Career change/Job search

How To Quit Your Job (Without Quitting Your Job)

Posted by on Nov 9, 2021 | 0 comments

“Maybe I should just quit my job.” I heard this from not one, but two executive coaching clients last week. Both are high achievers. Both love some aspects of their jobs but find others almost unbearable. And both have families to support, so quitting is not something they would do lightly. Joelle, a partner at a global consulting firm, loves working with clients and enjoys the substance of her work but finds the 24/7 responsiveness incompatible with being the parent and spouse that she wants to be. Meanwhile Boris, a senior strategist in a pharmaceutical company, is passionate about...

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How To Take Charge And Navigate An Unexpected Change

Posted by on Mar 27, 2019 | 1 comment

This post first appeared on Forbes.com Sometimes you need a push. You may not know you need it—you may even resent it—but a push helps (sometimes forces) you to change and can ultimately take you in a good direction. We coaches love to talk about inspiration and lofty goals, but the truth is that many people don’t take action until the status quo gets uncomfortable. There are two forces that bring about action and change: pull and push. Pull is what draws you forward and positively motivates you. It is a vision, a shiny object, a yearning,...

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Approach your career like an artist

Posted by on Jan 14, 2019 | 0 comments

Approach your career like an artist

When you are feeling stuck, uncertain, and afraid of taking action, you would do well to remember Diebenkorn’s  “Notes to Myself on Beginning a Painting.” Number 7 is: “Mistakes can’t be erased, but they move you from your present position.” He was, of course, explicitly talking about paint on a canvas, but his words speak more universally to the need to shift perspective and to risk failure.  The tenet that getting into action–even “wrong” or misguided action–is productive and even necessary for change is at the heart of coaching. Taking action gives you data. The first line on a canvas or...

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When Is It OK to Settle for Less Than Your Dream Job?

Posted by on Apr 10, 2012 | 0 comments

I believe in going for it, following your muse, pursuing your dreams — not playing small or “settling.” But sometimes, it’s right to take a job that is not your dream job. But don’t despair — you can make such a pragmatic choice without giving up on your vision. The key is to continue to nourish your passion, commit to learning, and maintain your perspective. The two most common circumstances in which it may be right for you to take a so-so job are when you need the income and the dream job is not available or doesn’t pay enough, and when you need to...

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Two Essential Job Search Tools (hint: they’re not your computer)

Posted by on Mar 25, 2012 | 0 comments

The Internet has made posting, searching, and applying for jobs easier than ever, but it has not made getting a job any easier, especially not in the current market. Ironically, all of the technology has made the personal touch even more important. In the bad old low-tech days, we used to submit resumes and cover letters (on bond paper!) by mail. Even with mail-merge programs, it was fairly labor-intensive and not to be done on a whim. Our resumes were then reviewed by hand with all the other resumes, and we typically got a letter or phone call in response. (I can still remember those form...

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Networking is Not a Dirty Word

Posted by on Dec 1, 2011 | 0 comments

Networking is Not a Dirty Word

Many of my career coaching clients cringe at the word “networking.” But I think networking gets a bad rap. When undertaken in the right spirit, building relationships can be fun as well as helpful. And you don’t have to be Keith Ferrazi to do it.

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