Career Success Partners

Year End Reflection

Consider the following powerful questions as you reflect back on this year and look ahead to 2009.  This is an excellent time of year to recall and celebrate your 2008 successes, to carry-forward your learning opportunities into a new year, and to set your key goals and objectives for 2009.


Year End Reflection Questions:

What were some of your "magical moments" from 2008?

What did you accomplish and feel proud of in 2008?

What were some of the things from 2008 that you definitely want to duplicate for 2009?

What were some of your greatest challenges this past year?  What did you learn from those challenges, and in what way were those challenges incredibly valuable to you?

 

What decisions did you make in 2008 that were empowering?  What changes did you make as a result of those decisions?

 

Looking forward to 2009....What are some of the key decisions you will need to make next year?  Who else do you need to involve in making those decisions?

Take some time to ask yourself some or all of the above questions.  Consider similar powerful questions you could ask yourself as the end of the year comes to a close.

Write down your key goals and objectives for 2009 -- involve your family in this process.  Set yourself up for a fun, rewarding and exciting 2009.  It's more important now than ever before to move into this New Year with a renewed sense of optimism, hope and direction.  It's up to each of us to make a positive difference.
 
Have a wonderful Holiday with your family and friends, and all the best for a wonderfully successful 2009!

JibberJobber -- A Really Cool Job Search Tool

Looking for a great week to manage your job search process and keep up with all of your activities each and every step of the way?  Check out JibberJobber.com.

 So what is JibberJobber? Is it a job search tool? Is it a networking tool? It is more like a personal relationship manager that allows you to do everything you need to do to manage a job search and optimize your network relationships - for the duration of your career!

The JibberJobber team has grown and includes experts that are dedicated to helping you make the most of your career.

If you want to learn more about JibberJobber you can:

• Listen to a podcast interview (about 40 minutes) with Jason, by Peter Clayton. Peter is the leader in podcast interviews in the employment space.
• Read a rather comprehensive blog post by Dave Mendoza, expert recruiter and consultant.
• Read (and/or subscribe to) Jason's blog, found at http://www.JibberJobber.com/blog

Sense of Urgency and a Bias for Action!

With the pace of change we're currently experiencing, it's more important than ever to embrace a personal philosophy of commitment to a strong sense of urgency and a bias for action. Waiting, deferring and indecisiveness will likely put you at a competitive disadvantage in today's super-competitive marketplace -- you're very likely to be passed by those who act and move forward with a heightened sense of urgency.

Think carefully about where where you want to go and how you'd like to get there. Formulate a plan, and then begin taking action toward that plan immediately. Encourage your team-mates to do the same. A sense of urgency applied across an organization can have a transformational impact on your Company.

Commit to day-to-day action and progress toward your plan. Ask your self daily -- "What ACTION did I take TODAY to advance in the direction of my plan and move toward accomplishing my goals and objectives?"

John P. Kotter has just released an excellent book on this topic entitled "A Sense of Urgency". The book can be found at all major bookstore chains or via Amazon.com online HERE.

Take a look at the following video interview of Kotter discussing his new book on YouTube HERE.

Let "LinkedIn" Work for You

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Your Network = Incredible Value to You

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Your network of business, professional and personal contacts is the most valuable and transportable asset you have....period. A properly nourished and up-to-date network can truly work wonders for your career.

All to often I find that my coaching clients, faced with an impending job change -- voluntary or involuntary -- realize very quickly that their contact network is "stale" and rather shallow. It is MUCH easier to maintain and nourish your network on an ongoing basis rather than play "catch-up" when you find yourself in need of help from others.

I have found LinkedIn.com to be an excellent tool for business network development and communication. LinkedIn is an online network of more than 30 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 150 industries.

When you join LinkedIn, you create a profile that summarizes your professional accomplishments, background and areas of specialty. Your profile helps you find and be found by former colleagues, clients, and partners. You can add more connections by inviting trusted contacts to join LinkedIn and connect to you.

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LinkedIn = Incredible Networking Tool

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Through your LinkedIn network you can:

Find potential clients, service providers, subject experts, and partners who come recommended

Be found for business opportunities

Search for great jobs

Discover inside connections that can help you land jobs and close deals

Get introduced to other professionals through the people you know

LinkedIn is FREE to join and intuitive to use. You can also easily upload existing contacts into LinkedIn from Microsoft Outlook and other contact management systems. Try it today, begin building your online network, and let the "magic" of LinkedIn start working for you too.

See my public profile on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/andyrobinsonprofile