Career coaches and counselors, including me, have liabilities:
-- Pros are unlikely to understand you and your workplace as well as you do, so their counsel is too often off base, yet because you’re paying, you often follow their advice, figuring, “Well, he’s the expert.” Many pros claim to just facilitate your own thinking, but often, consciously or unconsciously, they push you toward their preferred solution.
-- Coaching and especially counseling can be disempowering, making you feel you need a crutch to solve your problems.
-- Of course, there’s the cost. Many career coaches charge $200 for a weekly half-hour session, and make you prepay for three months worth. That’s $2,500. And they usually expect you to keep seeing them for longer than three months.
Self-coaching has none of those liabilities. Plus, if self-coaching doesn’t solve your problem, you can always turn to a pro.
Here’s how to self-coach. Let’s say you’re contemplating changing careers:
1. Write what makes you unhappy about your current job.
2. Could those problems be fixed without changing careers? If so, how? Write your musings. For example, what could you change in your current job? Or, what if you stayed in your same career but changed bosses or places of employment? What are the pros and cons of those options? The act of writing your thoughts will help you generate even better thoughts.
3. If your written musings convince you to at least consider a new career, scan the lists of careers in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, my book, Cool Careers for Dummies, or at least my quick takes on 37 popular careers http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/060105/5bestcareers.htm
4. Write the pros and cons of two or more careers that intrigue you. Don’t have enough information about the career to do that? Google that career or find a book about it on amazon.com. Among Amazon’s three million titles, you’re almost sure to find at least one insider’s book-length look at a career. Talk to a few people in the career.
5. Over the next days, reread and expand on your notes. Or perhaps jot down some things that happened at work, good and bad.
6. Now reread everything you’ve written one more time and write one or two goals you’d like to pursue: whether it’s change your career, your attitude, your boss, your skill set, whatever.
7. Make a to-do list of the baby steps you need to take to accomplish the goals you set in step 6, for example, your first step might be to ask employers who provides the best training.
8. Every day, rate yourself on your progress toward your goals. Perhaps do it in chart form, so you can see your trend. If you’re not making much progress, consider joining or starting a support group. (See http://www.job-hunt.org/job-search-networking/job-search-networking.shtml.)
Here’s how you might self-coach if you want to advance in your current career, in your current place of employment.
1. Answer this question, in writing: In what ways are you qualified and not qualified for the job to which you’d like to be promoted?
2. Write the things you need to do to make yourself eminently promotable: Build on your strengths? Remediate your weaknesses? Readjust your current job description to hide your weaknesses? Suck up to certain people?
3. Create a to-do list based on #2.
4. Every night, after work, rate yourself based on how much progress you’ve made on your to-do list.
Now, take the money you would have spent on a coach and treat yourself to something.
Next week, I’ll teach you another alternative to hiring a counselor or coach: co-coaching, in which you and a friend or colleague agree to coach each other.
http://www.martynemko.com/articles/self-coaching_id1261
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Making the Most of a Career Counselor or Coach
You’ve chosen a career counselor or coach. How do you make the most of the sessions?
1. When you set your appointment, ask if there’s some homework you could do in advance of the session.
2. Ask if you can tape record the session. You’ll find that you’ll get more out of listening to the tape than from the session itself. That’s because, at home, you have more time to reflect on the question, you’re not trying to impress the counselor with your answers, something that’s almost unavoidable, especially in a first session, and you can play the tape for another person, who might offer a useful perspective.
3. Be concise, even in answering open-ended questions such as, “Tell me about yourself.” Practice the traffic light rule. During the first 30 seconds of an utterance, your light is green. Your counselor is paying attention and what you say is probably important. During the second 30 seconds of an utterance, your light is yellow. Your counselor is increasingly likely to be getting bored, and what you say is less likely to be important. At the 60-second mark, your light is red. Yes, there are occasional times you’ll want to run a red light, but you’re generally wise to stop or ask a question.
4. Open up. As mentioned above, it’s natural to want to come off as smart and together. But if in fact, you don’t understand something that’s said, or you’re really a basket case, tell your counselor or coach. Otherwise, he’ll proceed on false assumptions, which will set you up for failure. For example, if he assigns you a homework assignment, and in your heart of hearts, you know you’ll procrastinate it, by all means, say so. The counselor will change the assignment or better help prepare you for that assignment. For example, if a counselor asked you to make 20 cold calls to prospective employers and that terrifies you, say so. He’ll role play with you, perhaps even write a script for you, or urge you to practice first with a trusted friend. But if you simply nod and accept the assignment, you’ll likely not do the homework and return to the next session with your tail between your legs, or worse, cancel the session, and stay stuck.
5. Be open to the coach’s or counselor’s ideas. Many clients merely want their apriori beliefs supported. But chances are, if you picked a counselor you like and who specializes in your situation, her views are worth serious consideration. Of course, don’t don’t be afraid to raise a concern about a suggestion, if you truly have doubts about it.
6. End the session by summarizing what you got out of the session and then asking the counselor/coach if you missed anything.
7. Ask for concrete homework.
8. Before starting the homework, listen to the tape, perhaps with someone you trust. Take notes. Perhaps revise the homework based on what your heard. After all, this isn’t like school, where you have to do what the teacher says. You’re in charge here. But then do that homework.
9. If after listening to the tape, you’re unhappy with the counselor/coach’s work decide whether you think offering feedback will likely result in a good-enough second session, or whether you should cancel and find another counselor/coach. Remember, if you google “career coach” or “career counselor,” you’ll find hundreds of career pros’ websites. And, you can always do self-coachingor co-coaching. (See my articles on those two options.)
http://www.martynemko.com/articles/making-most-career-counselor-or-coach_id1507
1. When you set your appointment, ask if there’s some homework you could do in advance of the session.
2. Ask if you can tape record the session. You’ll find that you’ll get more out of listening to the tape than from the session itself. That’s because, at home, you have more time to reflect on the question, you’re not trying to impress the counselor with your answers, something that’s almost unavoidable, especially in a first session, and you can play the tape for another person, who might offer a useful perspective.
3. Be concise, even in answering open-ended questions such as, “Tell me about yourself.” Practice the traffic light rule. During the first 30 seconds of an utterance, your light is green. Your counselor is paying attention and what you say is probably important. During the second 30 seconds of an utterance, your light is yellow. Your counselor is increasingly likely to be getting bored, and what you say is less likely to be important. At the 60-second mark, your light is red. Yes, there are occasional times you’ll want to run a red light, but you’re generally wise to stop or ask a question.
4. Open up. As mentioned above, it’s natural to want to come off as smart and together. But if in fact, you don’t understand something that’s said, or you’re really a basket case, tell your counselor or coach. Otherwise, he’ll proceed on false assumptions, which will set you up for failure. For example, if he assigns you a homework assignment, and in your heart of hearts, you know you’ll procrastinate it, by all means, say so. The counselor will change the assignment or better help prepare you for that assignment. For example, if a counselor asked you to make 20 cold calls to prospective employers and that terrifies you, say so. He’ll role play with you, perhaps even write a script for you, or urge you to practice first with a trusted friend. But if you simply nod and accept the assignment, you’ll likely not do the homework and return to the next session with your tail between your legs, or worse, cancel the session, and stay stuck.
5. Be open to the coach’s or counselor’s ideas. Many clients merely want their apriori beliefs supported. But chances are, if you picked a counselor you like and who specializes in your situation, her views are worth serious consideration. Of course, don’t don’t be afraid to raise a concern about a suggestion, if you truly have doubts about it.
6. End the session by summarizing what you got out of the session and then asking the counselor/coach if you missed anything.
7. Ask for concrete homework.
8. Before starting the homework, listen to the tape, perhaps with someone you trust. Take notes. Perhaps revise the homework based on what your heard. After all, this isn’t like school, where you have to do what the teacher says. You’re in charge here. But then do that homework.
9. If after listening to the tape, you’re unhappy with the counselor/coach’s work decide whether you think offering feedback will likely result in a good-enough second session, or whether you should cancel and find another counselor/coach. Remember, if you google “career coach” or “career counselor,” you’ll find hundreds of career pros’ websites. And, you can always do self-coachingor co-coaching. (See my articles on those two options.)
http://www.martynemko.com/articles/making-most-career-counselor-or-coach_id1507
Conquer Your Fear of Rejection
You're afraid you'll get rejected: you'll sound stupid, you'll seem like a loser; you'll pay a big price for asking.
So you decide it's better not to ask: Better to keep that yucky job than to ask for a better one. Better to accept that unfairly low salary than risk getting a "no." Better to be alone on Saturday night than to ask him or her out.
True, sometimes fear of rejection is a valid warning sign that you shouldn't ask. For example, if you're barely worth what your boss is paying you now, your boss might fire you for asking for a raise. Or if you're looking for a job and know you're not fully qualified for your target position, you probably would screw up the job, even if you did get hired.
But sometimes you know you would be wise to ask, yet your fear of rejection renders you inert. Below are a dozen tips for getting what you want in your career and your life instead of taking only what comes to you. One or more of these strategies may help you get ahead.
Take control of your future
1. Remember that you suffer more from not asking. You can survive a rejection, even 20 rejections. But if you consistently don't ask, you'll get only what life hands you. And in a world in which most people go after what they want, you'll be stuck with the leftovers. Now that's something to be scared of.
2. Picture the benefits. How would your life be better if you asked and got what you wanted? Keep a tangible list or picture of those benefits in front of you for motivation.
3. Learn from rejection. I got turned down by many women before one deigned say yes. My first book was passed over by 18 publishers before one said okay. After each rejection, I tried to get feedback to improve my pitch; thus my odds of success improved with every rejection.
4. Don't punish yourself. Even deeply flawed people deserve a good life. Ask for what you want, if not for yourself, for those who will benefit from your better life. And if depression is holding you back, get help.
5. Set small daily goals. Good things happen to those who act. Set a goal for yourself, for example, that you'll get three rejections a day. You'll find that the pursuit of rejections reduces their pain, and along the way, you'll likely get yeses.
6. Ask what would your wiser twin tell you to do. Let's say you think, "I'm still healing from my husband having left." Your wiser twin might respond, "You know you're just making excuses. Your husband is history, so let's go make a fresh start."
7. Remind yourself of a time you were successful. That may give you the confidence to try again.
8. Pretend you're an actor. Write a script for your pitch, but don't memorize it -- you'll sound scripted. Just write a few key words to remind you of your pitch's essence. Then practice it aloud into a mirror, cassette recorder, or with a friend.
9. Tell your loved ones you're going to ask. You'll feel more accountable and less inclined to back out.
10. Schedule a time to ask. Put it in your datebook or PDA.
11. Be in the moment. Just focus on pitching well. Don't worry about whether it will work -- you can't control that. Remember that one yes negates many nos. Over your lifetime, you'll get many more yeses and thus have a better life than the millions of sheep who were too afraid to ask.
12. Now force yourself. Feel the fear, take few deep breaths and ask anyway. If the person says no, ask someone else. If he says no, ask yet another person. Moderate persistence is key to having the life you want instead of the life that fell into your lap.
Marty Nemko is a career coach and author of Cool Careers for Dummies.
http://www.martynemko.com/articles/conquer-your-fear-rejection_id1538
Seven Ways to Make Your Job More Fun
Let’s face it: Many employers’ efforts to inject fun into the workplace are feeble: Serve birthday cake? Allow workers to throw Frisbees? Keep the break room fridge stocked with soda? Gimme a break.
While the following ideas may not turn your workplace into a barrel of laughs, they’re more likely than the company picnic to make your worklife more pleasant.
Telecommute: Sometimes, an answer is to just get the hell out of there. Would you enjoy playing tennis with friends during the day? Rolling on the floor with Fido? Watching daytime soaps or CNBC’s stock ticker? Yet could still manage to get your work done? Pitch your boss on telecommuting and if he resists, offer to go on a short leash; for example, agree to submit twice-a-day work progress reports. Tip: If you’d enjoy working in the buff, do not agree to a WebCam leash.
Propose a special project: Examples: Love to travel? Propose doing a feasibility study on opening a branch in Hawaii. (Site visits essential, of course.) Love to talk with people? Offer to create a collection of how-to-succeed-at-work tips and tricks derived from interviewing employees in the company and maybe even at your competitors.
Become the House Mentor: Let it be known that you enjoy mentoring people. You’ll likely find yourself with at least one or two people who’d appreciate having someone with whom to hash out work problems. You might even end up cross-mentoring.
Tweak your job description. Do you like some aspects of your job and hate others? See if you can trade tasks with a co-worker. Your drudgery might be another’s relaxation; your weakness, another’s métier. For example, I know a lawyer who loved holding forth in a courtroom but couldn’t stand the detailed research work. He found another lawyer in the firm who felt the opposite, whereupon they agreed that, where possible, they’d trade work.
Make your workspace feel more like home. Want to put an oriental rug under your desk? Your favorite small painting on your cube wall? An aromatherapy zen fountain on your desk? All accompanied by your favorite soft music? And to make your workplace even more like home, might your boss allow you to bring in a fish tank, hamster, or even the aforementioned Fido? (Leave the fleas home.)
Use at-your-desk stress busters. Just a minute of slow, deep breaths, or tightening and loosening sets of muscles from neck to feet can reenergize you. Or try a five-minute at-your-desk yoga session: www.yogajournal.com/newtoyoga/751_1.cfm.
Make a close friend. Find someone--ideally your boss--with whom you can become close. That can take the edge off work stresses. Ask your potential bud out to lunch and talk about things more intimate than the ballgame score--everyone has important hopes, dreams, and fears. Unearth those and share your own, and you’re halfway to developing the sort of intimate relationship that can soften the edges of even the hardest workplace.
Does work still suck? Maybe it’s time to look for a better job? For advice on how to best do that see www.martynemko.com.
The San Francisco Bay Guardian named Marty Nemko “The Bay Area’s Best Career Coach.” His book, Cool Careers for Dummies (brand new 3rd edition) was rated, in a Readers Choice Poll, the #1 most useful career guide. He is Contributing Editor for Careers at U.S. News & World Report. 500+ of his published articles are free at www.martynemko.com.
http://www.martynemko.com/articles/seven-ways-make-your-job-more-fun_id1535
A Very Short, Very Advanced "Course" in Time Management
Here are the keys to getting more done in less time.
1. Embrace work. If you recognize that the more you accomplish, the better you’ll feel about yourself and your life, you’ll get more done.
2. Write a personal mission statement. Example: “I want to be a beloved manager while allowing time for my kids and my hobby: acting.” When in doubt about what tasks to prioritize, your mission statement can often help you decide.
3. Be time conscious, aware that time is your most valuable commodity. That is the key to time management. So, always be asking yourself, “Is this time-effective?” Sub-questions:
§ Should I do this task, delegate it, or say no?
§ If I’m going to do it, should I do it full-bore or, in this case, is good enough good enough?
§ If I’m not sure of the most time-effective way to do a task, whom should I ask?
3a. Hire a personal assistant. I believe that every non-poor person should hire one, even if just for a few hours a week. That person could do things like errands, housecleaning, whatever you don’t like but someone else could do reasonably well without your having to spend too much time on training. The extra hours you’ll free-up far exceed the cost of your assistant.
3b. Beware of meetings. Meetings are among the biggest time wasters. If you’re in a position to decide whether to convene one, think three times before scheduling one, let alone a standing one. If you decide you really need a meeting, invite only the people who really need to be there. Don’t just invite people “to be inclusive.” The time-suck usually greatly outweighs the benefit. Then, send a tight agenda and any material for review in advance. Before making an off-site person get into a car let alone on a plane to attend a meeting, consider a teleconference or webconference. Software such as WebEx (webex.com) makes webconferencing very easy. If you’re asked to attend a meeting, especially a standing meeting, realize that it may not be because you’re needed but because today’s corporate-think says, “Be inclusive.” If you’d rather not be included, ask your boss if you could opt out, for example, by saying, “I believe I could make better use of the time if I did X.” Your boss may say no but there’s usually no harm in asking. That’s an example of another key to time management: Ask for what you want.
3c. (Optional) Keep a Time Log. If you’re not sure you’re time-effective, for at least a day, keep a memo pad with you and every time you change tasks, write the time and what you’re starting to do. At the end of the day, review your time log. Not sure if you have been time-effective? Show your log and key work products to someone who gets a lot done.
A time-effective summary of this article: Throughout the day, ask yourself,” Is this time-efficient, and where possible, consistent with my personal mission statement?”
A super time-effective summary: Be conscious about time.
Anyone wish this course were longer?
http://www.martynemko.com/articles/very-short-very-advanced-quotcoursequot-in-time-management_id1518
1. Embrace work. If you recognize that the more you accomplish, the better you’ll feel about yourself and your life, you’ll get more done.
2. Write a personal mission statement. Example: “I want to be a beloved manager while allowing time for my kids and my hobby: acting.” When in doubt about what tasks to prioritize, your mission statement can often help you decide.
3. Be time conscious, aware that time is your most valuable commodity. That is the key to time management. So, always be asking yourself, “Is this time-effective?” Sub-questions:
§ Should I do this task, delegate it, or say no?
§ If I’m going to do it, should I do it full-bore or, in this case, is good enough good enough?
§ If I’m not sure of the most time-effective way to do a task, whom should I ask?
3a. Hire a personal assistant. I believe that every non-poor person should hire one, even if just for a few hours a week. That person could do things like errands, housecleaning, whatever you don’t like but someone else could do reasonably well without your having to spend too much time on training. The extra hours you’ll free-up far exceed the cost of your assistant.
3b. Beware of meetings. Meetings are among the biggest time wasters. If you’re in a position to decide whether to convene one, think three times before scheduling one, let alone a standing one. If you decide you really need a meeting, invite only the people who really need to be there. Don’t just invite people “to be inclusive.” The time-suck usually greatly outweighs the benefit. Then, send a tight agenda and any material for review in advance. Before making an off-site person get into a car let alone on a plane to attend a meeting, consider a teleconference or webconference. Software such as WebEx (webex.com) makes webconferencing very easy. If you’re asked to attend a meeting, especially a standing meeting, realize that it may not be because you’re needed but because today’s corporate-think says, “Be inclusive.” If you’d rather not be included, ask your boss if you could opt out, for example, by saying, “I believe I could make better use of the time if I did X.” Your boss may say no but there’s usually no harm in asking. That’s an example of another key to time management: Ask for what you want.
3c. (Optional) Keep a Time Log. If you’re not sure you’re time-effective, for at least a day, keep a memo pad with you and every time you change tasks, write the time and what you’re starting to do. At the end of the day, review your time log. Not sure if you have been time-effective? Show your log and key work products to someone who gets a lot done.
A time-effective summary of this article: Throughout the day, ask yourself,” Is this time-efficient, and where possible, consistent with my personal mission statement?”
A super time-effective summary: Be conscious about time.
Anyone wish this course were longer?
http://www.martynemko.com/articles/very-short-very-advanced-quotcoursequot-in-time-management_id1518
Friday, August 17, 2007
Career Passion Requires Foreplay
Few people expect to have an orgasm just by looking at someone. They know that foreplay is required. Yet career seekers somehow expect that, immediately upon considering an appropriate career, they’ll feel “Eureka, I have found it”: “Oh, dentist. That’s it.! Perfect! I know I’ll love it.”
For most people who end up passionate about their career, that’s not how it works. As with sex, foreplay is usually required before passion erupts.
Here are the four steps in career foreplay:
Step 1: Choose a career. After a reasonable amount of career exploration, choose something, even if you’re not passionate about it.
Step 2: Become expert at the career. Get solid training. That doesn’t necessarily require a prestigious university. In fact, many less prestigious institutions provide more practical career training.
More important to your training is that you make the most of the program: choosing courses and professors most likely to teach practical skills, asking career-related questions in class and during professors’ office hours, selecting term paper topics most likely to make you proficient, and choosing fieldwork and internship assignments with master practitioners.
Becoming expert usually also requires on-the job training: asking a good supervisor or coworkers to observe or review your work and answer your questions, attending workshops from your professional association, reading professional magazines, Web articles, and books written by master practitioners.
Step 3: Customize the career to fit you. A career is like an off-the-shelf suit: it won’t fit well unless you tailor it. So, for example, let’s say you’re a manager in a dashboard manufacturing plant. If you’re naturally good with your hands, try to spend as much time as possible fixing problems on the factory floor. If you’re more of a people person, maximize the time you spend on helping your employees to be productive. If you love investigation, spend time researching new ideas. If you’re more of a word person, focus on writing and verbally presenting plans and reports. If you’re more entrepreneurial, work on creating collaborations across divisions or with other firms. If you’re more of a detail person, focus on creating and evaluating budgets, surveys, and other quantitative data.
Step 4: Find people who value what you do. After you’ve become expert at your career and tailored it to maximize your strengths and preferences, your current employer and customers will probably praise you and pay you well. If not, find another employer who will, or become self-employed.
After the four steps of career foreplay, many people can expect to experience career passion, even in a field as unsexy as dashboard manufacture.
http://www.martynemko.com/articles/career-passion-requires-foreplay_id1473
For most people who end up passionate about their career, that’s not how it works. As with sex, foreplay is usually required before passion erupts.
Here are the four steps in career foreplay:
Step 1: Choose a career. After a reasonable amount of career exploration, choose something, even if you’re not passionate about it.
Step 2: Become expert at the career. Get solid training. That doesn’t necessarily require a prestigious university. In fact, many less prestigious institutions provide more practical career training.
More important to your training is that you make the most of the program: choosing courses and professors most likely to teach practical skills, asking career-related questions in class and during professors’ office hours, selecting term paper topics most likely to make you proficient, and choosing fieldwork and internship assignments with master practitioners.
Becoming expert usually also requires on-the job training: asking a good supervisor or coworkers to observe or review your work and answer your questions, attending workshops from your professional association, reading professional magazines, Web articles, and books written by master practitioners.
Step 3: Customize the career to fit you. A career is like an off-the-shelf suit: it won’t fit well unless you tailor it. So, for example, let’s say you’re a manager in a dashboard manufacturing plant. If you’re naturally good with your hands, try to spend as much time as possible fixing problems on the factory floor. If you’re more of a people person, maximize the time you spend on helping your employees to be productive. If you love investigation, spend time researching new ideas. If you’re more of a word person, focus on writing and verbally presenting plans and reports. If you’re more entrepreneurial, work on creating collaborations across divisions or with other firms. If you’re more of a detail person, focus on creating and evaluating budgets, surveys, and other quantitative data.
Step 4: Find people who value what you do. After you’ve become expert at your career and tailored it to maximize your strengths and preferences, your current employer and customers will probably praise you and pay you well. If not, find another employer who will, or become self-employed.
After the four steps of career foreplay, many people can expect to experience career passion, even in a field as unsexy as dashboard manufacture.
http://www.martynemko.com/articles/career-passion-requires-foreplay_id1473
Do What You Love -- And Starve?
If you are a star—very bright, talented, motivated, and personable and you have a passion, even if it’s in a competitive field, sure, go for it.
This is an article for everyone else.
Based on the 2,500 clients I’ve worked with, the hundreds of callers to my career-centric radio show, and my countless other conversations with people about their careers, I’ve come to the conclusion that we’ve been sold a bill of goods when we’re told to “Follow your passion, “ or “Do what you love and the money will follow.” Fact is, if you do what you love, you’ll probably starve.
Yes, some people do what they love and the money follows. But millions of people have followed their passion and still haven’t earned enough money to even pay back their student loans, let alone make even a bare middle-class living doing what they love.
The problem is that too many people crave the same few careers, for example, the arts and non-profit work. Employers in these fields get dozens if not hundreds of applications for each job. So, you have to be a star or extremely well connected to get the job.
In other cases, salaries tend to be low or non-existent. Do what you love and volunteer work may well follow.
The irony is that the small percentage of people who do make a living in “do-what-you-love,” “follow-your-passion” careers, are, on average, no happier than people in less sexy jobs. Here’s why. Plenty of “cool careers” sound better than they turn out to be. Actors, for example, spend very little time acting. They spend most of their time trying out, sitting around waiting for their turn at rehearsals or on movie shoots, etc.
More important, not only do salaries in “cool” careers tend to be low, employers in those fields know they needn’t treat their employees with kid gloves because zillions of other capable people are panting for the opportunity to work 60 hours a week for $27,521 (with no benefits) for the good feeling of knowing they’re playing an infinitesimal role in saving the spotted owl or whatever, even though they may never get closer to a spotted owl than a pile of accounts receivable statements.
Other people’s passion is status. So, for example, they endure years of boring law school and accumulate boatloads of student debt for the privilege of slaving under a 2,000-billable-hour quota for the law firm of Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe, with a futon in their office so they can sneak in a few zzzs in the middle of the all-nighters they pull to boost the chances of another lawyer’s corporate client giving money to their corporate client.
Other status seekers prostitute themselves to climb the corporate ladder. They work 50+-hour workweeks and kiss up to their bosses, smilingly willing to uproot themselves and their families for a few years inwhateverGod-forsakenplace the Company wants to dump them. They endure two years of impractical arcana in an MBA program so they can put those three letters, M,B,A, on their resume. And for what? So they may finally get a title of director or vice president, and after their 12-hour cover-their-butt workday, be one of the many execs who collapse on their sofa, get blitzed, and stare at their oversized living room in their oversized neighborhood wondering, “Is that all there is?”
In contrast, if your job is mundane, for example, marketing manager for the Ace Soybean Processing Company, the employer knows there aren’t hundreds of competent people champing at the bit for your job. So, to keep you, the employer is more likely to offer decent working conditions, reasonable work hours, kind treatment, opportunities for learning, and pay you well. Those are the things that—much more than being in a “cool” career-- lead to career contentment.
You say you want status? Unless you’re a true star (brilliant, driven, great personality, or have great connections), give it up. Status is often the enemy of success. You’re more likely to find career contentment in a not-high-status career. In my mind, someone who’s an honorable assistant manager for the Ace Soybean Processing Co. is more worthy of respect than many lawyers, investment bankers, and business development VPs I know. If someone thinks less of you because you’re job isn’t high-status, they don’t deserve to be your friend.
Advice I’d Give My Child
If you’re at all entrepreneurial, I recommend starting your own business. Yes, I know, only 20 percent of new businesses are still in business after five years, but you can beat the odds. Just remember is this one rule: Don't innovate. Replicate. Copy a successful simple business.
Innovations are too risky: Your product might not work, may not be popular with the public, or a competitor could beat you to market. Why be a guinea pig? Unless you have deep pockets or are truly brilliant, the risks are too great. Many people have ended up in poverty because of their innovations. Even Tivo, a wonderful new product lost hundreds of millions of dollars in the first few years. Last I checked, you don’t have oodles of money to lose. Leave the innovations to corporations or the independently wealthy.
Where to find a business to copy? Drive around to find a simple business at which customers are lined up out the door. For example, see a successful burrito shop or espresso cart? Open a similar one in a similar neighborhood. Your chances of success will be a helluva lot higher than 20%. You will find happiness in providing an in-demand product at a fair price. Confine your urge to innovate to your hobbies.
Another approach to finding a good business is to pick a grungy one, for example, automatic transmission repair or mobile home park maintenance. Few top-notch people go into such businesses, so if you do it competently, you’ll probably make good maybe great money. And you’ll feel better about your work, having people coming to you and thanking you, and owning your own business rather than slaving away for some boss ever fearing your job will be downsized or shipped to India.
You say you don’t have the knowledge to run such a business? No problem. For example, I don’t know a thing about transmissions, but if I wanted to open a transmission shop, I’d find the best transmission mechanic, pay him well and hire a consultant who is the owner of a successful transmission shop located far enough from my store that he wouldn’t fear my competition. The two of them would teach me how to set up my business. Then, I’d spend my time building relationships with car repair shop owners so I’d get their referral business.
If starting a business from scratch seems too scary, consider a franchise. According to Robert Bond, author of Bond’s Franchise Guide, some of the best include Jani-King commercial cleaning and Aussie Pet Mobile, a grooming service. When you find a franchise that sounds appealing, be sure to speak with at least 10 of the franchise’s franchisees at random before signing on the dotted line.
If you’re not at all entrepreneurial and want to be well employed, go far from the madding crowd. Here are some areas where the job market is not hypercompetitive: Court reporting, car finance & insurance, accounting, insurance, sales of little known commercial products, health care, health care administration, fundraising, financial services, anything serving Latinos (entertainment, schools, hospitals, criminal justice system), anti-terrorism, and biotech regulatory affairs.
Remember, you’re more likely to find career contentment by being a contrarian.
http://www.martynemko.com/articles/do-what-you-love-and-starve_id1380
This is an article for everyone else.
Based on the 2,500 clients I’ve worked with, the hundreds of callers to my career-centric radio show, and my countless other conversations with people about their careers, I’ve come to the conclusion that we’ve been sold a bill of goods when we’re told to “Follow your passion, “ or “Do what you love and the money will follow.” Fact is, if you do what you love, you’ll probably starve.
Yes, some people do what they love and the money follows. But millions of people have followed their passion and still haven’t earned enough money to even pay back their student loans, let alone make even a bare middle-class living doing what they love.
The problem is that too many people crave the same few careers, for example, the arts and non-profit work. Employers in these fields get dozens if not hundreds of applications for each job. So, you have to be a star or extremely well connected to get the job.
In other cases, salaries tend to be low or non-existent. Do what you love and volunteer work may well follow.
The irony is that the small percentage of people who do make a living in “do-what-you-love,” “follow-your-passion” careers, are, on average, no happier than people in less sexy jobs. Here’s why. Plenty of “cool careers” sound better than they turn out to be. Actors, for example, spend very little time acting. They spend most of their time trying out, sitting around waiting for their turn at rehearsals or on movie shoots, etc.
More important, not only do salaries in “cool” careers tend to be low, employers in those fields know they needn’t treat their employees with kid gloves because zillions of other capable people are panting for the opportunity to work 60 hours a week for $27,521 (with no benefits) for the good feeling of knowing they’re playing an infinitesimal role in saving the spotted owl or whatever, even though they may never get closer to a spotted owl than a pile of accounts receivable statements.
Other people’s passion is status. So, for example, they endure years of boring law school and accumulate boatloads of student debt for the privilege of slaving under a 2,000-billable-hour quota for the law firm of Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe, with a futon in their office so they can sneak in a few zzzs in the middle of the all-nighters they pull to boost the chances of another lawyer’s corporate client giving money to their corporate client.
Other status seekers prostitute themselves to climb the corporate ladder. They work 50+-hour workweeks and kiss up to their bosses, smilingly willing to uproot themselves and their families for a few years inwhateverGod-forsakenplace the Company wants to dump them. They endure two years of impractical arcana in an MBA program so they can put those three letters, M,B,A, on their resume. And for what? So they may finally get a title of director or vice president, and after their 12-hour cover-their-butt workday, be one of the many execs who collapse on their sofa, get blitzed, and stare at their oversized living room in their oversized neighborhood wondering, “Is that all there is?”
In contrast, if your job is mundane, for example, marketing manager for the Ace Soybean Processing Company, the employer knows there aren’t hundreds of competent people champing at the bit for your job. So, to keep you, the employer is more likely to offer decent working conditions, reasonable work hours, kind treatment, opportunities for learning, and pay you well. Those are the things that—much more than being in a “cool” career-- lead to career contentment.
You say you want status? Unless you’re a true star (brilliant, driven, great personality, or have great connections), give it up. Status is often the enemy of success. You’re more likely to find career contentment in a not-high-status career. In my mind, someone who’s an honorable assistant manager for the Ace Soybean Processing Co. is more worthy of respect than many lawyers, investment bankers, and business development VPs I know. If someone thinks less of you because you’re job isn’t high-status, they don’t deserve to be your friend.
Advice I’d Give My Child
If you’re at all entrepreneurial, I recommend starting your own business. Yes, I know, only 20 percent of new businesses are still in business after five years, but you can beat the odds. Just remember is this one rule: Don't innovate. Replicate. Copy a successful simple business.
Innovations are too risky: Your product might not work, may not be popular with the public, or a competitor could beat you to market. Why be a guinea pig? Unless you have deep pockets or are truly brilliant, the risks are too great. Many people have ended up in poverty because of their innovations. Even Tivo, a wonderful new product lost hundreds of millions of dollars in the first few years. Last I checked, you don’t have oodles of money to lose. Leave the innovations to corporations or the independently wealthy.
Where to find a business to copy? Drive around to find a simple business at which customers are lined up out the door. For example, see a successful burrito shop or espresso cart? Open a similar one in a similar neighborhood. Your chances of success will be a helluva lot higher than 20%. You will find happiness in providing an in-demand product at a fair price. Confine your urge to innovate to your hobbies.
Another approach to finding a good business is to pick a grungy one, for example, automatic transmission repair or mobile home park maintenance. Few top-notch people go into such businesses, so if you do it competently, you’ll probably make good maybe great money. And you’ll feel better about your work, having people coming to you and thanking you, and owning your own business rather than slaving away for some boss ever fearing your job will be downsized or shipped to India.
You say you don’t have the knowledge to run such a business? No problem. For example, I don’t know a thing about transmissions, but if I wanted to open a transmission shop, I’d find the best transmission mechanic, pay him well and hire a consultant who is the owner of a successful transmission shop located far enough from my store that he wouldn’t fear my competition. The two of them would teach me how to set up my business. Then, I’d spend my time building relationships with car repair shop owners so I’d get their referral business.
If starting a business from scratch seems too scary, consider a franchise. According to Robert Bond, author of Bond’s Franchise Guide, some of the best include Jani-King commercial cleaning and Aussie Pet Mobile, a grooming service. When you find a franchise that sounds appealing, be sure to speak with at least 10 of the franchise’s franchisees at random before signing on the dotted line.
If you’re not at all entrepreneurial and want to be well employed, go far from the madding crowd. Here are some areas where the job market is not hypercompetitive: Court reporting, car finance & insurance, accounting, insurance, sales of little known commercial products, health care, health care administration, fundraising, financial services, anything serving Latinos (entertainment, schools, hospitals, criminal justice system), anti-terrorism, and biotech regulatory affairs.
Remember, you’re more likely to find career contentment by being a contrarian.
http://www.martynemko.com/articles/do-what-you-love-and-starve_id1380
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