New Term, New Career Strategy!

It's that time of year when the vacation season is over and the shops (in the UK at least!) are filled with "Back to School" clothes and pencil sets.

Maybe you had a break over the summer (or winter if you're in the southern hemisphere) and started wondering where your career is going? Or perhaps you've been feeling stuck for some time and can't think of a way to get moving, especially in a slow economic climate?

If you feel it's time for a fresh start, you're in the right place! To celebrate "Back to Work" time, I'm offering free, no obligation, Career Strategy calls throughout September.

Here's how it works! Email september@careersafari.com and we'll agree a specific day/time for the call. I'll call you either at work or at home and we'll spend up to an hour exploring your situation and finding ways you can move forward.

Is it a deal? I hope so!

What is the best answer after a definite yes?

Have you ever spent lots of time and energy chasing up an opportunity, a relationship, a job perhaps? Time goes on and on, and you're still not sure whether it's going somewhere. And then eventually - you get a rejection.

Many of us have been there. When that's happened to me, I feel so angry that my time has been wasted when the other party involved clearly didn't intend to employ me, do business with me or have a relationship with me at all.

But my anger is really with myself. Wasn't there that little voice inside my head - the voice of my unconscious mind - telling me that it wasn't going anywhere all along?

Next time you're spending what feels like too much energy on something, stop and ask yourself whether this really is going somewhere - or whether you're just desperately hoping it will and ignoring all the signs.

So "What is the best answer after a definite yes?". A definite NO!!! Then you can get on with the next opportunity and stop wasting time.

Relationships get jobs!

Is there safety in numbers? If you spray your CV or résumé out far and wide, you might be forgiven for thinking that it increases the chances of a new job role popping up.

Unfortunately, though I wouldn't stop people from reaching far and wide in this economy, building relationships is one of the most fundamental ways to differentiate yourself in the eyes of recruiters. It's so easy to send your details online that pretty much everyone's doing it with one click, so yours just end up in a faceless digital heap.

UK Marketing and HR agency group Stop Gap published this interesting comment about how to build relationships with recruiters for the best results - well worth a read!

http://tinyurl.com/llzvua

The 30 best careers?

U.S. News profiles 30 careers that offer strong outlooks and high job satisfaction:

http://www.usnews.com/sections/business/best-careers/

Find Time To Exhale

Spending a few days in the English countryside, visiting family, I've been struck by the amazing benefits of simply changing the energy around you. Winston the dog and I set off bright and early for our usual morning walkie, which today took place in the local cemetery! The sun was shining, the grass was green and lush, the birds were twittering and the whole energy felt calm and serene. I live in a quiet corner of central London and have a fantastic woodland and ecology park behind my house, but nothing beats the earthy grounding of a countryside retreat!

I'm listening to a radio interview with Derek Sivers as I type this, and he's just commented about "finding time to exhale". That exactly sums up my morning walks, when I love to just breathe out and prepare myself for the day to come.

Don't get me wrong, I love the adrenalin of London and there can be no better place for people coming together from around the world and bringing new ideas to life!

But today I realize again how important it is to regularly refresh yourself with a change of scene and energy. I haven't been doing that enough, and now I will be addressing that more vigorously!

Jack Lemmon on Failure

"Failure seldom stops you. What stops you is the fear of failure."– Jack Lemmon

Personal Goals

I very much admire my fried Neal Moore, who has relocated to Singapore to set up a new Asia Pacific operation for his company, Telecom TV (http://www.telecomtv.com). For those of you interested in the world of telecoms, this is a really great video and media company which makes the business of telecoms most entertaining!

Neal has been working a crazy working schedule to get things moving, and came up with the following observation: "Work/life balance isn't just about finding time to relax outside of work, it's also about finding time to do something you are passionate about where you set the goals and nurture skills or ambitions that are neglected at work!".

Neal helped me to remember the importance of setting personal as well as career goals. After all - work is part of life - it's not life itself!