Open Loops

Taking Control of Your Career in this Economy

I'm extremely lucky in this economy.  The field of education is a very recession-resistant profession.  I didn't say recession-proof profession, just resistant.  We get the same impact as everyone else, it's just a little delayed.  My contract was renewed just before everything began deteriorating and I have at least 4 years of employment ahead of me.  The possible cuts due to the economy (when they come) will happen to those with less tenure than I have or whose contracts will expire before mine.  Even those individuals will be gainfully employed until mid-summer before economy related cuts will be felt, so those who suspect a major change in their employment status have time to take action to mitigate the negative effects or transition to a new location or profession.

Despite my relative employment security, I find it prudent to take steps to prepare for the worst-case scenario while I still have time.  Heeding sage advice, I'm going to dig my well before I'm thirsty, and prepare for a job search in case the recession lasts longer than my contract.  Over the next few weeks, I'll be preparing some resources that will assist me in promoting myself to future employers and make myself stand out from the crowd when a hiring decision is reached.

It occurred to me that there are those out there who might not have the time that I have, but need to do something now to increase the odds of securing employment.  They are in the thick of the action when it comes to career changes and need some direction.  Some of the things that I'll be doing may be of benefit to them as well.  So, I decided to be semi-transparent with this and go through my process of career development through this blog.  I'll take you step-by-step through my process of resume crafting, leveraging online resources to support my resume and provide additional information to future employers (e.g., Exploiting FaceBook, Twitter, Google Docs, blogging, etc.), networking, interview prep, and overall job search planning and tracking.  Follow along and you can design a good strategy that will benefit you as well.

How to Deal With An Irate Person

Many times, during the course of a day, we have to deal with irate people.  Whether we are in Customer Service and dealing with angry customers or school administrators dealing with angry parents, handling an irate person and being able to lead them to a more calm — and logical — state can be a very desired skill.

The most common mistake that people make is to assume that when someone is out of control, we should calm our voices to model the desired state we wish the person to have.  The assumption is that the other person will match us and a calm and logical conversation can then take place.  Unfortunately,  this rarely happens.  Instead, because of the calm demeanor, the complainant doesn’t feel heard.  Their rationale is that since the listener is not as outraged as they are, they must not have been listening or they don’t believe what was shared.  The result is no trust so the person remains angry and outraged.

Coaching Yields Improvement

In her blog, Kelly Forrister, a trainer for David Allen, talked about her preparation for an upcoming triathlon.  One of her decisions was to hire a coach.

"I hired a Coach to help me get ready for my sprint triathlon on June 4th. He's got me on a 32-day program of tracking my workouts, integrating personal affirmations and setting goals. "

Debbie Weil, over at BlogWrite for CEOs, has used the same approach:

“I'm currently working with a tremendous speaking coach, Clarice Scriber, to take my speaking skills to the next level. It's humbling, a little painful... and fascinating (in a weird way) to watch yourself on video and realize how many ways you can improve your delivery.”

Coaches seem to be required, advised, and appreciated in various careers that involve competition.  In other professions, such as sales, management, and education, the involvement of a “coach” seems to signal an impending career derailment.  The coach is sought out by the individual themselves, or is mandated by a superior to reverse a perceived negative trend in performance.  Sometimes the coach is a peer, who is an outstanding performer, or the coach may be the supervisor themselves.