Career Opportunities

Economic downturns makes career planning even more important By Douglas E. Welch Listen: Economic downturns makes career planning even more important Get daily career tips on Twitter, Friendfeed in video, on Seesmic and in audio via Utterli. To put it mildly, the economic news here in the US has not been very good lately. Business failures, the mortgage crisis and more are driving the economy lower and slower. This is sure to take its toll on business and the employees of these businesses including you. That said, I hope that all of you have put your finances in order over the last several years as I have written here in Career Opportunities. Good preparation is always the best defense whenever tough times hit. Too often, workers suspend whatever career goals they have during tough times. Those who have a job feel grateful to be employed and those without a job will take nearly anything that comes along. I would caution you against such austere thinking. Career goals are just that, goals. We should continue to strive for our goals even when the economy is slow. I would say that this is the most important time to focus on our goals. This prevents us from making unwise decisions out of a sense of fear or even panic. Decisions made in the fog of panic can be the most damaging of our lives. Don t allow fear to deter you from your most important goals . Another danger zone is making decisions with money being the only criteria. I am fond of saying that money should never be the sole reason for doing (or not doing) anything. Money must be weighed with all other criteria. In one extreme example, it should be obvious that committing a crime in order to make money would be a bad decision. Derailing your career to make money is almost as foolish. Rarely do your career goals change just because the economy has changed. You still want some very basic elements in your career. Yes, it might be more difficult to attain these goals, but they don t simply disappear. Don t abandon all that, simply to make money today, or you may find your future success to be limited by that decision. So, what can you do to insure that your career stays on-track, even when the world is a bit unstable? It all comes down to you. First, re-visit your career goals. Have external forces deeply effected your goals or the chances of obtaining them? For example, if you were working to become powerful and rich in the mortgage industry, you will have to take a hard look at that goal Even then you might see opportunities in this area after the current crisis shakes out. The important part is to calmly and clearly review your goals and make decisions based on thought and consideration, not panic. Next, look at your current work environment. Does this current crisis give you an opportunity to shine in some way? Can you save your company money? Can you bring in more business? Can you expand the company into new markets? Shakeups aren t just doom and gloom. They can sometimes provide new opportunities, too. While you certainly don t want to take any pleasure in the misfortune of others, layoffs, buyouts and early retirements could offer you opportunities for advancement that might have been missing before. I can t say this often enough, don t panic. Finally, and I can t say this often enough, don t panic. Today as I watch the news, I see people panicking everywhere. They are predicting worst case scenarios and telling people to act today, based on their predictions. Wise people react according to what is happening now, not what might happen in the future. There are any number of things that might happen. While you can plan and prepare based on various scenarios, it is important to only act on cold, hard facts. Otherwise, it is very likely you will leap from the frying pan into the fire making your life and career more difficult. Good news is rarely as good as we might hope and bad news is rarely as bad as we might fear. Keep in mind the reality always lies somewhere in the middle. No matter what happens, remember that you are in charge of your own life and your own career. Make the best decisions possible for yourself and your family. Don t feel that you need to quash your own career goals because the economy is slowing. Your goals may change and adjust, but you can still continue to strive for them every day. Join me on these networks Follow Douglas on FriendFeed | Follow Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Become a Facebook Fan of Career Opportunities Support Career Opportunities: iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch Economic downturns makes career planning even more important

(This podcast is pulled from the archives and presented here as a service to more recent listeners Douglas) Listen to this episode Read the entire article As if I needed it, this week I had an object lesson in the important principle of “Don’t Wait!” I try always to take this to heart and usually manage to operate under its precepts, but a combination of events led to a series of yet other events that needn’t have happened. Thank goodness, the damage to data, and self-esteem, was minimal, but it teaches an important lesson that bears repeating. Do the project now This particular event has its roots in a new client I first spoke to a few months ago. They had a small office running an aging Novell server using Groupwise as their email. Together we developed a plan to replace this server, upgrade their network and replace their email with an out-sourced solution. The company was not ready to move on the project immediately for a variety of reason, so I estimated the cost of the project and left it up to them to contact me when they were ready. This week, during the height of a heat wave here in Los Angeles, I received an emergency call from the client. Their server had crashed. I knew that the machine was in a location that had very bad ventilation, so I told them to move it into the office and let it cool down for a while. Sure enough, after a few hours we were able to reboot the server and go back to work. This event brought home the need to move forward on the project immediately. Do what you can We arranged to have a new server delivered overnight and I quickly backed up the existing files to a local desktop machine as a safeguard against any future failures. I had not yet setup the new email addresses, though, so I postponed exporting the email from Groupwise until I had a place to put it. It is here that I broke my own rule. I assumed the server would last for 1 more day and I would be able to move the email out in an organized fashion. Of course, I was wrong. The server crashed again the next day and we were unable to resurrect it a second time. What went wrong? There are several points of failure illustrated in this story, all of which you will face at one time or another. First, clients are often reluctant to replace aging systems, especially if they appear to be functioning well enough for their needs. They seem to want to wring every bit of cost out of the system before committing to a new one. In this case, while the server had continued to function, both their UPS and tape backup unit had failed months before. This is not an unusual situation, though. I often find such things when I meet with a client for the first time. That said, these earlier failures should have created more of a sense of urgency to replace the system. Secondly, when confronted with the initial failure, I should have exported all the mail to a safe location, just as I did with the data files. Instead, I was trying to hold on to an old plan instead of reacting to new issues immediately. I had wanted to move through this project slowly, running the new systems in parallel and therefore execute a smooth and elegant transition. In trying to stick to that original plan, it opened a window to data loss. This is a perfect example of what can happen when we are not open to a rapidly changing environment. Third, the existing equipment was located in a room with little to no air-conditioning and surrounded by other equipment. This location should have been questioned during the initial installation. It is the job of all high-tech workers to help their clients avoid preventable problems. Somewhere in the past, changes could have been that might have postponed or prevented this failure. Be kind to your clients, and your fellow high-tech peers, when installing or updating new systems. It is important to remember that you might be reviewing or replacing their work in the future. Hindsight is often the best teaching tool, if also the cruelest. I hope you find my experience a useful reminder that there are times when projects should be pushed through, regardless of whether the current system is still functioning. As high-tech careerists, there are times when we must impress a sense of urgency on our clients. Both for their benefit and our own. Join me on these networks: Douglas on FriendFeed | Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Support Career Opportunities iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley Call the Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch Archive: Don t Wait - September 2, 2005

Can you imagine your career future? By Douglas E. Welch Listen: Can you imagine your career future? Get daily career tips on Twitter, Friendfeed in video, on Seesmic and in audio via Utterli. This week I am asking you to engage in a bit of future-tripping. Looking at the reality of your job today, where do you think it might lead in 5, 10, 15 years? What might your career look like when you reach your 60 s? Using your imagination today could help to insure your destination tomorrow, but it might also make it clear if you are on the right - or wrong - path right now. If your imagined destination doesn t appeal to you, it s time to take some corrective action. Frequent readers and listeners to Career Opportunities will be familiar with the next few steps. Take some time, in a quiet place where you can think and try to imagine what your job and career might look like in the future. Take along your journal or notepad to collect your thoughts as you go. Where will you be living and working? What work will you be doing? Corporate or freelance? How much will you be earning? Will your current career even exist in the future? Now, let s dig a little deeper. Are you happy in your career? Do you feel accomplished? Are you living where you want to live? What is your family like? Are they happy with your career choices and the time commitments required? When I do this exercise with others, I often hear complaints that they can t possibly imagine that far ahead. There can be several reasons for this. First, they might not be able to break away from the current state of their career. Sometimes we can be so immersed in the day-to-day reality of our work that it is very difficult to break out. That said, this is one of the easier issues to address. Given enough time and a quiet environment, we can all begin to imagine what might be possible in our career future. We just have to have the time and space to break away. Other issues are more difficult, though. Too often when we are asked to imagine our career future, we are afraid of what we might find. If we are already dissatisfied with our career, we don t want to imagine the future because in our eyes it can only get worse. Of course, if we are unhappy with the future that we see, this only means we need to create a new one. This is why you MUST think about your future, otherwise it will simply happen to you. You want to direct your future, reaching out for new goals and new challenges, not simply accept whatever has been dealt to you. This is the exact reason we engage in this futur-ing exercise. For good or bad, once we have imagined our future, it gives us clear signs as to what we need to do next. For good or bad, once we have imagined our future, it gives us clear signs as to what we need to do next. If you feel you are on the right track, then what are the next steps along this path? What can you do to insure that the future you imagined comes to pass? Do you need more training? Do you need to earn a new position in your company? Do you need to move to a different company with more opportunities for advancement? If you look into the future and don t like what you see, what are your next steps? Did you pick the wrong career back in college? Do you lack training or a diploma and this is holding you back? Does your company hold no chance for advancement? Are people actively blocking your career path? Now, take each issue and revisit our exercise. How different would your life and work be if this issue didn t exist? What are 5 ways of dealing with this issue? Can you make the issue simply go away? Does it require wholesale changes to your career or just a few tweaks here and there? If one person is standing in your way, how can you go around them, or reduce their influence? What would your career future look like if these problems no longer existed. Despite how it might feel some days, you have the ability to shape and direct your career. it only requires the will to imagine the future and then take action to reinforce or change the future you see. You don t have to accept what is given to you. It is your duty to shape your life and career in the best ways possible so that you develop the career you deserve. Join me on these networks Follow Douglas on FriendFeed | Follow Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Become a Facebook Fan of Career Opportunities Support Career Opportunities: iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch Can you imagine your career future?

(This podcast is pulled from the archives and presented here as a service to more recent listeners Douglas) Listen to this episode Read the entire article Working as a freelance computer consultant can certainly have its challenges and its rewards, but sometimes it can be difficult to keep my career moving forward. Over the last several years, I have had various complications and interruptions that have effected my ability to continuously develop my career. While these complications certainly haven’t brought everything to a halt, they have forced me to be creative about how to continue my work, especially when everyday live intervenes. Back to school Seven years ago, I took a long hiatus from my work and became the stay-at-home parent for my son. This lasted for about 3 years. I continued to do some consulting work during that time, but it was significantly less than my usual load. Scheduling was a constant problem, so it seemed easier to bow out of the market, for awhile. Now, I find myself in a similar situation, but with a few new quirks. Three years ago, my wife decided to return to school to get her graduate degrees. She achieved her Masters in History about a year ago and is currently in the second year of her Ph.D program. Initially, she was able to take most of her classes in the evenings, and my son is now in school, so this didn’t effect me too much. There were still scheduling issues, but through judicious use of daycare and play dates, I could work as much as necessary. Busy, busy, busy That said, as she gets deeper into her studies, her time has become more and more fragmented. Additionally, my son’s schedule has also become busier. We are not the type of parents who sign him up for every activity, but he is now engaged in ice skating lessons and will play Little League baseball again this Fall. Combine this with the various school events and it adds up to a busy schedule. This has set me to thinking again, about how best to manage my time so that I can handle the role of both high-tech professional and hands-on father. Remotely yours Lately, there have been some technological advances that have opened up new avenues for my work. Thankfully, in many cases, my work doesn’t require my physical presence. I have long offered telephone support and training to my clients, billed on a per-minute basis, and it usually adequate for many of their needs. However, as systems grow more and more complicated and customizable, the necessity of actually viewing the client’s screen has become a necessity. VNC (Virtual Network Control) software has been around for quite a while, but configuring it to allow a connection to a client’s machine often involves changing router settings and other complications. Recently, though, a method was developed to allow the computer user to place an “outbound” call to a VNC “Listener” with limited software installs or software configuration. This, combined with the growing ubiquity of broadband, allows me greater access than ever before to computers without being physically beside them. I have used it to assist my clients on the other side of the country or just a few blocks away. Microsoft, Inc. provides a similar product to assist in the management of their servers and desktops. RDC (Remote Desktop Client) allows me to use a server, just as if I was sitting in front of it. This capability allows me to be available for my son and my clients in most situations. Often, I am completing some of my work, while he sits at the dining room table finishing his homework. Furthermore, using a Wi-Fi equipped laptop, I can often perform work when I am waiting for him at school or lessons. Here in Los Angeles, free wi-fi hotspots are expanding at an enormous rate. If I really need access desperately, I can expand my connectivity dramatically by signing up for paid access at any of the myriad Starbucks, Borders or Barnes and Noble franchises. This allows me to fit my work into the irregular holes that make up a typical day. Balancing a life as a high-tech freelancer and equal- partner parent is never an easy proposition, but technology can provide some assistance. Whenever you are feeling stressed, look for technology that can provide the same measure of flexibility as your high-tech career. Join me on these networks: Douglas on FriendFeed | Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Support Career Opportunities iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley Call the Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch Archive : Keeping it going - August 26, 2008

Educating yourself By Douglas E. Welch Listen: Educating Yourself Get daily career tips on Twitter, Friendfeedin video, on Seesmic and in audio via Utterli. Once I left college with my Bachelor s degree, I never really looked back at mainstream education. I did ok in college, but I often tell people that I think I learned more from spending every night in the theater than I learned in the classroom. Sure I learned about science, language, history and more, but in the theater I learned about people and, in many cases, the real world. Due to my regular role as a stage manager, I learned about management, personalities, organization, motivating others and hard work. Even within the relatively cocooned environment of college, I was already living in the larger world. In the intervening years, instead of returning to college to get an advanced degree, as my wife has done, I have developed more and more ways of educating myself. I find that, for me, self-directed education seems the best fit for my sensibilities. One reason for this is that it allows me to explore interesting topics in much more depth than I might ever be able to do otherwise. I have a widely varied set of interests and I can t imagine any degree program that would allow me to explore every one. One week I might find myself immersed in the history, art and craft of coffee, while in another I am learning everything I can about the Wordpress blogging engine. Next week it could be the advertising market or a new plan for educating others. The only way I can deal with my roving eye for education is to manage it myself. Let me say, though, that I am not denigrating established educational paths. For someone who is focused on a particular topic or field of study, getting your Masters Degree or Ph.D could be exactly the right thing to do. There is an established method for certain career paths and you are well advised to follow them. Look closely, though, to insure that you are making the right choice. Don t just follow a path because others are doing it. Developing your own degree Over the years, I have found several ways of directing my own education. The first method involves a very established tool the book. I make a point of reading any book usually from my local library that catches my interest. Typically these are non-fiction titles, but their subject matter varies widely and wildly. One day I might be reading about new scientific studies in genetics. On another it might be a book on management skills. On another it might be a cookbook or a history exploring the life of Michelangelo. I specifically don t limit myself to any one subject matter, but let my interests direct me. In some cases, my interests are driven by business concerns. Books on management, finance and technology immediately catch my eye. Sometimes the books are related to my non-professional interests like gardening, cooking or food. It is improtant to read books that might not relate to business or your career. I find that any book on nearly any topic often provides insight into many parts of your life. Learning how to cook Italian food can teach you a lot about organization, management, group dynamics and a hundred other topics above and beyond Italian culture, so don t dismiss these books as frivolous. Next, I follow a large variety of web sites that have piqued my interest in one way or another. I have a category in my RSS reader for blogs about libraries and maps. While I am not deeply engaged in either of these pursuits professionally, I find I can draw insights from them all the same. The writers may be discussing issues specific to their business, but I find it easy to relate these same concerns to my business and work. They often turn up resources that I can use and recommend to my clients and the readers of my blog. Finally, I create learning projects for myself. If I need to learn something for myself, it is very likely that my clients will need education in it as well. Over the past years I have developed projects in installing, maintaining and operating Wordpress and other content management systems, installing and developing wiki-based information systems, developing and managing groups (see New Media Interchange at http://newmediainterchange.com) and delving more deeply into audio and video engineering, editing and production. These learning projects might go one for weeks or months, but from the very beginning I also work to apply them in the real world. A wise person once said that the best way to learn something deeply is to teach it. I agree wholeheartedly. Nothing clarifies a subject in your mind like explaining it to others. You very quickly find out where further research and study is required and you are applying the knowledge, so it quickly becomes part of your everyday skill set. One additional part of these learning projects is mentoring. If you can find someone who has more knowledge about a topic, and is willing to share, you will find an accelerated path to that knowledge. They have the inside track on this information and can spare you trial and error that they once struggled through. This allows you to be more productive, more quickly than any other method. Conversely, if you mentor someone else in an area you are studying, you will both benefit. If you are not engaged in a traditional educational program you owe it to yourself to immerse yourself in your own, self-directed, studies. In order to work effectively in our lives and careers, we need to be learning every day. Otherwise we are rapidly falling behind. Follow your interests and allow them to show you an educational path. Develop your own degree program and you will be on the right track to building the career you deserve. Join me on these networks Follow Douglas on FriendFeed | Follow Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Become a Facebook Fan of Career Opportunities Support Career Opportunities: iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch Educating Yourself

(This podcast is pulled from the archives and presented here as a service to more recent listeners Douglas) Listen to this episode Read the entire article Of all the feelings you can have about your high-tech career, you should never feel despair. Too often, though, this is exactly what I hear in people’s voices a sense of despair. For whatever reason, high-tech careers tend to generate these feelings far out of proportion to other avenues of work. Many high-tech workers have concluded that their work, and their lives, will never change, no matter how hard they try. Let me say to them, and to you, this is sheer nonsense. Even the smallest action can put you on the road to alleviating your feelings of despair or avoiding them altogether. Giving up The deepest cause of career despair is the simple act of giving up. If you have decided that nothing will ever change, you’re assuring your own despair. There is always something you can do until you breathe your last breath. Some wise sage once said, “Where there is life, there is hope. No one can make you give up. This is a decision you come to all on your own. You might not think about it, but over time, you simply stop trying. Instead of taking new action, you avoid it. Instead of seeking out new challenges, you focus on rote work you could do in your sleep. Worse still, you start creating your own excuses for your despair. “They’ll never give me a raise. I’m trapped in this dead-end job. No one cares about my work.” Thought and action, not complaints I must admit that one of my pet peeves are those people who find endless energy to complain about their fate, but dedicate none of this energy to finding a way out. You need to see your unhappiness as a call to action, not a reason to despair. It is important to understand that alleviating your despair doesn t require dramatic actions, such as quitting your job, divorcing your spouse or leaving home although you might eventually do any or all of those things. Rather it starts with the smallest action deciding not to give up. Next, you need to do some hard thinking. Thinking about what gives you joy. You probably already know what you dislike about your life, so dedicate some thinking to the other side. What would you do if you could do anything? What tools, knowledge or training do you need to get there? Don t worry about how feasible it is to pursue these activities, just re-visit them in your mind. You will find that you naturally start to think of ideas about small ways you can engage in your favorite activities again. Take one of these small steps and do it. This can place you back on track. Then, choose another idea, and make it happen. Repeat as necessary. You’re not trying to run a marathon, simply taking one step forward. Now, look at your current job. Is there anything you can do about the problems that have caused you to lose hope? Be honest with yourself. Are any of the problems of your own making? Can you find a way around them? Are you truly faced with intractable management issues? Is your manager abusive? Does the company engage in criminal activities? Are they simply clueless? If you have truly lost hope in your current company, your only choice may be to get out. You may have convinced yourself, though, that all the companies in the world are as messed up as your current one. Once again, this is nonsense. This is simply something we tell ourselves to validate our despair. Don t fall into this trap. I can guarantee that there are better places to work, even if it might take you some time to find them. Look around you. There are countless people who are willing and able to help you, if you only rise up out of your despair and give them a chance. Instead of complaining about your job, ask for their help. Instead, of falling into despair, take an active role in making your life better. When you feel that others have given up on you, it is often because you have given up on yourself. If you want a better career, and a better life, you cannot accept despair. You cannot, and should not, give up. The future of your high-tech career lies in your own heart and mind and can be achieved by taking one small step at a time. Join me on these networks: Douglas on FriendFeed | Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Support Career Opportunities iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley Call the Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch Archive: Despair - August 19, 2005

The least you need to know By Douglas E. Welch Listen: The least you need to know Get daily career tips on Twitter, Friendfeed and now, in video, on Seesmic. The least you need to know September 12, 2008 Douglas E. Welch When you are looking to start or improve your career, it can be a bit daunting to consider everything you need to know in order to build the career you deserve. The work world has changed dramatically over the last 2 decades and skills that were once considered specialized and unique are now expected in entry level applicants. In order to help you get off to a good start in your first job, and open up new opportunities for a new job, below are a series of skills and a collection of knowledge that I consider, the least you need to know. Many thanks to reader/listener, Twitter Friend Anthony for suggesting this topic. I d love to hear your questions and comments, too. You can send them to me through any of my contact address including Email, Twitter, Facebook, Comments on the web site and calling my Listener Line at 818-804-5049. Get your questions answered today. Technology Let s start with some technical skills that every worker needs to have today. It used to be enough that workers knew how to answer the phone, open paper mail and alphabetically sort files in manila folders, but today we are surrounded by technology. In years past, it was possible to have a career without having much computer knowledge. You could muddle through or have someone do the work for you. You could type via hunt and peck and not know how to copy your files to a floppy disk, but not any more. Lacking these basic skills, and more, makes it very difficult to find a job, let alone build a career. Not knowing how to use a computer is akin to not knowing how to work a telephone. Having the ability to read and reply to email, create documents and search the Internet are some of the most basic skills required by every job. If you are uncomfortable using the computer, you need to get some training today. The computer, and everything it does, is now considered as basic a tool as the telephone or copy machine – and believe it or not there was a time when those tools were considered exotic. For a more detailed list of the least you need to know about computers, read or listen to my previous article and podcast, Computing for the Everyman: The Least You Need To Know. Business Just as technology literacy is required in today s workplace, a certain amount of business knowledge is also required. In the past, it was only executives and a few managers who needed to understand profit and loss statements, ROI (Return on Investment), negotiation skills, and the finer points of marketing and promotion. Today, though, every single worker in a company should have a basic understanding of these business concepts and more. What is the difference between revenue and profit? How can your company be selling millions of dollars of merchandise and still be in the red? What is Sarbanes-Oxley and how does it effect every part of your company, down to the newest employee? What is supply and demand and how does it effect your pricing and sales? I m not saying that everyone needs to have an MBA, but a certain amount of business knowledge is being required of even the junior members of the staff. Even more, you can improve your job prospects and career growth dramatically by cultivating an interest and understanding of these concepts. People Finally, cultivating an understanding of yourself and the people around you is paramount in any career. Observe those around you who communicate well. Read books and articles on how you can develop your own skills and work more effectively with others. Develop ways of working with even the most difficult people, or find ways to move them out of your organization. A company may have significant capital resources manufacturing plants, huge corporate offices, great products but without good employees, companies stumble over their own inadequacies. I am sure you have seen, and perhaps been employed, by companies that can t seem to get out of their own way. This usually points to employees who lack a deep understanding of people, both co-workers and customers. They muddle along from one crisis to another instead of developing the people skills that are required in today s business environment. I hope that your company provides some opportunities for furthering your education in technology, business and people. Most good companies will, as they understand that when everyone has a base level of knowledge it can only help the company overall. Of course, if your company doesn t provide any assistance in this area, then it is up to you to seek out this knowledge on your own. Don t use your company s policies as an excuse to remain ignorant. As I always preach here at Career Opportunities, your career is your responsibility. If you don t build your career, no one is going to do it for you. Build your own base level of knowledge in these three important areas and it can only help. Join me on these networks Follow Douglas on FriendFeed | Follow Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Become a Facebook Fan of Career Opportunities Support Career Opportunities: iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch The least you need to know

(This podcast is pulled from the archives and presented here as a service to more recent listeners Douglas) Listen to this episode Read the entire article In a high-tech career, it is sometimes the perception of your work that matters more than the quality of your work. As disturbing as it might be, you can often be perceived as aloof, arrogant or incompetent, even when the facts don’t bear out that conclusion. Human beings are complicated and confusing animals so discovering what is coloring their perception of you and your work can be a daunting task. Still, unless you want to find a new job, you are well-advised to address any issues regarding how you are perceived in your company. Remember though, that perceptions that people voice often have no relation to what is actually bothering them. An example A fellow podcaster, Joseph (not his real name) and I were chatting the other day and he related a story that perfectly illustrates the capricious nature of perception in the workplace. His manager called him in one day to inform him that some other departments, or perhaps just one, had complained that he and his staff were not being responsive enough to this department’s needs. Unfortunately, the specifics of the complaint were sketchy, as is often the case. It caught Joseph quite off-guard as there had been recent incidents within this department where his response to problems had been immediate, dropping other tasks to solve their problems. He was a bit confused and concerned about the complaints and wondered what might be the source. As we talked, he described his office environment. It was the typical arrangement of cubicles, where all workers sat with their back to the doorway, so that their computer screen was exposed to managers and supervisors passing by. Additionally, as is often the case, many workers wore headphones to listen to radios or music without disturbing those around them. Harkening back to my own days in the cube farm, I remembered a peculiar problem that resulted from arrangements like this. I also had an idea about how it might be creating Joseph’s complaints. With your back to the doorway, anyone who entered your cube to speak with you would usually startle you. Almost everyone would immediately apologize for disturbing you. When you add headphones, you are setting up a very bad situation. I believe though Joseph and his staff felt they were being polite to keep their noises from bleeding into neighboring cubicles, they may have been, unintentionally, telling people “don’t bother me!” When co-workers and people seeking help approach from behind, they must cross over the public/private “wall” that is created by a turned back and headphones. This makes people feel awkward, intrusive and uncomfortable, sometimes to the point of anger. That’s not what I meant As you can see though, the complaints about being unresponsive might have nothing to do with the actual quality of service being provided. Sure, if you or your people are truly unresponsive then you need to recognize this fact and fix it. In most cases, though, it is a matter of how you are being perceived. Perceptions can quickly negate quality work. They can outweigh even the most studious attempts to provide great service. It is your job to find out what other factors might be involved in a complaint. Is there really a concrete problem with your operations or a matter of how you are being perceived? Is the perception a true indication of the problem or a result of some other, unvoiced issue? It can take a bit of discussion to come to the true nature of a perception issue. The people placing a complaint might not be able to tell you exactly what is bothering them. They might blame it on any number of issues, but unless you address the correct problem, the complaints will only recur. Your best solution is to talk to people. Help them find the words for what they are feeling and find a way through their perceptions and onto whatever issues might exist. No matter the quality of your work, if it is perceived badly your job, and possibly your career, are in danger. Don’t slough off perception problems saying, “oh, they don’t know what they are talking about.” If your client is confusing perception with reality, it is you who will suffer. When perception problems arise it will take a combination of hard facts and thoughtful discussion to protect your high-tech career. Join me on these networks: Douglas on FriendFeed | Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Support Career Opportunities iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch Archive: Perception - August 12, 2005

Why not share your expertise by creating your own version of Career Tips? It can show people what you do and how well you do it. iPod Ready Video Join me on these networks: Follow Douglas on FriendFeed | Follow Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Become a Facebook Fan of Career Opportunities iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch Career Tip for September 8, 2008

5 Steps to follow before committing to anything By Douglas E. Welch Listen: 5 Steps to follow before committing to anything Get daily career tips on Twitter, Friendfeed and now, in video, on Seesmic. We make commitments, large and small, every day, but one easy way to destroy your reputation and your career is to fail to deliver on these commitments. In passing we might say, Oh, yeah, I ll take care of that only to forget about it until the deadline is dangerously close. Those around you will quickly discover that you don t live up to your commitments. Then you and your work will be marginalized and you will come to be seen as someone who cannot be trusted. I am sure you can see where this might lead. So, if commitments are so important we must work very hard to only accept commitments we are willing and able to carry out. We must avoid the knee jerk response of Yeah, I ll handle that and replace it with more considered thought. If we don t, we risk trapping ourselves in commitments we don t want or can t deliver. Even worse, trying to live up to all these unwanted commitments can hamper the more important work we want and need to do. The first step to qualifying your commitments is to take a 5 step process towards evaluating them. This enforces at least a small amount of consideration and should help you from falling into un-keepable commitments . Am I capable of doing this task? Do I have the skills necessary or will I have to take extra time acquiring those skills? Do I have the time to accomplish this task? What other commitments have I already made? What deadlines are approaching? How does this commitment fit into the workflow of what I already have? Is this task potentially troublesome due to politics, difficult people, management by committee, poorly defined scope or other issues? What benefits do I gain from taking on this commitment? Is it a high profile assignment where I will receive the credit or tedious work that no one else wants to do? Do I want to do it? While this comes last in the process, it is one of most important aspects to consider. Now let s take these steps one at a time. Think clearly about the commitment. If you are going to have to take a class or do extensive reading to complete the task, is it worthwhile for you to do it or would it be better handled by someone else. Sure, you want to grow in your work, but setting yourself up for failure is never a good idea. Managing your time and organizing your work is so important in this world of multiple commitments and multi-tasking. If you re already overburdened then you need to do all you can to protect yourself. Sure, you don t want to be seen as someone who is constantly turning down work, but you also have to be realistic about your own capabilities. Don t over-extend yourself, or you will not be able to deliver on your commitments. We all have difficult people, troublesome committees and conflicting politics at our workplace. Getting involved in hotspots like these can only end badly. You won t be able to avoid all entanglements, but it is certainly worth consideration when you take on any commitment. You deserve to benefit from your good work. Avoid commitments where others can take the credit while leaving you all the work. Again, if you have worked in your company long enough, you will already know the co-workers to avoid. Do yourself a favor and consider who you might be partnering with on this task. Finally, your own personal choice can and should drive every commitment you undertake. I firmly believe that you can only do your best work when you are engaged in the task. Working on projects that do not interest you nearly guarantees poor work and bad results. If you can honestly say that you want to do this work, then it can override the previous steps, but do so carefully and with consideration. Be honest with yourself and those around you. If you put each potential commitment through these 5 steps, you may not guarantee success, but you certainly start your work on a better footing. You may not be able to avoid every bad assignment, but thinking through the commitment can show you ways to make it as successful as possible, even if it isn t perfect. A little thought can go a long way towards building the career your deserve. Join me on these networks: Follow Douglas on FriendFeed | Follow Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Become a Facebook Fan of Career Opportunities Support Career Opportunities: One time: Monthly ($2): iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch 5 Steps to follow before committing to anything

(This podcast is pulled from the archives and presented here as a service to more recent listeners Douglas) Listen to this episode Read the entire article In a high-tech career, there are often many reasons why work doesn’t get done money, politics, understaffing, ignorance and more. The more shocking reality, though, is the myriad of excuses we give ourselves for our lack of productivity. When morale is low, mergers are in the air or you are going through your fifth manager in as many months, you might find yourself justifying your lack of energy in many ways. Your company isn’t the only one suffering, though. Your excuses will come back to haunt you when the time comes for the ax to fall. The following 3 excuses are recited again and again at most companies and they result in much more lost productivity than any of the other issues combined. It’s not my job This is, by far, the most insidious excuse in your career. It is easy to invoke this excuse yet very difficult to refute it. We can all fall back on a strict definition of our job description when it serves our purposes, but it hurts us more than it helps. Following only the letter of your job description, but not the spirit, clearly defines your reputation among your managers and your co-workers. You are not a team player. You won’t help out in an pinch and you will very likely be the first one at the unemployment office when the layoffs come. While you certainly don’t want to get subsumed doing work outside your usual area, neither do you want to avoid helping out when necessary. It is good to stretch yourself and explore new areas. You never know when an outside project will open up an entirely new avenue for your career. You might find that you enjoy this new work more than your current job or that you have an undiscovered aptitude in this new area. So, “making it your job” can be the best way to expand your career. It’s Not My Fault Regardless of how you are treated by anyone, whether a vendor, manager or another entire department, blaming your troubles on someone else is a road to nowhere. I can tell you from experience that no one cares who is to blame when something goes wrong. The only thing your customer or your manager wants to know is, “what are you going to do about it?” Even more, “what are you going to do about .NOW!” We have all been placed in bad positions by those around us, but it is more important for you to present solutions at a time like this, not blame. If the vendor is late delivering their product, what other products can you use? If the other department is slow delivering the numbers you need for a report, where else can you find them or who else can you get involved at a higher level? If your manager is standing in the way of your productivity or advancement, how can you go over, under or around them? Solutions are always better received than passing the blame. There’s no money in the budget In today’s world of open source software, there are few reasons to invoke this excuse. If you can’t afford a piece of software, maybe you can find a free or inexpensive replacement. You might even be able to build it yourself, if necessary. Getting around budgetary problems is a great way of improving your high-tech career. If you consistently get work done, even when others are complaining about the lack of budget, your career position is sure to improve. Just like with the other excuses, challenges such as this can lead you to new, innovative solutions and experiences. As workers, we discover the most when we are trying to circumvent a particular problem. It forces us to search out new products, new methods and new concepts. It only makes sense to look beyond the concepts that have failed us in the past. There are many more excuses in the business world, but I find these 3 to be the most pernicious. Many companies and their departments have been brought to an utter standstill by their invocation. If you want to keep both your company and career moving forward, you would do well to avoid them all costs. Join me on these networks: Douglas on FriendFeed | Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Support Career Opportunities iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch Archive: 3 Excuses for doing nothing - August 5, 2005

(This podcast is pulled from the archives and presented here as a service to more recent listeners Douglas) Listen to this episode Although Labor Day seems to be more about the unofficial end of summer, it should also be a time for everyone to reflect on their careers and see just where they are headed. You can think of it as the New Year s Day of career planning. It is time to take stock, make some resolutions and move forward in the knowledge that your career is under your control. A Union of One Labor Day, first celebrated in 1882, was conceived by early labor unions as a day to celebrate the union worker. It was a day to demonstrate the solidarity and the power of the unions to protect their members. In today s high-tech world most computer workers don t have unions but you need to think about your career as if you are a union of one. You need to look out for your best interests and how they match the best interests of your company. Labor Day provides us this time. Take an hour and think about where you want to be when the next Labor Day rolls around and then, on Tuesday, start to put your plans into action. If you had a union who collectively bargained for you and your co-workers, what would you want them to do for you and your peers? Thinking in this way puts some distance between you and your job. A little dispassionate space can sometimes help you discover what you really want out of your career and not just what you are supposed to want. It also gives you the freedom to engage thoughts you might not consider otherwise. Would the union be asking for flextime, shorter work weeks, better working conditions, better retirement plans? These are items that you, as an individual, can also negotiate. Of course, to be a good negotiator you have to develop a better understanding of your company s needs. You have to know how your requests are going to effect company operations and revenue. Trying to negotiate something that is clearly detrimental to the company is a sure way to be rejected. Putting yourself in the company s shoes can help you to better understand why your company operates the way it does. You might even realize that your job is better than you thought it was. What s the next step? The next thing to consider this Labor Day is what is the next step in your career? If you have a clear career path in your current company you are very lucky. Too often companies put little or no thought into how their employees can grow over time. If you feel your job has become too restraining and there doesn t appear to be a way up, you might be better off moving out. It is always a good idea to be in touch with the current state of the job market. Take a look at the classified ads every so often. Visit Monster.com (www.monster.com) and set up a personal agent to send you job listings in your current field. Search CareerPath (www.careerpath.com) for jobs that are being offered around the country, not just in your city. It only takes a few minutes a month but it can giveyou a clear picture of what positions are most in demand. You might want to take some time to investigate starting your own company or being self-employed. While this might not be the choice for everyone you need to readdress the issue regularly We all change. Your desire to work for yourself might also change. Your opportunities for starting your own business can also change dramatically. Regularly revisiting this issue can be helpful in gauging your current career satisfaction and re-directing your career.Attention, please Labor Day weekend holds one additional benefit, especially for those of you currently looking for employment. It signals the end of the vacation season for most people. As kids go back to school, their parents go back to work. This means employment applications, resumes and interviews will get a little more attention in the coming months. It is time to focus on your job search before the end-of year holidays distract everyone once again.So, in between the hot dogs for lunch and the hamburgers for dinner, between working on your tan and swimming in the surf, give a little thought towards your own labor. Take a few minutes to consider whether you could be better off than you are today. It doesn t take any more energy than turning the pages on your beach-reading novel but can have great results. Celebrate your labor this Labor Day and make sure that it counts for something in the future.For a history of the Labor Day holiday, visit The U. S. Department of Labor Web Site at: http://www.dol.gov/dol/opa/public/aboutdol/laborday.htm Join me on these networks: Douglas on FriendFeed | Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Support Career Opportunities iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley Call the Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch Archive: Labor Day - September 3, 1999

Doubting yourself and your work By Douglas E. Welch Listen: Doubting yourself and your work Get daily career tips on Twitter, Friendfeed and now, in video, on Seesmic. Doubting yourself and your work August 29, 2008 Everyone, no matter their work, has to face their own doubts throughout their career. We may be working well, but then an unknown or difficult problem or situation can come about that makes us wonder if we are as good at our work as we once thought. In most cases, we are up to the task, but this period of doubt can cause us to struggle. If you let the doubt overwhelm you, it can harm your work and damage your career. I can tell you from personal experience that times when you suffer under self-doubt are the hardest periods of any career. Not only do you start to doubt your work, but you begin questioning everything else about your life, from the place that you live to the company you keep. Multiple setbacks, laid on top of one another can send me into a deep funk that sometimes seems endless. Despite that, I always know, in the back of my mind that these problems will end and this doubt will pass. You need to keep those same thoughts in your mind whenever you are going through a difficult period. It might be the only thing that keeps you going some days. So, why do you experience such deepness of doubt? Mainly it comes from lack of knowledge or lack of understanding about a particular aspect of our work. I know from personal experience that suffering through problems with no known solution or those caused by software or hardware bugs are the most troubling. Since you are blazing new trials, or looking for workarounds for known errors, it can feel quite lonely. You might search the internet again and again or discuss the problem with your colleagues endlessly, but it is up to you to solve the problem on your own. While it can be rewarding to be seen as the problem solver of last resort, it can also be stressful and trying. I have been there many times; sometimes it is energizing and at others it is depressing. Combating self-doubt is not a matter of arrogance or bravado, as some might have you believe, but rather reaching a deep understanding of yourself. I know I frustrate my wife when I fall into self-doubt over a project. She tries to talk me out of it, but the only one who can break through is me at my own pace. It is natural to feel doubt when you are at the beginning of a project with no clear solution. Am I up to this? Is there a solution at all? What will happen if I can t solve it? I would be more afraid if I didn t doubt myself in these situations, because then I would be lying to myself in a number of ways. Feeling challenged can be a good thing, but ignoring that feeling could mean that you aren t taking the project seriously. Sometimes, though, your doubt can cloud your thinking and actually prevent you from finding a solution. If doubt gives way to depression or anger, it is time to take a break. In fact, you will find that stepping away from any problem is often the best way to address it. Our brains are fickle things and sometimes need a break from working on an issue in order to consolidate all the information we have gathered, Then, often at the oddest times, it will present a course of action, if not the actual solution itself. I don t truly fall into the depths of self-doubt until I have run out of options to try. This is when I know that I have hit bottom. Stepping away from the problem nearly always provides a new plan of attack, another option and the route back up. Don t let self-doubt cloud your thinking and your work. Always work under the impression that there is a solution out there and you are capable of finding it. Make good use of the resources around you including the Internet, your co-workers and friends. It is very likely that merely in talking over a problem with them, you will discover new options to try and solutions to pursue. Self-doubt is natural, but don t let it damage your ability to think and work. It isn t the end of the world, but if you start thinking it is, you are in danger of damaging your career. Join me on these networks: Follow Douglas on FriendFeed | Follow Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Become a Facebook Fan of Career Opportunities Support Career Opportunities: One time: Monthly ($2): iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch Doubting yourself and your work

Doubting yourself and your work By Douglas E. Welch Listen: Doubting yourself and your work Get daily career tips on Twitter, Friendfeed and now, in video, on Seesmic. Doubting yourself and your work August 29, 2008 Everyone, no matter their work, has to face their own doubts throughout their career. We may be working well, but then an unknown or difficult problem or situation can come about that makes us wonder if we are as good at our work as we once thought. In most cases, we are up to the task, but this period of doubt can cause us to struggle. If you let the doubt overwhelm you, it can harm your work and damage your career. I can tell you from personal experience that times when you suffer under self-doubt are the hardest periods of any career. Not only do you start to doubt your work, but you begin questioning everything else about your life, from the place that you live to the company you keep. Multiple setbacks, laid on top of one another can send me into a deep funk that sometimes seems endless. Despite that, I always know, in the back of my mind that these problems will end and this doubt will pass. You need to keep those same thoughts in your mind whenever you are going through a difficult period. It might be the only thing that keeps you going some days. So, why do you experience such deepness of doubt? Mainly it comes from lack of knowledge or lack of understanding about a particular aspect of our work. I know from personal experience that suffering through problems with no known solution or those caused by software or hardware bugs are the most troubling. Since you are blazing new trials, or looking for workarounds for known errors, it can feel quite lonely. You might search the internet again and again or discuss the problem with your colleagues endlessly, but it is up to you to solve the problem on your own. While it can be rewarding to be seen as the problem solver of last resort, it can also be stressful and trying. I have been there many times; sometimes it is energizing and at others it is depressing. Combating self-doubt is not a matter of arrogance or bravado, as some might have you believe, but rather reaching a deep understanding of yourself. I know I frustrate my wife when I fall into self-doubt over a project. She tries to talk me out of it, but the only one who can break through is me at my own pace. It is natural to feel doubt when you are at the beginning of a project with no clear solution. Am I up to this? Is there a solution at all? What will happen if I can t solve it? I would be more afraid if I didn t doubt myself in these situations, because then I would be lying to myself in a number of ways. Feeling challenged can be a good thing, but ignoring that feeling could mean that you aren t taking the project seriously. Sometimes, though, your doubt can cloud your thinking and actually prevent you from finding a solution. If doubt gives way to depression or anger, it is time to take a break. In fact, you will find that stepping away from any problem is often the best way to address it. Our brains are fickle things and sometimes need a break from working on an issue in order to consolidate all the information we have gathered, Then, often at the oddest times, it will present a course of action, if not the actual solution itself. I don t truly fall into the depths of self-doubt until I have run out of options to try. This is when I know that I have hit bottom. Stepping away from the problem nearly always provides a new plan of attack, another option and the route back up. Don t let self-doubt cloud your thinking and your work. Always work under the impression that there is a solution out there and you are capable of finding it. Make good use of the resources around you including the Internet, your co-workers and friends. It is very likely that merely in talking over a problem with them, you will discover new options to try and solutions to pursue. Self-doubt is natural, but don t let it damage your ability to think and work. It isn t the end of the world, but if you start thinking it is, you are in danger of damaging your career. Join me on these networks: Follow Douglas on FriendFeed | Follow Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Become a Facebook Fan of Career Opportunities Support Career Opportunities: One time: Monthly ($2): iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch Doubting yourself and your work

(This podcast is pulled from the archives and presented here as a service to more recent listeners Douglas) Listen to this episode Read the entire article Career growth comes from challenging your own limits – stretching yourself and reaching for new knowledge and new capabilities. Despite all the benefits, though, many of us avoid challenges or situations that make us unsure of our own abilities. Instead of letting fear slow down or stop the growth of your career, you need to take a few small risks each and every day. There are an infinite variety of ways to take small risks, but here are 5 methods I have used over the years. Whenever I feel that my career is slowing down, I turn to these methods, and others, to get things moving again. Of course, the most interesting aspect of taking a risk is that it doesn’t have to be work-related at all. Every risk we take helps us take the next one. All of the methods listed below have one thing in common, they are extremely easy to do. Risk taking begins with small steps. This makes it all the easier to get started Join me on these networks: Douglas on FriendFeed | Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Support Career Opportunities iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley Call the Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch Archive: 5 Small Risks to Take Today

(This podcast is pulled from the archives and presented here as a service to more recent listeners Douglas) Listen to this episode Read the entire article Career growth comes from challenging your own limits – stretching yourself and reaching for new knowledge and new capabilities. Despite all the benefits, though, many of us avoid challenges or situations that make us unsure of our own abilities. Instead of letting fear slow down or stop the growth of your career, you need to take a few small risks each and every day. There are an infinite variety of ways to take small risks, but here are 5 methods I have used over the years. Whenever I feel that my career is slowing down, I turn to these methods, and others, to get things moving again. Of course, the most interesting aspect of taking a risk is that it doesn’t have to be work-related at all. Every risk we take helps us take the next one. All of the methods listed below have one thing in common, they are extremely easy to do. Risk taking begins with small steps. This makes it all the easier to get started Join me on these networks: Douglas on FriendFeed | Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Support Career Opportunities iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley Call the Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch Archive: 5 Small Risks to Take Today

What to do when you don t like what you do anymore By Douglas E. Welch Listen: What to do when you don t like what you do anymore Get daily career tips on Twitter, Friendfeed and now, in video, on Seesmic. It happens to all of us at one time or another. After years of working in the same area, the same job, the same company, we start to wonder if that s all there is? Familiarity breeds contempt, the old saying goes and that is certainly true in work. Too much of the same, year after year, can leave you feeling less than fulfilled. Of course, the big question becomes now what? Like most topics I write about here, this one hits close to home. I have had to face this issue on many occasions over the years. It seems a necessary part of any career. If we don t re-evaluate what we want out of a career on a regular basis, our life has a way of making us face the issue. It matters little if I am working in a corporate job or for myself, a bad day or week can quickly make you question your work and career choices. Just the other day I was wondering how many more times I can show Word users how to create a table, email users how to use BCC or remind people that they really need to backup their files. These are obviously necessary and billable tasks, but sometimes getting paid to do your work simply isn t enough. You need to reach out for something new and, more importantly, more fulfilling. It is this concept of fulfillment that really brings this issue into focus. Sometimes doing the most mundane things can feel very fulfilling. You have a sense of making the world a better place to live, one small step at a time. Then there are the days when everything you do seems worthless. No one cares and no one notices and you even start to doubt your own ability to effect the world around you. It s Ok. It s natural, but it never feels good. Typically this issue arises because other worries are getting in the way of your fulfillment. If you are having trouble making your mortgage payment, grading papers can seem the most worthless thing in the world, even if they are what is bringing in the money at the moment. It is almost as if you are saying to yourself, if life is going be so tough, at least work could be a little less boring, difficult, tedious. The fact is, though, it is all inter-related. One downward turn and your whole life can start to tumble after it. So how do you bring fulfillment back into your life? There are a number of ways. First, be on the lookout for any opportunity to unload the most tedious and disliked aspects of your work. There are some tasks that are better done by entry level people or outsourced entirely. You aren t just trying to shuffle your work onto someone else, though. As you grow in experience, you should be working on more important task for your company. You should be gaining productivity and having a larger impact. If not, it could be that you are holding on to too many mundane tasks that should have been unloaded years ago. Still preparing the monthly report, even though it could easily be handled by a staffer? Get rid of it and focus on something more important. It is up to you to look for ways to make your work more fulfilling. No one else is going to take responsibility for your happiness. Each person is too worried about their own life to focus on you. It can take some time to hone your job to its most fulfilling parts, but is required if you are going to have a long and successful career. Otherwise, you risk becoming the disgruntled worker we seem to find in almost every office. Of course, what if you have come to the point in your job or your career when you are simply tired of it entirely? What do you do if you feel there is no way to find fulfillment in your line of work? Well, you have to find something else. While that is easy to say, it is very difficult to accomplish in practice. I know, because I have been trying to leave the world of computer support for years, without much success. That said, it doesn t mean I have stopped trying. One great result of looking for a new line of work can be that you find new enjoyment in what you are doing. When you start seeking out alternatives, it can often help you to see your current work in a better light. Sure, I might like to do more speaking and new media work, but as I pursue that work I can cope with my current job more easily. I know that I will have to change my work eventually. After all, you can only crawl under desks for so many years, but I know that that work is there and available for me as I make my transition. I have never had to go cold turkey . That carries both advantages and disadvantages, as you probably aren t as hungry as you might be if you quit your job entirely, but stability has its rewards. Just don t let it slow down or stop your transition entirely. So what do you do when you no longer like what you do? Well, you either find new fulfillment in your existing work or new work entirely. Neither is an easy task, but the alternatives being disgruntled, bitter and even angry about your job are not worth considering. Join me on these networks: Follow Douglas on FriendFeed | Follow Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Become a Facebook Fan of Career Opportunities Support Career Opportunities: One time: Monthly ($2): iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech, employment From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch What to do when you don t like what you do anymore

What to do when you don t like what you do anymore By Douglas E. Welch Listen: What to do when you don t like what you do anymore Get daily career tips on Twitter, Friendfeed and now, in video, on Seesmic. It happens to all of us at one time or another. After years of working in the same area, the same job, the same company, we start to wonder if that s all there is? Familiarity breeds contempt, the old saying goes and that is certainly true in work. Too much of the same, year after year, can leave you feeling less than fulfilled. Of course, the big question becomes now what? Like most topics I write about here, this one hits close to home. I have had to face this issue on many occasions over the years. It seems a necessary part of any career. If we don t re-evaluate what we want out of a career on a regular basis, our life has a way of making us face the issue. It matters little if I am working in a corporate job or for myself, a bad day or week can quickly make you question your work and career choices. Just the other day I was wondering how many more times I can show Word users how to create a table, email users how to use BCC or remind people that they really need to backup their files. These are obviously necessary and billable tasks, but sometimes getting paid to do your work simply isn t enough. You need to reach out for something new and, more importantly, more fulfilling. It is this concept of fulfillment that really brings this issue into focus. Sometimes doing the most mundane things can feel very fulfilling. You have a sense of making the world a better place to live, one small step at a time. Then there are the days when everything you do seems worthless. No one cares and no one notices and you even start to doubt your own ability to effect the world around you. It s Ok. It s natural, but it never feels good. Typically this issue arises because other worries are getting in the way of your fulfillment. If you are having trouble making your mortgage payment, grading papers can seem the most worthless thing in the world, even if they are what is bringing in the money at the moment. It is almost as if you are saying to yourself, if life is going be so tough, at least work could be a little less boring, difficult, tedious. The fact is, though, it is all inter-related. One downward turn and your whole life can start to tumble after it. So how do you bring fulfillment back into your life? There are a number of ways. First, be on the lookout for any opportunity to unload the most tedious and disliked aspects of your work. There are some tasks that are better done by entry level people or outsourced entirely. You aren t just trying to shuffle your work onto someone else, though. As you grow in experience, you should be working on more important task for your company. You should be gaining productivity and having a larger impact. If not, it could be that you are holding on to too many mundane tasks that should have been unloaded years ago. Still preparing the monthly report, even though it could easily be handled by a staffer? Get rid of it and focus on something more important. It is up to you to look for ways to make your work more fulfilling. No one else is going to take responsibility for your happiness. Each person is too worried about their own life to focus on you. It can take some time to hone your job to its most fulfilling parts, but is required if you are going to have a long and successful career. Otherwise, you risk becoming the disgruntled worker we seem to find in almost every office. Of course, what if you have come to the point in your job or your career when you are simply tired of it entirely? What do you do if you feel there is no way to find fulfillment in your line of work? Well, you have to find something else. While that is easy to say, it is very difficult to accomplish in practice. I know, because I have been trying to leave the world of computer support for years, without much success. That said, it doesn t mean I have stopped trying. One great result of looking for a new line of work can be that you find new enjoyment in what you are doing. When you start seeking out alternatives, it can often help you to see your current work in a better light. Sure, I might like to do more speaking and new media work, but as I pursue that work I can cope with my current job more easily. I know that I will have to change my work eventually. After all, you can only crawl under desks for so many years, but I know that that work is there and available for me as I make my transition. I have never had to go cold turkey . That carries both advantages and disadvantages, as you probably aren t as hungry as you might be if you quit your job entirely, but stability has its rewards. Just don t let it slow down or stop your transition entirely. So what do you do when you no longer like what you do? Well, you either find new fulfillment in your existing work or new work entirely. Neither is an easy task, but the alternatives being disgruntled, bitter and even angry about your job are not worth considering. Join me on these networks: Follow Douglas on FriendFeed | Follow Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Become a Facebook Fan of Career Opportunities Support Career Opportunities: One time: Monthly ($2): iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech, employment From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch What to do when you don t like what you do anymore

(This podcast is pulled from the archives and presented here as a service to more recent listeners Douglas) Listen to this episode Read the entire article As an independent, high-tech consultant, I have the usual avenues for making money. One day I might be cleaning up spyware or viruses, on another I might be training a client on managing their email. Yet other days might bring a small network installation or the rebuilding of a crashed machine. These are some of the traditional roles for a high-tech worker, but if you want to continue to build your career, you should always be looking for new technologies and new avenues for expanding your work and your earnings. Join me on these networks: Douglas on FriendFeed | Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Support Career Opportunities: iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech, employment From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch Archive: New Avenues - July 22, 2005

(This podcast is pulled from the archives and presented here as a service to more recent listeners Douglas) Listen to this episode Read the entire article As an independent, high-tech consultant, I have the usual avenues for making money. One day I might be cleaning up spyware or viruses, on another I might be training a client on managing their email. Yet other days might bring a small network installation or the rebuilding of a crashed machine. These are some of the traditional roles for a high-tech worker, but if you want to continue to build your career, you should always be looking for new technologies and new avenues for expanding your work and your earnings. Join me on these networks: Douglas on FriendFeed | Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Support Career Opportunities: iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech, employment From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch Archive: New Avenues - July 22, 2005

It s not obvious to them By Douglas E. Welch Listen: It s not obvious to them Get daily career tips on Twitter, Friendfeed and now, in video, on Seesmic. While we all might like to be the smartest person in the room (and in some cases, we are) our knowledge can sometimes get in the way of our career. I know it can sound counter-intuitive, but there are times when our knowledge causes us to dismiss our own talent and skills as obvious and unimportant. We see our skills as inconsequential when we assume what we know is so obvious, everyone else knows it, too. I see this in operation in my own life in a number of ways. I am often surprised when clients ask me to explain or demonstrate something that I thought everyone had learned. I can offer up a very basic tip, just to remind the client that it exists and then spend 30 minutes explaining it. Even worse, I don’t teach some concepts and resist making training products because I think the concepts are simply too basic to be worth anything to anyone. I deny the usefulness of my own knowledge and end up limiting both myself and my clients. What an odd situation, but also a very common one. It is time for all of us to recognize the importance of even our most basic knowledge. For me, the best definition of an expert is someone who has one more piece of information or one more experience than someone else. This means that someone out there wants and, more importantly, needs that information. If this is true then you are an expert a thousand times over. You possess knowledge large and small that others need, even if they don’t yet know it themselves. It is your job to reach out to people and show them what they need. So, how do you find out what knowledge you take for granted? Simple, turn to your friends or family and take note of the questions they are constantly asking you at gatherings. Sometimes answering repetitive questions can dull our sense of what is important. Like staring at the same color for a long time, we can get fatigued and stop noticing that nearly everyone around us has a similar question. Think about it. How many times have you answered questions about their television hookup, their email issues, their Internet connection? This will provide you some immediate examples where your knowledge is useful to others, even if you have come to ignore it. In my own world, I am constantly showing people how to manage their TV, cable box, VCR and DVD player and yet, I have never created a blog post or video about it. (Of course, in the writing of this column, I can guarantee you have I made notes to do just that and much more.) Let’s extrapolate a little. If this knowledge is important to your immediate circle, this means it is important to the general public, too. Thinking about knowledge in this way can help to change the way you view your expertise and how you apply it. Like a “kick in the seat of the pants,” it can jumpstart your work and your career. As an example, after nearly 5 years of podcasting, I am finding that people, both technology-savvy and not, really want information on new media and how it can help them in their work or business. They may have heard of YouTube or Facebook, but they have no idea what to with such services. Under the auspices of my new group, New Media Interchange, I am trying to “open the door” and bring them into the new media world. In order to do that, I have to remember what it was like when I was new to the podcasting world. What basic information is required to get started? What did I have to learn and how did I learn it? What was it like not to know something? If you can remember that time in your own life, you will be a great resource to your clients, coworkers and friends. What specialized knowledge, no matter how basic, can you share? Everyone from a knife sharpener to a solar power expert has something to share that, in itself, might seem obvious, but isn’t to the world at large. Share this information with those around you. Start a group. Start a blog. Do whatever is necessary to take your message to the world. (Need help starting a blog? Email me at career@welchwrite.com and I’ll share my knowledge with you.) Don’t fall victim to the trap of thinking that everyone knows what you know or you’ll risk becoming a victim of your own knowledge. Trust me, there are plenty of people out there who want and need, your expertise. To paraphrase the movie Field of Dreams, If you share it, they will come. Join me on these networks: Follow Douglas on FriendFeed | Follow Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Become a Facebook Fan of Career Opportunities Support Career Opportunities: One time: Monthly ($2): iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech, employment From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch It s not obvious to them

It s not obvious to them By Douglas E. Welch Listen: It s not obvious to them Get daily career tips on Twitter, Friendfeed and now, in video, on Seesmic. While we all might like to be the smartest person in the room (and in some cases, we are) our knowledge can sometimes get in the way of our career. I know it can sound counter-intuitive, but there are times when our knowledge causes us to dismiss our own talent and skills as obvious and unimportant. We see our skills as inconsequential when we assume what we know is so obvious, everyone else knows it, too. I see this in operation in my own life in a number of ways. I am often surprised when clients ask me to explain or demonstrate something that I thought everyone had learned. I can offer up a very basic tip, just to remind the client that it exists and then spend 30 minutes explaining it. Even worse, I don’t teach some concepts and resist making training products because I think the concepts are simply too basic to be worth anything to anyone. I deny the usefulness of my own knowledge and end up limiting both myself and my clients. What an odd situation, but also a very common one. It is time for all of us to recognize the importance of even our most basic knowledge. For me, the best definition of an expert is someone who has one more piece of information or one more experience than someone else. This means that someone out there wants and, more importantly, needs that information. If this is true then you are an expert a thousand times over. You possess knowledge large and small that others need, even if they don’t yet know it themselves. It is your job to reach out to people and show them what they need. So, how do you find out what knowledge you take for granted? Simple, turn to your friends or family and take note of the questions they are constantly asking you at gatherings. Sometimes answering repetitive questions can dull our sense of what is important. Like staring at the same color for a long time, we can get fatigued and stop noticing that nearly everyone around us has a similar question. Think about it. How many times have you answered questions about their television hookup, their email issues, their Internet connection? This will provide you some immediate examples where your knowledge is useful to others, even if you have come to ignore it. In my own world, I am constantly showing people how to manage their TV, cable box, VCR and DVD player and yet, I have never created a blog post or video about it. (Of course, in the writing of this column, I can guarantee you have I made notes to do just that and much more.) Let’s extrapolate a little. If this knowledge is important to your immediate circle, this means it is important to the general public, too. Thinking about knowledge in this way can help to change the way you view your expertise and how you apply it. Like a “kick in the seat of the pants,” it can jumpstart your work and your career. As an example, after nearly 5 years of podcasting, I am finding that people, both technology-savvy and not, really want information on new media and how it can help them in their work or business. They may have heard of YouTube or Facebook, but they have no idea what to with such services. Under the auspices of my new group, New Media Interchange, I am trying to “open the door” and bring them into the new media world. In order to do that, I have to remember what it was like when I was new to the podcasting world. What basic information is required to get started? What did I have to learn and how did I learn it? What was it like not to know something? If you can remember that time in your own life, you will be a great resource to your clients, coworkers and friends. What specialized knowledge, no matter how basic, can you share? Everyone from a knife sharpener to a solar power expert has something to share that, in itself, might seem obvious, but isn’t to the world at large. Share this information with those around you. Start a group. Start a blog. Do whatever is necessary to take your message to the world. (Need help starting a blog? Email me at career@welchwrite.com and I’ll share my knowledge with you.) Don’t fall victim to the trap of thinking that everyone knows what you know or you’ll risk becoming a victim of your own knowledge. Trust me, there are plenty of people out there who want and need, your expertise. To paraphrase the movie Field of Dreams, If you share it, they will come. Join me on these networks: Follow Douglas on FriendFeed | Follow Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Become a Facebook Fan of Career Opportunities Support Career Opportunities: One time: Monthly ($2): iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech, employment From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch It s not obvious to them

(This podcast is pulled from the archives and presented here as a service to more recent listeners Douglas) Listen to this episode Read the entire article Over the years of my high-tech career, a disturbing trend has appeared. More and more potential clients have started to treat me as an adversary with which to negotiate rather than a partner in their success. They question my motives; my estimates and my hourly rate from the first meeting and continue to treat me with skepticism in the early stages of our relationship until such a time as we all get to truly know each other. Despite my efforts to deal fairly and honestly with clients up front, I find that I often have to spend days and weeks breaking through this wall and convincing new clients that I am not trying to “take them for a ride.” I am sure you have experienced the same. Even worse, though, I know exactly who to blame for this increasingly common problem the incompetent, unscrupulous and unworthy high-tech workers of the world. Join me on these networks: Douglas on FriendFeed | Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Support Career Opportunities: iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech, employment From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch Archive: Guilt by Association - July 15, 2005

(This podcast is pulled from the archives and presented here as a service to more recent listeners Douglas) Listen to this episode Read the entire article Over the years of my high-tech career, a disturbing trend has appeared. More and more potential clients have started to treat me as an adversary with which to negotiate rather than a partner in their success. They question my motives; my estimates and my hourly rate from the first meeting and continue to treat me with skepticism in the early stages of our relationship until such a time as we all get to truly know each other. Despite my efforts to deal fairly and honestly with clients up front, I find that I often have to spend days and weeks breaking through this wall and convincing new clients that I am not trying to “take them for a ride.” I am sure you have experienced the same. Even worse, though, I know exactly who to blame for this increasingly common problem the incompetent, unscrupulous and unworthy high-tech workers of the world. Join me on these networks: Douglas on FriendFeed | Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Support Career Opportunities: iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech, employment From Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch Archive: Guilt by Association - July 15, 2005

Change before you are forced to change By Douglas E. Welch Listen: Change before you are forced to change Get daily career tips on Twitter, Friendfeed and now, in video, on Seesmic. It seems a fundamental aspect of human nature that no one likes change. No matter how much we might talk about craving fun and excitement, for most of us, a stable and comfortable life is what we truly seek. This can cause great problems, though, when change is forced upon us or when change becomes key to our career growth. Too often we wait until change is forced upon us instead of seeking out small amounts of change every day. I am confident in saying that most of us, if allowed, would stay in our current job and company forever unless acted upon by some external force. Fear of change is a form of inertia. It can hold you in place, forever. I talk to people nearly every day who feel trapped in bad jobs, but remain there because changing their job is more frightening to them. People will tolerate a host of problems, as long as they are not required to change. It is almost like we will suffer anything, just to avoid the overriding fear of losing our stability. As you might imagine, though, sacrificing everything for a bad job or situation can leave you feeling trapped and hopeless. You don t like where you are, but you can t imagine going somewhere else. You don t like your work, but you can’t imagine doing something else. You don t like those you work with, yet you can t imagine working with anyone else. It is this sense of entrapment, of hopelessness, that leads so many to see work as a burden to be ca