8 Essential Steps to Take Before Beginning Your Job Search - Pandemic Edition
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5 Simple Steps to Get Clear on your Next Career
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Try these 5 simple steps to get clear on your next career move. If you're feeling stuck in a thankless job, or if you've lost your job due to economic downturns, these steps can help you figure out where to go next. Imagine yourself in a new career.
Read More10 last minute, clutter-free gifts that just might change someone's life
/10 ideas for clutter-free gifts that just might change someone's life - for the holidays or for anytime special. Give a gift that offers new possibilities.
Read MoreStruggling to Get your Job Search Started?
/The Job Search Kickstart is an intense, focused program to help you get unstuck and moving forward. The program is full of helpful, practical info with real “homework” - specific steps to take to prepare for a successful job search. The program includes the option to work with a coach or work through the material on your own. The Job Search Kickstart includes a resume guide, LinkedIn challenge, cover letter crash course, interview checklist and much more.
Read MoreWhat's your daydream escape job?
/What is your favorite escape daydream?
It’s that daydream you have when you’re bored to tears at work,
or staring down another day in a miserable job,
or just feeling like there really should be more to life and definitely more to you.
What do you imagine yourself doing?
You might imagine yourself as a world traveler and blogger, living on a sailboat as you visit ports around the world. You might imagine yourself living off the grid, farming a small homestead and raising goats. Maybe you just designed a best selling app or created a multi-million dollar company and have an entire top floor as your office - with an ocean view.
What do you imagine? What can you imagine? It doesn’t have to be realistic. Be expansive. What is the grandest escape you can dream up?
Take a minute, close your eyes, and imagine. Even better, write it down - with full details.
I’ll wait….
Those escape daydreams are important. They often hold powerful clues to something that might be missing in your life. If you dream of traveling the world, maybe you’re missing a sense of freedom or adventure. If you’re longing to be off the grid with no cell phone interruptions or emails, maybe it’s simple peace and quiet or a stronger connection with nature that is lacking. Maybe it’s the “no more money worries” of the financially successful that you dream of.
It’s helpful to take a look at our escape dreams because they can give us insight into our next step. You may know that you really won’t quit your job and buy a sailboat, but you may need to think about ways that you can dip into that sense of freedom and adventure.
What’s missing in your life that you find in your daydream escape job? Write it down.
How can you use your escape daydreams as a pointer for a new direction for your life?
You just experienced a sample day of the LifeWork Project. The LifeWork Project is a 21 day e-course designed to help you make changes that lead to a more satisfying career and a happier life. Each day, you’ll receive an email with a short LifeWork Discovery reading and a question of the day to ponder - just like the one above.
The LWP helps you take a holistic look at your life and offers a structured process for making decisions and positive change - both in your career and your life.
The next class begins on June 1, 2020. You can read more or sign up here.
For those of you who are actively job hunting, it’s time to get busy. As the world slowly re-opens for business, more opportunities are starting to come available. Here are some things you need to do to get ahead of the competition. Read 5 Tips to Prep for a Job Search during a Pandemic.
I’m also hearing from parents who are worried about job prospects for their adult children. Yes. It’s a tough time right now, especially for those just starting out. As a parent, you want to share all your hard earned wisdom, but they don’t want to hear it. It’s a tricky situation. Here are some ideas. Check out 9 Do’s and Don’ts for Giving your Adult Kids Career Advice.
And again, I want to let you know that I’m here to help. I’m offering both career and life coaching on a “pay what you can” basis for the duration of this crisis.
I’ve reduced the price for resume services and career assessments. Again, if you need help and can’t afford it, let me know. We’ll work something out.
If you’re looking for a job, or if you just need a listening ear, let me hear from you. I’ll be glad to help in any way that I can. Just send me an email at anita@bluesagecareers.com.
Hang in there. We’ll get through this together.
Stay well!
Anita
Anita Flowers is a Board Certified career and life coach at Blue Sage Career Strategies. A little different than most life coaches, Anita’s background in clinical psychology and years of experience as a counselor gives her a rich understanding of human development and family dynamics. Her work history includes 13 years working with an international business company and 12 years doing individual and family counseling as well as career counseling. This blend of counseling and business experience gives Anita a unique perspective on the world of work and life. Anita works with people literally all over the world to help them discover a life and career they love. Contact Anita here to get started on your new career and life!
9 Do's and Don'ts for Giving your Adult Kids Career Advice
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It's tricky. Your adult kids are struggling to find a career - or even just a job that pays the bills. You want to share your wisdom and decades of hard-earned experience but they really don't want to hear it. What's a parent to do?
Read More5 Myths about Job Hunting During a Recession
/The economic numbers are scary. According to the Associated Press, “the U.S. unemployment rate hit 14.7% in April, the highest rate since the Great Depression, and 20.5 million jobs vanished in the worst monthly loss on record. The figures are stark evidence of the damage the coronavirus has done to a now-shattered economy.”
I’m hearing from people who have been furloughed or laid off, from self-employed workers who are finding their income streams drying up or disappearing, and from others who worry that lay-offs are just around the corner. These worries are keeping people up at night, imagining the worst, that the recession will deepen into even darker economic times and jobs will be hard to find.
While it’s normal to worry about the future, especially when times are difficult, it’s important to know that, while job hunting during a recession is not an easy task, it’s not impossible.
Yes. A lot of people are out of work and looking for job.
Yes. There will be a lot of resumes submitted for every position.
Yes. That’s a lot of competition so you’ll need to work extra hard to prove yourself to be a great candidate.
But there is good news out there. Here are five myths about job hunting during difficult economic times.
Read MoreThe LifeWork Project™ has a new start date and a big discount!
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Rescheduled for February 24,2020
Updated: May 2020: The new start date for the LifeWork Project is June 1, 2020. Check out the Pandemic edition of this popular e-course.
The LifeWork Project™ scheduled to begin in February has a new start date. Due to a computer glitch, some signups for the original start date were missed (to make a long story short.) So I’m moving the start date back a couple of weeks to sort things out and offer others a chance to be a part of the course.
The LifeWork Project™ Basic Course begins on February 24, 2020.
PLUS, I’m offering over a 50% discount as an apology for the mixup. So you can sign up for the LIfeWork Project™ Basic Course for only $39.00 (Original price 89,95) until Feb. 20, 2020. Save more than $50!
What is the LifeWork Project™?
I created the LifeWork Project as a way of making career coaching more affordable. After years of doing career coaching, I’ve developed a structured set of tools - questionnaires, worksheets, journal exercises and more - to help you answer the big “What’s Next?” question in your life. All those tools are available in the LifeWork Project for a fraction of the cost of individual career coaching.
It’s a great way to get “unstuck” and to create change in your life and career.
The 3 week course consists of a daily email with a LIfeWork question of the day to ponder along with other exercises to help you along the path. You’ll be guided along a structured path toward better career and life decisions.
I hope you’ll join us for a great course!
Read more about the LIfeWork Project™ here.
Anita Flowers is a Board Certified career and life coach and resume specialist at Blue Sage Career Strategies. A little different than most life coaches, Anita’s background in clinical psychology and years of experience as a counselor gives her a rich understanding of human development and family dynamics. Her work history includes 13 years working with an international business company and 14 years doing individual and family counseling as well as career counseling. This blend of counseling and business experience gives Anita a unique perspective on the world of work and life. Anita works with people literally all over the world to help them discover a life and career they love. Contact Anita here to get started on your new career and life!
A Solution for the January Work Blues
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It’s only the third week of January and you’re feeling like you’ve already been hit by the bus that is the year 2020. You’re in the same job with the same annoying co-workers, massive work overload and no way forward. You have goals and dreams for yourself and your career but they keep getting lost in the endless everyday to-do list.
Are you ready to make a change? Finally and for real. It’s time to try the LifeWork™ Project.
Let me tell you how I developed the LIfeWork™ Project. When I work with clients individually, I have a very structured approach to looking at their career and their life choices. Over the years, I’ve developed a series of worksheets, questionnaires and practical exercises to help clients get unstuck, to find a way out of the day-to-day loop and to move forward. The LifeWork™ Project offers you all those tools in a 3 week e-course. The LifeWork™ Project makes career coaching affordable for everyone.
Is it time to make a change? Time to hit the refresh button on your career or to begin the process of finding a career you love? Maybe you’re bored out of your mind in your current job and you’re looking for a new challenge that better fits your life and dreams. Maybe you’ve been out of the job market for a while - in school, at home caring for others or just can’t seem to figure out what’s next for you. Maybe you just need a change.
The LifeWork™ Project is Career coaching for the rest of us.
Here are the details:
The e-course will include weekday emails delivered straight to your inbox with a LifeWork discovery reading and a question or assignment of the day to ponder. Each week you will be guided through a series of exercises, journal writing prompts, and other activities to assist you in examining your personality, identifying your strengths and transferable skills, clarifying your values and creating a career design plan with action steps for moving forward.
You will look at your personality traits and spend time looking back and learning lessons from your past plus taking time to complete a frank and honest assessment of your current situation. Finally you will design a plan for moving forward toward the career you’ve always wanted.
I’m not going to kid you - it’s an intensive course. But it can help you find the answers you are looking for.
The next e-course begins February 24, 2020. (UPDATED)
The LIfeWork Project™ includes:
Daily emails (Mon-Fri) with a LifeWork Discovery reading and a question of the day
Weekly exercises, writing prompts and other LifeWork Discovery activities plus a weekend LifeWork Challenge.
The LifeWork Values Matrix
The LifeWork Career Design Plan
Options for individual coaching throughout the process with Blue Sage Career Coach, Anita Flowers, MA are available at a discounted rate for LifeWork Project™ participants.
Registration is now live for the February course. Space in each class is limited. Take advantage of this low pricing on The LifeWork Project™ and sign up here today.
The LifeWork™ Project is on sale until the end of February 20, 2020. Don’t miss it!
Contact Anita if you have any questions or need more information.
Career Coaching with Anita Flowers, MA,BCC
Anita Flowers is a Board Certified career and life coach and resume specialist at Blue Sage Career Strategies. A little different than most life coaches, Anita’s background in clinical psychology and years of experience as a counselor gives her a rich understanding of human development and family dynamics. Her work history includes 13 years working with an international business company and 14 years doing individual and family counseling as well as career counseling. This blend of counseling and business experience gives Anita a unique perspective on the world of work and life. Anita works with people literally all over the world to help them discover a life and career they love. Contact Anita here to get started on your new career and life!
Stay at Home Parent? Six Tips for a Winning Comeback Resume
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Are you planning to head back into the workforce after spending valuable years at home with your children? How do you market yourself after spending the last few years up to your ears in diapers, juice boxes and math homework? You can’t even remember your last “real” job. How can you convince a corporate recruiter that you are employable, ready to work, and even excited about getting back into the 9-5? First of all, don’t panic. You’ve got this.
Read MoreDiscover Your ADHD Career Strengths + 30 Great Jobs for People with ADHD
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Discover your ADHD career related strengths plus 30 great job possibilities for people with ADHD. Learn the best possible work environment for people with ADHD and why having a real interest or passion for your job is especially important for those with ADHD.
Read More8 Warning Signs You Need a New Job
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8 Warning Signs that it’s Time to Look for a New Job. Do you dread each and every Monday morning? Are you being passed over for promotions or find it hard to see a good future with your current company? Is your workplace toxic? It may be time to consider a job change.
Read MoreIs "Follow Your Passion" Bad Career Advice?
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Blue Sage Sunday Book Review: A review of Cal Newport’s career advice book So Good They Can’t Ignore You. He’s not your typical career advice guru. As he begins So Good They Can’t Ignore You, Cal Newton is in the process of completing his Ph.D in computer science at MIT. Facing a dismal job market in academia, Newton finds himself pondering the question “How do people end up loving what they do?” What’s the secret to finding a career you love? It’s a good question.
Read More7 Essential Steps to Take Before You Begin the Job Hunt
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7 Essential Steps to Take Before You Begin the Job Hunt. You’ve decided it’s time to find a new job. Whether you’re a new college graduate or just ready for a change, it’s tempting to slap a resume together and start hitting apply on every job position you see on Indeed. But there are a few essential steps you need to take before hitting that SUBMIT button. Completing these basic steps will make your job search go more smoothly and will greatly improve your chances of landing the job you’ve always wanted
Read MoreHad enough? Is it time to quit your job?
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Had enough? Is it time to quit your job? For some people, it’s hard to know if it’s time to begin a new job search and move on or stay and make some changes where you are. These 5 questions (well, 5 sets of questions) won’t tell you if you should quit your job and become a novelist, go to law school, or open your own coffee and book shop. Your answers to these questions will, however, suggest whether you should stay in your current job and give it all you’ve got (possibly making a few strategic changes) or get up the gumption to follow your bliss in a different direction.
Read More15 Questions to Ask Yourself on November 1st.
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Take time to assess where you are and how far you’ve come this year. What goals have you crushed? What’s your biggest achievement this year? Where are you feeling stuck? It’s time to revisit your goals and create a new action plan.
Read MoreBook Review: In 'When Breath Becomes Air', Paul Kalanithi Offers Lessons in Life and Vocation
/Book Review: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalinithi. It’s not a book most people would reach for when pondering vocational questions. I’m sure it’s not in the career section at the local bookstore. But if you are looking for a book that will help you delve into the deeper questions of work and life, you won’t find anything better.
Paul Kalanithi, on the verge of entering his professional life as a neurosurgeon and beginning a family with his wife Lucy, is diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. After training for almost a decade, he faces his own terminal illness and a profound identity crisis. Instead of a becoming a practicing doctor, he finds himself instead in the role of a patient.
Read More"So...tell me about yourself." 4 simple steps to a great answer.
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It’s often the first question you’ll face in an interview. Despite knowing this, many candidates head into a job interview without a clue as to their answer. Many struggle with a good answer and bobble around a bit as they try to think of something smart to say.
Trust me, your interviewer knows when you’re not prepared for this question and is probably rolling his or her eyes internally as you blunder and wobble through your answer.
Some version of this question is almost a certainty in any interview. You can count on it so it’s worth taking some time to polish up an answer.
Read More4 Ways the Myers Briggs Personality Test Can Help you Find a Career You Love...plus 3 things it can't do
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Almost every college and university uses the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) in their career guidance office. A quick google search will turn up a list of career possibilities for each of the 16 personality types. Scores of books have been written about the type indicator and the Jungian theory it is based upon. It has been loved, and scorned, for 70 years since it’s creation by the American mother-daughter team, Katherine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers.
So is it worth it? How can the MBTI help you find a career and a life you love?
Read More3 Quick Tips to Jumpstart your Job Search on LinkedIn
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I have to admit I was a skeptic early on. As a counselor and career coach who’s been around a while, I understood the value of building a network to help in your job search but I wasn’t sure about the real value of an online networking site. I was so wrong!
Depending on which data you look at, between 75-90% of all recruiters use LinkedIn to find and vet job candidates. I’ve worked with clients who have found jobs or made connections that helped them find jobs through LinkedIn. I myself been contacted by recruiters with job possibilities and even landed a job interview. Yeah, I have to say it’s worth it! But it does take some time and a little work on your part to make those job connections and possibilities happen. Here are 3 quick tips to get you started.
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