,000 over their lifetime, and evidence suggests that women are more likely than men to stay schtum rather than asking for a raise. Consequently, women should absolutely be encouraged to push for the salary they think they deserve, and be coached in good negotiating tactics. What they should not be advised to do, however, is to apologise for asking for a raise, blame their asking on someone else, or generally focus solely on being “likeable” and “feminine”. To be slightly fair to the researchers who proposed these tactics, they believe that as long as sexism is a reality, being “pragmatic” about the need to conform to gender stereotypes is the only way women will get paid more, period. But by giving this advice to women, they reinforce damaging notions that their gender marks them out as inferior, and increase the uncomfortableness around negotiating which is already the main reason most people hold back on broaching the topic. For real, long-term benefits, encourage professional women to put pressure on companies to be transparent about any wage gap between male and female employees, as well as to be so incredible at their job that no decent company will dare refuse their request for a raise. About the author: Beth Leslie is a professional career advice and lifestyle writer. She is currently a writer and blog editor for Inspiring Interns.

Writing Customer Service Resume - Increase Your Chances of Getting a Job

Writing Customer Service Resume - Increase Your Chances of Getting a JobWriting a customer service resume is one of the most important elements of your career. Of course, there are other items that you can include on your resume, but having a list of accomplishments for each position would be redundant and would not include the most important ones. However, writing a customer service resume does encompass many of the more important elements that your resume should contain.One of the things that most businesses forget to address in their customer service resume is their overall relationship with the customers that they work with on a daily basis. From customers who are calling and requesting what they want, to the customers who have not returned, to the customers who have not bought anything at all from the business, customers will know exactly what to expect. Anytime they go into a store or go to the telephone to call a company to find out a problem, a complaint, or any other informa tion related to their service, they will need a way to contact you if anything is wrong.In order to provide them with the answers they are looking for, it is very important that you take the time to write a customer service resume that provides them with all of the contact information that they need. This means you need to add all of the phone numbers, fax numbers, and email addresses into your writing so that they can easily reach you if they need any help. By putting all of the necessary information about the business on your resume, you will increase the amount of calls that are related to you and your business.There are many different ways that you can include contact information on your customer service resume. You can include it at the top or in the middle of the page, either way you will be giving your prospective employer all of the information that they need to know about you. It is important that you know what you are signing up for when you write your resume, so it is ver y important that you get the information that you need right off the bat.Writing a customer service resume that lists your contact information is not difficult, but it can be overwhelming if you are not sure where to begin. You can use a template, or you can find a sample from a friend that has a successful business and put his contact information into yours. Either way, it is important that you use a template that is easy to use and that is compatible with your current business.Using a template is the easiest way to begin your customer service resume, and using a sample will help you learn how to structure the information that you are going to need. You can find these templates online or in an office supply store near you. They usually come with basic templates and instructions on how to make them work perfectly with your resume.When you write your customer service resume, remember that it is the most important part of your resume. No matter what type of business you are in, no mat ter what industry you are in, your customer service resume should be up to date and should give the potential employer everything that they need to know about you. If you do not use the information that you find online, it is unlikely that you will be able to get a job in this industry.In order to get a job in this industry, you must write a customer service resume that is perfect. If you do not write it correctly, then you will never be able to get a job in this field. Good luck!

4 Behaviors of High Performers - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

4 Behaviors of High Performers - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Anyone willing to pay the price can be a success. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of society is married to the status-quo. They want what was, not what can be. They believe that their intelligence, their personality and physical aptitudes are fixed. This mindset hinders their ability to generate revenue, solve problems and create opportunities. Conversely, high performers think differently and, thus behave differently. They believe that if a person can change the way they think, they can change their habits and ability to succeed. High performers reach their professional goals not simply because of who they are or whom they know but more often because of what they do. Because achievement is correlated with our happiness, it’s important to map out the actions and beliefs that get high performers where they wish to be. Below, the sales recruitment professionals at KAS have listed  4. 1. High performers clearly define the goals they wish to accomplish then fully commit with everything they have. Because they clarify what they wish to achieve, they can clearly envision obtaining that goal. They see it, believe in their ability to obtain it and then make it happen. This visualization, attitude and persistence propels them into a more meaningful existence. Moreover, maintaining unwavering confidence in getting to that desired end has a calming effect and mitigates stress. All of which furthers one’s progress. 2. Successful people achieve because they discover their passion and uncover their purpose. By uncovering what they are passionate about, they are able to pursue the careers which play to their strengths. Passion helps the successful discover the enormous untapped potential necessary to achieve complex goals. Passion propels mental discipline while purpose helps define the actions necessary to take in order to facilitate success. In essence, the enjoyment of work combined with the knowledge of the purpose for doing a job helps build confidence, quell bad habits and heighten resiliency. Most importantly, passion fuels optimistic thinking; it turns tedious into challenging and stagnant into innovative. 3. High performers learn to recognize others’ emotions and handle relationships. This can also be described as emotional intelligence. Accomplished individuals understand that nothing of substance can be achieved without the support and cooperation of those around them. They prioritize learning to become empathetic and in-tune to the feelings of those around them. Because they are able to practice empathy, they gain a distinct ability to read others. As a result, they are far more effective at navigating the intricacies of the corporate landscape via creating powerful allies in the workplace. 4. High performers learn to manage their own emotions. Successful professionals gain the ability to shake off rampant anxiety, gloom, or irritability. While people who lack this ability are consistently battling distress, those who can properly manage the way they feel can bounce back far more rapidly from life’s setbacks and upsets. Many underestimate just how crucial emotional management is to career success. Controlling one’s inner-monologue is essential for paying attention, for self-motivation and for creativity. Successful individuals calm their mind through a few practices. One of the most effective ways they do so is by engaging in slow and controlled deep breathing. Even though it only takes a few minutes, deep breathing can greatly reduce metal chatter, rebalance the nervous system and lessen harmful physiological effects associated with fear and stress. In the End Part of becoming successful means incorporating the practices and mindset of people who continually achieve. While many people wish for success, few take the time to understand the thought processes and behaviors that facilitate accomplishment. In the end, these individuals buy into the importance of discipline and devote themselves to a habit of excellence. The work is well worth it as it’s never too late to become more successful, more respected at work and happy in one’s career and personal life.

Careers Work-Life Balance for New Mothers

Careers Work-Life Balance for New Mothers Becoming a mother is a big life change that has the potential to affect your career as well as your current work-life balance. Where there was once a plate you could pile as many responsibilities as you chose to handle, you are now juggling an entirely new set of responsibilities that come with having a career and having kids. While a baby requires a lot of time and effort, that should not get in the way of pursuing your career ambitions; it simply requires finesse and drive to successfully maintain the various demands of your life. Work-Life Balance The most important part of getting back to work after becoming a new parent is being prepared. Having all the bases that you know need covered, covered, is the best way to decrease frustration and to help your days flow easier. Keep an infant first aid kit in the newborn’s room and a bag stocked with diapers within arm’s reach so you are ready to use these items on short notice. Knowing you are prepared for any situation can help decrease the stress and worry you are likely to face regardless of what is going on with your child. A good way to maintain your work-life balance is by delegating responsibilities if you have a partner helping you raise the child. While women often want to take care of things themselves and may have a hard time asking for help, it’s important to have a solid and trusting relationship with your partner and allow them to carry their weight in caring for and raising your child. Allow them to take care of household chores like cooking and cleaning, as well as changing the baby’s diapers to leave you with time to relax and take care of yourself.   Find ways to incorporate your little one into physical activities.   For example, if you enjoy hiking,   purchase an all terrain stroller to have them accompany you. When you do finally get back to work, it’s important to make a conscious effort to maintain a good work-life balance. This means taking steps like dismissing your smartphone, meditating and designating a work uniform to help you create a larger space between your home life and work life.   While it can be difficult to separate work stresses from life stresses, it’s important to make an active effort to not let too much stress from work into your home life, as this can be harmful to your personal relationships. Financial Considerations The financial stress associated with being a working mother can also be huge, which is why it’s important to have a financial safety net in case of tough times. While this stressor can be reduced by a good job with high wages, it’s also good to have an emergency plan, such as the ability to get cash from your home. Owning a home is often an important step in finding stability when becoming a new mother, and while home equity may not be something you’d like to think about, it’s a good option to know you have. Before you go back to work after having a baby, get comfortable with the daycare you plan on using to give you some peace of mind when you get back to the office. Take your baby to daycare for a couple days before you go back to work so you have time for much needed personal care appointments, meditation, or to look over what you’ve missed at work since you’ve been out. The few months of time off work and spent solely with your baby is ending, which means it’s time to put your work-life balance skills to the test. Pursue the Career You Want As you work towards work-life balance, don’t let anyone tell you to choose a career path that is less demanding in order to make time for your child. Only you can set boundaries on what parts of your life you are willing to slow down in for the sake of your child. Think of what accomplishments are going to bring you fulfilment and what you must do to get there. As a mother, chances are you want to provide the best life for your child, which means advancing your career skills to a position with higher pay and work autonomy. It’s important to prioritize your child, however, it is not necessary to sacrifice your career in order to accomplish this. Talk to your partner about taking a leading role in caring for your baby. The relationship a child has with both parents is extremely important, but if your partner has less ambitious goals for their career, allow them to take the front seat in child care. If you have the resources to hire a full-time sitter or daycare, consider doing this, but remember that when work is done for the day, it’s crucial to give your brain over to yourself and your child in order to maintain work-life balance. Balance is Key Whether you are looking to fill a position in the growing tech gap, or want to continue your climb up the corporate ladder, you are capable of finding the necessary balance to accomplish your career goals. While you should definitely take all the time you need after having a baby before jumping back into work, you should not be expected to leave your career behind forever. It’s okay to be in a hurry to get back to work because it’s easy to get behind on responsibilities, and your career won’t always be waiting for you. Now might be the best time to make strides in your field, especially if you’re looking to advance in an IT field, where there are more than 500,000 computing jobs open across the nation and fewer than 43,000 students who graduated with a computer science background in 2016. According to DeVry University, 44 percent of hiring managers indicate that employees arent keeping up with the skills needed to utilize evolving technology. If you are a new mother who is looking to exceed the expectations of your career, and are ready to let your newborn motivate you to tackle new challenges, there’s no need to take it easy going back to work. You are the best judge of your capabilities and can succeed at the goals you set for yourself. This guest post was authored by Brooke Faulkner Brooke  Faulkner is a writer, mom and adventurer in the Pacific Northwest.  She spends her days pondering what makes a good leader.   And then dreaming up ways to teach these virtues to her sons, without getting groans and eye rolls in response.

Tips for Writing a Resume For a Rock Climbing Position

Tips for Writing a Resume For a Rock Climbing PositionIn order to get a job in the climbing field, you need to know how to write a resume for a rock climbing position. This is one of the most important parts of your application, so you should definitely learn how to do it right.Just like any job, there are several things that you need to include in your rock climbing resume. Make sure that they are clearly marked in the order in which they will be presented. They should include all of the information that is relevant to your current or future position, as well as any special skills that may be needed.The skills that you show in your resume should be compatible with the technical skill level of the position. You should also be able to list the kind of climbing you do and what kind of rock you climb on. This will help the employer determine whether or not you are a good fit for the job.It will be helpful if you keep track of all of the jobs that you have had since high school. If you h ave had plenty of jobs, then you can keep your resume on hand for the climbing job that you are applying for. You can use this information as a way to showcase the things that you have done since high school, as well as how you are now different from the people who left school before you. If you have had a variety of jobs, you can use your education in many different areas to stand out.One of the first things that you will need to do is include your resume on the back of a business card. You will want to write a short but professional sounding message about yourself. This will give the employer some idea of who you are, and what kind of person you are. If you think that this is going to be too difficult, then you should consider having an experienced friend or family member to draft the resume.The very first page of your resume should include the heading 'ATTENTION'. This will let the employer know that you would like their attention when reading the rest of the document. This also gives you an opportunity to tell them about the work experience that you have had over the years. It should also let them know your expectations for the position and the amount of experience that you have.In order to get a climbing position, you will need to go back to school and put some time into improving your climbing skills. You can find online schools that offer classes that will prepare you for the world of climbing. This will make you more marketable in the future, and you can use the knowledge that you gain to climb the ladder up the corporate ladder. Taking some time to learn the ropes of climbing can give you a competitive edge over other applicants.Your goal should be to always be improving your climbing skills, and there are many resources available to help you get there. There are countless books, journals, and articles that can help you get the kind of education that you need. You should always take advantage of these resources so that you can prove to the employer th at you are a good fit for the job.

How to Retain Your Employees During and After an MA Deal CareerMetis.com

How to Retain Your Employees During and After an MA Deal A merger is one of the most important decisions that a company makes throughout its lifetime. But while executives and business owners see an excellent business opportunity that will help them make more revenue, that is not what the employees are seeing. Mergers and acquisitions can make employees more anxious, leading to a decrease in morale or motivation.Poorly managed MAs almost always result in good and reliable employees losing their jobs, which is bad for other employees as well as the business. So it goes without saying that merging companies will have to pay a lot of attention to retaining their employees. And here are a few ways that you can do that both during and after an MA.Retaining Employees During and After MA Deals1) Choose Your Employees Early OnevalevalLet’s face it; you will not be able to keep every employee during the merger. With budget constraints always being a major concern during a merger, you may have to let some employees go. So instead of making impulsi ve decisions after the merger, you should start selecting which employees you would want to retain. So in the event that the merger does not go well and you will have to let some employees go, you will know which ones.Choosing your employees early one is also great for the employees themselves, as it saves them from a lot of the anxiety and stress that comes with an MA. Keeping track of your employeescan also help you come up with better arrangements for them in the event that they are leaving.2) Be honest and Straightforward Speaking of letting go of employees, during the merger, companies often decide on whether or not employees will have to be fired as a result of the merger. This means that you may actually know long before the merger finalizes who you may have to let go. So instead of beating around the bush, be honest with them about the situation.Oftentimes, by staying honest with your employees, you gain more of their trust, and sometimes they can leave the company on good t erms. And this, of course, applies to both the new and old employees. Staying honest and connected with your employees can also help sustain their morale and can alleviate some of the stress about the situation. But even if you were being honest could lead to more confusion and stress, it best to bite the bullet and be honest about the situation.Being transparent to your employees can save the company from a bad rep when the news eventually breaks. And being transparent can also make the employees more understanding about the situation that they are in.3) Offer A Retention AgreementMAs can be quite taxing on your employees both physically and mentally, so some may even try to leave on their own accord. But if this is an employee that is crucial to your company or has a lot of potentials, you should try to make them stay. And sometimes the best way to do that is to offer them a retention bonus agreement. Now you will have to offer them financial incentives to make the agreement seem more lucrative, and if you’re lucky, they just might stay.Employees are easily the most important asset that any company has, which means it should be your first priority to secure them. And the best way to secure an employee is by offering them a retention agreement. A retention agreement is a great way of showing that you care for an employee, and you value their addition to your company.evalHowever, more importantly, it is always good for your company to keep older employees. Older employees know the ins and outs of that specific business and are more comfortable with their coworkers. New employees will need a little more time to adjust to their current surroundings, and even when they do, there is no guarantee that they will be as productive as the prior employees.4) Identify the Strengths And Weaknesses Of Every EmployeeConducting a performance analysis for every employee is very important. It can not only tell you which employees are vital to your operation, but it can also help the employees progress. You should remember that employees are your company’s biggest asset. And by getting to know their strengths and weaknesses, you could help better channel their skills and experience to the benefit of your company.Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of all of your employees â€" new and old alike â€" can help you keep your employees productive and less frustrated. Although employees experience burnout for a multitude of reasons, a major reason is struggling against their weaknesses. By analyzing strengths and weaknesses, you can assign tasks accordingly, and avoid your employees burning out faster.Other than reducing the rate of burnout among employees, playing to the strengths of your employees has its own benefits. You can make your employees more productive by playing to their strengths, which can make them more willing to work.evaleval5) Create An Incentive ProgramWhile employees are the lifeblood of a company, motivation is the lifeblood of produ ctivity. Motivation is what helps them strive and achieve better, and it is why you should try your best to motivate them after the merger.Morale and motivation are often low after an MA and is why companies need to start an incentives program to help boost morale. An incentives program can not only help bring productivity back to the way it was, but it can actively increase it. The key to a good incentive program is the “incentive.”By providing your employees with good benefits, coupled with the tasks that they get according to their strengths, you can have quite the intimidating workforce.6) Give Access To Information About The MergerWhile some employees may be more comfortable with confronting their manager and talking to them about the changes, others may not be so open. So besides being transparent, you will also have to provide information about the merger to your employees. You can do this either through an email or through a post on interconnected software for the busine ss.This transparency will be key throughout the days of the merger, as not every employee will go to their manager to ask about more information about the merger. Other than easily passing on information to all of your employees, this transparency will also show your workforce that you are committed to providing them with information about the merger and that you care about them.By reducing uncertainty and providing deal tracking, you can reduce the panic that a general MA causes. Spreading information can also significantly control the drop in productivity among all of your employees.7) Continue Employee TrainingDuring an MA, a company is always looking to cut costs to make up for the resources that are going into due diligence. And one of the first places that they look to cut costs is their employee training programs. Now, if you are thinking of doing the same, you should think twice as this can really stump the productivity of your employees.Since most of these training programs are directly linked to the performance of employees, you can expect to see a massive drop in productivity for your employees. It is always important to give your employees discretionary resources, as this can make them feel more at ease. Moreover, cutting these training programs gives the message that a company doesn’t care about its employees improving, which is not the best message to give off. 8) Meet With Employees Face To FaceevalFinally, meeting with them face to face can play a crucial role in gaining the confidence of your employees, both old and new. This face to face communication shows that you, and, in extension, the company cares about them and values their input to the company. By effectively communicating with your employees, you can reduce the anxiety of the merger and can gain their loyalty towards the organization.Every employee will feel some form of insecurity throughout the merger. So it is your responsibility to talk to them about the changes and help ease t he uncertainty of the transaction. And sometimes the best way to do that is face to face in person. This can help build their confidence, and if they have something to ask that they otherwise couldn’t in front of others, they can do so in person.Retaining employees is essential to any company after an MA, as it saves time and money, both of which are often luxuries a company cannot afford after a merger. So by focusing on these five tips, you can really help the merger slide along. Since all new employees will need training and some form of work on them, the best thing for your company to do is to keep as many of your current staff as possible.

7 Top Sites for Free Resume Templates and Advice - CareerAlley

7 Top Sites for Free Resume Templates and Advice - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. The job market is becoming increasingly competitive. According to recent statistics released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, the number of applicants that apply for each graduate level vacancy stands between 48 and 110, depending on the type of vacancy. Even retail sector jobs see 64 applicants per open position. If you want to succeed in such a competitive job market, you need to have an interesting, well presented and error free resume. These templates and tips will help you build a CV that gets a good response. 1. The National Careers Service The National Careers Service website includes lots of useful tools for jobseekers (see CareerAlleys Job Search Marketing Toolkit). The site has a CV builder, career action plan tools, guides to help you figure out what to put in each section of your CV, and much more. 2. About.coms Resume Templates Sometimes, it helps to see the sorts of information that other people put on their CVs. About.com has a handy selection of resume templates with example CVs for a huge number of industries, from teaching to web development. 3. The Damn Good Resume Guide This site is packed full of tips for job hunters at all stages of their career. The Resume Tips section answers questions such a How do you avoid looking like a job hopper and How can I explain getting fired, as well as covering what to do if youre transferring from the military to civilian life. If your career history is not a simple one, then the advice on this site will be invaluable. 4. The Job Guides Resume Builder If you need a resume in a hurry, use this web-based tool to build one. The Job Guide is a service run by the Australian government, but it caters to people from all over the world, and the advice it offers is ideal for first time job hunters and those making a change to a new career. 5. Seeks Job Advice Knowing how to format your resume and what information to include in it is a good starting point, but its also important to describe your skills and experience in a positive light. The Seek website includes lots of tips for how to word each part of your resume so that you give examples of your skills and present yourself in a way that makes recruiters want to call you. 6. Monsters Career Resources Database The Monster Career Resources database includes lots of advice for job hunters. Learn how to avoid common CV mistakes, find out what recruiters want to see in cover letters, and get some insider advice on how to make yourself more appealing to prospective employers if you are currently unemployed or trying to enter a field in which you dont have a lot of experience. 7. Susan Irelands Resume Guide Susan Irelands Resume Site features more than one hundred resume examples as well as guidelines for cover letters and thank-you letters. This site will take you all the way from that first application to the post interview stage of your job hunt. Dont forget to visit CareerAlleys 5 Steps to a Great Resume Book Corner [easyazon_link asin=1475291841 locale=US new_window=default nofollow=default tag=caree07-20 add_to_cart=default cloaking=default localization=default popups=default]Signs of a Great Rsum: How to Write a Rsum that Speaks for Itself[/easyazon_link] BylineRebecca Fox is a business graduate who enjoys writing about careers and employment. You can also find her blogging about the workplace on the Whitefields Document Storage blog. This is a Guest post. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ Job Search job title, keywords, company, location jobs by

The Recession is Bullhonkey Paces Story - When I Grow Up

The Recession is Bullhonkey Paces Story - When I Grow Up This is part of  The Recession is Bullhonkey series, where I share stories of those who have gotten hired and/or started their own businesses (or sometimes both!) since 2008.  I did such a happy dance when I saw Paces story pop into my Inbox. A friendleague of mine (thats what I like to call colleagues whore also friends), I wouldnt be surprised is her insides were made up of truth and wisdom and inspiration and sweetness. Im honored to share her story here. In 2008, I quit my job to do what I love for a living. I had a couple of Seth Godin books. I had a pie-in-the-sky business plan. I had enough savings to survive for 3 months. I took a leap of faith And hit the floor face first. It turns out that starting a business from scratch is hard, and takes longer than you think. Especially when you have no previous business or marketing experience. Especially when theres zero overlap between your day job and your field of passion. Especially when youre building a brand new audience from the ground up. But now that I had gotten a taste of doing what I love, I didnt want to give it up. So I went back to my boss at my day job, cap in hand, and asked if I could come back to work half-time. He said yes, and that was half of the puzzle solved. But that alone wouldnt have been enough; it would have only extended the window from 3 months to 6 months, and that was still pretty tight. So we cut our expenses in half, too. We found one or two fatty places to chop off in our budget, but the rest of the cuts required big sacrifices and lifestyle changes. It took some time to adjust, and it was hard but after a couple of months, it became the new norm and wasnt painful anymore. After that, my half-time job was paying all the bills, so I had as much time as I needed to grow my business. With the pressure off, I could experiment, I could play and my business could thrive. From 2009 to 2011, I tried out lots of different ideas in my business to see what worked and what didnt both for me and for my audience. I wrote a book about relationships and communication. I organized a writing workshop. I instigated a revolution or two. I experienced enough success to keep me going, and enough failure to keep me humble. It was the summer of 2012. My business was making over half of the money we needed to pay all the bills. I created a plan to quit my day job (for good this time) in February of 2013. I would get a big end-of-year bonus so that I wouldnt have to dip into my retirement fund. It was a good plan. But then I saw the movie Im Fine, Thanks, and the plan fell apart. I simply couldnt wait any longer. I couldnt do the sensible thing, because my heart was breaking from being told she had to wait just a little longer. So in October 2012, I quit my job, we sold 95% of our possessions, and we traveled the country living full-time in an RV. Like ya do. But seriously, if that twist came out of nowhere to you, youre in good company it came out of nowhere to me, too. But sometimes the call is like that it hits you over the head like a ton of bricks and all you can do is say, Yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes. During the past couple of years of working for myself full-time, there have been more twists and turns, for sure, but the general trend has been upward and outward: upward in profitability, and outward in growth, connection, and opening up my heart. Now Im The Pathfinding Coach, and I have the honor of helping others with what I struggled with when I started out: finding the clarity to listen to your heart, then finding the courage to follow it. The biggest thing that Ive learned from my adventure is this: You can find a balance between your head and your heart. You dont have to choose between 100% sensible and 100% wild. You can find your path through the middle ground, the grey area between rational and heart-led. In other words: saying yes to your heart doesnt mean you have to say no to your good judgment, and saying yes to planning ahead doesnt mean you have to say no to your wild, crazy, meaningful heart. Pace Smith (The Pathfinding Coach) helps sensitive spiritual nonconformists live  wild crazy meaningful lives. She’s also a teacher, a speaker, a writer, a Sufi  dervish, a bi poly trans gamer geek, an open-source Reiki healer, and a  tournament-level Dance Dance Revolution player. Download her free eBook,  Find  Your Path Now,  to STOP living on autopilot and START living the wholehearted,  unconventional life you were meant to live.