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One moment in time and your life can change forever.
Kathryn got called into the CEO's office. It was a rare event and she got a little nervous when she entered. Her CEO began, "Kathryn, you've done a fantastic job here, particularly in forecasting sales revenues. Every one of us
recognizes your contribution and talent so you're being promoted to Director of Finance. Congratulations!"
Dave, an IT supervisor who had had a long career at the same company, strolled into the department meeting. He left with the shock of his life. The company would now be outsourcing the IT function, so Dave and all his team were being laid
off--immediately.
Michael had hoped against hope, that a coveted dream job would soon be his. But when the phone rang, and he heard the interviewer on the other end, he held his breath as self-doubt filled his mind. The voice on the phone began slowly,
saying, "Michael, we had several strong candidates. Your references spoke so highly of you that we feel lucky to have such a talented man want to join our team. We're offering you the position, and we all really hope you'll take it."
Wow, in just seconds the unexpected, the unwanted, or even the dared to dream of! Things like this can change your life forever.
Today, so many people are struggling with their career situations. Promotions are fewer than ever before. Layoffs come swift and often. A job search is taking people six months to a year before they land a new position.
With the world of work this rocky, I recommend that you spend some time assessing who you are, what you've accomplished, what truly matters to you, and what you would still like to achieve.
Here's a quick career checkup. Answering these questions can help you make 2004 a more satisfying year for you.
• Am I happy with my career?
• Am I using my strengths to build my career?
• Am I doing the work I'm best suited for?
• Am I being paid the true value of what my skills are worth?
• What new skill am I developing?
• What are my career goals this year?
Life is made up of choices. You control the job you choose, the amount of success that you experience, where you live, who your friends are, and what you are doing with your life. Give thought to how you want to spend your work days and
if you aren't pleased with your current situation map out a detailed action plan to change it.
I encourage you to strive to live a happier life. To be the best YOU, you can be. To see the special, unique, person inside of you and to allow yourself to flourish in your chosen work. Only you can implement an action plan that will
lead to a life that's truly rewarding, a life that enriches you every single day.
February's Success Story
"I lost my dream job," cried Monica the first time I met her. Monica was a 50-year-old female who became a career consulting client.
"I was a wine purchaser for a distribution company. For 13 years I did a job I loved. Then a big company bought us and suddenly I was out of a job. Who will hire me? Where can I go? All I know is wine. I'll never find anything half as good
as what I lost," she lamented, with good reason.
The wine industry is small. The type of job she performed was rare. Her first task was to evaluate her strengths and her talents. Her self-esteem was in tatters after the layoff. The uncertainty of unemployment and the challenge of finding
a new job had put her into a negative tailspin.
Working together we created a very strong resume that outlined her key strengths, talents and accomplishments. It sure passed the 15 second rule – you must get the employer's attention in 15 seconds, since that's all the time you'll get
before they go on to another resume.
Her summary and bulleted strengths were concise and powerful. But Monica did face a serious obstacle. She loved the wine business as a buyer, and she wanted to remain in that field. However, she was realistic in recognizing how very rare
her old job had been. She found nothing in the paper, but she began networking at my urging. Looking for a needle in a haystack, she found one very promising lead. Princess Cruise Lines had an opening for a buyer for its beverage
division, primarily purchasing wines. Her resume was submitted and within a few days she was called for an interview.
Monica called me, ecstatic, when she landed the job. And, it came with a significant salary increase, too. Who would have thought she could ever be fortunate enough to overcome such a trauma – that of losing her job – to find an even
better position. I did, but she sure didn't.
I heard from her recently. She called to check-in and enthusiastically said, "My job's a blast – I love it." Although she'd called to thanked me, she really deserved a great deal of credit. When I first met her, she was down and saw only
major roadblocks, but using a key strength – resourcefulness – she found effective ways to overcome the obstacles. The result is, once again, she is working a dream job and "Cruises are great perks," she noted.
Resources and tools you can use.
Robin Ryan's Winning Resume, Cover Letter & Interview Training Package
An easy-to-use and affordable Resume & Cover Letter Writing CD Program to provide an edge in creating attention-getting letters and resumes. The package includes:
• The 2-CD Set Creating Resumes and Cover Letters that Sell!
• PLUS The Resume & Cover Letter Templates(designed for MS Word)
• And, Robin's two benchmark books, Winning Resumes and Winning Cover Letters
The average resume receives only a 15-second glance. Robin wrote the book on making those 15 seconds work for you!
"Ryan's two books, Winning Resumes and Winning Cover Letters are terrific resources-they are my top picks for career books for the year."-- Marvin Walberg, syndicated columnist
You also get Interview Advantage, Robin Ryan's interview audio training program. There are no second chances in a job interview. One mistake and the job goes to someone else. You either make the cut, or you're out.
Robin's interactive practice tapes have helped thousands land the jobs they wanted and to negotiate much higher salaries using her techniques.
You'll learn what to say and what questions to ask to impress employers and convince them to hire you. Robin highlights the most common mistakes interviewees make -- the mistakes that cost them the job.
"I used your approach on my interviews and received three offers in one week. At one company, I was competing against fifty other applicants and I came out on top! Thank You!" -- Tony Scuderi, Field
Service Engineer, Lunar Corp.
You can order books and audio programs online at
www.robinryan.com/careerCoachProducts.htm or call 425.226.0414.
Career Consultations with Robin Ryan:
Robin works with clients all across the U.S., so no matter where you live America's top career coach can provide the best guidance possible. Robin offers individual career counseling services with several different program options. Just go
to
www.RobinRyan.com or call us for details at 425.226.0414.
FREE Robin Ryan Career Seminar
Thursday, February 26, 2004 -- 7 p.m.
Barnes & Noble Bookstore
2700 NE University Village
Seattle, Washington
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