Get the most new people to follow @TheCareerArtist on Twitter by May 25, 2011 and become eligible to win a free copy of ”Carry a Paintbrush: How to Be the Artistic Director of Your Own Career” and a free one-hour career coaching session with Susanne Goldstein. Winner determined by number of follows and tweets received with your TwitterID included.
Coaching session by phone at mutually agreed upon time. English only.
Larry Mayer loved his job teaching English and composition at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. But when his wife got a tenure-track position as an assistant professor at a Washington State University four years ago, Mayer gave up his job and followed her out West.
At the end of 2009, however, with his wife telecommuting as a journal editor and planning a sabbatical, and their children missing New England, the family headed back to Boston. Unable to get his old job back at Rindge and Latin, Mayer applied for positions teaching English at public, private, charter, urban, and suburban schools, as well as community colleges, universities, and writing centers. But after 18 months, he had gone through eight job interviews, without an offer.
When he met with Boston career coach Susanne Goldstein for a Boston Globe Career Makeover, he admitted he was discouraged and depressed. “You’re in a tough position,’’ said Goldstein. “You’re a dad and want to provide for your family, and this competitive job market is hard for people psychologically.’’
Goldstein, author of the self-published “Carry a Paintbrush: How to be the Artistic Director of Your Own Career,’’ said reading classifieds and applying for those jobs is an outdated approach. Instead, job hunters should continually seek out people who can help them. “This happens when you constantly try to make new connections, do your research, are prepared, and communicate like a pro,’’ Goldstein said.
Goal:Midcareer teaching professional wants to get back into the field after moving back to Boston.
Problem:Interviews have gone nowhere, despite applying to range of public, independent, and charter schools
Recommendations from career adviser Susanne Goldstein
■ A creative mind-set can lead to job opportunities instead of just responding to job postings.
■ Networking and reaching out to new contacts can open new doors.
■ Avoid jargon, abbreviations, and incomplete sentences in e-mails or letters, which can show lack of professionalism.
■ Proofread for typos, grammar, and spelling before hitting send.
■ Use first and last name when introducing yourself at the beginning of an e-mail or signing off at the end.
■ Remember interviewing is a two-way street, an opportunity to learn about the company and position.
■ Create a memorable moment during interviews by making a personal connection or leaving behind a tangible item.
■ Use social media to stay connected, send updates, and make appointments
Originally appeared March 30, 2011 on AOL Jobs
One of the things that people don’t often think about when they’re contemplating their career life is the type of contributor they want to be in their work. Knowing your peak contribution style gives you great insight into the types of jobs where you can be most successful. Here are some examples of contribution styles for working within a company.
An Individual Contributor is someone without direct inline responsibility. They are evaluated as individuals, rather than by their contribution as part of a team. They don’t have people who report to them, and the people to whom they report usually have given them clear goals, and lots of leeway.
Best jobs for Individual Contributors:
Individual Contributors often have great success in jobs such as sales, business development, research science, and in-house copywriting, as these types of jobs offer independence and are based on quantifiable results and deliverables.
Individual Contributors challenge: It is often thought that career advancement means being “in charge” of a group. For an Individual Contributor who thrives on working independently, this can be a real challenge.
Imagine a brilliant chemist who is nose-deep in beakers and compounds and is very content making breakthrough discoveries. During his annual review, the chemist is rewarded for his contributions with a promotion and a raise. The promotion takes him out of his role as an Individual Contributor and puts him in charge of managing other chemists.
Suddenly, he’s not spending his days with chemicals, but spending time making sure other chemists are doing the right things with their chemicals. Frustrated and bored, he’s no longer doing the work that inspires and motivates him. His waning interest leads to lackluster performance by his team, and the promotion is considered a failure.
Knowing your preferred contribution style provides you with an awareness of job types where you can be most successful. If the description of the Individual Contributor resonates with you, look for jobs that allow you to work independently on specifically defined tasks. When you do this, you will perform at your peak capacity.
To read about some other work styles (Team Player, Manager, Leader), click here to visit the original post.
I went to the Kung Fu studio on Friday in need of a good workout. The night before I had pressed “Send,” and Carry a Paintbrush soared through the ether on its way to the printer. That night I didn’t sleep well, and the next day figured a good session of Kung Fu sparring was going to do me a world of good.
I met Sebastian, a master’s student in writing at Boston College, when I first started practicing Kung Fu. In the Fall of 2010 when I began writing the book , I enlisted Sebastian (and his plentiful talent) to intern with me on the project. The deal was that I was going to pay him a little cash and a lot of coaching as compensation for helping me with researching and editing parts of the book.
