Transition from Job to Career: Yes or NO

  I recently had a conversation with an individual I will call John Doe. John is facing doubts about his current job and where it is leading. The routine of the job has started to wear on him, and he is wondering if there is anything else. This is all too common at certain stages of your life.

John is a college professor who teaches anthropology (specifically archaeology) and is tenured. While most of the time he enjoys what he does, he is beginning to feel trapped. .

   Here is what I suggested. Maybe there is a message for you as well.

Dear John Doe,

  It seems like you are facing that great moment is life when the question "What if?', or What if only?" It is a matter of "the road less traveled" or "not traveled." This is the moment when we consider whether we want to be defined by who we are or by what we are. That is, by our job title(s) or by our career (accomplishments).

  You say that "Some of my difficulty is situational. I am extremely isolated where I am, at least in terms of my own professional development.." Let me ask, "who or what owns your life -- you or your profession?" You can develop your personal life so that the profession contributes to it, or you can let your profession dictate what kind of life you will have. That is, you can develop your individuality or you can be the status/role that your professions dictates that you will be allowed to achieve. Your description of your situation suggests to me that you are currently thinking like an "organization" man i.e. what the profession tells you to think ,rather than about your own self interest.

  Turn the question around. It is NOT what are the short coming of your profession relative to others -- it is what are the short comings of these other disciplines that "I as an archaeologically trained and experienced professional fill?" Note I said "archaeological training and experienced" this is a skill set NOT a job title, i.e. status nor a role.

  Now you say, "There are lots of lovely people to work with if I want to become a geologist, ecologist, criminologist, etc. but I am the only archaeologist for miles, ditto for people working my particular geographic region (Southern Andes)."

  In the business world, to have a monopoly on a product and a territory can be very profitable. If you are the only archaeologist around then I would ask who in addition to the college consumes archaeological services that could be my customer? If you are the only person in your area who is doing archaeology focused on the Southern Andes  I would ask, "Who in my area needs expertise the southern Andes?" This isolation that you feel, may actually be your greatest strength.

You say,

    " I have never been more in love with work that I do as an intellectual pursuit. I am enchanted with the cultures and places that I study and am enjoying thoroughly exploring these places and melt at the beauty, grandeur and mystery of the ancient heritage I find there. In my meeting and studying the people I encounter there, I am moved by the plight of the poor - both rural and urban -- and would like help  And I would hate to give this all up for just a desk job. Hence, my dilemma."

  What I see here is an excitement and enthusiasm.This person, who is speaking, is the real you.You are identifying your interests and these point to a potential solution to your concern. Here is where you should be looking for a solution to your personal desires. Your question is, How can I apply my archaeological training and experience, teaching experiences, and writing experience to create a new career for myself that address my real interests?

 One way is to disassemble your skill set from your title, your self imposed definition of who you think you are or have become. Then look at what the skills can be used for and, where you can find the joy and pleasure you find in your mastery and experience. Look there and weigh your options.

  For example, Writing popular articles about southern Andean archaeology and travel rather than worrying about the academic straight jacket of peer reviews. A blogging on the subject gives you editorial control, while writing for travel magazines will give you editorial feedback to help you get out of the academic writing mode. Or, become a guide for Elderhostel tours to the area where you have done field work, for example. You are an expert here. Or, write a novel based on your experiences and fantasies.The point is use your skills and knowledge to build a wider audience and broaden your outlook.

   One warning, before you make a move, I would strongly suggest that you review your current retirement and medical benefits. What would  the impact of changing employers or jobs be on your situation; and what flexibility do you have there in terms of the portability of your benefits?. You need to know and be aware of the risks you are taking in any change.

   I take exception to the advice you are getting about tenure and waiting until you retire. Tenure is the trap that you expressed in your initial feelings. If you wait to retire before you explore these other opportunities, it may be too late. Who knows what your health will be then, or even the reasons or conditions that might be forced your retirement. But if the security of tenure is most important to you then that is your decision.

  Finally point, what you are experiencing is normal and the experience of reflection is in itself a worthy one.

Good luck in whatever you decide!"

How to keep that job

We tend to discuss a lot about how to get a job.  

But there is another side to the job issue. That is keeping one.

 Sometimes when things get difficult on the job or at the company, we react in ways that are actually counterproductive to our interests or are interpreted by others as being counterproductive to the morale of the organization. We feel like taking drastic steps.

In times like these we may be acting against our own best interests.

Before you go too far, STOP, STEP BACK and EXAMINE your feeling. Ask yourself what is the problem and what is my "problem." Who am I and who do others see in me? Maybe the problem is my attitude. 

Take a look at the attached article The Wall Street Job Report from the Wall Street Journal. You may find it helpful. Attitude counts.

When is enough enough?

I was recently asked: How do you decide when you have enough information and it's time to execute on your plan?

My response is fairly straight forward:

When you find yourself reading the same thing over and over, doing the same thing over and over and not finding or accomplishing anything really new. And, when you begin to feel that enough is enough.

The trick is to NOT let yourself to be the biggest excuse for not putting your plan into action.

When researching a subject, there is always the temptation to do one more Google search, read one more journal article, watch one TED video on You Tube out of fear that you may have missed something. This is called, Paralysis by Analysis.

When preparing to give a speech, there is the temptation to do one more rehearsal, make one more modification in the wording, add or subtract a joke, make one more adjustment of the tie or hair. This is called Stage Fright.

When taking steps to implement the plan, there is that moment when you look at the competition and they look BIGGER, SMARTER, RICHER, BETTER CONNECTED, ETC. than you are and you want to crawl back into your shell. This is called Lack of Self Confidence.

All of these excuses are in your head and barriers of your own making.

 The first step in your plan should have been a realistic assessment of your particular strengths and weakness. If you put together a plan, then you should know this already. If these barriers were real, your plan would have shown you that. And you should have made a decision about what to do about it. This should address the Paralysis by Analysis issue

The second step in your plan should be to make a realistic assessment of the opportunities and threats the environment present to your idea or plan. You should have built your plan to take advantage of the opportunity and at the same time to prepare your defenses against the threats. This includes preparing an exit strategy. This should address the Stage Fright issue.

The third step is related to the first step, strengths and weaknesses. If you have done it well you have included an analysis of your competition and their strengths and weaknesses relative to you and one another. You will have found that they are "human" too. Your plan should include a strategy for exploiting their weaknesses and avoiding confrontation with their strengths. This should address the Self Confidence issue.

The point is to know that whatever your plan is, IT WILL NEVER BE PERFECT.

But you will know your ready when it is the BEST DAMN PLAN you can make today to deliver today. Strive for PERFECTION but deliver and accept EXCELLENCE.

And remember, a PLAN is only a road map toward your destination it can be changed and altered at anytime during the journey. YOU ARE IN CHARGE.

Entrpreneurship A woman's point of view

This video is from the TED Channel

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon: Women entrepreneurs, example not exception

Entrepreneurship is "one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise."

It is not about them. It's about you

 Bill Gates has some ideas that we all should take to heart. The realities of life are the realities we must adapt to in order to lead a successful life.

What good is a recommendation?

There has been a on going discussion on LinkedIn in the Adjunct Network about making recommendations for students and what different professors feel about the process. While cast in the context of teacher student recommendations, it really strikes at a broader concern -- what is the value of a recommendation in any context?

Some have said that they would only give a recommendation to someone who got an "A", while others would consider other qualities in addition to or as an exception to the grade.

Some would be very vocal about the strengths and weaknesses of the student in their written recommendations, while other would simply check of the lines on a form created by their institution and approved by the legal department out of fear of being sued.

Academic recommendations are really the first step a young person has for entering the job market. For career changers of any age, this is also true. It is the process of professional birth or rebirth. So the question one faces both as the person asking for the recommendation and the person making the recommendation is -- What good is it?

One of the comments we received took the position that there is "more to people than getting the highest grade." I would also add "than getting the highest salary or most prestigious title." There is more to performance outcomes than the symbols of success. These are evidence of how that success was achieved. But does not focuses on the individuals innate talents and character. These are the things/qualities that we hope to get a handle on from the recommendation.

When I have been in a hiring position I have often found that the "proforma recommendation" from a former professor or employer is next to worthless. This was especially true if there is no personal impression of the student's or employee's progress, involvement, or other feature that made the individual stand out from the class or crowd. Grades can be obtained from the registrar and employment records from the HR department,if they are important. Character is only measurable by the testimonial experience of those who have worked with individual.

As a classroom and online teacher, I know that not everyone is the same. I chose not to recommend any student I could not say something good about or that had failed to impress me in the classroom context. For example, an "A" student who earned it by the objective criteria imposed by the department but failed to demonstrate any growth or unique quality, was someone who didn't impress me enough for me to want to recommend them. Meanwhile a "C" student who overcame problems, showed progress and growth, AND was making a realistic application for a realistic job, might be someone I would be happy go to bat for.

The forms that a department or employer require be used covers their ass, but it does nothing for student or employee. In fact it almost negates the whole process -- from a hiring perspective. I would even say that in an application process all that it really is a piece of paper that can be added to the file as required by the process without shedding any light on the applicant's qualifications.

The recommendation is just part of the process and we should be aware of this whether we are the one writing the recommendation or the one asking for it. It can be critical as a step in the process.

For a couple of decades now I have participated in the Brown University Alumni Schools program from time to time. In this capacity one gets to see some of the inside aspects of the selection process. As an alumni volunteer in the program we are asked to conduct a personal interview with a prospective applicant and return an evaluation, based on a set of general criteria and our impression of the candidate, to the admissions office.

As interviewers, we are formally trained in the application and acceptance process and our role in that process before we are assigned applicants to interview. The interviews are generally conducted either by phone or in person. My preference in the face to face because you get learn a lot from body language and how they treat the interview process (e.g. seriously or flippantly).

This is but one of many dimensions that are used to make an acceptance decision, We have been told that sometimes it can be the critical determinant between two equally qualified candidates. So, as interviewers, we take our responsibilities and recommendations very seriously.

As a result of this experience, I take my role and responsibilit as someone who is being asked to make a recommendation very seriously, both in who I recommend and what I write or say about the applicant.

When asking for a recommendation, you want to ask someone who knows you both as a performer and a person in an area relevant to the position and organization you are applying for. Unless there is some immediate connection between the position you are applying for and the recommendation you request -- all you really have is the word of someone to the potential employer that they know you. But the question is: Does the employer know the person making the recommendation?

Something else we must also realize. When we make a recommendation we are also opening ourselves up for evaluation. If your recommendation results in a bad experience for the recipient of the evaluation, what does that say about you and any future recommendations or evaluations you may make?

Sometimes killing with kindness can be worse than not responding to the request at all.

What is progress and what does it mean for you?

In the broad global context of taking charge of your life, I think it is important to note that "progress" is a concept that encompasses a hope, optimism and reasoning based on a belief in that particular human ideal of "free will."

Progress is only possible if you believe that the individual has the power to take destiny in his/her hand and make of it what he/she desires. There is no progress in a deterministic or fatalist universe. There is change, but change without purpose is not progress, at best it is evolution.

The belief in free will is an act of faith and for those who accept and act on that faith -- progress becomes a possibility. I say a "possibility" because there are no guarantees, but there is "HOPE." I guess this is the most any of us can expect -- a chance.