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Shary Raske

March 2008

Why Wait?

It's not uncommon for people to wait two to five years before doing something about being unhappy with their work.  Why do they wait?
 
I discovered a possible answer. Last month my three-hole punch spilled open and thousands of little white dots littered my floor.  To make matters worse, just a few days before my vacuum cleaner broke.  Picking up thousands of little white dots was a daunting task.  After a few minutes, I abandoned the task.  After all this was my home office and no one saw it but me.  Besides, I just didn't have the right tool.  I grumbled at my three-hole-stress-producing-punch and my lack-of-vacuum and continued my day.
 
The next day I found a few little white dots in my hallway.  The day after that there were little white dots in my kitchen.  I could sweep them up because that area wasn't carpeted.  Then I found little white dots in my bathroom.  Then in my bedroom.  Enough!  With new vacuum cleaner in hand, I swept them all up.  Happily, I purchased a new three-hole punch that doesn't aggravate me with spills.  Why did I wait?
 
At first, I didn't think it was that bad.  I figured I could step around the problem and it would be contained.  Try as I might the little white dots kept spreading and spreading.  After a while it just became too annoying to ignore anymore.  I had to do something about it.  People do that with careers, too.  They say, "It isn't that bad."
 
One of the lessons learned from this little episode is in order to be successful, I needed the right tools.  Another lesson learned is the longer I waited, the worse it became.
 
A successful career transition requires a commitment to show up in your life differently.  It requires a decision to want more in your life.  There is a saying that a known misery is better than an unknown happiness.  It takes courage and risk to step out in the unknown.  To learn more about ways you can make a successful career transition, call Shary Raske at (314) 560-1088 or email her at shary@couargeouschange.net
 

Why should you have a great Elevator Speech?  
 
An elevator speech is a way to influence another person in the time it takes to go from one elevator floor to another.  Elevator speeches are used in fund raising, marketing, sales, and networking.  What are your best skills?  What value to you bring?  Capture that and you'll have a great elevator speech.
 
Free one-hour program Saturday, March 15 at 9:00 a.m.  Hurry!  Space is limited.  Learn four different types of Elevator Speeches and when to use each one.  Location:  Schlafly Branch Public Library, 225 N. Euclid at Lindell).  Call or email meeting planner John Murphy at (314) 707-0073.  
 
One Secret for a Successful Career Transition
 
One of the secrets of a successful career transition is stellar time management.  If you want a change in your life, you have to create time for it.  If you are working 55, 65, 75 hours a week, how much time can you realistically spend?  If you have no time, there will be no change.  Some busy people think that recruiters will be a good alternative to having no time. Yet recruiters know about 5 - 10% of all opportunities.  This is a small percentage of the solutions. 

Many busy people use the internet, only to discover that the options on job boards seldom result in job interviews.  Why?  Depending on which study you read, job search sites only comprise 12 - 18% of all opportunity.  Let's say you only have 6 hours a week to job search.  If you spend 100% of your available time in less than 17% of the market (28% if you're lucky), that's an inefficient use of your precious time. So dreams remain dormant or busy people erroneously assume a career transition isn't possible.  Creating the structure of an effective change process is essential to your success.
 
Want to be a better speaker / facilitator / trainer?

Try this tip:  If you forget what you were going to say, don't worry about what you can't remember, just say what you do remember.  You can always circle back.
 
Do you know someone whose career needs CPR? No, I don't mean resuscitation, although sometimes it feels that way!! Get back on track with a Career Planning Resource meeting. Call today for details (314) 560-1088

Shary Raske, Career Strategist,
Courage to Change Enterprises
shary@courageouschange.net
(314) 560-1088

Smarter, more effective career change!