Are you considering a career transition? Are you unemployed? If so, you’ll need to manage money wisely. Here are some tips:

Prepare.
Planning and the willingness to live on less temporarily will stretch the time you can go without a full-time job. You’ll not only have more time to fin that ideal position, you’ll also eliminate a financially controlled deadline.

Before making a career shift, determine how long you can live without an income. How much can you live on and where will you get it? A careful review of expenses and potential income may disclose that you can manage several months without a salary.

Create a Budget.
Identify your monthly income. List all current income sources like salary, unemployment benefits or severance pay (if applicable), interest/dividends, savings, and partner’s income. Also itemize assets that an be converted into cash including pension funds, insurance policies, and stocks. Identify future income sources such as student loans or assistance from relatives.

Next, identify expenses. Include housing, education, furniture, clothing, dry cleaning, medical and other insurance, entertainment, car, utilities, food and restaurants, taxes, job hunting and miscellaneous costs. Add 15 percent as a cushion.

Identify ways you can lower your standards temporarily. Look for ways to cut. Involve family members in financial discussions. List a lower figure for each expense.

Conserve cash.
Live frugally. Saving early in the process will enable you to have enough for essentials later. Will your old car do? Do you need to eat our as much? Discipline yourself. Use coupons. Look at your needs, rather than wants. But do treat yourself sometimes.

Identify additional income sources.
Get a part-time survival job. Work as a sales clerk, waiter, delivery person. Register with a temp agency. Can a family member help? Any income helps.

Contact your creditors. Work out interest-only or reduced payments early. Most will cooperate. Reduce credit card purchases. Pay cash to save interest charges and prevent overspending. If you must credit, pay the full balance each month. Cash in “luxury” assets. Comparison shop for insurance and other necessities. Trade down to a less costly home or share a residence.

Deduct job hunting expenses from your federal income tax if you’re moving to similar work.
These “miscellaneous deductions” require receipts. Allowable expenses include employment or career counseling, resume costs (typing, duplicating and mailing), phone and transportation. If you’re relocating to another city, you can deduct some moving expenses. Education costs are also deductible if you’re upgrading your skills to maintain or enhance your present job or salary. However, if you’re changing fields, establishing a business, or have been unemployed for more than a year, you can’t deduct these. Contact and accountant or the IRS for more information.

Review health coverage.
Under the COBRA law, if you’ve worked for an employer that provided medical coverage and had 20 or more employees, you can continue your coverage. Call US Labor at (866) 487-2365 or check their website at www.dol.gov/dol/pwba. If you’re not insured, investigate other options at the same site. Many local clinics provide services on a sliding scale fee. Better, stay healthy. Attend to minor ills.

Borrow.
Some debt is okay provided it excludes mortgage payments and doesn’t exceed 10 to 15 percent of your income. The easiest loan option to negotiate comes from parents. To maintain family harmony, agree on an interest rate and repayment schedule. Consult an accountant to determine if it’s taxable. Credit unions are often cheaper and easier than banks. If you deal with a bank, shop around. Consider borrowing from your 401K, your company profit sharing plan, your life insurance policy or stock investments. Check the feasibility of a home equity loan or reverse mortgage to tap your home equity.

Research financial assistance options.
Check The National Center for Financial Education (NCFE) website at www.ndfe.org.

Numerous state and federal programs offer financial assistance for post-secondary education and training. Contact the student or financial aid department of the institutions you are considering for additional information.

Review your employer benefit programs to determine what services they provide employees to manage transition and education expenses.

Keep abreast of changes in your job, industry and geographic locale. Adult and continuing education is required for employment in changing times.

Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life shows how Questers cut costs to achiever desired life career goals. https://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1508408963

Dr. Carole Kanchier, registered psychologist, career and personal growth expert, and author of the award winning, Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life, has cut costs many times to navigate her life career transitions.

At the root of any successful person, is self-discipline. Whether it’s success in their personal, professional or other life activities, it starts with an intention to be self-disciplined. Thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and habits, must all be kept in check!

Successful people have learned how to use self-discipline to attain desired goals. So can you!

Do You Have Self-Control?
Answer yes or no.

1. I’m pretty good at resisting temptations to go out for lunch when I need to complete a project before leaving work.
2. I have a hard time breaking bad habits such as chewing gum when I meet with clients.
3. I often say things at work without thinking.
4. I behave inappropriately at employer social gathering, at times.
5. If something at work is fun, I’ll probably do it, even if I know my supervisor may not approve.
6. I refuse to eat junk foods at coffee breaks.
7. I’m good at working toward long-term work goals.
8. I sometimes I call in sick even if I’m not.
9. Occasionally, I can’t stop myself from taking home office supplies even if I know it’s wrong.
10. Co-workers say I have amazing self-discipline.
11. Computer games sometimes keep me from getting work done.
12. At times, I do more than my share of the work so tend to get burned out.

Scoring and Interpretation: 1 point for each ‘yes’ statements 1, 6, 7, and 10; and each ‘ no’ statements 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, and 12. Add your scores. The higher your score the more self-control you seem to have. To strengthen self-discipline, try suggestions below:

Until recently, research on self-control focused almost exclusively on the benefits of having a lot of it. People who are good at keeping themselves in line also tend to be more successful in school and work; they also have better physical and mental health.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to be quite so perfect all the time and some newer studies are now investigating the negative side of having too much self-control including the tendency of supervisors to have high expectations on workers with good self discipline, and people dumping too much work on colleagues with higher self control.

How can one person be so conscious of what they do daily while others simply throw caution to the wind? The answer to this question lies in our habits. Since about forty percent of our behavior is habit-driven, you must break bad habits.

We spend years etching neural pathways in our brains. These pathways take on specific functions such as cycling, smoking, or preparing coffee lattes. Neural pathways automate repeated behaviors in an effort to reduce the conscious-processing power in the mind. This allows the mind to focus on newer things rather than the mundane.

Developing Self Discipline

• Think positively Think and talk about what you want. View setbacks as learning opportunities. Every time you hear your inner voice criticize, think of something positive to say such as “I’m learning.” Listen in inspirational tapes; read motivational books. Begin each day with positive thoughts. Associate with optimistic, supportive people.
• Strengthen confidence. Know and accept yourself. Prepare a list of positive achievements and personality characteristics. Post this where you can read it daily.
• Reward yourself. Each morning think of something positive to do for yourself. Every time you pull through a challenging or negative experience, give yourself a treat.
• Enjoy success. Measure yourself by what you have done, what you are doing, and what you can do. Keep a daily, weekly, or monthly record of your accomplishments and build on these. Each day do something a little better than yesterday. The exhilaration of achievement will make you feel good.
• Build desired self-discipline habits. Start small. Repeat desired habits daily. Instead of promising a full 45-minute work out every day, commit to a 5-minute walk around the block. But ensure the workout is exercised every day. This is easy to do because it’s small.
• Set short and long-term goals. Write these down. Ensure they’re specific and measurable. Develop a plan indicating how you will attain these. Track your progress towards goal attainment. It’s harder to get distracted when you can see the results. And your subconscious mind will find less ways to lie to you or help you cover up the truth. Every morning, create daily goals, identify the most important task that needs to be done during the day. Act.
  Ensure your goal is consistent with your purpose. Intend to achieve these. “I intend to lose 10 pounds by February 15, 2019.” “I’m enrolling in a computer programming class offered by Institution X on January 22, 2019.” Visualize your goals. See yourself completing the computer programming course with competence and confidence.
• Make choices in advance. If your goal is to pay attention at meetings, choose to leave your phone at your desk. You can’t play with it if it’s not there. If you want to become more self-disciplined about food, ask the waitress to box up half your meal before she puts It in front of you or choose to always eat just half of the sandwich.
  If you want to get on top of your emails, decide how many emails you’ll respond to before doing something else. Just decide before the situation presents itself and you’ll find it a lot easier to remain steadfast.
• Make lists. Start your day with a list of daily tasks you need to accomplish. Everything from emails to grocery shopping can go on the list.
• Use technology Some technology tools can help build self-discipline. Additionally, you can set timers hat limit the amount of time you spend playing a game, or on your favorite time-wasting website. Fitbit, for example, motivates people to reach health and fitness goals by tracking their workout activities, exercise, sleep, weight and more.
• Plan and practice. When you make decisions in advance, you reduce temptations. If you want to stay sober and professional at the office holiday party, decide in advance that you will limit alcohol intake. If you want to eat healthily, grocery shop when you’re full.
  Identify ways to make the things you struggle with less available. For instance, if snacking on salty carbs is a disaster for your diet, don’t buy the potato chips.

If you know you may have a challenging time talking with your boss about a particular topic, plan what to say in advance. Then, schedule the discussion for the time of day when you both have the most stamina and self-discipline.

You will not make yourself perfectly disciplined overnight, but, if you focus on the forgoing, and keep mind, body and spirit in top working order, you’re on your way to success.

Living a self-disciplined life gives you feelings of accomplishment and confidence. You’ll gain a sense of purpose, inner peace, and greater control over your personal and professional life. Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life by Carole Kanchier, offers additional ways of strengthening self discipline at work. https://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1508408963

Do you like working for your current organization? Does it enable to express your purpose, satisfy your needs, and use your interests, skills and other characteristics? Do you know what kind of company culture would best fit you?

Organizational culture is defined as the underlying beliefs, assumptions, values and ways of interacting that contribute to the unique social and psychological environment of an organization.

A good company-culture fit is important for job satisfaction, and personal and professional growth. It’s a critical but often neglected element of the job search process.

Organizational cultures
There are numerous way of categorizing company cultures. A simple way of classifying a company culture is bureaucratic, innovative or supportive. 

To clarify your preferred organizational culture, indicate the importance each of the following characteristics has for you, using the following criteria: 0 – not important, 1 – somewhat important, 2 – very important.

My ideal work organization
a. Has written procedures and policies.
b. Promotes individuality and creativity.
c. Encourages close working relationships.
 
a. Emphasizes systematic, efficient operation.
b. Has active, dynamic people.
c. Has friendly, warm people.
 
a. Has clear lines of authority and responsibility.
b. Develops a competitive, challenging environment.
c. Has people who trust and help one another.
 
a. Has rules that specify appropriate behavior.
b. Drives people toward excellence.
c. Fosters cooperative behavior.
 
a. Is prestigious and well established.
b. Is enterprising and entrepreneurial.
c. Is comfortable and secure.
 
a. Has a formal management style.
b. Has optimistic, progressive leadership.  
c. Has supervisors who give encouragement.
 
a. Stresses position, title and rank.
b. Encourages risk-taking and high expectations.
c. Emphasizes fair and equal treatment.
 
a. Has well structured work roles.
b. Has a stimulating atmosphere.
c. Has harmonious work relationships.
 
a. Is organized and business like.
b. Exerts pressure to get things done.
c. Has a team approach.
 
Scoring and interpretation
12 or more A points, suggests you’re motivated by power and prestige. You like bureaucratic, hierarchical companies that have clear lines of authority, fixed divisions of labor and a solid standing in the business community. You’re comfortable in structured, stable, power-oriented companies with written rules and guidelines.
 
Twelve or more B points indicate you’re motivated to accomplish challenging goals, are willing to risk, and set high expectations for yourself. You’re individualistic, ambitious. You prefer innovative cultures that are stimulating, creative, adventurous, competitive, enterprising and achievement-oriented.
 
Twelve or more C points implies you like developing relationships and friendships. You like supportive cultures which emphasize harmony, trust, equality, security, warmth and safety. You value colleagues who are sociable, friendly, cooperative, and encouraging.
 
Finding the right organization
 
Although bureaucratic, innovative, and supportive cultures exist in all organizations to varying degrees, many have an overall company culture as well as distinct subcultures. The overall culture of a large company may be bureaucratic but it may have an innovative research and development subculture, and a supportive clerical and maintenance subculture.
 
The type of industry also contributes to the company culture. What types of workplaces attract you? For example, would you want to work in a manufacturing company, hospital, airport, bank, museum, hotel, police station, university, retail store, your own business, private home, library, engineering firm, or other? Check the internet and telephone directories to identify the types of organizations that appeal to you.
 
Additional information about organizations can be obtained from a variety of sources including printed materials, the internet, informational interviews and company visits. Consult company annual reports, newspaper business sections, trade journals, business magazines, and directories such as those published by Dun and Bradstreet (Million Dollar Directory) and Moody’s Investors Services. Chambers of commerce, libraries, and your business contact network are valuable resources.
 
When researching companies identify: 1) mission statement; 2) structure, including number of employees, departments and hiring managers; 3) products made or services provided; 4) type of employees and your compatibility;  5) problems that need attention and how you can help; 6) supervisory, decision-making and communication styles; 7) promotional policies; 8) benefits, wage structure, and potential salary range; 9) history and growth prospects; 10) image, rank among competitors; 11) work space and employee morale; 12) professional development opportunities; 13) political environment; and 14) concern for employee health, safety, family and well-being.
 
If you do your research, you’ll find a company that has a culture, mission statement and other characteristics compatible with your personality, career goals, and desired organizational requirements.
 
Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life by Carole Kanchier, offers additional suggestions for finding a good person-company fit. https://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1508408963

Are you unemployed? Has your partner been laid off? Do stories about layoffs worry you?

Don’t despair. Unemployment can be a blessing in disguise. Regardless of age or occupation, people who have positive attitudes, work hard, and take time to reevaluate goals usually come out ahead. They become stronger, wiser, more confident and fully employed.

Weathering unemployment 

1. Understand basic psychological principles. Accept and come to terms with the layoff. Your mind and body need time to digest it. The five emotional stages dismissed employees typically go through are shock and disbelief, fear and anxiety, anger and blame, acceptance and exploration of new possibilities, and commitment to action.

Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life by Carole Kanchier elaborates on these stages of unemployment. https://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1508408963

2. Express feelings and thoughts. Advise family and friends of the layoff. Their support, information and referral sources are crucial. Discuss responsibilities, values and goals with your partner.

Write about concerns, plans and questions you want to address. Join a support group for people facing the same challenge. Meet regularly to vent anger, generate ideas and receive encouragement and feedback. Consider counseling.

3. Develop a healthy lifestyle. Take care of your mind, body, emotion and spirit. Schedule quiet times to reassess. Practice stress relievers such as exercising and meditating. Eat healthy, get sufficient sleep, reduce alcohol intake. Take time for fun.

Change perceptions. A major stressor is the perception that we can’t cope and don’t have options. Believe you can cope and DO have options.

4. Maintain optimism. Your attitude about yourself determines others’ perceptions. Reinforce the positive in yourself and others. Expect good things. Watch your “self-talk.” When you think or say something that fuels fear, replace it with a positive statement.

5. Develop a routine. Create a work area. Job search is a full-time job. Schedule job search activities like normal business appointments. Keep a log of calls and follow-up actions.

Update your resume using key words listed in job descriptions. Proof read correspondence. Then market yourself.

Leave the house. Attend seminars. Volunteer. You’ll feel good, meet people and be available when opportunities arise.

6. Manage money. Planning and willingness to live on less stretches finances.  Create a budget. Cut expenses. Look at needs rather than wants.

Use coupons, negotiate reduced payments with creditors, comparison shop. Consider a more inexpensive residence. Can family members cut expenses? Work part-time? Think about borrowing.

7. Get a part-time, survival job. Work as a sales clerk or waiter to bring money in. Register with temp agencies.

8. Know what you want. Identify your purpose and the skills, needs and other qualities you want met in your job. Explore compatible options. Clarify your goal and develop an action plan.

Don’t select a job because it’s in demand. It’s difficult to maintain enthusiasm when you’re not excited about positions.

9. Network. Join alumni or civic groups. Attend career fairs, trade shows and professional meetings. Identify people who can connect you with organizational decision makers. Maintain contact with references. Show appreciation for assistance.

10. Use varied search strategies. Don’t passively respond to ads listed in your field. Peruse ads in many fields. Management positions are often listed in construction, retail or education.

Look for hidden leads. Newspaper or television stories describing new products may suggest positions with new  or expanding companies.  Try executive recruiting firms. Consider relocating.

Contact company hiring managers. Request and prepare for interviews. Follow-up contacts. If nobody responds, call or email again. Don’t take rejection personally.

11. Develop luck-facilitating attitudes and strategies.  Luck is being prepared when opportunities arise. Become open to new experiences.  Challenge conventional beliefs. Recognize and seize opportunities.

Don’t fear mistakes. Ask: “What’s the worst that could happen?” Decide whether you could live with the worst scenario or take steps to reduce the chance of it happening. Instead of worrying about failure, think about opportunities you’ll miss if you don’t try!

12. Manage fear. Identify worrisome issues. Minimize these using appropriate information and resources. Live in the present. Don’t worry about what might happen.

13. Practice imagery daily. Imagine yourself living your goal today. See yourself performing your goal while in a relaxed state. Experience it. Notice how it feels, smells, sounds.

View unemployment as an opportunity to revitalize your career. Believe you’re beginning a wonderful new chapter in your life.

Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life, by Carole Kanchier, offers additional strategies for managing unemployment and starting a wonderful new chapter in your life career. http://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1508408963

The telephone is the most common business tool and its proper use is essential for career advancement.

Talking with a potential client, customer or colleague on the phone can sometimes be challenging. Without seeing an individual’s face, messages can become muddled and meanings misinterpreted.

To strengthen telephone communication skills, ace the following:

Make a great first impression

Show the caller you’re helpful, confident, competent.

When you answer the phone, smile as you greet the person on the other end of the line.  A smile creates positive energy which translates to the person on the other end.

Speak briskly but pronounce words clearly. When you talk fast, you may sound hurried or excited, and are difficult to understand. When you speak too slowly, you may sound tired, lazy or uninterested.

Strive for an energy level that matches your normal conversation. A soft voice suggests shyness or uncertainty; a loud voice implies anger or worry. Be alert to your caller’s needs. If he’s having trouble hearing, speak louder, more slowly.

Control your rate of speech and pitch. The average individual speaks at a pace of 130 to 150 words per minute. Try to match this rate while on the phone.

Keep your voice pitch moderate. A high pitch connotes youth and may fail to suggest an authoritative image. A low pitch may sound harsh.  Find a middle ground, and vary your inflection to ensure you sound natural, interested. A monotone sounds boring, unenthusiastic.

Use the person’s name

As soon as you receive a caller or customer’s name, write it down. This will help you remember the person’s name, and will personalize the call for you.

Include it naturally throughout the conversation. Don’t be afraid to ask them for the proper pronunciation. Most customers will appreciate this gesture.  Get the spelling correct, too. Callers will value the personal touch you provide with a name

Be genuine

Avoid scripted greetings as most sound artificial, inauthentic.

When you answer the phone include the company’s name, the department, your name, and offer your assistance by giving the caller requested information. This shows you’re a professional ready and willing to be of assistance.

Provide the person with honest answers. Use positive words to ensure a pleasing exchange.  Avoid phrases such as “I don’t know,” or “I can’t do that,”  State what you can do to help, and specify how long a hypothetical task may take.

Be courteous, respectful

Always say hello and identify yourself. Ask how you can help. Use courtesy words, “Thank you for waiting.”  If you need to put the caller on hold, ask, and wait for an answer. If you need to phone back, indicate when you’ll call.

End the call positively

Ensure the caller understands the information you passed along before hanging up. Summarize your conversation. Ask the person, “Is there any other information I can give you?” Answer any final questions he or she may have to ensure complete comprehension and satisfaction. Also, provide any information that the caller might need in the future. If the person needs to call back, share optimal contact times and with whom he or she should speak.

When all of necessary information has been shared, finish the call in a friendly manner. Say, “Have a nice day” or, “It was nice talking with you.” Let the customer know you are willing to assist anytime.

Let the caller hang up first. This gives the person control of the ending as well as an opportunity to ask further questions.

To ensure mastery of telephone communication skills, review the following periodically.

Effective telephone communication skills

When making calls:

• State your message briefly and clearly
• Leave your name, organization and phone number, repeating these twice, slowly and clearly
• Give the full name of the person for whom you’re leaving the message
• State the date and time of the call
• State whether you’ll call back or you’d like the other person to call
• Ask for a return call at a time you’ll be available

When receiving calls:

• Identify yourself
• Use courtesies such as “Please hold while I complete another call
• Offer to take messages when you’re answering for someone
• Repeat the caller’s name and number to make sure they’re correct
• Speak in a professional manner
• Does your answering machine have a pleasant, professional and courteous message? Leave a good impression

Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life, by Carole Kanchier, offers additional strategies for succeeding in your life career. http://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1508408963.

It’s crucial to make a great impression at your job interview. The interview usually determines whether you will receive a job offer.

Interviews are a two way street. Both you and the employer are evaluating each other. You want to convince the employer you’re the best candidate for the position, and get information to evaluate the company. The employer wants to determine your qualifications and motivation, whether you’ll fit into the company’s culture, and your cost effectiveness.

The Mock Interview
To sharpen your interview skills, practice a mock interview with two friends. Ask one to be the interviewer, and the second to be the observer who will evaluate your performance using the following criteria:

First Impression
1. Is well groomed and appropriately dressed.
2. Presents resume targeted to position.
3. Demonstrates optimism and energy.
4. Talks clearly and distinctly.

Body Language
5. Appears relaxed, poised.
6. Has good posture.
7. Leans forward.
8. Maintains eye contact.
9. Maintains open position (arms not crossed, etc.)

Content
10. Communicates job objective.
11. Expresses why job is wanted.
12. Demonstrates skills relative to job sought.
13. Relates past accomplishments to job skills.
14. Demonstrates interest and enthusiasm for job.
15. Answers questions with confidence.
16. Turns weaknesses into strengths.
17. Asks questions about the job and organization.
18. Avoids “yes” or no” responses.

Closing
19. Asks when interviewer will make contact regarding the hiring decision.
20. Thanks interviewer by name for the experience.

Scoring: Two points for demonstrating excellent or very good behaviors, and one for fair behaviors on each of the 20 given criteria:
36 – 40: You’re hired!
30 – 35: You may get the job.
20 – 29: You need more interview practice.
11 – 19: You need much more practice.
0 – 10: You need to do more work on all aspects of career planning and job search.

Preparation is Key
Preparation is crucial for successful interviews. Before the interview, research the organization and the job. Call any contacts to get an insider’s perspective. Be conversant with the company’s products and services, and recent developments in the industry. Prepare questions to ask and review those that may be asked of you. Then plan how to manage and structure the interview to your advantage.

Be ready to discuss your background and to state the contribution you can make. Outline your top five selling points. Practice your delivery. Use a tape reorder or video, role-play with a friend, or get feedback from a counselor. Know the complete names and correct titles of all interviewers. Program your mind for success. Visualize yourself performing well.

Dress professionally. Take a note pad, copies of your updated resume targeted to the job, and written lists of questions and references. Radiate energy, enthusiasm and optimism. Confidently offer examples of how you’ll contribute to the company.

Be genuine; smile when appropriate. Listen carefully and answer all questions directly. If you’re unsure, ask for clarification before responding. Get information to evaluate the position by asking questions.

Don’t share negative comments about former employers. Never negotiate a salary until you’ve been offered the job. If pressed, speak in terms of a pay range based on the going salary in your field. Close the interview effectively by emphasizing your key skills and why you should be hired. Ask for a time and date to call back to learn of your status. Never turn down a job offer on the spot.

Send a thank you note within 48 hours after the interview.  Follow up with a phone call if you haven’t been notified within a month.

Before accepting any position, get all the facts. Note your gut reactions to the people and work environment. Get the offer confirmed in writing once you and the employer have reached an agreement on all aspects of the job.

Don’t take rejection personally. If you don’t get the position, ask for feedback on your qualifications and interview performance.

Practice makes perfect. You can enhance your job interview skills. Best wishes.

Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life, by Carole Kanchier, offers additional tips for acing interviews: https://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1508408963.