[Think As Inc.] February 24, 2008 Newsletter http://ezezine.com Your life is a business. You have a: MISSION: the reasons you live your life; BRAND: the message you project to the world; PRODUCT LINE: the skills and qualities that are your unique assets; BOTTOM LINE: your financial picture; CLIENT BASE: professional, personal, and don’t forget, yourself. Your life is YOUR business, and you are its CEO. IN THIS ISSUE Something to Think About: THE FUN FACTOR Something to Do: INVESTING YOUR MONEY…IN YOUR JOB Inspirational Quotes: BILLY WILDER News and Upcoming Events THE FUN FACTOR People have different ideas of what is fun: skydiving, performing on stage, or reading a dense book can all be fun to the right person. Understanding what is fun for you is useful for career management. If you can keep the fun in your life, you’re more likely to stick to your goals, to have energy for your work, and to be a good colleague. The first step to exploiting your fun factor for maximum career advantage is to identify it. Is there something in your job that is particularly fun (e.g., meeting with clients, giving presentations, crunching numbers)? Can you do more of what is fun? If there is nothing at work, is there something you can do outside of work to have your fun? There will still be indirect benefits to your career in terms of increased fulfillment and the passion and energy that comes from that. If there is nothing at work and you decide that there needs to be, then use your fun factor to help guide your next job search. Secondly, make a commitment of time, energy and money for your fun. At work, use your most productive hours for the things you enjoy. You might think that your extra productivity should be spent on the tasks you don’t like so you can muscle through them. But you need to work on your strengths as well as your weaknesses. Doing your fun work when you’re energized means you’ll throw that much more passion and interest behind your work. It’s okay to look for the fun in the work. Fun is not a superficial need. Having fun increases your focus, your energy and your connection to what you’re doing. Fun people are nice to be around. The benefits of fun yield career benefits as well. INVESTING YOUR MONEY…IN YOUR JOB When you think of investing money, you probably think of retirement planning, college funding options, or saving a cash reserve. Your job gives you the money to invest. You might not think of your job as a place to put back your money. Yet, what you do with your money has repercussions on what you can do with your career. See how you spend your money, and see if you are investing in your career: Do you subscribe to trade journals and newspapers to keep abreast of industry trends? Is it worth $25, $50, $100 a year for information that might close a thousand-dollar sale or get a bigger raise? Do you use your lunch hour to catch up with colleagues within the company, the industry, and your overall network? Is it worth $10, $20, $50 to find a mentor, figure out what’s emerging, or hear about a new opportunity? Do you regularly update your professional wardrobe? Is it worth $250, $500, $1,000 for a look that might contribute to a promotion? Do you pay yourself first and set aside a cash reserve? Is it worth one less evening out per week for security in a downturn or freedom to capitalize on an unexpected opportunity? Do you attend career seminars and other professional training? Is it worth $100, $500, $1,000 for skills that contribute to more effective time management, work/life balance, or faster career progression? Your money can make a powerful investment in your career. How much are you investing back into your career? How much is your career worth to you? INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE Trust your instincts. Your mistakes might as well be your own instead of someone else’s. -- Billy Wilder NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS This Wed, Feb 27, 9p EST, I will be leading a free Ask-A-Recruiter teleclass based around your questions. This is your chance to get an inside view on the recruiting process and ask specifically what you want to know about your job search or career management issues. Please email info@sixfigurestart.com for the call-in details and to submit your questions. I am currently recruiting for a corporate social networking firm in their Project Management and Client Services areas. I am looking for a variety of roles, from 3 years to 10 years of experience. Internet/ tech background, client-facing experience, and strategic/ problem solving skills are needed. A more specific job description is available for each of the positions I am recruiting for. Please email me for more info or to refer qualified candidates: cenizalevine@yahoo.com If you have friends who may want to join the distribution list, please have them visit http://home.ezezine.com/2034/ to sign up. You can also see previous newsletters at that link. All information is copyright © Caroline Ceniza-Levine 2008 www.thinkasinc.com