Career Development

When you want to start a new project or begin work on a new goal, perhaps for something related to your job, is your first natural reaction to think you are capable and ready to get started? As an educator and career coach, I've found the natural reaction for most people is one of questions and doubt. The natural instinctive thoughts are related to fear and questions about capability and capacity. When these instinctive thoughts begin, it sets the stage for feeling a sense of being limited and at risk for failure. Rather than working from a sense of empowerment and working towards the true potential a person has to learn, when new tasks prompt developmental growth, a person remains stuck in doubt. Yet if you can be on alert for instinctual patterns of self-doubt, it is possible to...

You may remember how you got started as an instructor, but do you recall what inspires you to continue teaching? The instructional duties of an educator require well-developed planning, organizational, and time management skills, especially if you have multiple projects or career responsibilities to balance. If you teach in a traditional college classroom, you must plan for a class or classes that typically meets on a specific day or time during the week. If you teach online, the general expectation is that you will be actively engaged in your class throughout the entire week.

What inspires you to devote the time necessary to create a meaningful learning experience, knowing that you will need to make a significant commitment of your time? Yes, it is your responsibility to meet...

For some people a job is something to get through to pay the bills, or what is referred as a necessary evil. For others, it is a vocation, a calling, or something that gives a sense of purpose to each day of the week. It may take a lifetime to find the right job or career, and it is often the product of developing the necessary skills, acquiring specific knowledge, being dedicated to the company, demonstrating a sense of commitment, and for some, perhaps there is good luck involved, or being at the right place at the right time.

While there are many reasons why a person can succeed or fail in finding a good job or career, there is another factor that can have a significant influence on how a career evolves, and that is the beliefs a person holds about their abilities and...

How do you respond during those moments at work when you feel insecure, threatened, lacking in some way, outdated, or any other quality placed upon you because of present circumstances? Are you able to find something positive about yourself to believe in and hold onto long enough to over the challenges you face?

It's surprising how quickly our sense of security and resolve can be stripped away at work, whether you go to work in an office or you are a remote employee. The moment something comes along to challenge your ability to complete a task, project, or requirement, it may start a mental process of negativity and one which is difficult to stop. You even may not realize how much your job means to you until...