How Do I Overcome My Fear Of Rejection, And Start My Dream Career

“How Do I Overcome My Fear Of Rejection, And Start My Dream Career” Help from our Community “How Do I Overcome My Fear Of Rejection, And Start My Dream Career?” * Tasha's always nursed a 'secret' dream creative career. The problem is, self-promotion feels uncomfortable, and she’s sensitive to criticism. How do you turn your ideal work into a reality, when you're terrified of being rejected? What's your career history and current job? After I finished my graduate studies, I worked in marketing research for a while. Then I decided to accept an administrative role in a local private school, which suited my lifestyle with a young child at home. I resigned from that job last year and spent about six months founding a business, but that hasn't worked out in the way I thought it would. How do you feel about your work? The business I co-founded was based on getting groups of people together, to work on their life goals using a design-thinking approach. There are so many online groups and courses, but I don't feel that those are as effective for making real, supportive connections. I liked the idea of building communities that had the potential to make a genuine difference in people's lives. Unfortunately, while my business partner and I were both happy to create all the resources we needed for these groups, neither of us wanted to go out and promote our ideas to a wider audience. We didn't want to 'hustle' or spend our time writing pure marketing copy promoting ourselves as experts or 'gurus'. We wanted the community to be about our approach and ideas, rather than about us personally. But I know from experience that building a successful brand means having to prove your own credentials. My business partner then took a full-time job, leaving me to try and persuade people to join the community, and then lead the groups, on my own. It was immediately clear to me that I didn't want to build the business on my own, and as I'm not a natural entrepreneur, the business has stalled. What would you like to be doing instead? Making genuine connections and building a community is close to my heart. I still work with a small group that I've managed to cultivate during the process of setting up the business, discussing ideas and finding solutions together. But I don't charge anything for that (nor do I want to), so it's hard to see how it could be a career. While I've thought about working in academic research or teaching, my dream job is to write for a living. Ideally, I would write long-form, in-depth pieces that would speak meaningfully to others. The idea of using my writing to connect with people and help them make a difference in their lives really appeals to me. What's the biggest obstacle in your way? I'm scared to share my writing with a critical audience. I'm worried that I'll be told it isn't any good, and that I'll fail. There's nothing I'd love more than to publish a book, or to see my articles in a magazine. I've taken writing classes, and I've been working on a book manuscript for a long time. Finding the motivation to write has never been a problem for me. But the idea of pouring my heart and soul into a piece that other people might then criticise or reject feels genuinely terrifying. And the thought of having to shamelessly self-promote as a writer leaves a bad taste in my mouth too. That said, I've always referred to writing as 'my secret dream'. I've always found space for it in my life, and I would love what I create and share with the world to be the legacy I leave, if I were brave enough to do that. I have to support my family, so I do need to find another 'day job' soon. But could now be the perfect opportunity for me to also start working towards a writing career, in whatever form that could take? If it is, how do I overcome my fear of rejection, and really go for it? Can you help Tasha? Have you been in a similar situation, or are you in the same boat right now? How do you think Tasha could move her shift forwards? Do you know anyone she could talk to? Share your thoughts in the comments below and click the thumbs-up button to show your support.

My career journey (so far) from the perspective of an International Graduate University of Manchester Careers Blog

My career journey (so far) from the perspective of an International Graduate University of Manchester Careers Blog Aiswarya Kishor an Indian student who studied MEng (Hons) Biomaterials Science and Tissue Engineering and graduated in 2018 tells us of her career journey so far. Aiswarya is now a Graduate Information Developer at Arm in the UK.   I have always admired people who knew what they wanted to do with their careers, especially because I was never one of them. When I first arrived in Manchester in September 2014, I was clueless about what I wanted to do after graduating and so, every summer during university, I worked as an intern to discern which path suited me most. By third year, I had narrowed the options down to working in research. To the ears of a tissue engineering student, a career on the brink of medical breakthroughs sounded exhilarating! To test it out, I worked as a research intern at Oxford University. It was during that internship that I had the epiphany that working in a lab simply wasn’t the right fit for me. By then, my final year at university was about to begin and most of my limited work experience was geared towards a career in academia. The natural alternative to pursuing a PhD and going down the research path was to find a graduate job. I soon decided this would be my goal and started actively job-hunting. During that time, several well-meaning friends warned me that finding a job in the UK as an international student was difficult, to say the least, but I was certain of my goal and determined not to give up. The very day I began applying, the rejections started pouring in and I began to experience firsthand the challenge of finding a company willing to sponsor a non-UK/EU citizen. Throughout the process, the one thing that worked in my favour was the emphasis most companies place on ‘transferrable skills’. As a proactive person who likes to get involved and try new things, I had unwittingly picked up many of those exact skills while volunteering on campus, juggling part-time jobs, participating in student societies and writing for the Mancunion. In May 2018, these skills and the loving support of some close friends and family helped me bag a graduate job! I now work at Arm â€" a vibrant company filled with smart, friendly people â€" doing a job that combines several of my interests and skills. I’ve now been here for about 6 months and I can honestly say that I wake up every morning looking forward to going to work. Looking to the future, I may not know where I’ll be in 5 years’ time, but I am confident that I can handle whatever life throws my way. After all, completing job applications, attending interviews, writing a final year dissertation and facing rejections all at once? Been there, done that. Some of my top tips for international students hoping to secure a graduate job: There’s no better time to start than now. Keep toxic people a mile away and ignore their words of discouragement. If you really want that job, just work hard and be resilient. Grab every opportunity to gain experience while you are still a student. It is surprisingly common for summer internships and placements to lead to graduate offers. Don’t underestimate the power of networking â€" it helps you build essential contacts and discover new jobs. Employee referrals will only boost your chances of getting that dream job! Many companies use algorithms to sieve through applications so make sure your CV includes the keywords they are looking for. Manchester has a terrific careers service! Make the most of it. Arrange one-to-one sessions with experienced career consultants, network at Meet the Professionals events, find vacancies on CareersLink and speak to a solicitor if you have any concerns regarding the visa application process. International International-highlighted Make The Most of Manchester Manchester Made Me

Holiday Social Media Marketing Tips - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Holiday Social Media Marketing Tips - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career There is no doubt that more and more consumers are turning to media devices to help them make buying decisions.  According to a survey by Accenture, 13 percent of consumers surveyed indicated they plan to use social networking sites to help them with holiday shopping in 2014. More than 63 percent plan to use a computer to make purchases and 76 percent indicated they would use mobile services that provide promotions as they shopped. This information suggests that having a holiday social media marketing plan can help you boost sales this holiday season. 1.  Develop a plan. Social media can get unwieldy. A plan can insure you have a balance of posts that create interest and excitement, without being overly salesy.  If you have data from last year, use it to help you understand what worked and include it in this year’s plan. 2. Make your social media profiles festive. Change your cover photos and other page decor to include images that are reflective of the season. 3. Share holiday information, tips and stories that will appeal to your market. Pay attention to trending topics or hashtags to help you generate content your market wants to know about. 4.  Engage with your market. Ask questions or get feedback. For example, do they eat turkey or ham for their feast? Live trees or cut trees? Apple or pumpkin pie? 5. Hold a contest or giveaway. People like a chance to get free stuff. 6. Offer a daily deal or coupon codes. Many people go online to find great deals, so make sure they find yours. Use hashtags to help them find your offer. 7. Share your good deeds. People like doing with companies that do good.    If you volunteer or contribute to a charity, share it on social media. 8.  Track and analyze your results. One of the great features of social media marketing is that you can easily see what followers respond to and what they don’t, allowing you to make adjustments in your plan if needed.

How You Can Profit From Being Kind - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How You Can Profit From Being Kind - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career The single most important aspect of business is the finesse you exhibit when you are with your “audience.” In coaching and teaching communication leadership, I often remind learners to “be kind to your audience.” And I constantly remind them to, “Take responsibility for your audience’s experience of you.” Who is your audience? Everyone around you. Whether you are sitting with your boss having a one-on-one conversation, texting a friend or standing on stage in front of 10,000 people: you are with your audience. Consider how profound your silence is, if you aren’t active on social media. Consider the cost to you, if you are not treating other people like your audience. Consider the consequences of being aggressive, withholding, menacing, lazy, jealous, insensitive or crazy (even momentarily). Consider the power of communication with the intention to help your audience move forward â€" while you are also serving your own goals. Consider how that gives you a competitive advantage in a job interview, the chance for a promotion, and a referral from someone who simply knows you online, or any other situation that matters. The terrible truth is: every word, every image, every frame of video, and even silence lifts you up or tears you down in the eyes of your audience. This might include the people who share air with you, like at the office. It includes all your social media posts and comments, all the book reviews or LinkedIn messages you write and all the Periscope, YouTube, and Sooth you create. All the Skype, Facetime, and other relatively real time communication channels you use. Got it? Anyone who can hear you, see you or otherwise catch your drift: those people are your audience. The good news is: your greatest, fastest, and most profitable way to reach your desired outcomes is completely in your command. Your success depends on the next word you say, and the word after that, and so on. Finesse in communication isn’t something tricky like it is in billiards, baking bread or doing anything that demands extraordinary skills. Communication done with finesse kindly takes into account the ability of your audience to understand and focus on your message, and responsibly putting it in words your audience will embrace because they see evidence you are trustworthy and caring. With everything you might do to create wealth and profit, consider how simple and productive it is to be kind and responsible. Those two qualities drive offers and referrals to you, give evidence you are the most attractive candidate or partner, and give people the faith to sign contracts and do deals with you. If you would like to become a communication leader â€" and you will be in Southern California on October 10 and 11: join me at my Personal Branding Boot Camp at UCLA Extension. Use Promo Code: W7199 to get 10% off PLUS an hour with me one-on-one (a $495 session FREE). If you have a question I can answer: email me at Nance@NanceRosen.com, and I will do my best to move you forward. Just put Boot Camp in the subject line, so I know to look for you.

How to deal with career envy

How to deal with career envy This post was written by an external contributor. Charlie Duffield discusses the best way to deal with feelings of career envy. The green-eyed monster: not just to be found in the murky depths of Loch Ness. It pulsates through your brain when LinkedIn informs you of an acquaintance’s promotion and your best friend nabs a pay rise, whilst you remain a penniless intern. Because once you’ve left the cosy, collaborative confines of uni to fight it out in the real world, even the least competitive individual can feel jealousy curdling in their gut as we all try to weather career peaks and troughs. It can be frustrating to not reach the same level of success as your peers, when every potential yes leads to a “We regret to inform you…” Throughout our younger years, we reach key developmental milestones more or less at the same time, but adulthood starts with the realisation that when it comes to career progression, it’s an open field. Here’s how to deal with the realness of career envy, and leave behind guilt and self-hatred. Be social-media savvy In case you hadn’t noticed, the world breeds competition and the added layer of social media is a potent cocktail for a heavy dose of ‘compare and despair syndrome.’ Glossy profiles on LinkedIn cast aspersions of effortless career progression, but these are highly idealised and curated versions of our real work lives. You don’t hear about the hours spent sobbing in the office toilets, months spent in a dead-end waitressing job after getting made redundant, or the degrading remarks from that inappropriate male colleague. Whilst job responsibilities fit into neat capsules online, no job is truly perfect; even in your alleged dream role, there will still be aspects which are boring, frustrating or difficult work is still work! Also, remember that sometimes things don’t go to plan. There can be many false starts, circumnavigations, let-downs and episodes of self-doubt. Next time you find yourself in a social media vortex, remember that on the other side of that online profile is a real life human flawed, brilliant, sometimes clueless and probably trying their best, just like you. Delete the apps off your phone for a few weeks and replace time scrolling with some introspection by asking ‘What do I really want career-wise for myself?’ Understand your emotions It’s counter-productive to suppress feelings of envy or jealousy as they arise. Our emotions are meant to be listened to, and used to guide us through this game of life. Technically, there is a difference between jealousy and envy. Being jealous is a reaction to the threat of losing something (usually someone), and always involves a third party. For example, you can be jealous of your colleague as she always receives praise from your boss, whilst your work and efforts aren’t recognised. Contrarily, envy is a response to lacking something, such as wishing you had your friend’s stellar calculus skills. As always, there is a deep biological reasoning for this feeling; as humans we evolved to experience envy in relation to competition for resources. With greater emotional intelligence, you can begin to unpick the route of your feelings, and turn them into a source of positivity. Often if you feel envious of something it’s a good indication that you want it and should pursue it, e.g. start taking steps to enliven your inner mathematical genius. Be self-care aware The truth is that jealous thoughts can be routed in low self-esteem or a long held negative self-perception or narrative that plays in your head. If you’re jealous of someone, it’s highly likely there’s another person who is jealous of you, too. Seeing a friend succeeding can make us panic that our career trajectory is completely wrong, however you will never be able to replicate someone’s career path exactly because you are not them. For lots of careers there isn’t an easily defined roadmap to get from A to B. Don’t underestimate the role of serendipity, of being in the right place at the right time or the luck of meeting someone influential. Detract jealous thoughts by writing a list of all the things you have accomplished and what makes you unique, and really focus on self-care. Subscribe to shine theory, which states that surrounding yourself with successful people can only be a positive. It’s contagious when they shine, you shine! Finally, listen to ‘Everybody’s Free to Wear Sunscreen’ by Baz Luhrmann. Assume his applauded lyrics as your mantra, raison dêtre, and call to action: ‘‘Don’t waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long…and in the end, it’s only with yourself.” Connect with Debut on  Facebook,  Twitter,  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.

Why dont they respect me

“Why don’t they respect me” We don’t always get the respect we deserve. In fact, comedian Rodney Dangerfield made a career of the line, “I get no respect…”. While gaining others’ respect is critical to leadership success and career advancement, unfortunately, you can’t make someone respect you. In fact, getting respect is deep into “influence and persuasion” territory, and not in the realm of “command and control” Here are seven reasons why people fail to get respect even though they deserve it, along with some thoughts on how you can influence the situation. 1.   Not knowing what you want to be respected for There are two definitions for respect according to the Oxford Dictionary: a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements due regard for the feelings, wishes, or rights of others The second definition is one that we hopefully extend to everyone. But here, we’re looking at the first definition, and it’s not possible to be generally respected for everything in life. People respect us for particular aspects of what we do and who we are, whether that’s a particular skill or the integrity with which we conduct ourselves. What you can do: Get clear on the dimension(s) on which you want to be judged. It’s hard to win an Oscar for “best actor” if you’re the director or cinematographer! Once you’re clear, it’s easier to align your efforts and the way you show up every day to reinforce that quality. 2.   Expecting to start from neutral The reality is that everyone has a different default setting when it comes to judging whether to respect other people â€" and yes, people are judging each other all the time whether it’s conscious or not. If you think you’re starting from neutral, but they’re in the “guilty until proven innocent” camp, you may not be making sufficient moves to counter this, and you’ll need to “up your dosage” just to get to neutral much less positive territory. What you can do: In addition to putting more evidence in front of these people, I’ve found that a great strategy is to indirectly “pave the way” by having your reputation or “word of mouth” work for you. Figure out who influences those people and make sure those influencers have sufficient experiences with you to gain their respect. Over time, their informal views and influence can help move that tough grader to a positive position…or at least to neutral where you can reasonably expect to shift them into positive territory in the future. 3.   Being caught up in stereotype Another thing to recognize is that others may be operating under assumptions based on stereotype that may or may not hold true in your case. For example, I’ve learned that people tend to see me as a “nice Chinese girl”: smart and hardworking but not wanting to speak up, make waves or confront people. What you can do: In this case, you will need to dispel some of those myths. Your goal is to get the person to see you as an individual rather than part of a stereotype. In my case, I had to learn to speak up in strategic ways (not just chipping in a fact here and there), and to do that in big meetings. And keep doing it until the weight of evidence sinks in. 4.   Not realizing it’s an ongoing process Respect is rarely something that people decide to bestow on you based on a single interaction. Unlike a one-time inoculation, respect is based on a series of interactions. For better or worse, a negative data point â€" especially at the start â€" seems to have more impact than a string of positive ones. On the other hand, starting off with a few positive interactions can buy you the benefit of the doubt when there’s a negative experience later on. Either way, gaining and retaining respect is an ongoing process. What you can do: Make sure you get started on the right foot â€" resist the urge to discount the importance of people you don’t know. I remember pushing past someone on the train to get to my meeting on time, only to find that this person was the potential client I was traveling to meet for the first time. How embarrassing. Also, make sure you have multiple times and ways to interact with the person so that you have a series of opportunities to provide data points and impress them. I ultimately was able to regain ground with that potential client after apologizing and having them see me in action enough times to overcome this bad start. So, keep going and realize that it’s usually not a one-shot deal. 5.   Not articulating your value Few of us are mind readers, and most people are so busy with their own issues and goals that they’re not even thinking about you. So it’s up to you to clue them in about the value you bring rather than assuming they will figure it out on their own. Don’t be the proverbial tree falling in the forest that no one knows about. What you can do: Go back to the dimension(s) you want to be respected for in #1, and jot down your thoughts on the evidence you have and build the case for respect. Put it into 3 key points, or better yet, weave it into a brief storyline. Then, you might want to talk through the points or narrative with a friend â€" I find that helps me feel confident and also improves my storyline. Even if you don’t like bragging about yourself, you can do this â€" just keep it factual. 6.   Insisting on the irrelevant This is when you keep banging on about the 2-3 things you believe make you worthy of respect, but they unfortunately, they aren’t relevant in the eyes of the other person. What you can do: Start with understanding things from the other person’s perspective â€" what matters to them? What do they value? What do you respect about them? That will give you clues for what will most resonate and be relevant to gaining their respect. Then you can frame your efforts in that direction and be more successful. 7.   Trying too hard Finally, you may be overly focused on gaining someone’s respect â€" to the point where it backfires. It’s never a good idea to appear desperate. If you’re at that point, it’s time to back off, gain perspective and focus on something else. Give the person room to come around to a different conclusion in their own time. What you can do: When you’re in this frame of mind, then it’s time to forget about squeezing blood from this stone and instead, get back to doing your job well and simply allowing whatever is meant to unfold unfold. Some people find the “serenity prayer” helpful: Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Finally, remember to respect yourself. That makes it more likely you can gain the respect of others with ease and grace. What do you need to do to gain the respect you deserve?

The Best Ways to Write an Attorney Resume

The Best Ways to Write an Attorney ResumeWhen you are in the process of applying for a job, the first thing you need to do is find the best ways to write a resume. You want your potential employer to be impressed with the experience and education you have to offer.Recruiters are always looking for people who can give their company a competitive edge. To help them with this, there are many online resources available that provide tips and helpful information to assist with the process. However, when seeking these tips, be sure to find out what the laws are in your state regarding attorney resume assistance.One common mistake many applicants make is that they feel the need to provide only contact information. Some recruiter may request a resume with a contact number attached, but this is not necessary. Many times you can get by without providing a cell phone number on your resume, but it certainly does not hurt to include one if it is necessary.Your employer may want to review your back ground, but they will appreciate the opportunity to see your career goal, a general resume paragraph, and your cover letter. If you do not use this information, they may not see your personality as well as they could. Provide all three pieces of information so they can fully appreciate your qualifications and experiences.When you are seeking the best ways to write an attorney resume, you should also consider adding information about your career objectives. Do you want to be a family lawyer? Do you want to work as a corporate lawyer or prosecutor?Each of these positions requires a different amount of education and experience, so use this information to your advantage when preparing for the interview process. How much experience do you have with the criminal law? Have you ever worked as a defense attorney?This information should be included on your resume, but sometimes you can get away without including it. A recruiter might find it necessary to provide a listing of specializations, but this is not necessary.The best ways to write an attorney resume can be used even when you do not meet the minimum qualifications. That said, it is important to be prepared for any interview. With a little effort, you can get through the process confidently.