Career Choice

3 Important First Steps When You Want to Change Careers

August 31, 2018 by Vicki Tillman Leave a Comment

Feeling the need for a change? Here are 3 important first steps when you want to change careers.

3 Important First Steps When You Want to Change Careers

It’s not unusual to hit a place in life where you think, “I need a do-over with my career.”

Many of the coachees I work with start out feeling overwhelmed by the thought of changing careers. They know they need a change, they want a change…but they have no idea what it is that they do want.

That’s why coaching is so helpful. As a career coach, I can walk with you through the process.

Everyone is different, but here are 3 basics that help many people when starting off the career-change process.

Re-discover, re-define and re-brand

The first thing you need to do if you’re thinking about a career change is to re-discover yourself: Who you are and why you are! Everyone changes over time…or maybe a lousy job or an obnoxious boss gets you so distracted or stressed that you forget who you really are. The first step in career change needs to be re-discovering yourself. No kidding. When’s the last time you took a personality test? Let’s start with remembering YOU.

Download these freebie links to personality tests. You’ll be glad you did.

Personal Discovery Links VickiTillmanCoaching.com Photo of a journal, cup of coffee and earbuds to set the atmosphere for personal discovery.

Download this freebie.

Don’t just take your tests! Read the results and write notes to yourself about the things that most resonate with you. (Start a self-discovery journal!)

Next, on your journey of self-discovery, redefine yourself by writing a fresh personal mission statement. Download this guide to take you step-by-step through the process.

Trail Guide to Writing Your Personal Mission Statement VickiTillmanCoaching.com Photo of a hiker which represents the journey of self-discovery and re-definition of writing personal mission statements.

Download this helpful guide.

Now, you’re ready to re-brand. Is there anything you need to update in your skill set, your networking, your lifestyle? Get to it!

It helps to know who you are, why you are and that you are creating yourself well! Now, you’re ready for the next step.

Define your network

Networking is key to job hunting in this interconnected world. Who you know matters and will help (if you’ve been a pleasant person- if you haven’t, get busy re-branding yourself). Make a list of influencers and connecters in your world. Look at:

Your email list
Your LinkedIn and other online professional/social connecters
Your organizations
Your immediate and extended family and friends

Update your LinkedIn profile

LinkedIn is always updating. Check to see if you’ve made yourself optimally available. Here’s a post on spiffing up your LinkedIn profile.

Click image to read post.

Got these 3 important steps under control? You’re ready to start the career change. It helps to work with a coach through this process. Schedule an appointment with me to help you make life-changing career changes.

3 Important First Steps When You Want to Change Careers

5 Simple Steps to Prepare for Phone Interviews

January 15, 2018 by Vicki Tillman Leave a Comment

Here are 5 simple steps to prepare for phone interviews.

5 Simple Steps to Prepare for Phone Interviews

Phone interviews are intimidating to many people. They cannot see the person they are talking with, cannot read non-verbals or sense the environment.

However, is not uncommon for my Career Coaching to have phone interviews as Step 1 in the potential company’s hiring process.

Don’t worry! There are some simple steps for preparing for phone interviews that will relieve some of the stress.

Step 1: Make sure you are on-brand

Make sure you are presenting yourself consistently and professionally anywhere you can be seen in the digital world.

Is your LinkedIn profile updated and presenting you at your best?
Is your social media cleaned up?

Step 2: Do your research

Know as much as you can about the organization you will be interviewing for.

Make sure that you read up on the company. Know its mission, its history, and interesting factoids. Their website is a good place to start. See if they have a Facebook page.
Do you know the name of the person who will be interviewing you? Can you find that person on LinkedIn? If you, at least you’ll know what they look like, and get a glimpse into what they think is important about their work.

Step 3: Practice phone interview questions

There are a few common phone interview questions. Ask yourself and answer them. Say them in the mirror or have a friend *interview* you. You can even write out the answers, in case you think you will forget.

Here are some of the more common questions:

What is your job history?
What has been your salaries? (There are some states that do not allow that question to be asked.)
What are your salary expectations for a new job?
What are some challenges you have overcome in your current job?
What are your greatest strengths/weaknesses?
What experiences have you had at your current job that may be helpful at this new job?
What do you hope to contribute to the organization?
Would you be willing to travel? relocate?
Why do you want to work for this organization?

Step 4: Be professional

Keep your resume in front of you
Keep a note pad and pencil with you, take notes as you go
Dress professionally (even if only you see you, it makes a difference)
During the interview either stand up straight or sit up straight
Smile
Don’t multitask. Concentrate on the interview
Say *thank you* at the end of the interview
Be sure to have a question or two on hand in case they ask: Do you have any questions for us?
- Can you describe the day-to-day routines of this position?
- Can you describe the team I will be working with if I am hired?
- What are some specific things you are looking for in new-hires?
- What are you most proud of about working for this corporation?

Confidence-Building Skills for Meeting New People VickiTillmanCoaching.com

Click here for some confidence-building skills.

Step 5: Send a thank you email

Send a quick email after the interview thanking the interviewer for his time and attention.

You may also reiterate why you think you’ll be a good fit for the job
Be sure to check spelling and grammar. (Read the email outloud before you send it.)
Include the word *internew* and the job title in the subject line

Time to get some coaching to get ready for your career change? Contact me.

5 Simple Steps to Prepare for Phone Interviews

10 Simple, Practical Steps to a New or Revamped Career

December 31, 2017 by Vicki Tillman Leave a Comment

Here are 10 simple, practical steps to a new or revamped career.

10 Simple, Practical Steps to a New or Revamped Career

Realizing you need a new career? Or maybe you’re in the right field but wrong job or location? Time for a do-over!

Here are 10 simple, practical steps to a new or revamped career:

Step 1. Define your needs. What are your baseline needs for:

Finances
Location
Schedule
Flexibility

Step 2. Define your wants. These aren’t deal-breakers and if you’re just staring out, they might not even be considerations.

Growth potential
Benefits (this may need to go under *needs* category)
Team atmosphere
Learning community
Perks
Job security

Step 3. Rediscover yourself. This is the important part. If you’re starting fresh career-wise, you want to concentrate on a good fit. Revisit your personal mission statement. Click here for freebie links to help with personal discovery or download this Career Exploration Workbook.

Personal Discovery Links VickiTillmanCoaching.com

Download this freebie.

Step 4. Delineate your strengths. Write them down. Is there a way you can leverage them? Be creative!

Step 5. Face your weaknesses. Would any of these weaknesses hinder your employability? If so, make a plan to mitigate them.

Step 6. Make several choices and explore each. In today’s job market, you may need to hunt in more than one area.

Step 7. Rebrand yourself. Update resume, cover letter and references.

Step 8. More rebranding. Spiff up LinkedIn. Clean up social media.

Step 9. Rehearse interview skills. Literally, find someone to practice with. Have them ask the questions and you answer.

Step 10. Get yourself out there. Network. Check the job boards such as USA Jobs, Indeed, Glassdoor

It goes without mentioning that you should be praying at each step!

These 10 steps can feel overwhelming. If you would like some excellent coaching on any or all of them, contact me!

10 Simple, Practical Steps to a New or Revamped Career

How to Include Volunteer Work on Your Resume

April 15, 2017 by Vicki Tillman Leave a Comment

Done some cool service work? Here’s how to include volunteer work on your resume.

How to Include Volunteer Work on Your Resume

One of the most frequent concerns my career coaching clients express- whether they are professionals changing careers or recent college graduates- is having enough experience for a new job.

The seasoned professionals fear that they are locked into their present field.
The recent graduates have little job experience to show on their resumes.

What to do?

Show volunteer work!

I tell them: Volunteer work can be recorded on your resume in the same way that you showed your other work experience.

Here is how to include volunteer work on your resume.

1) Get started: Make a list of service work that you have done in recent years. This work can include:

Non-profits
Community organizations
Church or religious organizations

2) Give each service you have done a *job title*. This can be unofficial as in *Sound Technician at Town Holiday Events* or officially-given names *Treasurer for Snerdlyville Community Church*.

3) Write a job description for each volunteer job title. As in any job experience, you will use these tips:

Describe your jobs in terms of:
- accomplishments
- leadership
- problems solved
- challenges overcome
- results and positive impact for the organization or community. Make clear what was changed by your work
- note that it was a volunteer (unpaid) position
Include numbers, if possible, such as “Created program to feed 20 families in neighborhood weekly” or “Helped 10 troubled youth graduate each year”.
Note #hours you spent in total for a single project or weekly hours for more ongoing projects.
Include action verbs. This post includes some *power words*.
Include job-specific words. Look at the job description for the position you want. Catch the keywords that are important to the job. If the organization you are hoping for uses Applicant Tracking System, the keywords will help your resume get flagged for a viewing by human eyes (otherwise, the ATS will simply pass it by).
If you can specify the percentage of time you spent on each of the tasks you describe.
Don’t forget to include dates of service (just like you do on any job experience).

4) Add your new volunteer experiences to your career experience section of your resume. Simply integrate the volunteer positions into your job list.

5) Tweak your resume so that you have several versions. For each position you are interested in, adapt the resume by removing volunteer positions that have nothing to do with that job. BUT don’t sell yourself short. When in doubt, include the volunteer position (as long as you are still on a one-page resume required by many hiring professionals).

I remind my clients that while we often volunteer to make the world a better place, we also reap the reward of making our resumes *better places, too*.

You can get started with your own career-change exploration by downloading: Trail Guide to Career Exploration for Adults.

For more tips and help in changing careers or starting out after graduation, contact me soon!

How to Include Volunteer Work on Your Resume

3 Steps for Getting Life Right All the Time

March 21, 2017 by Vicki Tillman Leave a Comment

Been wondering how to always be right? Here are 3 steps for getting life right all the time.

3 Steps for Getting Life Right All the Time

“I just want to get it right!”

“If I can’t do it with excellence, I will wait until I can.”

“If I can’t figure out the RIGHT thing to do, I must be all wrong.”

I often hear statements like this from my clients. Like many people, they are sincere and just want to get life (career, relationships, stuff) right.

I love to share my 3 steps for getting life right!

Step 1

Beware of “Perfection Paralysis” (as one of my perfectionistic friends calls it)

While you shouldn’t make a life goal of doing a lousy job at everything, you become excellent at whatever you do by much practice. If you wait until you’re perfect, you won’t ever get started, much less arrive. Getting life right happens as you intentionally gain experience on journey.

Guiding principle: Anything worth doing is worth doing badly. GK Chesterton

Step 2

Beware of “The Arrival Myth”

You don’t arrive. I can remember being a young mother who was deluded by the thought that when I reached the ripe old age of 30, I will have arrived. I would have my stuff together, my family will be perfect, and I would be living a comfortable, steady-as-she-goes lifestyle.

In the 21st century, most people don’t get one career, one house, one set of interests and the settle down into comfortable mediocrity. Instead, the staples of life like career, living location, even church often shift many times.

Guiding Principle: Today, life isn’t a destination. As long as you are this side of heaven, you never arrive. If you surrender the Arrival Myth and make up your mind to enjoy the adventure that you are on, you won’t miss what God is doing in and through you.

Step 3

Live life “good enough”

So, really, you can’t get it right, right now and expect it to stick. You can’t do life perfectly but you can keep at it. You must simply do life “good enough”and learn to enjoy the process.

That doesn’t mean living lazily or sloppily, it just means that you can live life (career, relationships, stuff) remembering you are on the journey: there isn’t ONE place that you will land and then be “okay”, you must be “okay” where you are.

Guiding Principle: How do you do life “good enough”?

Be thankful for what you have.
Daily find moments of awe.
Take care of what you have gratefully (your body, your soul, your relationships, your stuff).
Handle your career faithfully and wisely, understanding that things will change. (Keep your LinkedIn updated and your resume sharp.)
Always keep learning.
Remember that service to others is foundational for success.

Okay, so there aren’t 3 steps for getting life right all the time. There are simply steps for living your journey well.

When you’re ready for coaching with a wise guide, contact me. We can talk in person, by phone or Skype and help you understand yourself/others and enjoy the fulfilling next steps in your life!

3 Steps for Getting Life Right All the Time

7 Productive Things to do Immediately After Losing a Job

January 30, 2017 by Vicki Tillman Leave a Comment

7 Productive Things to do Immediately After Losing a Job

Losing a job sucks. You feel rotten. But the days immediately after losing a job are not the days to sit around watching old YouTube channels or playing solitaire.

The best idea for those days right after being downsized, outsourced, job eliminated, whatever… is to keep some momentum going. That way depression and discouragement doing set in and get you stuck in the job-hunt-procrastination mire.

So, here are 7 productive things to do immediately after losing a job:

*Make a resource list that you can email, phone or visit.

Professional contacts and colleagues
Family and friends
Pastor and other community leaders you know

*Update resume and create a cover letter template. You will probably need several versions of each but if you have a master copy edited and ready to adapt, you will be ready to pounce on opportunities when they arise.

*Update your LinkedIn profile. This is a must.

*Update or upgrade any certifications you hold. You know it…you’ve been putting off dealing with this. Updated and upgraded certifications help open doors. Even if you’re not behind on anything, find a course or two to take.

*Do an internet brainstorm session. Explore:

US Department of Labor’s onetonline.org
Job sites like Indeed, Monster, etc
Lots of posts on this website. Here’s one.

*Start volunteering. Volunteering is good for many reasons:

Meet new people/networking
Adding to your skill set
Keeps you from stagnating in front of a computer screen
Fends off some of your anxiety and increases happiness levels
Get started on your journey with the Trail Guide to Career Exploration for Adults.

*Get some Career Coaching. Contact me. I can help you with each of the above, as well as exploring new careers if you are ready for that adventure. Don’t lose time when you’ve lost a job. Email me today to set up an in-person, Skype or phone appointment.

You can also download this inspiring Career Exploration Guide to get started.

7 Productive Things to do Immediately After Losing a Job

What is Career Coaching and Who Needs It?

November 3, 2016 by Vicki Tillman Leave a Comment

What is Career Coaching and who needs it?

What is Career Coaching and Who Needs It?

Career Coaching is the process of working with a coach to tweak career paths, identify new career paths, and develop the skills to succeed in both. Career Coaches like me work with people like you, who:

are ready to fulfill their dreams and potentials by launching into a new career field
are determined to achieve more in their current field
are anxious to get back to work after having been downsized, outsourced, job-eliminated
are feeling a bit nervous as they look for a second career after raising their kids
are pressured to choose a college major before graduating high school and want so help
are fed up with their organization and want to move to a meaningful career
are delighted to give back to their communities in their retirement years

The Career Coaching process looks different for each person. That’s because everyone has different needs and desires. We will discuss what you are looking for, then set goals for success in one or more of these areas:

Discovering talents, gifts, callings, inspirations
Get started on your journey with the Trail Guide to Career Exploration for Adults.
Identifying dreams and desires for career and life
Create a personal mission statement and personal visioneering tools
Clarifying needs, assets and limitations- then ways to work within or overcome them
Choose great-fit career fields and/or college majors
Develop skills for the job hunt (resume, interview, recruiter, Linkedin and more)
Develop soft skills and communication skills for career growth
Maximize resources available for career search and development
Enhance personal growth skills that help manage work-place stress (mindfulness, self-care)

You can get started on the adventure by contacting me. We will work in person if you are local or via Skype or Google Hangout if you are not. Don’t delay your adventure. Contact Vicki today!

What is Career Coaching and Who Needs It?

How to be Content with Your Life and Still Reach for Your Dreams

October 23, 2016 by Vicki Tillman Leave a Comment

Dreams out of reach? Here’s how to be content with your life and still reach for your dreams.

How to be Content with Your Life and Still Reach for Your Dreams

Disappointment is part of life. (If I could give God advice about this, I’d tell Him that we should skip this part- but He seems to think otherwise.) We can have dreams, we can feel like we’re on the right track and then everything stops…falls apart…whatever. Then it seems like our dreams are ripped away from us.

Disappointment. It’s real. But life goes on. How do we allow life to be good even when it has been “wrong”?

Practice contentment. (Notice I said, “practice”? It takes a LOT of practice. It is a life-long, ongoing PROCESS.) BUT don’t give up on your dreams. Here’s how to be content with your life and still reach for your dreams.

How to be content with the life you have now.

*Keep daily gratitude lists. This isn’t cheesy, really. We know that Scripture tells us to give thanks and to have a grateful spirit (Psalms 100, 138, 139 and more). Now there’s research about the power of gratitude. University of California has done great work on gratefulness. They’ve found that written gratitude lists help

promote healthy immune systems and blood pressure
decrease depression levels
and more!

*Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is the practice of “calm, non-judgmental awareness”. The American Psychological Association shares some benefits of mindfulness:

stress reduction
improved working memory
better focus
more stable moods
enhanced relationships

There are many mindfulness practices. Download the freebie instructions for two of my favorites mindfulness practices: Progressive Relaxation and Ignatian Examen.

*Notice the good stuff that is here now. No matter how much “stuff” we have, we need something else- but that kind of thinking makes us sick. When you notice what you DO have (and are grateful for it), the pressure to accumulate things reduces.

*Notice the good people that are here now. Your friends and family are what they are- none are perfect but hopefully most are good. Concentrate on the good people and the good things they do. If you need to download some toxic people, go for it.

*Notice the good events that are here now. Every day, something good happens. What is it?

*Self-care. You can’t be content and then respect your body and soul. It works the other way around. Treat your body and soul well and you will more easily find contentment.

*Find 5 good friends. I always tell my clients, “You become like the 5 people you hang around with, so get 5 good friends.”

How to be content with your life and still reach for your dreams:

Don’t forget your dreams. They are gifts from God.

*Remember that there is always something ahead and that you already have a dream about it inside you. It’s there, trust me.

*If you’ve forgotten about your dreams, start over.

*Rediscover yourself. Who are you? If you’ve forgotten, some Career Exploration (which is simply self-knowledge development) helps. Have some fun:

Remember who you are and rewrite your Personal Mission Statement
Redefine your dreams
Work with a coach to help you remember the dreams, keep you on track and prepared for your dreams

*Create a vision board

*Set aside a few minutes each week to develop a skill that will help you in your dream

You can have both: contentment with the present and dreams about the future. Hold onto both! Contact me when you are ready to recalibrate your life through coaching.

How to be Content with Your Life and Still Reach for Your Dreams

32 Easy Do’s and Don’ts to Power-up Your Resume

September 29, 2016 by Vicki Tillman Leave a Comment

Time to re-do that old resume? Here are 32 easy do’s and don’ts to power-up your resume.

32 Easy Do’s and Don’ts to Power-up Your Resume

My clients who are in job transitions often feel nervous about their resumes. Usually it’s not because they have nothing meaningful to put on the resume. Nope! They are stressed about the format, wording and details.

Here are 32 easy do’s and don’ts that I share with them:

Do:

Read the job description and adapt the resume to it, if possible. Use keywords that help the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) identify your resume as relevant for the job (job titles, skills related to the job, leadership qualities and other “soft skills”)
Proofread and then have someone else proofread
Glance over your finished resume and ask yourself, “Will it catch the hiring personnel’s attention within 6 seconds?”
Keep it to 1 page (adjust font size and spacing- but don’t make the font too small)
Use a simple, clean font (no fancy or goofy stuff)
Use single spacing
1-inch margins
Send as PDF if emailing the resume
Include
- Name
- Contact Information- email, phone, snail mail address, website
- Profile (This is your one-sentence elevator speech or branding statement.)
- Skills/Areas of Expertise- include professional, technical and networking/soft skills
- Experience- jobs and internships (If you don’t have much job history, include significant experiences such as missions trips, significant travel, or significant charitable work.)
- Awards
- Education (and Professional Development, if applicable)

Don’t:

Create a fancier format of resume than the position warrants- an artist or graphic designer should present a wildly creative resume look, a lawyer should not
Use photos or icons if the job is not a creative position
Give an email address that is silly or difficult to copy or remember
Include Objectives (they went out of style)
Include Date of Birth (unless you want to)
Include high school name if you already have a college degree (unless you REALLY want to)
If you use bullet points, try not to include more than 5 bullets in a section
Use slang, contractions or abbreviations
Use the word “I”
Exaggerate

Try:

2-column format (You can buy templates on Etsy if you need help.)

Power Vocabulary for Resume

Accomplished

Get started on your career-change journey with the Trail Guide to Career Exploration for Adults.

Achieved

Analyzed

Arranged

Assisted

Collaborated

Communicated

Completed

Composed

Conducted

Contributed

Coordinated

Created

Directed

Demonstrated

Determined

Developed

Enhanced

Evaluated

Executed

Explored

Facilitated

Founded

Generated

Guided

Identified

Implemented

Improved

Increased

Influenced

Initiated

Leadership

Led

Maintained

Managed

Mentored

Networked

Obtained

Organized

Overhauled

Performance enhancement

Pioneered

Planned

Problem solving

Processed

Productivity enhancement

Programmed

Promoted

Reduced

Reformed

Repaired

Represented

Resolved

Spearheaded

Stimulated

Strengthened

Team building

Trained

Won

Now it is your turn! Get busy with your career change and your resume. Contact me for wise guidance on your adventure!

32 Easy Do’s and Don’ts to Power-up Your Resume

6 Steps of Career Change: More Than Dreams

September 19, 2016 by Vicki Tillman Leave a Comment

There are 6 steps to career change: more than just your dreams.

6 Steps to Career Change: More Than Just Your Dreams

Much of the career coaching that I do is with people who realize they need out of their current situation:

Their current corporation is being sold and they can see that the new organization will outsource their position
There are only lateral moves available within their current corporation
They get up every morning and HATE what they are doing
They know there is more inside them than the work they are doing now
They are worth more than they are being paid
They remembered they once had dreams…

When my coachees are ready to launch into the adventure of recreating their careers, we talk a LOT about dreams.

What did you use to love?
What do you love now?
Forgot?
Don’t know?

How about you? What are YOUR dreams?

If you can’t remember, get started on a fresh life journey. Remember, re-evaluate. Re-write your personal mission statement. That will help you remember who you are and why you’re here on earth. If you’ve never had one, take a day to yourself and do this workbook:

Now, you’re ready to adventure!

But career change is NOT just about your dreams. Here are other things to think about:

What are your strengths?
What are your masteries or most powerful experiences? (Either in work or out)
What has God revealed to you through those experiences?
What are your values (what is most important to you- money, relaxation, travel, family, etc)?
Who is depending on you?
What is your cause (what are you involved in that has transcendent – or goodness- value)?

Sound overwhelming?

You’re right. Career changes can be tough. It’s best not to do that journey alone. Take along an experienced guide- in other words, a Career Coach.

Contact me today to get started! We can journey through your career change in person, by email or via Skype.

Career Choice

3 Important First Steps When You Want to Change Careers

Re-discover, re-define and re-brand

Define your network

Update your LinkedIn profile

3 Important First Steps When You Want to Change Careers

5 Simple Steps to Prepare for Phone Interviews

Step 1: Make sure you are on-brand

Step 2: Do your research

Step 3: Practice phone interview questions

Step 4: Be professional

Step 5: Send a *thank you* email

5 Simple Steps to Prepare for Phone Interviews

10 Simple, Practical Steps to a New or Revamped Career

10 Simple, Practical Steps to a New or Revamped Career

How to Include Volunteer Work on Your Resume

How to Include Volunteer Work on Your Resume

3 Steps for Getting Life Right All the Time

3 Steps for Getting Life Right All the Time

7 Productive Things to do Immediately After Losing a Job

7 Productive Things to do Immediately After Losing a Job

What is Career Coaching and Who Needs It?

What is Career Coaching and Who Needs It?

How to be Content with Your Life and Still Reach for Your Dreams

How to be Content with Your Life and Still Reach for Your Dreams

32 Easy Do’s and Don’ts to Power-up Your Resume

32 Easy Do’s and Don’ts to Power-up Your Resume

6 Steps to Career Change: More Than Just Your Dreams

6 Steps to Career Change: More Than Just Your Dreams

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Step 5: Send a thank you email