The Reinvention Coach

More details about Career Reinvention BootCamp plus a cool software tool!

We've been getting lots of questions about our upcoming teleclass version of Career Reinvention BootCamp, so I wanted to send out a note answering the most common ones:

What’s the difference between the eCourse and the teleclass version of these seminars?

The biggest difference is that teleclass is live and interactive, which means we’ll be able to go more into depth on the topics covered in the eCourse. In the teleclass you’ll also have the chance to ask questions about your own situation, plus you’ll learn by hearing other participants ask about the career reinvention challenges they face.

Can I still take the BootCamp, even if I have to miss the first call?

Yes you can! After each class you’ll be emailed a link to a downloadable MP3 audio recording of the call, so you can listen in to what you missed (or listen again, even if you were there!) anytime at your convenience.

What’s the price difference between the in-person BootCamp and the teleclass version?

The teleclass BootCamp costs only $177 for the entire seven week series—a nearly 70% savings off of the in-person seminar rate!

What if I have an idea of what I want to do and I want more personal attention and support?

Consider applying for the Reinvention Team Action Group-- next one starts Wednesday, May 7th!


Space is limited, so register and hold your spot in BootCamp right now!

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A cool software tool...

If you’re one of those people who likes to play with productivity tools, check out Life Balance. It’s a personal coaching software that helps you organize your life objectives and create projects and daily tasks to accomplish them. It can even adjust the priorities on your to-do list to help you focus on goals that haven’t been getting enough of your attention!

With versions for Mac, Windows & Palm OS (no Blackberry yet-- boo!) and a free 30 day trial, it’s something fun to try out.

Career Reinvention BootCamp teleclass starting May 6th!

Many people who read recent press that featured us (More magazine and The Wall Street Journal), emailed to find out when we were going to hold our flagship seminar, Career Reinvention BootCamp, in their area.  Rather than running around to hundreds of cities, we've decided to hold it as a teleclass series-- that way, no matter where you live, you can participate!

BootCamp starts Tuesday, May 6th, and runs for seven weeks.  This intensive course is designed to kick start your career reinvention by helping you to identify what you want and providing you with the tools to get there.  In the teleclass you'll:

• Create your own personal life plan
• Uncover your barriers to change
• Learn how to create a 'reinvention resume'
• Lay out your career reinvention launch strategy

As a teleclass, you'll be able to dial in to a conference bridge line from the comfort of your own home.  Calls take place from 8:00-9:00pm Eastern (5:00-6:00 Pacific).  Each call will be recorded, so if you have to miss one you can still listen in.  Plus, you'll receive a in-depth workbook containing the class exercises.

At $177 for the entire seven week series, it's an incredible value (when we hold it as an in-person seminar, it costs nearly 70% more!).  Learn more details and register for the teleclass here.

P.S. I will be personally teaching this teleclass.

See you in BootCamp!

     

Q&A: How can I reinvent my career when money's running out?

This week's question comes from a reader who asks:

Q: I have been in the real estate and mortgage industry for the past 15 yrs. With the huge decline in our business, I must make a career move. I have for many years wanted to get into the holistic health and alternative medicine arena.  I am a RN, but have not worked in the field for many years. I completely ran out of money, lost my home, and must begin working for a salary after many successful years being self employed.

My question is:  What field can I get into immediately and even work my way up that satisfies my need to enlighten people about natural herbal medicines, acupuncture, yoga and combines possibly nursing skills and managerial skills and my multi-lingual skills and love of peoples all around the world?  Money is an issue for me now; I don't have the funds to go back to school. I do, however, have a vision of such powerful intent to make and create my new reality and be a part of something greater than myself while still making a decent living...

A:  You are experiencing a very common dilemma—trying to balance the desire to reinvent your career with the need to earn a living. Many times we have a big vision of what we’d like to accomplish, but day-to-day realities and needs create pressure. When it's money creating the pressure, the problem is this: career reinventions take time to pursue, and you don’t have a lot of time when your money is running out.

It may seem tough, but my advice is to get a job, any job, that brings in enough cash flow to meet your basic daily living expenses. It is nearly impossible to pursue a bigger vision when you are continually worried about making the rent.

If you’re living off of savings, depending upon how much time your funds allow you might be able to pursue a position in the holistic health field that takes advantage of the skills you developed in real estate. You don’t say what you did in that industry, but start by seeing if there are similar positions in the holistic health field (i.e. if you were an office manager, try landing an office manager position at a holistic medicine office). If that's not a viable short-term option, then pursue any job for which you're qualified that brings in enough cash flow.  Once you regroup financially, you can lay out a longer-term strategy for your career reinvention.

Sometimes, hard as it may be to accept emotionally, our career reinvention must happen in stages instead of going for the big dream right out of the gate….

Good luck!

Have your own question to ask?  Email me here; put 'Newsletter Question' in the subject.
 

A great article about using LinkedIn...

I recently ran across a blog post by uber-entreprenuer and new generation thought leader Guy Kawasaki that talked about ten ways to use LinkedIn, an online business networking tool that helps you see and reach out to the contacts of your connections.  LinkedIn is a very valuable tool for career reinvention; we've had several individual coaching clients successfully use it to land interviews with key players in their new industry.

Guy's article goes beyond the obvious benefits of the LinkedIn and outlines specific tactics to fully utilize the service.  Here are a few of the suggestions he makes and how they'll help you in your career reinvention:

1. Use LinkedIn’s advanced search to find people with educational and work experience like yours to see where they work. (This strategy can help you expand your pool of ideas for potential career targets.)

2.  Use LinkedIn to find the people that you’re meeting. (Looking at a person's background on LinkedIn will help you find potential areas of common interest or experience outside of work history-- maybe you have the same hobby or went to the same school!  This makes it easier for you to build a rapport with someone in a new industry.)

3. Use LinkedIn to broadcast your business-related questions to both your network and the greater LinkedIn network. (This allows you to tap into the knowledge of others regarding companies in your target industry, potential opportunities, new trends, etc.)

Read his full blog post here.

Calling for questions for our Q&A feature!  If you have a reinvention question you'd like to ask, email me here; put 'Newsletter Question' in the subject.  You may see it answered in an upcoming blog post!

Career Reinvention 101 teleclass tomorrow night!

Looking for a step-by-step plan for launching your own career reinvention? Career Reinvention 101: Getting Started is the teleclass for you!

This class happens Thursday, April 3rd (tomorrow night!) at 8:00pm Eastern (5:00pm Pacific).  In 90 information-packed minutes, you'll learn:

Two easy exercises to help you identify your reinvention goal

• Four savvy strategies for overcoming the 'money barrier' and funding your reinvention
• Three unconscious actions  that   delay your reinvention and must be avoided at all costs
• Five fail-proof tactics for turning your fear into fuel for action

Plus, in a live Q&A session you'll have a chance to have your own reinvention questions answered by Pamela!

All this for only $29!

After this class, you'll have  a practical map for turning your reinvention dreams into reality. Sign up immediately ASAP, space is limited.

P.S.  Everyone who signs up for the teleclass will receive an Mp3 recording of it (along with a Reinvention Workbook) as a special bonus!  So even if you can't attend, sign up and listen at a later time.

P.P.S. Teleclass conducted via telephone bridge line, so you call in from the comfort of your own home! More details here.

 

How to Reinvent Your Career (Part 2)

It’s a common myth that you have to know—in advance—every detail of how you’ll reinvent your career before you take your first step. Last week’s post talked about how career reinvention is like rock climbing; when mapping out a plan to reach the summit, climbers understand that it is impossible to figure out every handhold in advance. They know that the most important thing is to get on the rock; only then can they plot their next move.

How do climbers reach the summit? By answering the question in front of them (How do I take the next step?) over and over again. Career reinvention follows the same principle. The way to attain your goal is by figuring out: (1) what questions need to be answered, and (2) the order in which they need to be answered.

Post #1 outlined the first three questions: (1) What’s my dream career; (2) What about the money; and (3) How do I get moving towards my goal? Here are the next questions you’ll need to answer on your reinvention journey:

How do I combat my fears?

Here’s a reality check: fear (terror, apprehension, worry, uncertainty—whatever you want to call it) is an unavoidable part of the career reinvention process. Ask 100 people who have successfully reinvented themselves, and 100% will tell you they experienced times (sometimes extended ones!) of terror. Similar to hanging on a cliff and looking down, it’s not the feeling that’s the problem, it’s what that feeling causes you to do that matters. Do you experience fear as an opportunity to recommit to doing whatever it takes to reach the summit, or does it cause you to go into freefall? If you make the choice about what you’ll do upfront, you’ll know what to do when fear shows up.

How do I deal with other people’s comments about my reinvention?

The first thing to understand is that the idea of career reinvention scares many people, not just you! These well-meaning (or not so well-meaning) folk will make it their business to let you know of all the potential hazards you’ll face should you undertake such a difficult endeavor. They’re usually giving voice to your innermost fears, which is why their comments seem so threatening. But as a general rule, these people have never actually reinvented their own career! Rock climbers expect people to freak out when they mention their plans. They don’t internalize the fears of ‘armchair experts’; instead, they talk about their plans with other climbers. Take a page from their playbook and talk about your career reinvention plans only with others who are on the same path.

 

To be continued...