This is a leap of faith and there is definitely the chance of rejection.  However, when all you do is worry about rejection, you waste valuable time.  What if your next employment opportunity is lost because you put off applying to the position you got excited about and now the posting is filled by someone else less qualified than you?  What if you lost your next customer because you waited too long to call them, while another sales person with a similar service didn’t?  While you sit frustrated and scared to put yourself out there, you are missing out on potential fruitful opportunities.  These opportunities can get you closer to reaching your dreams.

How do you know when to act?  This part is very personal because you have to listen to your internal cues.  When you have a strong feeling, whether it’s a butterfly in your stomach, an excited feeling, or a fun daydream where you envision the positive outcome of your action– you must act on it.  Dump the fear, and take the leap.  This ship can potentially become the bridge you need to carry yourself to the next level.  I sent my ship out today, will you?

Writing when it is coming from a truly personal place is supposed to be difficult and churn up many emotions.  I’m moved to write on deeper issues of my own career transition and journey as a  working mother, using my story as a real life example of my constant struggle to pursue my passion, the trials of over-extending myself, the pressure to be a great wife and mother, and the difficulty of managing a household.

I have been struggling with these issues in private but these are the exact issues women and especially working mothers are struggling with everyday and need to hear about.  Instead of focusing on answers, which are fleeting at best, I’m going to share my journey.  Perhaps it will serve others to know they are not alone.  Most of all, this is my way of putting myself first, which you all should do.  I have been running low on gas lately and it’s time to fill my own gas tank.  Make sure to check out San Diego Momma, http://sandiegomomma.com/ to see this great writer for yourself.  She is a wealth of wisdom and is winning the battle against her fears everyday.

Coach’m Up Boni: CT Style – WTNH.com

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR YOUR BRAND: 10 THINGS TO TRY IN 2011

By Shawn Parr, CEO of Bulldog Drummond www.BulldogDrumond.com

1. BE COURAGEOUS, OFTEN

Take bold steps to stand out from the crowd. Reflect on 2010 and look at what you did well, and what could have been different. Take courageous steps to help your brand stand out in 2011.

2. REVISIT AND REFINE YOUR PURPOSE
Take the time to look back at your mission and vision and ask if you were living it in 2010. Look for places to bring it to life with your team and explore whether you need to refine it. Remember: the words aren’t set in stone. If they’re not resonating, rewrite and revise!

3. SHUT UP AND LISTEN
There’s a lot to learn if you just take the time to listen. Make sure you ask your team for feedback, ideas and suggestions. Listen to your consumers and pay attention to research. Listen to what they have to say and act on what you’ve heard. Honest, unfiltered feedback is fuel for change.

4. FIND AN ENEMY
An enemy gives you and your team something to push against–something to challenge. An enemy inspires passion!  This year, define a clear enemy and rally your team. It could be a competitor, a trend or an element of your internal culture. No matter what it is, create a plan to beat it, share the mission with your team and go forth!

5. STRETCH AND SET SOME BIG GOALS
Set at least one wild and audacious goal for 2011–something you’ve never tried before. Outline the goal, share it with your team and challenge them to play their part in achieving it. Just don’t forget to celebrate the small victories and successes on the journey.

6. BUILD A PASSIONATE AND ENGAGED TEAM
Your most valuable resource is your people. This year, weed out those who don’t contribute and aren’t engaged. Replace them with active, passionate and energized people who will make a true difference to the rest of your team and your brand.

7. INJECT FUN INTO THE EVERYDAY
One of the best motivators for your team is a great work environment. This year, start doing small things that make your employees happy. A monthly massage for those who have put in extra hours or a weekly pot-luck for the team. Small gestures or events can make a big difference. And the benefits won’t just stop with your team – they will show through everything that your brand does. Happy people equals happy brand.

8. PLAN FOR LEARNING
This year, make a commitment and ensure your company is continually learning and is inspired by the world at large. Create a program that allows your team to take classes. Host a “learning lunch” monthly with guest speakers. Injecting new thinking into your organization will energize your team and, ultimately, benefit your brand.

9. MAKE FRIENDS WITH OTHER BRANDS
Partner brands can be your best ally–whether they’re in your space or not. This year, chart a “circle of love,” identifying brands with similar values that you’d like to partner with in 2011. Set one member of your team with a potential relationship and have them explore how to collaborate. You’ll be surprised by the results, even just the initial conversations you’ll have about your own brand.

10. SAY THANK YOU AND SHOW THAT YOU REALLY MEAN IT
And, lastly, do what your mother told you! Thanking people goes a long way to creating valued and appreciated fans–internally and externally. This year, find new ways to show you appreciate your team, your customers and your partners, in ways that truly make a difference in their lives. You’ll be surprised and delighted by the results.

Shawn Parr is the CEO of Bulldog Drummond, a design and innovation consultancy headquartered in San Diego whose clients include Starbucks, Pepsi, Jack in the Box, Adidas, MTV, Nestle, Pinkberry, Virgin, Disney, Nike and American Eagle Outfitters.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

I had a wonderful time during the interview and hope you enjoy it!

We all want to become more authentic and true to ourselves.  When searching for a career or calling use these techniques adapted from the movie and book to help you find it.

Eat

Find pleasure in your craft and journey.

Nourish your soul with things you find pleasurable.  What things move you and create a positive emotional reaction?

Research and shadow someone in your desired field.  Just like when you’re eating something new, try it to see if you like it.

Fill your mind and soul with new experiences.

Pray

Go inward and still your mind.  Begin writing about your ideal career situation.

Envision it and don’t censor your writing.  Let it flow and you’ll soon see patterns emerging.

Distract yourself from stress by listening to a meditation or soothing music.

Get a massage, and feel tension melt away while opening your mind and heart to new inspiration.

Pray on it – if it comforts you.

Love

Love the process

Know that you’re not just searching for a career, you’re looking for yourself.

Don’t pass negative judgments on your ideas.  Say yes to them and think them through.  Give them a chance to develop.

Love yourself unconditionally and surround yourself with loving and supportive people.

You don’t have to travel across the globe to find yourself.  You just have to be present, open and welcoming when you decide to show up.  Embrace your positive emotions whenever they are present and make note of any patterns that emerge.  Such as, “I get so excited talking to people about how to market themselves better” or “I love making floral arrangements and personalizing them for others.”  When these patterns and positive emotions occur they mean you’re on the right track.

First take an inventory of your skills — all of them.     Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle.  On the left-hand side title it “Hard Skills”; on the right-hand side title it “Soft Skills.”  Both are important aspects of your overall value in the marketplace.  Hard skills represent easily transferable, tangible, and technical skills.  For example, your education, computer skills, certifications, designations, mathematical ability, software skills, statistical analysis, sales forecasting etc.  Soft skills are equally important but harder to measure because they are intangible and subjective such as being a leader, dependable, optimistic, patient, methodical, collaborative, persistent, diligent, competitive, honest, etc.

So now without censoring yourself write down what all of your skills are.

Next make a separate list of who you respect and admire.  They can be from the present or the past, from your family or from history.  This helps you understand who you are and  the traits you admire in yourself.

Once you determine what and who you value, I want you to spend some time asking yourself why?  Work through this question and you’ll be surprised at what comes to the surface.

You need to be able to define your value for yourself and embrace it before you can market yourself to others.

Many of us experience a crippling fear or anxiety when venturing into the unknown.  For some of us, it’s applying for a promotion or a new job.  For others, it’s starting your own business and putting yourself out there.  What should you do when faced with this?  Get out of your head!  That’s right, stop thinking about the problem and instead listen to your body.

The moment you feel the fear, analyze where it’s sitting.  Is it an ache in your head, a rock in the pit of your stomach, or does it feel more like butterflies?  Is your heart racing? Are your shoulders tensing up, or is your stomach tightened? Do you feel faint?  Stay with the feeling even though its uncomfortable because in a few moments, you will start to calm down.  It will pass like a wave and you will realize that the fear was not as big as your mind played it up to be.

Homework: Begin to break down your fears and have a reality check. On a piece of paper, start listing your fears when it comes to your career or business.  Get them out on paper and they begin to lose strength and power over you.  Afterward, write a few action steps that you can take to alleviate some of these fears.  Don’t make them too extravagent because then you won’t implement them.  Make them simple and attainable.  If you need to ask for help on a specific problem, determine who that should be.

2.  Don’t just list your job description and tasks in each job. Describe the goals and reasons you were hired and how you achieved them.

3.  Liz Ryan, workplace expert and in demand speaker says to avoid, “corporate speak” such as “results oriented individual”, “excellent communication skills” and other stock phrases and replace with a human voiced summary and résumé. It should read as if you are speaking to the recruiter. This is a world of difference from what we have been taught.

4.  Don’t be afraid to use “I” in your résumé summary. When describing your abilities in a particular industry or job family. Describe why you enjoyed the work and your long term career goals.

5.  Customize your résumé to the company you are applying to. Yes, this may take extra work on your end but it pays large dividends. Do your homework on the organization and describe the exact department you would like to be a part of.

6.  Include volunteer positions in which you held a leadership role or accomplished something significant. This is especially helpful if you have large time gaps in your résumé due to childrearing, economic layoffs, or switching careers.

7.  If you are successful at social media such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or others list them in their own social media section in your résumé. Highlight this area if you have found a lot of success. Feel free to include your blog if it relates to your career.

Update:  May 17, 2010 -  Here is a link to another great article by R. Slager on EHow on how to keep your résumé to 1 page. Check it out here, http://www.ehow.com/how_4481961_write-one-resume.html.

We’ve all heard of the book, but what a great principle to apply to our resumes, cover letters, and job searches.  Instead of utilizing a generic or jack of all trades (and master of none) resume, we should be using (and with great success) a purpose-driven, focused, and customized resume.  In fact, if you have expertise in more than one area, then you should be broadcasting more than one resume.

After working recently with a client who had an extremely unfocused, all-over-the-place resume, I was prompted to sit down and write about how important a focused, customized, and branded resume really is.  This particular client had his resume nicely written, and to tell the truth, it wasn’t half bad.  It contained great wording, had an appealing format, and even included some great accomplishments.  The problem was that this resume had multiple personalities—ten different job titles and no clear direction.  It was not a surprise the client didn’t even receive one call back.  Hiring managers were probably reviewing the resume and thinking, “I have no idea where to put this person or what he really wants to do.”

If you have experience and expertise in several different areas it certainly is not a negative, but blasting everything you have ever done all over your resume—where it looks like job titles and keywords just threw up all over it—is not going to get you an interview … or a call back for that matter.  Here are three points you should consider in order to clean up your resume, communicate your purpose, and customize it:

1. Focus. Pick one position, one role, one industry.  Then convey your achievements, contributions, experience, expertise, talent, passion, and vision for that one key role.  This does not mean you can only apply to that one position; this is where the technique of employing multiple resumes which are focused in different areas comes in to play.
2. Don’t just develop a resume with any old content.  Create your personal branding statement, and then tie in all of the other elements of your resume to support that statement.  If you are an amazing sales manager in the XYZ industry, then what makes you so great?  How do your talent, passion, and vision play into that?
3. Customization is crucial.  Form an appropriate branding statement and relevant career summary to industry specific keywords and pertinent accomplishments.  They should all relate back to the exact position to which you are applying at that very moment.

Everything about your resume should address the key points of the job description and answer the question: “Are you a perfect fit for this job?”  If you can review the description and honestly answer, “I addressed all of their requirements—either through my branding statement, career summary, keywords, or accomplishments,” then you can be assured you’re the perfect fit for the position and you have a purpose-driven resume.

For a free resume analysis send your resume to info@greatresumesfast.com.  You can visit them online at http://www.greatresumesfast.com to view sample resumes and find information about professional resume writing services.

Jessica Holbrook is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, and presenter.  She has written more than 100 articles that are featured on some of the best career advice Web sites today.  In addition, her writing has been included in Launch pad, a career search strategy guide featuring exclusive information by the top career experts in the industry.

As CEO of Great Resumes Fast, Jessica enjoys collaborating with forward-thinking professionals and executives, identifying their personal brand and value proposition and leveraging their unique talent, passion, and vision to position them as a leader in their industry.  Her passion is helping professionals and executives uncover what makes them stand out in the crowd.