Keeping Your Career on Track in a Down Economy … and Beyond

Webinar # 4 “Shifting Gears Across the Lifespan ” The Alumnae Association of Smith College Career Webinar Series

Copyright by Barbara Reinhold, Ed.D.

www.barbara-reinhold.com

What do you mean I have to do this career thing again?

• Oh yes, again and again and again • Even your “re wirements” and retirement(s) need choreographing • The time to perfect the strategies of the INSIDE and OUTSIDE searching is NOW

It’s kaleidoscopic…

• Both you and the environment have shifted • It’s not the same you, and it’s not the same world since you made your last career move—even if that was just last month

We also talked about fillers and drainers in prior sessions • Taking the measurement of yours—and comparing them to what you’re experiencing at work—is an essential self-care strategy • If you missed those, you can get the PowerPoints and the audio on the Alumnae website under Career Blogs

Here’s an easy way to test the goodness of fit for your current work, and pin-point the problem areas: • Take the free

Work Satisfaction

Audit on my website: • www.barbara reinhold.com/work _satisfaction_audit.

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It’s never too early and it’s never to late:

• To believe in yourself • To be committed to having what you really want in your life • To be willing to challenge “common wisdom” in order to be who you really are now—and manifest that in your working life

For shifting gears at any point in your life, you need to master the shift moves

• S- Strategic thinking • H - Heart • I - Imagination • F - Faith • T - Technology

STRATEGIC THINKING

• What’s happening with the economy, with my industry or field, and with your personal life now that creates opportunities and/or threats?

• What needs to be done now, in order not to miss the moment?

• Remember John Naisbett (Megatrends): “Trends are like horses, they’re easier to ride in the direction they’re already going.”

HEART

• Whatever is next absolutely has to be something you believe in • You have to be joyful just thinking about it. Give yourself the smile test (are you smiling right now as you think about a next move or not?) • The ideas have to start in your emotional, creative right brain and then be passed over to your analytical left brain for fine-tuning and implementation

IMAGINATION

• Let yourself run wild (like those horses):what have you dreamed of and not dared to do?

• What hunches are you hiding inside you?

• Make some pictures of the future in your head with you in them—what’s happening there?

FAITH

• If you don’t really believe it can happen, it won’t!

• Your next moves must align with your major values and life goals • Make a careful assessment of how dear this project or mission is to your heart—and why

TECHNOLOGY

• Depending on your age, this is either good news or bad news • Choose whatever learning resources fit your style and get more

technical skills

• You’re going to need them to find the people and information you’ll need, and to put together the presentation materials to get on their radar screen

Go back to the SHIFT : Think about one of your wild ideas: on a scale of 1-5(high), how prepared are you to use these 5 elements to explore that dream?

• 1 2 3 4 5 Strategic planning • 1 2 3 4 5 Heart • 1 2 3 4 5 Imagination • 1 2 3 4 5 Faith • 1 2 3 4 5 Technology

Where can you find a helping hand?

• What were your lowest scores?

• Who could be a peer coach for you in this arena?

A word about having the audacity to change your work later in life: • Hell no—we’re just getting started!

• Older workers are excellent communicators with a strong work ethic and the good judgment employers need • If they’re over 65, an employer can save on benefits • They’re also perfect free agents

The only trick is this:

• You have to make the case for yourself… • Nobody is going to come looking for you

What’s coming next in this world of continual shifts?

• Most new businesses will be started by women and minorities; why not you?

• Most work will happen in small businesses • The line between for-profit and non-profit organizations will get blurrier • Most real progress will happen in public/ private partnerships

And what else?

• People will work way beyond traditional retirement age—they need the money and it’s the healthy thing to do • Most people will be “free agents” in one way or another before they stop working • Sabbaticals, stop-outs and lateral shifts will be expected in a life-long career, usually with very positive results • Benefits will be handled differently so as to allow free movement into, out of, and around in the workforce

And?

• Already women-owned businesses employ more people than the Fortune 500 • Biology is the science of the 21 yourself st century— you’ll be using brain science to coach and manage people effectively, including • Millennials and Gen Xers won’t work the way their parents and grandparents did— healthier, flexible, family-friendly workplaces will become the norm

Myth-buster questions:

• Do I need another degree to change fields?

• My husband and my dad, both bankers, have told me never to accept a lateral move—it’s either up or out

More myth-busters:

• You always need to use your boss for your primary reference, no matter what your relationship has been like • Never talk about being laid off or fired • If you’re over 50, don’t even think of changing fields; no one will want you

So what’s your plan for getting to where you want to be next?

• Write down, preferably in a Career Log, at least one, preferably two, of the next steps you might consider • For each one, list several resources (both people and data sources) where you can research these options in detail • As often as you can, record the steps you take and your reactions

How can Smith help each time you’re ready for a shift?

• Alumnae Association online career resources (www.alumnae.smith.edu) • Career Development Office web site ( www.smith.edu/cdo ) • Alumnae Association online career networking and career coach referrals

One final factoid for Smithies to consider:

• According to a landmark UCLA study, women are healthier and more successful than their male counterparts in stressful situations because of their hormone-based impulses to bond, share with and help others. In tough times, it’s easier to reach your goals as a woman (Laura Cousins Klein, Ph.D.)

Remember biblio-coaching when you need some good ideas for next steps: • Sarah Susanka: The Not So Big Life • David Rock: Quiet Leadership • Tom Rath: Strengths Finder 2.0 • John Medina: Brain Rules:12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home and School

Questions & Answers

• And now let’s hear from you with questions for me, and suggestions for other callers

Thanks so much for attending webinar #4, the final one in this series!

• Please remember to send other questions as well as information for each other to us on the blog • www.alumnae.smith.edu/career/blog .php

• The blog will be active until May 26— and we’ll let you know what will happen after that