From the City to the High Seas

From the City to the High Seas Success Story > From: Job To: Job From the City to the High Seas “I caught the train to work one March morning. The sun came out, the breeze was a steady force 3-4, perfect for sailing, and I just thought 'What am I doing?'. I resigned that day.” * From the City to the High Seas From working in finance, Peter Firth now skippers super-yachts in the Caribbean. This is his story. Where do you live? My home is in West Sussex, but I live for 11 months of the year on a superyacht, currently in Antigua. What was the job you had before you made a career change? I worked in a small insurance and investment company in the square mile. How long had you been in that career? Sixyears. What was it that made you want to change career? I felt that there was much more to living than office paperwork, and the thought of that being my 'life' for the next 30 years was, quite frankly, frightening. What was it that made you finally take action and make your career change happen? I had been thinking about options, and discussed them with the excellent HR director, when I caught the train to work one beautiful March morning. The sun came out, the breeze was a steady force 3-4, perfect for sailing, and I just thought 'what am I doing?'. I resigned that day. Did you know, even vaguely, what you wanted to do? Sailing had been my passion for many years so that was high in my mind. I didn't know if ultimately it would be the right move for me, but I think it would have been harder not to do anything and regret it later. How did you figure out the career that was right for you? My career really found me. I initially approached the industry preparing to become a Skipper. As it happened, I had a propensity for mechanical/electrical and associated problems, so gravitated towards the Engineer position which I currently hold. I initially gained my degrees in the sciences so problem diagnosis and resolution was ingrained. Where did you find your inspiration? I would say mostly from my sailing experiences and the freedom I associate with it. Where did you find help, guidance and support? From a variety of sources. My family were fully behind me all the way. Also the guys at Flying Fish were great in discussion before I went on my initial course, during the training, and finding my first job afterwards. What has been the hardest part about changing career? Short term financial restrictions. Other than that I have never looked back with any regret. How have you handled finances? Finances need to be marshalled carefully during initial trainingand maybe through the first job as you build up experience. Most of my cash savings were used to pay for training, and to give me a little luxury when I worked in Greece. Once however you break into the larger yacht arena, income is much more comfortable. I would say I take home more now than when I worked in London. What has been unexpected? As the life is so different to that when I commuted, it was difficult to know what to expect. I suppose I didn't expect so few downsides to changing career â€" I thought it would be harder. Although the work is hard, and at times stressful, I find it more enjoyable and absorbing than I imagined. How has your life changed now that you’ve changed career? My friends in the UK still say how much healthier and happier I look. I have also made some great friends who have done the same as me. Travelling the world as part of the job is clearly also a major benefit. What advice would you give to someone that wants to change career? Research as much as possible. Talk to people who have done what you want to do. Decide if you want to REALLY do it, and if you do â€" why wait? When will it get easier? What advice would you give to someone that wants to get into your new career? Again, research. Talk to training companies about what they offer and see how it fits with what you want to do. Be realistic â€" don't expect to be gifted opportunities (or much money initially). Although I've had lots of fun, I've worked hard to get where I am. Likewise my friends who have done similar. If you go into yachting, do it 100% and enjoy it. It will reward you. To find out more about Flying Fish courses and events, go to www.flyingfishonline.com What lessons could you take from Peter's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

Dolphins or Sharks - The Need for Both in Business - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Dolphins or Sharks - The Need for Both in Business - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Most people think of sharks as solitary, lone wolf hunters. And they are. Most people think of dolphins as always smiling, social creatures. And they are. Both are extremely efficient at what they do and that is SURVIVE. One does it by using a winner takes all strategy. The other by a more collective approach. The goal of both is the same. Survival. Unlike humans neither of them have time to swim around and watch football on Sundays. Sure, dolphins frolic and play. But thats how they learn to work together and trust one another and also to enforce social rules which are oriented to overall survival of the pod. There are similarities to what humans do here. There are times when it is required and expected to behave like a shark and there are times when one needs to act like a dolphin. Sometimes a shark There are times in our lives when we are more like the shark. Whether we want to admit that or not is probably a PhD psychology thesis paper. However, being a shark at times is required AND rewarded. Can you think of any scenarios where Shark like behavior is valued and rewarded? If you said sales you get a gold star. But there is a caveat here Really good sales reps can switch back and forth between Shark and Dolphin modes with ease. More on this later. What about School? If you go back a little further in time you might realize your performance in school is very shark like. You are rewarded for your solitary success. For your Winner Take All strategy. Unless you went to school where all information is shared and grades are irrelevant or communal. Sometimes a dolphin There are times in our lives when we are more like the dolphin. Where working together is required AND rewarded. Again, flashing back to school there are times where you are required to work as a team. Labs, reports, and projects that cannot be done in a solo fashion. What is the purpose of these team efforts? In school it’s a combination of things. Certainly learning how to work together (a skill you should have been learning since kindergarten), but also as a division of labor AND a division of skills. Not everyone brings the same skills to the table. With dolphins there are similar effects in play. Some are better at herding while others are better catching their prey. Dolphins (and humans) are smart enough to realize this and to create a division of labor based on skills to maximize their efficiency. In the case of dolphins a lack of cohesion can literally be the difference between life and death. Note: There are countless HBR articles on the value of teamwork with humans. Sales is a dolphin AND shark world Great sales reps with long careers have both Shark and Dolphin tendencies. This article is not designed to be just about sales reps, but almost everyone knows a sales rep that has Shark Mode on all the time. A lucky few of us know some that have Dolphin tendencies too. Anyone can find a big win Once While these big wins are great they are too often not predictable or repeatable. It takes a special kind of person to know when to switch from Shark Mode to Dolphin Mode. Those people that do will likely be around for a long time and more important they will be sought after (or they should be). What do I mean? A smart sales rep uses their inner Shark mode to smell the sale and swim / drive towards it. The smart sales rep realizes their limitations and will invoke the help of others to achieve the ultimate prize. (Dolphin Mode) If their forte is not in legal or contracts or presentations or whatever skills they know they lack or prefer not to do … they ask for help. (Like the Dolphin … they invoke a Division of Labor) The smart reps do this over and over again thus ensuring their survival, but equally important the survival of the pod. Choose your moments The point is choose your moments to be a Shark or to be a Dolphin. Understand the purpose of each skill and when to apply them. Your ability to stand out in your career depends on it. Choose wisely.

Weird and Wacky Jobs But Hey, Its a Living!

Weird and Wacky Jobs â€" But Hey, It’s a Living! With an economy you can never count on from one day to the next, most of us will take just about any job that comes our way on those bleak days when work is scarce. Then comes that weird and wacky job that you probably would never have dreamed anyone would actually get paid to do and to make matters even more interesting, it turns out to be the most fun you’ve ever had! If you are in the market for a job that is anything but boring, why not try on one of the following for size. You just might have a bit of fun while bringing home the bread. Is Sign Spinning Making You Dizzy? Some companies will do almost anything to ramp up the sales when it comes to advertising. You have seen everything from live Lady Liberty outside your local tax preparation store to airplane banners with wacky messages flying over local sporting events, but have you ever seen the latest fad, sign spinners? While a majority of sign spinners standing outside local restaurants and shops tend to be men because of their greater strength, the ladies are joining the fun as well. What a way to attract attention â€" somewhere between a dance and an Olympics endurance test, these spinners get paid to stand outside and WOW the crowds come rain or shine. Legal Distribution of Marijuana? Working at Your Local Dispensary Another weird and wacky job that is relatively new for most of the country â€" in medical marijuana states at least â€" is a job working at medical cannabis dispensaries. Here medical marijuana patients can go in and buy their favorite strains depending on flavor and composition and can legally go out the door without worrying that the narcs will be on their heels. A job in a cannabis dispensary can be a lot of fun, but try not to imbibe too much of the goods. Your boss won’t love you for that! Dog Walkers of the 21st Century â€" Pet Taxis Now we have heard everything! Yes, there are people out there who will do anything for their four-legged friends but are you for real? A dog taxi picking up your four-legged family member to drive them to the groomer or vet when you can’t be there to take them? This puts walking the dog in a whole new light but it does make for an interesting day. Not a job for cynophobics! These are just a few of the weird and wacky jobs you might encounter on your search for something out of the ordinary. Whether you are looking for a bit of fun or simply need a job that badly, driving dogs around all day might not be such a bad thing. Usually these are considered interim jobs until something better and more permanent comes along but there is always the off chance that you will actually love what you are doing and may just want to make a career of it. However, we can’t imagine a senior spinner so don’t expect job security there. Main image  Image Source    Image Source

Personal Branding Interview Scott Ginsberg - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Interview Scott Ginsberg - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke with Scott Ginsberg, who is known as the nametag guy and the author of many books, including his latest one called Stick Yourself Out There : Get Them to Come to You.   We talked about what makes people unique, push and pull marketing, and how to build a web presence. Is it true that everyone has something unique about them?   How do people find out what that is? Yep. The challenge is pinpointing, exerting it and leveraging it so you can (1) Utilize your gifts, (2) Validate your existence, (3) Make a living, and (4) Change the world. Here are some questions people can ask themselves to identify that which makes them unique: What are you known for knowing? What is the #1 compliment people always give you? What are you the Heavyweight Champion of The World of? What can you speak forever about at the drop of a hat? Every time I _______________, it makes people stop, listen and say WOW If was about to give a speech to 10,000 people and one of the audience members came back stage and asked, “So, what’s your speech about?” I’d probably say ____________________ What are your thoughts about push versus pull marketing.   Do you have to push a lot before you can pull? If you want to get them to come to you (opportunities, new business, luck, etc.) then, YES, none of that can happen until you first stick yourself out there. Here are the five ways how to do so: Stick Your PERSON Out There: Through your approachability. QUESTION: Can people come up to you Stick Your IDENTITY Out There: The core of your organizations values. QUESTION: If everybody did exactly what you said, what would the world look like? Stick Your IDEAS Out There: Through your thinking. QUESTION: Are you perceived as a Smokin Hot Piece of Brain Candy? Stick Your BRAND Out There: Through being That Guy. QUESTION: What are you known for? To whom are you known? Stick Your COMPANY Out There. Through your people. QUESTION: How are you branding your service? What is a Noticeable Number and how to you get a higher one? Quantifying your uniqueness, posting it on your site and updating it regularly. For me, its number of days wearing a nametag (3,068), but it could be anything like: Hours of training in your field Years youve been in business Money youre raised for charity Lives youve saved Rats youve whacked. (If youre an online mobster company, for example.) What are your top 3 tips for maximizing your web presence? Blog every single day. Writing is the basis of all wealth. You need to be out there with your thoughts and ideas. After all, if you dont write it down, it never happened. Take every interview. Small leads to big. And its not about being the expert; only the PERCEIVED expert. Blog every single day. Did I say that one already? Looking back, what would you have done differently with your personal brand, if anything?   What are you most proud of? I live in a way that prevents the need to have regrets. What I am most proud of would have to be a tie between (1) Getting a nametag tattooed on my chest, as I am a sissy when it comes to needles; and (2) Miraculously making a six-figure career as an author, speaker, coach and entrepreneur out of, um, wearing a nametag. I guess L.U.C.K really IS an acronym for working your ass off! Scott Ginsberg is the only person in the world who wears a nametag 24-7-365 (since Nov. 2, 2000) to encourage people to become friendlier and more approachable.   His adventures have earned him accolades as The World s Foremost Expert on Nametags and secured a spot in Ripley s Believe It Or Not! Guinness Book has rejected him twice.   He speaks to companies around the world about being approachable, becoming unforgettable and making a name for yourself.   Scotts eight books including HELLO, my name is Scott, The Power of Approachability, How to be That Guy and Make a Name for Yourself have been featured on media outlets such as 20/20, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Fast Company.     In 2008, NametagTV.com, Scott s Online Training Network went live! This Interactive Learning Environment provides public AND premium customized learning modules for entrepreneurs, salespeople, frontline employees and marketers who want to stick themselves out there.

11 Ways to Advance your IT Career in India - CareerMetis.com

11 Ways to Advance your IT Career in India Source- Pexels.comA career in IT is something every student desires. It opens up immense vistas for career and personal development while assuring a professional of steady growth in profession and finances.In almost every country, IT professionals are well respected in society. Additionally, there are unlimited jobs in this industry.IT professionals are required by travel and tourism firms, banks, airlines, manufacturers of all types, call centers, government departments, hospitals, schools and colleges, transport services and e-commerce businesses, to name just a few.Facts and FiguresevalWith IT jobs in such high demand, almost everyone is rushing to make a career in this sector. Consequently, tens of thousands of students graduate in various IT related courses every year.However, this number is largely considered inadequate for India. According to the National Association of Software and Services Companies Anyone who wishes to advance her or his career in IT will find it surprising ly easy.Here are 11 ways we recommend to anyone who wishes to advance their IT career.1) Upgrade Skills DailyevalA stable job can make you inadvertently slip into complacency. It may lead you to falsely believe that you are exerting extra efforts to satisfy the company’s requirements in IT and there is no scope for further improvement. This is indeed dangerous.IT is a field that undergoes innovations almost by the hour. Unless you keep your IT skills in shape by keeping abreast with the latest developments and technologies, you are headed for stagnation and possible redundancy.2) Out of Box ThinkingevalA lot of us are accustomed to copy-book solutions when it comes to working in the IT industry. Consequently, there are few who will take risks and try something new, when working with a company that specializes in IT or any other field.An in-depth study into the IT industry and its movers and shakers will reveal, only out-of-the-box thinkers have made any real mark in this professio n and the world. While working, look for unconventional solutions that can help your employer and your own progress in IT career.3) Acquire New SkillsAcquiring new skills is a prerequisite to advancing your IT career. This is because technologies get upgraded daily while some become outdated and are phased out. As a result, your skills and qualifications may prove inadequate after a few years.Hence, it is advisable to acquire new skills that can augment your existing ones. A diverse set of skills puts you in a better position to seek newer avenues for career growth and opens more job prospects.4) Network with PeersThanks to the Internet and websites like Facebook and LinkedIn, it is very easy nowadays to develop and maintain a network of IT professionals around the world.Get connected to such networks since they provide an ideal learning platform to know about the latest trends and technologies as well as job opportunities within India and abroad.There are also several associations of IT experts where you can seek membership to network with peers and seniors in your profession.eval5) Independent ProjectsThis is an excellent way to advance your IT career. Take independent projects that can be executed during your spare time. This can be easily done by signing up on any reliable IT crowd-sourcing platform as well as websites that offer freelance projects. Through such independent projects, you can fine-tune existing skills while learning newer ones.Mentioning these projects on your CV creates a great impression when looking for new jobs. Additionally, you make more money.6) Money OR DesignationevalSometimes, you may be confronted with a situation where a large company is paying well but your career is stagnant. Working for a smaller company means lesser pay. However, if the smaller company is paying lower salaries, yet offering a senior, managerial position, it is better to take the job.As a manager or supervisor, you will lead a team of other but junior IT expe rts. Working with them helps learn leadership skills and teamwork.The higher designation prepares you for bigger roles in larger companies with bigger pay. Hence, your monetary losses arising from leaving a high paid job for a better designation will pay dividends.7) BloggingThis is a sphere most IT experts will be surprisingly blank about. In all fairness, blogging is not an easy task. You may possess all the required academic qualifications and work experience in IT. Yet, presenting your experiences through well-written articles is a rather arduous and daunting task for anyone.However, with some practice and excellent, expert-level fluency in the English language, you can open a blog. Write and post articles and pictures about your personal experiences and projects completed as an IT professional.evalThese give an excellent fillip to your career since peers and seniors will be able to recognize you for your works.8)Alarm SignsDoing the same job repeatedly leads to mental fatigue a nd eventually, you may find losing interest in your employment. Be alert to look for warning signs that you have outgrown your employer.Hefty pay packet and perks may tempt you to prolong stay with an employer. Remaining in that job once such warning signs appear can be fatal to your career.Immediately seek newer openings that offer you an opportunity to grow and expand your career.9) Get Unstressed A career in IT can be rather stressful, regardless of your qualifications and expertise. There are new problems and fresh projects to handle as part of the daily routine.Medical science and psychology prove that stress often manifests in hidden forms and can lead to physical ailments or at worse, psychiatric disorders.Many signs of stress are not evident until they become full-blown and manifest in undesirable forms like uncontrollable anger, fatigue or even substance addiction and lack of interest in daily activities. Once you are over-stressed, the brain’s ability to work at full ste am gets impaired.It prevents you from learning new skills and utilizing those you possess to the fullest. Remaining unstressed is an excellent way to advance your IT career. This can be achieved by following a healthy and balanced lifestyle.10) Foreign ProjectsWherever possible, look for short-term projects in foreign countries. Often, companies abroad look for IT experts who can be employed for short term projects of six months to two years duration.Register yourself at foreign employment websites and post your latest CV. Additionally, update your CV regularly to attract the attention of companies abroad looking for experts in your IT specialization. Taking a few short-term IT projects abroad works miracles for your career.You learn new skills, earn a very lucrative salary and get exposure to working in multi-cultural environments. Additionally, mention of these foreign projects on your CV makes your job application hard to reject.11) More TweaksAdditionally, you can also advance y our IT career by obtaining several certifications that are accepted as standard everywhere in the world.Further, give a shot at entrepreneurship if possible by opening a consultancy or startup where your skills can be useful and utilized by several clients.Such a business can be run part-time and from home. A venture of this sort does not involve much capital and hence, can be started without disrupting your income or digging into savings.In ConclusionWhile NASSCOM projects that need for IT professionals in India will increase. The number of fresher candidates graduating out of colleges will also rise exponentially.Hence, it is imperative to advance your career in IT.Using these 11 ideas, you can rise to managerial positions and lead a team of IT fresher. Indian IT sector employment prospects, both in the near and long-term are expected to be broadly positive and encouraging for the future.This means you can look forward to increased competition as well as better prospects in your p rofession provided you continually advance your IT career.

Showing up as yourself when it really counts

Showing up as yourself when it really counts My niece called me for advice before her interview at Harvard Business School (HBS) as part of the MBA application process. We were talking through some of the likely questions and concerns they might have, and which points she wants to make â€" that is, the content. Then I remembered the following three experiences and realized that what we were really talking about was being able to show up as yourself when it really counts (i.e., under stress): My inferiority complex My own experience at HBS where I pored over each case study the night before to figure out the “right” answer, only to get so nervous in class that I psyched myself out and often couldn’t even bring myself to raise my hand.   In a program where participation is 50% of the grade, I struggled to properly “show up”. Worse yet, as I dithered over whether to raise my hand and make a point, someone else would inevitably say it, which then started a cycle of beating myself up over missing my big opportunity to speak up. Knowing me today, my niece couldn’t believe it.   But I still extracted her promise that she wouldn’t give away her mojo like that, not ever. Takeaway: I had the substance, but that was useless without a way to shake off my inferiority complex so I could share my knowledge. The tiny ball exercise What I learned from the actors at RADA (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts) in London when I attended an “impact and presence” seminar for business people (which was coincidentally hosted by HBS!).   They took us through a series of techniques actors use to get in character. One of these involved having two people (me and Kim) leave the room, do one of two physical movements “offstage”, and then walk back in.   The rest of the group would then be asked whether they could tell which volunteer did the “shrink into a tiny ball” versus the “expand out from a tiny ball” exercise. “Backstage”, Kim did the shrinking movement and I did the expanding one.   After a few minutes of continuously practicing the movements, we went back into the room. It took less than a second for the room to identify who had done what:  Kim was pretty much shuffling while I couldn’t help but practically burst into the room. Takeaway: What you do before you enter a room can have a dramatic effect on your performance, so be mindful of your “pre-meeting routine” Power Posing At my last HBS class reunion, I heard Professor Amy Cuddy speak about her research on body language.   Specifically, adopting the body language she calls “power posing” has a positive link to your mental state and therefore to the outcomes you experience.   Her five examples of “power posing” were: The Superwoman stance Standing at a table with feet apart and hands on tabletop Leaning back in a chair with your hands behind your head Leaning back in a chair with your feet up on a desk, and Sitting with your arms spread out on the back of the next chair Amy Cuddy's TEDTalk concludes that our body language shapes how we think and feel about ourselves, not just how others think and feel about us.   And we owe it to ourselves to use the body language that will make us feel at our best, our most powerful, when we are about to go into a stress situation like an interview. The beauty is that it takes just two minutes â€" yes, two minutes! â€" to power pose before your next big stressful situation and “fake it till you become it”, not just till you make it.   The more you practice it, the more you internalize the behavior and adopt it as your own.   This has lasting benefits! Takeaway: Body language is not just for the benefit of others, it’s also important for you.   Take 2 minutes to “power pose” because it can change your life for the better. So back to my niece In the end, my message was to make sure she shows up in a way that conveys the positive energy and different perspective that she would bring through her non-traditional background (as far as business school applicants go). As a believer in the “rule of 3”, this is what I told her: Wear something that makes you feel confident and strong. Have a pre-meeting routine before you go in â€" “power pose”, square your shoulders, take a few deep breaths, stretch, whatever makes you feel centered and positive. Walk in and be yourself. And if anyone from HBS Admissions is reading this, I know that my niece would be a great addition to the school! What pre-interview or pre-meeting routines have you used that were great?   Please share them in the comments section below.

Resume Templates For Google Docs

Resume Templates For Google DocsIf you are in need of professional resume services, you can avail of resume templates for Google Docs. These templates can be set up and then used with your own resume as a starting point.A resume can be good or bad, depending on how you format it. I'm not sure what it is that you should be looking for when trying to pick the right template, but there are many resources to find it. Most employers and career experts alike recommend that you use a template to start with.Resume template services will make it easy for you to get started. It allows you to create a resume using one of the many forms that are available. You can turn to an employer who is able to make sure you get a resume that is properly formatted. Many of these services will make a copy of your resume so that you can add your personal details as well as some useful information.One way to use a resume template is to use it as a starting point for you to create your own resume. This means tha t you have some personal information that you want to put on your resume that you can make sure goes on the resume. Some of these personal information may include your name, contact information, age, interests, and hobbies. If you have your own resume then this is the perfect place to add your personal details.However, you can also use a free resume service to get started. These free resume services allow you to create a resume using the free form that is provided. Your resume will include a section for summary, accomplishments, and so on. They can also be a great resource if you are using resume service.These free resume services may offer more services than a free service might offer. AsI said, these services are typically made by companies who need them to create resumes quickly. As such, you can find free services that offer additional services like highlighting specific experiences you have had in the past, special skills, etc. Just be sure that the free services you use are sp ecifically designed to create professional resumes.These free resume services may even offer a money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the results. I've done this myself when using these services and was quite pleased with the results. However, you can also make your own resume and be very satisfied with the result.If you are in need of professional resume services, Google Docs and their resume templates can be used. Some professionals have found this to be a valuable resource to aid in their job search. Whether you're searching for a job or just simply want to refresh your resume, resume templates for Google Docs can be used to get the job done quickly and effectively.