Recently I re-read Gregg Levoy's magnificent book, Callings.
There must be hundred of books and courses out there about how to interview, write the perfect resume, and research potential employers or job opportunities (God bless'm all; they're all good stuff). Often lost in all the structural/process roadmaps, however, is guidance about connecting with what really calls to us - those mysterious, intuitive telltales that drive us inexplicably towards something beyond just structure, position, or pay.
That's where Callings excels. It's not just another "get in touch with your inner feelings" book; it provides a framework for how to identify the tangible and intangible factors that drive our sense of purpose, and how to respond to those influences in a way that can bring us not only peace of mind/being but also economic reward. It's the bookend counterpart to Marsha Sinetar's Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow; yet written in a way that transcends the one-dimensional apsect of "what's my ideal job." For Callings' true magic is ultimately about self-empowerment, and as aptly described on the back cover, enable us to recognize our callings, distinguish them from "siren songs", overcome our resistance, and prepare for what happens when we say "Yes" - or "No." By definition, "career" - or vocation - is one of the book's chief components.
I can honestly say Callings is in my top ten list of all-time books - maybe because of the many crossroads that my impatience, ambition and wanderlusting curiosity have placed me in. I don't believe that I would be doing what I love, and pursuing a true sense of career/vocational mission, if not for the impact of this book.
It's too much to think that in this time of budget crunches, that "non-structural" content like Callings will find its way into public school systems. However, it is of note that the University of Phoenix management doctorate program, along with numerous health & wellness and organizational development programs around the country (and outside) have embraced it.
Highly, highly recommended - it might not only "make your career" - it might save your life. Besides, its a helluva read - colorful, outrageous and oh-so-poignant...
Jun 25, 2008
Jun 20, 2008
Careers: Neural Marketing - the Next (Now) Frontier
Marketing (and other Business) majors are going to be walking into a world of market research that makes all preceding tried-and-true techniques seem primitive - the realm of Neural Marketing.
Neural marketing, for us lay-folks, allows market researchers a glimpse inside the brains of their potential customers to understand their (often unconscious!) preferences and tendencies. MRI data from research subjects, for example, may explain why you like Mozart and I prefer Beethoven - or, from a consumer point of view, why a taste test tilts towards Pepsi over Coke, yet a taste-test augmented by brand-recognition results in Coke besting Pepsi.
The reason? There are two separate brain systems--one involving taste and one recalling cultural influence--in the prefrontal cortex interact to determine preferences. This partially explains the old market-researchers' lament that "Focus groups lie"... point being, the test subjects are not dishonest, it's just that what they say they want versus what they really want (due to unconscious emotional attachements, reward stimulations, etc.) are often two different things. For example, they may say that low price is most important, but what's really important is better customer service...
So fascinating is the field that a 2007 study at NYU and UCLA, using electroencephalographs, could record clear differences in liberal vs. conservative brain patterns (note: this isn't just political, it's "how people think").
The implications of neural marketing are enormous, of course: Product designs and advertising campaigns will become more and more successful as vendors/marketers learn how to get their message - and appeal - through to customers already swimming in a deluge of confusing "TMI."
[ There are social implications, too - as neural marketing enables vendors to reinforce their product/service stimulus (known as 'priming' to advertisers) by amplifying the "pleasure" or "reward" part of consumers' brains, some fear we face an Orwellian future where consumers are nothing more than Pavlov's dogs (more than now, you wonder?) for the high priests of Madison Avenue. ]
I suspect that the marketing/business professional of the (near!) future will not only have to understand the traditional five P's (product, price, packaging, promotion and place) but also a modicum of statistics, IT, and even neuro-biology.
Hopefully, high school and college curricula, career centers and employer internships will soon be addressing neural marketing. Like globalization, it's here now, whether we like it or not, or even recognize it.
Neural marketing, for us lay-folks, allows market researchers a glimpse inside the brains of their potential customers to understand their (often unconscious!) preferences and tendencies. MRI data from research subjects, for example, may explain why you like Mozart and I prefer Beethoven - or, from a consumer point of view, why a taste test tilts towards Pepsi over Coke, yet a taste-test augmented by brand-recognition results in Coke besting Pepsi.
The reason? There are two separate brain systems--one involving taste and one recalling cultural influence--in the prefrontal cortex interact to determine preferences. This partially explains the old market-researchers' lament that "Focus groups lie"... point being, the test subjects are not dishonest, it's just that what they say they want versus what they really want (due to unconscious emotional attachements, reward stimulations, etc.) are often two different things. For example, they may say that low price is most important, but what's really important is better customer service...
So fascinating is the field that a 2007 study at NYU and UCLA, using electroencephalographs, could record clear differences in liberal vs. conservative brain patterns (note: this isn't just political, it's "how people think").
The implications of neural marketing are enormous, of course: Product designs and advertising campaigns will become more and more successful as vendors/marketers learn how to get their message - and appeal - through to customers already swimming in a deluge of confusing "TMI."
[ There are social implications, too - as neural marketing enables vendors to reinforce their product/service stimulus (known as 'priming' to advertisers) by amplifying the "pleasure" or "reward" part of consumers' brains, some fear we face an Orwellian future where consumers are nothing more than Pavlov's dogs (more than now, you wonder?) for the high priests of Madison Avenue. ]
I suspect that the marketing/business professional of the (near!) future will not only have to understand the traditional five P's (product, price, packaging, promotion and place) but also a modicum of statistics, IT, and even neuro-biology.
Hopefully, high school and college curricula, career centers and employer internships will soon be addressing neural marketing. Like globalization, it's here now, whether we like it or not, or even recognize it.
Jun 14, 2008
Careers: Telecommuting - Risks, Rewards and Remedies
Graduates entering the workforce are going to be increasingly presented with the opportunities - and challenges - of telecommuting. How employers and employees alike prepare for the risks and rewards of telecommuting will likely determine whether or not the initiative succeeds for a particular company.
While telecommuting numbers haven't lived up to their lofty pre-Millennium predictions (up to 55 million people), estimates vary wildly, from as few as 9 million Americans to nearly 45 million. No doubt, the discrepancy lies in the qualification of whether the tele-commuter is "full time" or "flex-time" (part time).I expect that with continued improvements in “Death of Distance” technologies – Wifi, Skype, Bluetooth, VOIP, and gigs of rapid-send imagery – (and TiVo for those who are goofing off!) this trend will only continue and possibly even accelerate.
Employers, career guidance professionals and educators alike will need to help these future leaders accomplish that. Their tool chest? Good ol’ fashioned composition, technical writing, phone etiquette, persuasive selling techniques, etc. – not to mention a whole new emphasis on organizational skills, now that the (ostensibly) ordered cubicle has no other watchdog than the employee him(her)self.
Perhaps even more focus on debate, diplomacy and other interpersonal etiquette - after all, there's something to be said for the rough-and-tumble of face-to-face communication and the organic synthesis that can yield from a closed-off conference room full of gesturing, interrupting, stammering, animated and otherwise conscientiously-committed employees. No online gadgetry can substitute for that priceless (and OK, occasionally ulcer-inspiring!) experience.
Jun 10, 2008
Careers: TEFL/TESL - Destination or Detour?
Let's face it, not all college graduates know what they want to do when they "grow up." (I didn't for the next two decades!).
Those with a little spunk and curiosity, however, may wish to check into teaching English abroad (TEFL - Teaching English as a Foreign Language). TEFL's a great way to finance one's world travels and meet friends, as well as being an invaluble communication asset to have in one's own skills portfolio.
It's true that the teach-English-abroad buzz has been going strong for several decades now; it's also true that TEFL/TESL programs have popped out of the academic woodpile like inlaws at a probate court. Good reason, though - English is the lingua franca (now there's an oxymoron!) of the business, legal and technical world, long having replaced French and German in the latter two. It's estimated by the International TEFL Corporation that as many as 300 million world citizens are actively studying English at present - in other words, the equivalent population of the U.S.
It used to be good enough if one was a native speaker - you could stand in front of a class and jabber all day (well, sort of.). Those days are largely gone with the wind. Contemporary programs require anywhere from 120-150 hours of classroom prep along with student teaching in order to become certified, and certification is more or less expected now at established programs around the world.
I dipped my toe into these pedantic waters a few years back when living in Santiago, Chile. My classmates were a collection of Americans and Canadians, ranging from 21 years old up to.. well, me.. Upon certification, opportunities abounded - on staff at the institute, at other language schools, even through free-lancing by just hanging one's own shingle at coffee shops and other social venues. The patrons ranged from individual citizens to corporations or government offices.
Here's my informed take, both as an insider and one who's talked with many veterans of the TEFL experience:
-- If you're willing to work unorthodox hours for modest pay (though often high by local standards); if you're willing to walk/train/bus commute to a variety of venues; and if you're flexible enough to drum up clients on your own to supplement your base hours; and if you're willing to continue the "communal" college life (shared apartments, cheap beer, meal deals, etc.) - you can more than break even and genuinely subsidize your stay in that country.
My wife and I, to be honest, weren't... we were on extended leave from the North American rat-race, were chilling after three months bouncing around Africa, and frankly were too interested in the scenery and thrills of Chile and Argentina to get too locked down into a routine. But that was just us...
I've met people of all ages who've worked their way around the world teaching English: three months in Budapest; six months in Bogota', three months in Bangkok, etc. It's not for everyone, but it can surely add some eyebrow-raising punch lines to one's resume during the free and unsettled years - or as an extended leave for the disaffected (yours truly.) It also can lead, for the dedicated, to a career path as directors of language institutes.
Good bets for getting work quickly? Latin America and Asia. Eastern Europe somewhat; Western Europe very difficult due to popularity and EU favoritism, which gives priority to teachers from member countries. (most TEFL in Africa seems to be done through missionary or other NGO services).
For those who want to want to really see the world without going broke or being "irresponsible," I can't think of a better way to spend a year or two... or perhaps, a decade?
Those with a little spunk and curiosity, however, may wish to check into teaching English abroad (TEFL - Teaching English as a Foreign Language). TEFL's a great way to finance one's world travels and meet friends, as well as being an invaluble communication asset to have in one's own skills portfolio.
It's true that the teach-English-abroad buzz has been going strong for several decades now; it's also true that TEFL/TESL programs have popped out of the academic woodpile like inlaws at a probate court. Good reason, though - English is the lingua franca (now there's an oxymoron!) of the business, legal and technical world, long having replaced French and German in the latter two. It's estimated by the International TEFL Corporation that as many as 300 million world citizens are actively studying English at present - in other words, the equivalent population of the U.S.
It used to be good enough if one was a native speaker - you could stand in front of a class and jabber all day (well, sort of.). Those days are largely gone with the wind. Contemporary programs require anywhere from 120-150 hours of classroom prep along with student teaching in order to become certified, and certification is more or less expected now at established programs around the world.
I dipped my toe into these pedantic waters a few years back when living in Santiago, Chile. My classmates were a collection of Americans and Canadians, ranging from 21 years old up to.. well, me.. Upon certification, opportunities abounded - on staff at the institute, at other language schools, even through free-lancing by just hanging one's own shingle at coffee shops and other social venues. The patrons ranged from individual citizens to corporations or government offices.
Here's my informed take, both as an insider and one who's talked with many veterans of the TEFL experience:
-- If you're willing to work unorthodox hours for modest pay (though often high by local standards); if you're willing to walk/train/bus commute to a variety of venues; and if you're flexible enough to drum up clients on your own to supplement your base hours; and if you're willing to continue the "communal" college life (shared apartments, cheap beer, meal deals, etc.) - you can more than break even and genuinely subsidize your stay in that country.
My wife and I, to be honest, weren't... we were on extended leave from the North American rat-race, were chilling after three months bouncing around Africa, and frankly were too interested in the scenery and thrills of Chile and Argentina to get too locked down into a routine. But that was just us...
I've met people of all ages who've worked their way around the world teaching English: three months in Budapest; six months in Bogota', three months in Bangkok, etc. It's not for everyone, but it can surely add some eyebrow-raising punch lines to one's resume during the free and unsettled years - or as an extended leave for the disaffected (yours truly.) It also can lead, for the dedicated, to a career path as directors of language institutes.
Good bets for getting work quickly? Latin America and Asia. Eastern Europe somewhat; Western Europe very difficult due to popularity and EU favoritism, which gives priority to teachers from member countries. (most TEFL in Africa seems to be done through missionary or other NGO services).
For those who want to want to really see the world without going broke or being "irresponsible," I can't think of a better way to spend a year or two... or perhaps, a decade?
Jun 7, 2008
Careers: Becoming an Expatriate ("expat")
Educators committed to preparing their charges for the impacts of globalization would be remiss not to address the career possibilities of expatriation, or becoming an "expat."
Expats, of course refer to that ambitious and intrepid subset of North Americans (note - all countries have expats) who take overseas assignments - whether for a North American company, or in some cases directly with an international employer.
It certainly isn't a lifestlye for the cautious or inflexible. According to my friend Jean McFarland, whose company Fifth Dimensions Strategies tracks expatriate statistics, 40% of expatriates return before completing their assignments, with the #1 reason for failure being the inability to adapt to the host culture. Of expatriates who complete their assignments, 34% do not perform up to expectations of their superiors, and 50% say they underperformed (note - expatriate packages cost a corporation approximately $1 million per year - a big "ouch" when things go wrong.)
So why the buzz? Well the pay and perks can be great... not to mention (depending what country) little extra's like maids, gardeners, chauffers and prodigious leave packages (6-8 weeks of holiday?)... not to mention fascinating "acculturation" for those who enjoy mixing it up in the strange and unfamiliar...and not to mention experience that can pay off handsomely in one's career back home in later years...
Trends in expatriation employment are tiltling more and more towards younger workers, according to research by GMAC Global Relocation Services. Also, the proportion of women undertaking expatriate assignments has risen markedly and more expatriates are going on assignments without their partners.
So, it's a great time for those who are eager, willing and competent to get subsidized for exploring broader latitudes, attidudes and longitudes. bTW, a great resource for global expatriate websites is found at the ezine of Transitions Abroad.
Bon voyage' !
Expats, of course refer to that ambitious and intrepid subset of North Americans (note - all countries have expats) who take overseas assignments - whether for a North American company, or in some cases directly with an international employer.
It certainly isn't a lifestlye for the cautious or inflexible. According to my friend Jean McFarland, whose company Fifth Dimensions Strategies tracks expatriate statistics, 40% of expatriates return before completing their assignments, with the #1 reason for failure being the inability to adapt to the host culture. Of expatriates who complete their assignments, 34% do not perform up to expectations of their superiors, and 50% say they underperformed (note - expatriate packages cost a corporation approximately $1 million per year - a big "ouch" when things go wrong.)
So why the buzz? Well the pay and perks can be great... not to mention (depending what country) little extra's like maids, gardeners, chauffers and prodigious leave packages (6-8 weeks of holiday?)... not to mention fascinating "acculturation" for those who enjoy mixing it up in the strange and unfamiliar...and not to mention experience that can pay off handsomely in one's career back home in later years...
Trends in expatriation employment are tiltling more and more towards younger workers, according to research by GMAC Global Relocation Services. Also, the proportion of women undertaking expatriate assignments has risen markedly and more expatriates are going on assignments without their partners.
So, it's a great time for those who are eager, willing and competent to get subsidized for exploring broader latitudes, attidudes and longitudes. bTW, a great resource for global expatriate websites is found at the ezine of Transitions Abroad.
Bon voyage' !
Jun 5, 2008
Careers: A High School That Gets It...
One of the perks of commencement speaking is getting a peek at how different schools (high school or college) are preparing kids for the "real world."
One such innovator is Boise, Idaho's Meridian Technical Charter High School where I recently delivered a graduation speech. In addition to a full cadre of technically-oriented paths (such as IT programming, networking, engineering/electronics and media arts), MTC's program also "balances" students out with business, communications and other curricula/projects that prepare them for an interactive workplace. For example, "consumer economics" - something most techies don't learn (many even in college) - and speech. Who'dve thunk - geeks as public speakers? (btw, you're reading one... lol...). And Global Perspectives - preparing students for the inevitability of all those cross-cultural collisions that your humble scribe here is always harping about.
Furthermore all seniors are required to work internships with local businesses, as well as perform projects requiring vetted presentation - in suits and ties. (who said "Old School" is always bad?!).
It seems to pay off, as grads are departing for such far-flung schools as M.I.T. and Washington State to prestigious music and film-making institutes in San Francisco.
MTC's program isn't for everyone, but a school needn't be nerd-heaven to enforce the idea that career preparation is more than just ace-ing tests. Communications skills, business acumen and a little "big picture" perspective never hurt anyone - and it will no doubt help these young scholars-cum-professionals in an increasingly competitive job market.
One such innovator is Boise, Idaho's Meridian Technical Charter High School where I recently delivered a graduation speech. In addition to a full cadre of technically-oriented paths (such as IT programming, networking, engineering/electronics and media arts), MTC's program also "balances" students out with business, communications and other curricula/projects that prepare them for an interactive workplace. For example, "consumer economics" - something most techies don't learn (many even in college) - and speech. Who'dve thunk - geeks as public speakers? (btw, you're reading one... lol...). And Global Perspectives - preparing students for the inevitability of all those cross-cultural collisions that your humble scribe here is always harping about.
Furthermore all seniors are required to work internships with local businesses, as well as perform projects requiring vetted presentation - in suits and ties. (who said "Old School" is always bad?!).
It seems to pay off, as grads are departing for such far-flung schools as M.I.T. and Washington State to prestigious music and film-making institutes in San Francisco.
MTC's program isn't for everyone, but a school needn't be nerd-heaven to enforce the idea that career preparation is more than just ace-ing tests. Communications skills, business acumen and a little "big picture" perspective never hurt anyone - and it will no doubt help these young scholars-cum-professionals in an increasingly competitive job market.
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