Newsletter 33 - September, 2005

A monthly newsletter to conduct you on the way to successful performance and harmony in your work and personal life. Every issue brings you tips for interviews, resumes, networking, and strategies for career advancement.

Welcome!
Welcome to all new and continuing subscribers! I hope that you will enjoy this issue and will forward it to others. I especially want to add more Midwest, Southwest, and Western folks - so please send this to your cousin in Phoenix, your brother in Boise, and your old friends in San Francisco.

New Habits
As I adjust to my new life in New Mexico, I am developing new habits. Here are a couple of contrasts:

New York

New Mexico

When shopping at the mall, find a parking space close to the entrance.

Find any space that has a shade tree, no matter how far from the entrance.

Stock up on canned goods and other 'staples' so that you are ready to be trapped inside for days when there is a blizzard.

Shop often for small amounts of groceries. Eat out. If it snows, you can wait the half hour it takes to melt.

"The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own."

- Benjamin Disraeli

You have probably heard it said many times that mentoring is a very helpful experience for both parties involved. I agree! I wholeheartedly recommend that you seek out mentors for yourself, and serve as a mentor for someone else when you have the chance.

While it is a wonderful, heady experience to be a mentor, be careful that you do not harbor the illusion that a mentor dispenses wisdom to the 'blank canvas' of the protégé. You are deceiving yourself if you think this. And you are ignoring the benefit of the two-way riches you can derive from the mentoring experience.

Yes, you are in a helping role. However, you will be far more effective when you rein in your ego and enable your protégés to realize their strengths so that they can capitalize on them.

One of my favorite mentor models is Nadia Boulanger. Unless you are a musician, you may not know her name. But I'll bet that you would recognize the names of many of her famous students. Her impressive influence on music came through the diverse and outstanding composers she taught and mentored. These included Aaron Copland, Elliott Carter, Quincy Jones, Philip Glass, Virgil Thompson, and many more. What they produced was not second-hand Boulanger compositions. If you have listened to their music, you are aware of the very different 'distinctive voices' of these composers. By encouraging each of them to compose in his unique style, she helped the world to acquire a vast and varied collection of musical masterpieces.

As a mentor it is your privilege to hear the 'voice' of your protégé and to help that individual bring his or her voice to the world. Mentors derive much joy from their work, and they help themselves as well - learning from their protégés in the process. They can be proud of their achievements while not taking credit for them. Wise mentoring means showing respect and appreciation for the person you help and providing skills and tools to sustain development of that person's special talent

As we view our world today, let us also apply this wisdom in our efforts to help people who are in a temporary vulnerable and unfortunate situation. The highest level of giving is giving so that another can support himself/herself without dependence on others. As you assist those in need, do so with respect. Express confidence in them and their ability to rebound to a position of strength and success.

My wish for every one of you is that you enjoy the wonderful relationship of mentoring!

All pain is fleeting and eventually gives way to well-being. On one day the person may be in the pits, and the next day on top of the world. If you can affirm the top-of-the-world person even while they are hurting, you are in the strongest position to restore their power quickly.

- Alan H. Cohen

a)

Write the name of someone you are mentoring in a work or personal role.

b)

Complete the sentence, "What I respect the most about this person is - "

c)

Complete the sentence, "What I really admire about this person is - "

d)

Share what you have written with your protégé and get that person's perspective on strengths and attributes.

e)

Work together to plan the development of your protégé's special gifts and talents. Accentuate the positive!

Here are quick tips for knowing how much you should expect as a salary. These web sites can help you with research as you prepare for a job interview.

To know how much someone with your education and experience typically earns, go to www.salary.com and type in your personal description. This same website will help you to compare salaries and cost of living for different cities.

Want to know how much a particular job pays? You can call the individual company and ask to be told the salary range they are proposing, and you can look at similar posted jobs that show salary figures. For a more comprehensive source, however, consult the Bureau of Labor Statistics to see the most recent figures for hundreds of job titles. Choose your state to identify median salary for the job you seek. The address is www.bls.gov

After doing your research, you are more prepared to say, "I understand the typical pay for this job is "$X" and I would anticipate a salary in that range."

5. Career Coaching Sessions
I coach people who are looking to enjoy their work, whether that means moving up in a current job or building a new career. It doesn't matter where you live - I can coach you by phone. Want to find out more? You can easily arrange this. Please contact me at info@one-e-anna.com and I will follow up with you to schedule a free consultation - no strings attached!

Great Resources
A terrific site for business owners - Maria Marsala, former Wall Street trader and now business consultant, coach, and trainer has classes and other resources that are well worth the visit to www.coachmaria.com/

Visit www.lifeafterlayoff.org to find resources for yourself or your friends who are in job transition.

Attention, Trainers!
Many of our readers are in the training profession, so I am happy to tell you about a new ezine for you. Please visit the website of Ellen Dowling and subscribe to her monthly newsletter, "The Standup Trainer." www.standuptrainer.com/

Every issue will provide you with valuable training tips and a dose of Ellen's signature sense of humor. Enjoy!

I recommend
Jay Block Presents "Any Idiot Can Make It Through a Good Day" - a set of two CDS with Jay's program on how to think positive in difficult times. Learn the proven techniques of emotional channeling and the 10 Principles of Success. Go to www.jayblock.com for more information and to order.

Tips Booklets Online
Too many heavy books cluttering up your house or office? Paulette Ensign offers a vast array of tips booklets online for only $4.77 each! When you order an online book, it often arrives in your e-mail within minutes! No waiting for the mail to arrive every day and watching for that book you wanted. And - you won't have to search for it on bookshelves if you save it into a folder on your computer. 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 available in the Careers category. You can get it today!

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