maggie's blog

Thank you to those of you who nominated me for Live with Regis & Kelly's Radio Co-Host For a Day.  Monday August 9th 9am is when the top 10 nominees will be announced on the show. If/when I'm in that group, voting begins and runs until 9pm ET Wed Aug 11th.  I will send reminders as the date approaches.

While I hope to move onto the next round, I realized that I've already received so much from so many of you.  

Thank you to those who told me I'd be a great fit for show. Your testimonials touched my heart.  It was scary to put myself out there as I'm not a "contest person" per se but hearing your kind words made it all worth it.  Thank you to those who took the time - I know the nomination process was arduous. 

I will keep you posted on whether I move onto the next step or not but already you've reminded me how important it is to thank those who help us.  It made me think - if anyone has helped you, they would LOVE to hear about it.  

Believe me.

Write an email, send a letter, make a call.  They would appreciate knowing they're appreciated.  You can even thank them now, here by commenting below.  Share your story of someone who's helped you and thank them for getting you to where you are today.

Consider this me getting the ball rolling by thanking all of you for your support!  

(Photo courtesy of Woodleywonderworks)

Great - it's a another beautiful summer day and you're stuck at the office.  You want to take vacation but you're not sure how you'll get it by your boss.  Besides there's so much work to be done - who's going to keep all the "balls in the air" while you're away?  You might be more depressed coming back to a pile of work than when you left. 

These are common concerns expressed by today's highly productive (aka overstretched) worker.  But you don't need to fall prey to them.   

There are ways you can get the time off you need to rest and recharge.  For my top tips pick up a copy of the July/Aug issue of Whole Living magazine on newsstands now.  Not only will you benefit but so will your boss -- according to a study by New Zealand Air, workers coming back from vacation are 25% more productive than when they left!

For more career advice, check out my weekly post on the Whole Living Daily Blog.  This week, learn about some Surprising Findings on the Role of Women & Work.  Think the "gender barriers" have fallen?  Think again.

Post your comments here about career topics you'd like to learn more about.  Got a career question or are sick and tired of your job, I'm here to help whether it's for you, a family member or a friend.  You can ask questions live on my SIRIUS XM radio show every Friday from 4-5p ET/1-2p PT at 1-866-675-6675.  This week, I'm joined by courage coach Margie Warrell best-selling author of Find Your Courage, 12 Acts of Becoming Fearless at Work and in Life.  

You deserve a career that makes you happy and satisfied. How can I help you make a great living? 

"There is no passion to be found playing small-in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living." - Nelson Mandela

Having just returned from a trip to Africa, I found these words from Mandela even more inspiring and relevant when it comes to making a great living in a challenging economy. 

To help you achieve your potential, I'm very pleased to announce the launch of my new Career Path column in Whole Living magazine (formerly Body & Soul).  In it you will find uplifting yet straightforward and tangible advice to create the career and the life you've always wanted.  Further details are included in this press release.   

Common questions about changing jobs and addressing job security concerns can be found in my print column as well as online with my weekly posts on the new Whole Living Daily blog.  

Don't settle for less.  Pick up your copy of the June issue of Whole Living on newsstands and log on to WholeLiving.com/blog today.  

Here's to you making a great living!

(Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.)

Pace University asked me to speak to seniors to help them take charge of their job searches.  

To prepare, I asked my network "what they know now about the work world that they wish they'd known when graduating."

I was pleasantly surprised by the volume of responses. Many wanted to share their "lessons learned" and help today's grads find greater happiness and success faster in their careers.  

It was truly inspiring and I had to share these helpful tips:

CAREER ADVICE FOR COLLEGE GRADS

• Choose a career but never settle on a job, keep it satisfying to your soul and lifestyle.
• Every great position comes as the result of relationship first, then qualifications.
• I should have done more soul searching about what I wanted to do instead of just jumping into anything.
  
• Never assume that office work is the only option. Highly skilled, highly paid hands-on jobs go unfulfilled even today! 

To read all 16 comments, follow me on Facebook!

What do you wish you'd known when graduating?  Share your advice in a comment below.  I wish I had taken the time to understand more about the different ways people make a living.  My concept of career was focused on business when I was in college and I didn't know much else.  Luckily, I always knew I could change careers. My Mom was a mid-career changer, going back to medical school with three kids!  Read how she did it here: Career Inspiration from Mom.  

In the words of Orrin Hatch, "There is good reason they call these ceremonies "commencement exercises."  Graduation is not the end; it is the beginning."  Congratulations to the class of 2010!  

 Photo courtesy of Ha-Wee.

Unemployment is holding steady at 9.2% but that doesn't mean you can't land your dream job.  

To demonstrate, I've asked one of my amazing clients to share her success story and lessons learned so you too can find work you love...  

--Tell us about your new job - what will you be doing and what do you love about it?

I am a career counselor at a law school in NYC and my focus is on public service careers.  I work with law students who are interested in working at non-profit organizations or in the government.  I help them with finding internships, jobs after graduation, and counsel them in discovering what excites them about their careers.  I also organize career symposiums, workshops, and panels, facilitate student participation in pro bono work, and help them get involved in their communities. 

What I love about this work is the daily interaction with students and being able to guide their careers and encourage community engagement.  I also really enjoy networking and love being able to build relationships with employers and acting as a matchmaker for students looking for employment.

--As a recent job seeker, how are you finding today's job market differs from the past?

In the past, I found the job search to be a much shorter process.  In this market it took me about a year to secure the job I really wanted.  It required much more patience and diligence on my part to secure a position.  I had to do a lot more networking, informational interviews, and volunteering in order to get myself out in the field that interested me. 

--What approach did you take to land your dream job?

First, I became very clear with what I wanted.  This involved working with Maggie in determining my mission and vision for my career, what type of office environment I wanted to work in, and what values were essential in the work that I wanted to do.  Once I was clear, I started to do a lot of informational interviews with people in the same field, go to networking events, and apply to jobs online.  My contacts would also send me postings and recommend me informally for jobs.  I found myself being first runner up for a few jobs and I was getting frustrated.  So I decided to get myself out there even more and volunteered at a career services office at a law school that I had done an informational interview with and knew might be hiring in the near future.  After two months of interning, they hired me for this position!

--Did it help that you had spent time Soul Searching and Researching BEFORE Job Searching?

Yes!  I have realized from this process how important it is to be clear with what you want and have an understanding of how to get there before jumping in.  I put it out in the universe the type of job I wanted and let everyone in my network know so they could help me in my search.  Then I determined how I could get there through informational interviews, networking events, volunteering and doing research online. 

--What advice do you have for others who are job seeking and feel the pressure to take something less than ideal?

I think it’s extremely important to feel passionate about the work that you do, considering how much of your daily life is spent working.  I think once job seekers are clear with what they want to do, (while being realistic on their finances and experience necessary for the jobs they want) they should not compromise on their vision.  I turned down a job that I knew was not the right fit in terms of my goals or the type of office I wanted to work in, and I’ m very happy I waited for the right job to come along!

How are you finding the job market?  Did you recently land a new job?  Would you like to and have questions about how you can Soul Search into your ideal career?  Share your comments and questions below.  

"Don't just have a job, have a mission." - Civil Rights Leader Dorothy Height