Welcome to the Fulfillment@Work Newsletter
Published by Joel Garfinkle, Dream Job Coaching
ISSN: 1533-3906

Message from Joel

Welcome new subscribers! We often receive letters from our readers indicating how the Fulfillment@Work has helped them. The following quote is referring to the Top Ten List Of Ways To Believe In Yourself, in the July 8, 2001 edition.

"Your most recent newsletter comes at the most perfect time. I sat at the computer to check my email and I was feeling discouraged-primarily because I was feeling that "THE WORK" is too hard. I am challenged to take some risks and get out of my "comfort zone" in order to have some of the things I want in my life. Then I read your newsletter and it was just what the doctor ordered!! Perfect timing for the perfect message to my spirit. I'm going to print out your Top Ten list and read it over and over this week as I determine anew to have what I want and what I deserve!"

Your assignment this week, should you choose to accept, is to forward this newsletter to at least 5 people you know who will benefit from reading it.

Joel

Contents

1. Feature Article: Never Settle for Less: Finding Your Dream Job in a Volatile Economy
2. Quotes of the Week
3. Love Work Tip: Find Your Mentor Right Next Door
4. Dream Job Tip: Interview Preview
5. We Recommend: IOMA.com

Feature Article
by Susan Bryant, Monster.com

How realistic is it to hold out for your dream job in today's economy? Is settling for less in your career just a necessary evil right now?

"Keep the dream alive," implores Joel Garfinkle of Dream Job Coaching, a San Leandro, California-based consulting firm specializing in personal and professional fulfillment. Despite our current economy's challenges, Garfinkle still coaches his clients to seek a position that provides career satisfaction beyond salary and security. This can be a difficult concept to embrace when many of us are just looking for a job to pay the bills. Indeed, Garfinkle is finding many of his clients lowering their expectations of what a new position can offer or tolerating jobs that provide little reward beyond a steady paycheck.

How can you tell when the fear of losing your job has made you settle for a position long enough?

--> You won't take the risk of asking for a deserved raise or promotion.

--> You allow your coworkers or boss to take advantage of you or treat you unfairly.

--> You play it safe by not expressing dissenting professional opinions.

--> You participate in schmoozing or office politics to secure your employment.

--> You become more cutthroat in the workplace and feel like you must compete with coworkers rather than cooperate with them.

--> You've accepted that you hate going to work.

The thought of losing your job can be terrifying, and it's easy to see how these reactions can insidiously creep into an otherwise well-adjusted, professional individual. But while these behaviors may temporarily save your job, the toll they take on your psyche can be high.

Obviously, today's economy dictates that marching into your boss's office to announce that your career fulfillment lies far, far away from your current position is not a smart career move. But do realize, as Garfinkle states, a fear of losing your job can stymie you into believing that a better job is more luxury than reality.

Your dream job is still out there, and it looks like this:

--> It taps into your innate abilities. If you are good at teaching, your job involves instructing others; if you are a whiz at selling, that would be your primary responsibility. Whatever your inherent skills are, your position uses them.

--> It energizes instead of drains you. At the end of the day, you're excited about what challenges await you tomorrow.

--> It allows you to be your true self all or most of the time. That is, the job is a good match with your values and personality. You don't feel you have to be someone else on the job.

--> It fulfills your wants instead of your shoulds. You should be an accountant because you are good with numbers. You want to be a skydiving instructor. Check out skydiving.

--> It is essentially effortless. That is, the above conditions have been met and doing your job is a natural extension of who you are.

--> Consider using today's job market as a call to action for your career, concludes Garfinkle.

It's serious and scary to rock the boat and take a risk for what you really want, but never testing the waters just to remain afloat is a scary alternative as well.

Article printed by permission granted from Monster.com.

If you want to learn how to Find Your Dream Job, click here:
http://www.dreamjobcoaching.com/coaching-overview.html

If you want to learn about Executive Coaching, visit:
http://www.GarfinkleExecutiveCoaching.com

~ Joel Garfinkle
Dream Job Coaching:
Live Your Dream Life!

Quotes of the week

"For, he that expects nothing shall not be disappointed, but he that expects much -- if he lives and uses that in hand day by day -- shall be full to running over."
~ Edgar Cayce

"Life... It tends to respond to our outlook, to shape itself to meet our expectations."
~ Richard M. DeVos

"I'm not in this world to live up to your expectations and you're not in this world to live up to mine."
~ Bruce Lee

Love Work Tip
Find Your Mentor Right Next Door

Look around the company you work for. What other employees have jobs you would like or responsibilities you would like to add to your own daily routine? Seek out these co-workers and conduct informational interviews with him. This may help you consider if somewhere down the road whether or not you might what to make lateral shift within your own company. At the very least, this exercise may help to give you even more ideas to reshape your job to incorporate more of the qualities you crave. Don't put it off any longer. Start right now:

1. List three people who have jobs you might like along with their individual job titles.

2. List any qualities or activities about their jobs you like?

3. Finally, come up with creative ways to incorporate these qualities/activities into the job you already have.

Not only will this increase your positive view of yourself and your capabilities, but it could also increase your profile within in the company and pave the way for a promotion when the opportunity presents itself.

Dream Job Tip
Interview Preview

Speaking of interviews, for those of you who already know what you want to do and are diligently seeking employment your next major test after writing your resume is the interview. However with a little preparation, this need not be a scary encounter either. Especially if you know the questions and develop the appropriate response before you even leave the safety of your home.

Although it's impossible to know every question you're going to be asked, there are several standard questions interviewers rely on that you can almost set your watch by. Here are a few examples to help you get your game face on:

1. Why does this job interest you?

2. Name some characteristics that best describe you?

3. What are your weaknesses?

4. What did you dislike the most about your last job?

5. What kind of contribution do think you can make with our organization?

6. When are you available to start?

These are just a few of the basic questions to expect, but by practicing in advance you can impress your potential employer by offering quick and carefully thought out answers.

In future issues we will explore how to respond to even tougher questions such as: Why has it taken you so long to find another job?, Why have you worked at so many different places? and Have you ever been fired and what for?

We Recommend
IOMA.com

IOMA, The Institute of Management and Administration, publishes a broad range of high quality information products for business professionals. Each of their products serves two purposes: to improve the efficiency of our subscriber, and to enhance the financial performance of the firm or organization.

Visit IOMA.com for free newsletters, The Salary Zone, ManagementLibrary and much more. Currently, over 180,000 top business professionals rely on IOMA publications every month, and many more access their Special Reports and Electronic Services. www.ioma.com

FREE content for you

Nationally published articles that you can FREELY use as content for your websites, newsletters, and publications.

Website LINK EXCHANGE program!

Would you like to exchange website links with Dream Job Coaching? Just visit our link exchange page.

Coaching Services

Joel Garfinkle is available for coaching. Send him an email at joel@dreamjobcoach.com or call (510) 339-3201.

----------------------------

Copyright 1998-2006, Joel Garfinkle, all rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce, copy or distribute DreamsWork so long as this copyright notice and full information about contacting the author is attached.