Military.com’s Post

What career advice would you give your younger self? This was one of my favourite questions from a Career Development Panel I spoke on this week. If I could go back in time I would tell myself that the joy of a new title or a salary increase is fleeting, instead focus on what you enjoy doing day-to-day. It took me years to identify what made me feel fulfilled at work. Having moved between agencies and worked across brands in almost every industry, I started to notice patterns. I was happiest when working with: ❤️ Good people: Those with good intentions, that cared about the people around them and were brilliant at their jobs. 🚀 Bold ambition: Big-picture thinking and a desire to achieve a powerful and compelling vision. Moving from Advertising to Coaching may seem disconnected, but these two elements are still at the heart of my work. In the past, they guided the brands and roles I chose. Today they are a standard I set for the kinds of people and teams that I coach. Thank you to Bloom UK for having me on the panel alongside Keren B. and Natasha Szczerb, and to Sandra Höfler & Sumitra B. for another brilliant Bloom Blossom event! 👇 Leave me a comment to share the career advice you’d give your younger self.

I started my first job when I was 14. I was a busser at a sports bar and I would have to take a ladder up a hill along the highway to change letters on a big neon sign.   I also moped up my fair share of pee and changed about 4,000 toilet paper rolls in the bathroom. Lol how humbling.   But I did work there for about 5 years. Until one day I was on vacation and picked up someone's shift by accident (long story). I tried to reverse it. Called my boss to tell him what happened, but he wasn't having it. Obviously, I didn't show up for the shift because, as you know, I was on vacation in a different state, and I ended up getting fired.   At the time I thought my life was over. “Who would ever give me a job after I was FIRED!!!” … yes, being a dramatic 19-year-old was my forte. But I did learn an important lesson from what I thought was “the biggest set-back of my career”.   Ultimately, whether I liked it or not, I screwed up. It didn’t matter how, why or what happened - I still had to bear the consequences.   Now, 9 years later, this lesson still holds true. When I screw up, it’s on me. It’s always better to own it – and most importantly learn from it – than to try to blame others or make excuses.   Mistakes will happen … it’s part of life. But how you handle them is what really defines you.   See for instance, the image below, where 14-year-old me was in the midst of cutting her own bangs. Did I do it? Of course. But did I learn to literally never do that again? Hell yes.   Also, whose idea was it to trust THAT girl on a ladder over the highway, anyway?? #mistakes #careerlessons  

Think back to your first job at a small new company. You were super excited and ready to work hard, even if it meant less money. Sounds like you, right? But, the rewards didn't match your passion. The small share of the company you got didn't show how early you joined or how hard you worked. Here's the hard truth: early workers at these companies often work really hard but don't get the same rewards. It's time we talk about this, don't you think? Let's think about how to make this more fair. What do you think? Share your thoughts and experiences below.

Do you hate your job but feel too busy or stressed to change it? Here are some top tips: 💡 get clear on what you really want: job title, location and salary 🗣️ tell your network what you’re looking for so they can help you ☕️ catch up with your network in a targeted way - don’t have time for a coffee, a phone call is just as good And of course - work with a career coach to be as efficient with your actions as possible *** What if you loved your job, got paid what you're worth and negotiated ways of working that fit in with your life? My Love Your Work program starts on 21 October. Last chance to join is this week 18 October! In just eight weeks, get clear on what you (really) want from work, and take bold action to command a career that’s perfect for you and your life—no matter how many plates you’re spinning. Want to know more? Shoot me a DM

We embark on our careers with certain expectations, but one thing to keep in mind is that no matter our plans or aspirations, the only constant throughout our careers is change. One expert shares advice she wished she’d learned at the beginning of her career. https://lnkd.in/egdA8aa4

A Baker's Dozen of Things I Learned Since My Former Employer Eliminated My Job Last Week Last week was a surprise, but life goes on, and I am overwhelmed by the love and support from family, friends, and colleagues. I am commited to make my situation an opportunity. I wanted to share a few things I've observed in my own experiences since my separation from my employer. If there are any other insights you'd add, please feel free to do it in the comments. Here's 13 thoughts in no particular order. 1: I read every reaction to my post announcing my separating, every comment, every message, every text, every email, and the support really meant something to me. I was surprised by how much comfort it gave me. 2: The support of my family meant everything to me. Having them close made a world of difference. My wife is a rock, and my girls have my back and believe in me. 3: Just because I think my résumé makes sense does not mean it's ready. Get some professional help to make sure it is easily read by humans and computers. 4: There is absolutely no social stigma left in having your job eliminated. It's not about your performance, and everybody gets that. Sadly, it's just a normal part of life in America. 5: Reconnecting with former colleagues as a result of this event is wonderful. It's fun to talk about the "good old days" and great to catch up and hear what is happening in their lives now, especially those who have retired. 6: The un-planned time is a chance to take care of yourself. Get to the eye doctor, get to the dentist. Establish some new, positive health and self-care habits. 7: Bring all of your best project management skills to the job hunt. Make that spreadsheet, set up that kanban board, start that journal. Commit to what you will get done each day. Plan your work and work your plan. 8: Be disciplined about when you respond to the overwhelming outpouring of support you will get from your network, or you won't get anything else done. 9: Having days become this unstructured quickly is hard. Establish some routines. Put some rhythm to your day and your week. 10: Figure out how to make the time a blessing. Get that room painted, get that yard project done, take that trip. 11: If someone wants to talk about a potential opportunity, say yes to the conversation even if you are not super-interested in it. It's a chance to practice your story. 12: If your company makes career transitions services available to you, set up that first appointment. If you've been out of the job market a while, a couple of new tools to help with the process make the time worthwhile. 13: How salespeople respond when I say that my position was eliminated and I am of no use to them to sell their widget into my former employer is kinda fun in a low-key twisted kind of way. Most are very kind about. Some are just put into a tailspin and don't know what to do with my candid response. That's my quick list. Anything you would add or change?

When I'm working with clients, I'm always grateful when they trust me enough to tell me how they really feel about things. In many cases, folks feel like they're the only one who feels that way or that no one else is experiencing what they are. But in my position, I get to see themes across all sorts of industries, levels, and roles. A big one recently: People feeling embarrassed about where they're at in their career. So many folks feel some version of this, but don't use the word "embarrassed" tell their friends, family or closest networks for fear of "looking like they don't know what they're doing." People feel really alone in this feeling, but trust me when I say that you're among many, many people who feel the same. If that resonates with you, consider following Career Sandwich. We're working really hard to create a space where people can be their full, authentic selves and build the career they really crave. p.s. Should I share more behind-the-scenes themes of what I hear from folks?

“How can you forget the pass-over for promotions, the hurts, the rebuffs? It’s so hard.” Amid a conversation this morning with a junior Human Resource executive, we decided to leave the thoughts of yesterday and build the thoughts of tomorrow to change her entire outlook. Have you ever had similar words in your head? Maybe it was the promotion you were passed over. Maybe someone decided not to invite you to something. Maybe you have thought you will never be good enough to have what you want. It could be anything we hold resentment towards. The truth is getting out of this remuneration and downward spiral can be done. I reminded her that if she can perseverate on the negative, we can work on perseverating and ruminating on the good. Our stop-gap approach when she started to slide down that negative hole was to change the story and build a new glorious one. We were going to use the negative thought to slingshot her forward. I reminded her that when she feels something negative or feels passed over, it reminds her of what she does want, can have, and will have as long as we take all the positive from it. So the moment she catches herself in that ruminating mode to talk to herself out loud and say, "STOP, I deserve all I want." She reverses the language. The faster she catches herself, the more I remind her of the increased self-awareness she is creating in her language. She is talking herself right into her affirmative powerful presence. She focuses on the NOW. What is good in the NOW. What good has come from that day she passed over, further increases her positive language. It reminds her of how far I have come and where she is going. She is no longer living in the past, but creating her future, which now becomes her past How did she change those subconscious thoughts? Simple..  Every morning she down the ending of what she was going to ACCOMPLISH and the promotion she would attain. She writes down everything. The weather of that day. What she will be wearing when she hears the news. The perfume she puts on that day. Who will be there... And we build that mental movie. We have even gone to build a movie trailer on the i movie platform that she attaches her favorite song to. And she will start her morning either with the song or the song and movie to get her in that frame of mind. The more I do it, the better the vision. The better the vision, the better the emotion around it. The better the emotion I build with it, the more it becomes part of me.  The more it is a part of me, the more I impregnate that subconscious. This simple act has intense communication with your subconscious mind, forming a new belief system, and translating into the actions, habits, and behaviors you need to succeed. The question you want to ask is; "Do I want to continue feeling bad, or make myself feel GOOD?"

You don’t feel like you’re making an impact in your career right now because you’re doing unaligned work. Impact is extremely personal and subjective, so as long as you’re doing work that isn’t aligned with your values and interests, you’ll always feel unimpactful. In Find Your Fulfilling Career, I help women clarify their non-negotiable values and zone of genius interests in just 2 weeks using our foundational trainings and guided reflection activities. When you do work that’s aligned with your interests, you approach your work with a whole different level of enthusiasm. You're naturally more motivated, willing to go the extra mile and bring fresh ideas to the table. This translates into better results, making you a powerhouse in your field. Clarity about your values allows you to develop more aligned career goals, define what impact means to you, and channel your energy strategically. This focus helps you tackle challenges more effectively and contribute meaningfully to your team or organization's success. Plus, happiness is contagious: When you're genuinely enjoying your work, it rubs off on those around you. You inspire colleagues, collaborate better, and create a more positive work environment – a ripple effect that can lead to positive change within your company. If you’re ready to clarify your fulfilling career and secure an aligned job with a 5-figure salary increase that allows you to have a bigger impact, Find Your Fulfilling Career is for you. Whether you’ve been feeling stuck in the same career path for years or tried multiple job changes only to still feel unhappy, you will find and secure a fulfilling job that restores motivation and excitement in your career. Doors open on April 12, and we’re kicking off with the LIVE Clarify Your Fulfilling Career in 30 Days training. Instead of starting from scratch, this training will show you how to use your existing skills to find a fulfilling new career path and land a job that aligns with who you are. Your first step is registering for the training. Learn more and register for the training 👉🏾 https://lnkd.in/eMzy9Aq7

Throughout our lives, we often encounter situations where we feel wronged or mistreated by our employers. It is easy to hold onto feelings of resentment and anger towards past companies that did not treat us fairly. However, it is important to remember that even in these situations, there is always something to be thankful for. Our previous companies have provided us with valuable experience in the workforce. Each job, no matter how negative the experience may have been, teaches us new skills and helps us grow both professionally and personally. The challenges we face in the workplace can help us become more resilient and better prepared to handle future obstacles. This experience is invaluable and will continue to benefit us in our future career. They have played a crucial role in providing for our basic needs. No matter how difficult the work environment may have been, without our jobs, we would not have been able to put food on the table and provide for ourselves and our loved ones. So look back and be thankful. Focus on the positive aspects of our past experiences, continue to grow and thrive in our careers and personal lives.