Coach Robert’s Blog

What is work - life balance? I think the answer is different for each one of us. For those who are transitioning between careers, it can be something else to consider with all the other changes that are taking place. Below are some simple things to keep in mind to keep yours and your family’s peace of mind.

Balancing Family

What must be clearly understood and communicated is what each family member’s expectation is so that the best possible method of meeting family needs and wants are addressed. Sometimes it helps to set up a simple schedule that all can reference and plan around. There will be some days in the week that work best for some than others, but ultimately it may be possible to set up specific “Family Nights” that all can look forward to participating in. This may involve turning off the computer and the TV to take uninterrupted time to bond with spouse and kids.

Balancing Work

This can be a “toughie”. You almost count on being pulled in two directions every now and then. On some occasions you may need to miss work to care for a sick family member or two and have to miss some work activities. This can be especially problematic if you are a single parent.

You will also find that your employer may have some established programs and ways that can help you achieve work life balance and still do quality work. Flexible schedules are more common than ever these days and it may be in the company’s best interest in many instances to have you work non standard hours. You are encouraged to review and take full advantage of the resources provided by the employer in this area. Also, don’t be afraid to raise the possibility of other creative arrangements with your new supervisor.

Balancing You

As you concern yourself with meeting the needs of home and work, it’s often possible to neglect yourself! It’s important to carve out some personal time for yourself to rest and rejuvenate. Don’t underestimate the affect feeling relaxed and happy can have on other aspects of your life. It can tend to have a calming effect on situations that might otherwise be much more tension filled and volatile. Your mental state of mind can impact the quality of relationships and general mood of your day to day existence.

Saying no to people so you won’t feel overcommitted can be a vital preventative measure as well. Don’t be afraid to do this. After all, it’s simply not possible for you to do everything.

Last month I launched a newsletter entitled Transitioning Times. The purpose of the monthly publication is simple: to address the needs, concerns, topics and ideas to benefit veterans and their spouses who find themselves in a career transition mode, be it just out of the service or already in the civilian market for a while.

The information is designed to assist in helping to accelerate your thinking and actions relative to achieving the career that you truly want for yourself.

Your input and suggestions for topics that are of most interest are important for me to know. It is what will drive what is written so I invite you to provide that to me at Robert@careercoachconnection.com. I take all ideas seriously.

My ongoing mission is to Help the Veteran and this is one way to make that happen.

Well, here we are again, at the beginning of yet another new year. 2008 is brand new and filled with promise. What a great time to take a look at ourselves and recommit to our goals and intentions. Let me share with you some of what I have in store for the future.

I will be working with the San Diego United Veterans Council to roll out a survey in January to select area military and veterans. The purpose is to find out what this group has to say about the quality of their transition from active duty to a civilian career. You may recall from an earlier post that there was a survey that gave less than positive news in this area. What we are trying to find out is what the people in San Diego think so that the UVC can focus it’s efforts to improve things in this area. I will speak more about this in later messages once it it accomplished.

In addition, it is my plan to start a Veterans in Transition Group. The group will be comprised of about 20 - 25 veterans or soon to be released military who will come together to help each other with their collective experiences in the job market. As veterans, we come from an environment where helping each other in times of need is commonplace, so this is an extension of that experience.

The group will meet twice per month for about an hour in the evening (after 6pm) at a location to be announced shortly. I am very excited about the potential of this group and it’s contribution to the veteran’s community and it’s well being. There will be no cost for attending and the number of groups may expand depending on interest. The subject matter will surround all the major areas of concern that a person has with a job or career search such as:

> Networking
> Resume Preparation
> Job search techniques
> Dressing for success
> Preparing for the interview
> Goal setting

The list is definitely not all inclusive. The needs of the group will drive the subject matter and emphasis.

I will be providing more information on both of the above subjects in future messages. If you have any ideas for topics or direction, let me know.

Clearly the holidays are upon us and our thoughts are squarely on enjoying them with family and friends. And that’s the way it’s supposed to be.

The truth is, even while this is going on, many of us are in job search or job transition mode and still want to keep things going. In my new newsletter, Transitioning Times, I wrote an article that speaks to this point and provides some valuable tips. A copy is provided below:

Holiday Job Search Ideas

Don’t be lulled to sleep by the holidays when it comes to searching for a new job or career. It’s a myth that hiring slows down during this time of year. In fact, the reverse can be true as they gear up for the new year. Many people do believe in the myth, so you being aware otherwise will give you an advantage. Below are several ideas to keep in mind to help your chances of finding your ideal position before the crowd.

1. At holiday events, share with friends and family that you are looking and about the job you seek. People may be in an even better mood to help because of the time of year.

2. Send holiday cards to with your business card enclosed to hiring managers with whom you have recently interviewed. Send one to well connected friends as well.

3. Continue to check the on-line job boards. The competition for posted positions may be much less.

4. To avoid getting lazy or depressed, keep your spirits up by taking ongoing positive action during the entire holiday season.

Keeping the momentum up will help to ensure your success sooner than later and get a jump on 2008.

If you are not already on my newsletter distribution list, send me an e-mail to robert@careercoachconnection.com and I will be happy to include you on future monthly issues.

Happy Holidays to all of our military, veterans and their families!

Last month I came across an article by Military.com that had some rather surprising information about the feelings of many relative to their preparedness for the job market. The key pieces are indicated below:

First the individual’s experience -

Eighty-one percent of transitioning military personnel surveyed reveal that they do not feel fully prepared for the process of entering the job market. Of those who feel unprepared:

• Seventy-two percent feel unprepared to negotiate salary and benefits.
• Seventy-six percent report an inability to effectively translate their military skills to civilian terms.
• Fifty-seven percent are unsure of how to network professionally.

Here’s the employer’s viewpoint -

Sixty percent of hiring managers and recruiters surveyed report favorable attitudes toward employing veterans, however many face difficulties recruiting and hiring from this talent pool:

• Sixty-one percent reveal they do not have a complete understanding of the qualifications ex-service members offer.
• Sixty-four percent feel that veterans need additional assistance to make a successful transition into the civilian job-seeking market, with 27 percent citing the need for stronger interviewing skills.
• Fifty-three percent of employers spend two percent or less of their recruitment advertising budget on targeted military hiring.

The survey involved over 4,000 combined active military and veterans. From the employer’s side, over 280 recruiters and hiring managers representing small to large firms from a cross section of U.S. organizations gave their opinion.

What’s going on? Why are so many people not getting the transition assistance they need to make them comfortable with obtaining new careers in the civilian market? Is there something needed that TAP does not provide?

You opinion and input on this matter would be valuable. I will publish the collective results of everyone who responds to my own survey on the subject.

Last Saturday, December 8th, I had the opportunity to be a guest on an internet radio show. The guest host was Davidy Shensky who has a radio show on BlogTalkRadio titled Live Without Limits.

Davida is a staunch advocate of assisting those with disabilities and who may need help, including veterans. As a professional speaker and trainer she regularly addresses those issues and uses her time and energy to motivate people to LIVE BEYOND THE LIMITS. She understands how important it is to provide the right type of assistance at the right time to those who are motivated to help themselves.

During my 30 minute interview with her, I outlined the details of what I do to assist transitioning veterans in their search for civilian career success. I have attached the MPS file link below. Give a listen! I would love to hear your comments and input on the subject.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/careerperformanceinstitute

Robert Bowen

Most recently I was talking with several veterans about how effective they felt TAP (Transition Assistance Program) was in helping them get prepared for finding their next job in the civilian market. Although I didn’t get a whole lot of direct negative comments, what I did get was mostly looks of unhappiness, mild groans, “are you crazy” looks or just silence. Trying very hard not to come to conclusions, on a few occasions I dug a little deeper. Let me point out that not everyone said they were dissatisfied.

One veteran said that the he got information overload most of the time during the classes and he didn’t know how to sort it all out so he didn’t use any of it. When he got out, he found a job on his own (it wasn’t exactly what he wanted, but it was “OK”). Another felt they were using a “one size fits all” approach which didn’t invite a lot of different questions or take into account the widely different interests and learning styles of the audience so he stopped paying attention after a while. He just went because he was required to go.

As if the above wasn’t suggestive enough, I learned about a new survey conducted by Military.com that sought to get an idea of how prepared transitioning veterans felt for the process of entering the job market. The results were stunning: 81% of them did NOT feel fully prepared for the process of entering the job market.

Equally as surprising was the feedback from surveyed employers at the same time: 64% felt that veterans needed additional assistance to make a successful transition into the civilian job seeking market.

The numbers: over 4,400 veterans or military responded along with 287 recruiters and hiring managers from a cross section of U.S. organizations representing small to large size firms.

What do you think? Is your experience reflective of the survey results or different? Let us know with your input and reply.

Greetings! Welcome to the place that I hope will be the centerpiece of communications with you as we go foward. My goal is to engage in a dialogue in such a way that my services and information are “on point” with your needs and concerns.

I am very interested in knowing how I can be of service to you within the realm of helping you with your career pursuits no matter where you are time-wise from your days in uniform. I know that all of us are at different places in life for different reasons and there simply is no “right” place to be at the moment.

Along the way, I plan to share with you my own thoughts and ideas on how things are going with me. In addition, I may ask some questions to solicit your input and ideas. I clearly understand that we all get by with help from others and that is no different for me.

So, I’m looking forward to the interaction and communication with you. Let me know what’s on your mind that I can help with in any way.