Every Idea I Have Seems Great... But Only For A Short While. Am I A Lost Cause

“Every Idea I Have Seems Great... But Only For A Short While. Am I A Lost Cause” Help from our Community “Every Idea I Have Seems Great... But Only For A Short While. Am I A Lost Cause?” * Tessa isn't miserable at work, but she still wants more from life. Trouble is, her excitement about each new idea fizzles out in a short period of time. Is she coming up with all the wrong ideas, or is she just a lost cause? What's your career history and current job? I've always bounced around in the web design sector. I started out as an intern at a magazine, and then went into graphic design with a small start-up. Now I'm the deputy online editor for a well-known lifestyle blog. We run features on things like cooking, interiors and DIY living, and I manage the look and feel of the site. How do you feel about your work? I enjoy it. I do. The people I work with are great, I often wake up excited to go to the office in the mornings, and there are some days I finish work buzzing. But I can feel this creeping disillusionment and boredom setting in, which is very familiar to me, and it's scary. I think I could be doing more with my life, and that's what's frustrating me right now. I think I could be making a bigger impact in a different industry, or that I should be working in a different environment or something… Something's not right, and I want to catch it and do something about it before I reach a point where I'm miserable again. What would you like to be doing instead? So many things! I'm interested in herbal medicine, nutrition, yoga, well-being, psychology, productivity, fine art… I'd love to do public speaking, be 'the face' of a business. I’d love to be in research and academics. I want to do outdoor pursuits, be working outdoors and making things with my hands… I don't have a job title in mind or a specific career path, but I'm pretty clear about the areas I want to be moving in. What's the biggest obstacle in your way? With all these different interests, I don't know which way to go. I throw myself fully into ideas once I decide to take them on, and immerse myself completely in them. Then, maybe a month later, maybe 6 months later, I get bored and want something different. A few years ago I started a business which took off quickly; then I lost interest and let it drop. Then I started a nutrition course, which I finished, but once I'd done it, I felt like I'd 'done it', and didn't take it any further. I went to meet-ups with personal development groups, and loved it, but eventually it just turned into hangouts rather than anything that could turn into a career, so I let that slide too. It's constant, and it's driving me mad. I don't want a portfolio career â€" I know I'm not self-motivated and organised enough to juggle several things at once â€" so I feel like I'm this weird personality type who's excited about lots of different things but doesn't have the stamina to follow through. Is it because none of them are the right thing for me? Maybe I'm giving up on ideas because they're all wrong? Or am I just flaky and unreliable? It's reaching the point where I'm losing hope. I want a career where I can climb high, make a real impact and be known for what I do, but when the inevitable boredom kicks in, every single time, I doubt I'll ever get to that point. Am I a lost cause? Can you help Tessa? Have you been in the same situation or are you in the same boat right now? Is she, as she says, flaky and unreliable? Or has she just not found the right thing yet? Do you know anyone she could talk to? Share your thoughts in the comments below and click the thumbs-up button to show your support. Give Tessa a cheer of encouragement by hitting the thumbs-up button here:

How to make ladder-climbing a positive experience

How to make ladder-climbing a positive experience The work world offers a continuum of means to stability. Huge risk takers might choose to pay off the Russian mob and try to corner to oil market in Siberia. If youre looking for stability, you might try climbing a corporate ladder in a large, publicly traded company. Climbing, of course, could lead to instability. The less valuable you are to the company, the more likely you are to be laid off, given mind-numbing work, or given positions that offer little flexibility. And those situations often lead to big instability. But there are a few things you can do to make ladder-climbing easier. So here are three ideas, and one general tip: Pay attention to employment litigation where the courts are systematically documenting what helps and hinders ladder-climbers as a way to protect minorities from discrimination. 1. Start somewhere good. There are companies that are known for being respectful of employees and there are companies known for being embroiled in litigation from bitter employees. Stay away from the latter. Daniel Gilbert shows that if the last girl liked the guy youre dating than youll probably like him, too. It is not a big leap to apply this research to the workplace. If other people love working at the company, then you will too. So talk to former employees and find out if they liked the company. (Current employees often have too much invested in their job to tell you the company stinks.) LinkedIn is actually a great way to find former employees of a given company. And most people will be happy to tell you if they loved their former match. 2. Get a sponsor. In order to move up in a large company you need someone to guide you. A sponsor is someone who is a mentor, but its a specific type of mentor. This person is well-connected in the company, who will not only make you known to the right people, but will help you steer yourself within the company. You find a sponsor the same way you would find a mentor. By networking, by approaching the person directly, or by asking your human resources department if theres a company program you can join. It is well documented that a sponsor works to get an employee up the ladder. And because of this, when a large company gets in trouble for not promoting enough minorities into senior management, one way they can remedy the problem (reg. req.) in a way that satisfies the courts is to establish a sponsor program for minorities. This should be enough evidence for you to set up your own little program, for yourself. 3. Get into a line management position. Corporations are set up to favor ladder climbing from line management rather than from support roles. What does this mean? Line managers are directly responsible for generating money for the company (think product management or sales). Support staff, on the other hand, is responsible for making things run smoothly so the line managers can generate money (think human resources, public relations, or customer service). Support managers generally do not have the profit-and-loss experience necessary for a top management position. Of all the CEOs who worked their way up the ladder, youd be hard-pressed to come up with someone who made their mark on the company in a support role. And discrimination lawsuits have identified placing minorities in human resources and public relations departments as inherently career-limiting moves. One of the most important pieces of climbing a ladder is creating a situation where you have enough clout to create a furtively flexible work life. (For example, a last-minute decision to go to a basketball game does not raise any eyebrows.) This is what will make ladder climbing palatable over an extended period of time. Take a job that allows you to adding directly to the companys bottom line, because if you can take responsibility for profits then you will get more leeway to create the kind of work life you want. And, that, after all, is the key to making a climb up the ladder a positive experience.

4 Kinds of Haters and How to Handle Them

4 Kinds of Haters and How to Handle Them Somehow, I grew up being a people pleaser. If that describes you, too, then you know that along with it comes something youd rather not have endured.  Its that apparent subconscious invitation for more aggressive personality types to take advantage of your kind nature.  How it actually shows up can be anything from passing,  not-so-nice comments to outright bullying. Unfortunately cattiness, passive aggressive digs, backhanded compliments, rants and all out bullying isn’t something limited to just kids and teens. Adults are guilty of these “hater” behaviors and we see them play out in different parts of our lives. From friends and colleagues to family members and even our spouses, people are constantly throwing shade. Dr. Sanam Hafeez PsyD a NYC based neuropsychologist and teaching faculty member at Columbia University, shares a list of 4 kinds of haters and offers expert advice for how to handle them. The jealous friend. This is the friend who wants you around and seems interested in knowing what you are doing. They claim they want the best for you but when great things come your way they throw digs and take things down a negative path. Get a promotion at work and it’s met with, “Oh now you’ll never see your husband.  Be careful, women look at him all the time.” Lose 10 pounds and they’ll say, “Well don’t get rid of your old clothes in case you gain it back and then some.” According to Dr. Hafeez, “The best way to handle the jealous friend is to confront her as soon as the remark is made. We teach people how to treat us, what’s tolerated and what isn’t. Allow someone to throw digs and they will continue to do so. Ask her what is going on in their life that has her a bit off.   Seek to gain understanding but start distancing yourself if it continues.”   The passive aggressive colleague. The workplace is a hotbed for drama.   Unlike friendships, people are just put together and forced to be professional and cordial to one another. “There’s a lot of undercutting and favoritism and a mixture of personalities. On top of that there is a general avoidance of confrontation. You can’t just tell someone exactly what you think, which leads to passive aggressiveness,” explains Hafeez. She goes on to say that, “Some passive aggressive traits are, erratic moods, (one minute they’re cold the next day you’re their best friend), procrastination, half-hearted effort and even sabotaging. The best way to handle the passive aggressive colleague is to have a meeting over lunch outside of the office. Get them in neutral territory. Then explain that you are focused on solutions and want to create a harmonious and productive team dynamic based on open communication and respect.” The overbearing family member. They know it all, speak to you as if you know nothing and are incompetent and incapable. Incredibly controlling, they want to feel needed and look to you to give their life purpose. They say they want to see you thriving, prosperous, healthy and whole yet, they focus on all that is going wrong in your life. It’s codependency. Hafeez explains, “These family members have no use for you if you don’t need them. The more independent you are and the more you thrive, the more they’ll look to what’s wrong. Opinionated and judgmental, they hinder your growth. The best way to handle the overbearing family member is to create boundaries. Limit how much you share with them and assign them ways to help you on your terms.” The stifling spouse. Feeling a bit smothered in your relationship with your partner? Do they throw digs when you aren’t behaving exactly how they want you to? Are you losing yourself as you try your best to please them? According to Dr. Hafeez, “Being judged, criticized and manipulated by the person who claims they love you can be incredibly difficult on one’s self-esteem. When you feel controlled and always judged you begin to walk on eggshells.’ This leads to anxiety or even depression. Be sure to have your own hobbies, interests and friends. Don’t allow anyone to make you responsible for their happiness that’s their job.”   About the doctor. Dr. Sanam Hafeez PsyD is an NYC based licensed neuropsychologist. She is a teaching faculty member at the prestigious Columbia University Teacher’s College and the founder and clinical director of the Comprehend the Mind Institutes in Manhattan and Queens. She was a long time child school psychologist. She specializes in  providing neuropsychological, educational and developmental evaluations to both adults and children in her practice.  She works with individuals who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), learning disabilities, autism, attention and memory problems, trauma and brain injury, abuse, childhood development and psychopathology (bipolar, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, etc…) In addition, Dr. Hafeez serves as a medical expert for various news outlets and programs, and as an expert witness providing full evaluations and witness testimony to law firms and courts. Connect with her via twitter @comprehendMind or at  www.comprehendthemind.com Images: Bully buster  Aimee Lindell  bully  Mark Walley

How to Create Eye-Catching Visual Content For Your Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Create Eye-Catching Visual Content For Your Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career How your brand image is projected visually is important to your audience and visibility. A mix of appealing images and video will not only increase engagement in your marketing, but will also create a greater awareness. Visuals are entertaining and stimulating to the mind. Most of all, people like sharing content that is unique and offers a solution to their questions. You’ve probably heard and read about the need for a brand to present unique and valuable content for its readers. What ties directly into the scheme of things are eye-catching components such as videos, infographics, and images which project your message. What Makes Eye-Catching Visual Content Brands incorporate visual marketing into their content mix for a variety of reasons, including increasing leads and growing their social media network. In order to encourage viral sharing follow these tips to make sure your visual marketing strategy doesn’t disappoint: Share what your audience wants What’s on people’s minds, right at this moment? That’s the first question to ask yourself when sitting down to create your images and video. Deliver on what you promise Make your visuals highly relevant to your core brand community. Share information that your intended audience will always need, provides helpful information and solutions, and does not change over time. Go beyond just images Include interactive content such as Infographics or a short video that can be shared on places like Instagram and Facebook and ties directly back to your website and YouTube channel. Give your content a fresh twist Ensure your visual content is relevant to your target viewers that is unique to your brand. Topics that are on everyone’s mind are wonderful â€" just as long as you give them your own new “twist.” Make it shareable Share your posts and tweets specifically with influential people in your niche who are inside your network pointing out how this could be beneficial to their audience base as well. Make sure your website is responsive and includes all of the latest social sharing icons. It has been said that a picture is worth a thousands words. Since the human brain processes images faster than text, your brand’s message can be communicated in a much more immediate way. Start your visual marketing campaigns by creating and improving your graphics as you go along, and pay attention to which images or videos get the most response. Be sure to monitor user feedback and don’t be afraid to make adjustments along the way in order to reach a targeted audience.

Is Your Executive Career Brand a Mega-Brand, Up-and-Coming Brand, or Potential Brand - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

Is Your Executive Career Brand a Mega-Brand, Up-and-Coming Brand, or Potential Brand Maybe youve done some work on your executive brand. Youve determined what your top strengths are and what makes you valuable to employers. You know what differentiates you from your peers and competitors. But do you know how strong your brand is and how well its working for you? The folks over at Reach Personal Branding, with whom I completed the Reach Certified Personal Branding Strategist program, have compiled a compelling personal branding quiz to help you measure your brand. Hop over there to take the full test. Here are 10 of the questions in the quiz. How many can you answer yes to? 1.   Are you clear about your greatest weakness â€" what could be holding you back from achieving your goals? 2.   Do you know how your self-perceptions differ from the perceptions from those around you? 3.   When people introduce you, do they all use the same words to describe you? 4.   Do you have a brand positioning statement that describes: what you offer, for whom and how you are different? 5.   Can you clearly describe your target audience â€" those people who need to know about you so that you can achieve your goals? 6.   Do you have your own web site or home on the World Wide Web that showcases your success? 7.   Have you published or e-published an article in the past three months? 8.   Do you mark every project with your personal brand (every meeting, report, etc.)? 9.   Do you have a strong professional network? 10.   Have you pro-actively done something valuable for a member of your network this week?   Related posts over at my Executive Resume Branding blog: Best of Personal Branding Strategies, Lessons, and News Best of Online Brand Identity and Social Media Best of Executive Resume Branding Tactics and Advice 00 0

Nail that management CV today! - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

Nail that management CV today! Most people don’t realise that a CV will differ depending on the job you want to take. It’s easy to believe you only need one work CV for every job that you apply for, but unfortunately, this isn’t correct. Some people head to recruitment specialists to cast an eye over their CV and help them clean it up, but if you want to learn to write a CV yourself, you have to start somewhere. Competitions for jobs in management is huge, so an effectively written CV is important if you hope to impress. When you want to up your game in your career, you shouldn’t write-off taking extra education certificates to get you where you want to be. Project management training classes, for example, are a great way to boost your management credibility, and working toward certificates in leadership are another way to go. Your CV needs to stand out among the crowd of applicants, so you need to decide how you can add value to your prospective employers. Showing the person who is reading your CV exactly how your management style is more unique than others is one way forward and writing a strong CV is another. When you begin to write your CV, be prepared to vary it up. You may be looking for management and executive positions, but the industries themselves may vary. Your achievements should be showcased, but shouldn’t look artificial. Each job should have bullet points so try to blend your achievements into these points so they look natural and flow well. If you are applying for a project management role in the technology sector, shine a spotlight on achievements in managing large projects. If you can inject that management experience with a link to the technology sector, then all the better. You have to be sure you are pitching yourself at the right level, which is why you have to make sure that you adjust your CV according to role. That doesn’t mean fabricate anything on there, never do that as it’s illegal for one and also, it’s immoral. Imagine you add on experience that you don’t have and then are required to do work relating to fake experience? It’s best to keep your CV as honest as possible, including the reasons for any and all employment breaks. While employers prefer solid CVs with fluid experience that is meaty for each role, gaps are expected when you are climbing the career ladder from junior to senior positions. Your management CV should be more than just a list of roles and responsibilities. It should be a profile of you and how you work, as well exactly what you have to offer the new company. They need to be wowed by your experience and enthusiasm and feel like putting your CV to one side would be a waste. There are a lot of senior management roles out there, so if you have written your CV, always get an outside eye to look over it and give you feedback before submission.

Highlights for job seekers from Career Management Alliance -

Highlights for job seekers from Career Management Alliance - This has been a slow week for blogging for me because Im in San Antonio at the Career Management Alliance conference. Its great connecting with Twitter friends and other contacts in person and learning a lot that Im looking forward to sharing here on my blog! Highlights? Peter Weddle, CEO of WEDDLES says this isnt a come as you are job market and suggests that you must work on your career every day! Kathryn Troutman, Federal Job Expert and head of The Resume Place, reminds us that there are 350,000 Federal jobs, and you need to know how to apply for them to win a chance! Lauryn Franzoni and Robyn Greenspan from Execunet say that the top fields for growth in 2009 are: Healthcare Pharma/Med/Biotech Energy Business Services We also heard from a futurist (!) and a screenwriter who helps train people to succeed in interviews! Stay tuned for more details. I need to get ready for breakfast!