A couple of weeks ago, I got a call from a friend. She shares some bad news: the stress on the job had grew enormous. As a result, she felt forced to resign from her position, which had at one point in her career showed great promise but now is her worst nightmare. She was deeply discouraged. Where do I go from here?, she thought. She even started to question whether she was in the right career field. I knew I had to step in and say something. Her thought pattern reflected a common symptom of … [Read more...]
From College to Career: How did I get here?
Recently, I came across the video below, which features a commencement speech delivered by Apple Founder Steve Jobs to a graduating class at Stanford University in 2005. The theme of his speech, "Stay hungry, stay foolish," was especially intriguing and I certainly wanted to find out more. So as I watched, I also jotted down a few notes. I'm kind-of a sucker for really good commencement speeches. Truth be told, I can hardly remember what remarks Smokey Robinson gave when he stood before my … [Read more...]
Life’s a Blizzard
In the Northeast corridor of the U.S., we've been battling major weather conditions. In the Washington, DC metro area alone, we've seen as much as four feet of snow and thousands of people are currently without power. Meanwhile, wind gusts are reaching speeds of up to 50 miles per hour, sweeping blankets of snow everywhere. As I sat inside my home, all warm and cozy, I couldn't help but compare how life is much like this blizzard. Such as life, weather conditions can suddenly take a turn … [Read more...]
Are you prepared for opportunity?
A lot of people wonder why opportunities don't come knocking at their door. They feel as if they've been dealt an unlucky set of cards or that life's just unfair. Some believe that outsiders simply fail to see their worth or talent, and therefore are bypassed opportunities. While those scenarios could certainly be the case. More often than not we -- ourselves -- are the reason why chances at success fall short of landing in our path. If you've ever wondered why it seems you never get a … [Read more...]
Listen to Your Inner Voice
Has there ever been a time in your life when you pushed through to accomplish a goal, but it seemed you were getting no where fast? Perhaps during that time, you had a number of people around you who, in their attempts to offer sound advice, only threatened to thwart your agenda. You knew you could do it, but the well-meaning voices surrounding you seemed to stifle and inhibit your gut intuition. In the end, you stopped pursuing your dream, and resorted to that little, "safe" place in your … [Read more...]
Get What You Can, While You Can!
Yesterday, I attended the funeral of Ms. Amanda Lloyd -- my husband's grandmother. As funerals would go, it began and ended with a mostly somber and reflective undertone. Even though she reached 90 years of age, and had suffered from several medical issues in most recent years, it was still difficult to see her be laid to rest and to say "farewell," particularly among immediate family members. We had to travel about three hours to attend the funeral. As the day ended, my husband and I, along … [Read more...]
Your Dream Career Awaits, Start Here
A few months ago (literally) I sat on my couch pouting about how I wanted to more aggressively pursue my writing dreams and gain greater traction in the publishing world. But then I realized (with the help of some trusted friends, and lots of trust and prayer) that if I fail to take a step of faith and actually put myself out there to claim my destiny, then how in the world was I ever going to accomplish my life-long goals? After mustering some courage, I got rid of the self-doubt and … [Read more...]
“What to Say When You Talk to Yourself”
When I first saw the above-mentioned title of a book about “powerful new techniques to program your potential for success,” I have to admit that I was a bit of a skeptic. The book was written by Shad Helmstetter, an acclaimed psychologist, who champions the idea that you can improve your outlook, focus your plans, and stay on top, in touch and going for your dreams and any other life aspirations, simply by reprogramming your thoughts. His strategy is simple: adopt techniques of what he … [Read more...]
The Working Mom’s (and Dad’s) Dilemma
Today, I received in my email inbox what was practically a cry for help. The author of the email (who will remain nameless) desperately needed some advice on whether to leave a lucrative, relatively stable job working for the federal government, in exchange for staying at home with her four beautiful children (including a newborn). As a brand new mom myself, I could certainly understand her dilemma, which I have shared here previously at TheCareerPioneer.com. With just one month remaining … [Read more...]
Have Your Childhood Dreams Escaped? “The Last Lecture” Puts It All In Perspective
If you haven’t heard the story of Dr. Randy Pausch, who received national attention when he began appearing on numerous television shows including Oprah last year, then you should especially stay tuned into today’s post. Randy Pausch was a professor of Computer Science, Human Computer Interaction, and Design at Carnegie Mellon University. He had been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer when he was asked to deliver his famous “last lecture.” Nearly 400 students attended the lecture … [Read more...]
Who’s Got Yo’ Back?
Please excuse the grammatical no-no in the title. But this is a very important post (as the rest of them are.) Who has your back in your career? Who’s in your corner when you need some advice, insight, support in pursuing your dreams when times are low, or who gives you that extra push off the ledge into facing your fears? Who would you consider as a mentor or supportive friend? Today, I had a very encouraging conversation with a good friend, Monique McDowell, whom I first connected with … [Read more...]
Find Inspiration to Live Your Dream Career, Take Hold Opportunities & Watch Project Runway
I love watching the television show Project Runway, which airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. on the Lifetime Network. It’s a reality-based show about individuals from virtually all walks of life who are living out their dreams and competing to become a famed, nationally recognized fashion designer. “Either you’re in, or you’re out” is the show’s motto, regularly spoken as fact by Project Runway host, supermodel Heidi Klum. Despite the fact that contestants could possibly kill their careers simply by … [Read more...]
It’s Official: The 30th Day of The Career Pioneer Blog!
It’s been exactly 30 days to-date that I launched The Career Pioneer blog. And I must say that it’s been an interesting, somewhat difficult, and self-revealing ride to say the least. When I started this blog, yes, I wanted to help other people discover their own passion and true career path, but at the same time I secretly used it as therapy for myself, as I decidedly made a more concerted effort to pursue my own career dreams. Thanks for joining me on this journey. It honestly felt like a … [Read more...]
