Book Review: Now What: A Young Persons Guide to Choosing the Perfect Career by Nicholas Lore

As a career consultant I try to read as many books on this topic as I can. I just finished reading Now What: A Young Persons Guide to Choosing the Perfect Career by Nicholas Lore. I had very high expectations going into this book based on the last book that I read from this author. I must say that I was not disappointed.

The first couple of chapters are pretty basic and kind of boring as the author describes various tests that college students can take to learn about their personality types and which careers they would be best suited for. The best part of the book is the tool kit that Lore provides. This allows the reader to become engaged and learn as they read. The book forces you to take action towards your career and actually provides encouragement and motivation along the way.

There were a couple of negatives though. The one thing that I did not like was the author plugs his testing and coaching services and at times I felt like I was reading a promotional piece for his business instead of a book that was supposed to inform and educate. The other negative was there was never any mention of the negative economy we are in and how that impacts people that are starting off in their career.

Overall, I do recommend this book for any high school or college student that is ready to start searching for a career. It is tough out there so the more you can read and prepare for the better off you will be.

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4 Questions to Help Your Genius Find You

If you're having trouble finding your life purpose, relax. We've got good news for you... What you love to do - what we call your inner genius - finds you. You don't find it.

Let me explain...

Have you seen the movie "The Legend of Bagger Vance"?

Will Smith, who plays Bagger Vance, says to Matt Damon, who plays a golf pro who has "lost his swing", "You can't find your swing. What you've got to do is, you have to practice so that your swing finds you."

Likewise, you can't find what you truly love until you practice. Then, your life purpose finds you.

What do you practice?

Practice doing things...

You are best at,What others say you're best at,What you're most passionate about, andThat you can money at.

Here are 4 questions that will put the cogs in motion so that your genius finds you more quickly and easily.

What do you think you are best at? For example, I (Phil) think I am best at creating learning opportunities, having fun, and deep listening.What do others say you're best at? Example: Others say I'm best at "achieving results" and engaging people in creative processes. There is a difference between what you are best at and what others say you're best at. Be brutally honest with yourself.Are you passionate about that thing that you think that you are best at and others say you are best at? Are you passionate about it? Yes or no? Example: Yes, I am passionate about achieving results and creative engagements.Can you make money at that? Can you take what you are best at, what other people think you are best at and what you are passionate about that you and others think you are best at and make money at that? Yes or no? Is it a business? Or, is it a hobby? Ex: Yes, I can make money helping people (and businesses) achieve big results. No, I can't make money engaging people in creative processes.

In review, your genius is your unique talents. You can't find your genius. What you've got to do is, you have to practice so that your genius finds you. Start your practice with 4 questions:

What do you think you are best at?What do others say you're best at?Are you passionate about that thing that you think that you are best at and others say you are best at?Can you make money at that?

Now I invite you to claim the "10 Essential Genius Questions: The Questions Every Person Needs To Know To Cultivate His Or Her Genius" free at http://geniuscourse.net/.

From Phil Johncock, The Genius Professor

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Career Book Review - 101 Secrets To Career Success by Rashika Fernando - A Holistic Employment Model

Current U.S. unemployment reigns at roughly 9.5 percent, with at least 14 million jobless Americans. Statistics show approximately 5 applicants for every one available job. Economists predict a multi-year experience of higher than usual U.S. unemployment. Today's global marketplace is restructuring employment opportunities. It's challenging. Now, having the perfect resume and knowing the answers to "tough" interview questions no longer guarantees a job. Many who are working feel unfulfilled, desiring to change careers; yet hesitate for a variety of reasons. 

Following is the first of three articles summarizing "101" career books published by Course Technology. A different author highlights what it takes to achieve career success in the 21st century for each book. Here, it's businessman Rashika Fernando. His new book is entitled 101 Secrets To Career Success.

Fernando sports an impressive corporate career, working primarily in Global Finance. His message transcends the corporate world, addressing careers in general, whether you're employed or unemployed. "101 Secrets" offers a holistic approach to employment, integrating both your personal and professional presence. In today's marketplace, the more these two worlds converge, the happier you'll be. Fernando's 101 career secrets are dispersed among 17 succinctly written chapters, providing an expedient, enlightening read. Following are highlights from four chapters.

Purpose/Meaning. Fernando asks, "Why do you live and go to work?" Each one of us has a purpose in life, waiting to be discovered, he writes. Once we know our purpose in life, everything else falls into place. He believes our overall happiness includes these elements: 1. Be happy with the life that we have. 2. Ensure the continuation of life. This would include procreating, or aiding future generations by volunteering, adopting/sponsoring orphaned children, etc. 3. Enhance life by donating to causes, offering comforting words to someone facing a difficult challenge, etc.

Finding our purpose can be a long journey, unique to our being. Ultimately our career choices should make us happy while getting paid to do it. Combine a mission with your purpose; believe in it and execute it. To act on your purpose, you need a strategy. It allows you to connect high-level dreams into actionable plans. Career Success Secret: "Wanting to understand your life's purpose is the biggest step forward you can take towards success."

Career/Life Strategy. Arguably the best chapter in the book, "Strategizing Your Career and Life" emphasizes the importance of planning. Strategy is the approach you take to close the gap between where you are and where you want to be. It brings choices into action. There's no formula for strategy, as each of your goals is unique. We strategize every day on a simpler level (mapping out a travel route, daily To-Do lists, etc.) Achieving big dreams is difficult and complex. Strategy brings our dreams to the level of other day-to-day realities. While there's no strategy formula, there is a Strategic Planning Framework: Definition-write down the problem to solve and the goal, which serves as a reference point for planning. Data/Analysis-record what you already know about the problem or goal, analysis you've done, or any assumptions. Strategy-devise your approach to obtain the goal. Tactics/Resources- identifies the smallest details of your plan, Monitoring- review progress in your plan. Career Success Secret: "It is very important that you make a choice rather than hiding behind analysis."

Being Proactive. Proactive people actively participate and anticipate various diversions in their plans, influencing the change towards their goals. Being proactive creates better quality of results and better quality of life. Any quest for success will include competition. Anticipate and plan for inevitable competitive situations. On your journey towards success develop the ability to see what will happen in the next several years. "You can always see the signs of tomorrow today," says Fernando. Regarding the workforce, anticipate continual technological advancements. "Give up what you already know, to learn what you don't know." Career Success Secret: "Being proactive builds your confidence."

Networking. Our success depends on our relationships. To be successful, we need to learn the art of networking and feel comfortable doing it. Networking is essentially being a good friend to others. Our existing contacts and friends are our most powerful network we have. Networking provides friendship, emotional support and encouragement. Connecting with other people helps you realize your own accomplishments and the value that you add. The best reason to network is the wealth of opportunities it provides you. Career Success Secret: "Networking is a matching process whereby your strengths are matched with new opportunities, increasing your chances for success."

Amidst anemic job markets and media stories featuring the distress, we can only direct our own lives. If you're dissatisfied with your career or frustratingly unemployed, read "101 Secret's" Chapter 4: "Controlling Your Destiny." The global marketplace presents an evolving employment landscape. Old industries fade to reveal new career opportunities. Experiencing career success in today's marketplace requires a paradoxical selfishness. Only by engaging in relentless introspection (regardless of age), with a goal to integrate both your personal and professional being, can you best contribute to society. Fernando's holistic approach to career and life offers steadfast advice in today's tumultuous world.

Complement Fernando's message with Jay Miletsky's "101 Ways To Successfully Market Yourself," and Carol A. Silvis's "101 Ways To Make Yourself Indispensable at Work," to jump-start your career, whether employed, unemployed, seasoned or novice.

To view the Table of Contents for 101 Secrets To Career Success, visit http://rashikafernando.com/Book_Details.html.

Timothy Zaun is a blogger, speaker and freelance writer. Visit him online at http://timzaun.com/.

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Taking Control of Your Career, I Know You Want Too - Book Review

Indeed, I suppose everyone is concerned with their career, and we all realize that there are choices we make now which will have drastic effects on the rest of our lives later. If you make all the right moves, you will move quickly to the top, of course you need the savvy and skills to stay there, and you'll need the leadership talents to do it right, once you do achieve such lofty heights. Thus, career planning is paramount.

If you wish to advance in your career, if you want to find the right job and keep it in a solid industry you will need to do a little bit of research, study, and get the correct information. Not long ago, I was discussing this with a friend and I recommended a very good book for her to read. It's one I could just as well have recommended to you as well. In fact, let me do that now - the name of the book is:

"What Next?: The Complete Guide to Taking Control of Your Working Life," by Barbara Moses, published by Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd, England; (2003), 336 pp, ISBN: 978-075136-4460.

If you want upward mobility in your career then this is the book to read, and there are chapters on getting the right job, surviving in the workplace, and seizing opportunity. Also, you'll learn how to be the best boss with the best leadership schools in this fast pace world of ours. Why is that important you ask? Well, once you get to the management level, you are in charge and you can make or break the company and your team. For instance let me give you a recent example, no not in the book, but it made me recall the advice I learned in this book;

An interesting article in Government Executive, an insider US government publication with an online newsletter; "Executive Coach; BP's Tony Hayward: Worst Leader of the Year," by Scott Eblin and it was essentially about the reality of taking your career to the next level, written on June 9, 2010. The article had this quote, but I recommend that you do go find this article online and read the whole thing to form your own opinion;

"I'll acknowledge that it's just too easy to nominate BP CEO Tony Hayward as the worst leader of the year. Granted, he's got some stiff competition, but he deserves every inch of the big target on his back. Like a lot of people, I've got a crick in my neck from shaking my head after all of the stupid things he's said and feckless things he's done."

Had Tony Hayward read this book by Barbara Moses, I just bet he'd have been able to handle the onslaught of negative media which has taken 10s of billions of dollars from the BP market cap after this spill. If you plan your career from the start, from the time you get out of college and get that first big break, until you one day become the boss, then you'll need this book.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes it's hard to write 20,000 articles; http://www.bloggingcontent.net/

Note: All of Lance Winslow's articles are written by him, not by Automated Software, any Computer Program, or Artificially Intelligent Software. None of his articles are outsourced, PLR Content or written by ghost writers.

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Job Interview Tips - 3 Important Things To Always Remember

A job interview can be a daunting experience. One of the big challenges is to come across as being confident even though you are very nervous. For most of us there is a lot on the line when we go for that job interview and if its that dream job then its really important that you put your best foot forward and show them what you are made off. Interviews need not be such a nerve wrecking experience. By following some basic tips you can be calm, confident and completely in control. Lets quickly look at 3 important things that you need to keep in mind at all times.

1. Punctuality
Needless to say, when you are late for your interview you might as well not go. Punctuality is something that is valued by all employers simply because it speaks volumes about your ability to organize your time. Always be prepared for the worse. Plan for that traffic jam and if you use public transport, make sure you plan for the worse. Always arrive 10 minutes early and never arrive 1 hour early.

2. Body Language
As I already mentioned, coming across as a confident person is incredibly important. Your body language will however be an easy way to tell if you are not confident. Try and look people in the eye when you talk to them. Don't twitch with your hands and move slowly and deliberately. Try and relax as nervousness is a trait of someone who is not very confident.

3. Talking About Yourself
Its amazing how most people tend to sell themselves short. We all have this fear of coming across as arrogant and often we sell ourselves short during a job interview. Its important that you speak confidently about your qualifications, your experience and your skills. The important distinction is to not talk up your personality traits too much as that can come across as being arrogant. Talk up your skills, experience and qualifications as much as you can.

They say that people form impressions of each other within the first 5 seconds when they meet. Needless to say that first impressions count - and they count a lot in a job interview. Make sure you present well and do whatever it takes to make that first five seconds count. It can make or break your interview and maybe even your job opportunity and your career.

Do you know what the frequently asked interview questions are? See my blog for some great interview techniques and tips to help you out...

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101 Ways to Boost Your Performance

Performance is very critical to individual and corporate survival and progress. Therefore, any individual or corporate organisation that wants progress needs constant performance assessment. Regular performance assessment is also important for people and organisations that are already ahead, because complacency is very dangerous. This is why we are examining this book "101 Ways to Boost Your Performance."

John Fenton, author of this text is one of the greatest salesmen the United Kingdom (UK) has ever produced. Fenton is the creator of the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management. He is also the architect of the 'Year of Selling' national campaign which helped 47,000 salespeople fight their way out of the 81/3 recession.

Fenton is the leader of ten UK National Sales as well as the president of the Institution of British Engineers. He is the founder of the Institute of Continuing Performance Development.

In this text, the author provides a catalogue of management techniques to help you improve your skills and achieve your ambition. He shows you how to cut to the bone of marketing, communication and administration, and offers a new insight into the processes of staff management, recruitment and development.

The author X-rays concepts such as shortcuts to knowing your product, your market, your competition and salesforce; how to cut paperwork by half and manage your time better; how to motivate your staff to even greater achievements, etc.

As far as structure is concerned, this text is segmented into 13 chapters. Chapter one is entitled "Foundation stones for effective management". According to Fenton here, it is a glaring glimse of the obvious to say that no amount of production is of the slightest value unless the products are sold for cash. He adds that selling is the very crux of any commercial or industrial enterprise.

Fenton says personally, he loves signs, and there are a lot of them in this text. "Try placing some of them strategically around your place of work - they remind people why they are there. Without reminders, they quickly forget, and allow their personal priorities to take precedence over the priorities of the business," says this author.

He adds that his favourite sign comes from ex-Avis chief Robert Townsend thus: "Is what I'm doing, or about to do, getting us closer to our objective or making us money?"

Fenton educates that a lot of companies do not see selling as the be-all-and-end-all of their business. He says they make things, or set up as experts in providing some kind of service, and then sit back and wait for the customers to come to them, which of course they do not.

In Fenton's words, "The result is failure, unless they have enough personal contacts to keep them struggling along as a small company. If the product is good, professional sales promotion can turn any small struggling company into a large and prosperous one." He says customers are the business, adding that the customers come first, not the products or services, or the factory or the corporate image, or the founder or owner of the company.

Chapter two is interrogatively entitled "Is marketing bunk?" Fenton educates that marketing is fashionable, and as soon as anything becomes fashionable, all sorts of 'creative' types move in and make ludicrous claims for their own magical powers. He adds that there are grains of truth in all their claims, but there is also a lot of flannel as well. "So let's define what marketing should be about: 'Marketing is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably'," says Fenton.

This author adds that without marketing, all you can do is to keep on selling the same products and services to the same customers. According to Fenton, inevitably that will lead to your going out of business, because you are standing while the world outside moves on.

Using the principles of marketing, however, you adjust, amend or change the products or services and the ways in which you sell them, in order to suit the changing needs of your changing customer base. In other words, you react positively to the constant evolution of your marketplace.

According to Fenton, marketing is only bunk when it is applied incompetently. He adds that it is also bunk to call your Sales Manager a Marketing Manager, and your Sales Office a Marketing Services Department.

The author examines concepts such as the competitive edge; improving performance; watching the bottomline; and cutting down the administration, in chapters three to six.

Chapter seven is based on finding and keeping the best people. Fenton educates that the snag is, of course, that without people there is no business. He advises that the first thing to do is to ensure that you get the best people possible in your team. The right people will be the ones who work for the furtherance of the business before their own self-interests, expatiates Fenton.

This consultant educates that if your business is to succeed, you have to be able to pick winners and avoid losers. He says he has two pet systems for picking winners, both very simple.

In his words, "If you are interviewing for a sales position, all the applicants will probably be clever enough to give you the answers you want to hear to the usual run of questions. If I am looking for experienced people, then they have to prove that all their experience is worth something. So I challenge them to prove how good they are."

Fenton analytically X-rays concepts such as communications; management techniques; time management; leadership and motivation in chapters eight to 12.

The last chapter, chapter 13 is tagged "Unlucky for some." According to him, there is nearly always a difference between what we are and what we are perceived to be. "Have you, for instance, got any of the nasty little habits which annoy you in other people?... Think of all the things that drive you mad in other people, and then see if they apply to you," guides Fenton.

As regards style, one thing that is really conspicuous in this text is generous employment of graphical embroidery for emphasis and visual reinforcement of readers' understanding.

Fenton uses detailed illustrations to ensure easy understanding on readers' part. The language is comprehensible and the ideas logically presented. What's more, the title of the text is catchy. The author also uses accurate quotes to embellish concepts.

However, the layout of the book needs improvement to make it (more) eye-friendly. On page 114, the expression "...the best people possible on your team", which is Standard American English is used instead of the Standard British English version "...the best people possible in your team" ought to be used because Fenton is a Briton.

Finally, if you are ready to enhance your performance and rise to the top through excellence, then this text is a must-read for you. It is highly fascinating.

GOKE ILESANMI, Editor-in-Chief/CEO of http://www.gokeilesanmi.com/ and Managing Consultant/CEO of Gokmar Communication Consulting, is a Certified Public Speaker/Emcee, (Business) Communication Specialist, Motivational Speaker, Career Management Coach, Renowned Book Reviewer, Corporate Leadership Expert and Editorial Consultant.
Tel: +234(0)8055068773; +234(0)8056030424
Email: info@gokeilesanmi.com; gokeiles2010@gmail.com

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Extra Time Well Spent - Life As a Film Extra

If you've ever been to watch a television show being recorded, you'll have seen what goes on behind the glamorous facade - lots of people dressed in black, running around, muttering into the kind of face microphones singers wear these days, while gently but firmly keeping you, the audience, in your place. Now imagine being part of the show, on camera, but without having to learn any lines. That's a partial description of the film or TV extra's job. You might occasionally be given a line to act, but that's unusual. You might be asked to do something on your own - walk across the shot, sit in a railway carriage next to a principal character, or walk out of a shop - but for the most part you will be in a group of people mingling at a party, dining at a restaurant, drinking at a pub, walking purposefully down a hospital corridor, strolling through the park...you get the picture.

Extras - or 'background artists' - provide colour, noise, anything to give the shot more authenticity - whatever the director needs to tell the story. In the United States, in fact, film extras are called 'atmosphere'. Make of this what you will!

Some would say extras don't need to be able to act, but there's nothing more distracting than some guy in the background who looks so awkward that your eyes are glued to him and before you know it you've missed vital dialogue, and then you've lost the plot. It's actually quite difficult to act as though the camera's not on you. Most often, though, you're filmed in groups or crowds and that makes it a lot easier than, say, sitting alone, in shot, at a cafe table, endlessly stirring your coffee and waiting for your fictitious date.

Established extras casting agencies are the best way in, so try and register with several of them. They have a particular time of year when they accept CVs and photos -read their websites and follow their instructions. They're bombarded with applications and they're busy people. It also helps if you have an interesting skill or three, like horse riding, cycling or CPR. Some extras even maintain a wardrobe of uniforms and specialised work clothes. But tell the truth about skills: it's easy to get caught out, and you will not be popular.

Film extra work is never steady - you might be out of work for weeks or months and then get a three-week job on a feature film. The agency isn't interested in how you pay the rent in between; it's not their job. You could be working days or nights. Very often you won't know when you'll be finished, so you can't make plans. Most of the time you'll be on location and you'll usually have to find your own way there, often in the early hours. You will almost always miss breakfast, or be in wardrobe, or hair or makeup when it's being served. Take something with you to get your blood sugar up and running. Just don't eat it on set.

If all this sounds like hard work, which it often is, it's offset by lots of good stuff: dressing up in ll sorts of costumes, watching films being shot, making friends and generally being part of the action. Extras are usually treated (and fed) well, even if sometimes, of necessity, they're herded around. Sometimes you'll be treated less professionally, but if you treat your environment and your co-workers with respect, listen to instructions - and most importantly of all, you don't chatter on set while the cameras are rolling - you should be respected in turn. And as most people know by now, you need to possess a healthy dollop of patience. Filming is a painstakingly slow process. You need to love being there...because you will be there for hours...and hours...and hours.

One small health warning: if your heart's desire is to become an actor, film extra work is not for you. It may look like a way in, but generally it isn't, and it could do you more harm than good. Extra work is for people who want to be in the background, and stay there.

Christopher Spiers founder of Interesting Jobs, the web's premier resource for interesting jobs & fun jobs.

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