Show Off Your Hidden Gems!
What hidden gems do you have stored away that could be working for you right this minute?
Recently I have received a plethora of compliments about my voice and coaching style (thank you!) I was telling my husband, somewhat wryly, that lots of people really seemed to like the sound of my voice. He replied, with due concern for my sensibilities (wise man) that naturally he thought I had a lovely voice but he hadn’t really thought about it before.
And then during a recent course I was delivering a participant came up and said:
“I love listening to you. You make difficult ideas sound achievable and your voice is perfect for this”
I think I’ve always had this voice, although clearly it has matured over the years, but lately it seems to have become a real asset to me. And it made me think about what noticing what is right under our noses (literally in my case!)
Your Gems
We’re with ourselves all the time so naturally we tend to take ourselves for granted. Women in particular are notoriously reticent at ’selling’ themselves and putting forward their skills and qualities. In the UK we still have a slight distaste about what we perceive as showing off. But times are difficult and if you don’t showcase your talents no one else will.Time for a rethink…
The You Audit
If you haven’t taken out your CV for a while do so now. Chances are it is well out of date. I recently asked an American CV specialist (Julie Walraven) how many of her clients were actually unemployed when they came to her. Her answer surprised me. Over 60% of her client base come to her while still in work but they are proactive about their development. They recognise the importance of keeping themselves up to date and ready to meet opportunities as they arise.
It’s so easy to forget what you’ve done if you only grab your CV when applying for a new job. You will have masses of new achievements during the course of a year so keep a record of them. Obviously you’ll tailor your CV to the circumstances but you’ll have a positive cornucopia of material to choose from. You are more fabulous than you know!
View from Outside
And try this:
Ask a representative group of friends and colleagues what they think is your best asset. You may get answers which don’t immediately seem to relate to work, such as you’re always so supportive and helpful. Get them to be specific. This can translate into ‘good team player’, ‘educator’ or ‘mentoring skills’. You’ll probably be blinded by the glow when you start to uncover your hidden gems!
And if you want to decide for yourself about the voice, there is a free audio download here! It’s called ‘Your Perfect Working Day’. I hope you enjoy it! And if you have any tips and experiences to share, please do!
Are YOU in Charge of YOUR Career?
When was the last time you really paid some serious attention to your career? In times of economic slowdown it’s even more important to be thinking seriously about your job.
Research shows that successful people are ‘career resilient’; they take charge of their own learning and development and are ready to reinvent themselves to keep pace with change.
In your career lifetime you may have several different types of career and business. Young professional, to homemaker, part time work perhaps, professional woman, senior management, or international entrepreneur?
Try this exercise. Close your eyes, and allow yourself to relax. Breathe out as long as is comfortable and you will take in a much deeper breath as a result. Now, imagine that you are coming home from work in a year’s time. You have just had the best of working days for you. You are so thrilled. What has happened to make it so great? In your mind’s eye see yourself going through your day in your brilliant new job and make a mental note of what is happening? Where it it happening? Who is there?
As you bring yourself back to the present, take a pen and jot down anything that has come to you. Dare to dream that you CAN have the working life you want. You just need to know what it is and then you can make a start!
