In this episode, Marc shares the chapter, “To Get What You Need You Must Know What You Need” from his upcoming book, Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the Second Half of Life, currently available for pre-order in March, and available on Amazon, in April, 2017.
Key Takeaways:
[:57] Marc starts this episode by thanking you listeners for your reviews. Repurpose Your Career now has a Five Star rating! Marc shares one review, and will share one review per episode, for the next few weeks. If you haven’t left your review, Marc has instructions for how to do it, linked below.
[2:50] If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there. When you’re tired of wandering, figure out what you want to be. What do you want out of life, and what role does your job play in that? It’s not just about pay, perqs, or a nice boss, but about your underlying needs that you may never recognize. Take an assessment to see.
[3:40] Marc tells how one woman was surprised at her need for status — to be aligned with key decision makers. When she didn’t have that, she felt frustrated. Many need to be in charge of their own schedules. Not getting what you need isn’t always as obvious as having an abusive boss or poor working conditions, but it can frustrate you.
[4:32] Rewards — One of the top reasons we change jobs is because we don’t feel valued. Most people want and need to feel rewarded for doing good work. Marc explores the various forms rewards can take. Marc learned he needs a pat on the back from his customers. When he was a high school math teacher, that was not to be had!
[5:50] Marc had a client who was increasingly depressed, because he praised others often, and he expected his boss to tell him when he was doing well. When he heard nothing, he feared he was in trouble, about to be fired, or not thought of highly. (He was excelling.) Marc suggested he talk to his boss, who was glad to know of his concern.
[6:47] Most managers want to know how to manage better, and they really can’t figure out all their different employees feedback styles. Some clients don’t push for compensation, and this can lead to pay inequity.
[7:10] Marc’s client’s boss gave bonuses, but not raises. Marc’s client wanted an increased paycheck! Some are best rewarded with time off. Others crave challenging projects; the chance to learn new skills. For some in nonprofits, or the military, the best reward is a mission that resonates with them. What kinds of rewards do you need?
[7:47] Freedom — The ability to take a two-hour client lunch without explaining it to anybody, go to a doctor’s appointment, or take a Friday afternoon off, and make it up Saturday morning. Or, freedom to use your imagination in creating products and solutions, or freedom to wear jeans, or work from home, or to speak your mind.
[8:15] Marc categorizes three freedoms: freedom from micromanagement, freedom to be creative and individualistic in your approach, and freedom from structure and rules. Most professionals want the freedom to do their job, and let everyone else get out of the way, as long as their results meet or exceed expectations.
[8:59] Freedom is increasingly important to employees. New, flatter hierarchies make it possible for employees to design their own jobs, as long as the work gets done. If you could create your own job description, in terms of freedom, what would it include?
[9:17] Respect and emotional support — Everybody needs to be respected. Everyone has different expectations and needs for communication with others. How do we select the job with the emotional support that suits us? Strategic networking is one tool to use to experience different work environments.
[10:37] Variety — One of the key happiness factors at work is how much variety you have. Marc tells of a woman who almost took a job with none of the features she wanted, and some she did not want. Marc asked her, did she really want that job? She did not. She changed her focus. Another client always needed chaos to clean up.
[15:47] Do you want a lot of variety? Look at these questions: Are you more or less productive when you have lots of things going on? At what point does multi-tasking become stressful to you? What happens when you are interrupted frequently? Think about the perfect culture for you, based on your positive experiences. Ask for that.
[17:14] Action Steps: Reflect back to the job that made you feel most rewarded. What did you receive that made you feel good? Write down what you need, including intangibles like freedom, respect, physical activity, and variety. Write down the kind of culture you prefer to work in: small or large company, established, or startup.
[17:45] Highlights to consider: Did you see yourself in that chapter? Work through the Action Steps. You will find it worthwhile. Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the Second Half of Life, is now available for pre-order on Amazon.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Audible.com Get a free audiobook download and free 30-day trial.
Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me
Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the Second Half of Life, by Marc Miller with Susan Lahey, available in the middle of April, 2017
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Elizabeth Rabaey has had to take multiple pivots to get where she is today. It wasn’t just one step. Elizabeth is a creative, with a love for details. She spent 25 years working for a Texas-based environmental engineering consulting company, providing project management, and technical assistance on many innovative engineering projects. During the last three years, she transitioned to the marketing and business development side of the company, which enabled her to combine both her creative and technical skills to promote the company. Recently Elizebeth found a new job working for an international company as a marketing coordinator. She provides her marketing, content development, and social media support for the North American division of her company, that sells equipment, products and services to the mining industry. She’s taken multiple steps, and in each one along the way, she’s learned something, and gained new skills. Marc and Elizabeth discuss several topics, including why she initiated her career pivots, where they took her, what she learned along the way, how long it took, and how she finally landed a position that meets her needs.
Key Takeaways:
[3:06] Elizabeth talks about working with Marc for five years to pivot her career journey. It takes longer than you might think to make major changes.
[4:15] Elizabeth’s first half of life included working for a year in St. Paul, MN, after college. Weather inspired her to move to Austin, where she worked for the state government for three years. Looking to private industry, she went to a small environmental engineering company, and worked there for 23+ years.
[4:53] Elizabeth had wonderful opportunities, and learned technical skills, like calculating air quality emissions, managing hazardous solid waste, planning around groundwater and stormwater, and more. She worked in many roles, and learned new software. There was always something new, and she had great mentors.
[6:07] One day, Elizabeth felt that she wanted more, and she opened the door to looking for a different opportunity. She felt like she had reached the end of what she wanted to do in that company. She also wanted to rein in her overtime and weekend hours, to make room for travel or volunteer activities.
[7:05] Where did Elizabeth start looking for direction? Where did she meet Marc Miller, and how did he catch her attention?
[8:14] At the Metropolitan Breakfast Club, Elizabeth met style and image consultant Jean LeFebvre. Used to T-shirts and shorts, Elizabeth needed a new image. Jean started by tossing out all Elizabeth’s clothes, and then she helped her select a business wardrobe. Jean LeFebvre has had remarkable success with many of Marc’s clients.
[11:17] What did Elizabeth do to improve her networking skills? She has three opening questions to get the conversation going. Just get out, and do it! It’s necessary, and it takes practice. Do what you feel works for you. The Metropolitan Breakfast Club was a good place for Elizabeth to learn networking.
[13:43] Elizabeth talks about her job pivots. The first pivot came by way of a network contact at a bigger firm, where she got a job, and learned marketing and project management. How did she go back to her former firm, and what did she learn this time? Why did Elizabeth find it hard to market for engineers, and to guide them in marketing?
[20:20] How did Elizabeth find her current position? How did her five years of pivoting help her to get the job? What does she especially like about this job? How is it different from past roles?
[22:57] The most interesting thing: her company has no office in Austin. There are three employees who work in Austin from home, including Elizabeth’s boss. Jobs are largely becoming location independent. Jobs do not have to be where you live. Elizabeth feels it is a good place for her to be.
[24:51] One skill Elizabeth has now that was not in her dreams of five years ago: her application of social media for marketing and branding. Another skill: collaborating with separated project team members, using text, and conference calls. Let go of “the way you’ve always done it,” so you can grow. Elizabeth has learned to be a creative.
[30:44] Marc’s notes: It took a long time for Elizabeth to leave the environmental engineering world. She needed to maintain an income. It had to be done incrementally. Getting out would not be quick or easy. She nudged the firm forward in marketing for three years as she grew. She was very persistent, but leaned on a lot of people to help.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me
Elizabeth on LinkedIn: Elizabeth Rabaey
Elizabeth on Twitter: @2ndAct4Me
Jean LeFebvre, Panacheimages.com
Vicki McCullough, Sequitur Marketing
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John Tarnoff is Marc’s guest in this episode. John is a reinvention career coach, speaker and author who helps his fellow baby boomers transition to meaningful and sustainable careers beyond traditional retirement. Fired 39% of the time in his colorful career as a Los Angeles-based film producer, studio executive, and tech entrepreneur, he currently co-runs a graduate management program for a top university. In 2012, he developed the Boomer Reinvention Coaching Program, to help his generation stay active, engaged, relevant, and solvent. He is the author of Boomer Reinvention: How to Create Your Dream Career Over 50.
Marc and John discuss the twists in John’s career, before he pivoted to career coach and author. They share experiences and give advice to Baby Boomers looking to prepare for or to find a job for the second half of life. Listen in for an enthusiastic boost!
Key Takeaways:
[1:49] People ask John why he wrote this book! John is a guy who’s been fired a lot. He came late to the game, as part of a significant reinvention that happened the year he lost a business, at age 50.
[2:46] A former film studio production executive, he founded a tech company that failed when the bubble burst in 2001. He didn’t want to go back to the studios, and had no idea what to do. He felt there was something out there; he would have to figure out what! He went back to school for a psychology degree, to find tools for his next career.
[4:02] He went back to the industry in a different capacity, at Dreamworks Animation, with a focus on people. That led to his reinvention practice. He knew he couldn’t afford to retire, and that he was not alone. The economy was not going to come back. John wanted to help his generation lift themselves up by their bootstraps.
[6:17] Going back to school to figure out who you are is a job skill that is new in this generation. Mindfulness training and personal growth are looked at as business tools. In a fast-paced world, we need to be lifelong learners.
[8:43] The primary goal of the book is empowerment. John wants his readers to know that this is something they can do. Reinvention is within your reach. There are tools you can use. John provides steps and strategies, with a package of options to use.
[11:46] John turned the tables on a client by asking if they were applying their advice for their customers to themselves. Apply the principles you use in your business, on yourself. Your new career is likely unknown to you, because you’re not thinking of how to port your abilities into a new career. Expand your reach horizontally.
[16:15] How long did it take Marc to get past the panic of not having a paycheck? It’s scary when you realize you are cut off from a paycheck, and you think you will never work again. “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” — Winston Churchill.
[17:29] There’s no time like today to start going, especially if you are still employed. Now is the time to start thinking about this eventual pivot, this reinvention, to that next second act career. Few have enough to retire.
[18:02] Episode 3, Joel Dobbs; Ep. 7, Mike O’Krent; and Ep. 11, Vicki McCullough are interviews with people who have successfully pivoted. Each one started with an idea, but didn’t proceed, then got an extra push from a second event, and finally, found that it turned out differently than they planned, so they had to adapt to the flow.
[19:27] John presents a five-part methodology in the book. These steps help you create the future by reconciling the past, and putting it to rest to go forward. The paradigm shift is that the job is already inside you. John walks through the steps. The steps involve introspection, writing, and external input from others. This job will be your last big shot.
[25:32] It’s all about the network. It’s really all about developing relationships with people. Online, LinkedIn are great ways to do this, when added to your ‘in real life’ relationships, where you meet people. 85% of jobs are filled through referrals.
[26:52] This is achievable. Start now. There is so much support out there for you, if you are thinking about changing your career around. Be proud of who you are and how old you are. Play down the age bias. Be proud of your experience, but be humble and open to new ways of doing things, to becoming part of a multi-generation job force.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me
Website: JohnTarnoff.com
Website: Boomer Reinvention
Twitter: @JohnTarnoff
Boomer Reinvention: How to Create Your Dream Career Over 50, by John Tarnoff
For other episodes in the Pivot Interviews Series, listen to Episode 3, Episode 7, and Episode 11.
Please take a moment — go to iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play. Give this podcast a review and subscribe! If you’re not sure how to leave a review, please go to CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there.
In this episode, Marc answers Baby Boomer job search questions with his trusty sidekick, Elizabeth Rabaey. Listen, to pivot your career in the second half of life!
Key Takeaways:
[1:55] Elizabeth is a marketing coordinator for a company selling mining equipment. It is a new job for her, and she is enjoying learning new things. She will discuss her career pivots in a later episode.
[3:09] Q1: My two friends and I are 60+ years old. We live in expensive cities where homeownership is daunting. I moved to Seattle expecting to stay, but now I’m willing to move just about anywhere for worthwhile nonprofit work. Where should I look?
[3:55] A1: This person in their late 60s moved to Seattle to find worthwhile work, without really understanding the location. After two years of being unemployed, the goal is to teach ESL. Some states require certification, others go by ability. Marc suggests finding two locations, network, and ask about requirements, and work to qualify there.
[6:07] Nonprofits want to know who you are. If you don’t have experience, they may want you to volunteer first. Figure out what the demand is where you want to live. Talk to people at each location to get an idea of the market conditions for ESL teachers.
[8:35] Audibel is offering a free audiobook download, with a free 30-day trial. Marc recommends the book, Necessary Ending, by Dr. Henry Cloud. Go to AudibelTrial.com/RepurposeYourCareer for your free audiobook.
[9:20] Q2: I have had two interviews in a year. I have redesigned my resume, and I still get turned down for interviews. If this is age discrimination, how can I get around it?
[9:51] A2: As someone over 50, your next job will not come from applying for an interview. It will come from a relationship. Find someone at your target company, reach out, and connect. The hiring authority wants risk mitigation. Hiring from an internal referral is good.
[11:38] Search for weak ties — people you knew 15-20 years ago who like your experience. They will know people you don’t know.
[15:02] Q3: I’m working through depression. Part of the depression is not knowing what I am passionate about. What do you think?
[15:17] A: There are two issues: the depression, and thinking you have to know what you are passionate about. Marc’s most popular post is, “What if I’m not Passionate About Anything?”.You may be a multipotentialite. You have very broad interests, and you love to learn. You may get bored easily. Your depression may hold you back.
[20:39] Up to 20% of listeners may not have one passion. We’re not all wired the same..
[22:09] To submit any questions you’d like Marc to answer on this podcast, go to CareerPivot.com, click Contact Me, and type it in. Marc will run a Q&A session like this every month!
Mentioned in This Episode:
Careerpivot.com
AudibleTrial.com/RepurposeYourCareer/
Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me
Take a moment — go to iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play. Give this podcast a review and subscribe! If you’re not sure how to leave a review, please go to CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there.