Entrepreneurs (current or wanna-be), take note!

Anyone in the NYC area knows that finding work space -- particularly for a single practitioner, and particularly in Manhattan -- is nothing short of horrendous.  For a start-up business, it can be prohibitively expensive, meaning that many entrepreneurs are reduced to working out of Starbucks or the many public atrium spaces that dot Manhattan.  Privacy, however, which is usually a necessity when doing one-on-one consulting, is impossible in those locations.  Also, for many potential clients, the idea of a consultant or business without an office or established address might be a turn-off.

Which is why In Good Company was created by two phenomenal women entrepreneurs, who themselves were finding it difficult to find space.  IGC provides work space for other women entrepreneurs: desk space, small meeting rooms and a large conference room, plus individual, rentable offices.  Home to a great variety of businesses, it's the place where I see my clients and will be holding future workshops.

Just as important, however, is the fact that In Good Company not only provides workspace, it provides a community for the entrepreneurs who use the space.  Workshops, discussion groups, training sessions and more are available to members.  To get a sense of the combined wisdom, industry knowledge and expertise of the IGC members, you just need to look at IGC's blog, the link to which I've provided below.  I've also provided the link to their website, so that you can see photos of the work spaces.

Entrepreneurs, this may be the catalyst you need to get you started on your dreams!

http://ingoodcompany.com/blog/

http://ingoodcompany.com/

Be prepared -- it's not just the Boy Scout motto anymore!

Once upon a time, if you were looking for a job, were between jobs, or wanted to change careers, you picked up the classified section of your local newspaper, looked up kind of the job you wanted, found a couple of openings that looked interesting, and mailed your resume and cover letter in response. 

That was then.  As anyone knows, who hasn't been under a rock for the last 15 years, the job search has changed totally.  It's more sophisticated.  It's more complex.  You need to know more about yourself, about potential employers, about the job market, the economy, and where to look for openings.

Here's another change: You cannot wait to start job hunting until your current job goes away, until you want to kill your boss, or until you're notified of an impending layoff.  Job searches take time.  Lots of time.  And the preparation is enormous.

Some tips for preparing for your job search:

1.  The preparation doesn't stop.  From now on, every professional will need to be continuously in job search mode.  If  you stop you lose traction, you lose up-to-the-minute information, you lose contacts.  Keep up your professional knowledge and your professional connections; you'll need them, and possibly more quickly than you think.

2.  Join and participate actively in professional associations.  Mingle, meet new people, listen to the speakers.  You'll pick up the vital information you'll need about what's going on in your field with regard to technical updates, economic changes, mergers, potential downsizings and industry gossip.

3.  Gain expertise in social media, particularly LinkedIn.  80% to 85% of Fortune 1000 companies now use LinkedIn as their primary source for identifying job candidates.  Stop relying solely on company job postings, job aggregators and headhunters.  LinkedIn has approximately 90 million members worldwide, using the computer's power to remember connections as no human being can.  Use it to connect with others in your field, others with your passions, others who can exchange information with you and help you get noticed.

You're the one you need to rely on...

In the beginning was the blog...

Jobs, and job creation, are everywhere in the news right now.  Career information is as available as logging on to any server.  We're in the middle of a recession -- and I don't care what the government entities think, we're still in the middle of a recession -- and those who are just entering the job market from school are worrying about what they'll do for the rest of their lives; those who have jobs are worried about losing them; those between jobs are worried about finding their next one; and those who are approaching retirement are concerned about whether they'll be stuck playing shuffleboard for the next 30 years...

Where are YOU in this picture?  What's your situation, and what concerns do YOU have about your current job, your vision for your career, your long-term goals and...well...your happiness?  What, in fact, is your definition of success?  And do you know how to achieve it?

I envision this blog as a place where all kinds of people can read, learn and share information about what is, in the good ol' American way, one of the crucial things that defines who you are and where you fit into the world around you: your career.  Please join me in exchanging thoughts, ideas, suggestions, questions, answers and comments about anything and everything related to identifying your direction, knowing the value that you can add to an employer's success...and living a satisfying professional life.

Announcing...the new Career Charisma Blog!!

I'm pleased to announce that Career Charisma now has a blog...