In my experience, when clients searching for a new job get stuck – as in, can’t find suitable jobs to apply for, or repeatedly being rejected from those they do apply for – one reason looms especially large: an unstrategic job-hunt.  I also find that one of the least effective ways of looking for work (but still one of the most popular) is routinely employed by these clients at the expense of other more fruitful methods.

I’m talking about using the internet to search for vacancies and apply for jobs.

Let me be clear up front: I’m not saying don’t try to find a job with the internet.  It has several good things going for it: 24-hour access to information (including information that may not be readily available elsewhere); wide geographical coverage; the potential for a high level of interactivity (such as facilities for searching current job databases); and an ever-increasing number of ways to connect with others who may be able to assist you in your search.

However, it also has significant limits: employers will post some, but by no means all of their vacancies online; searching it for appropriate jobs can be tricky (unless you happen to hit upon the right combination of words to put into the search engines, such as the exact job title); and in the increasing internet “noise” that’s out there, it’s entirely possible that your electronic communications to employers will get lost in the shuffle.

Consequently, it should only ever form part of your job-hunt strategy.  As John Lees, one of the UK’s leading career-search authorities and author of Career Reboot, says: “You are more likely to land a job through a face-to-face conversation, even a random one, than spending all week at your PC”.

How, then, should you incorporate the internet into your job-hunt in a way that’s most effective?  Here are some pointers as to what the internet is to the savvy job-hunter:

1: “The 10% solution”

According to Richard Nelson Bolles, author of the world’s best-selling career-search manual What Color Is Your Parachute?, statistics show that 10 out of 100 job-hunters who use the internet of their primary (or only) job-search method will find a new job as a direct result.  Those aren’t great odds.  Therefore, he proposes “it deserves 10% of every job-hunter’s time…but not more than that.  Unless you like beating your head against a brick wall.”  In other words, you must make a point of ensuring that 90% of your job-hunting time is spent doing something other than staring at your computer screen!

2: A place to do research

You can find out a fair amount about what’s available in your field simply by doing some online research.  Try Googling fields of work, job-titles, companies, cities, geographical areas, salaries, and so on, in order to garner yourself some useful information about what’s available, and about what might make your own applications stand out from the crowd.

3: A place to network with others

One of the most effective ways to find new work is on the basis of personal contact with those who have the power to hire you.  By using social media cleverly, you can build links with such people, or with others who can supply you with useful information, suggestions and referrals (or even put you in touch with the hirers and firers).  As well as the well-known Facebook and Twitter, check out LinkedIn , which is a dedicated social media site for professionals of every stripe.  It’s also worth finding out if your chosen specialist work area has a discussion board or online community associated with it.

4: A place to seek out career-search support

Many of the readers of my blog and newsletter found their way to my website (and my services) after searching for job-hunting support online.  The internet can help you with finding a professional coach, give you access to thousands of articles on the subject of finding your ideal work, and even serve as a gateway to a range of skills-testing services.  I believe avidly that happiness at work means taking account of your talents before your skills, but there is no doubt that for job-hunters who really have no clue as to which next step to take, a skills inventory can result in some helpful suggestions.  Amongst the most respected are those based on the Holland Code personality typing system, since this pays particular attention to some of the major factors which we most often consider important when choosing a career (such as the types of people we want to work with, and the kind of environment we want to work in).  A relatively inexpensive – and quite useful – test is the Career Key.

5: A place where you can promote yourself

Increasingly, individuals are posting their CVs online – sometimes hosted by another site, and sometimes on their own website.  This can be a useful tactic, and gives you something to point a prospective employer towards (online resumes are also fairly easy to update).  It’s quite easy to set up an inexpensive – or even free – website these days.  Consider a blogging site, such as WordPress or Blogger to start with.  For information on online CVs, see Jobstar Central.  It’s worth bearing in mind that many employers will now routinely “Google” a prospective new employee.  If there is any material about you online which you’d rather they didn’t see – such as photographs of you on Facebook in a compromising position – you might want to ensure that these are visible only to a select few viewers!

6: A place to search for vacancies

I’ve left this till last, because I want to re-emphasise that simply searching for vacancies on the internet is not a good tactic.  Let me repeat: employers will post some, but by no means all of their vacancies online (and many employers won’t post any).  If you’re relying on this as your “jobs digest”, you’re excluding yourself from a whole range of options.  Nonetheless, it’s worth knowing where to look online for advertised vacancies.  If you’re in the US, this selection of job boards is a good place to start.  If in the UK, take a look at Monster, here.

BONUS: Need more help?

If you’re unsure of the direction to take in your career, check out my self-directed online coaching programme, Vital Vocation.  In 12 easy lessons, I’ll guide you towards identifying and achieving your ideal work.  It is possible to find a job with the internet, and Vital Vocation can help!

My mission in life is to help YOU do what you were designed for. Don’t forget to sign up for my free Lifecrafting Newsletter for more information (you’ll also get a free copy of my e-book ‘How To Find Your Purpose in Life’). And if you’d like to find your ideal job, check out my online career-creation programme Vital Vocation – 12 sessions of virtual coaching from me for just $20!
Twitter: @cormackcarr

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Image courtesy of Pixomar / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I love fear.  Not because I’m a masochist, but because I recognise it for what it is: an important messenger.  Fear is good, but you wouldn’t think it, to read the statements that frequent the self-help literature and lifestyle magazines:

“Feel the fear and do it anyway!” (Oh really? Even if the fear that tells you not to drive too fast round a hairpin bend?).
“The only thing to be afraid of is fear itself!” (Tell that to someone who’s being chased by an angry lion.)
“Fight your fears!” (What, even the ones that send you into such a panic that you’re physically incapacitated?)

Such headlines trumpet their opinions confidently: fear is to be got rid of, got round, ignored.  In short, fear is a bad thing and is to be avoided.  That is, if you want to have any hope of being happy and having a halfway decent life…

Give me a break!  No one goes through life achieving anything of significance without experiencing fear – and that’s exactly as it should be, because fear is one of our greatest allies.  So I say: “let’s hear it for fear!”

Here’s why you should never fight your fears.

Fear is one of the key feelings which make up your emotional compass.  Happiness, anger, pain, and sadness (which is emotional pain) are the others.  Virtually every other emotion you can conceive of (such as guilt, joy, and embarrassment) either represents varying degrees of those key feelings, or is a combination of two or more of them. For example, joy is an extreme form of happiness, and pain (in the form of emotional discomfort) and happiness (in the form of emotional pleasure) can combine to create embarrassment.

With the exception of times when you’re suffering from extremes of emotion – and even then, only with great care and professional guidance if necessary - you should never fight, shut down, ignore, or disrespect your feelings. They are what guide you through life; to the things you like, and away from the things you don’t.  Your emotional compass is an essential part of your primal life toolkit, and for it to work for you, you need to be in touch with the full range of your feelings, including fear.

One reason it’s important to trust your feelings is because sometimes they’re all you’ve got to guide you, especially when you know where you want to go and you’re struggling against society’s received wisdom, peer pressure, or criticism.  Fear can propel you away from circumstances that aren’t right for you, even when they seem idyllic to others, and it’s often the experience of a specific fear – such as getting stuck in a job or relationship that’s diminishing you - that brings you to the point of following your dreams. But fear can help you in more subtle ways, too.

To find out what those ways are, it’s important to realise that fear comes in two forms: rational fear, and irrational fear.  Let’s take a quick look at each.

Rational fear:

A man jumps out at you in a dark alleyway, brandishing a big knife.  “Give me all your money, or I’ll kill you!” he snarls. In a moment like this, you’ll experience an intense form of rational fear.  Your heart rate will increase, adrenalin will flood through your bloodstream, your muscles will tense in preparation, and you’ll be ready either to fight your attacker, defend yourself, or run away.  In short, you’ll be experiencing the same fight-or-flight response that’s programmed into our DNA and which kept our ancestors safe from sabre-toothed tigers (the fact that you’re sitting here now, reading this, proves that your ancestors were adept at avoiding danger at least long enough to reproduce).  The fear you experience is entirely rational; you are in a dangerous situation, and could get hurt, or even be killed.  You don’t need to think about it.  Your body, wonderful survival apparatus that it is, instantly responds by creating the sensation of intense fear in order to move you away from danger.

Irrational fear:

You’ve been asked to be best man at a friend’s wedding.  As part of your duties, you’ll be expected to give a speech.  The very thought fills you with dread.  On the day, you stand up in front of the assembled wedding guests, your hands damp with sweat, your mouth painfully dry, your mind a blank.  It takes all your effort of will to keep your hands from shaking as you hold your papers in front of you, and begin, voice quavering.  You’re experiencing irrational fear.  Nothing really bad is going to happen to you – there’s no threat to your life – but all the same, you are frightened.  It’s important to note that irrational fear is not unreal fear.  It’s real all right; just ask anyone who’s ever suffered from a panic attack.

Why does it happen this way?  Simply because, the part of your brain that controls fear is very powerful, but it’s also very primitive;  it can’t tell the difference between the sort of physical  danger that would genuinely threaten your safety, and emotional pain.  Whether it’s trying to keep you safe from a knife-wielding maniac, or perceiving that you’re doing something unknown, and potentially dangerous, it responds with the same fight-or-flight reaction.

Your job then, isn’t to get rid of fear, but to understand it, because it has a message for you, and it’s always trying to keep you safe.

In the case of rational fear, it can be carrying a very simple message: “you’re in big trouble, get the hell out of here!”   But in the case of irrational fear, you probably have to go digging underneath it, because the chances are the fear is masking another feeling.  In the example I gave above, you’re unlikely to come to any lasting harm, but – if the speech goes badly – you could very well feel like a fool.  Your fear is trying to keep you safe from an uncomfortable emotion that it perceives as being dangerous to your sense of yourself.  It’s no accident that we often hear people talking of “dying of embarrassment”.  Whether it’s your physical body that’s in danger, or your emotional coherence, fear rises up like a lion to warn you away from risk.

Fear of this type can also be a mask for feelings other than embarrassment.  You might be frightened of succeeding because it’ll make you feel guilty about spending time away from the people you love; you might be scared to receive praise because it’ll make you feel sad about other people in your life who aren’t happy with their lot; you might even be experiencing a fear of happiness – usually because you’re suffering from the erroneous belief that if you get too happy, fate will strike you a blow just to take you down a peg or two.

There’s a very good chance that you won’t consciously realise that any of these things are happening, because the fear masks the other feelings.  That’s why it’s so important to pay attention to any feelings of anxiety you’re having, so you can find out what they’re trying to tell you.

And here’s the funny thing.  Once you identify the feeling that your fear is trying to keep you away from, and deal with it, the fear starts to melt, like an icicle in the sun.  That doesn’t mean it’ll go away entirely – although sometimes it will – but it should at least diminish to a level that allows you to think more clearly about what you should do next.

How do you “deal with” your feelings?  That depends on you, the circumstances, and the level of intensity of the feelings.  Sometimes you just need to let yourself feel them; sometimes you need to question the assumptions that lie beneath them; and sometimes you need to express them, so they can move through you and disperse.  If they’re particularly powerful and scary, you might need support from a counsellor or therapist as you work your way through them.

It’s a journey worth taking.  Once you’ve done it, you’re left with a choice: to keep going in the direction you were going; or to decide the fear was genuinely warning you away from something that was wrong for you, and to take the opportunity of charting a new course.

Either way, you’ve done something far more empowering than fighting your fear.  By really listening to your fear – whether rational and a real signal of danger, or irrational and a mask for something else – you’ve taken a powerful emotional compass reading that’ll enable you to set your sails in a way that moves you forward along the only path that ever matters in life: your own.

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© Brian Cormack Carr, 2010*

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Eástre by Jacques Reich (1909), depicting Ostara - a goddess of Germanic paganism, the namesake of the festival Easter. She brings opportunity for renewal and rebirth.

Are you waiting until you’ve changed your circumstances, your job, your weight, your appearance, or your financial situation, before you begin building a life you love?

Many of us do exactly that, but we don’t have to.  You have everything you need, right here, right now, to be the most important thing you can possibly be in this life – yourself.  Rebirth can happen in the present moment, and what better time to remind ourselves of this than Easter?

If you do need anything extra, it’s simply know-how about discovering what you want, lots of support to get you there, and practical information on overcoming any barriers you might face on the way.  That’s what my work is all about.

Find out more about discovering who you really are in my previous blog post here.

BONUS:

Here are two short videos for you to enjoy, on the subject of being – and loving – who you are.

The first is a promotional clip from Nick Vujicic, a young man who has, in his own words, “no arms, no legs, no worries.”  You can find out more about Nick here.

In the second video, Byron Katie guides a woman through the four questions and turnaround of the remarkable process she calls ‘The Work’, on the thought “I need to know why people love me.” Watch as the woman finds what she loves about herself.  You can find out more about The Work of Byron Katie at her website here.

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My mission in life is to help YOU do what you were designed for. Don’t forget to sign up for my free Lifecrafting Newsletter for more information (you’ll also get a free copy of my e-book ‘How To Find Your Purpose in Life’). And if you’d like to find your ideal job, check out my online career-creation programme Vital Vocation – 12 sessions of virtual coaching from me for just $20!
Twitter: @cormackcarr

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Not what we mean by 'primal fitness'! Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Primal fitness is all about moving your body in the ways that nature intended it to be moved, so that you can build strength, stamina, and flexibility.  Although some basic equipment can be used, it’s possible (and desirable) to do a whole lot just using your own body weight.  I subscribe to the workout principles of Mark Sisson (of Primal Blueprint fame) who advises constructing a fitness program around three components:

The Primal Blueprint Fitness Pyramid, courtesy of www.marksdailyapple.com

Of course, for many people, the thought of constructing any fitness program is scary – particularly if, like me, you have painful memories of horrendous P.E. classes as school which left you feeling like an uncoordinated, unfit lummox and taught you absolutely nothing about how to get fitter.

So I’ve devised a simple three-stage plan – Your Primal Fitness Plan – which will take you from a standing start to super fit.  There’s no set length of time required for each stage.  Start slow, build your fitness level gradually, and increase your level of intensity within each stage whenever you feel like you need more of a challenge.  Stick with that stage until you feel comfortable with moving on to the next, then apply the same principle – start slow, increase gradually, then decide when to move on.

And remember – the goal is never to act like you’re already super fit, if you’re not.  Don’t worry if you have to slow down at any point, or do fewer repetitions than are suggested.  Some days you’ll have less energy and will have to work at a lower level of intensity; other days you’ll have more and will surprise yourself at how much you can do.  It’s all good.  The goal is to feel like you’re challenging yourself a bit, so that your fitness level builds – never to beat yourself up.

Let’s get started!

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STAGE ONE - The 12 Minute Break-In Plan

Courtesy of www.drbriffa.com

This stage incorporates the first two elements of the Fitness Pyramid into one workout (we’re leaving sprinting until you’ve built a basic fitness level).  It’s from Dr. John Briffa‘s excellent book Waist Disposal, and – once you’ve mastered it - will only take 12 minutes to complete.  Do this workout every other day and take a brisk walk on alternate days, and you’ll be amazed at how much you can do and at how quickly your fitness level will build.

Dr. Briffa says:

It is possible to improve the look and condition of the body significantly, quite quickly and easily with relatively low time-investment, too. This is a 12-minute daily routine that is mainly resistance-based, but includes some aerobic exercise, too. It can be performed in a space no bigger than a beach towel and requires little or no special equipment (just dumbbells or a resistance band). If you do nothing other than this 12 minute routine each day, you will still be able to improve your strength and physique to a tangible extent.

The session is made up of two six-minute sections. The first section focuses on resistance exercises for the upper body. The second six minutes are designed to strength-train the legs and provide a brief aerobic workout. Google to find out the form and technique for the suggested exercises.

a) The First Six Minutes

Don’t forget to warm up (marching or jogging lightly on the spot for a minute or two will help warm your body up and get the blood pumping).  Then, using your dumbbells or resistance band, do as many repetitions of each exercise as you can within one minute. Start with light weights and a light pace, and gradually increase these as your strength improves.  Needless to say, you shouldn’t start with weights that are so heavy that you risk injury.  You should be able to complete all the repetitions – just.

Minute 1 – Chest. Pick an exercise you like e.g. press-ups, or chest presses or flys using dumbbells.
Minute 2 – Back. Again, pick a back exercise that works for you, such as one or two-arm rows using dumbbells.
Minute 3 - Shoulders. Shoulder presses.
Minute 4 – Biceps. Biceps curls using dumbbells or a resistance band.
Minute 5 – Triceps. Triceps kick-backs with dumbbells or band, or triceps dips on a chair.
Minute 6 – Abdominals.  Sit-ups, crunches, whatever works.

b) The Second Six Minutes

Start jogging or marching on the spot at a pace that works for you.  After one-and-a-half minutes, perform as many squats as you can in 30 sec0nds. Then jog/march for another one-and-a-half minutes. Then squat for 30 seconds. Then jog/march for another one-and-a-half minutes. Then squat.  Finish with some basic stretches – and you’re done!

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STAGE TWO – Primal Blueprint Fitness

This stage will take you – at your own pace – to as high a fitness level as you want to get.  In fact, you never have to move beyond this stage, unless you want to.  By increasing your level of intensity within each movement – sprinting faster; doing your body-weight exercises faster or with added resistance; challenging yourself more during aerobic activities by varying what you do on a daily basis – you’ll never get bored, and never get complacent.  This stage covers all three elements of the Fitness Pyramid.

a) Move Frequently At A Slow Pace

For this element, you can carry on walking, or start adding in some more basic aerobic activity – biking, hiking, swimming, step class – whatever you like.  Try to incorporate some aerobic activity into most days, but remember to avoid falling into the trap of “chronic cardio” which can do you more harm than good.  So no marathons are necessary – either on the road, or the treadmill!

b) Lift Heavy Things

To build this element, you’re going to start using your own body-weight in a series of four essential movements: the press-up; the pull-up; the squat; and the plank.  In the videos below, Mark Sisson guides you through how to progress in each movement.  Start at a level that challenges you without making you feel like you’re going to die, and progress in the ways suggested.

You should do a session of these movements three times a week.  You can find out more about Mark’s rationale for these movements here.

Press-Up

Pull-Up

Squat

Plank

c) Sprint

Occasional sprinting is a great way to build cardiovascular fitness and stimulate fat-burning and muscle-building hormones.  It also mimics the kind of movement our ancestors would have had to make in dangerous circumstances (here’s where a hairy mammoth or sabre-toothed tiger would have come in handy).

Sprinting only needs to be incorporated into your weekly routine once - twice at most – but it will have a significant impact on your fitness level and fat-burning capacity.  You can add sprints in to almost any aerobic workout.

Here – again from Mark Sisson – is how to do it:

Sprint & Stretch

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STAGE THREE – Maximum Capacity!

This is strictly for people who’ve already built a fitness level, and who want a bit of a challenge.  I suggest you head on over to Max Capacity Training, where you’ll find a full 12-week workout programme, which is designed to be done three times a week (they have a book available, too).  Each routine takes 16 minutes to complete, and comprises of a series of body-weight exercises done at a fast pace, with minimum resting.

Each routine is accompanied by drawings of how to do each move (example above) and a handy video workout timer which you can use to help you keep pace as the workout progresses.  You’re also told how often to do each move during the allotted time.  As an example, day one involves:

• Doing as many squats as you can in 50 seconds
• Resting for 10 seconds
• Doing as many push-ups as you can in 50 seconds
• Resting for 10 seconds
• Doing as many lunges as you can in 50 seconds
• Resting for 10 seconds
• Doing as many plank bridges as you can in 50 seconds
• Resting for 10 seconds
• Repeating the whole routine 3 more times.

Phew!  I’m breaking a sweat just thinking about it – and each day gets progressively more challenging.  It’s fun to have such a well-constructed body-weight routine available, since you don’t have to spend any time figuring out which exercises to do, or how to “balance” them – it’s all done for you.  But again, I emphasise – it’s probably best not to jump into stage three unless you’re already relatively fit.

But once you are fit – and you soon will be with Your Primal Fitness Plan - knock yourself out!  Well, perhaps not literally…

What’s your experience of Primal Fitness?  Share your experiences, ideas and information below – and join the Your Primal Life discussion!

My mission in life is to help YOU do what you were designed for.  Don’t forget to sign up for my free Lifecrafting Newsletter for more information (you’ll also get a free copy of my e-book ‘How To Find Your Purpose in Life’).  And if you’d like to find your ideal job, check out my online career-creation programme Vital Vocation - 12 sessions of virtual coaching from me for just $20!
Twitter: @cormackcarr

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Roll Up!  Roll Up!

You want help living a primal life?  Look no further than the newly-opened Your Primal Life Stores – US and UK branches!

It has been my dream for some time to gather together a range of my favourite products and resources to share with you, and that’s exactly what I’ve done here in these Amazon-based emporiums.  Every item in my online stores has been hand-selected by me: I’ve either used it myself, or thoroughly researched it in order to be sure that it can help you in your efforts to live a more primal life.

• Exercise equipment? Check!
• Primal and paleo foodstuffs?  Check!
• Online information products?  Check!
• Self-coaching resources? Check!
• Inspiring books, DVDs, and CDs? Check!
• Essential kitchen equipment?  Check!
• More goodies on the way (including recommended natural health toiletries)?  Check!

So What’s On Offer?

Visit the Primal Life Products page at any time to access my products.  These include:

Recommended products in the US Store:

 
 
 
Recommended products in the UK Store: 

And my own soon-to-be-expanded set of information products, including my popular career-coaching programme, Vital Vocation:

It’s my sincere hope that you’ll find something – many things! – of use to you here.  Please let me know what else you’d like to see in the stores – you can leave suggestions below, and share your recommendations with others.  And remember, purchases made through the Your Primal Life Stores help keep this site thriving and ad-free!

Happy shopping!

My mission in life is to help YOU do what you were designed for. Don’t forget to sign up for my free Lifecrafting Newsletter for more information (you’ll also get a free copy of my e-book ‘How To Find Your Purpose in Life’). And if you’d like to find your ideal job, check out my online career-creation programme Vital Vocation – 12 sessions of virtual coaching from me for just $20!
Twitter: @cormackcarr

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If you’ve just lost your job – or are facing that prospect – it’s not unusual for panic to set in. If that happens, you may be in need of some immediate support to help you figure out a game plan.  That’s what this extract from Module 1 of my Vital Vocation Online Coaching Programme is all about.

First Aid For Emergency Situations

If you’ve just lost your job unexpectedly, chances are that you’re feeling pretty low. Your first instinct may be to think “why me?”, especially if there are others in your workplace who weren’t similarly affected. Although you may realise that many people look back on unplanned redundancies as useful turning points in life that led them on to bigger and better things, that’s cold comfort if you’re facing the loss of a regular pay cheque and still have commitments to keep.

Consider this section “first aid for fear”, or your “emergency job-loss action plan”. Take a deep breath, sit down with a pen and your Vital Vocation Journal, and start making some notes. In seven steps, you can be back in control. Your immediate new job is to find a new job – go at it with a firm commitment to yourself, as though you were your own boss!

7 Step Emergency Job-Loss Action Plan

1) Don’t panic.

Easy to say, I know, but you’re about to sort out what to do, step-by-step. Take your time over this, and you’ll feel much better at the end of it.

2) Consider your immediate priorities.

For most people, this will relate to their finances. Unless you have a nest-egg which enables you to survive comfortably without work for a few weeks, the chances are you’ll need to maximise your income and minimise your outgoings. Write each of these as a heading in your journal, and start writing ideas under each.

Under maximise your income you might write: “sell stuff on eBay”, “apply for relevant benefits”, “cash-in investments”; under minimise your outgoings you might write: “take a mortgage holiday”; “move into shared accommodation”; “search for budget deals on the Internet”.

For each of the sub-actions you’ve written, make a note of what one thing you need to do next in order to move that action forward, and a date by which you’ll do it. For example, if you want to apply for benefits, but aren’t sure what you’re entitled to (and you’re a UK resident), you may write “phone local Citizens Advice Bureau for information – Monday at 9am”.

If you live in America, you might want to investigate options such as Welfare Programmes and eligibility for Nutrition Assistance. Take your time over this step and try to include as many “next actions” – with deadlines - as possible. You’ll feel much better for knowing you’re doing something practical about your situation.

3) Take a self-inventory

Part of this programme is about making an inventory of your gifts, talents and skills in more detail and much more deeply, but as an immediate action, make a note in your journal of all the immediate skills you have and all the qualities you know you possess which could be attractive to future employers.

Try to stretch your imagination here. Don’t just write down skills you’ve used previously in work. Write down skills you know you have but which you haven’t yet had a chance to use in work. For example – can you drive? You may not have driven as part of your job, but nonetheless, if you’ve passed your driving test, that’s a skill you definitely have, and that can definitely be used in the workplace.

Also write down what general things you might consider doing now that you’re not tied to your previous job. Examples might include: doing temp work; applying for part-time jobs; volunteering until I find work; going freelance; going into business with other ex-colleagues.

4) Update your Curriculum Vitae

Sending unsolicited CVs to prospective employers isn’t a very effective way of finding work – unless you tailor your CV to the employer, and target employers based on a good fit for your skills. Make sure you at least have a template CV available, however, so you can tweak it when you need it.

Take time to think deeply about what to add to it, based on any recent learning or work experience. Make sure that, for each tailored CV, you include in the first few lines the information that’s most relevant to the employer you’re sending it to. Many CVs are only glanced at before they’re discarded – you’ll greatly increase your chances of making an impact if you think carefully about what to put at the very beginning.

5) Old Contacts: Don’t burn bridges

You may well be feeling very angry that you’ve lost your job. If you feel you’ve been genuinely badly treated by your employer, and that you have a case against them, then by all means seek out some good quality legal advice (you can get it free at the Citizens Advice Bureau service in the UK).

However, if you know you’ve been treated legally, don’t let your initial anger get in the way of keeping some useful contacts warm. If you can, send a note to your previous employer – perhaps to your own manager, or to the personnel department – saying how much you enjoyed working there and how much you learned from the experience. Try to do this as soon as possible after you leave. Be sure to include your up-to-date contact details, and an up-to-date CV.  You never know when these old contacts will come in handy again…

6) New Contacts: Build some new bridges

A huge number of job opportunities are encountered through the process of networking. It’s vitally important when you’re out of work to not let yourself become isolated. Make sure you keep up with as many of your old professional contacts as possible, and also make an effort to cultivate some new ones.  We’ll cover how to do this effectively in a later module.

Make sure you tell people you’re out of work and are actively looking. That includes friends, family, ex-colleagues, and even casual acquaintances. You’ll be surprised at how many of them will subsequently keep you in mind, and will direct you to job opportunities they become aware of.

It’s useful to prepare what you’ll say to someone who asks “what are you doing now?”. You don’t want to mumble and bluster; you want to be able to say something clear and memorable like “I’m an advertising executive currently between jobs and looking for a new challenge”. Don’t sound apologetic – sound enthusiastic.

7) Take Action!

Armed with your updated CV, your refreshed self-knowledge, your growing network of contacts, and (hopefully) a calmer demeanour, you can now start the process of seeking work.

In your journal, make a note of the methods which you feel able to immediately concentrate on. Check out my “Best & Worst Ways To Find A New Job” videos, but bear in mind that if you need to find work quickly for financial reasons, it’s fine to go for a “good enough job” rather than your “ideal career” – to start with, at least!

A combination of up to four job-search methods is ideal. Examples include: signing up at temping agencies; signing up at employment agencies; signing up at statutory job services; joining pre-existing job-clubs; setting up your own job-club (more on this  in a later module); looking on the Internet and signing up for relevant online job pages; sending your tailored CV to relevant prospective employers; placing an order for the local jobs newspaper; exploring options for retraining.

Whether you’ve just lost your job or not, here’s something to bear in mind as you move forward into the next few modules: The Vital Vocation Online Coaching Programme is all about giving yourself options – it may feel like the job market is closing doors in your face; but you’re about to open up many new doors, windows, and escape hatches!

Perhaps the hardest thing to maintain when faced with a difficult or disheartening work situation is hope. Well, there’s nothing but hope – and you’re about to find out why.

In Your Next Module…

Now you’re ready to move on to Module 2, where we’ll be taking a closer look at you and what makes you the unique individual you are – because that’s the individual around whom a whole Vital Vocation is about to be built…

***Are you interested in participating in the full programme?***

You can do so by signing up at the Vital Vocation website.  In 12 easy lessons, I’ll personally guide you through the process of finding, or creating, your ideal work.  All for just $20!

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I remember once being summoned to a pretty high-powered meeting, to discuss an important contract that was being delivered by the organisation I worked for at the time. It was one of those meetings which everyone – particularly my boss -  took very seriously; the only viable excuse for missing it would be that you had been beamed up to Mars.

When the agenda and papers for the meeting arrived, my heart sank. I could tell at once that I’d neither be able to contribute to, nor learn anything from, most of the three hour time slot required. The area I had to report on would last for ten minutes at most, and was towards the end of the agenda, so I got ready to spend the best part of 160 minutes nervously awaiting my turn to speak, worrying about all the work I could usefully be doing instead.

Then I decided to take a risk. I got in touch with the meeting organiser, and confidently declared: “I’ve got another appointment with an important contact at the same time as the meeting you’ve invited me to, so I won’t be able to attend until the last 30 minutes. Can you let me know if you require anything from me before the meeting, and also exactly what you’d like from me when I’m there?”.

I nervously awaited a response, sure the ground would open up and swallow me for my temerity. When the response came, it was clear and to the point: “That’s fine; your thoughts on item 4 would be welcome, and if the report could be a verbal one with a short written paper for people to take away, that would be helpful.” Phew!

Did I lie in order to get out of the meeting? No. As it turned out, I did have an appointment with someone important: myself.

I used the time to put together a short but comprehensive report for the meeting, to give some considered thought to exactly how I’d present it, and to complete various other tasks that were hanging over me. When I got to the meeting, I was more relaxed and attentive, and able to contribute far more as a result.

Don’t be afraid to make an appointment with yourself when you need to. I’m presuming that you regularly give up huge chunks of your time to the important people in your life – just make sure that you’re one of them, and that you’re getting a decent slice of the pie!

“What I know is that everyone lives on their own planet in their own time zone and they don’t pay close attention to yours. You might find this really depressing…I find it really liberating and useful. It means you can go somewhere and come back and the world won’t have crumbled without you.”

~ Lesley Garner

What to do with your appointment with you? Well, of course there’s always work to be done! However, here are some other refreshing ideas:

Read some great poetry

Make your own home spa

Take a really good walk

© Brian Cormack Carr, 2011

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A preview from my Vital Vocation Online Coaching Programme which launches this Sunday, 12th June. Part Two will be available then and will of course be featured in the programme itself…

© Brian Cormack Carr, 2011

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Vilfredo Pareto - photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org

Vilfredo Federico Damaso Pareto (15 July 1848 – 19 August 1923) was an Italian industrialist, sociologist, economist, and philosopher. He made several important contributions to economics, particularly in the study of income distribution and in the analysis of individuals’ choices. Pareto observed in 1906 that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population (and that 20% of the pea pods in his garden contained 80% of the peas); and so the Pareto Principle was born.  The Pareto Principle (also known as ‘the 80-20 rule’, ‘the law of the vital few’, and ‘the principle of factor sparsity’) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.

As chief executive of a charity, I’m very aware that around 80% of a voluntary organisation’s funding comes from around 20% of its funders.  Those of you who work in private business will recognise that around 80% of your profits derive from roughly 20% of your customers.

How does this help you free your time?  Well, in any list of ten things you have to do, it’s likely that two of them – once completed – will create more value for you than all the other eight put together.  By identifying and tackling those first, you can massively improve your outputs, and save time in the bargain.  It’s a principle that allows some people to appear hugely productive, even though they have no more hours in their day than you do.

Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, recognised this when he entreated his readers to “focus on the important and not the urgent”.  He illustrates his point using the Time Matrix, which divides all activities into one of four groups:

By focusing on activities in quadrant two – items that are important, but which have not yet become urgent – time spent in the other quadrants can be reduced or better managed, and productivity increased.  Of course, it’s impossible to completely eliminate time spent in these other quadrants, especially the first one, which represents events which are both important and urgent, such as sudden emergencies; but time spent in quadrant two can save you more time in the long run.

So the next time you’re overwhelmed by a long list of tasks to get through, and have limited time, ask yourself: “which of these are my vital few?”. Identify which 20% of the tasks are most important.  Get those done, and you’ll be able to tackle the rest with a greater sense of relaxation, safe in the knowledge that – even if you don’t get everything finished – you’ve already made really good use of your available time.

© Brian Cormack Carr, 2011

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Here’s my response to a recent question about personality tests and their use in helping us to choose an appropriate career.

There are more Q&As on my YouTube channel.

Go here to read more about personality testing.

© Brian Cormack Carr, 2011

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