How to Narrow In on a Career Path When You Want to Try Everything

How to Narrow In on a Career Path When You Want to Try Everything When you’re a kid and you constantly change what you want to be when you grow up, it’s pretty cute and kind of funny. One day you want to be a fireman, next you want to be a doctor and the next day you want to be an acrobat. However, when you’re an adult, switching between career path ideas rapid-fire can become problematic. Your changing focus results in a lack of momentum and success in your career.  So how do you pick a career path when you want to try everything? First, jot down a list of the jobs that most commonly occur as desirable to you. Then ask yourself the following questions  to help narrow your list down to a more reasonable size! Is it really what you want? The first step is to check in with yourself. Are the things on your list what you really want? Or are they things that society or people in your life want? Focus on things that have a natural pull for you, that you find intrinsic enjoyment in, rather than the things that people in your life or society respect. For example, you may want to be a Brew Master at a local brewery but also think that it would be great to be a lawyer because your parents are lawyers. If that’s the case, you need to get to the root of what’s driving that desire. Is it really you? Or is it the people around you? Is it cool to learn, or cool to do? The second thing is to distinguish between the things that you would like to learn and the things that you would actually like to do. There’s a difference between being interested in something and wanting to do it all day, every day. For instance, say you think it would be cool to be able to manipulate someone’s body like a physical therapist. Take a moment and consider whether you want to know how to do that, or if you actually want to do it. If it’s the first, cross it off your list. What’s your underlying drive? The third thing you need to do is identify the core desire beneath your different career ideas. For example, someone may say, “There are so many things I want to do â€" I want to be an actress, a musician, a painter, and I just can’t decide. I want to do them all!” If you think about the career paths they named, there are some core underlying elements. They’re all physical, creative jobs that involve self-expression. If you have a pool of jobs, instead of starting with “which of these jobs do I want to do?” take a moment to identify what these jobs have in common. What’s the core desire that they fulfill? Once you identify that, you can more easily pick one of the careers that best meets that need. How else could you engage with an interest? Lastly, not everything you enjoy has to be a part of your career. Even if you have five different things that you want to be doing, like being an archaeologist, child therapist, nutritionist, lion tamer, or volcanologist, they don’t all need to find expression in what you do for a living. Focusing your career on your most marketable interest doesn’t mean turning your back on the other things you enjoy. They can be hobbies, extracurriculars or volunteer work. You can feed different parts of yourself with different parts of your life. Hopefully by applying these frameworks against your different career ideas, you can narrow your options down to a more reasonable size. Once you do that, you can pursue your one path whole-heartedly instead of feeling scattered trying to do so many different things. About the author:  Alison Cardy  is the  author of 5-star-rated  Career Grease: How to Get Unstuck and Pivot Your Career  and  a career coach who  specializes in guiding men and women all over the world through career changes. For more information, check out her  Step-by-Step Career Change E-Course.

Giving to Those Who Give to You

Giving to Those Who Give to You What do the words equity, savings account and gas tank have in common? Each requires you to put something in before you take out. If you dont put anything in, they have nothing to give you back. This simple concept is an important one for both your personal and professional life. So far, my week has been full of empty gas tanks: people who want something without putting anything in first. One of the biggest lessons Ive learned since graduating college is: dont run on an empty gas tank. I believe we should all give more than we take, but why do certain people feel that they deserve to have equity without investing anything first? Filling up other peoples gas tanks before emptying them is crucial. Are you conscious of this concept? Do you give before you take at work and at home? Cars cant operate on an empty tank, so why should you? Do you have people in your life who constantly take instead of give? How did you address the problem?

The Importance of Cover Letters and Resumes on Glassdoor

The Importance of Cover Letters and Resumes on GlassdoorWhen people first meet you they probably won't know much about you, and your cover letter and resume are the very first things that pop into their heads. If you follow these 14 essential tips for writing a rockstar resume you'll set yourself apart from the crowd.Rock star resume writing is not an exact science. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to create one that stands out. Rather, it's a combination of everything you know to write a good cover letter and your resume. This includes mastering some of the fundamentals that people are just not familiar with.Writing a resume is hard, but not impossible. Your resume should be concise, and it needs to show someone what you can do. If your resume looks like all the other resumes in the pile, then the hiring manager won't feel inclined to read it. After all, why should they read a resume that doesn't even look like it was written by a human? In order to make a great first impress ion on someone reading your resume, it's best to get them focused on your best qualities.Using bullet points on your resume will help you stand out from the crowd. Bullet points make your resume easy to read, and they'll also make it more professional looking. Not every resume needs to be filled with color pictures and fancy fonts.Make sure that your cover letter is professional and captivating. The person reading your cover letter needs to believe that you could do the job. You need to make them believe you're the next big thing. A well-written cover letter will boost your chances of getting a call back.Get it together - yes, this one is more common sense, but it's important nonetheless. A solid resume and a powerful cover letter are great, but if you don't have an interesting personality you won't stand out on Glassdoor either. You'll show up in the same job description with your new friends, and that's not something most people want to happen.What good is a great resume if you do n't have a great personality? Find the things you do best, and make sure you showcase them in your resume. Also, don't forget to include a list of your skills as a resume highlight. Don't worry about spelling or grammar mistakes because the hiring manager will catch those up before reading your resume.Your resume and cover letter should be proofread to ensure that it isn't littered with typos or grammatical errors. It's also a good idea to take these steps even if you have a perfect resume and cover letter, so don't let a bad resume scare you off of Glassdoor.

Investing in Yourself - CareerAlley

Investing in Yourself - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Curious people often look at successful entrepreneurs, such as Steve Wynn Las Vegas icon, with admiration. They may wonder if it was just luck that brought the person so much affluence. Most self-made people, however, worked very hard to achieve their successes and continue to strive within their given industry. People who want to achieve a better tomorrow must invest in themselves and work hard to build a wealthy life. Education Comes First Its almost impossible to be a successful businessperson without a higher education background. Complete a four-year college degree and even strive for more schooling in this competitive world. College readies the mind for the business world, giving students the power to climb the corporate ladder or even enter on a higher floor. Employers need to know a person can commit to a project and complete it. A college degree is an accomplishment covering years of commitment. Being an Independent Worker Not everyone is cut out to work under a corporate entity, so some successful people explore the independent worker side to industry. With that college degree, these consultants gain clients and work diligently to offer them the service they require. Consultants only have themselves to rely on, making it a stressful business to be in. However, it pays off substantially when more clients crave a service. The consultant may be hiring their own employees after a short period, for example. Using Real Estate to Build Wealth Even with a college degree and lucrative employment positions, becoming a highly successful person requires some clever investments. Purchasing real estate is the best way to shore up considerable wealth. Start with a small property and build up equity. Use that equity to purchase even more properties. Over time, real estate usually grows in value. Seeing profit in any investment only gives the entrepreneur another outlet to grow financially and professionally. Benefit Others with Tangible Services With considerable growth and wealth comes responsibility. A successful businessperson may have 10 or more employees depending on the company for a paycheck, for instance. The entrepreneur must actively promote and grow the company to keep it lucrative and steady for personnel. When assets are large enough, business people can help others even more by founding a charity or other institution. This facility wouldnt be for profit, but could help society by researching a serious disease or aiding needy people. Spreading the wealth around when an entrepreneur is able allows everyone to benefit from the mounting success. Continuing Personal Success Success isnt a plateau to reach and remain idle. Business people must continue to grow on a personal level. Take classes on various subjects to stimulate the mind, for example. Continuing education on any level helps the brain make new connections. A brand new business concept could emerge from a basic class on sculpting, giving the entrepreneur another chance to better society and help others. Even pursuing another college degree is a smart choice to keep the wealth and success flowing. Use every social situation to greet new friends because networking contacts are always possible. With this concept in mind, its also important to avoid any conflicts with other associates. Future prospects could hinge on past relationships working again toward a common goal. Keep all your contacts cared for to see opportunities arise in the most unlikeliest places. 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+ Visit Joeys profile on Pinterest. jobs by Job Search job title, keywords, company, location

Biking in Copenhagen is AWESOME - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Biking in Copenhagen is AWESOME - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog And speaking of the ills of long commutes, check out this video that examines bicycling in Copenhagen from a car-centric North American perspective: I have no doubt that a bike commute being physically active is a lot more likely to contribute to making you happy at work than driving your car. What do you think would you like your city to be more bike-centric? And thanks to Ole Kassow for telling me about the video above. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Challenge Emotional and Mental Focus During a Job Transition - Hallie Crawford

Challenge Emotional and Mental Focus During a Job Transition Maintaining a positive attitude, remaining focused and motivated, and managing your emotions are all very important aspects in making your career transition successful. I will touch on this subject frequently throughout the book. The more you learn to motivate yourself and manage your energy level and attitude, the better. Attending to your emotional and mental needs will help keep you stable during this change and it will better enable you to overcome any obstacles that get in your way. Without doing this, you could end up slowing down your progress or worseâ€"giving up and staying put in your current job because you choose not to face the challenges of making a change. But that’s not what you want. Taking good care of yourself mentally and emotionally will keep you focused on what you seek: a fulfilling new career. Again, this doesn’t mean you’re going to feel great every step of the way during your transition. Everyone gets emotional, frustrated or unmotivated from time to time. It’s understandable and normal. The key is to learn what to do when you hit that wall so you can take steps to overcome those blocks. Stop and take a few minutes to reflect on why you started this process in the first place. What is it you wanted to achieve? Reflecting on your strongest initial motivation reconnects you with your goal and reminds you why it was and is exciting to you. This will help you get out of the rut and motivated again. You can prepare yourself for the potential ups and downs by deciding what activities or commitments you are going to put into place to maintain your mental health and happiness. Just make sure you are doing things you truly enjoy on a regular basis. Here are a couple of examples: Make a commitment to maintain your exercise routine. It will boost your energy and mental state. Start a list of things you enjoy that make you happy and commit to doing something on that list once a week, like going to the movies, hanging out with friends, or taking your dog for a walk. Finally, as a single, sometimes it can take a bit longer to work your way out of those down cycles. Why? Simply because singles don’t always reach out and ask for support when they  need it most. Before you embark on your transition, think about who you’ll use for support. You can choose a friend, family member, a professional career coach or even better, a  combination of all three. Reach out to them ahead of time and ask for their support. You’re preparing for transition. And, by letting them know in advance, you’re preparing them as well. Remember to keep reaching out to these same people throughout your transition. You’ll be glad you did. Discover the Essential Components to a Satisfying Career Today Want free tips, tools and expert advice on finding a career youre passionate about? Visit the certified career coaches at HallieCrawford.com, and sign up for their monthly career newsletter, right now. Bookmark their career blog for recommendations on resume writers, online career tests and more career resources. Schedule a free consult with HallieCrawford.com today

Hard Skills to Put on a Resume

Hard Skills to Put on a ResumeHard skills to put on a resume are vital. By any objective measure, the workforce is better off with the knowledge and skill of a knowledgeable worker than one without. Today there are numerous sites available online that are putting on the learning of skilled workers at their absolute top priority.Information about these hard skills to put on a resume includes aspects such as typing, designing, creative, service, technical, marketing, and science and mathematics. But there are many more to mention. But the first step is to write them down on paper before you begin.The hard skills to put on a resume include the ability to work under pressure and complete a project within a very short time period. It is always important to read more than you write. All of the online courses mentioned above are fairly short and will allow the student to take the job application test quickly and efficiently.More than likely when applying for a job you will have to do some f orm of hard skills to put on a resume. Take time to review a little bit about each. In the end it will be a good idea to go over them with a friend or student who is more interested in getting a good education.Online courses do not have to be expensive. There are many schools that offer a wide variety of courses in a variety of areas. You can get a good discount and take your child or college student for a 'vacation' of sorts where they can learn all about the fields of soft skills and learn to use them with practical experience.The skills of being a good sales person, team leader, and leader are very important. They require extensive reading and you can do so by taking a course in writing about them. The hard skills to put on a resume include the ability to listen, motivate people, write coherent essays, analyze a situation, make a computer program to work, and evaluate your own skills. The online courses that are available now cover most of these skills. Many of the skills listed above have already been tested.