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If you’re looking for inspiration to recharge your career, look no farther than Apolo Ohno’s 1500 meter Olympic performance. At 27, an age considered long in the tooth for a speedskater, Ohno not only won a silver medal, he proved he’s just as competitive as his younger rivals.

In the current economy, many seasoned employees are finding their careers plateaued or their job prospects slimming as they face stiff competition in the workplace. Here are four strategies that contributed to Apolo Ohno’s recent success and how you can apply them to your career.

Commit yourself. Ohno purposefully committed to a third Olympics because of his love for the sport, the Vancouver location, and his personal passion for excellence. That commitment fueled his drive forward through good days and bad.  Read more...

We’re one week into the New Year – the time when resolutions can start to fade. If this year you’re absolutely determined to do something about your career, take heart! Avoid becoming a career couch potato with your choice of four creative activities designed to inspire you to keep moving. They’re fun, easy – and they work! Betcha can’t try just one.  Read more...

‘Tis the season of giving and I’m interested in knowing what gifts you’ve given yourself. Not the kind you buy.  I’m thinking kind of more like…..homegrown.

Like bravery, for example. This year, did you step out of your comfort zone in ways you’ve never done before? Or maybe persistence.   Do you find that now you just keep going when things are rough and not even think about giving up?

Perhaps you gave yourself the gift of focus  -  zeroing in on what’s really important to you  – and letting the rest go? Or how about patience? The calmness that comes when you accept that your timeline isn’t everyone else’s is a powerful gift.

Did you give yourself joy?  Read more...

What do you do when someone asks for help getting a job in your organization? Most people want to help. On the other hand, helping is risky. How do you help someone get a job but protect your own hard-earned political capital?
 
A friend of mine asked me this after her efforts to help a former colleague monumentally backfired. A VP who had been laid off from her previous company contacted her about an open position in her current firm. My friend’s actions to help him turned into a political disaster for her when she passed his resume on to her boss –and her boss was applying for the same position.

   Read more...

A woman of child-bearing age who couldn’t get pregnant in biblical times is like a person today who is able to work but can’t find a job.  Through no fault of their own, each loses their place in society and is at risk for losing their sense of self-worth.  

Hannah went through terrible times until she finally asked for help. The story of how God helped Hannah with her troubles gives hope to those facing the anxiety of unemployment. 

1 Samuel (1:4-20)

Poor Hannah! She wants a baby desperately, and yet she can’t conceive. Her husband’s other wife, Peninnah, has plenty of sons and daughters. As members of the same household, surely Hannah is expected to help care for the children. What a bitter pill to swallow.  Read more...

According to the U.S. Department of Education, if you’re between 25-34 years old with a bachelor’s degree, you earn 55% more than a peer with a high school diploma or equivalent.  

If you’re between 25-34,  that’s a pretty motivating reason to finish your undergraduate degree. If you’re in an (ahem) older age bracket  - there’s not a moment to lose!

If you are employed, consider a non-traditional undergraduate degree  programs. Not only are they structured for working adults, many programs give academic credit for their students’ previous and existing  knowledge and experience.

You could complete your degree sooner than you think, if your background and experience qualify for credit.  Requirements vary from School to School; compare them carefully to select the one that is right for you.

Ask about these four sources of academic credit when you speak with School admissions counselors.     Read more...