How to Apply Perfectionism to Your Career and Life

In business school, if not earlier, we've all learned about Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs, and we've been told that what's called "self-actualization" is the highest, or rather, most pressing human need, on which all other "lower" needs serve as only building blocks. While Maslow's theories have earned their fair share of criticism, I'd like to defer instead to a broader set of ideas in moral philosophy collectively called "perfectionism" and then discuss how these ideas can be successfully implemented in your daily life as well as your career.

I'm sure we've heard our friends, family, or perhaps even ourselves referred to as "perfectionists," with little thought to what that may actually mean. The image of the perfectionist in modern society is often marred with a hint of criticism. We think of perfectionists as compulsive, almost neurotic. This image should perhaps be more rightfully attributed to a person who struggles with some form of obsessive compulsive disorder, and it is not the image to which I am referring when I say "perfectionist." To give you a basic idea of perfectionism as a philosophy, Wikipedia offers the following: "…perfectionism is the persistence of will in obtaining the optimal quality of spiritual, mental, physical, and material being." Sounds tough, huh? Impossible, you say? Well of course, attaining perfection is certainly not possible in one lifetime, but a philosophical perfectionist completely understands this. The key word here is "persistence."

Of course, what counts as perfection will inevitably be based on what an individual values most, but in terms of your career, perfectionism is simply striving to do your very best, every single day, no matter what the size or import of your task at hand is. Surely, the bigger picture does matter, but the successful completion of the optimal life is all in the small things. The devil may be in details, as they say, but so is god, the personal god in each of us that longs to order our lives by standards of excellence.

Although it can be difficult to appreciate the necessity of doing the small things right, I usually defer to my favorite sport, golf. When I focused too much on the outcome of the total score—I'd constantly be adding up figures as I'd step up to the tee box—I'd get hung up on the big picture, and my final score would suffer. However, one day I tried something different. I focused on only each single shot, and told myself that this one shot was the only shot I'd have to take. When I placed greater importance on individual shots—on the small things—I noticed I was doing better on each hole. Still I didn't add up scores. I just marked the number of shots per hole, threw the scorecard back in my bag and moved on. By the time I finished up on the eighteenth hole, I had tallied the totals and—not kidding—it was the best round in my life.

In the final analysis, perfectionism is not an end goal, but a state of mind. If you strive for a systematic approach to perfection, one that keeps in mind the details with a steady, reasonable approach to the big picture, then you will find that unexpected aspects of your life—career and personal—will begin to fall into place as if by magic.

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Guest Expert:

Angela Martin writes on job search topics at Job Search Websites. She welcomes your comments at her email angela.martin77@gmail.com.

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Which Career Service is Right for You?

Frequently, when I meet people and introduce myself as a Career Coach, I am met with a number of misconceptions about what that role might be. Among the roles that people think I play are: 1- I give tests for aptitude or interests, 2- I write resumes, 3- I “get” people jobs, 4- I give them job leads. I would like to help define the role and to further describe the spectrum of services out there to aid people in all facets of their careers, career goals, and job search strategies.

These are trying times and it’s good to understand what services exist and how best to utilize them. Here are some things to know:

Career Coach/Counselor – A good career coach will be able to analyze the situation and goals the client has and be able to provide them with tools and processes for getting to their goals. A Career Coach will have the necessary skills to facilitate their client’s self-examination and discovery, which are necessary for clarifying career goals. A career coach may or may not give assessments. If they don’t give assessments and they feel one would be helpful, they can point the client to assessment resources. Think of it like going to your doctor. There may be some tests they run and others they will send you out to get. A Career Counselor is very similar to the Career Coach and in some situations is identical. Usually a counselor has training and certifications that qualify them to administer certain career assessments. The field of assessment is shifting and is no longer the sole domain of counselors, mostly because many assessments are readily available on the internet.

Pros:

• Personalized service and attention – done in a one on one environment where all the work and focus is on the client and their specific needs.
• The scope of the services is broad- covers all or most facets pertaining to the clients career concerns, as well as any other life issues going on with the client.
• The process that a client will go through is comprehensive, organized and will keep the client accountable for moving forward and taking appropriate actions

Cons:

• Cost – prices range from $75-$200 per session. May need to commit to a set number of sessions

Job Seeker Group – With the ongoing unemployment rise, a variety of job seeker-type groups have cropped up in almost all cities. Their names are different, but generally they are all free and open to the public. The topics covered are almost exclusively devoted to the job search area of careers. They are often facilitated by volunteers who may have some background related to those topics. There is frequently a networking component to the meetings, if not exclusively a networking event.

Pros:

• Free service- may be a very good deal as some of the speakers really know their material
• Very plentiful- numerous groups have been formed, so for larger cities people can generally find them in their neighborhoods.
• Depending on how the group is formed and organized, it can be a good networking and “lead” sharing opportunity.

Cons:

• There is no logical connection, plan or organization to the topics being presented. Most of the time the topics are based on who can present the topics and what the speaker wants to talk about.
• The topics focus on job search, which means if a person wants to focus on other career topics, like career change or development, their needs won’t be covered.
• Little or no individualized attention- the job seeker is left to pull all of the various elements together to form their own job search plan.
• Some people report that many of these groups are depressing and unproductive, as desperate individuals frequently share stories about lengthy unemployment and hard times.

Job Clubs – A true job club (as opposed to a job seeker group given the name of “club”) is usually a group that is organized to last for a set number of weeks, has a beginning date and finish date, has closed attendance and has a weekly topic with interactive exercises. It is very much like a class where the topics each week all relate to each other and are in a logical order for learning. Many of these groups include lead sharing and promote mutual support. These groups usually have a fee for joining.

Pros:

• A very affordable structure, less expensive than a coach/counselor, but with the benefits of a well thought out process.
• Most of the job seekers tend to develop relationships with others as it creates an environment of support.
• Provides a structure to keep the job seeker accountable for taking action.

Cons:

• May be hard to find one- there aren’t that many formed, so availability is limited.
• While affordable, there is still a cost.
• Not individualized and usually doesn’t cover topics beyond job seeking.

Specialized Career Services – There is a number of people and businesses that specialize in specific facets of job search services. Historically we are most familiar with recruiters and headhunters, who are now specializing in niches like law, medicine and technology. In addition to that group of specialists are: resume’ writers, interview coaches, personal branding and job searchers. And the list goes on.

Pros:

• For people with specialized careers, some of the niche specific services are great – they are well connected and know where the hidden jobs are.
• The array of services available that specialize in a specific facet of the job search means the depth of knowledge is great for that one area.
• While they all have a fee, many of them are very reasonable and the amount of time to complete or access the service is short.
• The focus is on the client and what they need.

Cons:

• There is a fee and some of the fees are in the same range as a career coach/counselor.
• These services tend to cover job search only and not other career areas.
• Since these are specialized services, they are not “holistic”, meaning that the entire process is not pulled together for the job seeker.

Summary

Most people haven’t had much experience working on the various phases of their career goals and job search strategies. Therefore, pursuing a service to fill in the gaps of their capabilities makes sense. Like everything else in life, you need to be a smart consumer and engage with the service that will really meet your needs.

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Guest Expert:

Dorothy Tannahill-Moran is a Career Coach and expert on helping her clients achieve their goals. Her programs cover: Career growth and enhancement, Career Change, Retirement Alternatives and Job Search Strategy. Want to discover specific career change strategies that get results? Discover how by claiming your FREE gift, Career Makeover Toolkit at: http://CareerMakeoverToolKitShouldIstayorShouldIGo.com/

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How Do You Ask for a Career Change?

If you’re like most people, you start to get a little bored with your work after about two years. By this point, the novelty has worn off and you’ve learned most of what you need to be a contributor to the organization. These two years are also enough time for you to really figure out where you are in the corporate food chain; that is, a fast riser to the top or a bottom dweller. For those in the later category, you may often consider making a change. Of course, that idea can certainly generate a lot of questions in your mind on just how to do that. Well, here’s a strategy for making this type of change.

Here’s the situation: you’ve been in your job for two or three years and your career in this company boils down to just a job. You shouldn’t worry too much about it. This is about the point where most people determine that they need to make a change. They’ve given the company sufficient time to recognize their skills and contribution to the company. If they haven’t been rewarded with bonuses and promotions by now, they assume they aren’t going to get any. So, they begin to adjust their mindset to consider new options.

Jumping out of your company usually isn’t the first consideration. That takes a little more work, since searching for jobs today is difficult for anyone. A quick option is to consider other opportunities within your existing company. If you haven’t done this before, it can appear quite elusive. It really isn’t too challenging, if you follow these simple steps.

1. Make your efforts visible. We judge ourselves by what we are capable of, while others judge us by what we have done. Most people track their accomplishments on their resume. How many people in your company have seen your resume? I would guess very few. This means most people don’t know what you can do. You have to show them what you are capable of. If you want to be known for having talent in a specific area, find projects to work on that require those talents and make sure the most influential people know you are working on it. High profile programs and projects are great for such exposure. Once you’re on one of these projects, use your internal network to promote your activities.

2. Show you can solve problems. There's no better time than today to start stepping up your game and becoming a positive thinking problem-solver. It's too easy to be a blamer. Always ask yourself “what's the problem here?” Don't be afraid to take the lead in solving a complex problem. It's not career risk. It's career enhancement. One problem facing CEOs, as indicated by the IBM Global Business Services report “After The Crisis: What now?”, is in finding targeted approaches for developing revenue, such as through improved service and support. Tight credit and tight budgets are putting the strain on business. Help solve this problem for your company and you will help put some mobility back into your career.

3. Demonstrate your skills in many ways. Don't just focus your skills and talents on your specific area of expertise. Organizations are constantly pushing the limits of the “doing more with less” philosophy. This is unlikely to change anytime soon. The people that move up in this environment are the ones who step up. Managers don’t know what skills you have, so they aren’t going to come around to your cube and ask you to take on projects that may push you outside the skill sets required by your daily tasks. Growth opportunities are available and are on a first-come first-serve basis. Show your management that you can speak by making presentations, show that you can lead by managing teams, or show that you can teach by offering a class to your company.

4. Compare your performance to other attempts. Always promote your successes by quantifying the results to previous attempts by others in your company or from other documented cases. Don't highlight the failure from the previous attempt but focus on the technique or skill you used that differentiates your attempt. One of the big issues organizations face today is flexibility in their operations or being able to respond to changing customer demands. Companies that are flexible in operations must first be flexible in thought. Demonstrating your ability to, not only think outside the box, but solve problems that way is a huge benefit to an organization that wants to grow.

5. Gather endorsements. An endorsement is a validation of your efforts and YOU. Get as many endorsements of your performance as you can. Recognition from others at higher levels is an acknowledgement of your ability to perform at their level. I was sought an endorsement from a billionaire for my efforts. It took me over 18 months to get it. Once I got it, it only took me two weeks to gain the support of other billionaires. Higher level executives are always managing risk, especially to their reputation. By having other executives validate you through an endorsement, you remove the perception of risk from the next executive who will endorse you. The more of that risk you reduce up front, the more likely you’ll get what you want.

6. Make your successes known. This can be a tough one for many people, although there’s a simple solution for this. To gain visibility, you must advertise yourself as much as you can. Many of us don’t like to tout what we have accomplished. Unfortunately, that’s about the only way we can get the good news of our accomplishments to those in power is by marketing them. Executives and managers don’t work around the organization and ask people what they have accomplished recently. If you’re lucky, that happens once a year in a performance review (and you know what benefits that has for your career). The best way to get the word out on your big victories is to build your own marketing team (e.g. your co-workers and friends). Use others to promote your achievements so you don't come off as bragging.

Maintaining a high rate of speed up the corporate ladder is difficult today, to say the least. Often the path isn’t purely vertical. Oh if it could be. Opportunities present themselves in many different ways, such as lateral, upward or downward. Nonetheless, developing a good method for encouraging a change when you need one is essential to continued career growth. After all, no one watches your career but you. These six steps are a great way to convince those at the helm that you are more than ready to take on a bigger role in the company.

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Author:

Todd Rhoad, MSEE, MBA is the Director at BT Consulting, a career consulting firm in Altanta, and author of the book, Blitz The Ladder. Stay tuned for his upcoming book, The MBA Owners Manual, coming out this year. Todd can be reached at todd.rhoad@blitzteamconsulting.com.

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Your Many Career Doors

~ A sign on the door of opportunity reads Push ~ Author unknown

Doors. All kinds, types, models, makes, designs, shapes, textures, and colors. Doors that close behind you. Doors that jam. Doors locked. Doors closed to you. Doors shut. Doors slammed. Doors held open. Secret doors. Back doors and front doors. Doors seldom seen. Doors unlocked. Behind closed doors. Doors knocked on. Doors yet to knock. Doors that offer you a new opportunity. Doors that open when you least expect it. A door to the future.

What doors have defined your career?

Which door, if any, do you need to close?

What door do you wish would open up for you now?

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us." - Helen Keller

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Quack Like a Duck and Other Secrets of Successful Career Change

Nicholas Lore, founder of the Rockport Institute, is a career development pioneer.

He single-handedly transformed the career coaching field, he’s been commended for excellence by 2 US Presidents, and his book “The Pathfinder’ is one of the best selling career books in US history. Over the last 29 years he’s helped over 14,000 people to make a change.

I was fortunate to spend an hour on the phone with Nick recently, and I picked his brain about the career change process. Here are the key things I learned:

Take a holistic approach to the decision

When Nick started out, career counselors all followed the same model – using very basic interest and personality tests to identify and suggest jobs that might suit you.

It was a flawed model and even now, Nick believes many career change ‘experts’ are misguided, focusing solely on one aspect such as ‘following your passion’ or ‘identifying your life purpose.’ Instead, he says, career change decision-making must be a holistic process. He points out that a passion for animals won’t necessarily translate into happiness if you take a job in an animal protection agency. You may find you don’t like your tasks, or the people, or the salary, or the hours. And what started out as a passion can quickly feel like a millstone around your neck.

That’s why Nick guides his clients through a holistic decision-making process. He likens it to detective work – identifying and interpreting clues in order to guide each person towards the right decision.

Go beyond the dream

You may think you know exactly what you want do, but Nick encourages his clients to “expand what’s possible.” He believes we tend to base our dreams about the future on what we have known in the past, and he encourages his clients to think beyond what they know and consider completely new possibilities. In the process, many find joy and self-expression in work they had not previously considered.

Be realistic

According to Nick, there are two different tracks to consider when working through a career change decision.

The first is reality: We all have constraints on what changes we can make. Perhaps you have to pay for two kids in college. Perhaps you need to stay in a certain regional location. Your talents and skills are another reality constraint – if you can’t draw, you can’t become a video game artist.

The second is what Nick calls ‘the invented world.’ By this he means the world you decide that you want to create for yourself (within the limitations of reality of course). To help people create their invented world, Nick and his staff coach them through a series of exercises designed to help them explore, research, and understand all of the many possibilities.
He also encourages people making a career change to research the reality of the positions they are considering. It’s easy to imagine only the good things about your desired role without considering the down sides. It’s also common for people to succumb to “yeah-but” thoughts that keep them from making a change.

Don’t focus on random options

Nick says one of the biggest mistakes career changers make is that they start by thinking through random options. (“Maybe I could be a psychologist” … “Perhaps I could learn to style hair” … “I wonder if I should become an accountant.”)

While this approach might result in success, it’s more likely to lead to a dead end. Instead Nick recommends developing definite clear, written statement of your specifications for happiness before you start to consider options.

This list should include both your reality constraints and your ideal “invented world.”
And as you make your choice, ask yourself ‘what will it take to get there?’ to be sure you’re willing (and able) to do what is necessary.

For example, one 40 year-old client of Nick’s decided she wanted to be a doctor, gave up her job, and went to medical school in order to make the change. That kind of commitment is only possible when you have fully thought through your decision from all possible angles.

A resume isn’t going to do the trick

A good resume is important but it can’t get you where you need to be without a creative approach.

In general, employers are looking for someone with experience in the specified field or industry. They are not looking to take a chance on someone new and untested.

This means that you can’t just apply to advertised positions and wait for the phone to ring. Instead, you need a more creative approach. Nick puts it this way: “if you want to be a duck, you need to walk, talk and fly like a duck.”

He gives the example of one client, a successful economist who realized she had an amazing gift for product design. But as a middle-aged professional, she wasn’t enthusiastic about returning to school to learn an entirely new skill set. Seeking other ways to break into her chosen field, she devised a creative solution – she set up, planned, organized and moderated a symposium on breakthrough design, held at the Smithsonian. In this way, she placed herself right into the middle of the product design field with the key players. Or as Nick put it “she beamed her way up rather than battling her way up.”

This strategy has become easier than ever with the advent of social media. Sites like LinkedIn allow you to reach out and connect with people from any industry. Services Like Twitter allow you to initiate conversation with anyone you choose. For no cost at all, you can set up a blog about your target profession and very quickly build a strong reputation.
Remember, if you want to be a duck, you have to act like one.

My conversation with Nick was inspiring. He told me that what keeps him going after 29 years is his commitment to helping people love their lives. What a great mission!

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Career Changers: Are You Taking The Easy Option?

Career Changer: "Sital, I need your advice.

I’m a qualified accountant but have taken a career break for a number of years for family reasons. I’m about to start a 12 month teacher training course and become a teacher. But I'm not too sure if I'm doing the right thing. What do you think?

Sital: “Firstly, tell me attracts you to teaching. What made you sign up for the course?”

Career Changer: "Well it’s the easy option”

Sital: “The easy option?”

Career Changer: “Yes. There’s a shortage of teachers and so it should be easy to find work. Plus we’ll always need teachers.”

Sital: "ok……so what else attracts you to teaching?"

Career Changer: "The holidays. Teachers get lots of holidays"

Sital: "Apart from it being easy and all the holidays, what else draws you to the profession and the course?”

Career Changer: “Nothing else really - that’s it”

Sital: “Can I ask what kind of research you’ve done into teaching?

Career Changer: “Oh I’ve done lots of reading on the internet”

Sital: “Have you spent time in schools as a teacher’s assistant or time with other teachers to understand what the role involves and what parts you’d enjoy or be good at?”

Career Changer: “Well no…”

Sital: “Let me ask you a question:

Let’s imagine I came to you for advice because I was about to start training to become an accountant. I had no experience and had never spent time with an account, but thought it would a nice and easy option – after all, we'll always need accountants.

Does that sound like a good idea?

Career Changer: “No, you can’t do that!”

Sital: “Why not?”

Career Changer: “Because it’s not that easy. The course and the job are demanding.”

Sital: “Oh, I’ll be fine - I’m good with numbers. And it’s a nice easy option. I can work freelance, work from home and take holidays when I like.”

Career Changer: “That's just not right”

Sital: “Oh why not?”

Career Changer: “Because you're not passionate about accountancy.”

Sital: “Really?

Well isn’t that what you’re doing? Choosing teaching because you think it’s an easy option, yet you’ve no passion for it.”

Career Changer: “Aaaah....yes”

(The penny dropped)

Career Changer: “I think I need to do some more research into teaching. And maybe look at finding a career which I'm passionate about.”

Choosing a career option because you assume it's the easy or safe option is a huge disservice to both the profession and the people the profession serves: pupils, patients or clients.

But it's an even bigger disservice to yourself.

If you’re going to put yourself through the stress, hassle and set backs of shifting careers then at least ensure it’s something you care about, something you’re excited about doing, something you’re intrinsicly motivated to do. You’ll be far more satisfied and successful.

Are you taking the easy option…?

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Career Scrabble? Career Jumble? Anyone, Anyone?

Are you more inclined to play Scrabble or solve a word jumble? The game of Scrabble, trademarked SCRABBLE® Brand Crossword Game in 1948, was invented by a jobless architect by the name of Alfred Mosher Butts.

Jumble®, on the other hand, has been around since 1954 and "for more than 60 years, has been one of the most popular word games in the world"...

Whether you're a Scrabble fan or a Jumble junkie, here's something for you to contemplate, unscramble and discover another career tidbit:

Nhwe ouy ear netweeb sobj, reeh era rofu itoopsn ofr uyo ot esinrocd:

1. C E R L A P E ~ old job with a new similar type of job.

2. T I R E V N E N ~ yourself, using your skillset in a new and different way.

3. R A T I E N R ~ and start anew.

4. T R E E I R ~ and enjoy life!

Carefully consider each respective career option presented above to determine which one might be the best fit for you, and your career, at this time in your life.

When you have unscrambled the message, feel free to post it in the comments section! Good luck and have fun!

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The Original BLOG has moved...and get another free ebook

Content of this post:

• Cleaning Up
• Moving On
• Learning How to Communicate

This past week I've been doing some housecleaning - I guess instead of Spring cleaning I'm doing the Fall cleaning thing. I always did kind of feel like Fall was a new beginning - perhaps because of school restarting, and then, of course, my birthday is in late September.

So, I've been getting rid of lots of old stuff around the house - old files, old half-completed projects, old clothes, just about anything that didn't feel "right" any longer. And it reminds me of an article I wrote some time ago that I called "Clearing Out Your Mental Attic".

Thoughts carry weight, unfinished projects require a certain amount of attention to maintain. Letting go of what is obsolete (even if it was a good idea at the time) is the only way we can free up enough personal RAM in this information-overload era we seem to be stuck in. And clearing out your space gives you room to reorganize in ways that suit you now.

So, part of the fun has been moving files and programs to my new computer (that had been sitting since I bought it in July), and reconstituting the projects that were a good idea and that still appeal to me.

As a result I have pulled out some of my blogging information and decided to move this blog to the Career Life website, and to move my other blogs to the sites where they belong, too. Once I got a little guidance from a very generous webdiva, I found it wasn't as complicated as I thought it would be.

In the process of reading through some of the woefully backlogged business emails in my emailbox, I discovered another gem from Ken Evoy for those of you who are interested in improving the success of your website (or in starting a new one).

This time it's called, "Make Your Content PREsell". This book is kind of an off-shoot of "Make Your Site Sell", but it focuses almost exclusively on one thing - communicating effectively with your audience. Which is the secret to repeat visitors and satisfied customers who want to buy what you're selling.

And let's face it, we're all selling all the time - whether we're trying to influence our children, win the job we want, share an important concept with others, or go out on a date with someone we're attracted to, the only way we get the results we want is by communicating effectively with the other person.

And on the Internet it's even more important because we lose out on the visual aspect of our interaction. It's limited to what's on the screen, so it's very 2 dimensional. Learning how to satisfy our visitor/customer's needs, and responding to their concerns, becomes a primary focus if we want people to stick around on the site, sign up for our newsletter, or keep coming back.

So here's another opportunity to pick up a great little reference book - and no, it's not 1500 pages this time! Simply click here and you will be taken to the site.

That's it for now. Enjoy!

Katie