Why it’s Denver’s longest-running job search club. Often imitated, but never matched!

At the Caffeinated Careers Club, we network, share advice, job leads, resources, and encouragement. The Arvada CCC, facilitated by job search expert Tracy Laswell Valdez, is positive, businesslike, uplifting, and focused. Established October 1999 and going strong, with typical attendance of 30+ individuals.

Cost: $1.00. The restaurant appreciates it if you do business with them as well. Please, no outside food or drink (other than celebratory chocolate).

Dress: Business casual, accessorized with a smile.

RSVP: We use Meetup.com for RSVPs and to share meeting minutes (uploaded under files), click here to join Caffeinated Careers Club (Arvada) on Meetup. Info on meeting process and protocol is listed here as well. When you RSVP, add your target job titles and target companies to the comments.

We also have a LinkedIn group to share job search resources, click here to join.

More Info: Call Tracy Laswell Valdez at 303-424-1700.

http://www.careerxroads.com/news/SourcesOfHire10.pdf

…what keeps you thinking positive? How can you reframe your negative thinking into positive thinking, or at least thoughts of possibility? Read more at Katie’s Blog: http://katiebsmith.wordpress.com/

I have a little secret you might not guess when you first meet me: a touch of arthritis in the middle knuckle of my middle finger of my “nice to meet you” hand (don’t ask me to show it to you – I try not to brandish that particular finger much).

Most of the time, my bum knuckle doesn’t bother me much. But then I get nabbed by a bad handshaker and before I can yelp and withdraw my hand, it’s all over: the insulting injury has happened and my knuckle swells to three times its normal size. I must say, the resulting pain and the fear of further abuses makes me just a bit less sociable.

The bad handshake that does the most offense is when someone offers a “lady handshake” where they don’t get palm to palm with you, they just squeeze your fingers together.

Read here to learn more about handshaking styles to avoid.  And don’t look at me funny when I opt to bow at you rather than offer my paw.

http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2009/10/05/what-does-your-handshake-say-about-you/

The New Year is a perfect time to pause and reflect on what we want to create in our lives. This fresh start is filled with possibility and potential.  How often do you pause in your week or your day? It helps to remember that a pause can be pregnant with possibility. It is the space where we plant seeds, set intention and hold the space for new opportunities to grow and emerge. We get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of our work and our busy daily lives that we can forget to stop. If we take a moment to pause at the beginning or end of every day, how different would our lives feel and what possibilities could stem from those moments?

At the beginning of the New Year we may be filled with excitement and so many ideas about what the future holds. Yet the trick is not getting so caught up in all the action of attaining it that we overreach and cause ourselves more stress. Pausing allows you space to sit in silence, hold what is dear to you and remain mindful of what your heart is calling you to do. Where should you put your energy? Where will it best serve yourself and others? Truthfully, you are the only one that knows what is best for you and it does not matter what others think. When you listen to your intuition you build trust in what you hear inside yourself. The pause allows you to differentiate what you need to act on. It clarifies what energizes you and creates the space needed to realize it. Trust that what grows out of your intentions and what emerges in the spring or days ahead will be exactly what you need.  It may not look the way you imagined it, it may not happen the way you expected it to, but by planting the seeds, by holding the idea of what you imagine your life, work or relationship to feel like will help it grow and emerge.

We can nurture our intentions in silence, in the quiet of our being. This in itself holds the opportunity for learning how to be still and sit in the initial discomfort of doing nothing.  By just being, we allow ourselves to accept what is. How comfortable are you doing nothing? While some may view doing nothing as unproductive, it is actually the space from which we can create what we want, to allow things to appear and observe without responding, judging or analyzing, but noticing and allowing. I encourage you to take time in your day or week to sit and notice what is bubbling up inside of you as we embark on the New Year. What is it that feels like it needs to move through you?  What is it that is calling for you to take notice? What is it you want to create for the year ahead and for your life? Take time to pause, listen and feel what you are being called to observe.

Live Well,

Katie B. Smith

http://www.katiebsmith.com/

http://www.careercast.com/jobs/content/top-200-jobs-2010-jobs-rated#top-ten-list

Eckhart Tolle says : “To be in alignment with what is means to be in … non-resistance with what happens.”  Learning to accept what is happening in any given moment helps us move into acceptance, which creates non-resistance and flow. But how do we keep this thought in our mind every moment?  How do we begin to embody it and practice it in times of stress?  The only way we can begin to move into nonresistance is to notice when we are resisting and choose not to resist in that moment. It takes practice, discipline and a conscious effort. Sometimes we may not want to make a conscious effort. Instead, we may prefer to be the victim. But playing victim does not draw people to us at a time when we need to be our most engaging. Placing yourself in the role of victim engenders isolation, fear, resentment and depression.

Stop and notice when you feel like you’re digging in your heels about some aspect of your job search. Realize there is a  healthier choice available, empowering us to stay clear, positive, and appreciative of what is happening. No drama needed, no victimization needed, only awareness of our ability to accept. Doing so takes much less energy, leaving us with energy to pursue your goal of finding new work.  The New Year is a great time to embody and practice new choices and to notice how these choices impact our mind, our body and the challenges at hand.

Live Well,

Katie B. Smith

How much are you tolerating in your job search?  As a matter of fact, how much are you tolerating in your life?  Tolerations are things that you put up with, the minutiae of daily life – like that stack of papers in your office that needs to be filed, the back taxes you need to complete, home improvements, cleaning out the closet, mending clothes – all the little things we put aside because we say we don’t have time. Most people do not realize that by handling these things, we diffuse the dread we feel when we get overwhelmed by our to-do lists. When we get these little things done, we have more energy to put towards what we really want to do in our lives.

How many of you are merely going through the motions in your job search?  What would help infuse your search with energy?  Like a job, there are things you have to do every day that you won’t always enjoy. But when your mind is not consumed with all of those to-do’s, you will infuse more energy into the task at hand and have more mental space for ideas to create income. If you efficiently handled the tasks that have nothing to do with your job search, it would be interesting to see what would change in your job search.  The different aspects of your life are interrelated and what you do in your personal life as well on the job hunt affects all the areas of your life.

Another point worth examining is what you excel at in the job search and what you need more skill at handling. If there is an aspect of your job search that needs improvement, who can you call for support?  Like writing a resume, interviewing well is a key component to landing a job, and role-playing with someone you know is a good way to practice your interviewing skills. Likewise, does it give you energy to search alone all the time, or would it feel more engaging to be with a group of folks that support each other and hold each other accountable to getting things done? Think about how you can collaborate with your job search colleagues like you would on an actual job, rather than tolerating the search alone.  As the saying goes, “two heads are better than one.”  In this time of social networking and building relationships at every level, maybe it’s time to build your support system that holds you accountable and helps you strengthen your skill sets. The reality is that this is how we serve one another, through collaboration, feedback, honest communication and support.

Finally, are you tolerating relationships that are not serving your growth?  By not having courageous conversations with those in our life that are most important to us, we let the relationship become something we tolerate.  How different would the relationship be if both parties were authentic about how they feel and how they can best serve each other?

Take a look at your personal and professional life and list what you are “tolerating.”  Handling these things one at a time will bring tremendous energy and clarity into your life.  You may find by taking care of one aspect, it creates a domino effect and several others are handled as well.  Take heart – we will always have things to tolerate, but if we handle them as they arise and get rid of that to-do list, imagine how freeing that would be. Imagine what you could create with that much space in your life.

Live Well,

Katie B. Smith

www.katiebsmith.com

Have you noticed how irritated your body feels when you worry?  For me it feels like electrical static that keeps me wired and uptight.  I am finding as I age and meditate more, I worry less.  However, job changes, health issues and relationship concerns can move us all into the world of worry.  So what helps you shift from worry to wonder?  I had to give up coffee about 10 years ago because the caffeine made me agitated and intensified feelings of worry.  Too much sugar can also do that to me sometimes.  Even low blood sugar and skipping meals has an impact on my attitude and sense of calm.  Try observing when you feel worried and when you don’t. Does food and drink have an impact on you? Are you eating when you need to and when it is best for your body, or are you eating or drinking to distract yourself? Think about it: when you worry you put your physical body under more stress and that creates resistance, which stops flow and opportunities from appearing.

But worry can get a hold of us on a daily basis when we are in job search mode. So what helps you shift out of the worry mindset? I like to repeat the phrase “ALLOW, ALLOW, ALLOW” – this reminds me that I cannot control everything and that sometimes you have to, as the saying goes, “Let Go and Let God.” Let’s face it: if we have to control something the best thing to control is our attitude. I tell my kids when they are in a funk that they need an attitude adjustment. The mention of it helps remind them that they have a choice.

Ultimately, what does worry accomplish?  Does it make our situations any better?  Is it a productive use of time and energy? If anything, worry just makes me more stressed which compounds the problem. When I let it go and focus on something I want to create or a positive activity that engages me, then the worry doesn’t get a hold of me. I find worry lives in my mind, and when I can concentrate on something that brings me joy, the worry subsides. And wouldn’t you prefer to think about something that will make you feel better about your search?  Maybe there is an article, blog or inspirational quote you can keep nearby will help raise your awareness.

I have noticed when someone is worrying they tend to ensnare everyone around them in the same worry game. Sometimes they deflect people from being around them at all, creating isolation. That creates even more tension and stress – it spreads like a disease. Wouldn’t it be more fun to spread joy, laughter and ease? Our search can be easy and effortless if we remember to be in a state of ease. When we can relax in our search we enjoy the moments rather than worrying about what is not happening.

Finally, have you ever wondered if this job crisis is teaching us to live in the present moment versus the future? How present have you been in your life? Do you have an “attitude of gratitude?”  We all have something to be grateful for and we could all be in a worse situation. Take a moment this next week to honor the good in your life and who you are. Honor your friendships, your family and the simple things that show up and support you. Just observe yourself and see how it feels in this place of gratitude. I would love to hear what you are grateful for and what you experience when you are in this place.

Live well,

Katie

Katie B. Smith

Executive Search Consultant & Coach

Office: 303-955-0367

Cell: 512-632-4960

www.katiebsmith.com

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-1956-Denver-Jobs-Examiner~y2009m11d30-Job-Seeking-Skills-Top-Time-Wasters

If you find you have been wasting time in one, two, or all five of these approaches, call me so that we can discuss some smarter, more productive job searching tactics.

At your service,
Tracy Laswell Valdez

CAREER-Magic.com

303-424-1700