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INTERVIEW: Value of Reading Professional Books, Journals

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Value of Reading Professional Books, Journals

Career practitioners, like many people, are so busy. It is so important for ourselves and our profession that we continue to learn and find ways to do our own professional development (PD). *This is a follow up to a blog on the same topic. Lack of time. Lack of money. Two big reasons why people don’t do PD. Watch this interview with Aimee Parker and Lynn Carroll talk with me about finding that time to read on a regular basis and give some tips on how to find the time to do this.

BIOS:

LYNN CARROLL is a career coach in the Philadelphia area with a particular focus on women in STEM, people of color, LGBTQ jobseekers and introverts. Her ‘Career Authentically’ blog is full of positive encouragement and useful tips. Check it out at www.lynnncareercoach.com.

Web: www.lynncareercoach.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lynncarroll
Twitter: @LynnCareerCoach
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lynncareercoach
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/LynnCareerCoach

AMIE PARKER is a professional that is passionate about HR and has worked in the the government, private and non-profit sectors. As a self-described optimist extraordinaire, she lives by the credo that “life is what you make it” and serves in order to share this message! Certified SHRM-SCP, SPHR

Value of Reading Professional Books, Journals

INTERVIEW: With Chris Brogan on choosing 3 words to guide you

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INTERVIEW with Chris Brogan

I had the pleasure to interview Chris Brogan from Owner New Media Group who has been doing this practice of annuallychoosing 3 words to guide him. He’s been doing this now since 2006.

– Do you struggle with New Year’s Resolutions?
– Do you find developing goals to be cumbersome?

Learn more about “Why and How” Chris chooses three words each year to guide him

Look for my blog on this same topic https://peak-careers.com/3-words-to-guide-me/


Chris Brogan

BIO: CHRIS BROGAN provides strategy and skills for the modern business. He is CEO of Owner Media Group, a sought after public speaker, and the New York Times bestselling author of nine books and working on his tenth. Ask him about it!
He offers webinars, courses, podcasts, and great advice.
Learn more about him at chrisbrogan.com

Learn more about Jim Peacock and Peak-Careers Consulting at https://Peak-Careers.com

Special thanks to Chris Brogan for doing this interview

3 Words To Guide Me

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3 Words To Guide Me in 2018

BROADER AND LAYERED
Once again I have chosen 3 words to guide me as I begin a new year. I also have goals written for my business and some personal goals. Yet, I have found a lot of power in choosing 3 words to guide me each year. They are posted on my computer, my refrigerator, my bathroom mirror, and placed on the bottom of all my PowerPoint presentations that I do. Goals are great and tend to be very specific. My 3 words are broader and have layered meanings to them.

PUTTING IT OUT TO THE UNIVERSE
Having these words visible throughout my day and in a variety of physical locations keeps them fresh in my mind. The power of the universe is great and by focusing on 3 words and what they mean to me…and seeing those words throughout my day, is sending a message to the universe and myself that they are important.

FEELS RIGHT
So how do I find my words? Or better yet, how do my words find me?

I have been taking a ‘tech-free’ retreat day at least 4 – 6 times a year now. This is a day that I spend out of my office, away from my house, where I journal, draft blogs, meditate, think, go for walks, read books and journals, and simplify my work life for the day.

At my retreat in November, I reviewed my journal for 2017 to see if there were any themes that came out to me. I discovered and wrote down 7- 10 words. For the next month I spent some time thinking about those words…the meaning of the word in a variety of contexts…how it felt…

Over time the words reach out to me.

Here are my 3 words and a little about what they mean to me.3 words to guide me

REACH:
As I come up to my 6th Anniversary of being full-time with Peak-Careers Consulting (Feb 3), I feel that this is the year to push myself a bit and to stretch for some new things in my business and life. I want to do some webinars this year and convert my YouTube interviews to PodCasts so that more people can listen to them. I am quite proud of these 15-20 interviews with a wide variety of people.

There are other areas of my business and life that this word will apply to as well and I will probably be surprised at what other areas it percolates into.

CAPACITY:
Along with reach comes a realization that I do have a capacity issue. How many seminars can I run at one time? How many blogs can I write? How many career coaching clients can I see each month? How many different social media platforms can I be on? How many FCD classes can I teach each year? AND provide quality content.

Capacity. This was an issue raised by a person from SCORE a few years ago, and I’ve never forgotten it.

Providing quality content for career practitioners is what I am most proud of and want to continue to provide. To do so requires a real awareness of my capacity.

I have had a Virtual Assistant, Jessie, for 2 ½ years now, one of the best moves I ever made. In 2015 I really thought I could not afford to hire a VA. But the reality was (and is), I could not afford to NOT hire someone to help. She has really helped with my capacity. I now have two people helping me with Peak-Careers, freeing up time for me to write and deliver services.

Whenever I find something on my “To Do” list that keeps moving from day to day, I ask myself, can someone else do this for me? Because the reality is, if it keeps moving down my “To Do” list, it is probably something I don’t want to do.

CONSISTENCY:
I realize the importance of routines now more than ever. Dr. Nancy Schlossberg’s Transition Theory speaks to the impact of any transition on a person’s roles, relationships, and routines.

My morning routine is what sets my day up. I start most days doing a Qi Gong practice. I have two different ones that I mix up and it begins my day with focusing on my body and mind…stretching, moving, and being mindful about the moment. I then journal about whatever is on my mind both personally and professionally. This too helps focus me for the day.

Consistency is also important in my writing, delivery of content, newsletters, blogs, and everything I do for Peak-Careers. People in the Peak-Careers community are looking for information to help them in their work and I have a style that works for me, that they like as well. It is important that I be consistent in what I do so people know who I am and what they can expect from me.

What words do you want to ‘send out to the universe’ this year?

Look for my interview next week with Chris Brogan who is the person who turned me onto this “3 Words” practice.

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Jim Peacock is the Principal at Peak-Careers Consulting and writes a weekly career news email for career practitioners. Peak-Careers offers discussion-based online seminars for career practitioners focused on meeting continuing education needs for CCSP, GCDF and BCC certified professionals as well as workshops for career practitioners and individual career coaching. He is the author of A Field Guide for Career Practitioners: Helping Your Clients Create Their Next Move

Sign up here to receive my TOP 10 TIPS WHEN WORKING WITH AN UNDECIDED PERSON. You can also receive the career practitioners newsletter which includes a variety of career topics, industry news, interesting events, and more.

A Blaze of Glory by Jeff Shaara

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Shaara does another great job of bringing me to the Civil War with all the sounds, emotions, personalities that war brings. This book is about the western front and the Battle of Shiloh. This was a battle I knew little about but one thing he confirmed with me is that wars are won and lost on luck so often as well as poor decisions. It does NOT feel like one General is smarter than the other, just poor decisions, political struggles, and luck.

The loss of lives in this battle were staggering and so sad. Families against each other. Officers against each other who attended West Point together. Brutal war.

Another great book by Shaara.

Developing A Value Added Statement for Your Clients- WEBINAR

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Developing Value Added Statements for Your Clients

You won’t want to miss our upcoming webinar to help you, help your clients develop their value added statement when they are looking for their next job.

  • Are your clients sending a consistent message out to future employers?
  • Do you have clients who struggle with identifying their 5-6 “essential skills” they bring to the workforce?
  • In this 45 minute webinar, I will present three (3) ways to “pull out” your clients’ skills, traits, interests, and passions.

 

Thursday January 11th @ 3:00pm Eastern.

Registration begins January 3, Wednesday and closes Tuesday the 9th at 5pm EASTERN

REGISTER NOW

A Value Added Statement is critical for your clients to develop. 

Sign up for our newsletter  before Friday the 5th and receive a Promo Code to save $10.

I have numerous ways I like to help my clients figure out their value in the workforce. We then take that statement and becomes the cornerstone for everything we do from there…resume, LinkedIn profile in particular the Summary Section, cover letter, information interviews, all their communication takes this value-added statement and provides a clear message to everyone.

INTERVIEW: Mindfulness in Our Daily Work

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Mindfulness In Our Daily Work

In our ever crazy busy world, this 17 minute interview explores the benefits of mindfulness, as well as advice for busy people to find ways to gain control over the “tsunami of information and expectations” we all face. (this is a follow up to my blog https://peak-careers.com/3-reasons-to-…)

Jim Peacock of Peak-Careers Consulting (www.Peak-Careers.com) talks with Sabrina Woods a Holistic Career & Life Coach (http://www.sabrina-woods.com/mindfuln…) and Vanessa Weiner Executive Director for the Center for Resilience. http://www.centerforresilience.org

Mindfulness In Our Daily Work

We discuss:

– – What is ‘mindfulness”?

– – We live in this crazy busy world, at work and at home typically, what are the benefits of mindfulness?

– – What advice do you have for busy people to do in order to be more mindful?

Interview was on July 13, 2017

BIOS:

VANESSA WEINER is the Founder and Executive Director at Center for Resilience, a non-profit dedicated to empowering people to empower themselves through mindfulness practice.

The organization fosters success in the classroom, community and workplace by teaching strategies for managing stress, overcoming obstacles, cultivating compassion and thriving through adversity – outcomes that benefit both the individual and society as a whole. Learn more at http://www.centerforresilience.org

SABRINA WOODS has over 15 years of experience in the career development field including at Harvard, Northeastern, and the University of London.

She also has a private practice as a Holistic Career / Life Coach & Consultant, where she helps individuals who are going through mid-career transitions. In addition, she loves to facilitate workshops including a mindfulness-based session called Building Resilience to Handle Everyday Stress. For more about Sabrina: www.sabrina-woods.com.