Successful Blog

What Makes for a Good Career Transition?

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Sometimes you need a change.

Perhaps the career you chose years ago has changed enough so that it doesn’t fit you anymore, or maybe you graduated with one degree, but feel you’re better suited somewhere else.

People change careers throughout their working years, some as early as in their 20’s and some much later in life

If you are contemplating a career transition, think about why….

  • Have you lost the fulfillment you once found in your job?
  • Are you looking to improve your financial situation?
  • Do you need something more flexible to better suit your family?
  • Have you hit a dead end in your current career?
  • Are you simply ready for a change

All of these are valid reasons to seek a career change.

The key is making a smooth transition. A career change is enough transition within itself; you want the adjustment to be as easy as possible.

Try some of these tips:

  • Research – If you are interested in something, take the time to really research it. As the following article looks at, if you’re thinking about home inspection, learn 5 reasons to train for a home inspection career, which include strong market need, salary, and flexibility. You may want to search the negatives as well, just so you know all the angles.
  • Talk to someone in that career field – If you know a home inspector or realtor, have coffee with them and find a first-hand perspective on the job. Use them as a source of information to answer any questions.
  • Budget – You may go a little while without the same income you’ve had. Take this into consideration and be smart financially during the transition, even before.
  • Be realistic about your strengths and weaknesses – If you are unorganized, you may have trouble running your own business. If you are an extrovert you may go a little stir crazy working at home alone all day.
  • Have a timeline – Know how long it will take. For instance, you need not only the client base and solid reputation to be a successful home inspector, but you also need training and licensing. This won’t happen overnight, so plan accordingly. Figure out the best time to leave your current job in accordance with a beginning a new one. Do you want all of your training done before leaving your current job? Do you want some time in between for home projects? Think about it and have a plan.

Most people don’t stay in the same career all of their lives, much less the same job.

There’s probably going to be some transition in your work life, so make the best of it and turn it into a smooth, positive experience.

With some thoughtful, thorough research and planning, you can be off to a successful new career before you know it.

About the Author: Heather Legg writes on topics related to small business, working for home and social media.

How To Grow Your Business By Stepping Back

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By Lindsey Tolino

Sometimes it can feel like you’re banging your head against an immovable wall when you’re trying to grow your business. It can be totally frustrating and stressful to find new ways to serve more clients. When it feels like that, the answer may lie not in trying to hammer through the same wall, but rather in stepping back and looking around.

When we are so focused on achieving business growth, we may miss the clues that are dangling all around us. Not only that, if we miss what is happening around us, we may suffer negative consequences.

It’s like if you’re home and all you do is stare at your computer. Not only will you miss the benefits of engaging in conversation with your family, but you might also miss the fact that your stove is on fire.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to be focused. But it’s also harmful to never step back and look at what’s happening.

Let me be the first to admit I have a hard time stepping back. It’s hard to defy my fear that everything is going to fall apart if I’m not constantly working on it. It’s hard to trust that not everything is dependent on me. It’s hard to believe that I’ll be able to get back to it if I take a break.

But slowly and surely, I’ve found freedom from the stress when I have stepped back. I’ve been able to breathe deeper and see things in a different light. Sometimes, that has made all the difference in how I handle things when I go back to the work.

The reality is that we actually cheat ourselves if we don’t step back sometimes.

For example, here are some things we may miss if we don’t stop and look around:

  • A great idea that could help you improve your business (I think of Barbara Corcoran’s epiphany – Everybody Wants What Everybody Wants)
  • News of an upcoming regulation that may affect your business
  • An emerging technology that could accelerate your business
  • A conversation with a colleague that would deepen a relationship
  • Quality time with loved ones that we might regret missing later

We know it’s best for us to stop and look around sometimes. But watching The Bachelorette may not be the best use of that time (unless that’s restful for you), so how should we do this?

We should step back and look around with intention. Here are some ideas to consider:

  • Look at the world – Check out the global news. Maybe set a Google alert for industry news. Looking at the global scale and getting a larger perspective can make me feel small, and sometimes, that’s a good thing.
  • Look at your region – Read a local news source for happenings in your area. Get outside and take photos, meet people and appreciate the area that you live in.
  • Look at people – Sometimes I don’t even ‘see’ people. Shamefully, I admit that when I’m with people, I’m often worried about myself and what I can get out of the situation, instead of truly looking at them and seeing how they can be served. To serve others well, the first step is truly seeing them.
  • Look after yourself – Take a real break. Set aside time to relax and let your mind rest in a way that is best for you.

If you feel like you’re hitting a wall with your business growth, then stop. Step back. Look around. It could make all the difference.

Author’s Bio: Lindsey Tolino comes alongside artisans, craftsman and people monetizing their passions to help them create healthy, structured businesses. She shares business musings and tips at ToBusinessOwners.com. Follow her on Twitter @LindseyTolino or connect with her on Google+.

Stretch your comfort zone

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It was drizzly.
An evening networking event at an outdoor location.
It would have been so easy to skip it, give a lame excuse the next day, and move on.

But I went anyway.

After using my drink ticket and strafing the buffet of appetizers, I found myself searching the room for someone to talk to.

Group of seven people, laughing a little too hard in the corner? No.
Intense duo exchanging business cards near the bar? No.
Dude looking around like the Terminator, scanning for prospects over the shoulders of his group? No way.

And then I saw him. A friendly looking guy standing all by himself. Yes!

I walked up and said, “I don’t know anyone here, do you?”

With that quick interaction, I stumbled upon an instant introduction to someone influential in my industry, who is extremely familiar with my niche, and who would be almost impossible to meet via a cold call.

Will this accidental conversation ever result in any business? Who knows?

What I do know is that every time I put myself outside my comfort zone, it stretches the zone a little bit.

The key is that you don’t go in with a sales mindset, go in with a plan to connect with another human being. Focus on active listening.

There was another time that I accidentally sat down next to the girlfriend of a panel speaker and ended up having a great conversation with him just before the panel started…he actually shouted out my company from the dais.

Or the other time that I made myself go down and hang out in the lobby of a conference hotel and ended up having dinner with all of the speakers.

You can’t be in the right place at the right time if you never go anywhere.

Poke at your comfort zone a bit. Make yourself do the uncomfortable thing, and see what happens.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Time for a Career Consultant?

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Are you feeling stuck in your career? If your career is a little lackluster, a career consultant can help you get it back on track.

A career consultant is a worthwhile investment of time and money if you need some help moving forward, but naturally you want to choose the right consultant to make sure you get a return on that investment.

So how can you do just that?

Follow these four tips to help find the right career consultant for you.

  1. Know Your Goals

A career consultant can help you find what you want to do, gain clarity and narrow down your options. However, they will be much better able to help you if you start off with a clear idea of your aim.

Are you looking for a complete change of career or are you more interested in moving forward in your current field? Do you have specific goals regarding earning more money or being able to work from home?

It’s ok to have a lot of unanswered questions – that’s why you’re hiring a career consultant – but try to start out with an idea of your overall aims. That way, you’ll be better placed to choose a consultant whose methods and track record are well suited to those aims.

  1. Research Their Credentials

As the article “How to Find the Right Career Consultant for You” points out, anyone can set themselves up as a career consultant.

The lack of consistent accreditation can make finding the right consultant seem like a minefield, but don’t worry.

There are other ways to find out how well qualified your career consultant is:

  • Search engines. By searching for their name, you can see what others have said about them online;
  • Professional references. Ask if they can provide you with professional references to follow up;
  • Find out if they have previous clients who would be willing to talk with you;
  • A good consultant will usually have some level of visibility, such as books, papers, social media or speaking engagements.
  1. Make the Most of Your Consultation

Any career consultant worth your time will be happy to offer you a free initial consultation, either in person or by phone or email. This helps you both assess one another and figure out if you’d be a good fit.

Prepare some questions before hand to learn more about how they work and what exactly they can help you to achieve.

The consultation is also a good opportunity to see if there’s chemistry between you. Do you feel you could work well with this person?

A career consultant doesn’t occupy the same place in your life as a friend, but a certain level of rapport and ease of conversation is a must.

  1. Assess Their Methods

Every career consultant works differently.

Some are more hands on than others. Some lean more towards “tough love” while some are more holistic. All good consultants will help you with goal setting, but some will have a more formal approach than others, and some will set very specific homework.

As well as getting a feel for how they work and what kind of success they’ve had with those methods, finding out more about how they approach coaching will help you to decide if their methods are right for you.

Everyone is different, so be honest with yourself about which methods are most likely to motivate you.

A career consultant can help you turn your career around and guide you in the best direction for you.

Of course you’ll still be responsible for the work needed to get there, but the right consultant will act as your trail guide, showing you the best routes and helping you avoid the rocky ground.

About the Author: Tristan Anwyn writes on a wide variety of topics, including social media, career consultants and changing careers.

Is Your CEO Taking the Company to New Heights?

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Chief executive officer, or CEO, is usually the highest-ranking executive officer in a company, and he or she is responsible for overseeing every aspect of the business.

As a business owner, you have to make sure that you have a competent CEO, because he or she can make a big difference to your company’s performance.

Here is a look at the role of a CEO and how he or she can contribute to the success of your business.

Responsibilities of a CEO

Your CEO is tasked to ensure that every aspect of your company is running smoothly and effectively, including operations, human resources, financing, marketing, sales, public relations, fundraising and others.

While some of the responsibilities of your CEO can be delegated, others cannot be delegated, such as building company culture and establishing the senior management team.

Basically, your CEO’s main responsibility is to develop a vision and business plan for your company.

He or she will set the direction for your company and make decisions concerning budgets, partnerships, product lines, market entries, brand identity and others.

Another important duty of your CEO is building culture. His or her every action will send cultural messages to your employees, giving them a clearer idea of what is acceptable or unacceptable in your company.

Additionally, your CEO is responsible for capital allocation and hiring, firing and leading the members of your senior management team.

How Your CEO Can Be a Greater Asset to Your Company

Be Humble

According to successful entrepreneur Cecilia Ibru, CEO of Oceanic Bank International, CEOs should try to refrain from being overly arrogant even though they hold a higher position than most people in their companies.

It is fine if your CEO wants to be in the spotlight to help your company gain visibility and establish a firm foothold in the marketplace. However, he or she should be willing to do whatever is best for your company at any given time, even if it means putting aside his or her ego.

A humble CEO will be able to gain the trust of your employees and create a more closely-knit workforce.

Make Full Use of Data

The success of your company depends a lot on your CEO’s decision-making ability.

One thing you can do to ensure that he or she will be able to make better decisions is to implement big data analytics.

With a big data system in place, your CEO can analyze your company’s data more efficiently and effectively, and derive valuable and actionable insights that can help him or her make well-informed decisions.

Communicate Clearly

Whether your CEO is communicating with the board, investors, employees or clients, it is essential that he or she knows how to communicate and inform clearly.

The people whom he or she is communicating with should be able to understand his or her visions, goals and strategies. Clear communication can lead to greater efficiency and productivity, as well as higher work quality.

In most companies, the CEO is the person who has the greatest influence on business performance.

If you have a capable CEO, you will have the peace of mind that your company is in good hands.

About the Author: John McMalcolm is a freelance writer who writes on a wide range of subjects, from social media marketing to running a business.

Do Your Employees Successfully Communicate?

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As an employer, what do you look at as some of your greatest challenges?

Many will point to keeping their revenue in the black or at least break-even all the time. Meantime, others will note the difficulties of retaining some of their top employees, employees who may decide the pasture is greener in another job. Still others will single out the task of keeping customers happy.

No matter what you find to be your greatest challenge running a company, having employees who can properly communicate amongst themselves and with customers is oftentimes more difficult than it should be.

For one reason or another, communications break down.

When that happens, customers can be left holding, meaning some of them will choose not to remain with you and go elsewhere.

Review Communication Procedures Regularly

So that you can avoid issues concerning employee communication, put aside these reminders:

  1. Technology – First and foremost, do you have the right technology in place for your employees to succeed with? Simply having a few phones, computers, a fax machine or two and a printer here and there in the office are not enough. You should do a technology review of your office at least a couple of times a year, checking to see that you have all your needs being met. If you have a busy call center, make sure your employees are staffed with the right technology so they can deal with customers quickly and efficiently, not leaving them on hold for extended periods of time or dropping calls routinely;
  2. Usage – Even if you have the latest in technology, is it being put to proper use? Start by looking at your office phone system. Whether you work on the West Coast, East Coast, Midwest or in the Sunshine State and have Florida home phone or another such setup in your office or home office (for those who telecommute or run companies out of their residences), make sure you and your employees are getting your money’s worth. The same holds true if you have office cell phones, especially for employees who are on the road conducting sales, meeting with clients, attending trade shows etc. The phones should have necessities such as texting, the ability to take photos, folders for holding important dates such as meetings and more;
  3. Pricing – If you are a savvy business owner, you undoubtedly are good at budgeting and saving money for a rainy day. Check the pricing plans for your phone and Internet connections, making sure you are clearly getting the best deal possible. In many cases, you can get a bundled deal, meaning your phone and Internet needs are all tied up in one, coming at a discounted rate. Also track the amount of time you and your employees spend on the phone with customer service matters versus email. Many companies have gotten away from the one-on-one phone conversation as the primary source to interact with customers, instead opting for emails and SMS text messaging.

No matter what technology devices your company uses, it is a good idea to make sure you have the best devices around, not to mention the best employees to use them.

Sound communication with your customers is not an option; it is a necessity that should never be overlooked.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of photostock at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Dave Thomas writes for a variety of websites on topics such as social media and marketing.