Blog
HOW I GOT HERE!
Career Development and Career Change
My job was to help service members from all branches of the military find what was next for them after they exited the military. Many were lost and afraid, the plan they had was changed by an injury, family issue, or something completely out of their control.
Helping thousands of men and women figure it all out helped me to see clearly how to attack career development and job change. The number one key is to have a plan, another plan, and another plan. Being ready to pivot always made the huge leap from the military back to civilian world work.
As a military spouse, I also understand, firsthand (moving every few years) how to be successful in moving or changing careers. Having moved 7 times in the last 12 years, I have learned what works in finding a job, and what does not.
Pairing my life experience, my professional experience, and my Bachelor's degree in communications I found my life passion in helping others through a difficult stressful part of life.
I have facilitated classes for over 4000 service members, attended national job fairs, spoken to company recruiters, and volunteered as a career counselor. At the end of that career ( we moved) I began to work for Workforce Solutions assisting military and spouses to find work in the area.
I was promoted to department manager and began to work with local businesses to assist them with training and employment needs. This gave me a great perspective of both the employer and the employee.
Working on both sides of employment often see the disconnect, employees think the employer is lucky to have them, and companies not communicating well in the hiring process. It is easy for both sides to get discouraged. I love the process and work hard for my clients to make the process not only okay but maybe even a little fun!
HOW I GOT HERE!
Everyday Public Speaker Coaching
I have always been the person in the crowd, that instead of paying attention to the Keynote Speaker, I would watch how the people were acting in the audience. Were they sleeping, were they looking at the speaker and responding with body language?
When I observed the audience I would then observe the speaker, was the topic arranged probably so it was easy to understand? Did they use verbal pauses like ahh, and hmm? Were they using the microphone correctly?
After a short time, I could see whether the speaker was impacting his audience or not. It always amazed me the speaker did not see or chose not to recognize the audience's response to the topic. If they were sleeping why did the speaker not ask questions, or walk around the room?
But, it was not until my husband rejoined the military that I really started to see how much necessary information was being given and how little it was impacting the community it was to serve.
I began to see that if the information is just "Put Out" with little effort or care from the speaker it was not received by the listeners. When I stumbled back into college and began to study communication I realized this was my calling. I saw communication, not just heard it. Communication and also, public speaking is so in-depth most people do not speak with the knowledge of retention.
Every day public speakers many times come from a place of delivering information, not how the team, audience, group, or volunteers are going to hear or receive it.
I have watched countless messages be delivered with epic failure in retention. Maybe it was because the room was not set correctly, too hot, too cold or the speaker was speaking at a different level of the topic than the audience was, or, maybe it was because the speaker was enjoying the attention and not worried if the audience heard what the message was about.
So many things factor into speaking with the intention of retention. I love helping team leaders, managers, civic group leaders, and anyone who has to lead and speak, understand how to be the most impactful speaker every time they deliver information.
What is the Dream Job & Why Can't you Have it?
I grew up with a mom that was very practical. You were supposed to go to college and get a career, stay in that career for 3o years, and retire with a pension. I don't fault her for that, it was the way of the world when she grew up. But, I just was not able to sustain a career in one place for 30 years, and times were changing.
As the decades progress, the stability of an employee at a workplace became less and less of a common thing. In today's employment environment, if an employee stays with a company for over 20 years, that is nothing short of a miracle!
Employment enjoyment is sought after, and quiet quitting is a huge pandemic. Worklife balance is a premium, many find it hard to stay with a company for over a few years.
When I meet with a client I do a lot of digging to find out what the dream job would be. Most people will say, I really want to do this, but I know that is not realistic. This is when my internal Realistic unicorn comes in. Maybe you can not have a job as a professional baseball player at the age of 55, but if you love the game, why can you not have a job where you are with a professional team, or in a stadium where a team plays?
Why, I will tell you why, because you don't believe you can. You think those jobs are for other people. Well, what I say is, awww you are other people. Someone had to step into that job and they are just the same as you are. Human! It may take time, adding to your skill set, networking, more time, and more skill building. But, with a plan, persistence, and a bit of God's grace, you can have that dream job. Just don't be afraid to try.
If You Can't See It How do You Achieve It!
Over the past few weeks, I have been observing professional athletes. I have listened to interviews, and although we all know it, words matter!!!! We have all heard that words turn into what we believe, and what we believe is what we can achieve. As I study words and actions I see it more clearly. People who believe anything is possible, achieve more. They may not reach the huge goal, but they will surpass the folks that only believe in the realistic, obtainable goals.
Limiting yourself, the people around you and the power of the universe is just selling yourself short. I often see fear as a baseline for under - believing, is what some people call, practical, realistic, or down-to-earth. I see under-believing as doubt, the lack of confidence you can and will be resilient if you fail.
What if Astronauts only believed we could reach orbit, and never could navigate to the moon? In fact what if the scientist who developed the technology for the moon landings only believed they could get halfway there? Believing the impossible, or at the very least, the very difficult is unshakable belief in yourself, your team, and the world around you.
It is faith you can be more than you are in the moment. It is power that you know if you fail, you will try again, recognize the lessons learned and continue in the journey. Commitment to unshakable belief is not for the faint of heart, it is for those who have heart and passion for something bigger than they are.
So when facing a task, goal, something big! Create a mindset of unshakable belief that whatever it is you can do it. Why not you?
If someone has done it then so can you ( Get the big job, Get the big promotion, Create the big vision). But, know that when you speak of the dream, you have to use the words that promote success. Not "Well I think I can, but right now I don't have the ability because....". NO!, The phrase is now "I am working to this goal, every day I am closer than I was the day before." Don't speak of the setbacks or roadblocks, only speak about the success, all that is keeping you moving forward.
Words matter, speak into existence that future of big successes.