Hallie Crawford

Must have tip for choosing a more fulfilling career path

When you are looking for a new career path or job, a must have tip is:

Feel better now: If you are feeling miserable, out of balance, unfulfilled, or frustrated -- whether in your life or in your current position -- it will be harder to focus on the future. This is because all of your energy is being drained by your negative feelings.

Take whatever steps you can to put yourself in a more positive frame of mind. Not only will it help in finding your new career, but it will also create a greater balance in your life!

Here's to having a career you love!
Hallie Crawford
Career Coach

Making a Change to Something Bigger and Better

(excerpted from Flying Solo: Career Transition tips for singles)

Do you fall into the category of “I know I need to make a change and the time is now!” Or are you on the fence, still wondering if the place you are in is really a fit? Is it possible that you are unhappy for some other reason than the job? Whether you're single or not, being uncertain about making a change is completely normal. Having doubts and fears is common.

We all have our ups and downs at work so it's important to define whether you really need to change jobs, or if you're just going through a rough patch you need to work through.

Signs That It's Time to Make a Change:

1. You dread getting out of bed in the morning—every morning.
2. Your work relationships and performance are beginning to suffer.
3. You work tirelessly.
4. You start to slack off at work and have little or no motivation to perform.
5. You become “someone else” at work.
6. The position doesn't make use of your talents.
7. You spend most of your time complaining about your job.
8. You regularly fantasize about quitting your job, being fired or let go.

If any of these red flags are waving at you, it's probably time to seriously consider changing jobs, whether it's moving into a new position at your current company or changing your course completely by choosing an entirely different career path.

Click here to read the rest of this excerpt

Reprinted from Flying Solo: Career Transition Tips for Singles, by Hallie Crawford, CPCC, (www.halliecrawford.com) reprinted by permission of the author. ©2008 Hallie Crawford.  All rights reserved.

Here's to having a career you love,
Hallie Crawford
Career Path Coach

Book Signing on Thursday

I will be at the Barnes Noble in Norcross, GA on Thursday January 22nd for the Educator Appreciation Reception signing copies of my book: Flying Solo: Career Transition Tips for Singles

The event is from 4-6 pm.

Here are the details:

Barnes and Noble (Forum Shopping Center)
5141 Peachtree Parkway, Norcross, GA 30092

If you're in the area, stop by and say hi :)

Here's to having a career you love,
Hallie Crawford
Atlanta Certified Career Coach

Join Me Today at the UGA Atlanta Alumni Center

Free Presentation: "Career Transition Tips for Singles"

Come join me at the UGA Atlanta Alumni Center, today January 13, 2009 from 6:00PM - 8:00PM! It's free and open to the public. Discover the unique challenges singles face when they try to make a career transition on their own.

This program is especially for career-minded singles who want to:

    * Switch their career to a new field of interest
    * Start their own business and become an entrepreneur
    * Find the courage to leave an unfulfilling job
    * Make their career transition as smooth as possible

Register here

And let your friends and family know if they're in Atlanta!

See you tonight!
Hallie Crawford
Career Coach

Identify Your Ideal Career - No More Excuses

Happy Monday!

Start the year off with this goal setting worksheet:
http://halliecrawford.com/downloads/NewYearWorksheetGoals.pdf

I encourage you to use the goal setting worksheet above to set your resolutions. When you're setting goals, it's important to create a structure for doing so and to write them down.

Remember it's not real until it's in writing!! A big reason to set goals in the first place is to create the life you want right!?! At the end of your life do you want to say you tried to achieve what you want or that you didn't try at all?

See the tough economy as an opportunity to find something you truly enjoy.

Here's to having a career you love!
Hallie Crawford
Career Seekers Coach

Hallie Recommends: Time Management Article

I can't say enough about how Michael Charest and his small-business building programs have impacted my coaching practice. I am 100% more successful today because of participating in his coaching group this year.
I highly recommend checking out his programs here.

This Time Management Article is by Michael:

Time Management   

To create a thriving business you must stay in action and put time, energy and attention on the things that will generate the results you desire; ie, more clients!  Seems fairly obvious, right?  Well then why is it so hard to DO?

Here are some simple steps to help you "beat the clock."

First, to create an effective schedule that will support you in growing your business, you need to identify and focus on the important segments of your business, those that are results and revenue driven.  While administrative tasks are important, don't be consumed so much that you take time away from the important tasks.  In fact, you might consider hiring an assistant...his/her hourly rate would be a lot less than yours!  Then you can spend more time on growing your business rather than being bogged down with administrative duties.

Here is a list of what we believe to be the key components in running your own business and a time allotted to each: 

Providing Your Service 25%
Networking 10%
Executing Marketing Strategies 25%
Consultations (funneling people to your sales process) 5%
Continuing Education 5%
Administrative 20%
Writing & Creating 5%
Business Planning 5%

This is a general example so please do not feel compelled to match these targets exactly.  The key is to become more productive and effective with your time by focusing on and doing the important things!

Next, you want to block out times in your calendar; ie, your Daytimer, Palm Pilot, Blackberry etc. for each area.  We recommend you do this weekly.  This will then become your "ideal" schedule.  Your goal.  Your target. 

Not every week will perfectly match the schedule you create; in fact, most will not!  That's okay! But if you have a plan and do your best to stick with it you will be a lot better off than if you had not created a schedule to begin with. During the week, take note of what is working and what is not. Make the appropriate adjustments and you will begin to feel great about your schedule.

Success in Time Management requires dedication and commitment. The first step is to commit and at least get things scheduled and then dedicate yourself to getting a little better each week.

By Michael Charest
President, Business Growth Solutions

Business Growth Solutions is a coaching and consulting company that focuses on teaching service based solopreneurs a proven, comprehensive, step-by-step sales and marketing system. For the last ten years we have helped more than 3,000 solo entrepreneurs like you attract more clients, grow their business, serve more people, and live a great life.

Here's to having a career you love!
Hallie Crawford
Atlanta Certified Career Coach

Transitioning? How to Use Your Time Well

Today we have a great guest post from my career partner, Miriam Salpeter on how to use your time well during a career transition.

With over 10 years of experience, Miriam's mission is to encourage, enlighten and empower job seekers for success. Don't launch your search without her toolbox of up-to-date tips and support. Miriam's clients gain confidence, clarity and job search know-how! Visit her site to learn more.

Transitioning? How to Use Your Time Well
By: Miriam Salpeter, M.A.
Career Action Coach

If you are in the midst of a career transition, it’s easy to let hours, days and weeks pass by before setting up a strategy that will help you succeed in your  hunt. (Hiring a coach can give your search a turbo boost!)
Volunteering is one great way to use your free time. Here are a few additional tips to consider if you want to propel your plans forward:

If you haven’t started, dive into social media and Web 2.0 applications! Yes, this can take some time if you are going to do it full force. But, you have time, so go for it! Start searching for blogs in your niche. Guy Kawasaki’s Alltop list is a perfect place to find blogs in an array of topics, but you can certainly use Google to find current information in your field of interest. Spend some time researching and exploring. See if you can identify the stars in your field. Use online mechanisms to connect to them!

How? Post smart comments on their blogs. See if they use Twitter and follow them. (Read more of my suggestions about using Twitter for the job hunt HERE.) Make sure that you are using LinkedIn effectively. You may be amazed at how quickly you can connect and “befriend” people online.

Consider authoring a blog. If you are a strong writer, there isn’t a better way to influence your Google rankings and demonstrate authority in your subject matter. If you have the time, why not try? You have nothing to lose.

Stop and think about what you really want to do. Use your time to assess yourself, your goals and plans for the future. How often are we forced to take a moment to really think about the future? This is your chance. Do you like the way your life is going? Are you happy with your path? If not, consider a coach to help you figure out a new direction.

Learn a new skill. Have you been thinking about taking a class in something that will help you with your job? Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn how to knit? This may be a good time. Doing something new and learning a new skill is good for your attitude and will help you in multiple ways.

There is so much information and opportunities to learn new things online for free. High-profile and talented people are offering free teleclasses, webinars and seminars all of the time. If you plug in, you’ll learn about these opportunities and benefit from them. Take advantage of your public library as a resource for information. Check in with the librarian for information you might be missing!

Don’t wait until you have an interview scheduled to prepare for the interview! Do you know what you’ll wear to an interview? Does it fit? Is it clean and pressed? How about your shoes? Do they pass muster? Don’t wait until you’ve been searching for two months and get a call for an interview tomorrow to look in your closet!

Once you have an outfit ready, start planning and practicing what you will say in an interview, in a networking situation…Use your time to get ready. Consider contacting me to conduct a mock interview so you will know what skills you can improve. If you are prepared, when you start pulling in opportunities, you won’t panic!

Of course, much of your “free” time will be taken up with job hunting. Don’t forget that many of the activities listed above are part of your job hunt. I would be remiss if I didn’t specifically mention that networking (in person and online) is key - spend more time doing this than searching for online postings. Make sure your resume and materials are top-notch and use your time to prep for everything you will need.

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Click here to get an idea of the inspiring, informative articles, tips and tools we publish in the Creating Your Career Path newsletter!

Hallie Crawford
Career Transitions Coach

Food for Thought: Life doesn't just 'happen' to us

Suppose you were laid off from your job. Now it's obvious you did not create the weak economy leading to that event. BUT – you ARE in total control of how you respond to that event. Here's how that works: Suppose you get depressed and just give up. Your response would obviously create a negative reality in your life.

But what if you instead respond by "taking the tiger by the tail" and start a new business on the web, or become a consultant in your field of specialization. You have then created an entirely different reality in response to the exact same event.

Here’s another example: You’re unhappy in your job and on top of that your boss is being a jerk. You realize it’s time to make a change and you’d really like to tell your boss to go pound sand. Again, you can’t control how your boss behaves but you can choose your response and what you do with the energy you’ve built up about his behavior. Turn your frustration into a motivator to start your search for your ideal career. When you find yourself focused on your boss, consciously shift your focus to where you want to go instead. You’ll create a whole new reality for yourself that will allow you to move forward, instead of remaining stuck where you are.

Life doesn't just ‘happen' to us. It's our responses to life that create our personal reality! Think about this for a moment. You really ARE in charge of creating your own life ... So take the reins with your career and contact me for help – that’s what I’m here for.

Hallie Crawford
Career Transition Coach

The Secret to Finding the Right Career

Happy Monday!

Choosing a career path that’s right for you is a process. Here’s a tip that can help you get started.

The secret to finding the right career is this: take the first step

Sounds simple, and it can be. This is something I always encourage my clients to do.

When my clients want to know all of the steps before getting started, I suggest that we first start putting the puzzle together piece by piece. Once an idea begins to form, we can start moving in that direction.

For you, I suggest following your gut instinct, take a step in a direction that feels right, and allow yourself the freedom to explore options as you move forward. You’ll figure it out, I promise. It is a process; a journey. For some it’s short, for others it may take a little longer. It just depends on your starting point and your willingness to keep stepping. So, I encourage you to start now: what one step can you take today that will move you forward towards your perfect job?

Contact me. I’m here to help you find that perfect job, determine what steps to take, and help you make it happen.

Here’s what some of my clients have to say about working with me: “Hallie helped me get to where I am now. I can’t tell you how fabulous of a coach she is!...“I have a renewed sense of confidence, a tangible goal and a plan… My progress has been rewarding. I'm getting paying work, I'm feeling a sense of accomplishment, and I'm enjoying it! I cannot recommend her [Hallie] highly enough.”

Here's to finding a career you love in 2009!
Hallie Crawford
Career Coach

Blast off towards your ideal career...

• Are you lost about what you want to do in your career?
• Are there so many career ideas in your head that you can’t choose just one? 
• Do you feel stuck where you are? 
• Would you like to have a career you're passionate about?

Then sign up today for our brand new group coaching program! It's called "Identify Your Ideal Career Path," and it covers the exact same 5 step program that we use with our individual clients -- at a fraction of the cost!

In this group you will:

• Uncover your values and priorities
• Define what would be most fulfilling for you in a career
• Explore the 6 things you need to consider in your search for your ideal career path
• Learn how to combine these and put them into action
• Discover how to overcome the obstacles that hold you back from defining your ideal career
• Create and implement a transition plan to land your ideal job

The benefits of group coaching? You save money! Plus you'll receive support and feedback from 3 different sources -- your coach, other class members, and your group buddy. We'll all be there to help you through your transition.

And the best part? You get all this for only $150/month for 6 months -- less than half of our individual coaching rate!

Go here to read more and to sign up for the complimentary introductory call on January 22nd. The coaching program begins on February 5th and is over the phone so you can participate from absolutely anywhere. Rock on!

Have a great weekend!

Hallie Crawford
Career Coach Atlanta