Career luck: Depends on who you ask.

Waiting out another (delayed) flight at Chicago’s O’Hare airport last night, my husband introduced me to me a vendor he deals with who also lives in our home city. The man was the President of a small, global organization his father had built in Australia before expanding across the world. Now, with his father reaping his rewards of the business in his retirement, the son was running the business. In our brief discussion, he told me about spending 5 weeks per year in his home country of Australia, where his corporate office was located, and one week per year at a lake house he and his wife owned in Wisconsin where, he said, he “kept all of his toys”. He had to be about 35. Sounded idyllic.

For a moment I envied him, thinking how nice that he had a lucrative career already planned for him by his father. All he had to do was step into it. No worries, mate. The rest of us, well, the rest of us have to figure out how to write the most compelling cover letters, craft the perfectly composed resume, spit shine our shoes, and not make a single gaffe during an interview in order to make our way into our little spot of career heaven. And, after we’ve done all that, we get to spend years proving that we’re OK and hope we get to reap some great financial reward for our efforts. Seems kind of unfair, doesn’t it?

So, as we climb to 34,000 feet, I began to wonder if people like him feel they didn’t have any choice when entering the family biz. For all we know, this guy could have wanted to be a professional surfer, house painter, or chimney sweep. Maybe Dad is one of those forceful patriarch types that what is said goes. I then couldn’t think of anything more dismal than feeling as if you didn’t have a choice about your work.

I then remembered friends who felt obligated to join the family biz and despised it. They spent their time dreaming of the day they would get up the cohunes or chutzpa to tell their parent(s) that it just wasn’t for them because they wanted to be a professional surfer, house painter, or chimney sweep. Each day spent in a job that had been fashioned for someone else stole that much more time from their lives.

Even if your road may be long and difficult, and no shortcuts provided by family, know that the direction you take is entirely your own. You can’t put a price on that.

If you’re not hiring a resume writer, why judge a candidate based on how well their resume is written?

Let’s say you have an opening for a salesperson. You post an ad detailing the duties, responsibilities, and necessary qualifications. Candidates respond and you review resumes in anticipation of finding that right-fit person. As you begin sifting through the resumes you begin to get discouraged. The words on the paper are flat, uninspiring, and dull. One candidate writes:

“Responsible for generating $2 million per year in sales for the past five years. Exceeded quota by 5% for 4 out of 5 years. Awarded top salesperson.”

Ugh. “Responsible for” is so 20th century. There’s just not much energy behind these words. Then you come across another candidate’s resume. It reads:

“Catapulted sales to more than $2 million per year for four straight years, knocking out competition, and consistently surpassing peers”.

Wow. Catapulted? Knocking-out competition? Consistently surpassing? Power words. This person obviously has the joie de vivre your company has been looking for. Quick. Grab a phone and set up an interview before this person is off the market.

I am shaking my head in disbelief as I think and write about this. The accomplishments of the two “candidates” are very nearly identical. However, and this is a BIG however, the first “candidate” could likely be the better bet for the organization. Why, you may ask? Because the first candidate is specific in the percentage over quota attained with that percentage a quantifiable number: 5% of $2 million = $100,000. This ain’t chicken feed. It also signals to the hiring company the candidate’s understanding of the necessity of providing concrete sales numbers. Ask any sales manager or CFO.

The plethora of blogs and websites out there on resume writing, while they offer good formatting tips and remind job hunters of the importance of a resume being error free, are placing way too much importance on job candidates choosing one word over the other to attain maximum readability impact for human resources staff or hiring managers. Are the resumes intended to inform or entertain?

Companies would be wise to start looking past resume hyperbole and at a candidate’s ability to deliver to company goals. After all, isn’t that the whole point in hiring? If you don’t believe me, ask yourself just how many of the top performing people in your company are great writers? My bet would be few. The fact of the matter is, if you aren’t looking to hire a writer, why are you deciding who gets the interview based on who has the most well written resume?

When the going gets tough, the intention needs to get harder

At a store the other day, I saw a commercially packaged St. Joseph’s statue that promises to have property sell fast when the statue is buried in the ground outside. Having a (lovely, like brand-new) townhouse for sale at the moment, in another state, and with ‘nary a bite, seeing the statue at the store had me considering if its power is real (and if I should buy it). I’d heard the tales but have never seen any proof. It didn’t escape me, however, to think how the planting of a St. Joseph’s statue in the yard is a lot like intention but with a dose of divine intervention.

We’ve all been there, when what we’re sellin', just ain’t movin’and divine intervention is about the only thing that will help. So, we hustle a little bit more, convinced that if we just keep putting “it” out there, “it” will finally arrive. Still, nada. At that point, I think a lot of people give up. They take jobs that aren’t right for them, they drop out of school convinced a degree won’t make any difference … they flat out stop intending.

If you aren’t aware of the story behind the discovery of King Tut’s tomb, pay close attention. Five years of work in the Valley of Kings in Egypt had netted archeologist, Howard Carter, absolutely nothing despite his unwavering belief that he was close to finding the tomb. It was not until his final season that he happened upon one of the world’s greatest archeological treasures – the intact tomb of King Tutankhamun. The moral of the story here, of course, is that if you stay on track and keep your intentions focused, while understanding that not everything happens when you want, the pay-off may be much greater than even you had expected. Perhaps I shouldn’t lower the price on that townhouse just yet.

Marianne Williamson's 'Our Deepest Fear'

There are certain people in your life who have the capacity to instill hope, or reaffirm belief, that each of us has the ability to live an intentional life. These are the people most important to pay attention to for their personal power is not superficial or vain but comes from a place, seemingly, outside of them.

In a moving conversation yesterday with one of those people, I had occasion to recall Marianne Williamson's , Our Deepest Fear. Today, it is appropriate that it be her words that speak the sentiment of intent:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Do you know the times of day you are at your best?

When we talk about a biological clock, we often think in terms of a woman’s limited time to reproduce. This definition is not so far afield when we compare this to the hours in the day when we are most apt to produce our best work.

I hadn’t given this topic much thought until a former boss asked me for my assistance on a project. He prefaced the request by asking what hours of the day I felt I was most creative. It didn’t take much time for me to answer as I know my optimum performance occurs from early morning to noon, subsides for approximately 3 hours, and is followed by another peak period that runs through 10-11 PM. During these times, I am at my best, with clarity of thought and vision, able to produce solutions to complex problems, am more optimistic, and, though some may disagree, feel I write better. Lest you think I may be napping during my lower performance period, in actuality, this is when I try to do other activities that still need to be done (i.e., make/return phone calls, drive, file, lunch, etc.) but don’t require maximum brain power to accomplish. Think of this in terms of best managing your time.

A number of employers are beginning to recognize the importance of crafting work schedules to take advantage of the timeframes in which employees do their best work. Researchers conducting studies on links between employee behavior and flexible work hours resulted in an employee’s greater commitment to their employer and higher job satisfaction. Read more on this subject. While there is discussion as to who is behind the 8 am – 5pm workday and why it was set-up that way, employers – and their employees – may actually reap greater benefits when employees are encouraged to work when they are most productive.

Mind your thoughts

Do you think that what you think is nothing more than just thoughts, that once thought, the thoughts vanish into nothingness? If so, think again.

Researchers are now discovering what Deepak Chopra and other notables have been saying all along: Thoughts are energy. And, as any energy source, it prompts a reaction. Mind you, the body makes no distinction between good and bad thoughts but merely processes thought. Just think about the last time you really wanted to achieve something. I venture that if you had invested your thoughts on how to get what you thought about, it likely appeared. On the other hand, if you thought about all the reasons why you could not achieve your goal, did not deserve it, or that it was merely impossible to achieve, it probably didn’t show up.

How can this help you in intending a career? Spend time thinking about the kind of work that makes you happy. What does a day-in-the-life-of-you look like when doing this work? Do you work at a big or small organization? Do you get to be creative? Are your co-workers formal or relaxed? Suits or jeans? Get specific. Only when your thoughts are really specific are you able to channel that energy (your thoughts) into a career that is perfect for you.

Know that there’s science behind the energy of our thoughts. Read Alexander Lee’s article, Mind-Body Connection Part I: Our Thoughts Can Affect our Health.

Money, passion, or comfort: Choosing a career that does not infringe on others

My youngest stepson, a college student, has worked part-time for a grocery store for the last few years. While I admire his stick-to-itiveness, during these years, he, like many others, has enlarged his lifestyle to reflect his earnings and his current wants. This is, more or less, to say that he spends nearly every dime he makes. His rationale is that, while he is young and without responsibility, he should be enjoying himself as much as possible. The future, as far as he is concerned, is some distant event – even if the “future” holds a car breakdown or an expensive traffic ticket, much less living expenses for when he goes out on his own. He sees little point in seeking employment that pays more or, in the alternative, saving some of what he earns for that “future” that rapidly approaches. He likes what he does, he is comfortable, and he is happy with the present desire-to-money ratio. The parents in his life, on the other hand, furnish him with room and board, college tuition, book money, health insurance, insurance co-pays, prescriptions, vacations, transportation for family events or emergencies, and picks up the occasional car repair. This allows him to continue his work, at his present pay, in an environment he enjoys.

In contrast, my friend’s daughter, Andrea, a poster child for independence, enjoys a great lifestyle but works her behind off at two jobs to maintain it. She whole-heartedly pursues her career passions without asking anyone to augment her choices.

This had me wonder if, when intending a career, should finding a job that suits one’s comfort or passion, without the associated financial consideration, be the entire goal? As much as it would be great to live in a world where everyone can indulge their passion or comfort level, without thought of paying a mortgage, feeding the kids, or keeping the lights on, this approach is not practical. In research I conducted on increasing life spans and adult child dependency, I learned that 40% of all 40-60 year olds are excessively dependent upon their parents. (Yes, you read those figures correctly.) This may mean that a number of adults are, in fact, indulging their desires without being concerned with financial remuneration from their work efforts. This also means that someone else, perhaps someone who is not pursuing their passion, is supplementing the other’s lifestyle choice or career aspirations.

I am not suggesting that choosing a career based exclusively on money is the wisest choice; far be it. Rather, I am suggesting that career intention without accountability is unconscionable. We are each accountable for our lives, without imposing the consequences of our decisions onto others – parents included! It is perfectly alright to pursue the sculpting, acting, medical, teaching, receptionist, et. al. career that you wish. What is wrong is when choosing a particular career and you come up short in supporting the lifestyle you also want, you assume someone else will fill in the gaps. The intention then becomes fulfilling your purpose but at the expense of others.

How to think (or meditate) your way to an ideal career.

I have brought myself, by long meditation, to the conviction that a human being with a settled purpose must accomplish it, and that nothing can resist a will which will stake even existence upon its fulfillment.
- Benjamin Disraeli

Several years ago I met with a gentleman at a global company. He explained that his job was to think about “stuff.” He also spent his time flitting around the country, meeting with University researchers, entrepreneurs, and other companies to gather ideas on what to think about. He would then retreat to his office where he enjoyed an enormous atrium outside his office floor-to-ceiling window. His musings produced innovations for his organization.

The same can be done for a career.

In this culture, thinking, just thinking, is frowned upon. It is as though it is assumed nothing great can ever be accomplished without doing something. Idle time is discouraged so that it becomes filled with meaningless cell phone conversations or hammering away at laptops. Just walk through any airport and you’ll know what I mean. With the way we act, one might believe people are fearful of the thoughts they would produce if their minds were left to wander.

But, as the saying goes, we can’t get to where we are going from here. Changing career direction can be daunting. We have our interests, skills, and competencies and then scan job postings looking for a place where these may be applied. If you think about it, no pun intended, this activity doesn’t take much thought. It only requires reading. Sadly, I believe that is pretty much how people approach their career. What would happen, however, if you just stopped to think or, better yet, not think at all?

In thinking, in letting our minds roam, in meditation, or any other form of deliberate nothingness, something profound happens to the human brain. Physiologically speaking, the aging process is slowed (good to know), blood pressure is lowered, and stress decreases. (Click here for great info on meditation and health benefits.) Anyone who has ever been required to make a snap decision knows full well the body’s reaction when the mind is under pressure. I am reminded of a man I know who was let go from his job. Within an hour of his layoff, he was on the phone to all of his contacts, me being one of them, to learn who in the industry was hiring. I could literally feel his desperation, confusion, and fear. So much for portraying confidence and calm.

While I appreciate there are circumstances that sometimes require an individual rush to get another job, I do not agree they cannot afford to step outside of their circumstances for even 10 minutes to simply ponder the situation. Allowing the mind to do the job for which it is intended – namely, solve problems – can do more than just produce short-term or immediate results. It can also expose new avenues for achieving long-term career plans. Just give it a try. What have you got to lose?