Welcome to the Careers Blog. I am Terri Ferrara, a Career Coach that is passionate about helping people enjoy Monday morning as much as Friday afternoon! I derive great pleasure in helping people understand who they are, the unique value they have to offer an employer and the steps in communicating that value to a current or potential employer so that a person targets and is offered a position that fits them well!

What questions do you have about career transition, networking, branding, resumes, interview preparation, jump-starting a new position or maximizing your current position?  I’d love to hear questions from you if you are thinking about a career/job transition, high school/college students searching for direction, retirees wanting to pursue a dream that has been put on their back burner and those returning back to work. Your identity will be kept confidential. This column will be a Q&A forum, so your questions are welcomed!

I have some questions for you. What dream is on your back burner? What kind of work is like play to you? What are you passionate about? Imagine all of us using our unique strengths and loving what we do (at least 90% of the time) in our career! We’d be so much happier, less stressed out, healthier, more productive…

Enjoy Monday morning as much as Friday afternoon!

For more information on Terri and Summit View Career Coaching or for a complimentary, confidential consultation, please contact her online at  www.summitviewcareercoaching. 

As a member of the Career Management Alliance, I receive some of the latest information that comes out. Today we were informed that AARP just released its selection of the top 50 from a list of 115 companies that embrace older workers.

Some reasons for top picks include company policies and practices for workers over 50, range of flexible work arrangements, available health benefits, number of senior employees in the total company workforce, alternative work arrangements, seasonal work programs, telecommuting, lifelong learning, financial benefits, on-site medical centers, retirement plans, job rotation, temporary work in other departments, and more. Top on the list for boomers is flexible work arrangements, since many of them care either for their grandchildren or for their aging parents.

1. SC Johnson, Racine, WI
2.  Mercy Heath Systems, Janesville, WI
3. First Horizon National Corporation, Memphis, TN
4.  Scripps Health, San Diego, CA
5.  Stanley Consultants, Muscatine, IA
6.  Lee Memorial Health Systems, Fort Meyers, FL
7.  Leesburg Regional Medical Center and The Villages Regional Hospital, Leesburg, VA
8.  George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
9. Principal Financial Group, Des Moines, IA
10. Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA

A Career Coach can give a person successful tools and guidance so that their career aligns well with their personality and strengths. If you or someone you know would like a complimentary initial consultation, contact us at Summit View Career Coaching.

I found it really interesting that “dozens of colleges and universities are offering career-counseling services not only to recent graduates but also to thousands of alumni, including some former students who completed their degrees a decade ago or more,” writes Justin Pope.

For years colleges and universities have offered career-counseling services. Pope goes on to say, “But only in recent years have a significant number begun devoting staff members solely to alumni. One reason: Increasing job turnover in many professions has more former students looking for personalized advice. Still, the number of schools with full-time staff for alumni remains small. One reason is that colleges are supposed to serve students first, prompting some debate about how such programs should be funded.”

If you are thinking about a career transition, you may want to check out if the college or university you graduated from offers complimentary services to alumni! If you know of someone who isn’t being offered complimentary services where they graduated and would like to have some advice through a complimentary initial consultation with a professional Career Coach, please share with him or her about Summit View Career Coaching.

Below are the top 10 jobs that U.S. employers report difficult to fill so far in 2007:

1. Sales Representatives
2. Teachers
3. Mechanics
4. Technicians
5. Management
6. Truck Drivers, Freight
7. Drivers, Delivery
8. Accountants
9. Laborers
10. Machine Operators

Source: Manpower Talent Shortage Survey 2007 Global Results, http://tinyurl.com/yuq8q6

If you are thinking about a career transition and would like to talk to someone who has been trained in and specializes in helping people enjoy Monday morning as much as Friday afternoon, call Summit View Career Coaching for a complimentary initial consultation.

On Sunday evening, are you looking forward to going to work on Monday morning? Or, do you dread going to work? If you could picture yourself in a career really enjoying what you do, what would that picture look like? What dreams do you have on your back burner?

Sarah M. Schultz, MA, CPC wrote, “There are a zillion different jobs out there. There is NO reason to suffer for a lifetime in a job or a career that isn’t right for you. If you decide that you ARE in fact in the wrong job, it’s time to start taking steps to move into a field that you LOVE. So how can you do that?”

Sara went on to give some great advice that I give my clients. Read on.“First you have to figure out what’s stopping you from leaving your current position. Is it just that you can’t figure out what you’d rather do? If that’s the problem, then start doing some research. Begin talking to people who have careers in something you suspect you’d really like to do (mystery shopping? CIA agent? CEO of a major corporation?). People love to talk about themselves, so offer to buy them lunch and in return see if you can ask them some questions about their job. I’ve never had a problem getting someone to open up to me about their life.

Is the problem that you know what you’d rather do, but it seems unrealistic or impossible? Then the first thing you need to do is banish those doubts. Talk to a career counselor or to a trusted friend. Start by admitting that you have a dream for your life. Then begin uncovering the reasons why you’re blocking yourself from realizing your dream. Are you afraid of failure? Do you think you need to be “responsible”? Do your parents/friends/spouse put down your ideas for a different life? Do you think you’re too old to start all over? Figure out what your obstacles are, and then begin brainstorming ways to overcome them. This is when a coach or a counselor can really come in handy. Real change takes a lot of dedication and persistence, and having someone on your side, committed to your success is the best way to realize your dreams.”

As Sara suggested, what are your dreams? What are the roadblocks to those dreams? How would you feel if you were living out one of your dreams? What about taking a few minutes each day to do some research? There is so much information online, at the library, in bookstores, and most importantly, with people! We can gain so much valuable information from asking people questions. People usually enjoy sharing their career experience with us. Also, I highly recommend assessments! Get to know yourself better. It is vital to target a career that aligns with your strengths, core values, life purpose, identity and personality type!

Some people do a terrific job in target job search on their own. Most people prefer a coach to guide and journey with them in finding a career that fits well. If you would like to have a complimentary initial conversation with a career coach, contact us at Summit View Career Coaching.

Suzanne Freiberg listed in her blog key elements of being a successful business entrepreneur. You may ask why I am writing about business entrepreneurs. As you go through the list, you’ll  see that the steps below work for an entrepreneur and are key for a target job seeker. 

1. Determine Your Niche,
2. Identify Your Ideal Client,
3. Develop Your Unique Value Proposition,
4. Create Your Brand,
5. Prepare a Business Plan,
6. Prepare a Marketing Plan,
7. Develop a Sales Strategy, and
8. Accept failure, learn from it and re-group

If you’re a career transitioner, how are you doing with the 8 steps? There are lots of books and teleseminars on the subjects that are listed. Ask for help from a librarian. Are you at a point where you are ready to have a professional coach you on each of the steps so that you are a successful target job seeker? You may want to try contacting Summit View Career Coaching for a complimentary initial coaching session to see if career coaching is right for you.