by Angela Copeland | Mar 10, 2014 | Advice, Change, Newsletter
Good morning! There’s a decent chance that today you’re a little tired. With the time change over the weekend, it seems that everyone’s sleep schedule (including our animals and children) are a little off. The good news is we’ll have more light to enjoy at the end of the day. That is, of course, after our sleep schedule adjusts to the new routine. In the meantime, we’re all a little grumpy about the entire situation.
Change is hard. It can be a long, sometimes painful process. But in the end, good things often come from it.
Are you someone who embraces change or who runs from it? If you got the impression your company was downsizing, would you start to look for another job, or wait for your boss to walk you out the door? I recommend the first, more proactive approach. It puts you in the driver’s seat, and allows you to make your own decisions about your career path.
People often continue to do things they dislike until those things become unbearable for them. That’s the point at which change typically happens. You may have noticed this with a friend who complains endlessly about some situation they claim to hate. They keep repeating their behavior, and you wonder, “When will they ever change? They obviously aren’t happy at all!” And the answer is, they will change — when things become painful enough.
I encourage you to begin to embrace change in your life and career. Start to look for opportunities for growth before you are forced to. Regardless of your position in your workplace, you are after all, the CEO of your own career. Nobody else is going to make sure you’re taking yourself to the next level.
Growing your career is a job all in itself. It takes time, just like personal relationships, hobbies, or anything else you prioritize as important in your life.
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs once said, “For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”
Don’t wait for a dramatic event to change your life. Take control now, and begin to look for small steps to grow and change at your own pace, in your own way. Think about your long term goals and how your daily activities align to them. Do they add or subtract from your plan?
Life is short, and your career is even shorter. Embrace your role as CEO, and look for opportunities to grow and change your career for the better each day. You may just find that you end up with a little more sunshine in your life.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Mar 7, 2014 | Advice, Career Fair, Media
My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Making the Most of Career Fairs.” In it, I discuss taking advantage of local career fairs – whether you’re just out of college, or have been in the workforce for many years.
As college graduates prepare to enter the working world in May, corporations begin to ramp up their hiring. More jobs are posted, and recruiters increase their search efforts. Even if you graduated from college years or decades ago, this can be a perfect time to look for a new opportunity.
One place big companies look for candidates is at career fairs. Some fairs are standalone events, while others are part of a larger conference. Typically, fairs have a theme. Two common themes are business and engineering. It’s important to note that the same big-name recruiters hiring at an engineering fair are often the same folks hiring for marketing and sales roles at other fairs.
To read the entire article, visit the Memphis Daily News site here.
***Please note: The date of the NSBE career fair is listed in the article as April. The NSBE career fair is March 27-28. I apologize for my typo.***
by Angela Copeland | Feb 28, 2014 | Advice, Media, Networking
My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Networking With No Fear.” In it, I discuss how much more successful we would all be at networking if we could leave our fears and worries at the door.
Last week, as I pulled toward my parking space at home, the adorable 3-year-old boy who lives next door ran up to my car. “I haven’t seen you in a while!” he exclaimed in the most excited voice I’d heard all week. “How have you been?” I rolled down my window and chatted with him until his grandmother quickly rushed over to sweep him up.
She was, of course, unhappy with his lack of fear, since I was still in the process of driving into my garage. But this experience made me wonder: How much more career progress would we all make if we lived with a little less fear?
To read the entire article, visit the Memphis Daily News site here.
by Angela Copeland | Feb 21, 2014 | Advice, Media
My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Make More Money This Year.” In it, I discuss important strategies for increasing your salary at your #1 income source: your job.
If you’re like most people, you created a list of new year’s resolutions at the end of December or in the beginning of January. One of your resolutions was probably related to your finances. It may have been to save more, to make more or both. Regardless of which you selected, increasing your income can achieve both goals.
If you’re like me, your parents and grandparents worked at the same jobs for their entire careers. Companies were more loyal to their employees back then, and in turn, employees were more loyal too. You often stayed at a job for 30 years where you grew your career, got promoted, earned more money and, eventually, retired with a fat pension and a lifetime of amazing health insurance.
Unfortunately, times have changed….
To read the entire article, visit the Memphis Daily News site here.
by Angela Copeland | Feb 14, 2014 | Advice, Media
Happy Valentine’s Day!
My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Putting Your <3 Into Your Job.” In it, I discuss finding a job that aligns to your personal goals, and allows you to be happy each day when you go to work. Given how much time we all spend working, it’s important to do something you love.
The season of love is upon us. Is it fair to say you love what you’re doing for a living? Do you find yourself putting in your all every day, or is it a drag to get up in the morning – or worse yet, to go to bed the night before, knowing your next day’s work is looming over you?
If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing for a living, it’s time to take stock of what’s important to you. Start out by ranking the following items in order from least to most important: Location, Career Fulfillment, Financial Stability and Career Field.
To read the entire article, visit the Memphis Daily News site here.
by Angela Copeland | Feb 10, 2014 | Advice, Newsletter
It’s been a surprising week for folks in Memphis. Like we’ve seen too many times over the past few years, companies are restructuring. When they do, it impacts the personal lives of their employees.
Unfortunately, unlike previous generations, the luxury of having an entire career at one company is rare. Workers no longer stay at the same job for thirty years and then retire with a great pension and excellent healthcare. In fact, staying at one company can often be looked at as a negative thing. More value is often being been placed on breadth, rather than just depth, of knowledge.
This means employees must take charge of their own careers, and their own personal brands. It’s as if each person is their own little company, working to stay competitive and stay in the game.
For those who have not adopted this perspective, layoffs like those seen in Memphis can be especially difficult. You may be a top performer. You may be loyal, and get along with your boss. And, yet you were still impacted by this type of change.
Everything seemed normal. You went into work one day like it was any other. Unexpectedly, you were called into a meeting where you were notified that the company had changed direction, and you no longer had a job.
“What now?” you ask yourself. After all, you haven’t updated your resume in years. You don’t even know where to begin.
For those impacted by recent corporate changes, I recommend the following five steps. (Heck, I recommend these even if you weren’t impacted!)
- Get business cards – Despite not having a job, you need to have business cards. Consider ordering cards that only contain your name, phone number, and e-mail address.
- Perfect your elevator pitch – Practice explaining who you are, what type of job you’re looking for, and your professional background. Get your pitch down to 30 seconds to quickly and concisely introduce yourself.
- Update your resume – Spend time updating your resume with your most recent position and accomplishments. Don’t forget to include numbers, such as the size of budget you managed, or the number of people you led.
- Start networking – Get out there and start meeting new people. If you aren’t sure where to start, follow the networking events listed on my Copeland Coaching blog. When you go to an event, make a goal to exchange business cards with 5 people. It will help you to get started.
- Setup informational interviews – Reach out to those folks you meet, and setup time to talk. These discussions are an opportunity for you to learn about a new industry or a new company in a low pressure environment. It’s also a great way to network!
At the end of the day, the most important thing is to get started. The longer you wait, the harder the process can become. And in most cases, you’ll begin to notice that your old company has been a stressful place to work for a while. Although you feel frustrated now, in time, you may find that starting over was the very best start of all.
“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” –Dale Carnegie
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
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