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Shary Raske

Welcome to our Courageous Change newsletter! Enjoy reading, and feel free to forward this to friends, family, and colleagues or anyone who is job searching. 

December 2008

Herd Mentality and Making the Right Choice for You

None of us like to feel like we are in a herd.  Herd mentality is often associated with panic and going in a direction without any rhyme or reason.  As each of us hunker down, we can be tempted to go to that place of panic or discouragement.  Several clients have said to me, “I better take what I can get because jobs are so scarce”.  Watch the unemployment numbers to get a sense of where we are in our recovery.  Yet, I’d like to challenge the belief that we had better take what we can get for several reasons:

1) Check out the facts.  The market you are targeting may be expanding not contracting.  Don’t automatically clump that all industries are hurting right now.
2) Your job is to create value for your future employer.  Creating value means you are positioning yourself to eliminate the competition.  More value can often translate into more options and more money.
3) A statement like this comes from a place of fear instead of a place reason.  Yes, sometimes a stop-the-loss-of-income job is then next right step, but that does not mean it is going to be the last step or forever.

Paradoxically, herd mentality can generate positive results, too.  We, as citizens of the world, cut gas prices in half by reducing our consumption.  See what we did collectively?  And we all felt better for it.  Think about what we accomplished when a ripple became a wave and suddenly fewer people were smoking because of the herd’s pressure.  The more people who quit, the lower our health insurance premiums could be.

We have more power than we sometimes think, particularly when we work collectively.  You can still make the right choice for you!  Sometimes it’s just a matter of getting a different perspective.

Want to Job Interview Better? 

Practice, practice, practice, particularly on how your voice will sound on the phone. Enunciate.  If they don’t understand you, you’re not going to make a good impression.  I remember a client whose wife would say, “Ring, ring!” and he had to pretend to answer the phone at the drop of a hat.  Boy, was he prepared! Call Shary Raske at (314) 560-1088 or email her at shary@courageouschange.net if you have any concerns about job interviewing.

One Secret for a Successful Career Transition

Get organized!  Two great programs at little or no cost!  Hear me speak on Monday morning December 15 at 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.  My topic is “Stay on top of things: three ways to build momentum with your Job Search.  Held at St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church, 601 Claymont Dr. Ballwin, MO 63011.  Sponsored by Business Persons Between Jobs. 

Can't make it or want more?  Then sign up for a free telecoaching program Wednesday, December 17 at 8:45 - 10:30 a.m.  Courage to Change has the great fortune of working with Jack Chapman's More Done, More Fun workshop! Register at www.lucrativecareersinc.com today, then on the day of the program call in at 8:40 a.m. so we will be ready to start promptly. Click on "List of Courses" to register.

Do you know someone whose fear is keeping them from taking action?  Maybe they need CPR!  A Career Planning Readiness meeting may be just the thing to move forward.  I work with career changers who want to get to where they want to be without making costly or time consuming mistakes!  If you know someone who is stuck with career issues, refer them to me!   Find out how Shary Raske, Career Strategist, can help. Available nationally by tele-coaching or one-on-one in the St. Louis region.  Call today for details (314) 560-1088.