Monthly Archives: January 2009

Career Shifters – Get Excited About Your Work

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career shifters

I’ve been visiting the UK-based Career Shifters for some months now.

I highly recommend this site if you’re looking for real life stories and inspiration (and yes, problems too…) from people at various stages of career change.

Naturally, there’s a UK-theme to it but also lots of generic information for anyone in the midst of reevaluating what form they want their working life to take.

I’m particularly fascinated by the ‘Shift Surgeries’ where established UK career coaches respond to readers’ job change queries – rather like a “Dear Abby” relationship newspaper column but without the hectoring or the journalistic sensationalism of an agony aunt.

In fact, if you’re new to career coaches and what they do, you’ll get a sample of coaching’s (usually) non-judgmental, supportive and challenging characteristics from just reading their replies.

(Disclaimer: Yours truly comments there as an ordinary visitor – not yet as a ‘shift surgery’ coach…)

Career Shifters also hold regular workshops in central London – looks like the next one is Wed 28 January from 6:30 – 9:30pm. From the reviews I’ve read of past events I would definitely attend even if I wasn’t a mid-career coach hehe!

Remember that support and inspiration from those who’ve already done (or are doing) what you want to do can be so very, very helpful.

And at only 35 quid – a bargain, even in these tough times.

(Hey Selina, for an economy class return Tokyo – London ticket, I’ll come hang out with you guys no problem ;-)

- Mark McClure

PS – Meanwhile, back to the freelance ghostwriting and copywriting compartments of my own /slash/ career change. More in a future post…

Do Things Which Make Money

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MEMO TO MYSELF: “Are you doing things which make money?”

By definition, successful business owners get this. (I’m defining ‘successful’ to mean those who have a business from which they make an honest living.)

Anything less is ‘failure’.

Don’t take this personally – you can be ‘failing forward’ in the sense of taking action on your goals and figuring things out from experience.

I like to call this course-corrective feedback. (And yes, the truth can hurt, sometimes.)

After reading Tim’s article I was struck by how brainwashed I was when in the ‘employee mindset’. (As a teacher, I could write a book on this… haha!)

Rarely did I question whether my daily activities were “making money.” – that was something for my managers and the front office sales folks and rainmakers to figure out.

Silly me – now I’m all of those people in one.

So, I’ll ask the question again:

Are you doing things which make money?

END OF MEMO.

- Mark McClure

PS – If you’re not in business to make money, ignore this post.

LinkedIn Locked and Loaded

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Linkedin-mark-mcclure

I wrote last month about plans to update my LinkedIn profile.

I just spent a couple of hours doing that – following the guidelines laid down by Krishna De.

In addition to a contact-focussed ‘summary’ section, I’ve also added connection request guidelines, my blog’s feed and some Amazon book recommendations – 2 new ‘widget’ apps released by the LinkedIn team.
All seems to be working.

As things currently stand I don’t have a single, specific brand I want to stamp around the virtual world – my emphasis is on mid-career transition.

(Actually, it’s a form of ‘slash’ (/) mid-career transition, made up of coaching / writing / consulting / teaching. If you’re curious, Marci Alboher has a book – One Person / Multiple Careers – which I haven’t yet read but looks very similar to what I am about. BTW, Marci’s describing her current roles as journalist /author/ speaker. I think she was a lawyer before that.)

Since some of my target mid-career coaching prospects are within the LinkedIn universe – and possibly also future ghostwriting and copywriting clients – I consider it worthwhile to display multiple hats there.

Next task is to get some peeps who knew me to write up glowing recommendations, and I’m all set.

- Mark McClure

PS – How the mind works always amazes me. Look at the top of the image in this blog post. Notice anything naughty? ;-) Funny, how I made a Dec 9th blog post titled “Losing My LinkedIn Virginity” and then, almost a month later, I accidentally craft something a tad embarassing on my LI profile ;-) Don’t worry, I’ve fixed the actual Summary text in the real LI profile!!

New Year Japanese Style

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I’ve just come back from a New Year feast at my Japanese relatives’ house.

Fish (sashimi), various meats, vegetables and an endless supply of beer, wine and sake were the highlights – along with sundry side dishes and snacks. All elaborately prepared over the previous couple of days.

Every year my In-laws seem to outdo their previous lavish effort at entertaining close family circle – and I’m privileged to be included in the celebrations.

New Year Japanese meal

As I mentioned before, Xmas is but a warm-up for the main Japanese New Year celebrations.

Yesterday (1 Jan) we visted a local Shinto temple, along with hundreds of others, and did the customary prayer for good luck, health and happiness in the days ahead.

And then today, in glorious cold (10C) but sunny weather, we gave thanks for the year just past and hope for the best in the days ahead.

The Japanese people I know well are both pragmatic and superstitious – and in a land that’s been regularly ravaged by typhoons, earthquakes and volcanoes, this has probably been a very necessary ‘survivalist’ approach.

New Year Sashimi dish

Still, there’s a tremendous warmth and affection reserved for those who are considered part of a group – be it family, club or company.

I find it similar to the cameradie and ‘craic’ for which Irish people are renowned for.

Except that there is a greater variety and attention paid to food – in both the preparation and the serving of.

Although most company business will probably begin again from week of Monday 5th – entrepreneurs like myself have already begun our efforts anew in this Year of the Ox.

Right after today’s blog post’s published I will return to working on my samuraiwriter.com web site – and plan to announce real soon the availability of another aspect of my creative abilities – freelance copywriting and ghostwriting for the web. (If you’re interested in hiring me for such quality services, stay tuned to this blog for a post launching my writing services.)

- Mark McClure