For most of my professional life I have been a career counselor and coach.  I spend countless hours guiding people through an intricate maze that includes their experiences, talents, skills and interests. The goal is to come up with job options that have the potential to be life-changing and satisfying. I have had many opportunities to educate and advise students, young professionals, seasoned workers and Baby Boomers on all areas of career development. On a personal level, I have benefited from learning about the highs and lows of their experiences and found a deep sense of pride inspiring …

If you are stuck about the whole career networking process, think about creating a 30-second elevator speech. This simplified approach provides an organized way to introduce yourself to a professional contact.  Think of the 30-second elevator speech as a personal pitch, or as a script that you develop with the distinct purpose of establishing rapport or a relationship with a potentially valuable contact. This short-hand introduction can also act to stimulate interest on the part of your contact. Hopefully your 30-second speech will cultivate curiosity and generate questions from your contact …

As work continues to squeeze out more of our energy and time, we want flexibility. Young millennial workers expect it, and baby boomers are asking for part-time work hours as they transition into retirement. While not a miracle prescription, flextime offers some relief for those of us seriously suffering from the inability to manage time against work and family demands.  According to a recent study conducted by Society for Human Resource Management, 56 percent of companies now offer flextime options to their employees. While flextime is not viable in every work environment, a majority of …

A hot cup of coffee next to the computer, a press of the power button and our work day begins. Transported into cyberspace, we quickly scan emails for directions from supervisors, input from colleagues or requests from clients and customers. The very technology that accelerates the pace of a work environment can lead you to precipitously and poorly compose emails that may result in injuring your work relationships and damaging your professional standing.   Take a deep breath before you press “Send,” and follow these cautionary tips to prevent a potentially dangerous slip in your professional …

It’s a wobbly job market and many workers fear losing their jobs. Employers are faced with the demands of producing in this economy and expect employees to deliver strong and measurable results. Cell phones, email and texting all conspire to accelerate work and create clients and customers who demand immediate attention. With all these external pressures more of us are working longer and harder and slowly slipping into a toxic state of workaholism. Are you always the last to leave the office? Can’t find time to take a vacation or spend time with your family? Do you have difficulty relaxing …

Can life be created out of art?  Glenside resident Diana Trout thinks so. She has made her art a life’s work. As an artist, author and teacher, she has spun her imagination and woven in her varied talents designing a rewarding career as an artist. Trout not only created a satisfying means of self-expression but actually found a way to make it pay.   Trout is widely known for her vibrant and unique work in mixed media art, often combining water color layers of paper and stitching.  She has developed an innovative approach to her art and writing, forming these into a journaling process. This …

I had the opportunity to attend the National Career Development conference in San Antonio last week and naturally there was a lot of buzz about the current job market. The experts have many theories but they all agree that changes in the global market are significantly impacting our job market.  How does globalization affect the average worker like you who lives in Abington or the rest of Montgomery County?  Products and services can now be produced, distributed and sold anywhere around the world regardless of the company’s headquarters. This means that work is more project-based and often …

The prospect of creating a professional network can be intimidating and confusing.  But the most compelling incentive for getting beyond your angst is the fact that a lot of folks are finding the right job because they developed a healthy and vital professional network. It is not really a new concept. Even before the economic downturn, many people found their jobs through connections. Current surveys reflect the fact that close to 80 percent of employment vacancies are filled with candidates who had some contact with their employers prior to positions being advertised. While it is advisable …

Do you work with younger people and wonder how they can text and talk at the same time?  Do you find your baby boomer boss is a bit of a workaholic? For the first time in history, there are four generations in the workplace. Each generation has a distinct attitude, a unique work style and its own expectations.  This dynamic combination of generations working together can easily cause conflict, confusion and misunderstanding. For example, younger workers tend think older workers are too serious and put too much emphasis on their work life. Baby boomers often view the younger generation as not …

Are you a recent college graduate, a young professional or seasoned worker? If so you may be aiming toward graduate school or an appropriate certificate program as a way of expanding your skills and opening up career options. The reality is that in many professional fields, a master’s degree or higher is required for advancement. Before you apply to graduate school, consider carefully which direction you want to take.  Determine what course will enhance your skills and fits your interests, the values that you have cultivated over the years and your natural talents and personality. Be sure …

Career transitions are never easy, but consider Elkins Park resident Amy Quigley; she put down her test tubes and Bunsen burner and successfully shifted to a new position teaching yoga. You can find her several days a week teaching yoga classes at the Kokikai Aikido studio near the Elkins Park train station. So how did this unique metamorphosis take form? For 15 years, Quigley worked diligently as a synthetic organic chemist at Merck Pharmaceuticals. When her position was suddenly eliminated due to a corporate restructuring, Quigley took advantage of her 9-month severance period to explore …

As you take delight in the blooming flowers of spring, you might be inspired to plant some personal seeds that will blossom into a new career. Trying to figure out what you want to do with your life can be both challenging and exciting. You can often find clues to your future by stepping back in the past and reflecting on your experiences, accomplishments and those unique and special talents that you may have been taking for granted. Think of your career as a life long process requiring a careful evaluation of your values, skills and interests. Most of us hope to find work that exercises our …

Recent Dickinson College graduate and Jenkintown resident Dori Even-Shoshan is a part of a younger generation dedicated to making a difference.  For the past two years, he has served in AmeriCorps, a federal program that offers opportunities for adults of all ages and backgrounds to serve through a network of partnerships with local and national nonprofit groups. In his current role as an assistant for an AmeriCorps program in a West Oak Lane elementary school, Even-Shoshan organizes special projects, works with the children in the after school program and designs curriculum. Reflecting his …

If you are a player in the center of the challenging job market arena, in order to be truly competitive, you need to be well armed for the interview.  Chances are good that many of your interviews will include behavioral-style questions.  Behavioral interviews are based on the idea that the best predictor of future performance is past performance. Instead of asking you questions about specific traits or skills, an interviewer using the behavioral approach will ask you to describe a time when you actively demonstrated that skill or trait. This style of interviewing provides employers with …

Are you thinking about retooling your career? Then you might want to consider where the jobs will be in the future. As hard as it is to believe, based on the current economy, the U.S. Department of Labor is predicting a labor shortage by 2018 due to the fact that there may not be enough trained workers. The greatest job growth will be in the healthcare, financial services and information technology sectors. A plus is that Greater Philadelphiais rich i employers who represent these industries. What’s encouraging is that not all job growth will require a four year degree. In fact, for some of …