Career Magic» – Career Magic

Smarter Job Search Workshop Series – Arvada

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:33:06 +0000

Not getting the results you want in your job search?

Don’t give up! Learn what you can do to take your search to the next level. The Smarter Job Search Workshops are interactive, information-packed one-hour workshops designed to make you more successful in a number of ways:

Create winning resumes and cover letters
Job search more effectively
Network live and online to get more interviews
Interview persuasively to become the candidate of choice
Negotiate the best possible offer

WHERE: Udi’s Cafe – 7600 Grandview Avenue, Arvada, CO 80002 – for directions only, call 303-421-8000.

FREE PARKING: If you are able-bodied, kindly park in the free lot on the EAST side of Olde Wadsworth just south of Grandview (look for the silver building “Arvada Flour Mill”). Then walk up to the light and cross the street at Grandview. If you need accessible parking, go to the lot entrance off Grandview that is just west of Olde Wadsworth, then work your way to the southeastern corner of the lot.

WHEN: Most Fridays per schedule below, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Cost: $10 per session by cash or check. Please RSVP online by clicking here!

UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS:

New! Filling the Pipeline: Generating Job Leads for Fun & Profit — Mar. 5
New! Dialing for Dollars: Using the Phone Effectively in Your Job Search – Mar. 12
Becoming a Networking Ninja — Mar. 19

Using Assessment Tools for Personal Branding by Rick Adler, New Summits Coaching — Mar. 26

Job Searching For Introverts by CAREER-Magic — TBD
The Above & Beyond Job Search by CAREER-Magic — TBD
Smarter Interviews & Salary Negotiations by CAREER-Magic — TBD

CAREER-Magic Job Search Workshops are facilitated by Denver Job Search Expert Tracy Laswell Valdez of CAREER-Magic.com, leveraging 16+ years of job search support for 3000+ clients. For more info, please call 303-424-1700 or email tracy@career-magic.com. Please RSVP online by clicking here!

Caffeinated Careers Club South – Fridays

admin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:06:42 +0000

The South location of the Caffeinated Careers Club – a popular, inspirational weekly job search group. This group is much more than “hanging out with unemployed folks” – we network, share advice, job leads, resources, and encouragement. The CCC is positive, businesslike, uplifting, and focused. Typical attendance of 20-30 individuals.

WHERE: Harvard Square Retirement Community, Lower Level Dining Room, 10200 East Harvard Avenue, Denver, CO 80231 | 303-696-0622 for directions

WHEN: FRIDAYS from 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

RSVP: We use Meetup.com for RSVPs and to share meeting minutes (uploaded under files), click here to join CCC Caffeinated Careers Club South 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.

COST: $1 donation. Please plan to do business with our hosting venue as well.

DRESS: Business Casual

For more information, contact facilitator Deb Delzell – Deborah@lidzell.net

The Power of Positive Thinking

tracylaswellvaldez — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 01:49:18 +0000

Article excerpt by Katie B. Smith

…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/

Don’t be a Pain in the Grasp

tracylaswellvaldez — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 01:46:01 +0000

When you network a great deal, you learn that handshakes can be a pain.

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/

New Year’s Wishes…

tracylaswellvaldez — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:59:35 +0000

Pausing in Possibility

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/

Jobs Outlook for 2010: 200 Jobs Rated from Best To Worst

tracylaswellvaldez — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:31:05 +0000

Fascinating article on jobs ranked on five factors: Outlook for hiring, Physical Demands, Work Environment, Income, Stress and Hiring. Jobs receive a score in each individual category, and when these are added together, the career with the best overall score is ranked 1st, while the one with the worst overall score is ranked 200th.

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

Resistance During The Job Search

tracylaswellvaldez — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:14:58 +0000

If you feel tired or frustrated in your job search, pay attention to the thoughts you are having about the search. You may notice “resistance” as well as the tension it creates, the force it has over your body and the power it has over your mind. It is really exhausting to be resisting all the time. It takes a huge amount of energy. Ask yourself: “What moves me into this place of resistance?” Honest answers may include fear, worry, and the unknown “what might happen.”

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

The Search for Great Hair ended in Olde Town Arvada

tracylaswellvaldez — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:28:03 +0000

You know it’s true – if your hair looks great, you feel great. As the daughter of a hairdresser, I am pretty picky about who does what with my head. Since I moved away from dear old dad, I have tried many, many stylists in and around Arvada, even going to trendy Denver spots and as far out as Boulder in my quest for fabulous hair.

Recently I had the best cut and highlight service of my life with Hether at Salon Hether’s in Olde Town Arvada. Hether at Salon Hether’s. Not the most expensive place I have been, and not the least expensive place (and there is not a dramatic difference between those two price points). Hether’s is well worth it.

Hether’s is offering new clients 20% off plus a free conditioning shine treatment. Email me – tracy(at)career-magic.com for the official coupon for 20% off at Salon Hethers, 7423 Grandview Avenue, Arvada, CO – (303) 421-8500 Hurry, Offer Expires: March 31, 2010

Sources of Hire – An Important Study for Job Seekers

tracylaswellvaldez — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:49:21 +0000

If you’re wondering about the best way to get noticed by a larger organization, you may want to read the 8th Annual Source of Hire Study published by CareerXRoads.com. This study is well-researched and the 9th Annual Study should be out soon, but I would guess that last year’s trends are continuing. I would further assume that what holds true for larger companies as far as cost avoidance measures is just as true for smaller companies.

http://careerxroads.com/news/SourcesofHire09.pdf

Holiday Spirit for Job Seekers

tracylaswellvaldez — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:58:17 +0000

Here are a few tips to support job seekers who are dreading the holidays because you don’t have the spirit, the Christmas fund, or the will to share your job search progress report with family and friends.

Stay positive and appreciative of the attention from family and friends, and don’t dive into the well of negativity. If a well-meaning family member starts in with “sympathetic” conversation about how awful your life must be, turn them around. Replies can be chipper and brief, along the lines of “Oh, thanks for asking, I am making great progress in my search and always looking for new connections and advice. I am 100% confident I will get a great new job in 2010. Hey! What’s for dinner, it smells delicious!”

Avoid the urge to hide out in the Grinch’s cave. While you don’t have to attend every party, too much isolation during the holidays just isn’t good for you. If you can’t bear the thought of being with friends and relatives while you’re unemployed, perhaps get out and volunteer to serve those less fortunate.

Avoid things that are bad for us all, such as watching too much news, altering your sleep pattern from your employed schedule, overindulging in food and drink.

Don’t worry about the lack of a Christmas fund. The whole world would be a kinder, gentler place if we all purchased handcrafted, local, and modest gifts for one another. You might also trade or buy items from a fellow crafter / baker who is also unemployed – I happen to know a lady who makes amazing fudge sauces for ice cream, so my whole family will get a special little custom treat this year.

Most of us really do have everything we need, so instead of “serious” gifts, suggest doing white elephant exchanges where you wrap up goofy knickknacks. There are a couple of twists that can make the exchange even sillier and more fun. Or just send a heartfelt note in a holiday card.

Don’t get derailed from job searching for an entire month. December is as viable a month as any to keep the job search pipeline flowing, finding new leads, making new connections, applying for positions, and following up throughout December. Challenge yourself to do at least 30 applications this month, and you’ll likely be interviewing soon in 2010.