by sean@higheredcareercoach.com | Apr 23, 2010 | life purpose
Mickey Fitch’s previous post, “What Do You Value?” got my wheels spinning.
I can’t say it was the only thing, as I have been dwelling quite a bit lately on the idea of living in congruence with my values, using my time to advance the causes I care about, and setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-Limited) to help me reach them.
Since it was Earth Day, I also spent time thinking today about how I integrate my values with my lifestyle and how I take care of the Earth, as well as myself.
When I was a peer educator at Clemson, we had giveaway buttons and materials that said “Do what you value!” An interesting turn of phrase. And in that context, it was about sexual decision-making. But doing what you value is a powerful idea that should carry over into your everyday life and your work.
Here are some ways I am trying to live up to my own expectations.
- Living in a LEED certified new-construction green home in a transitional neighborhood.
- Driving a hybrid car (Prius). It gives me great satisfaction to know that most of my stops at the gas station are for snacks.
- Gardening only by organic methods, and composting when I can (I need to get a new composter, as I left the old one in PA, but soon enough we’ll get one.
- Spending my money locally whenever possible and avoiding chain restaurants in favor of local cuisine…It was easy in State College, and is becoming easier in Athens!
- I only take what I want at dinner, and unless it was undercooked and gross, I eat all of it.
- By stopping at having two children (in the interest of Zero Population Growth).
I also believe in volunteering, and as I build my client base for the coaching practice, I’ve been seeking out volunteer opportunities that I would like, and using them to get connected here in Athens and back in Clemson. Last week it was a 5K race for Ovarian Cancer Research, coupled with a butterfly release that raised money for the daughter of a high school friend who died recently after a 13-year battle. I am also volunteering for the AthFest Half-Marathon and getting involved in other Athfest committees and projects. I met today with a rep from Nuçi’s Space, a musician’s resource center, and I’ll be developing some presentations on career skills for the talented musicians who come into the center looking for a place to practice, to connect with other music types and to get referrals for medical care and counseling. I may soon begin doing free career counseling at Nuçi’s, in the forms of workshops and 1-on-1 coaching. I will explain more of the opportunities soon enough in other articles.
Why am I doing this? Because I love art and music. Because I somehow managed to get pulled in to race planning again because I have done it before. But most of all, I am doing these things because I value them and they make sense.
How do you live your values?
Sean Cook is a Life Purpose and Career Coach, based in Athens, GA. He specializes in work with college students and higher ed professionals. Before becoming a certified coach through the Life Purpose Institute, he earned his BA in Political Science and his M.Ed. in Counseling & Guidance Services from Clemson University, and spent over 15 years working full-time as a student affairs professional.
by sean@higheredcareercoach.com | Apr 4, 2010 | Coaching, life purpose
This weekend, I’m in Florida, for a visit with Sarah’s parents at the Villages. We go down a couple of times per year, take in the sun, and give Nana and Pop-Pop some quality time with our kids, Brendan and Susannah (Susie). We hang out, cook out, go out to eat, swim and generally enjoy the good weather and all that “America’s Favorite Hometown” has to offer.
But this time, it’s going to be a little different. Not just because it’s Easter. Not because we live closer since we moved to Georgia. This trip figures to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
No, we are not going to Disneyworld, Universal Studios or SeaWorld. (Been there done that. Going to do it again, but since I’ve been to all of those several times (9 or 10 times so far to Disneyworld), those don’t qualify as “once in a lifetime.”
We’re going to see the Space Shuttle take off. And they are only slated to have 4 more missions after this one, because they are slated to retire the whole fleet.
Sarah and I share a love for space exploration. At different times, we both dreamed of being astronauts. Not enough to actually go into the military and train for NASA, but it’s definitely a dream worth having. I actually think that Sarah would have been a great astronaut.
What greater metaphor exists for reaching your human potential than leaving the planet to see what else is out there in the universe? Space exploration represents the drive of humankind to conquer the unknown, to search for new knowledge and experiences, and to connect with the mysteries and wonders of all creation.
I’ve always had an affinity for the space program. Part of this actually comes from a family connection to NASA. One of my cousins, (1st cousin once removed) Edward Galen Givens, was an accomplished test pilot and instructor, and was tapped for NASA’s original group of 19 astronauts in 1966. He was a member of the Apollo 7 support crew before his untimely death in a car accident in 1967. He was 37 years old.
I never did meet Galen, since I was born two years later. But when I was young, I did hear stories about him from my Dad, and we did have visits from his parents: my great Uncle Bill, and great Aunt Helen. They were gentle, funny, good-natured people, and clearly enjoyed life, despite having lost both their sons (their other son, Don, was also a military pilot and was killed on a routine training mission when his plane crashed.)
Galen’s story is just one from the many people related to NASA, and to some, his life and career will seem one footnote on one page of one chapter of one book about mankind’s quest to explore the stars and the mysteries of the universe.
But to me and to members of my family, and to those who knew him, Galen’s life and career represent something far greater: the archetypal quest to discover your life purpose, reach your potential and perhaps to push beyond into uncharted territory, where the greatest learning can begin.
It’s a quest I hope to assist others with in my coaching practice.
Where are you going in your life?
- Do you know your life purpose?
- Are you striving to reach your maximum potential?
- If not, would you like a partner to assist you on your personal journey?
Like Fox Mulder used to say on The X Files, “The Truth is Out There.”
Are you ready for the search?
For a great article on the life, career and Death of Galen Givens visit the following excerpt of the book Fallen Astronauts: Heroes Who Died Reaching for the Moon. or visit the Amazon Reading List in the sidebar. (Affiliate Links)
by sean@higheredcareercoach.com | Mar 29, 2010 | Career Skills, Coaching, Job Search, The Placement Experience
This guy doesn't need a career coach. But he may need an attitude adjustment. Who are you pointing at, fool?
If you work in higher education, you are probably already a pretty successful person, and have some pretty good ideas about where you want to go in life. Teaching positions require graduate education, and many administrative posts also require at least a master’s degree.
You’re also surrounded by many great resources, including experienced colleagues, supervisors, and even students who help inspire and motivate you. Teaching and advising are activities that stir your soul, as well as your mind. You are periodically, if not frequently, reminded of your purpose, and you probably have more opportunities than some to pursue your academic and professional interests.
So why would you need a career coach? Aren’t you already smart enough to help yourself? Can’t you connect with plenty of people who can help you, who won’t charge you a fee?
Honestly, on some levels, the answers lean toward an argument against spending your time and money for a professional coach. But these answers are also mostly likely arrived at upon a surface-level examination of your life and career, and a certain level of buy-in to some stereotypes and expectations that society applies to being a member of the faculty.
Look a little deeper, and you may discover some very compelling reasons to consider coaching.
First and foremost, getting a coach doesn’t say anything about your intellectual ability. Plenty of really smart people work with coaches to keep them accountable, help them achieve work/life balance, and set and meet personal and professional goals. Prominent CEOs hire coaches. Corporations do, too. In fact, many corporations are hiring in-house coaches to help their employees be more satisfied with their careers and more balanced in their lives.
Second, it’s true that you have friends, colleagues, your supervisor, and your students to help and support you. But can these people dedicate the time and personal attention to you that you need? Will they commit to your personal success over their own needs or the needs of the department or institution? Will they support your personal and professional development, even if it means taking you away from your job, your staff and students, or the institution? Will they keep your concerns, aspirations and goals confidential? Will they hold you accountable for meeting your goals, or do they have their own things to worry about?
Getting a coach is a great way to put your dreams, goals, and even your barriers out there, and to explore them. It’s an investment in your success. It’s also a great way to hold yourself accountable in meeting your goals, so that you can achieve them.
So maybe the question isn’t “Why do I need a career coach?,” but instead “Don’t I deserve one?”
by sean@higheredcareercoach.com | Mar 25, 2010 | Career Skills, Job Search, The Placement Experience
Today was a good day.
It started simply enough. I had a scheduled call with a potential new client, and it went well. She was happy with our consultation and at the end booked her initial sessions (4 of them), and indicated a possibility that she might be looking for longer-term coaching.
Getting this new client topped off what was a pretty good week for me in general. During the ACPA conference, which I could not attend, I remained engaged and involved in the many conversations people were having, via Twitter. I found great ideas shared in people’s tweets. I joined some ongoing side banter about a #fakeacpa conference with all sorts of people from all over, many of which are also members of the weekly #sachat community sponsored by the Student Affairs Collaborative Blog.It was fun to stay engaged and be a part of all these conversations.
During my weekly small group coaching session on Sunday, one client at ACPA called in to say he was offered a campus interview at a school he is really interested in. I’d helped him prep for his phone interview before the conference, and it was nice to see him making the kind of progress he’s been working for and envisioning in our talks. I was able to connect with and encourage several candidates who I’ve connected with via Twitter as well.
When I left my secure job at Penn State last November, I took a great leap of faith into the unknown territory of starting my own business. I did it for a lot of different reasons and in my heart I have never felt like it was a mistake. But it was nice to see that after several months of hard work, and of putting myself out there, that the universe was finally coming around to meet me halfway, and maybe in some way, telling me to stay the course.
After lunch, I got the e-mails about my new client’s payment for her sessions, and another one I couldn’t have expected. Her sister was having a job interview today and wanted to get some coaching to be ready. She asked if I could meet via phone with her at 2 pm today. I called her but got her voicemail, so I sent her an encouraging e-mail, in hopes that she would at get it before her interview and at least know I had tried to reach her. She called back shortly thereafter, and we talked for about half an hour before her interview. She later wrote me an e-mail thanking me for the talk and idicating she would like to schedule another meeting about possibly working with me long-term.
All these varied events reaffirmed for me the value in taking leaps of faith, and trusting that when you follow your heart, trust yourself and work hard, that good things will happen. Reading over the e-mail I sent her, I thought how applicable it is in relation to my own situation, as well as those of the many student affairs job seekers who are smack in the middle of their own searches right now, and trying to evaluate possibilities and choose the right next steps in their lives and careers.
I’ve adapted the e-mail below, and hope it will provide some needed encouragement and inspiration to anyone contemplating not only life and career changes, but the leaps of faith required to bring them to life.
Dear Job Seeker:
It looks like you have great experience. If we don’t get a chance to talk 1-on-1, here are some quick thoughts for you….Faith in yourself and your abilities brought you this far in your job search. Whether you are graduating and looking for that first job, or looking to make a step up, down or sideways on the career ladder, in your heart you know there is a reason, and you know it is good. Your work is good and the fact you have so many great examples to show is a testament to that fact. You don’t need to convince yourself you are successful enough to get your next job. You clearly are.
With most employers, experience is not as important as motivation, talent, and fit. You have the first two for sure. You worked hard to get through grad school, or to succeed in your current or last job. When you committed to this search, you had faith in yourself and felt some possibilities would emerge if you trusted yourself enough.
So you made it this far in some processes, and it wasn’t an accident. You took the leap, and so did they. Something must be working, because they invited you to interview. This doesn’t happen usually out of a sense of charity. If you aren’t good, or your style and temperament aren’t a good match, you don’t get invited to the next step.
Well, you got invited. Go in with faith enough to be yourself and if it is meant to be, fate will open the next door. It may be in the way of offering you the job you really want, or it could be in their faith at giving you a shot, even if they go with someone else. Inviting someone to interview for a position is an act of faith. Taking an interview is another one. If your mutual faith is well-founded, it will survive past the interview, and the next door will open when it is time.
Until then, believe in yourself, be yourself, and go kick that interview’s a** three ways from Sunday. Good luck with your search!
by sean@higheredcareercoach.com | Mar 11, 2010 | Book Reviews, Career Skills
For the most part, pending and recent graduates do not know how to search for a job.
There’s a strong need for quick, easy-to-digest information about entry-level job searching.
So @heatherhuhman wrote ‘#ENTRYLEVELtweet’ to fulfill that need.
I wish I could say I was creative enough to have come up with the comments above, all of which are under 140 characters. But I am not.
Heather Huhman, however, is. And she’s created a simple, effective book, chock full of job search advice for the Twitter generation, all delivered in snippets of 140 characters or less.
Readers will easily digest the practical wisdom doled out in the book, on subjects including identifying your “unique you,” developing career tools, networking, applying for internships and entry-level jobs, accepting and rejecting offers, and succeeding on the job.
Huhman, Founder and President of Come Recommended, is an expert on helping students and recent college graduates pursue their dream careers. Besides her website, she has nearly 9,000 followers on Twitter, is a career expert for the CAREEREALISM Twitter Advice Project, the job search expert for Campus Calm, a contributor to One Day, One Job, One Day, One Internship, Intern Advocate and Personal Branding Blog and author of the e-books Relocating for an Entry-Level Job: Why You Probably Have to & How to Do It (2010) and Gen Y Meets the Workforce: Launching Your Career During Economic Uncertainty (2008).
My favorite tweet: Individuals in your life love you dearly and give you advice with the best intentions. But they’re probably wrong.
#EntryLevelTweet is powerful in its simplicity, and makes for an easy read. It would also make a great gift for upcoming graduates and entry level job seekers you know.
