Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch

A Year of Opportunity — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

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As I have done nearly every year for the last 5 years here on Career Opportunities, I have chosen a theme for the coming year. This year is no exception and, in fact, this year’s theme is a very personal one for me. I see 2014 as a Year of Opportunity. As I emerge from my own year of transition, I see the great importance of attracting, recognizing and accepting opportunity in my life and career and I believe it is dramatically important for you, too. Everything we do, from the smallest actions to the largest goals should take opportunity into mind and use it as a way to focus our energy and attention.

Read The Gifts You Can Always Give – Time, Energy, Passion and Love — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Watch a presentation I made on “A Year of Opportunity”

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The Gifts You Can Always Give – Time, Energy, Passion and Love — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

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It is Christmastime again and many people’s thoughts turn to shopping and presents and consuming in all its forms. As the years have passed, though, I have found myself thinking less about presents that come from the corner store (or Amazon) and more about presents that only I can give. After 27 years of marriage, my wife and I have basically agreed to give nothing more than token gifts on Christmas — something to enjoy opening with our family and something that is, hopefully, useful in our lives. These small presents are more than enough for one very special reason. Throughout the year, we give each other — and those around us — four very special gifts that are unique to us. These gifts include our time, our energy, our passion and our love. Even better, these are gifts that we have been able to give regardless of whether we have been rich or poor, ill or well, together or physically apart. We can give them to family, to friends, and even complete strangers. For me, these are the true gifts of Christmas and the entire year.

Read The Gifts You Can Always Give – Time, Energy, Passion and Love — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

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** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! 

Jealousy and envy have no place in your career — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

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It is a rare person who has never suffered from jealousy and/or envy in their life and career. Both of these emotions are simply part of the — all too fragile — human condition. There are many times in our lives when we want what others have and are deeply jealous that they have it. Jealousy and envy can be greatly damaging to your career, though, and lead you to take actions you might not imagine otherwise. They can cause you to be petty, mean, controlling, and outright aggressive towards others if you feel your self-worth is threatened deeply enough. The perverse nature of jealousy and envy, though, is that it matters little in life what others have. Except in the most extreme cases, your accomplishments and your success are your own to control. Life is not a zero-sum game where everything someone else gains, you lose. We all gain and lose on our own merits, our own timeline and our own wants, needs and desires.

Read Jealousy and envy have no place in your career — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

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Flexibility to Change: The 7 Skills of a Successful Careerist – Part 7 — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

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In today’s world, change is constant, complex and critical to your career success. You may not like change — or even fear it — but you must not ignore it. Change will occur regardless of your relationship with it. You need to embrace change and develop ways of using change to better your life and career. Of all the 7 Skills, Flexibility to Change is the most important of all. It allows you to build the career you deserve and manage all of the other 7 Skills. Together, they provide a formidable foundation for your career

Read Flexibility to Change: The 7 Skills of a Successful Careerist – Part 7 — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

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Moneywise: The 7 Skills of a Successful Careerist – Part 6 — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

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In your career, you are often told to “follow your passion, do what you love.” The common corollary to this is to ignore money as the motivating factor in your career and concentrate on those areas where you can find the most joy and have the most impact. While I certainly think you need to find the passions in your career in order to build the career you deserve, you cannot — and should not — ignore the effect that money has upon your career. Understanding money, how to earn it, save it, spend it, is of critical importance in any career. Being “moneywise” will help to ensure that money doesn’t drive your career, but also that you have enough money to live the life you desire.

Read Moneywise: The 7 Skills of a Successful Careerist – Part 6 — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

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Self-Knowledge: The 7 Skills of a Successful Careerist – Part 5 — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

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While having a deep knowledge of the world around you is incredibly important in your career, even more important is a deep self-knowledge of your strengths, weakness, wants, needs, and desires. You must know what you want out of your life and career, what you know, what you don’t know and the difference between them. It is only in this way that you can make the best decisions for yourself and your own, unique career. Otherwise, you will be susceptible to control by others or even arrogant about your own knowledge and skills.

Read Self-Knowledge: The 7 Skills of a Successful Careerist – Part 5 — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

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Empathy: The 7 Skills of a Successful Careerist – Part 4 — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

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Empathy is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as, “The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another”. This can sound a bit confusing and academic, so I often think about empathy in this way. Empathy is imagining how you might feel were you placed in the position, given the same experiences and basically, lived the life of someone else.

 

Read Empathy: The 7 Skills of a Successful Careerist – Part 4 — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

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Troubleshooting: The 7 Skills of a Successful Careerist – Part 3 — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

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You might typically think of troubleshooting skills as something specific to computer and technology support roles, but I can assure you that troubleshooting is an elemental skill of every successful careerist, regardless of the work you do.

I first learned my troubleshooting lessons at the knee of my master mechanic father, Harold, who can disassemble nearly anything, fix it and put it back together in even better working order. I watched him fix everything from home appliances to earthmovers the size of small houses and I think I organically absorbed his troubleshooting strategies long before I ever consciously recognized that the concept of troubleshooting even existed. I then took these skills and turned them into a very lucrative and success career in computers and other technology. I often say that I do the same work my father did, but my hands don’t get nearly as dirty.

If you want to be successful at troubleshooting anything, and also at your career, here are some guidelines to follow when solving problems for yourself and other.

Read Troubleshooting: The 7 Skills of a Successful Careerist – Part 3 — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

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Communication: The 7 Skills of a Successful Careerist – Part 2

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You would think in this world of constant communication, we would all be excellent communicators. Surely, you must get better at something you do all day, every day. As you know, though, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. There are those among us who actually communicate worse, due to their constant engagement. Instead of communicating WITH people they end up shouting AT people. If you want a successful career, though, you must cultivate high-quality communication in everything you do. You must say what you mean, mean what you say and do it in such a way that others can easily understand you. Miscommunication leads to and exacerbates so many other issues in the work environment. These associated problems could easily be avoided if we all took some time and care with our communication.

Read Communication: The 7 Skills of a Successful Careerist – Part 2

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Career problems often stem from life problems — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

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Life and career are intimately intertwined. We can try to keep them as separate as possible, but the fact remains that it is an impossible task. Our daily work life directly effects our life outside of work and vice versa. Instead of ignoring this connection, we all need to be aware how each side can cause issues for the other.

Read Career problems often stem from life problems — from the Career Opportunities Podcast

* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!