My chat with Gerri Willis, host of The Willis Report on Fox Business about changing jobs in 2014. Is now a good time? Is there ever a good time??? Is 2014 the Time to Change Careers???
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Reinvent Your Career & Health in 2014!
The start of the New Year is your chance to reinvent yourself and your career! It all starts with setting some simple goals and committing to a plan for making it happen for both Career and Health!
Career
For many Americans making a positive change means enhancing their career – and the best place to start is with education!
So many people worry about the skyrocketing cost of school as well as the time commitments… And whether it’s worth the investment. Consider that according to Bureau of Labor Statistics for every level of education you achieve your earnings go up and your likelihood for unemployment goes down. What’s more, American’s with Bachelor’s degrees earn on average $400 more per week! That’s nearly 20K per year!
For many busy working adults going back to school isn’t always easy, but schools like Western International University offer flexible on-line programs that are affordable and can be customized to your needs… and they are geared towards busy adults looking to make a positive change in their careers!
The key is to step back and think about the kind of work and career you really want to pursue. Never run away from a job, always run towards a career.
For starters, look at the requirements of some of the hot fields out there and investigate local professional associations, trade publications… Also, tap into your network to see who you may be connected to!
Health
So, when it comes to health this time of year is all about diet and exercise.
However, most of those out there joining the typical New Year’s exercise craze are also wired into their iPods and ear buds, which may actually be harming their health! Currently there are nearly 36 million Americans who have experienced some form of hearing loss… most of which is from some form of exposure to environmental noise or devices.
Also consider that 1 in 5 teens has slight hearing loss from listing to devices with ear buds.
The problem is most of those who suffer hearing loss don’t do anything about it. Only 1-in-7 who can benefit from a hearing aid actually wear one mostly because they are bulky and expensive. We all know someone who struggles with their hearing and the New Year is a great time to make an appointment to get your hearing checked.
Struggling to hear can be frustrating. One new product on the market is the MDHearingAid AIR, which is a simple and discrete solution that can dramatically change your life and your career.
Get out there in 2014 and make it happen!!!
Dr. Woody on The TODAY Show!
The YOU Plan Course on Udemy
Check out my new course on Udemy: The YOU Plan for Career Change!
http://www.udemy.com/the-you-plan
How Small Business Owners Can Find an Edge!
Using Social Recruiting to Find Jobs
Ace the Interview! Twitter Chat #2
This Wednesday, May 18th, at 8pm EST, I’ll be hosting the second Dr. Woody Twitter chat. This week will center on interview tips. We’ll answer questions such as the following:
- What’s the wackiest, most bizarre interview question you’ve heard?
- How do you deal with tough or off-the-wall questions?
- How do you dress for the interview?
- Do you prep differently for phone vs. Skype interviews?
Follow these four steps to participate in the chat:
- In advance of the chat, take a few minutes to sign up for a Twitter account if you don’t have one already.
- Right before the chat, at 7:55 EST, go to TweetChat and sign up in the first box by linking to your Twitter account.
- Now, enter the hashtag—#drwoodychat—at the top of the TweetChat screen and click “Go.”
- Start chatting!
Hope to see you in there!
Dr. Woody Twitter Chat – 4/27 8pm EST – Social Recruiting to Land a Job!
The first Dr. Woody Twitter Chat will be held today 4/27 at 8pm EST (5pm PCT). The chat will be on using Social Recruiting to land a job in these tough times!
Follow these four steps to participate using TweetChat.com:
1. In advance of the chat, take a few minutes to sign up for a Twitter account if you don’t have one already at www.Twitter.com.
2. Right before the chat, go to www.TweetChat.com and sign up in the first box using your Twitter account login info.
3. Now, enter the hashtag—drwoodychat—at the top of the TweetChat screen in the box with the “#” and click “Go.”
4. Start chatting!
If you are following using Twitter or another utility please use “#drwoodychat” in all of your posts so I can see them!
For updates you can follow me on Twitter www.Twitter.com/DrWoody or follow the chat account at www.Twitter.com/DrWoodyChat
Dr. Woody on Regis & Kelly (Video Clip)
How Do I Step-up To the New Job Market?
This morning President Obama delivered a speech in Columbus, Ohio marking the ground breaking of the ten thousandth roads project funded by the Recovery Act (otherwise known as the stimulus package). In his speech President Obama said “I’m under no illusion we are where we need to be” echoing the concerns expressed by Fed Chief Ben Bernanke last week. In his testimony before congress, Bernanke stated that there will be a “slow reduction” in unemployment as the recovery begins to take effect.
In April of last year national unemployment was at 9.4%. Currently, national unemployment is at 9.7%. The unemployment rate in Ohio, the site where the President showcased this “shovel ready” project, is nearly a full percentage point higher than this time last year.
Unemployment is continuing to rise and the number of American workers out of work for longer than six months has grown to 6.7 million. This accounts for nearly half of all unemployed workers in this country.
Welcome to the New Economy!
Making your way in this new environment is going to be a challenge. Blasting resumes into cyberspace, brushing up on your interview skills, and trolling job fairs isn’t going to cut it anymore. It’s no longer about chasing down existing opportunities, it’s about cultivating new ones. This is going to require adapting an entrepreneurial mindset!
Any good entrepreneur will tell you that success comes from opening your mind and seeing the world of possibilities that lay in front of you. Entrepreneurs are not big believers in happenstance, they tend to create their own luck. Take for example the June 2010 issue of Psychology Today where the featured article was on the notion of serendipity and success. The article noted that differences in personality and approach to life tend to impact perceptions of luck. When it comes to personality, one study cited by the article found that those who report being more lucky tend to be more extraverted, open to experience, and more tolerant of stress. With respect to differences in how one approaches life, the message was simple, take a step back and relax. Those who are more “present” in what they are doing and engaged with those around them, tend to have more luck.
Although personality is not something you can change, you most certainly can change the way you approach life. In particular, when it comes to dealing with the uncertainty of career transition, it’s critical that you begin by looking inward first, then outward. You must be present in the moment before considering where to go next. Uncertainty can produce a great deal of anxiety. The less control we believe we have over a situation the more anxiety we feel. The best way to take control of this anxiety and position ourselves for serendipity is to create a plan.
Personal planning is the key to taking charge of your career, reducing the impact of uncertainty, and generating your own luck. It’s all about creating a YOU Plan, a plan custom tailored for you and by you. I firmly believe that any good YOU Plan starts with introspection. You can’t build a strong plan without a solid foundation. When it comes to creating a YOU Plan you must ask yourself five fundamental questions that I remember as VIPER:
• What are my Values?
• What are my Intrinsics?
• What are my Passions?
• What is my Essence?
• What is my Roadmap?
To learn more about creating a YOU Plan go to www.TheYouPlan.com
Good luck,
Dr. Woody – www.DrWoody.com
