One-E-Anna Notes - Issue #022 - September, 2004

A monthly newsletter to conduct you on the way to successful performance and harmony in your life. Brought to you by E. Anna Watkins, MBA - Career & Life Coach Welcome! I hope that you had a wonderful summer and are ready for a great autumn season! I don't know about you, but it seems that each year seems to move faster than the previous one. Stretch those days out as much as you can! New on My Website We have recently done some content and cosmetic changes to www.one-e-anna.com - and we would like your feedback. Please click on the link and explore what's new. Take the Career Coach Quiz while you are there. Curious? Please take a look! New Course! Career Champion 101: Choosing the Right Work for You Who is the best person to choose your career? You, of course! Are you working in a particular job because your parents, your friends, or THEY said it is the right thing to do? Have you planned for other options in case you and your current job part company? Time to take charge and focus on what really fits you! In this introductory course, you will clarify how your work aligns with your life, and you will begin to explore career possibilities that can bring you fulfillment. The agenda for the class includes articulating your values & requirements for work, learning methods to find good career matches, and identifying criteria for your career success. Career Champion 101 is for anyone who is serious about having a career that makes them feel proud and satisfied. By participating in this class, you can be more confident about your career choices and know that you are ready with a success strategy for the future. Sign up at www.teleclass.com for October 5, 2004 class at 8 PM. New List Management Service As of this issue of the notes, we are using Ezezine to manage our subscriber list. See new directions (above) to subscribe or unsubscribe. What's in this issue? Feature Article - The Do It Yourself Myth Your Coaching Assignment Interview Tip - Providing Evidence Class Schedule Information on Coaching & Resume Writing Services 1. The Do It Yourself Myth You've seen these commercials, haven't you? "For only $19.95 you can have the fitness program used by movie stars on one 60-minute videotape!" The announcer extols the virtues of this highly effective program with occasional testimonial statements from the stars themselves. And what a beautiful group of people they are! They make it very tempting to pick up the phone and dial that 800 number NOW! What they don't tell you is the part you will NOT receive. Those movie stars have the benefit of the real live fitness coach to schedule a regular exercise regimen, observe and correct them as they do the exercises, modify the fitness program for greater challenge, address their individual fitness goals, and hold them accountable. This one difference greatly enhances their likelihood of success. What works for physical fitness holds true for your career and life. Very few people have the discipline, the skill, the knowledge, and the determination to achieve major life goals without help from someone else. And yet we fail to ask! Have a goal that's been eluding you? Call a friend for support; maybe you can help each other! Find a teacher to help you with your golf swing. Hire an electrician to put up those lights you have stored in the garage. Join a class to brush up on your computer skills. Hire a coach to guide you toward a satisfying career and life fulfillment. "Turning it over in your mind won't plow the field." - Irish Proverb ""None of us has gotten where we are solely by pulling ourselves up from our own bootstraps. We got here because somebody bent down and helped us." - Thurgood Marshall 2. Coaching Assignment a) Write a description of something that you really want to achieve. b) Take time to honestly write the reasons you have not asked anyone for help with this goal. Go ahead - write them all! c) Now write names of people who could help you to attain that goal. d) Choose one person on your list and phone that person. Either talk on the phone about what you need or set a date to meet for coffee, lunch, whatever! e) Make a commitment to check in with that person and follow through. f) If your first person is not available, you are not off the hook! You listed other names - right? Call somebody else. g) Take action - even if it's one small step. What are you waiting for? 3. Interview Tip - Providing Evidence Whenever you interview for a job, you are trying to convince your interviewers that you are the best person to hire for their available position. To persuade them of this, you must be ready to provide evidence to back up your claim. If you had to plead your case in a court of law, what evidence would you present? Here are some suggestions. As you prepare for the interview, anticipate situations you might encounter in the new job. Review your work and volunteer experience. What have you done before that is similar? Jot down notes describing the situation, your response, and the successful result of your action. Have your story ready! Are they looking for creativity and ingenuity? Be prepared to describe innovations in your previous work. Go beyond, "Just the facts, Ma'am." Don't think that the answers will come to you spontaneously during the actual interview. Rehearse by doing mock interviews with a friend or relative. Prepare and give it your best effort! You can read more resume & interview tips at www.one-e-anna.com 4. Class Schedule for Anna Watkins September 8, 2004 - Your Success Team FREE Seminar at Women's Employment Resource Center Albany, NY at 9:00 AM Eastern time. September 14, 2004 - Discover the Power of Informational Interviews FREE Teleclass at www.teleclass.com at 8:00 PM Eastern time. Other classes that might interest you: October 5, 2004 - - Career Champion 101 FREE teleclass at www.teleclass.com at 8:00 PM Eastern time. October 13, 2004 - Discover the Power of Informational Interviews FREE Seminar at Shenendehowa Public Library; Clifton Park, NY at 7:00 PM Eastern time. Note: New classes are being added. Keep checking schedule information on the website. See the excellent article by Michael Losier, "What Is a Teleclass?" in newsletter edition #006 which is available on the newsletter page at www.one-e-anna.com 5. Complimentary Coaching Sessions and Resume Reviews How about a free sample coaching session or resume review? You can easily arrange this. Please e-mail awatkin1@nycap.rr.com and I will follow up with you to schedule an appointment - no strings attached! Special Attention Helen Volk of Beyond Clutter has placed a wonderful donation section on her website called Pass It On! There you will find listings of organizations that will accept your donations of items you no longer use. De-clutter your environment and support a worthy cause. Please click on the link to contribute. http://www.beyondclutter.com/wishlist.htm   Visit www.lifeafterlayoff.org to find resources for yourself or your friends who are in job transition. You may notice that they have recently been kind enough to add "Advice from Anna" as a feature on their site. Tips Booklets Online Paulette Ensign offers a vast array of tips booklets online for only $4.77 each! Check out her website at www.tipsbooklets.com and peruse the titles there. Examples: 101 Travel Tips for Women, 113 Ideas To Secure Your Financial Future, and Presenting Your Message Like You Mean It My booklet 64 Tips for Informational Interviews is also available in the Careers category. Informational interviews are one of the best investments of your time so you can meet your career advancement goals. This booklet is for anyone who is exploring a career change or who wants to breathe new life into a current career. Subscriber Note You may absolutely share the One-E-Anna Notes with anyone you think will enjoy it. When sharing, please forward it in its entirety, including contact and copyright information. Each time you receive an issue, forward it to two friends (or more!), and - please send comments that will help me to make it better. Click on the link here to read past issues of the newsletter at www.one-e-anna.com THANK YOU!