Looking Ahead, again

In January 2011, Sara and I hosted a small "Looking Ahead" program in our flat in Vinohrady. When we started the program, two of the participants had jobs they thought were secure. But within the next few months, both these people were looking for a new job.

Why do I tell this story? To illustrate that no one's career is 100% certain. Relying on your current job, no matter how much you like it or how secure you may feel in it, is not a good strategy in a competitive global economy, where everyone's jobs are tied together at some level.

To keep your job-search skills up-to-date, and to continue to learn how to meet your own career and life goals, we recommend a yearly "refresher" career development program. "Looking Ahead" is just four sessions, twice a week for 2 weeks. But in those 4 sessions, we can help you pinpoint your career dreams, understand your own motivation and purpose in life, and add some job-search skills to your portfolio.

Join us for this "Looking Ahead"! Each session is from 7-9 PM, at our flat in Vinohrady. Cost is 800 kc.

Here are the dates: Monday, Jan. 9; Thursday, Jan. 12; Monday, Jan. 16 and Thursday, Jan. 19.

Call me at 736-645-729 for more details.

Just too much trouble

Since 1978, we've been helping people find the right job, the job they can really enjoy and do best.

You'd think that, by now, we'd have an easy 45-minute method to help people get that job. But we don't, and we never will.

The hard fact is that there is no easy way to find the right job. There's a process that needs to be used, and it's a long, difficult process that requires energy, dedication and lots of time. The process starts with self-knowledge, calling for an honest look at what you have to offer, what you love to do, and what kind of life you want to live. The next step is doing serious research into the professions, businesses, and organizations that interest you, and finding out what kind of employees they need.

Making a solid match between your skills, interests, values, talents, goals and dreams and the needs of an employer is the hardest step. Job interviews tend to be like dates, where each party puts his or her best foot forward and glosses over potential problems and disharmonies. It's only when you actually have a job and work at it for a year or two that you can even know if it's right for you.

For most people, we've found, this process is just too much trouble. Often our clients start off with good intentions and enthusiasm, but get bogged down in the middle, when they begin to understand the complexities of finding a job you can really enjoy. It's tempting, at this point, to take whatever comes your way, with the idea that you can always quit.

Maybe. But as you get older, each failed job relationship becomes more bothersome. What you can walk away from at 20 is not so easy to shed at 40, or 50. At the same time, your choices become more limited--you're not young and fresh anymore, and you may not have the relevant experience to be considered for a job that's slightly different from what you've done in the past.

So I contend that it's not just too much trouble to approach the job search using a proven method that works, one that is rational and realistic. The "21st Century Jobs" seminars offer just such a method. They demand commitment and thought from our clients, but the time put into the job search always pays off in self-confidence that comes from having a reasonable perspective on what you offer an employer and what you need to be happy in your next job.

Boring, boring, boring...wham!

Looking for a job is, too often, like this:

boring, boring, boring...wham!

It is not usually fun to look for a job. It's exhausting and boring.

Exhausting because you must constantly engage your imagination to project yourself into a job in a place that you may or may not know well. You have to imagine your desk, your colleagues, the window in your office, the cafeteria, your boss, the Human Resources Department, the parking lot/public transportation, your salary, and what you will actually do each day.

Until you do all this brain work, you can't write an effective cover letter or resume, and you can't be part of a successful interview. It's an exhausting process.

It's also boring. All job seaches have long stretches where nothing much happens. You research companies, organizations and institutions. You pinpoint jobs. You think hard about what the job might look like.You tailor your written communications accordingly. Then you wait. That's boring.

In spite of the boredom, you keep at it. More research, more communications, and on and on, with very little feedback and no real end in sight.

Until...wham! A sign of interest! An email or text message, a job interview appointment, a job offer! When something finally happens, it often happens so quickly that you can hardly think straight. That's why you spent so much time in the imagination phase--to be mentally prepared for fast action when the time is right.

So looking for a job is always not exactly fun. It's a bit easier if you have a specific organization in mind, one that you already know something about or where a friend is working. These situations make it less exhausting and boring, thought you still have to wait for the wham to hit.

Sara had a very fortunate job seach experience a few months ago. She was asked to work as a consultant in a school for two months, giving her the chance to know and be known by the school. Then she got a job offer from the school; she skipped the exhausting and boring parts, and went straight for the wham.

You can do the same thing by volunteering or interning in an organization that interests you. It's a whole lot easier to imagine yourself somewhere when you actually know what that somewhere looks like!

Some success stories

We've offered out "21st Century Jobs" career seminars in Prague since last September, and there are some success stories for our participants:
1. "Honza" has taken a new sales job after some serious reconsideration of his life options.
2. "Radek" is happily unemployed and taking his time to choose a new job after leaving a job he was bored with and where he felt unfulfilled.
3. "Dana" has quit her job where she was not treated with honesty and found a fantastic new job on another continent.
4. "Iveta" still has the same job, but now feels prepared for whatever may happen as the firm she works for experiences some difficulties in getting new clients.
5. "Luisa" found a wonderful consulting assignment that has led to a job offer.
6. "Tomas" has come to understand his career options and his most valuable accomplishments.
7. "Mirek" has a new perspective on career possibilities in Prague and can better advise job seekers as to how to proceed in this job market.

Focusing on finding your place where you can excel

In recent years we have seen too many people struggling and unable to find suitable employment, being severely underemployed, or facing all kinds of prejudices in the hiring process. Such factors are typically preventing us from reaching our full potential.
After looking for a right solution to these pressing job-related problems for some time, we decided to focus on finding what it takes to find a job one likes and can do best. What does it really take to enable people to connect with employers who need their talents, skills and abilities in order to keep afloat in a sea of economic turbulence?
21st  Century Jobs , "YOUR NEXT JOB" seminars were developed just for this purpose--to help those who are seeking employment or trying to advance their careers, and to enable them to match their spectrum of skills, values, interests, accomplishments and potential with the vital needs of businesses, organizations and institutions both in the U.S. and world wide.

It's never too late to get the job you like and can do best

The next 21st century jobs seminar at Groebovka will equip you with timely personal job search essentials, combined with insights into the significant changes in the 21st-century job market. To find out more please contact me at jbt@ili.cc. Thanks.

New "Your Next Job" program begins in May

In March, we held a joint "graduation" exercises for participants in both the "Your Next Job" and "Looking Ahead" programs of the 21st Century Jobs seminars.

• "Your Next Job" is the more nitty-gritty program, with an emphasis on getting a job you can like and do best in fewer than 60 days.

• "Looking Ahead" is somewhat softer, focusing on gaining self-knowledge and goal-setting.

Both programs were successful, in that the participants ended up with new attitudes, skills and contacts to help them in their careers.

In the process of being part of the programs, 2 people unexpectedly decided to leave their jobs, and one decided to work toward starting her own business. Another participant was promoted, and one person stopped smoking! This is not a "stop-smoking" program, but when you examine yourself and your life so far, it can cause you to make some big changes.

The next 4-session program begins in May. We'll give you details on the upcoming informational session at Aventin Restaurant near Na Prikope.

Putting your qualifications to work

There's no magic formula for finding career satisfaction, for knowing that your job fits you and you fit your job. But there is a method and strategy that can get you started to find this "dream job". Doing what you are good at and enjoy doing is the key to your career satisfaction. The biggest changes in the 21st century are the speed and unpredictability with which the labor market changes. The most hopeful aspect of the new opportunities , the new 21st century economy provides, is the fact that if you take time to find out who you are and what you can offer, and are ready to put your qualifications to work, you will most likely find the opportunity to do so.

International Jobs and your sense of humor

Building an international career is not for people without a good sense of humor. By now you know that getting your job abroad calls for you to spend time in four areas of knowledge and skills:
Learning the legalities of the country's job market;
Making yourself competitive against other job seekers by knowing what you have to offer and presenting it in clear and understandable way;
Understanding and accepting the cultural differences in your new home;
Developing job-specific skills to land your assignment.
For more detail see our most recent Careers Newsletters on our website: www.ili.cc, in Newsletters section.
In addition to being sure you have the necessary knowledge of yourself, of what you want and what you can do best, and of the country you want to work and live in, as well as useful skills, you also have to supply yourself with an attitude of gratitude that combines thankfulness with determination, imagination, flexibility and great sense of humor. Without the "right" attitude, it'll be challenging to put down roots and begin developing and international career while also enjoying every minute of doing so. 

Ready to enrich the world?

As Woodrow Wilson put it, "We are not here merely to make a living. We are here to enrich the world. Are you getting ready for your assignment? See you the next Wednesday at Aventine!

International Jobs: Where They Are and How To Get Them

What does it take to get a job in a country that's not  yours by birth? How can you build a career with an international slant? What are the key skills for successfully working abroad? Our next seminar at Aventine will examine what's needed to get your first job abroad and to develop an international career. This is also an invitation to all students attending International Baptist Church of Prague.I know it will not surprise you to hear that one of the first considerations for finding a job in a foreign country, within or outside the EU is whether you are eligible to work there legally.

What shall I do with my future?

Because our work is an expression of commitment and caring for people, not just a way to earn money, or have status in society, it is important to choose a career in which you can shape your life with purpose, and create meaning that will make a contribution to your society and will endure beyond your own lifetime. You need to know why you are doing what you are doing, and how it fits into your future. There will be three exercises during our next seminar that will help you to explore and define your personal goals, will probe your own system of values and morals , and the legacy you want to leave to your family, friends and society.

Insights into the significant changes in the 21st-century job market

The next seminar at Aventin is designed to help those who are seeking employment or trying to advance their careers and enable them to match their spectrum of skills, qualifications, interests, values and accomplishments with the vital needs of businesses, organizations and institutions both in America and world -wide, including here in Czech Republic and in Central Europe. The global financial crisis of the spring 2009 and beyond, has significantly altered the career paths of those in the job market. Is is essential that we begin to point the way into a future in which each person can contribute to a newly-reimagined economy. In the coming economy, we believe, personal job satisfaction, will be the major motivating force especially in those job markets able to respond to challenges of the 21st century. In the coming seminar we will be talking about how you can become a vital part of this newly emerging economy.

The open job market

Looking for a job in the open market is a paradox. One the one hand, you can see right in front of your eyes that there's a job available in a newspaper ad, on a sign in a window, on an Internet job board, or through a professional website. There's a job! There it is! I'll apply!

But on the other hand, there may not be a job. The job is advertised, yes, but in reality there's a "strong internal candidate" who has the job sewn up. Your solid-gold application, wherein you match to perfection your qualifications to the job's requirements, is not even given a chance, because the outcome of the search is known in advance. Schools, universities, government agencies and non-profits are notorious for advertising jobs that are essentially already filled; the advertisement is simply to meet a legal requirement.

Another way in which there any not be a job is that, indeed, there is no current opening. Businesses with high turnover (language schools, restaurants, any sales job that pays on commission) are constantly looking for new employees. They routinely publish ads for jobs that aren't available at the moment, but probably will be open soon.

The third way that there is no job is that, indeed, there's no job at all. Businesses sometimes post ads for jobs in their industry to get resumes; these resumes give them an idea of the competition's qualifications. And some very sneaky businesses post attractive ads anonymously, trying to catch their own employees looking for another job!

Of course, people get jobs every day through the open market, so there's nothing wrong with using it to job-hunt. Just don't be too disappointed if you don't get called in for an interview right away. It's no reflection on your qualifications--it's just the reality of the open job market.

Don't let the job market define who you are

When you're looking for a new job, changing careers, going back to college, or even just writing a resume, it's tempting to give in to the stereotyped views of who you are. You're just one of many people in transition, like people in a bus station wating to get on the next available bus. You're one of the crowd.

How can you communicate your individuality to potential employers and admission personnel? How can you rise above the crowd, so that your application or resume stands out (in a positive way!) and attracts the attention it needs to get you an interview or offer?

1. Don't fall into the standard categories. You may be looking for a job, like thousands of other people,but you are unique. Learn to highlight and effectively convey what's special about you and your potential to contribute to the organization.


2. Don't use everyday, boring language. Think about your skills, abilities, talents, gifts, goals, values, beliefs, interests and accomplishments, then write about them in highly-specific and colorful words and images. Repeat your key accomplishments to yourself until talking about yourself in positive, imaginative ways becomes natural and easy.

3. Don't think in terms of "cannot" or "no experience." Think in terms of transferable skills and ability to learn quickly. Apply your management skills to a new industry; use your interpersonal and communication skills among a new group of people; demonstrate how your organizational and motivational skills can benefit your new school.

The job market can seem huge and impersonal. Don't give in to the tendency to present yourself in unoriginal ways that make it too easy to put you into an existing category. Think about people who've become famous or successful: they all communicated their unique gifts and abilities to the world and didn't settle for being defined by the job market.

Do you want your resume or application to end up in the "no" pile? It's up to you to resist being defined negatively, shuffled into the background, or labeled as unqualified. Define yourself, and people will give you the chance to tell them what you can do and how you can improve their organization by contributing your skills and abilities to their mission.

Your Career Future in a climate of economic of uncertainty

Too many people who've been laid off or let go from their jobs are unable to secure new jobs that provide a reasonably good fit between their skills, experience, values and goals and the needs of the potential employer. Quite a few of these people remain unemployed because they have been looking for the "wrong jobs" in the wrong way, or they can only find a job that's such a poor match that they are underemployed, not using their potential and thus not contributing to the employer in ways that are healthy, rewarding and productive. Some of these highly qualified, competent and well-educated experienced individuals are having difficulties in securing a suitable opportunity for employment because they did not take time to match their spectrum of skills, values, interests and potential with the vital, newly emerging , urgent needs of businesses, organizations or institutions.During our next seminar session we will explore why it is not wise to skip some essential steps in our job search. Concepts of managing change, business ethics, transparency and principles of effective leadership and management will be modeled and evident throughout this session, and will be reinforced in a debriefing session which will follow with the seminar facilitator. Participants will be able to clarify new information, ask questions and share insights into topics covered to date.

Career: does your career have to be just boring, mediocre, unrewarding and rather dreadful undertaking?

At our next meeting we will discuss several key principals for getting and keeping a job you like and can do best.
 We will focus on how to avoid having an unrewarding, boring, mediocre career or remain jobless, and how to have good time achieving this. Your assignment from the last seminar session will come in handy.

Your job--it's not just about you

Your job is a fairly accurate measure of the value the society places on its perception of your qualifications.

The good news is, you have control over that perception. You communicate by your actions, your appearance and your attitude what you have to offer.

Think of yourself as a "company of one"--you. To market your company effectively, you need to have a clear idea what your company's mission and vision are. You must know what your company brings to the table in terms of valuable products and services. You need to be careful in how you price your company's offerings, making sure that you're reaching the right market that wants and will pay for what you offer.

If you don't like your current job, or don't have a job, then it's time for you to have a serious planning meeting with the board of your company. You are the board. Spend some time assessing your strengths and weaknesses, listing your major abilities and accomplishments, clarifying your personal mission and goals.

Once you fully understand what you offer society--your abilities and your limitations--your past achievements and your future goals--you can market yourself effectively. You have taken control of the perception that society has of your job potential. You have taken the first crucial step toward getting the job you like and can do best.

Happy New Year, 2011. 21st Century Jobs seminar meets on January 12

We hope your holidays were joyful, and that you spent time doing what you love. The 21st Century Jobs seminar resumes next week:

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

6 pm (18:00)

At Cafe Louvre on Narodni Trida, near the Narodni Divadlo

We look forward to seeing you there!