http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2010/10/20/what-todays-job-seekers-want.html?PageNr=1

This is no surprise. Statistically, a person is more likely to leave their job if they feel unappreciated rather than for pay.

 In my classrooms we do an activity on the first day of class so that everyone can get to know each other. One of the topics they share is their degree major. An overwhelming amount of students are in the Nursing program. It’s in high demand. However, some students are still sticking to industries that they think they will enjoy – education, fashion designers, public relations, and business.

When asked what type of business these aspiring owners want to run, they desire to become a part of an established family owned business or just choose business because it opens up their choices for any industry they choose.

My advice is to stick with what you love. First of all, the economy will turn around eventually. Also, you can make money doing anything you want as long as your are creative. I’m a writer and an educator – both careers that are not known for paying high salaries. But I picked a passioned that embraced both of them, and the high salary is sure to come soon….very soon.

I recently took the biggest risks of my entire life. Was it easy? Not necessarily a smooth road but definitely worth the bumps and uneasiness I felt making risky choices for my life.

I lived in New Jersey my entire life. I was born there; I grew up there; I went to college there; and I lived my twenties working there. It was great. I was used to my environment. I was able to stay in touch with close friends I’d known my entire life. Although I love New Jersey and the experiences I had there, I wanted to break out of my shell and expand. I told my mother, “The entire world is my home. I have so much to offer it. I need to share my gifts with those who need it.”

So what did I do? I moved to Orlando, Florida, quit my job as a full-time professor, made my coaching business my full-time job, and signed up to work as an adjunct professor at Seminole State College of Florida. Talk about a lot of change in a month!

I talked about doing this for years, but I always came up with excuses as to why it wouldn’t be a good idea. I felt I had more stability at my college in New Jersey. I was one year away from obtaining tenure, and the college made it very clear that I was going to get it. I had an excellent health insurance plan. I had a consistent income. And even with all that I knew I was not following my heart. I did my best, but I knew that my best work would be even better if I followed my dream. Most importantly, I now feel free. I honored my heart. This is one of the best feelings in the world!

How do you feel when you wake up everyday? Are you living the dream you always wanted? You deserve to live the desires of your heart, and the world needs you to express them. Become your dream.

Principal #1, from the Dare to Dream Big audio, is extremely helpful
in putting your worries to ease. Once you figure out your life
purpose, your path gets clearer and you are able to walk
confidently down the path towards the career of your dreams.

Download your own personal life purpose journal to get started.

Use each page to jot down your thoughts on the
following questions, and then use the last page to write out your
life purpose statement.

1. What’s something you do in which time goes by quickly (without
you even checking the time)?

2. If you had all of the money in the world, what would you do?

3. What are your hobbies? What do you like to do for fun? Don’t
just think about now, but also think about when you were a child.

4. What do you like about your hobbies? What is the feeling you get
when you’re engaged in them?

5. Think about a time you felt closest to your core (your true
self). Describe it. What did it feel like? What were you doing?

6. If you had a week to live, how would you spend it?If you take the
time to answer these questions—and you are really honest!—you’ll be
surprised how easy career planning can be. You may “see” the answer
is right in front of you.

Sign up for a 20-minute complimentary session to see how coaching
can benefit you and your entire future.

Many philosophers and inspirational gurus have referred to these choices and its relation to life as a blank canvas that each of us can paint however we want. Now, if someone paints a picture he or she does not like, then there is a choice to wipe the canvas clean and start over again, learning from the previous painting you created.

For the benefit of the entire universe, it is important that each of us paints our canvas in the unique manner in which God created each of us. Although each of us are unique, we are all connected in this universe to play out a certain role we’re here to play. If we don’t play the role that lies deep within our hearts, everyone suffers because we will all miss the special gift inside of you that you were meant to share.

Wayne Dyer said, “Don’t die with your music still inside you. Listen to your intuitive inner voice and find what passion stirs your soul.”

My passion is to write. It’s something I’ve done well my entire life. During my junior year of college, I decided I wanted to write for a living. I became a journalist. Although I left the journalism field as a full-time career, I’ve stuck with my passion. I teach writing as a professor. Even now as a life coach, I continue to write all kinds of stuff. I also have a novel in the works.

The point is that life is what you make it. It sounds so cliché, but it’s so true. I always say that the world is my oyster, because for the most part I know I can do absolutely anything I want. It all depends on the choices I make each day. When I make a choice I don’t like, I just make another choice that works better for me.

You have this power, too. Be sure to use it to create the best life for you.

Runchey, a now successful publicist in LA, will talk to us about a time two years ago her and her mother were caught in the middle of a police shootout at a Detroit grocery store. This experience motivated her to pack up her car and follow her dream career.

Despite the hardships of the economy, Runchey landed a job with a PR firm that has represented 58 Oscar Winners since 1983.

Currently, Runchey is  now working, for the second time, on Michael Moore’s film festival and recently won the Bulldog award (The Oscar of the PR industry) for best arts and entertainment campaign for the 2009 North American KISS tour.  KISS is kicking off their 2010 North American tour in four weeks.

Join Lee Runchey and the Collegiate Career Coach tonight for a motivational and inspirational online discussion.

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.

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?

In one of my end of the semester conferences, I asked my student the question I’d been wanting to ask him all year. I acknowledged that he was a great person but never seemed to put any effort into his work. I asked him, “What’s preventing you from giving your all in class?” He said, “I don’t want to be in college. My mother is making me come.”

That comment spoke volumes to me. If someone doesn’t feel they have a choice, they will not put the effort into their work. This student is very smart and could have completed the class with an “A.” Instead, he got an, “F,” and had to retake the class.

We all have our own journey in life. Parents, allow your children to make choices about their future. They really do know what they want to do and will succeed in it if they’re given the choice to pursue it. Students, tell your parents what you want. If you open up the lines of communication, parents will understand your point of view.