In business today, everything relies on "getting things done." We rush about from one task to another, striking things off our to-do lists and yet, come the end of the day, we still don't feel very good about ourselves. We still feel like something is missing. That "something" is time -- time to think, time to savor, time to relax. That said, how do you find time when there is so much to do -- and why is finding time so necessary?

Next Friday: December 7, 2007: Punctuality

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(This podcast is pulled "from the archives" and presented here as a service to more recent listeners -- Douglas)



Last week I started a discussion of “getting serious” in your relationships with clients. Today, I will talk about maintaining these relationships for the benefit of both you and your clients. If there is any secret to high-tech career success, this might be it.

Potential


If you really want to get serious about your clients and your business, take some time to think about the lifetime value of your oldest and best clients. Have they bought you that new car, braces for the kids, whiz-bang computers and other technology? What have your clients made possible for you? Only then will you start to recognize the potential in every single client you visit. Recognizing this potential can go a long way towards maintaining your relationship over the years.

This Friday: November 30, 2007: Feel free to call a "time-out" whenever you need it

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Whether you are just starting out in your career or working to make your established career better, there is a danger lurking. When talking with careerists all over the world, I occasionally run into someone who is getting better and better at a skill that fewer and fewer people want or need. To use an example from another century, they are getting better and better at making hand-crafted leather buggy whips while more and more automobiles are driving the streets. In today's fast moving culture, it has become very easy to focus on the wrong things, without even realizing it. You want to make sure that your career path isn't turning into a dead end.

Next Friday: November 30, 2007: Feel free to call a "time-out" whenever you need it

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Get your holiday shopping started with these special After-Thanksgiving Day deals from Amazon.com.

After-Thanksgiving Day Sales from Amazon.com

...or check out my recommendations in...

The WelchWrite Store

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(This podcast is pulled "from the archives" and presented here as a service to more recent listeners -- Douglas)



Over the past several months I have had both a desire and a need to focus intently on my freelance consulting business. Lately, I have spent a lot of time thinking about the nature of my work. What am I trying to accomplish, both for my clients and myself? How am I going to go about accomplishing those goals? Like everyone, I can get caught up in the rush of daily life, jumping from task to task without focusing on the big picture. Sometimes I need to be reminded to take a few minutes to think about what I am doing to insure that I am still headed in the right direction. It is time to “get serious” about your work and your career.

This Friday: November 23, 2007: Make sure you aren't working towards the past

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I just received notice from the editor of ComputorEdge Magazine that the publication will be folding its print magazine as of December 2007. It wasn't entirely unexpected, as I alluded to in a Career Opportunities Extra podcast a few months ago, but for me it is the end of an era. December will mark 11 and 1/2 writing for ComputorEdge and Career Opportunities.

Don't fear, though, as the Career Opportunities column and podcast will go on. I plan on sticking to my usual weekly production schedule for the foreseeable future. That said, I will be losing the income I earned writing the column, so your donations are more important than ever to the continuing of Career Opportunities as both a column and a podcast.

If you find Career Opportunities useful, please consider a monthly subscription to fund its creation. You can also make a one-time donation of any amount. Both are greatly appreciated!



There are other ways you can help, too.

* If you know someone who might be interested in publishing Career Opportunities or sponsoring the column and/or podcast, please have them contact me.

* Continue to spread the word about Career Opportunities. More readers and listeners provide more incentive for companies to sponsor the show or advertise.

* Link to Career Opportunities on social networking sites. I recently set up a "fan" page for Career-Op on Facebook, for example.

* Let me know what is on your mind. I want to address your most pressing questions in the year to come, so please let me know what you need to know most. What most concerns you? Scares you? Thrills you?

One piece of Career Opportunities is coming to and end, but another continues on...and continues to grow.

Thank you for your eyes and ears. I will continue to make Career Opportunities as informative and enjoyable as possible in the coming year.

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On my recent reading list has been this book, Cut to the Chase by Stuart R. Levine. While this book covers ground already well-plowed by many business books, you can use it as sort of tarot card deck to help you get your thinking on track.

Divided into small chapters, each with a well-defined topic, you can consume the book slowly, taking time after each chapter to reflect on the message and how you can develop the recommendations into action items for your own life and career.

One aspect I like very much, despite my own personal methods, is its focus on...well...focus. I know that even in my scattered life there are times when I need to focus on very specific and detailed points. Cut to the Chase has several great ideas on how to achieve this focus when you need it.

For more items mentioned on WelchWrite.com, visit our Amazon Store
The WelchWrite Bookstore in association with Amazon.com

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Finding a job can be difficult, no matter if it is your first job or your twentieth. That said, finding that first “real” job can leave you wondering just how you're supposed to get started if no one will give you a chance. As with most things in life, there is no secret to success, but there are a few ways to increase the chances of finding a good first job and making a great start on the career you deserve.

Next Friday: November 23, 2007: Make sure you aren't working towards the past

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Click to Play

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If there is one thing my wife detests, it is doing laundry. It is one of those tasks that never comes to an end. As soon as you complete one load, another is ready to go. Then there is the folding, ironing and more. My version of laundry is the monthly bill pay and financial reconciles. It has some direct corollaries in that it, too, is never done. I only make progress for another 30 days and then it starts all over again. As you might imagine, there are certain tasks in your career that closely resemble doing the laundry. Nevertheless, they still need to be done, regularly and well, if you want to keep your job, life and career on track.

Next Friday: November 16, 2007: Getting the job

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Become a "fan" of Career Opportunities by using the new Facebook Page Services. Show yoru support of Career Opportunities on Facebook!

Become a Facebook Fan of Career Opportunities

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Once I graduated from college, it was an easy decision to not return. Since I wasn’t programming-inclined, there wasn’t much to be gained from getting a Masters or Doctorate in Computer Science. Instead, I went off and joined the big world of business and have arrived at where I am today. This is not to say, though, that I have stopped learning. Instead I have spent my years learning about topics that interested me, developing my own personalized advanced degree. While it may not hold the cache of a MA or Ph.D, it certainly has helped to develop a decent career and an interesting life.

Next Friday: November 9, 2007: Doing the (Career) Laundry

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With Career Opportunities in its 12th year of publication and 4th year of podcasting, it seems likely that some of you missed out on the "early ears" of Career-Op. With that in mind, today I am starting to re-release some of my earlier shows so that (relatively) new subscribers can get the benefits of those columns.

I will still release a new show each Friday, corresponding to the print column for each week, but on Wednesday's I will reach back into the archives (this time, the audio archives instead of the print archives) and let you hear how Career-Op sounded over the least 3 years.

Please forgive the audio quality on some of these early shows. I was still figuring out how to create clean audio and exactly how I wanted the show to sound.

I hope you enjoy this blast from the (recent) past!

As always, questions and comments can be sent to career@welchwrite.com, posted as comments on the web site or called into the listener line at 818-804-5049.

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I will be attending BarCamp San Diego this weekend (November 10 & 11) and speaking on a topic as yet undecided. When I speak at BarCamp events, I like to get a feel for the audience before I decide completely. Obviously, if enough people want something on high-tech careers, then I would be glad to talk about that.

If you have never been to a BarCamp event before, I highly recommend it. BarCamp is an unconference where the attendees are also the presenters. The sessions are wide-raning and eclectic and the people are always interesting. On the first day everyone posts their sessions on a large time and room grid and then the conference starts. Meals are usually provided by sponsors and admission is free, so you really need a good excuse NOT to come. (SMILE)

Come on down and let's talk! That is one of the best parts of every BarCamp.

You can see a recent talk I gave at PodCampAZ in Phoenix last weekend on my Careers in Podcasting and New Media blog to give you a feeling of the type of talks you might experience. You can also check out info and links from the first BarCamp San Diego last year on the BarCamp San Diego Wiki.

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