Recession Proof Career Resilience

I want to explore if a newer better job fit exists for me. The situation too often starts like this:

Where am I and what steps can I take to feel better about my work? Queue background noise about current events, fears, limitations, and hopes.

Oh but it’s pretty bad out there, what evidence do I have that this time, I could make the right decision to move my career to a happier place? Queue supporting feedback that justifies how stuck you are from former critics, historic evidence of your past failures in business..

I should feel bad, guilty or insane for trying to aspire a better me in this economy, project, environment, or responsibility. Rationalize that we have choices, and choose to either be happier in our ability to make choices, and appreciate the journey. OR Stop trying to take actions on the better vision, because evidence has shown the time is not right, you are not right, the mood is not right, or you just don’t deserve it.

Recession Proof Career Resilience Creates Opportunity!

1. Releasing a romantic attachment to how hard it is, creates the conditions for alternatives.
2. There is always supply and demand, unless we attach too much to the lack of resource.
3. Balance is found in healthy dreaming, and consciously realistic choice.
4. There IS a way to choose a positive direction, despite the limitations at hand.
5. Appreciating a possibility thinker on your life design board can go a long way.
6. Value friends who offer realistic input when you need it.
7. Embrace the positive choice in a negative message to be an advocate of possibility.
8. Find the courage to articulate the positive values and opportunity, despite popular opinion.
9. Do a little bit each day to stretch your comfort zone for what success looks like.
10. What are you avoiding? Select actions out of procrastination and locked thinking.

Counterpoints to environmental buzz noise:

• Where thousands are unemployed on the news, remember you don’t need thousands of jobs, you just need one.
• If your phone is not ringing, growth is still happening. Keep your mind on the prize, and the process will take care of itself. Focus on the lack, and the lack will multiply.
• The biggest resistence to your success is not external news.
• Happiness is created in a string of actions put together to create a sense of greatness.
• Where there is dis-ease, there is both limitation and possibility.

Empowerment:

1. What is it that I want to create?
2. What does success look like?
3. What alternatives exist for the “same old” approach?
4. What will I need to be willing to release to accept this better place?
5. What actions can I take to move away from my attachment to lack– lack of support, response to my resume, my professional capabilities, my market demand, a bad management string?

April: Celebrating Administrative Professionals

April 23 – 26, 2008 Administrative and Secretarial Support Professionals Week.

Highlights:

• LinkedIn Professionals Share ideas on Questions and Answers
• Discussion: Ryze Winning Career Success and Transformation

Resources:

• Expert Advice at The Effective Admin ezine.
• International Association of Administration Professionals Salaries
• Certified Professional Secretary Training
• Seven Traits of Successful People
• Why Professional Certification?
  
• CEOExpress a business portal for business executive reading

Recognition Ideas:

• Gifting Resources – Ideas for Admin Professional’s Day

Networks and Career Resources:

• Australia Executive Assistants Network
• Facebook London Legal and Personal Assistant’s Network
• Link In 2 Fearless Executive Women on Yahoo
• Ning Virtual Assistant Network
• Ryze Real Estate and VA Network
• Virtual Assistant Networking CommunityToolbar

Admin’s Favorite Tools:

• Dictionary.com
• LinkedIn2 Helping Friends: Business Reference Favorites.
• United States Postal Service
• World Time and Date Conversion Tools

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Telecommuting News, Tips, Strategies

Telecommuting News:

Air Quality Improves If More Telecommute! ~ San Jose Mercury News
How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Telecommuting ~ CIO
Strategies For Surviving A Slump~ Businessweek
3 Ways To Cut Technology Energy Costs Now ~ MIS Asia
AT&T Case Study ~ Geofax Conway Data

Career Tips:

20 Essential Tips for Telecommuting Success ~ Leo Babauta
Stress Management for Telecommuters ~ PC.IBM.com
Telecommuting Resume and Cover Letter Tips, FAQs Samples
Telecommuting Jobs Bulletin ~ Helping Friends Career Network
Telecommuters Job Interview ~ Workaholics 4 Hire

Policy Strategies:

Greener Business Innovation
How to Write a Telecommuting Strategy ~ Forrester
Telecommuting could Help Staff Balance, Work, Life ~ UC Santa Cruz
Ten Tips for Hiring the Best Employees for your Home Based Business ~ All Business
10 Considerations in Developing Telecommuting Policies ~ HR.com
8 Recruitment Trends for ‘08 ~ ThomasNet IndustrialNewsRoom

Telecommuting Resources:
HFCN Jobs | Telecommuting Yahoo Group | Telework Coalition | Telework Advisory Group |

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Celebrating Friends: Looks Whos In U.S. News and World Report

Hey check out this Friend!! Celebrating Friends Today.. Lookie who is featured in the U.S. News and World Report!

Nice article in U.S. News and World Report interviewing Jason Alba, Founder and CEO of JibberJobber.com. Jason’ shares with others the open sources for business social success in “I’m on LinkedIn Now What?”, and in this new book “I’m on FaceBook, Now What?”.

Follow your future with an optimism that there IS a plan, then keep doing the next logical thing and before you know it, the plan is known. Out of work internet designer, turned entrpreneur and social networking guru. People relate to those that chose to be relateable and refuse to be discouraged for too long.. Jason is amazing and Jibber Jobber Tools are favored by many jobseekers because they were designed to offer practical value while doing the next logical thing!

follow jobs4friends at http://twitter.com

Part of Embracing the Best Case Scenarios..

Being able to anticipate, and prepare to mitigate for the worst case scenario has served me well in my work in Information Technology Support. The organizational hero in IT seems to be the one person that scoops in at the last minute and saves the day. For a long time then, many of us lost ourselves in thinking that preparing for the worst case scenario and disaster recovery would be sufficient.

I extended this notion to the rest of my life planning, hence, I was prepared for what I would do if I lost my job like so many thousands of others. I could prepare for if the symptoms I had progressed into cancer…

All this hoping for the best and planning for the worst was what needed to be released however. Too many people are willing to tell you why you are a failure and are never going to make it in an effort. By way of returning the old beliefs that no longer serve, we will include some real live career limiting beliefs and inspirations.

Helping Friends Career Network was founded by people who believed in possibility regardless of headlines, and are grateful that others felt enough to represent their Business Beliefs. For those who presented their beliefs with such strong fear and limitations, we are Returning with appreciation for your desire to make an impression, and a sincere desire to pursue more productive options to what you would offer to dissuade others..

1. Honestly, I think you have too great an opinion of yourself and your skills.
   
2. Are you even sure you can solve this problem? You can’t even speak normal English?
   
3. Why are you even in this business, I am of the belief you are incompetent?
   
4. What the heck are you going to do with another degree at your age?
   
5. Why do you think anyone else will pay you what we overpay you? You should be happy you still have a job in this layoff environment.
   

These beliefs are too often the kinds of things we take as proof that things are as bad as we let them be. Let us challenge the limitations with a few real life inspirations of individuals that would not back down to “Career Limiting Opinions” of others.

Summarized the heroes are those who challenge traditional limitations with uncommon success. Not because they are “warring” against negativity, but because they take so much genuine joy in what they do, that the critical words of another does not affect their stronger desire to be part of something more meaningful.

• You are good enough to define your career path, and work for productive, deserving career stability.
  
• You are smart enough to manage your own resilience, and your success was surely an indication of your potential, your setbacks, an opportunity to make a clearer decision.
  

Resources and stories of inspiration:

• Jackie Streeter is a delight to know. She has inspired many in business at Apple where she worked in Cupertino CA as a senior Engineering Director, proving the belief that it is not the size of an organization, but results that matter.. Today she inspires the heart warming tradition of thoughtful business networking over a great cup of coffee! All who know Jackie can not help but feel she is THAT inspirational! Two years ago she and her sons became owners of the popular California Bay Area Coffee Society Coffee Shops.
• Bob Love – overcame the limiting disbelief from others, and was a peak performer despite a serious stuttering problem. Humble beginnings to top in the NBA for the Chicago Bulls, to overcoming serious health setbacks, this champion was a winner at all times.
  
• Career Success for Newbies
  
• You might be a redneck if... you think Jeff Foxworthy was always just a funny hillbilly! He traded his career as an IBM Mainframe Support Person for a career in comedy… Hey, that’s funny!
  
• We knew his technical talent! IT Development Program Manager Tu Trinh helped many of us with the web stuff that we could not resolve on our own. He was a talent, but we never knew the depth or capacity of his dreams until he LEFT Sun.. Last year he won Vietnam Idol!
  
• Too old for WHAT!!! Anna Mary Robertson was the wife of a Virginia based farmer.. She was perhaps better known as Grandma Moses, an American Folk Artist, sold her first painting when she was nearly 80 years old, she was shortly thereafter features on TIME and LIFE magazines!
• Be Special, Be Anything, But Mediocre. Was the title of one of Carol Eacret – Simmons Art shows. She grew up in central IL, raised 3 kids, and went back to college when her last child left home, got her AA, BA, and MFA. At the time most of her friends were looking forward to retirement she accepted her first professional opportunity ever for Dickinson State in North Dakota. She is an example of loving her work, and living her inspiration.
  

Telecommuting Buzz: National Green Jobs Conference

Dr. Peter Beadle, the President of Greenjobs: “We created Greenjobs to ease the path of talent into the renewable energy industries, to ensure that their growth stifled through lack of people. “

A nationwide dialogue is being held today and tomorrow in Pittsburgh PA, to tout the importance and benefits of a new green economy approach to jobs creation. The event is being coordinated by the bluegreen alliance with partnership between The United Steelworkers and The Sierra Club.

Pennsylvania has added 3,100 non-farming related jobs to their community. In New Jersey losses were in the business of trade transportation, utilities, and professional services sector.

A good Green Jobs Program SHOULD Be about creating a sound change advocate team that serves to develop a few necessary outcomes:

• Reduce the carbon footprint
• Change buying and commerce incentives for alternative energy production, creation, consumption.
• Create needed jobs that creates competitive local advantage to employers who embrace telecommuting.
• Train the workforce on workforce and team skills necessary to participate in a Green Jobs Program.

Enough Already…

In my life experience, I have had great experiences to learn from, many gifts have been given and to whom much is given, much is also expected. So what is it that IS expected of me, and what will I be willing to give my time, my value, and my resources to.

If our outer world mirrors the reflection of our inner creation, then doesn’t it stand to reason that our thoughts do create our reality. Do you think smaller, limited, or “worst case scenario”? I don’t know if you relate, but I recognize suddenly that I have given too much of my own life to creative and empowered living, who ‘manages’ her experiences to the “what is the worst thing that can happen”.

Exploring the beliefs and the harmonic mirror of our life.. What are we doing to add to or subtract from our core values. I had to be willing to give up the time spent on what I would do if the worst case scenario happened… Now in program management and in business this has served me well… however for career resilience, I have got to be willing to also explore what is the best thing that can happen if I dare to articulate it?

If people mirror what is going on within us, the answers are resonating without having to fix them, we can just accept them, and manage our choices more creatively. What must we do to face our greater fears, and embrace our bigger self.

What if I try and fail?
What if I am alone and abandoned?
What if I am not really needed or necessary?

The real question is what if we are not so attached to the limitations? What would we do instead?

Claiming your universal vision by confronting those limitations, by calling them to higher ground, and becoming our best selves.. What does this look like for you? For me it looks a bit like this for me:

What would I be doing in life, in health and business success?
What does being complete and connected do for me?
What if I no longer held my important relationships hostage to my fears, my loss, and my need to control? What if we just loved one another?

Experience: from collaborative energy and ideas?

Professionals realize the importance of networking.. Networking for business benefit is practical for business professionals and jobseekers. If success were accomplished by putting a page out on LinkedIn, we surely are missing the point of possibility! College Internships are a proven way for entry level applicants to gain experience to “get a foot in the door”.

The Opportunity: Lifestyle design takes on a zen like efficiency when business professionals embrace detachment from the “challenges” to allow a better solution to arise.. Timothy Ferris explores matters of business in “The Four Hour Work Week“. Readers might feel particularly inspired to take on the business challenge such that it is transformed into a community creative business possibility. Timothy Ferris’s “6 Formulas for More Output and Less Overwhelm” can be modified for defining how business partnership successes.

We could do so much more through creative collaboration and managing whats in front of us. Let us encourage educators and business professionals to get to know one another and discover the synergies to networking for business value.

• What can we discover from networking for business value?
• What are we spinning our tires on that we could be doing differently?
• What opportunities could we create by being more open to possibilities?
• What if experience could be created from energy and ideas?

Articles in the in the Akron Beacon Journal by Paula Schelis, “IT Grads Finding Openings Closed to Them” and in Crain’s Cleveland Business by Chuck Soder “IT Internships insufficient in region“ illustrates a huge underutilized opportunity in business today. Lack of jobs, lack of talent, lack of resources stems from a lack of ideas. This is an exciting undertaking that has long fascinated myself and many on the Helping Friends Career Network. We started this network to support people who’s jobs were outsourced, but the benefit of focussing on the opportunity to be of value to a community, to business, and the professionals extended our reach!

Being too focused on a problem (business, jobseeker limitations, university) continues an inequity in ideas. If “experience” is gained by solving business problems, and IT Grads, local businesses, and universities have a common interest in creating a solid future, shouldn’t the solution rest in exploring the possibilities? The solution is in realizing the opportunities that exist to create synergies for all stakeholders willing to partner to replace the limitations of today’s economy, headlines, opportunities, or possibilities.

Statistics from the Northeast Ohio Information Technology Workforce Report: 96K IT Professionals with most challenging positions being Technical Writers, Quality Assurance, and Software Engineers, most are in the specialists arena, while 5% are in the Information Systems Analysis arena. Options for staffing challenging positions are many, but the overwhelming need and competitive market news might limit us needlessly.

The Business Challenge: Many professionals believe they gain career development by leaving their jobs and trading up to another corporation is easier then they can by staying in a company too small to give them what they need. Universities can educate, but statistic drive the future of who is going to be volunteering to gain experience on the speculation of opportunity. If the strategy is in managing business successfully for any conditions, then the right time to start is… anytime.

Many companies would benefit by looking at what they could academically do with the local community to extend their competitive reach, and mentor professionals in the field. Hiring and partnering with college creates a low cost, high value training program good for employers, students, and university relations. The right balance of ideas, development, and employee loyalty does more than just helping to reduce turnover!

If we “teach best what we most need to learn”, doesn’t that suggest a higher level of partnership is needed between business and academia?

Companies that view themselves as part of a larger community realize the win win synergies of academia and business partnership. Business Leaders who are experts in creating opportunity from business challenges have a gifted desire in taking care of their great people and in the process, creating extraordinary competitive advantage.

• Why is turnover proportionately higher in one organization than another?
• How are others being successful in attracting and retaining talent?
• What is the most difficult opportunity facing your business today?
• How does business and acedemia contribute to the local economy to create opportunity and loyalty within a community?

The Gap: Some business owners are balancing the specific skill set needed, but knowing that employment gaps exist might be solved by an excellent career development, community outreach, and college recruiting program.

• Could career development” strategy benefit small businesses who might otherwise pay a premium to recruit and manage retention due to a competitive attrition?
• Consider the value/cost/benefit of creating internships for projects bring brilliant ideas being trained in your local college, to create breakthrough business ideas, that can be applied locally!
• Could it be an efficiency to have a business plan that is so clear that it’s benefits are sold, and referenced within the community? A balance of attracting the best talent from across the United States for your difficult to fill jobs, and creating a local presence could be good for business, community, and academic advantage?
• Consider the retention opportunities of allowing your best talent to prepare a development program that creates possibilities for them to do more professionally, while contributing to the local career development.

Resources:

• StartupNation “Outsourcing- Even Small Business Outsourcing is in.“
• Microsoft Small Business Center “Tips for outsourcing your small-business needs“
• Recruiters Lounge “Steven Rothberg, President/Founder CollegeRecruiter.com“.
• InternWeb.com “Designing an Effective Internship Program“.
  
• Small Business Times “Small Business Winners of IQ Awards for Innovation“
• LI2Helping Friends Business Blog
  
• Helping Friends Career Network (Employment services for college recruiting to traditional employment in IT, Health, Sales, Marketing, Administration, Finance with specialty services for telecommuting talent screening options).

Positive Support for Mental Illness

You can live productively, and work well with bipolar disorder.

Definition: Summary and Presentation.

• Symptoms
• What is Bipolar Disorder
• Types of Healthcare Providers who treat Bipolar Disorder
• Recognizing Triggers
• Going to Work with Bipolar Disorder
• Convincing others to seek treatment
• Collaborative Model
• Mayo Clinic for Manic Depressive Information
• Self Quiz
• Mental Health Resources
• Depression at a Glance
• Bipolar Disorder Ideas About Work

For Employers: Managing Employees With Bipolar Disorder

• Bipolar Disorders at Work
• Discussing Bipolar conditions with employer
• Coping with Work issues and Bipolar Disorder
• Bipolar Employees and the ADA
• Employment Tribunal
• Scott Reaves “Bipolar Disorder in the Workforce”.
• Many Celebrities managing Depression
• Managing an Employee Suffering a possible Bipolar Disorder
• Psych Education

Career Inspirations…

Career Inspirations is a collection of uncommon successes in their industry who have a particular inspiration in their passion for focus and refusing to accept limitation. What you hold as an opportunity, others hold as a limitation… Let us not judge ourselves so harshly that we lose creative possibility!

SOME THAT I KNOW:

1. NEVER TOO OLD for first professional job or that big life dream. Carol Eacret Simmons, assistant Professor of Art and Gallery Director at Dickinson State in North Dakota. Her series “Full Circle” is on display now in North Carolina.
2. JibberJobber is a rich collection of career tools, resources, and documented professional ‘learnings’. Imagine being able to take the worst news of your professional life and allowing it to produce your next possibilities? THEN using that learning to inspire others on the road.. that IS Jason Alba. His latest has been a few social networking books on how to apply what he has learned — “I’m on LinkedIn, Now What” was the first…
3. An Idol from a Web Designer? Trinh Lam was a brilliant web designer at Sun Microsystems… but he had a different song in his heart… and the audience picked a winner!

SOME THAT I RECENTLY FOUND INTERESTING AND HOPE YOU DO TOO!

1. My dear friend Judith introduced me to the refreshing and inspirational story of Kathy Buckley an amazing five time American Comedy Award nominee, empowered actress, humanitarian, motivational speaker, and comedienne. “Every time we go for what we want, we miss the opportunity for what we need.”
   
2. “Transformed personal hobbies into a self-sustaining business- doing what I love, and loving what I do.” Keng Lee hosts an interesting blog on success defined “Optimum Performance Technologies“
   
3. Linda Formichelli is a talented writer, speaker, and life artist. Linda’s website is www.lindaformichelli.com.
4. Mark McClure inspires a sort of career agility. A fun read on the values of flexibility, adventure and the pursuit of professional best. His blog is http://markmccluretoday.com

LinkedIn Groups: Business Network | Jobs Network | Recruiting Professionals |
Plaxo Groups: Business Network | LI2 Recruiting Professionals |
Socials: Ryze | MySpace | Ning | Hi5 | MerchantCircle | Plaxo |
Yahoo Groups: Jobs | HR | Telecommuters | LI HFCN | TheSecret | Careers |

Who Inspired You? What’s the Story?