Success On Your Own Terms

Big Firm Lawyers: You Have Other Options!

2011-12-09T10:39:00.000-08:00

If you are an attorney who is unhappy working in a large law firm, you are not alone. Many lawyers contact us to help them figure out a career path that fits with their skills, values, and priorities. Eilene Zimmerman takes a look at lawyers who are leaving big law firms to start their own law practices in her interesting New York Times article Skipping the Partner Track for a Shingle of One's Own.

But, starting your own law practice or changing law firms is not your only option. You have developed marketable skills that transfer to many fields such as business, education, government, and marketing. We help lawyers overcome the first challenge of figuring out what they want to do, and then creating an action plan to get there.

Have you left a law firm to open your own practice or work in another setting? We would love to know!

So, What Do You Do? How to Answer

2011-10-06T05:34:00.000-07:00

During our career coaching process, we help clients create a clear, exciting, focused vision of the job they want. After this vision is defined, and the resume is targeted to getting the desired job, the next stage is to get the word out.

To begin effectively getting the word out, you need a great "elevator pitch" - a clear, concise statement about who you are, what you do, and what you are looking for. Once you craft your elevator pitch, write it down on a note card, and practice saying it. So, when you meet someone at a cocktail party, and they ask “what do you do”, or you meet someone at a networking event, you will be ready!

Here are some examples of elevator pitches from individuals that have worked:

"I work in business development at a university for our executive MBA program. I particularly love traveling all around the country, meeting with senior executives, and setting up MBA programs for their employees. I am now looking to return to the private sector in finance, and use my business development skills to help women invest their money wisely."

""I recently finished my masters in American history. Last year, I co-developed and co-taught a college history course that focused on the civil war era. I am now ready to teach at the college level, and I am looking for an instructors position at a local community college. "

I run art programs in schools that teach children skills while working together to create amazing artwork. My favorite part is coordinating all the pieces - the community, the school, the artists, the children - to create these art installations. I am now looking to move beyond education and use my program management skills in the non-profit world."

To learn more about crafting an effective elevator pitch, check out our business development blog - BREAKTHROUGH RESULTS

Resume Writing - Our Best Tip for Getting Started

2011-03-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

When my partners and I teach resume writing workshops, we often have groups of friends sign up together. Many of them have not had a resume for a number of years. And more often than not, each one gets stuck when we ask them to make a list of their accomplishments and experiences. But, here is something interesting - when we ask them to list the accomplishments and experiences of the friend sitting next to them, they quickly rattle off numerous things that their friend has accomplished. Ask them to do it for themselves - and it’s just too hard.

I get it! Even as a career development professional, I find it much easier to talk about my partners’ skills, talents, and experiences than my own.

So, my partners and I came up with a resume-building exercise that is a simple but effective way for you to get unstuck and craft a list of accomplishments to put on a resume - enlist the help of a friend. Ask a trusted friend who knows you well to answer the following questions:

What would you say are my strongest skills?

What talents do I have that have surprised you?

What are my accomplishments? What projects have I worked on?

What experiences have I had that allowed me to demonstrate my best self?

When you use a friend (or “empowering partner”) to help you brainstorm a list of skills, talents, and accomplishments, you will be surprised, like the women in our workshops, at just how accomplished and marketable you truly are.

Flextime - Everybody Wins.

2011-01-26T11:15:00.000-08:00

A flexible work schedule or "flextime" has finally emerged as a truly viable option for individuals seeking to balance work with "life". Boston Globe staffer, Katie Johnson Chase crafts a compelling case for flextime in When Time is Money. At DKS Consulting Group, we believe that flextime is not only an important option for employees (especially working parents who want to be more involved in the lives of their children) but for business owners as well. It turns out that flextime benefits companies in many ways, including the place they care about the most - their bottomline. By allowing individuals to work from home, one company saved as much as 30% on overhead costs. That is a real incentive for flexibility in the workplace, and the great thing is, everybody wins.

We are always happy to post career-related good news when we hear it.

Keep That Job Search Motivation Going Strong

2011-01-10T09:37:00.001-08:00

It's the second week into the New Year, and your motivation is high as you forge ahead in your job search. You have the energy to set up networking appointments that you have been putting off, you find the time to sign up for a class to develop a new skill, or you finally join a job search support group to gain new job hunting ideas. The beginning of January can provide us with a great burst of motivation as we take on our New Year's resolutions. However, that surge of excitement can taper off by the time February rolls around.

Each New Year, we see our career coaching clients become motivated to overcome obstacles in their job search. And each year, as their New Year's energy begins to fade, we share with them the following tips to help them stay on track and move forward:

1) Its a Marathon not a Sprint - Searching for a new job is a lengthy process that can be both exciting and emotionally draining. And like a marathon, it requires you to pace yourself, expect some hills, and maintain your focus on the finish line. We tell our clients to mentally prepare themselves for a job search marathon not a job search sprint. This realistic expectation can help you maintain a steady level of enthusiasm because it wards off dissappointment when opportunities take time to materialize.

2) Celebrate Small Successes - A steady supply of small celebrations does more for boosting one's motivation for achieving a goal than just about anything else. Give yourself a "Yay Me!" each time you check off an item on your job search action plan. It's important to acknowledge each step up the ladder. Don't wait until you have the new job - celebrate and honor each of your accomplishments along the way.

3) Take Time to Re-Charge - Searching for a job can become a stressful, 24/7 endeavor. It is important to set a specific, daily timeframe when you put your full energy into looking for a job - then quit for the day. One way to decrease stress is to take time each day to do something that refuels and recharges your mind, body, and spirit. Go for a walk outdoors, meet a friend for coffee, or lose yourself in a great book. Plan a daily recharge of your mental battery, and you will have the energy you need to truly succeed in your job search.

What tips do you have for staying motivated during the job search process? We want to know!

Is Executive Coaching for You?

2010-12-22T05:47:00.000-08:00

If you have been working hard climbing the corporate ladder, but it seems that you are making little progress in your career, it may be time to consider executive coaching. Executive Coaching allows you to strengthen your leadership and interpersonal skills with real-time feedback. As you rise in the organization and take on increasing levels of management responsibility, your ability to work with and influence people becomes critical to your success. Executive Coaching is an effective way for you to sharpen your interpersonal skills, look at old problems in new ways, and re-energize your career so that you can lead your team to achieve their highest level of performance.

For more information on the benefits of executive coaching, check out the following Harvard Business School article, "What an Executive Coach Can Do for You".

Ten Years Carpooling Kids and No Skills for a Resume? Not so Fast . . .

2010-09-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

During the summer, my friend Sheila told me, "I've been out of the
workforce for ten years so my software engineering skills are obsolete."

"I've spent 10 years carpooling kids to sports,organizing play dates, and raising money for the boosters. You do career development and coaching, "she said," What would you say to someone like me?"

Plenty.

Sheila, like many of our clients, has marketable skills she has developed over the past ten years even though she was outside the paid workforce. She just needs help identifying those skills.

When Sheila took over as fundraising chair for her school boosters club, it had a budget of $20,000.00. Over the course of three years, under Sheila's leadership, the boosters raised more than ten times that amount. Sheila, a software engineer, had never been involved in fundraising. It was during her time out of the paid workforce that she developed a very valuable and measurable skill - fundraising for a non-profit organization. And, she enjoyed it!

We suggested that Sheila add her fundraising experience to her resume in a section called "Development Work". We helped her brainstorm all the fundraising activities she has been involved in, the specific tasks she performed, and the amount of money she raised. With targeted help from us, she was able to articulate a list of development projects, her roles and responsibilities, and accomplishments.

Many people underestimate the skills they have acquired during their years outside the paid workforce. A career development professional can help them identify their marketable skills and craft an impressive resume that highlights their achievements.

En-Vision Your Way to Success!

2010-03-01T08:19:00.000-08:00

There are many places we get blocked in our job search- not knowing where to start, needing a resume, or giving in to the belief that we don't have valuable skills to offer. These are three common "stuck points" that typically bring clients to their first career coaching meeting with us. While these challenges are real, they are not what's truly keeping people stuck. More often than not, it is the lack of a clear, focused, well-formed Vision of what job they want that is the primary reason our clients can't move forward in their search.

When you have a clear, exciting, focused Vision of the job you want, things begin to happen that you did not expect. Opportunities become apparent that were not there before, information to help you move forward seems to come out of nowhere, and people you did not realize could help you, reach out and make important connections.

One of our clients decided that he wanted to go back to school to get his Ph.D., and that afternoon, when the mail came, a brochure for a local college arrived, highlighting a Ph.D. program he was interested in.

Was this magic? Not really - just the power of our minds to discern information that is important to us.

During the course of our day we are bombarded with untold amounts of stimulus. It is the job of our brain to filter out information that is unimportant. Once we clearly define something as important, such as a Ph.D. program, our brain allows that information in.

This happens all the time. Have you ever decided that you wanted a certain kind of car? For example, you decide that you want a red jeep wrangler that you can drive onto the beach in the summer. Suddenly, or so it seems, you see red jeep wranglers everywhere - in the parking lot at the grocery store, driving down the highway, even on television. Advertisements for the jeep bombard you in the newspaper and on the internet.

So, how does this work in our job search? When we clearly focus on, define, and articulate what we truly want in our next job, our brain allows that information in, and we begin to see possibilities and opportunities everywhere, just like the red jeep. We get excited about the job search and we are able to do the hard work of writing a resume and networking. We are able to think about what we have to offer.

And, the first step in the process of creating a vision of your next job is to think about what skills, strengths and experiences you have, and what you really love to do. Then, write down a very specific, detailed description of your ideal job. Begin by asking yourself these questions:

What kinds of activities and tasks, when I am doing them, make me lose track of time?

What activities have kept me most energized?

What is the most satisfying part of any job for you?

When I imagine my ideal job, what am I doing, where am I doing it, and who am I doing it with?

A clearly defined Vision is like a magnet pulling you forward toward your goals. We help clients individually and in small groups think very specifically about what they really want in a next job. Once they can state their Vision, they can begin to move forward - and watch their possibilities expand!

Get "Unstuck" in your Job Search

2010-01-14T10:34:00.000-08:00

We were recently asked to share our coaching expertise through a guest blog on new author, Joe Twelves' career explorations blog called Career Decisions Made Easy. Joe and his family have worked together to publish a unique resource called Conversations: Find Your Niche!

Read on to see what we had to say . . .

As career coaches who work with new college graduates, we see the same story over again.

You have been looking for a job with little success. It's incredibly frustrating, and even worse, your self-esteem has taken a hit and you begin to think, "Do I really have anything valuable to offer?"

We think you do. You have more skills and marketable experiences than you realize.

The reality is that it is very hard to maintain a high level of energy, enthusiasm and optimism during a lengthy job search. You feel stuck and don't know what to do to move forward. At this point, job seekers turn to us to help them jumpstart their motivation and learn new ways to approach the job search.

When we coach a client, the first step is to "Start With Your Strengths" - the process of identifying a list of all your strengths, experiences, and skills that you have developed over the course of your life (paid or unpaid) that can then be crafted into a compelling resume.

When individuals get "stuck" in their job search, they tend to focus on the negative - skills they don’t have, work experience they don’t possess, and even personality traits they were not born with. Their thoughts are peppered with "If only" statements. "If only I had learned a second language. . . then I would have a job." "If only I had five years experience in marketing . . . then I would have a job." "If only I was more outgoing . . . then I would have a job." Focusing on the negative keeps you stuck. Focusing on all the skills, strengths and experiences that you DO have accomplishes two things: 1) it creates forward momentum in a positive direction towards your goal; and 2) it provides a wealth of new content for your resume. When you "Start With Your Strengths", you feel re-energized AND your resume becomes stronger.

So, How do you begin to examine your strengths?

First, and this is very important, enlist the aid of an empowering partner to help you with this step. An empowering partner is someone in your corner, who will enthusiastically help you achieve your goal. It can be good friend, a trusted mentor, or a career coach like us. An empowering partner will make sure that you uncover ALL the skills, strengths and experiences that you possess. Let us illustrate the importance of working with an empowering partner with an example from one of our coaching sessions:

Karen (Career Coach) Tell me four things that you've done in the last four years that you've found really rewarding.

Lila (new grad job seeker) One thing I did that I really loved was my summer job as a camp counselor at a science camp.

Karen: Great! What skills did you learn or use as a camp counselor?

Lila: I really can't think of too many that apply to the job market - I basically organized the kids and made sure they got to their different activities.

Karen: Really? That’s all? So, when you took the kids to their activities, you didn't participate at all?

Lila: Well, actually, I designed some of the activities and helped the kids during the activities.

Karen: Can you give me a specific example?

Lila: We had a lot of thunderstorms that summer and the kids got really fascinated with weather. So, I got some money from the camp director and we built this weather station. It was so cool. We could track wind speed, wind direction, air pressure, rainfall, and temperature. I made up these weather games that compared our data with other science camps around the state and the kids really got into it. By the end of the summer, I showed all the counselors how to use it with their kids.

Karen: Ok - so not only did you get funding for an operational weather lab, you cooperatively designed and built the lab with your students, you designed science curriculum, you taught the curriculum to your students, AND you trained other educators in the curriculum you designed. All of those skills are important to put on your resume. And, as you can see, those are a lot more skills than simply making sure kids got to their different activities!

An empowering partner will challenge you to think deeper and clearer about the skills and experiences that you have. It is just the beginning to thinking about your job search is new positive way. It will jumpstart your energy and motivation and help you get “unstuck”!

Success Story: Coaching Turns Career Impasse into Fruitful Job Search

2010-01-11T06:07:00.000-08:00

The impact comes from positive psychology, the science behind living a more fulfilling life. It’s the key ingredient in our 6-step coaching process that helped Maureen move forward in her career. Positive psychology focuses on harnessing the power of one's strengths, and challenging negative self-limiting thinking, to keep you moving forward toward a goal.

Maureen was a smart, motivated, and mature 24 year old who landed a dream job, right out of college, as an event coordinator at a well known nonprofit. Two years later, feeling stuck and needing to move on, she lacked direction and confidence. Maureen had difficulty considering her career options because of a negative belief she had developed that she wasn’t good at certain aspects of her job. We wondered if this was really true, or had something caused her to believe this. We learned that a year into her job, Maureen lost her mentor. She continued to organize and coordinate large scale volunteer events, but without supervision or real guidance. Because she did such a good job, she was given more and more responsibility. Although she was outwardly successful, she felt overwhelmed by the magnitude of the job, and lost confidence. We helped Maureen to see that she may actually be very competent at this job, but was currently in a situation where her responsibilities outweighed her training. Maureen became hopeful that she could have a successful career in nonprofit event management if she could change her situation.

Through our process, we helped Maureen shift her thinking about her abilities so she could see her strengths and the very real marketable skills she had developed. Maureen realized that she wanted to continue in the nonprofit sector because it was meaningful to her, that she had a very high skill set for someone of her age and experience level, but she clearly needed a mentor to keep learning and growing in a professional capacity. Finding a strong, supportive mentor became a top priority in Maureen’s job search, above and beyond the organization or job description. With the sharpening of her focus, she found exactly the right job in a very short period of time. And, two years later, she is still working successfully and growing in that job.

The way we think about our experience, abilities and potential matters more than most people believe. Negative thinking is the number one thing that holds us back and is often times reflected in the jobs we seek, on our resumes and even during interviews. We help individuals like Maureen shift their self-limiting thinking and identify and highlight their strongest abilities and skills so that they can begin to move forward in meaningful ways.

College Graduate Seeking Employment? Five Strategies for Uncovering New Job Opportunities that Work

2009-11-24T08:15:00.000-08:00

A recent article in Business Week refers to them as “The Lost Generation”- unemployed or “underemployed” young adults feeling frustrated with their job search during the highest unemployment in decades. For recent college graduates, it’s especially difficult. High expectations and newly minted degrees are met with the reality that there may be few employment opportunities, let alone in their chosen field of study.

And it’s not only the recent grads who are discouraged. With each passing day, their parents also become frustrated - especially after paying a small fortune in college tuition - to realize the college degree is not a sure ticket to a good job. But all is not gloom and doom. Those young people who adapt to the realities of the changing economy will be successful in launching good careers. As career coaches, we help recent college graduates think about their job search and career goals in new ways, and we offer practical strategies to help them move forward. Here are some examples:

Start With Your Strengths: What are you really good at? Maybe you are a people person. Maybe you are a logical thinker. Or an excellent writer. Think beyond your major and last summer’s job to what skills you bring to these ventures and really enjoy using. Although the job you imagined yourself doing while you were in college may not be available, there may be other fields you haven't yet considered where your skills will be valued.

And Build From There: Make sure your skills and strengths shine through on your resume. Instead of listing your experience in chronological order, highlight your abilities and selling points, and use your experience to support them. For example, if you have terrific computer skills, say so, and then name situations in which you've used them. These can be paid or unpaid experiences. Functional resumes, as career coaches call them, help you market your real abilities to industries in which you've had little or no experience.

Adjust your Mindset To See Opportunity: Although our world economy appears to be stuck right now, it’s actually in transition. Recognize that many of the jobs lost in the economic downturn are not coming back, but new ones will arise. Learn as much as you can about what is happening in the world, so you are able to identify opportunities of the future and be in the front when hiring begins. For example, the auto industry appears to be in the decline, and this may not a good time to look for manufacturing jobs. But to make a comeback, the industry will need young designers who think about cars differently than in the past. Jobs for designers are opportunities that will arise from the crisis.

Also, what you may consider “just a job” or a “stepping stone job” until you find “a real job”, can introduce you to exciting new markets, interesting people, and opportunities that you never considered before. Try to let go of the idea that there is only one clear career path for you, and be open to new experiences that come your way.

Become A Possibility Thinker: A possibility thinker is someone who perseveres to reach his or her goal, and when obstacles arise, he or she finds a way to blast through them. Sometimes, it takes more ingenuity than others. In a challenging job market, young people need to become resourceful, proactive problem solvers and create job opportunities for themselves. One way is to create your own internship. Offer a business, hospital, school, or non-profit organization your time, energy, and skills for a limited time for free. This provides you with concrete work experience to put on a resume, and a network of new business contacts. And, often, an internship leads to a paid position.

It’s All About Relationships: Many new grads send out hundreds of resumes or job applications and get no response. This is very frustrating. While it's useful to expand your job search as much as you can, it's equally important to target specific markets, and build personal relationships through networking. Networking is a necessary skill that can be developed through coaching and practice. We teach young people how to make contacts, and effectively describe your skills, experience, and career objectives to people you meet. Think of everyone you meet as potentially moving you closer to your goal.

Note:It's important to network beyond traditional circles such as college career centers and college alumni. Get creative. One idea is to attend networking events and conferences for professionals already working in your field of interest. Focused on Green Energy? Go to a Sustainable Business Networking meeting. Thinking about starting your own business? Attend a Women-Owned Business networking breakfast. Most professional networking events are inexpensive ($25) and open to the public (if not, call the contact person and ask to attend). You will meet people who might be hiring (or know someone who is hiring), and at the very least, you will make valuable networking contacts. A little creativity and a dose of chutzpah can pay off!

Don’t Go It Alone: Career coaching involves helping new graduates face the changing economy, with the vision, skills, and positive mindset to take productive steps toward a meaningful career. You can learn the skills involved in capturing a job in a competitive field, but it often requires some help. Identifying your own skills and strengths sometimes takes an outside perspective. Practical skills - such as effective relationship building and networking, crafting your resume to showcase your talents, and interviewing with confidence - improve with coaching and practice. Learn these skills now, and they will benefit you at every stage of your career.

Re-entering the Workforce- Are You Part Of The Trend?

2009-10-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

Are you thinking about returning to work after staying home to care for your children? You are not alone! Professional women who have taken time off are successfully re-entering the workforce in record numbers. And this trend is beginning to capture the media's attention.

Erica Noonan, staff reporter for the Boston Globe writes at length on how this trend is affecting Boston Area women. In Return Mission, Noonan writes, "Though home with children today, more college educated women are planning to re-launch careers, this time with a new perspective."

As career coaches, we work with many women who want, or need, to go back to work, but do not know where to start. Whether we work with them one-on-one or in small groups, we always begin by identifying their strengths. Women lack confidence about their skills and marketability when they have been out of the workforce for a number of years. Yet, they have more experience and skills than they think. Our process for helping women move forward with their careers is grounded in positive psychology, and one of the most important principles that we espouse is that lasting personal growth only begins when we acknowledge and embrace our strengths. Beating ourselves up by focusing on our weaknesses, simply keeps us stuck. Women need to catalogue their strengths, build on them, and most importantly, gain the confidence they need to move forward in the marketplace.

Many women find it difficult to recognize their strengths. So, we begin by asking a series of questions:

-What is the one thing about yourself you wouldn't change no matter what?
-Where and when do you see yourself doing that/expressing that part of yourself?
-How do you feel when you are doing that/expressing yourself in that way?
-Can you think of a time when you utilized this strength that made you really proud?
-Now, imagine yourself at work utilizing this strength. What are you doing?

Once you begin to identify those skills and strengths that you have been using and enjoying, you can begin to focus on how to move forward in your career.

FREE Career Development Sessions

2009-10-12T06:47:00.000-07:00

If you live in the Boston area, please join us for three
FREE Career Development Sessions!

Getting Back on the Career Track- You need a Resume
This career development session will focus on resume writing for women who have been out of the workforce and want to get back in.
October 30, 10:30 am

Interviewing with Confidence
Many people view the interview process as a test to be passed. We will show you how to use the interview as an opportunity to sell yourself -- with confidence.
November 13, 10:30 am

Re-thinking Your Future after College
You have the degree, a willingness to work hard, and goals, but the tough economy has you stalled. We will show you how to jumpstart your enthusiasm and re-evaluate your skills, strengths and direction - so you can move forward.
November 18, 7:30 pm

*All sessions held at the First Parish Needham Unitarian Universalist
23 Dedham Avenue, Needham, MA 02492

Pre-registration required. Space is limited. Contact us today for these free career development sessions at karenhoffman@rcn.com, (781) 433-0307, http://www.dksconsultingroup.com/

It's All About Relationships

2009-09-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

Networking to develop new business relationships takes a lot of time and can easily fall to the bottom of your list. Your days are filled with the tasks of running your business, meeting deadlines, responding to emails, and trying to address long-term projects. Many women business owners put this off. But it's not a good idea.

Successful people know that relationships drive their business, and forging new alliances, even when we are incredibly busy, is a key ingredient to growing a business. As business consultants we know there are many ways to network, some of which require a major time investment and others that do not. Here are a few professional organizations that we recommend to women business owners to help you expand your network, build referral sources, and provide valuable support.

For example, The National Association of Women Business Owners is a great place to learn about trends in your industry, national conferences , and large-scale government initiatives designed to grow your business. The local chapter in Massachusetts hosts a number of events to help women business owners connect to increase their spheres of influence within the entrepreneurial community at large.

In addition, there are state-wide organizations that support women business owners. In Massachusetts, the State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Assistance provides a wealth of information on state policy related to your industry, state-wide initiatives, and business referral sources. Although it does not sponsor formal networking events, you can use the website to discover other women business owners to contact.

There are also dozens of local networking organizations devoted to the women small business owner. In Massachusetts, from Provincetown to Amherst, local networking organizations are often the best place to connect, share advice and expand business possibilities. The Women’s Business Network and New England Women’s Business Owners are two networking organizations designed to foster business growth by providing professional resources, educational programs, and networking opportunities for women entrepreneurs.

Online networking sites are another excellent way to make connections and grow your business.

Professional networking sites now allow us to connect virtually with women across the country. One popular site is Linkedin with over 44 million members from around the world. Most people think of Linkedin as a way to explore job opportunities. You can also use this site to network and collaborate with potential customers, referral sources, and colleagues - all from the comfort of your office at a time that works for you . Look for our future column with tips to use Linkedin most effectively.

Co-Promotion is Effective Marketing

2009-08-19T13:21:00.000-07:00

In this challenging economy, we all wonder what we can do to give our business a marketing boost without investing a lot of money into advertising. You may want to consider co-promotions.

Co-promotion is simple - you promote someone else’s business and they, in turn, promote yours.

We have used co-promotion to foster mutually-beneficial business relationships across the country. As small business owners, we understand the value of preserving capital. Co-promotion is a creative and inexpensive way to promote your business. It has worked for us and it can work for you too.

Here are our top five co-promotional initiatives that you can use to amp up your business – and they are free.

Link-sharing with Like-minded Businesses – list your link on our website and list our link on yours.
Newsletter Spotlight– highlight each other’s business in company newsletters.Coupons - offer a coupon that adds value to another business. We offered a coupon for a free half-hour of career development coaching for all attendees at business networking event.
Coupons - offer a coupon that adds value to another business. We offered a coupon for a free half-hour of career development coaching for all attendees at business networking event.
Gift with Purchase – offer a gift from your business inside another business' product. We offered a free coaching download with the sale of a nationally distributed product.
Email Promotions: trade email promotions by forwarding to each other's contact lists. This can instantly double the reach of your emails promotions.

You may have used some other co-promotion strategies. Let us know what has worked for your business. And, if you are interested in co-promoting with DKS , we are always open to new ideas.

2009-08-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

You’ve Got Talent! Assess Your Career Strengths with Free Online Tools

When you are making a change, especially a career change, you need to get a good firm grip on what makes you the fabulous, talented person that you are.

Are you kidding, you say?

I’ve got a good firm grip on my faults, but my strengths? That’s hard.

Acquiring a solid understanding of your strengths doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it can be fun. As career coaches, we spend a lot of time with women just like you teasing out a detailed list of all their skills, strengths, and talents. Then, we begin the process of developing a career path that is energized by their strongest abilities and passions. However, you can begin to discover your strengths on your own with a number of free, online tools. In fact, we often suggest to clients that they use these online assessments to supplement our work together.

One popular online tool is the Myers-Briggs personality type indicator – the gold standard in the industry for assessing strengths and, even better, how those strengths map into different careers. Monster.com, that job search powerhouse, created a quiz based on the Myers Briggs called Discover Your Perfect Career Quiz that you can do in less than 10 minutes.

Click on: http://resources.monster.com/tools/quizzes/perfectcareer/

Another fabulous source for learning about your strengths is the University of Pennsylvania’s Authentic Happiness website. Those happiness gurus at UPenn have developed a number of scientifically validated surveys, questionnaires and scales to provide you with insight into your character strengths and emotions. You need to complete a short registration (for free) to have access to their questionnaires. Try their Brief Strengths test as a way to get started.

Click on: http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx

Still want more?

How about this. If you’ve ever wondered if you have what it takes to become an entrepreneur, try this scientifically validated test called Can you be an entrepreneur? It provides you with information about which parts of your personality are suited to starting your own business. It takes about 15 minutes, and you will get an interesting snapshot of your results for free. The detailed report costs $14.95.

Click on: http://www.queendom.com/tests/access_page/index.htm?idRegTest=694

We meet with so many smart, poised, articulate and accomplished women who look at us completely puzzled when we ask them to list their strengths. (However, they can rattle off a list of weaknesses in seconds.) We tell them that to move forward you must begin from a positive place and acknowledge the strengths, skills and talents that you already have. So, whether you turn to the web, an old friend, or a career coach, you need to assess, catalogue, and write down a list of all of your skills, strengths and talents. Then, carry the list with you to your next interview!

Thinking About Starting Your Own Business?

2009-07-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

Women are starting businesses more than any other demographic, and you may be thinking about it too. The lure of controlling how you spend your time, money, and energy is motivating more of us to become entrepreneurs. And the range of businesses is very broad - from home based jewelry and craft businesses, to restaurants, computer/technology and law offices.

Six years ago, we created DKS Consulting Group to provide career coaching and small business consulting to women. Although we each had 20 plus years experience in our respective fields of psychology, management consulting and law, we had a lot to learn about promoting and marketing a small business. Here are three things we learned about moving a small business forward:

1. Is is vitamins or aspirin? Ask yourself, is the product or service I am providing something people want, like vitamins, or something people really need, like aspirin? (When you have a headache, you really need an aspirin). This question is really important. When the economy is flush, people spend a lot of money on things they want. But, when times are tough, people tend to pull back and spend mainly on things they need. The bottom line is that during a recession, it is easier to sell a product or service that people really need. You can still create a business based on something people want - just understand that you will have to invest extra time, energy, and money to market it.

2. You may have a great idea, but does anyone know about it? You may have a brilliant concept, a unique service, or a gorgeous product, but if no one knows about it, they are not going to buy it. There are many great ways to market your business that don't cost a lot of money. A simple but professional looking website is the place to start. Creating a facebook group, writing a blog, and sending email newsletters and promotions are easy and effective ways to get the word out.

3. Is is What you know, or Who you know? Answer: What you know is important, but it's Who you know that will catapult your business from great idea to profitable enterprise. And, we believe that it's important to network with anyone who will meet with you. Over time, we have learned that people who you least expect to be helpful for your business, turn out to be just the ones who help you move it forward. Ask the mom who volunteers with you in the classroom to have coffee and learn that she has a friend who owns a store and is dying to have your product. Networking is essential to getting your product or service promoted.

Network with us on our blog and share the lessons you have learned about promoting your business!

What am I going to put on a resume?

2009-07-15T09:08:00.000-07:00

This is the number one question women who have been out of the workforce for awhile ask us.

"It's been ten years since my last paying job so what can I possibly put on a resume?"

We say plenty.

Women tend to craft their resume around their last paying job rather than the real experience and strengths they have. So many of us have done non-paying, but important, skill-building volunteer work. Just because you didn't get paid, doesn't mean that the skills you developed aren't valuable AND marketable.

Take Joan for instance. She told us that in the five years she's been out of the job market, she's only changed diapers and did some volunteer work for her church. But, when we dug a little deeper into her volunteer work, we learned that she organized a huge Hurricane Katrina relief effort - coordinating labor, supplies, shipping and distribution of goods - all marketable skills that she could put on her resume.

And what about Cheryl? She came to us when her husband lost his job and she needed to jump back into the job market after 12 years at home raising her sons. However, Cheryl DID manage her son's hockey team which involved managing the budget, fundraising, keeping player statistics, coordinating travel and lodging for 20 families for out-of-state tournaments as well as organizing the many details of hosting a large hockey banquet for over 200 attendees. Based upon her volunteer experience, Cheryl was able highlight "event planning" as a key experience on her resume.

Don't know what to put on your own resume?

Here is a strategy for thinking about skills you have been developing since your last paying job -

Apart from the work you do for your family, what is the single most significant activity that you have engaged in, in the last few years? It doesn't matter how big or how small.

Be honest.

What activity have you engaged in that you are truly proud of?

Readers, we would love to hear from you! Share some of your own proud accomplishments. We want to know!

Welcome

2009-07-14T10:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome to "Success on Her Own Terms" - a career coaching blog dedicated to the belief that everyone can define success and achieve it on their own terms.

Are you a stay-at-home mom ready to jump back into the workforce?

Or maybe you are trapped in a job you no longer love and want to move on?

Or perhaps you have been thinking about starting your own business and don't know where to begin?

You have skills, knowledge, experience, and a good work ethic - but don't know what to do or where to go next.

This blog is a great place to start.

We are experienced career coaches specializing in helping individuals get "unstuck" and moving forward in their careers. We will share tips, strategies, things to think about, and success stories of people who were able to achieve success - on their own terms.