by sean@higheredcareercoach.com | Mar 15, 2011 | Book Reviews, Career Skills, Coaching, Job Search
A while back, I sent in an article to David and Michelle Riklan, the operators of SelfGrowth.Com for possible inclusion in their cooperative book project, titled “101 Great Ways to Enhance Your Career”. This is a compilation of 101 articles with practical, solid advice on how you can take action and improve your career.
I am extremely excited to be a part of this, and am equally excited to be a contributing author along with Tory Johnson, Laura DeCarlo, Brian Tracy, Charlotte Weeks and many more of the world’s leading career experts.
To get more information, go to http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4210054
This book was created by David and Michelle Riklan, the founders of the #1 Self Improvement website in the world, SelfGrowth.com. They tapped into the minds of today’s greatest career experts and pulled together a nice collection of 101 insider secrets that shows you how to instantly and positively enhance your career!
In these days of decreased professional development budgets, many higher education professionals are having to scale back their funding for conferences and events. This book offers a practical alternative. All the articles are short, thought-provoking and easily digested–perfect for a professional development reading group, or to share with your staff during team development meetings.
David and Michelle have also bundled the book with some “bonus gifts,” and have created a package of $1,500 worth of absolutely free gifts that you get by purchasing just one copy of our book. I’ve contributed one of the bonuses (my “Mastering the Job Interview” presentation), and have been impressed by the range of topics covered in the other bonuses.
SelfGrowth.Com is so confident you will love it, that they are backing it up with a completely solid guarantee.
Go there and take a look for yourself – and make sure you check out the bonuses.
Here’s the link for you to go directly to this offer: http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4210054
(Please note that all links above are affiliate links. Sales of books made through these links will support the growth of this site, and help bring career coaching and resources to those who need it. In this vein, I plan to apply all profits made from affiliate sales of this book toward providing free coaching sessions to unemployed or financially disadvantaged higher ed job seekers.)
by sean@higheredcareercoach.com | Mar 10, 2011 | Career Skills, Job Search, life purpose
Yo-ho let’s go!
My five-year-old son Brendan is a real fan of a new show on Disney Junior called Jake and the Neverland Pirates. Set in the magical world of Neverland, home to Tinkerbell and Peter Pan, the show follows three young pirates (Jake, Izzy, and Cubbie), as they regularly foil the evil plots of Capt. Hook and his sidekick, the bumbling Mr. Smee.
I’m not usually one to like the retelling of classic stories from my youth, but I have to admit that I have a great deal of affinity for Jake and his cohorts, mostly because my son enjoys the show so much.
The other day a friend asked me if I ever thought about when children lose their sense of imagination. He remarked that he could keep himself occupied and happy with the simplest of things when he was a child. And I know this to be true, because it was true for me, and because I see it daily with my two children.
It may seem cranky for me to say this, but I think the world beats it out of us and makes us too serious for our own good. I spend quite a bit of time trying to explain things to my son, that seem so intrinsic to functioning as an adult, that I regularly find myself questioning the logic of adult behavior, and the ways in which we cling to procedures, policies, rules, and the ever-present “just the way things are.” And I realize then that I am spouting nonsense. And the saddest thing about it is that this nonsense is very much the accepted status quo.
As a coach, one of the most important things I do is to help each client imagine what aspects would be included in their perfect career. And often what this means is that we return, together, to childhood, and spend some times exploring what they enjoyed doing most, what they were most interested in, and what kind of people and places they were most comfortable being around. In many of these explorations, I have found that clients have abandoned doing what they most enjoy in pursuit of material gain, increased influence in their field, titles, positional authority, control over their organizations, and when possible, their personal destinies.
The “Ah-ha” moment usually comes when they realize that their goals are complete bullshit, and that they have nothing to do with who they’re meant to be, and everything to do with a fiction and fantasy that society calls success. We work together to face each client’s fears, anxieties, and the practical, emotional, and circumstantial blocks in their path. You can only do this by picking them apart, holding them up to the light, and seeing them for what they are. Only then can a client move forward and meet himself or herself truly and deeply and genuinely, as who they are meant to be.
My friend Tommy Walker, a social media strategist I’m working with to develop a more engaging Facebook strategy, has a favorite saying: “I don’t do bullshit.”
Okay, so maybe that’s not all that original. But it is authentic. And if you’ve ever had the opportunity to speak with Tommy, to read his thoughts on his blog, or to chat with him on the Internet, you just understand the Tommy has developed and cultivated a true sense for who he is as a person, and matched that, as best he could, to a career which brings out his best.
So what are you doing to align your career with who you were meant to be?
Close your eyes. Remember the joys you had in your life. Not just the joys of accomplishment in your career, or those adult milestones that many of us strive to achieve (like getting a first job, having a first apartment, buying a house, buying a new car, getting married, having children, etc., etc.) Go back, go deep, and go long.
Then say to yourself, loudly “Yo Ho, let’s go!” And get back to where you once belonged.
by sean@higheredcareercoach.com | Mar 3, 2011 | Job Search, The Placement Experience
Go time! March is finally here, and we all know what that means. It’s time for March Madness!
For most Americans, “March Madness” signifies basketball games on television, betting pools with friends and colleagues, and the mind-numbing fun that comes with working through your brackets, watching early contenders fall, and ending with an overhyped contest, resulting in the emergence of one champion.
When you work in higher education, “March Madness” means something different: the great kickoff of hiring season. Candidates practice their pitches, don their uniforms, and put their game faces on. But the reward that comes at the end of this contest is not a trophy, but a job.
If there are any significant tournaments during the hiring season, they are the placement conferences, both regional and national. The largest of these is the Placement Exchange. TPE, as it is often abbreviated, is the “300 pound gorilla” of placement conferences for higher ed administrators. The Placement Exchange is a partnership of NASPA, ACUHO-I, NACA, NODA, ASCA, AFA, and HigherEdJobs. This event is expected to draw over 1200 candidates and has 463 positions already posted.
If you have never been to a placement conference, it can be a bewildering and confusing experience. But with a little preparation, some context, and the right attitude, attending a placement exchange can be a great experience.
This Friday at 11 AM, I will have the pleasure of hosting Nathan Victoria, Assistant Director of Educational Programs and Social Media for NASPA on my BlogTalkRadio show, when he will answer some common questions about the placement experience and offer some practical tips and encouragement for job seekers attending TPE this year.
If you would like the opportunity to hear more about the Placement Exchange experience or ask questions or offer your perspectives and advice for candidates attending a placement conference this year, please join us!
To listen to the show go to http://tobtr.com/s/1610677 or click on the BlogTalkRadio player below. During the show, you may call in your questions to (347) 989-0055 or connect to the show via Skype by clicking on the Skype click to talk “S” logo once the show is on the air. If you cannot join us at 11 AM Eastern time this Friday, you are welcome to submit your questions and comments in advance by e-mailing Sean@higheredcareercoach.com or sending a tweet to Sean at @hiedcareercoach. The show will also be available for download and streaming after the show concludes.
Listen to internet radio with Sean Cook on Blog Talk Radio
by sean@higheredcareercoach.com | Mar 2, 2011 | Job Search, job search tools
Whenever a candidate undertakes a serious, wide-ranging job search, keeping up with job search communications is a major concern. When I was in grad school, the universal tracking methods were a) a sheet of paper in a designated notebook or b) an excel sheet if you had access to a computer (I didn’t back then, at least not on a daily basis.) Today’s job seekers have many more options, and ultimately, it’s easier to stay on top of your search.
The biggest difference for today’s job seeker is access to real-time information available on the internet, using your computer or even your phone. In particular, tools that have been designed to help businessmen keep up with sales and relationship-building, or Client Relationship Management (CRM) can help you streamline your communication strategy and stay on top of your progress in different searches. And many of the best tools are free and integrate with common web applications (most notably Google).
The best of these (in my opinion) is Gist. Recently bought out by Research in Motion (creators of the Blackberry), Gist is a revolutionary tool that aggregates information about your contacts from the public streams that their blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other profiles put out there on the internet, relate them to any public information about their employers and networks, and allow you to see all of the above, in context with communication you’ve had between these contacts.
Screen grab of Gist's suggestions feature.
There has probably never been a more powerful tool for job seekers. Gist is intelligent, and you help it learn and get better. Each time you log in, it gives you suggestions for new sources of information about your contacts,which you can filter through, confirm, or ignore. It allows you to see communications and meetings between you and your contacts. And it lets you keep notes. All in one place.
Click on the name if a person or company, and Gist will compile a “dossier” for you. Connect Gist to your calendar, and as you prepare for your next interview, you can research your contacts, the company, and others you might be meeting with. You can see that you did indeed send in your latest resume, cover letter, and that all-important background check form. And you can read the latest news on your potential employer and prepare your questions and talking points more effectively.
Gist works well with GMail, Outlook, Firefox, and Chrome, and you can use it on your iPhone or Droid phone, so you can access new information while on the go (like at a placement conference, or on the way to your next interview.)
To some, Gist seems a bit “Big Brother.” I’ll admit that it really brings home the extent of information available out there in the public stream about individuals and institutions. But you have to remember that most of the information it shows is public, and that the rest of it is directly related to communications you’ve had with the involved parties. In this context, think of Gist as a powerful and personalized partner in your job search.
by sean@higheredcareercoach.com | Feb 17, 2011 | Coaching, Job Search
1950s style journalist working in his office at night, he is typing with a vintage typewriter, flat lay desktop
I’ve been posting chunks of the “Creating a Killer Resume” webinar and resume coaching session for the past couple of weeks, but have found a good way to share it with you in its entirety through Amazon S3.
The video, in its entirety, is now posted at 
https://s3.amazonaws.com/seancook2/resumewebinar012711.mov
It is just over an hour long, and will show you what a resume coaching session is like, as well as give you tips on how to ensure the content, style, design and flow of your resume bring out the best aspects of your professional history and your potential match for a position.
I will be posting some additional resume resources soon, and announcing some specials on resume and interview coaching to my list. So if you need personalized help creating your resume, stay tuned!
So check back soon, and if you are interested in getting some coaching, sign up for my list so you don’t miss the special offers! (There is a sign-up form in the sidebar, and you may also see a pop-over form as well.)
