Career Advice For Twentysomethings: Careful of hubris
This is a story from the past. It still stings a bit. But I share to help some of Career Counseling Connecticut’s twentysomethings. Of course, names and some key details have been changed.I was happy to hire Martin to work for The Learning Consultants. Having graduated UCONN with an English degree, he was underemployed at […]
Career Planning: “Life is what happens when making other plans.”
My college friend, Mike, recently posted that quote on Facebook when noting that he had spent 20 years at his current organization. The quote made famous by John Lennon but likely said by others before him epitomizes the modern career challenge for those that have “decent” careers.Mike was such a talent that he was asked […]
Career Change Challenge: Why many feel more comfortable in known misery than unknown possibility
“I’m completely miserable.” Sarah said. “I’ve been miserable for nearly a decade.” Sarah was in some type of claims processing work at a large insurer in Hartford. We went through Sarah’s years of misery. The same – in my mind predictable pattern emerged – year after year: Sarah’s work made her increasingly unhappy. She would ponder […]
“I will figure it out.” The Mindset of the Career Changer
“I don’t know how to do bookkeeping or build a website or ….” Judy said as she contemplated creating a very basic service business based in Southeastern, Connecticut. When I showed her how simple bookkeeping would be for her business and the relatively easy web building platforms that are available, she listened but still had […]
Knowledge Makes Career Change Less Risky
“I really want to start a business.” Luke said. ”I’ve always wanted to start a business. I was one of those guys who had a lemonade stand at 10 on the streets of Hamden and thought about business opportunities since the age of 15. When I was at UCONN, I had several small businesses related […]
Do you have an episodic or a structural career challenge?
“This project is destroying my life.” Michelle said regarding a complicated IT project that she was overseeing for her company based in Milford, CT. “I’m working 12 hour days and half-day weekends. I think I need a new job.”Michelle had called Career Counseling Connecticut during the midst of her frustration. The project was in its […]
Waiting For Career Success Instead of Experiencing Career Happiness
Alex hit the parental career lottery or he thought. His father ran a very successful industrial business in New Haven County. While Alex never spoke about his career path plan with his father in such direct terms, it was understood that Alex and his brother had jobs waiting for them after college… if that is […]
The Joy of Work: On Career Happiness
“I’m singing on my way to work.” Peter wrote. “Thank you.” I forget exactly what Peter did when we started working together 5 years ago, something in the healthcare business sector in New Haven. He hated being trapped in a cubicle looking at spreadsheets all day. I gave Peter our career profiling tests and quickly […]
General Electric Leaving Connecticut: One more reason to take control of your career
GE made it official. It will move its Fairfield, CT headquarters to Boston. I think about all the Connecticut families that will be affected. At least this move has been in the rumor mill for a year. With hope GE treats its employees as kindly as Pfizer did when it relocated some of its Southeastern, […]
Career and Identity: The Connection Whether We Like It Or Not
“I hate it when I have to tell people that I’m a lawyer.” Jason, a 33 year old lawyer from Hamden, said. “That’s surprising. Many lawyers think that’s the best thing about being a lawyer.” I responded. I based my answer on my decade as an attorney and my career counseling with lawyers that confirmed that many lawyers […]