Monthly Archive for June, 2010

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Body Sensations and Vision Board Building: Who Knew?

For those who’ve never heard of a vision board or don’t know what one is, it is the process of cutting out pictures and captions of your deepest desires and goals and then posting them on a board. The idea is that you will attract those goals and desires into your life.

I made my first and only vision board about five years ago, and I must say that most of the goals I planned to accomplish were, in fact, accomplished. Some….not so much. It wasn’t until I read, “The Vision Thing,” by Martha Beck in this month’s issue of O Magazine that I realized there are some new techniques I’d like to try on my next vision board.

First, Beck talks about cutting out images that connect with your inner self. How do you know if it connects with your inner being? Beck says that you’ll know when your body responds to the image. Just like that, I knew exactly what she was talking about. There have been times that I’ve gotten ideas or have seen images and my heart beat a little harder or my stomach got butterflies. And it’s then that I know that I’m REALLY onto something. This is my first pledge to building my next vision board.

My second pledge is to follow Beck’s second piece of advice. She says to not put so much visual attention on the vision board, meaning not to look at it everyday. My last vision board was plastered on my wall. It was the first thing I saw when I woke up every morning. Since my recent relocation to Orlando, Florida, I decided to not unpack my vision board. And that’s what I plan to do with the next vision board I plan to make. Even in The Secret, one man told a story of how he created a vision board, put it away, found it a year or so later, and found that he had accomplished ALL of his goals

So what are you waiting for? As you randomly scroll the pages of magazines, newspapers, pictures, etc., take notice to what your body responds to. Then build your board and put it away. I know I’ll be doing the same.


Published on Friday June 18, 2010 in Broadcast, Life Purpose and Self-Discovery. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Become a Networking Pro

“Only 13.2 percent of external hires in 2009 were made via job boards, according to a corporate study done by staffing consultancy CareerXroads,” said the U.S. News & World Report. The article entitled, “Why Job Searches Should Start-But Not End-On the Web,” gave shocking information about how job searches online are essentially not as effective as many people think (http://www.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2010/05/04/why-job-searches-should-start-but-not-end-on-the-web.html).

The conclusion of the article was simply that job counselors and career coaches agree that networking is the way to go.

You don’t know how to network? Well, take notes and ask questions because job seekers MUST know how to network and network well if they want to be ahead of the game.

1. Do look for local networking events that are specific to your career field. You can use any search engine and type in your career field and the keyword “networking,” and you are bound to find some events. Also, look in your local newspaper.

2. Do not go in handing your resume and business card to everyone you meet. Networking is not an “all about me” type of event. It’s about making connections, getting to know people, and allowing them to get to know you. But don’t push yourself down people’s throats.

3. Do get to know the people in the room and figure out what their needs are. You may be able to connect them with someone you already know or another contact you’ve met. People like to talk about themselves. If you listen, they’ll want to hear more about you and may know a contact that will land you the job you want. If you connect them with a job, imagine how willing they’ll be to help you out.

4. Do not let fear get in your way of meeting new people. If you’re shy and hesitant to introduce yourself to other people, take someone with you who is more outgoing, whether he or she is in your industry or not. At least you’ll have someone with you of whom you are comfortable around, and that can ease the stress of feeling by yourself. Just make sure you don’t tell people that’s why your friend came with you…lol.

5. Make sure that as you collect business cards,  jot down notes on the back of that card to help you remember something about the person you just met. Write down something that made this person interesting to you and would make you to contact him or her.

For more networking techniques and practice, contact The Collegiate Career Coach.



Published on Tuesday June 15, 2010 in Broadcast and Choosing a Career. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

If You Died Tomorrow

I finally bought the book, The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow. I’ve heard so much about it for a couple years now, but I never made time to buy it.

So far, I’ve only read the introduction and the first chapter. I’m fully engaged in the book already….so much to the point that my evening plans are to curl up on my couch and dive further in.

As a professor who only had a few months to live due to cancer, Randy Pausch gave his last lecture. A last lecture is common for retiring professors, but this lecture was much different because this was a man in his 50s preparing to die.

Trying to figure out his lecture topic, he decided to right about being able to accomplish his childhood dreams.

It made me reflect on myself. If I died tomorrow, will I have accomplished everything I’ve ever wanted to do? What would my legacy be for the world, for my family, and for my friends? What haven’t I done that I want to do?

Think about it for your own life. If you died tomorrow, are you where you want to be and doing what you want to be doing? If not, why not? Create a “bucket list” for yourself and go after the desires in your heart.

Absolutely nothing is off limits unless you’ve  limited yourself. You can always find a million reasons why something can’t be done, but it takes a man or woman with courage to be determined enough to follow through on their dreams. Is that you?

Published on Wednesday June 9, 2010 in Choosing a Career, Life Purpose and Self-Discovery. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Grand Finale for High School Grads

High school seniors are about to say goodbye to their high schools and move forward along their journey in life. Each student going their own unique way, brings many seniors excitement. But how sure are these students in the choices they have already made or are about to make for their futures? 

It’s very common for students to go off to college or a career after high school and not really know what they want to do. As a high school freshman, I was a criminal justice major. I wanted to be a criminal attorney. How did I pick that career? It was simple. I liked detective television shows (Law and Order), and I figured I’d make a lot of money being a lawyer, so I thought it was a perfect match.  Come to find out, it was the worst match ever. I hated all of the legal classes, and I was scared to even work in a field that dealt with crime.

Then I became a journalism major because I loved to write. I did work in that field for a few years before becoming a professor and then a business owner, but it was well worth the experience. However, changing majors towards the end of my senior year cost my single mother a lot more money and cost me a lot more time. I ended up taking classes throughout an entire summer to make up for the change.

My story is common. The only twist is that some college students just stick with the distasteful major, and then try to find a job in something else upon graduation.

What can you do avoid this pitfall as a high school graduate? Take these three tips to help you along your way:

1. Network and get to know people in the career field you are choosing. Asking them questions about their careers will give you the inside scoop of what it’s really going to be like in that field.

2. If you are unsure that you’ve chosen the right major, change to undecided and take your required classes in the first two years of school. Mix in a few electives with your schedule and try some classes out.

3. Hire a career coach.  A full assessment of yourself and what fulfills you will be helpful for your career and all the other areas of your life as well.

Published on Monday June 7, 2010 in College Success. 0 Comments