Ultimate Career Roadmap · About the Author Ford R. Myers is President of Career Potential, LLC....

The Ultimate Career Roadmap™

Take Charge of Your Career, Create the Work You Love,

and Earn What You Deserve!™

By Ford R. Myers, M.Ed.

Copyright © 2018 Ford R. Myers and Career Potential, LLC

[email protected]

www.careerpotential.com www.ultimatecareerguide.com

About the Author

Ford R. Myers is President of Career Potential, LLC. Since 1992, he has been providing professional services in career consulting, executive coaching, assessment and training. After helping thousands of individuals take charge of their careers, create the work they love and earn what they deserve, Mr. Myers drew from his diverse experience to create Career PotentialSM – a powerful new approach to career consulting.

Mr. Myers has served on the staffs of three prominent career management firms – Right Management Consultants, Manchester, and Lee Hecht Harrison, where he was Vice President, Director of Professional Services. In recognition of outstanding business contributions, both Right Management Consultants and Lee Hecht Harrison honored Mr. Myers with professional service awards – including the prestigious President’s Award.

Mr. Myers is the author of The Ultimate Career GuideSM, the only comprehensive manual for career management and job search. Articles and interviews have been featured in such publications as Inc. Magazine, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, CNN-Money, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Crain’s Investment News, The Washington Post, US News & World Report, The Miami Herald, The Baltimore Sun, The Dallas Morning News, and The Seattle Times. In addition, Career PotentialSM publishes a monthly e-newsletter entitled “Your Career Advocate.”

Mr. Myers has conducted presentations at many organizations, including American Society for Training and Development, Society for Human Resource Management, International Society for Performance Improvement, Financial Executives Networking Group, Forty Plus, Princeton University, Harvard University Alumni Association, and Association for Psychological Type. He has also appeared as an industry expert on many television and radio programs, such as NBC-TV, Comcast’s CN8-TV, Fox-TV, Clear Channel Radio Network, Infinity Radio Network, and Bonneville Radio Network.

Mr. Myers’ education includes: a Bachelor's Degree in Communications, and a Master's Degree in Adult and Organization Development. He has studied extensively with The Coaches' Training Institute and National Training Laboratories. Ford is a qualified career consultant for Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Strong Interest Inventory, Leadership Effectiveness Analysis, Personal Directions and other assessment tools.

Ford R. Myers, President Career Potential, LLC

www.careerpotential.com [email protected] 1-800-972-6588

Table of Contents

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1 Welcome to The Ultimate Career RoadmapSM! .................................................................................... 1

Doing Your Job vs. Managing Your Career ............................................................................. 2 This E-Book is For You ............................................................................................................ 2 How This Roadmap is Different ............................................................................................... 3 Your Portfolio of Career Tools ................................................................................................. 3 Common Misconceptions About Career Management ............................................................. 4

The Career PotentialSM Process ............................................................................................................ 4 What This Is ... and What It Isn’t .............................................................................................. 5 The Power Behind the Process ................................................................................................. 5

Don’t “Read” This Booklet; “Do” This Booklet!!................................................................................ 6 The Two Basic Stages: Preparation and Implementation ..................................................................... 8

Stage 1: Preparation and Research Phases (Internal) ................................................................ 8 Getting Started .......................................................................................................................... 9

List of Exercises.................................................................................................................................. 10 Preliminary Questions and Considerations ......................................................................................... 11 Personal Values................................................................................................................................... 12 Birds of a Feather ................................................................................................................................ 13 Original Joys ....................................................................................................................................... 16 First Career Dreams ............................................................................................................................ 18 Your Ideal Work Day ......................................................................................................................... 19 Ideal Work Day: Example 1 ............................................................................................................... 20 Ideal Work Day: Example 2 ............................................................................................................... 23 Ideal Work Day: Example 3 ............................................................................................................... 27 Consistent Themes .............................................................................................................................. 30 Listing Your Consistent Themes ........................................................................................................ 32 From Exploration to Execution........................................................................................................... 33 Researching Careers, Job Categories, and Titles ................................................................................ 33 Narrowing Your Choices .................................................................................................................... 34 Employer Wish List ............................................................................................................................ 35 Creating Your Own Employer Wish List ........................................................................................... 37 Perfect Job Description ....................................................................................................................... 38 Creating Your Own Perfect Job Description ...................................................................................... 40 Conclusion: Where To Go From Here ................................................................................................ 41 Words To Work By ............................................................................................................................ 42

Take Charge of Your Career, Create the Work You Love, and Earn What You Deserve!

Copyright © 2018, Ford R. Myers and Career Potential, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction/Distribution is Prohibited. 1

Introduction Welcome!

Welcome to The Ultimate Career RoadmapSM!

You have taken the first step in investing in your career by purchasing this critically important “career success roadmap.”

Let me start by telling you how important this first step actually is. What you are about to read, study, and work on should be taught in schools. But it’s not.

We go through 12 years of education, possibly 4 more years of college, and sometimes even 2-4 more years of graduate school, and not one day is spent on how to manage your career, find work you truly enjoy, and make sure you’re well compensated for it with money and other rewards. NOT ONE DAY!

Employers should teach this material, too. It’s to every employer’s advantage to make sure that their people are proactively managing their careers, doing work they’re well-suited for, and are equipped to perform at even higher levels. But, of course, they don’t teach these exercises, tools, and strategies either. Not even ONE DAY is spent teaching employees these vital skills!

This career manual shows you all the things that are absolutely necessary to know and should have been taught in school or by your employer – but weren’t.

Once you develop these skills and tools, you will have a powerful advantage at every point in your career. This is not just a manual to help you get your next job (although it will certainly help you do that); it’s also a resource to help you always get the right job and manage your career in a much more effective way for the rest of your professional life.



JOB

CAREER

CAREER

JOB

Doing Your Job vs. Managing Your Career

For decades, people thought that “doing their job” – and doing it well – was sufficient to ensure long-term career success, plenty of financial reward, and job security well into the future. Here is what that picture looked like:

In this model, managing your career was only a tiny piece of the picture – something that only came into play rarely - when it came time to stop working for a time (in the case of parents wishing to stay home with children, for example), or under extremely unusual circumstances (such as when someone wanted to actually change careers!)

Today, working professionals typically change careers 5-7 times before retirement. You read that correctly – they change careers, not jobs, 5-7 times! Many people are still only equipping themselves to deal with the old reality and are unprepared to navigate in the new reality of career management, which looks more like this diagram:



This E-Book is For You

Maybe you’re in career transition (laid-off, downsized, unemployed, between jobs, or changing industries); perhaps you’re under-employed (not enough challenge, growth, or compensation in your current job); or you might be fully employed, but dissatisfied (wondering if there’s something better for you elsewhere, or concerned that you made some wrong career choices).

Whichever situation you find yourself in, there are proven steps you can take to maximize your opportunities, and get the most from your chosen career. I believe that with the proper knowledge and support, you can make your career anything you want it to be. That’s what this Guide is all about.

How This Roadmap is Different

A lot of career books include some practical how-to information. This Roadmap – and the other ebooks in this series, including the full 5-part career self-study system of The Ultimate Career GuideSM (http://www.ultimatecareerguide.com) is 100% full of practical how-to information!

And this Roadmap is loaded with tools, resources, checklists, forms, examples, templates, and tips that will help you ultimately land a better job for more money – a position that’s a better fit with your particular skills, interests, personality, and goals. After all, that’s the whole point of a successful job search campaign, right?

That’s the good news. The bad news is that you, and you alone, are responsible for your career success. We can adapt the old Oldsmobile commercial tagline, “This is not your father’s career.” Times have changed! Your boss is not going to manage your career; the company is not going to manage your career; and the Human Resources Department is not going to manage your career. If you don’t do it, no one will!

Your Portfolio of Career Tools

An integral part of this proactive career management process is the development and maintenance of an exceptional portfolio of career tools, which should be maintained at all times. (Another resource you may consider is The Ultimate Career ToolkitSM.)

If you thought you only needed career tools when you were out of work, you’ve been misinformed (but you’re not alone)! You should always be prepared for a career transition, whether you’re currently looking for a new opportunity or not. This is all part of managing your career in a responsible and intelligent manner.



Common Misconceptions About Career Management

Let me share with you some other common misconceptions about career management from my 15 years of experience helping people just like you:

1. The most qualified candidate gets the job offer.2. As long as I have a job, I don’t have to work on my career.3. My professional education stopped when I graduated from school.4. Employers always offer the most generous compensation they can afford.5. If I just do a good job, my position will be secure.6. My resume is the only document I need to search for a job.7. Recruiters will find me a job, so I don't have to search for jobs myself.8. Employers are responsible for managing my career path.9. Networking is for entrepreneurs and jobseekers – I don’t need to network now.10. Most good jobs are listed on Internet job sites and in newspapers so they’re

easy to identify.

So, if all these commonly held beliefs are untrue, what are you, the proactive and conscientious career manager, supposed to do? How do you start working on something you might not even have been aware needed work until this moment?

I’ve made every effort in these pages to explode the kinds of “career myths” outlined above, and to provide you with real-world, hard-hitting, practical tips and techniques to successfully change careers, move-up in your organization or get a new job!

The Career PotentialSM Process

You might be asking, “Where did all this material come from, and why should I “buy into it?” After working at three of the nation’s largest career consulting companies for almost 15 years, I saw the need for a new approach – an approach that would combine the methods and resources of large outplacement firms with the personal attention and flexibility of small career counseling practices.

This new concept became my successful career consulting firm, Career PotentialSM. We provide an innovative, efficient consulting process that produces outstanding career results.

This self-study program is based on my experience helping thousands of individuals successfully navigate our unique 5-phase Career Potential consulting process!



What This Is ... and What It Isn’t

As I said above, this is a hands-on, step-by-step, example-rich guide to help you take charge of your career, create the work you love, and earn what you deserve!

I’d love to be able to sit down with you and talk one-on-one about your specific career experiences, goals, challenges, and opportunities.

But I couldn’t possibly work with each individual person that needs solid, proven career advice. So I systematized everything I know, do, and say with my clients 1-on-1 into this program material that you’re reading now!

The Power Behind the Process

After I’ve been working with a client for a while and they’ve gotten deeply into the preparation stages of the consulting process, they invariably tell me that developing their Ultimate Career RoadmapSM is NOT just about creating specific plans, strategies, and goals! In an “ah ha moment,” they realize that the exercise of producing these tools generates a powerful internal transformation!

I’ve seen it hundreds of times. In the middle of the Roadmap process, clients “suddenly” discover a new sense of confidence, control and self-esteem.

But that’s not all. They also realize that they have focus, clarity and direction about their career path – often for the first time in their lives!

The responsibility and power of developing these tools (and experiencing your own “transformation”) is now in your hands.

Of course, you could just flip through the pages of this book and skim it, but that’s unlikely to generate the results you want.

Only action creates results.

So DIG IN to this material.

Absorb all of it fully.

Actually write-out and explore each exercise.



Don’t “Read” This Booklet; “Do” This Booklet!!

First of all, if you’re reading this on your computer screen – STOP!!!

Right now, I want you to PRINT THIS OUT. That’s right – print it out in hardcopy so you can WORK it, FEEL it, WRITE on it and make it truly your own. I even suggest that you print out this e-book on 3-hole punched paper, so that you can put it right into a binder.

Complete each checklist, form, and activity. Dog-ear the pages, write in the margins, get out your highlighter!

The more actively you engage in working through this material, the quicker clarity will come to you, and the better your results will be!

Another question you may be pondering is, “What is the difference between working through this program and the others in this series and hiring a real, live career consultant for each phase of the process?”

The chart on the next page provides the best answer I can give you.



Doing this program gives you: Hiring a Career Consultant gives you:(In addition to this book’s benefits)

Focus: You’ll know exactly what you’reafter, have clear and specific objectives,and use proven strategies for careersuccess.[The Ultimate Career RoadmapSM]

Tools: You’ll be fully equipped for aprofessional search campaign. You’ll knowexactly when and how to use each of thecustom-developed tools in your toolkit.[The Ultimate Career ToolkitSM]

Evidence: You’ll have a constant “realitycheck” on how you’re doing. Trackingyour campaign results will tell youinstantly where you’re stuck, if you’reworking too hard on the wrong things, andwhat to do to improve your performance.[The Ultimate Career CampaignSM]

Framework: You’ll have acomprehensive, detailed process to follow,as opposed to “making it up as you go” orimprovising your own campaign. It’s aclose as you can get to working with acareer consultant – without actually hiringone.[The Ultimate Career GuideSM]

Accountability: You’ll have someoneother than yourself to whom you areaccountable. Your consultant will hold youto your commitments and move yousteadily forward.

Perspective: You’ll get a different point ofview on your progress or your challenges.You’ll gain insights that will help you findsolutions more quickly and effectively thanyou could on your own.

Structure: You’ll have a proven step-by-step framework for exactly what to do, howto do it, when to do it, and when to makeexceptions to “the rules.”

Support: You’ll have someone tocomplain to or celebrate out loud with –someone who is committed to yoursuccess. When you hit a roadblock, you’llhave someone to support you and guideyou back into action.

Experience: You’ll have a sounding boardand seasoned advisor on your team when itcomes to multi-phase interviews, complexnegotiations, and ongoing career success inexecutive roles.

Productivity: People who choose to workclosely with a qualified career consultantare far more productive in the search.Ultimately, they secure positions that are abetter fit, within a shorter timeframe,earning higher compensation, with greatersatisfaction.



The Two Basic Stages: Preparation and Implementation

I said earlier that the Career PotentialSM process involves distinct consulting phases, and this is true! But to make it even easier to “get your hands around,” you can distill all the work down to two fundamental stages:

Preparation and Research: You’ll handle these phases primarily on your own.They involve introspective exercises, research, thinking, writing, planning, andthe creation of your Ultimate Career RoadmapSM and Ultimate Career ToolkitSM.Both parts of this stage are an “inside job.”

Implementation and Activity: You’ll be out in the “real world,” contactingnew people, networking, visiting job fairs, talking with recruiters, interviewing,negotiating, and ultimately landing a new position! This stage of the work is the“outside job.” The Ultimate Career CampaignSM and the full Ultimate CareerGuideSM contain complete step-by-step guidance at this stage.

To the extent that it’s possible to put everything I know about the entire process on paper, that is what I’ve done in this series of programs! They are designed to help you get clear on your desired career path, create the best possible set of tools, and implement a productive and satisfying search campaign. That’s what we’re about to embark upon – with you as the client and me as your “Virtual Career Consultant.”

This Ultimate Career RoadmapSM will help you with everything you need in Stage 1.

Stage 1: Preparation and Research Phases (Internal)

Career analysis and preliminary exercises- including goal-setting, assessment, and introspective exercises

Exploration of career options and initial job choices- including research and “market testing”

Ready? Then let’s get to work!



Getting Started

“I want a more satisfying career, but where do I begin?”

When you're considering making a change in your career, it's difficult to know where to start. There are usually conflicting thoughts and feelings involved, and too often the result is a kind of paralysis. In addition, most people simply lack the necessary resources, knowledge and skill to conduct an effective search campaign on their own.

Although finding a better job or more satisfying career might feel like a very random and confusing experience, through this Guide, you will learn a systematic process that consistently produces excellent results!

On the following pages, you’ll find some introspective exercises and explorations of your background, including your personal values, work history, education, goals, original joys, first career dreams, and so on. The “internal data” that will be elicited by these exercises will comprise a solid foundation upon which the later “external work” can be built.

Another thing to seriously consider is the possibility of using formal career assessments and vocational tests to evaluate your career strengths, styles and preferences. The administration of these tools is best left to a professional Career Consultant who is certified in their use, but two assessments that are good to know about are the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Strong Interest Inventory. These assessments are valuable in that they help many people gain additional focus and direction in their careers.



List of Exercises

Preliminary Questions and Considerations

Personal Values

Birds of a Feather

Original Joys

First Career Dreams

Your Ideal Work Day

Consistent Themes

On the following pages, you will find worksheets which you can use to complete these preliminary exercises. There are also examples of some items for your reference.

As you work through these introspective exercises, keep in mind the following words of career wisdom.

“People don’t succeed by migrating to a ‘hot’ industry or by adopting a particular career-guiding mantra. They thrive by focusing on the question of who they really are, and connecting that to the work they truly love. The choice isn’t about a career search so much as an identity quest.”

-- Po Bronson, “What Should I Do With My Life?”

The tools on the following pages will help you to clarify some of these issues that are fundamental to your lasting career success.

Note: many of the examples throughout the rest of this Guide are sourced from the work of actual clients. However, all the details have been changed (names, locations, dates, job titles, companies, industries, etc.), so as to protect the privacy and identity of these individuals. Nevertheless, the author acknowledges the contributions of these clients and appreciates the value their examples bring to others who are in transition.



Preliminary Questions and Considerations (Use a separate sheet if necessary to answer these questions)

• Describe your current career situation as succinctly as possible; the “good and the bad.”

• Describe the way you would ideally like it to be. Be as specific as possible in identifying yourprimary career “desires.”

• What are you doing in your work that you want to continue doing? With whom? How much?

• Does anyone else you know now have the kind of work situation you envision? If so, describe it indetail. What steps did this person take to get there?

• What is necessary for your future (goals) regarding money, time and quality of life – in one year?Five years? Ten years?

• What are you not doing professionally that you would like to be doing?

• What unique qualities or characteristics do you bring to your career?

• In your work, what skills and abilities are not being properly utilized or fully expressed?

• What predictable blocks (organizational, personal, emotional, financial, etc.) might prevent youfrom reaching your goals?

• What might you lose or leave behind if you were to make a significant career change, for a bettersituation? (Personal, practical, emotional, financial, status, etc.)

• Do you know what your career goal or objective is (short-term and long-term)? If so, have youwritten it down?

• What is the primary motivator/driver in your career? Has this been consistent, or has it changed?

• How will you know when you are on the right track? When you’ve “arrived?”



Personal Values

Rank the following items in order of your priorities, from 1 to 10. (1 is the highest and 10 is the lowest score). The context for these questions is “your whole life,” not just your work or career.

____ Independence and Autonomy Doing things on your own time and in your own way; not having too many rules and restrictions placed on you; having a say about what you do and how you do it.

____ Power Controlling the situation around you in order to make things happen in the organization.

____ Leadership/Management Supervising the work of others and taking responsibility for overall results. Developing and implementing a vision for success.

____ Technical Expertise Being strong in a specific skill area, such as finance, marketing, engineering, human resources, etc.

____ Lifestyle Being holistic about unifying all the various parts of your life, such as career, family, health and other interests.

____ Service Contributing to the welfare of others; a desire to dedicate yourself to a worthwhile cause.

____ Friendship Being liked by others; maintaining important relationships, having companionship and a sense of community.

____ Security Reducing concerns about future financial welfare; preferring stability and predictability.

____ Challenge Desiring to take on and win the “tough ones” in any field of endeavor; to “stretch yourself” to do more. Using all your abilities to reach your target goals.

____ Wealth Accumulating big money; more than average and much more than “necessities” require.



Birds of a Feather

Complete the sentences on this sheet. Work fairly quickly, writing what comes most readily to mind, without “over-thinking.”

1. In my free time, the activities or hobbies I like to do most are:

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2. Whenever I go to a bookstore, the section(s) I always seem to be drawn to are:

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3. My closest friends work in the following fields, businesses, professions:

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4. The kind(s) of environments I usually feel most comfortable working in are:

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5. My friends (or colleagues, acquaintances, family-members) have often told me that

I should be a:

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6. The things that have always motivated me most are:

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7. I have often been praised for my work in:

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8. If I were to get involved in volunteer work (unpaid), I’d like to work in the field of:

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When you are finished and satisfied with your answers, focus on these two questions:

(a) What does this tell me about my core values and interests, and my motivationalpatterns?_____________________________________________________________________

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(b) What implications do these answers have on my current and future career choices?Write down your thoughts in as much detail as possible._____________________________________________________________________

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Original Joys

Think back as far as possible, to when you were very young. Let your mind wander freely, without “editing” – especially to the private, special times when you were allowed to play or daydream or do whatever you wanted. Recall the kinds of interests you had and activities you pursued in those early years.

What did you love? What fascinated you? What senses did you live through most, or did you enjoy them all equally? What did you daydream about, no matter how “silly” or unimportant it may seem now? What were the secrets and little games you never told anybody about? What could you “lose yourself in” and be very happy? What kinds of things gave you greatest pleasure?

List five to ten items below that match the criteria above:

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Put a “star” next to three of these items that were most meaningful or special to you. Think about why these particular ones stand-out. Reflect on those three in the space below:

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First Career Dreams

When you were very young, what kind of work seemed like the most fun? What did you dream of being when you grew up? What were your “ideal careers?”

List four to six items below that match the criteria above.

1.___________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________

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Put a “star” next to three of these items that were most meaningful, enjoyable or special to you. Reflect on why these particular ones stand-out: _____________________________________________________________________

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Your Ideal Work Day

This is a very powerful and personal exercise which will help you explore and then clearly define what an ideal work day looks and feels like, and how you might experience it on a moment-by-moment basis.

Read over the following three examples and then take at least one hour of quiet time to write-out your ideal work day. Your aim should be to create as much detail as you need to generate a clear and specific picture in your mind of the day’s events, activities, people, environments, schedules, structures – and your experiences of each of these.

So block out some time and put some real energy in this exercise. Take a relaxing hot bath, go for a walk in the park, sit under a tree, enjoy a glass of wine by the fireplace. Do whatever it takes to visit that “inner place” where you can reflect and really imagine both the broad outline and specific details of a work day that would be truly ideal for you.

The purpose of this exercise is to focus on the qualitative aspects of a worklife that would create the best fit and the most day-to-day satisfaction for you – acknowledging the fact that not every day can be ideal, but that in an overall sense, this would be the best possible outcome of your career transition.



Ideal Work Day: Example 1

In my ideal work day, I wake up at 6:15, cuddle for awhile with Sarah, get out of bed, dress in sneakers, shorts and a t-shirt, do some push-ups and sit-ups, stretch and go for a 30-minute jog. I run along the streets of Wilmington, stopping to say hello to my neighbors and pet their dog. I return to my house and make and drink a banana milkshake while I brew a mug of coffee for Sarah and a cup for myself, and listen to the morning news on NPR. I take coffee to Sarah in bed, shave, take a shower, get dressed, eat some cereal and yogurt and read the paper and get out the door by 8:00 am.

I dress in stylish, well-made, professional-looking clothes – with a tie every other day if I decide to, but without it being “mandatory.” I walk 20 minutes to work in the sunshine and a cool breeze, stopping off in the coffee shop in the ground floor of the building my office is on to fill my thermos with coffee for the first half of the day and maybe grab a toasted bagel.

I have my own office just off the main work area on our floor, surrounded by the cubicles of the 6 people – 2 Designers, 2 Copywriters and a Creative Director– who report to me. My office has a frosted glass and copper desk, a window, good lighting, a chair that’s good for my posture, and a couple of chairs for guests, a few plants, an original modern art painting by my friend on the wall, a metal bookshelf, a few photos, and a laptop connected to a large flat panel monitor.

From 8:30 to 8:55: I review my plans for the day and week, read and respond to email from my team, customers and other senior management, and make any phone calls I need to. I check on ongoing projects, provide feedback, guidance and motivation to my team, and help out colleagues or customers who are turning to me as a subject matter expert. Once an hour during the day I walk from my desk to the water cooler near the front desk for a stretch, a glass of water, and to look out in the distance over the city.

From 9:00 to 9:50: I have a conference call with the UK office to help plan their weekly presentations and schedule a few meetings with strategic account prospects. I squeeze in some conversation about traveling in the UK, as Sarah will be flying over at the start of her break in classes, which corresponds to when the business will be done, and we’ll be seeing friends of mine in England for 3 days before traveling for 2 weeks in Ireland.

From 10:00 to 10:50: I work on my presentation. I’m taking notes and quotes from conversations I’ve had with customers about the headaches and challenges of creating



solutions like this, and demonstrating how we can make the headaches and challenges go away. I’m incorporating a new type of software, so I’m practicing working with it, using it to add some flash and drama to the presentation. I email the presentation to our Account Executives, asking them to let me know their reactions and any questions that come up.

From 11:00 to 11:30: I participate in a conference call with one of our National Account Managers who is working with a client who has exceptional marketing needs, and wants to be reassured that our company has sufficient expertise to help them. Our Account Executive and I have prepared in advance for this meeting, and I have supplied him with a likely set of questions the client will ask based on my prior experience. In addition, I’ve got our Designer in the office with me, since he can help and he wants to learn more about the sales process. As our National Account Manager leads the meeting, I have the speakerphone muted and am running a commentary on what he’s saying, the techniques he’s using and the way he guides the meeting to the conclusion he’s looking for. He successfully answers 4 out of 5 of the potential client’s questions, and when he asks me about the last one, I make a joke out of thanking him for letting me feel useful, and answer the question to everyone’s satisfaction by explaining how we have recently begun to tackle the issue they’re grappling with, and how well it’s working. The call ends, and I debrief with our Designer to answer any remaining questions and wrap-up the session.

From 12:00 – 12:30: I walk from the office to the park, enjoying the sunshine and the sights and sounds of the city while eating the sandwich Sarah made and packed for me while I was out jogging.

12:30 – 12:45: I stop in at the restaurant where a number of our clients are, and drink a cup of coffee while I welcome them into our organization, connect with them, and explain that if they have any ideas about the campaign they would like to see us incorporate, they should feel free to contact me, as I champion new ideas at our company.

From 12:45 to 1:15: I run a brown-bag training class for the staff on creative selling techniques and doing powerful presentations.

From 1:15 to 1:30: I respond to emails and recheck my progress on the day. I’m doing well, accomplishing what I want to accomplish.

From 1:30 to 2:15 I talk with our National Account Director about the tools and skills that will enable our sales force to achieve maximum productivity and present the most polished image to our current and prospective clients. We also review a demo reel I



developed for one of our new accounts, and I make some notes on feedback sales people have provided on the demo, as well as feedback clients and prospects have provided. I make a note in my calendar to work with one of our Designers to update the reel tomorrow.

From 2:00 to 2:45: I meet with my Designers, Copywriters, and my Creative Director. We talk about creative concepts, and freewheel ideas about how we can use any hot new techniques to our advantage, either to maintain a cutting-edge image for our agency, or to incorporate into our presentations.

From 2:45 to 3:30: I work on a small design assignment that is probono. Although we won’t make a dime on it, it just may help us win a significant deal with another organization. I complete it and then forward it on to my Creative Director for his input. Tomorrow, I’ll put together a 10-slide presentation that will be shown to the non-profit client sometime next week via WebEx and teleconference.

From 3:30 to 4:45 I write and respond to emails, make a few phone calls, and do a final check on my progress on the day. I did well. I accomplished nearly everything I wanted to, and the things that remain are things I’m looking forward to doing tomorrow.

I leave the office at 4:45 and walk home. I’ve got a sense of accomplishment, and a story or two I can tell Sarah about my day in a way that will interest her and will allow me to relive some of these accomplishments. I’m looking forward to giving her a solid idea of what I did today and how I enjoyed it.




Morning: I wake up at 6:00 am, about ½ hour before my alarm was set to go off. I am now waking about 1 hour later than I am accustomed to. Sleeping a bit later, getting the extra hour rest before I start the day, allows me to feel completely rested and alert. There is no rush to get to work by a certain time. The music on the CD player went on, I am hearing some wonderful old cello music.

It smells very clean and brisk in my room…similar to bed sheets when they are brought in from drying outside in the sun. The slightly chilled breeze was motivation to get me up and moving. I opened my windows wider to welcome more sun and air to enter. When I looked at my rear yard, I remembered that I would be out of the office most of the day. What a relief! Being inside the office on a day like today would be a crime. And the picture of Cyndy (with that beautiful, alluring smile) perched on my dresser reminded me that I was a lucky guy; I will be with her later on in the evening.

I showered and got dressed…. casual, professional attire. Black linen pants, black belt w/silver buckle, long sleeved, a red and black 3 button polo shirt tucked in the pants, a herringbone sports jacket, Alden shoes (black), and black/gray/red, argyle socks. I felt comfortable but capable of going most places without feeling over or under dressed. If needed, I always carried a spare white shirt with a black and white tie.

It is now 6:30 am (the alarm sounds and I smile as I turn it off). I go to my office in my basement with a cup of coffee (set to be brewed automatically by this time). I look over my calendar and see the following schedule for the day: 10:00 am - Meeting with my friend Dan to discuss a business idea and the delivery problems we’ve been having. 12:30pm - Lunch with a prominent businessman who asked to “pick my brain” about a venture he is contemplating. 3:00 pm – An initial project meeting for a new development in Chester County. 6:00 pm – Dinner with Cyndy and some of her clients who are seeking guidance with design and construction of their new building. 8:00 pm – A lecture to a group of retailers about product display concepts.

I have a few hours before my first meeting with Dan to read a trade journal and make some contacts on my network list. I finish my coffee and begin to read for about an hour. Then I call some contacts on my list to “touch base”. From those conversations, I receive an invitation to a dinner party with some local retailing executives and business leaders, and get and invitation to the next Eagles home game.



It is now 9:00 am. I call the office and speak to my Secretary. She has taken care of all the tasks given to her yesterday and is following-up on the tasks I gave to the staff at our previous meeting. So far, no calls or emergencies have surfaced so I am free to attend to my schedule. I get into my car, put the convertible top down and drive off

I met Dan at 10:00 and we discussed the game (the Eagles finally won so we were able to digest our food). Then I brought up the business idea we were discussing the previous week. We discussed the pros and cons and left the conversation that we needed to ponder the major identified stumbling blocks (financial backing, fewer suppliers) but the idea had some merit. We would draft an agreement between his firm and me to get started once the financial constraints were resolved and we had a realistic plan. I called my Accountant upon leaving and asked to meet with him tomorrow to discuss the possible financial guidance he may be able to offer. He was interested in helping.

I had a half hour before I had to go to my luncheon appointment at 12:30 so I decided to take a walk in town.

Afternoon: I met with a prominent businessman in Malvern (close to my next meeting in Paoli) who had contacted me through a mutual friend and associate. The person was politically connected and was considered a “character” by the news media; he is a risk taker as seen by his many and varied business ventures, is considered outspoken, politically savvy, and does not hide his personal (extravagant) life-style from public scrutiny. I instantly liked him when I noticed his genuine smile and felt his exuberant handshake. Although I had never met him before today, he seemed familiar to me.

We spoke about everything BUT business until the end of our meeting. We connected on many levels, ended-up admiring each other’s experiences, and had a pleasant exchange of views on life, family and career. We actually had to set-up another time to meet since our discussion did not go into enough detail about his business plan. I agreed to meet with him at his home for an early dinner at the end of the week. He said he would call to confirm. I left our meeting knowing that I had met a new friend and possible venture partner. I was elated, but still hungry. I had hardly touched my lunch.

I was a bit late for the 3:00 meeting in Paoli. I had called my office on the way to check-in and found no urgent calls or problems that required my immediate attention; my staff was very competent with day-to-day problem solving. When I did hear about an issue, it was after all conceivable avenues where taken or considered and I was



offered probable options with the pros and cons of each. They did their homework and did not just call with a plea for help. My Secretary placed a call to the meeting to inform them that I was running late. In the meantime, I called my daughter about coming home for dinner tomorrow night; she confirmed and said that my son was also coming. A huge smile was branded on my face and I could not wait to embrace my children again.

The meeting consisted of a client and his support staff, my Administrative Assistant, and two Account Representatives. It was a kick-off meeting to consider the formal proposal and budget concept, as well as to discuss the potential obstacles inherent with the project. My staff organized the Project Team sitting at the table and the meeting was conducted by my Account Representative. I was mainly an observer and offered suggestions along the way. I felt very confident that this team was functioning in a mutually-supportive manner, indicating that we should have a successful project. My input at this level was not required, but I thought it would be in good taste to make an appearance at least once a month to see how we were progressing.

About 1 hour into the meeting, I received a call on my cell phone from my Secretary tracking an important project out of State. We needed to get additional venture capital or we stood to lose an important project.

The meeting was over by 4:30, which allowed me time to head home and freshen-up before dinner.

Evening: I met with Cyndy at 5:30 so we could review the agenda for our dinner date. I was still hungry from lunch and on an emotional “high” from my day so far. I told Cyndy about my meeting with Dan, the businessman, and the project kick-off, all of which went better than I had hoped. I thought, for a brief moment, I should cancel the next events scheduled on this “ideal” workday so I do not give it a chance to get blemished … things usually do not progress as flawlessly as they had today and I did not want to “jinx it.” However, Cyndy (with that smile again) reminded me that the dinner was a combination of idea exchange and fun; not really a business assignment or any obligation on my part. And her clients were picking-up the tab! Therefore, she said I should relax, and enjoy the food and company with no pressure.

Well, dinner turned out to be fantastic. It seemed that Cyndy’s clients knew the businessman I had lunch with today; they entered into a few successful ventures together and were friends for about 15 years! They also represented a venture capitalist that they thought would be interested in some of the work I was involved in.



They said they would be happy to make the introduction. I was so elated (again) that I forgot to finish my meal. I left the dinner still hungry, but I really didn’t mind.

When I left, my mind was jumping back and forth with all the positive aspects of the day. I could not keep one thought for long as the next exciting flash entered my mind with a jolt. I soon found myself entering my garage without remembering the 45-minute ride home …. and the convertible top was still down.

Nightcap: I walked to my mailbox, and found an envelope with a check for a project I completed a month ago. I did not expect any payment this quickly, but I could always use the money!

I went upstairs and dropped onto my bed. I drifted into a light, meditative state, and finally fell asleep.




The clock radio comes on to WHYY at 6:30am, just as it does every morning. I hit the snooze button, knowing I have ten minutes before the music starts again and I have to get up. Elizabeth lies next to me, more sleeping than snoozing. Her alarm won’t kick on for another 20 minutes or so. What day is it? Wednesday – my favorite weekday. I always seem to get the most done on Wednesdays.

I get up and go into the bathroom. I click on the radio in there and listen to “Morning Edition.” I go into the closet to get dressed – gray slacks, oxford blue button down Polo shirt, black Cole Haan shoes, braided belt. By now Elizabeth is up. We discuss our schedules for the day. I tell her I might stop at the gym after work to work out, but that I’ll be home in time to take her shopping and then to dinner.

Breakfast is a glass of grapefruit juice and corn flakes with a sliced banana. I go out and get the newspaper off the driveway and bring it in. I always enjoy reading the entertainment section first; then the day’s news.

7:30am. Time to leave. I go out in to the garage and get into my black Acura Legend. I’ve had it for many years, but I still really like it. It’s another nice day, a little warmer than usual for May. The lawn looks great. I’ve needed to cut it twice a week lately, but I don’t mind.

It’s a short drive to my office in the Valley Forge Corporate Center. I park farther away from the building than I need to, just for the exercise. When I get inside, I say good morning to Diane the receptionist and go straight to the cafeteria for coffee. A bagel is tempting but I pass. I say good morning to Anna who reminds me she’ll see me at the 2:00pm client meeting.

I head toward my first business meeting at 8:30am and go straight to the coffee pot as usual. My colleague Rick says good morning. I take my usual seat against the window. We talk about current events until the meeting starts.

I stick my head in Jerry’s office on the way to my office. Jerry has been my boss for 5 months now. He is 40 and Vice President of Corporate Development. He’s learned to delegate and depend on me more, and our relationship has improved. He’s wearing a smart red tie and his suit jacket is on a hanger on the back of his door. We talk about our kid’s homework issues for a few minutes and then I remind him I’ll see him at 10:00am.



I turn on my computer and check e-mail. Mostly garbage. I respond to Rick’s message asking me if I know anything about the computer exchange program. I check my calendar. Meetings at 10:00am and 2:00pm. I need to put together an update on the Barone partner project before meeting with Jerry. The project is going pretty well. Suzanne, the analyst I hired out of college 6 months ago, has been doing a great job helping me understand Barone’s business.

Speaking of Suzanne, she’s standing at my cubicle door. She’s dressed stylishly, as always. She wants to go over some new information on two of her projects. We talk for about half an hour and then I review the Barone material and put together a one-page update for Jerry. I’m trying to cut back on coffee but pour another cup before I go to meet with him. Jerry is on the phone when I walk into his office, but he motions for me to sit down.

I hand Jerry the project summary and start updating him. Things are going well with the project. We’re ahead of schedule and on budget. Steve the auditor is being a pain about some documentation, but I’ve been able to negotiate with him. The Barone people will be in for a meeting in two weeks to review progress. We talk about who should and shouldn’t be involved. Jerry asks me to put together a draft agenda and attendee list, and e-mail it to him by Friday. He’ll be out of town most of next week.

I respond to more e-mails and return some phone calls. I leave a message with Elizabeth at home, telling her I expect to be home by 6:00pm to pick her up. I’m hungry. I prefer to grab something downstairs and eat it at my desk, but I’m trying to socialize more with co-workers and be more visible. I go downstairs, order my usual turkey on rye, and sit down with some staffers I know.

Elizabeth returned my call to confirm our evening plans. I think about the Barone meeting coming-up and start on an agenda. I get stuck, so I move over to reviewing project records for the client meeting. The client, RTW, has been providing us with system consulting services for more than two years. They are very good at what they do, but very expensive. We’ve spent $625,000 with them so far this year. Some people within the company, mostly in purchasing and accounting, want to replace them with in-house people, even if we have to go out and hire them. Derek, our CIO, is looking at outsourcing the skills to an Indian outfit. I prefer to cut the RTW staff by a few people and hire in-house people to work with them to acquire the key competencies we are going to need after RTW is gone.

I walk to the meeting with Anna from finance. It’s her meeting. I really like working here, but one of the things that I don’t like is that there is too much power and



influence in the hands of finance and accounting people who don’t have a broad understanding of business. Anna is typical.

The meeting lasts an hour and a half. I listen quietly until most of the people talk and then calmly explain why we need to keep some of the RTW resources and transition the expertise in-house. Derek is willing to support this if we can hire one person. However, we need to cut RTW costs by 40% by the end of next quarter. Anna reluctantly gets on board and agrees to get the budget approval for the new hire. I’m satisfied with how this all turned out.

Back to the Barone agenda. I look over Suzanne’s analysis and walk over to ask her some questions. I finish up the draft and email it to Jerry. My phone rings a few minutes later – it’s Jerry asking me to come see him.

He tells me the agenda looks great and hands it back to me with a few markups. He wants Michael from Legal invited to the meeting. Then he hands me an envelope and tells me the company is offering a special stock option plan to selected employees, and I have been selected. I can purchase 5,500 shares of company stock at a favorable price over the next three years. It’s an incentive to get key employees to stay. I thank him and return to my desk.

I look over my calendar for Thursday, and return some phone calls and e-mails. I leave a few minutes after 5:00pm. I can hit the gym and still be home by six. I’m still thinking about the Barone meeting while working out. It went better than expected. I thought Derek would be more difficult.

I complete my workout and get back in my car for the short ride home. I’m hungry again, and I’m looking forward to sharing a great dinner with Elizabeth. I’m glad to feel that I finally have some sense of control over my professional life, and that I’m really leveraging my skills productively.



Consistent Themes

After you complete all the exercises above, you will undoubtedly notice some “consistent themes” emerging from your work. Look through all your answers, and begin to identify the words and ideas that are mentioned several times.

Find the adjectives and threads that seem to run through your writing, and make a list of them. What stands out? What is repeated over and over? What seems most important to you? These are called your “Consistent Themes,” and you must make note of them! They define who you are and what you want professionally!

These “Consistent Themes” will actually point you directly toward your next opportunity, and give you a standard against which to measure future offers. Here is an example of one client’s “Consistent Themes:”

- Organizing- Researching- Analyzing- Seeing the “big picture”- Sharing knowledge and information freely- Increasing efficiency- Transforming abstract ideas into practical results- Working effectively on both the strategic and tactical levels- Increasing value consistently- Being detail oriented- Working hands-on- Motivating others- Continually improving work processes- Thinking logically- Solving problems- Sense of Humor

You will find that these “Consistent Themes” are vitally important to your career satisfaction. To the extent possible, therefore, they should be treated as “must haves,” rather than “nice to haves.”

On the following page, please find an example of what your consistent themes document might look like.



George Newman, MBA, Ph.D.

530 Valley Road (Home) 908-555-2222 Mission Viejo, CA 92691 (Mobile) 908-777-9999

[email protected]

Consistent Themes That are Important in My Career

1. Pleasing environment2. Variety of tasks3. Ability to establish relationships4. Mentoring and advising colleagues5. Upscale, well-equipped, well-maintained facility6. Coordinator to outside programs and institutions7. Opportunity to meet new people on a consistent basis8. Little or no commute – 30 minutes or less9. Social environment that is pleasant, supportive, friendly

10. Flexible schedule with ample time off for life balance11. Being acknowledges and respected for my work12. Learning environment and continued professional13. Growth14. Being challenged yet supported15. Contributing to the health and welfare of others16. Giving service17. Equitable pay18. Culturally diverse

What are YOUR “Consistent Themes?” Please create your own list on the next page.



Listing Your Consistent Themes

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From Exploration to Execution

Having gone through the preliminary “internal exercises” (and possibly formal career assessments or vocational tests), it’s time to brainstorm some logical options, get market feedback, and then narrow down the possibilities to a carefully thought-through list of initial career options and job choices.

From your explorations and reflections on the previous few pages, start to eliminate the “pipe dreams” and focus on the career paths that are the best fit with your strengths, experience, and preferences.

For example, if you always wanted to be a fighter pilot, but you’ve spent the last 20 years as an accountant, then maybe going to work as a financial executive for a major airline headquartered in your city makes more sense than climbing into a cockpit.

Make your “initial cut” by sitting down and writing out a list of possible careers or jobs that are a realistic fit with what you’ve learned about yourself. Then brainstorm some related options, perhaps with the help of a relative or close friend.

Get “market feedback” from former colleagues, associates, and professionals who are in a position to know both your skills and the requirements of your targeted industry.

Then do some research on what is required to enter that field. If all signs point to a good fit, then mobilize resources, get into action, and go after those opportunities!

Researching Careers, Job Categories, and Titles

There are some great tools and resources you can use to help you identify appropriate career paths and job roles. These include:

Library research/business department Dictionary of Holland Occupational Codes Occupational Outlook Handbook, US Department of Labor Professional associations Trade publications Universities Online career portals and job sites



Narrowing Your Choices

Although narrowing down your choices is a very personal process – and leads to very important career decisions, it can be boiled down to three basic steps:

1. Identify the consistent themes from all the preliminary exercises in the previouschapter.

2. Create an employer wish list that includes all the characteristics of an idealcompany to work for.

3. Create the perfect job description that matches the criteria you discovered in thepreliminary exercises.

For guidance in how to complete these three steps, read on!



Employer Wish List

The time has come to make a “wish list” of adjectives that describe your ideal employer, such as size, location, industry, culture, values, environment, people, etc. Don’t hold back! This is your fantasy, so list what you would really LOVE in the next company you work for. If you don’t know what you want most in an employer, how will you know when you’ve found the right one? Or, as the TV personality “Dr. Phil” is fond of saying: “You’ve got to name it to claim it!”

Here is one client’s example of an Employer Wish List:

1. Ethical and honest: Will admit to mistakes and will not attempt to force-feed aproblem to a vendor/contractor. Life/safety comes first.

2. Small firm size, with approximately 10 to 30 employees: Growth is steady anddeliberate, but staff is sufficient to manage the project(s) without creating burnout.

3. Within a 50 mile radius: Travel is OK, but not at the expense of comfort,enjoyment, or family welfare.

4. An “entrepreneur” executive role: company appreciates new ideas, ventures, andcalculated risks. Does not micro-manage and allows flexibility with work hours andwork environment (telecommute). Open to a partnership arrangement.

5. Non-corporate: A professional yet relaxed atmosphere, minimal office politics. Afun place to work: employees are encouraged to laugh and “be themselves.”

6. Stability: A backlog of work for the next three to five years. A strategic plan forthe next five years, including new markets and forecasting.

7. Uniqueness or specific “niche”: Not certain what it will be but something that setsthe company apart from the competition. Innovative, clever, and resourceful.

8. Values project success and reputation as much as (or more than) making a specificamount of profit: Not penny wise/dollar foolish, and recognizes the big picture whenit comes to a successful project…not measured only in profit.



Here is another client’s example of an Employer Wish List:

Physical Downtown location, or less than 30 minutes commute via train 50 to 100 Employees Upscale physical environment US company with international operations, customers or sales Headquarters office of corporation

Intellectual Good 3-year plan with strategic growth as primary driver Solid financial skills common at top management level Solid strategic skills common at top management level

Performance Revenues of $1M to $5M Growing in revenues Ranked in the top 5 in industry by revenue Diverse customer base High revenue per customer ($10,000 / annually)

Culture High professional standards Informal but polished and mature atmosphere Business to business, “high casual” dress code Diverse workforce Fast-paced but sane environment Focused on working hard on a standard schedule, not working all the time

Social Non-harmful industry (no tobacco, firearms, oil refining) Progressive benefits policy Active community involvement People who enjoy their work and work hard, but have other priorities



Creating Your Own Employer Wish List

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Perfect Job Description

Now it’s time to draft your own “perfect job description.” Here’s your big chance to finally design the job you’ve always wanted. Be bold! Use your imagination! Do some research, surf the web, go through your old employment files, read the want-ads. Do whatever you need to do in order to create what you would truly call a “Perfect Job” for you at this point in your career.

Here is one client’s example of a “Perfect Job Description:”

Title: Director of Technology and Training

Overview: This is an outstanding opportunity to join an emerging player in a lucrative and sustainable niche of technology solutions for today’s businesses. We’re looking for a management-level professional who can blend deep technical experience with marketing and sales knowledge and customer communications ability. Perform several key functions within the organization and for customers. We seek an experienced technology professional and natural multi-tasker who understands both business development and software development, and will act as the fulcrum between market needs and XYZSoft’s product strategy.

Candidate: - Seeking a role with greater customer involvement, to allow you to link your technical skills with yourbusiness and customer understanding and your ability to communicate and capture important details.- Having 5+ years in developing or delivering technology solutions, including 2+ years’ of implementingbusiness-to-business technology projects to extremely high quality levels in professional environments.- Leading by example, remaining ever curious, being competitive, flexible and adaptable to change.

Roles & Responsibilities: Technology Director

- Equip our international sales force with the technology tools and skills that will enable them toachieve maximum productivity and present the most polished image to our clients.- Manage the building out of "standard" demos / presentations to meet general sales requirements.- Prioritize and guide development of custom demos / presentations for key channels and accounts.

Product Educator - Interact with customers to identify performance and productivity issues in their efforts, and devisehigh-impact solutions based around XYZSoft’s products and services.- Gather, present and position technology, services, methodology and product advances and advantages,demonstrating emerging technology at industry gatherings and at key strategic accounts.

Development Liaison - Liaise between development, sales and marketing, identifying opportunities for extending products.- Map business requirements to technical/custom development requirements, identifying key areas oftechnology use and translating them into prioritized development opportunities.- Ensure that our product strategy and road map reflect perceived technology adoption from clients.

Compensation: - $115,000 annual base salary, milestone bonuses, sales-based incentives and company profit sharing.- Excellent benefits, including 5 weeks annual paid vacation, flexible work hours, partial telecommuting,low cost health/dental/vision insurance, public transportation subsidy, matching 401K plan, pre-taxmedical savings account, pension plan and support for social volunteering.



Here is another client’s example of a “Perfect Job Description:”

Director of Operations

Company Description 1. Type Manufacturer 2. Age/Lifecycle 5 years old / Growth & Expansion 3. Products 1-3 product lines4. Philosophy Use TQM and Lean Manufacturing to run company5. Headquarters Washington, DC or Baltimore, MD region6. Company Sites 3 max7. Sales Regions North America 8. Supply Regions Global9. Public/Private Private 10. Annual Sales $500M+ 11. Profit Margin 15%+ 12. Employees 300+

Responsibilities of Position 1. Profit and loss for all product lines2. Sales & Marketing3. Product Development4. Sourcing5. Manufacturing

Reporting Structure Report to President or CEO Direct Reports Director of Sales & Marketing

Director of Engineering & Quality Director of Supply & Logistics Director of Manufacturing & Production

Compensation 1. Annual salary $125,000 base 2. Bonus $50,000 max based on metrics 3. Equity 5% of company, growing over time 4. Retirement 401(k) with match, pension 5. Benefits Medical, Dental, Vision, etc.



Creating Your Own Perfect Job Description

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The Roles: Role 1 __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Role 2 __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Role 3 __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

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Conclusion: Where To Go From Here

Career change is never easy. It’s like finding your way out of a wilderness. But imagine how much harder it would be without your map!

Now that you’ve done all this great work to develop your Ultimate Career RoadmapSM, you need to put the next pieces into place. This involves developing your Job Seeker’s ToolkitSM and then action planning your full career campaign, including networking, interviewing, and negotiating. There are plenty of good career books and websites with free articles on each of these topics.

You are more than welcome to start at my website: www.careerpotential.com and look under Free Resources > Career Articles.

If you want a complete and comprehensive resource for EVERY step of the career change and job search process, please consider The Ultimate Career GuideSM. (www.ultimatecareerguide.com)

And if you’d like to continue your career success process in a more stepwise fashion rather than all at once, consider The Ultimate Career ToolkitSM and The Ultimate Career CampaignSM, also available from my website, www.careerpotential.com.

To your success,

Ford R. Myers



Words To Work By ...

No man is born into the world whose work is not born with him. – James Russell Lowell

The biggest mistake that you can make is to believe that you are working for somebody else. Job security is gone. The driving force of a career must come from the individual. Remember: jobs are owned by the company; you own your career!

– Earl Nightingale

Three things are needed for people to be happy in their work: they must be fit for it, must not do too much of it, and must have a sense of success in it.

– John Ruskin

Work can provide the opportunity for spiritual and personal as well as financial growth. If it doesn't, we are wasting far too much of our lives on it!

–- James Autry

Inherently, each of us has the substance within to achieve whatever our goals and dreams define. What is missing is the training, education, knowledge and insight to utilize what we already have.

– Mark Twain

I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position one has reached in life, as by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed.

– Booker T. Washington

People don’t succeed by migrating to a ‘hot’ industry or by adopting a particular career-guiding mantra. They thrive by focusing on the question of who they really are, and connecting that to the work they truly love. The choice isn’t about a career search so much as an identity quest.

– Po Bronson

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. – Confucius

The first essential in a boy's career is to find out what he's fitted for, what he's most capable of doing – and doing with relish.

– Charles M. Schwab

The true vocation of a man is to find his way back to himself. – Hermann Hess

The biggest mistake we could ever make in our lives is to think we work for anybody but ourselves!

– Brian Tracy



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Date post:	14-Oct-2020
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Ultimate Career Roadmap · About the Author Ford R. Myers is President of Career Potential, LLC....

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