The IT Girls Coach

The manager administers;
the leader innovates.

The manager is a copy;
the leader is an original.

The manager maintains;
the leader develops.

The manager focuses on systems and structure;
the leader focuses on people.

The manager relies on control;
the leader inspires trust.

The manager accepts reality;
the leader investigates it.

The manager has a short-range view;
the leader has a long-range perspective.

The manager asks how and when;
the leader asks what and why.

The manager has their eye always on the bottom line;
the leader has her eye on the horizon.

The manager imitates;
the leader originates.

The manager accepts the status quo;
the leader challenges it.

The manager is the classic good soldier;
the leader is her own person.

The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing.

From On Becoming a Leader

Author: Warren Bennis

It is generally said that 40 to 45% of adults make one or more resolutions each year. Most New Year’s resolutions are about self care and management, weight loss, exercise, and spending more time with family and friends. Other popular resolutions involve better money management and debt reduction.

Unfortunately after only weeks or a couple of short months, most people have broken their resolutions and are resolutely reattached to their former habits. The reason for this is because resolutions have a fail mechanism. They work on an ‘all or nothing’ mentality. “If you fall off the wagon even once, you have failed yourself! And with that weighing down on your shoulders it is hard to get back on the proverbial horse and reengage with your NY’s resolution.”

Goal setting however is quite a different beast. Especially if you set your goals using concepts laid out by the laws of attraction.

1. Decide what your goals will be. Be very specific, and write them down as if they are already a reality. If you have vague goals, you are guaranteed to achieve vague results.

E.g. I have a job that I love. I am paid well. My colleagues are wonderful and my boss is mentoring me for my next promotion.

2. You must dare to dream. Don’t just write down what you know is easily obtainable. What would you add to your goals setting list if you were not afraid?

- Now look over your goals, why do you want to achieve them. Is it something you really want or is it something you think others would want for you. In order to achieve your goals they have to be something you really want for yourself.

- Next spend some time getting to grips with why you have not achieved these goals before. What is the underlying problem? This can sometimes be difficult work and is something you might hire a coach to help you uncover.

3. Once you have decided on your final list of goals print them on a bright card, even laminate it if you can, and put it in a prominent position. This will keep your goals top of mind throughout the year. Your subconscious will notice the card even if you are not reading the words every day. Again a coach can help you stay accountable to achieving these goals.

4. Do make a point of reading your goals regularly (weekly or monthly) and always work toward them, breaking the big audacious goals down into easily manageable chunks and then moving forward one step at a time.

5. Trust you will achieve your goals and let go of any struggle and the outcome.

6. Answer the questions:

“How much is finally achieving my desired results worth to me?”

“Will this investment mean I won’t be making the same resolutions again a year from now?”

Don’t go it alone. Enlist the help of others. If necessary, spend money on services, e.g, a personal trainer, education, or coaching which will help you to achieve your goals.

7. Revisit your goals at the end of the year and be amazed at how well you did.

It is not magic. Although it might feel like it sometimes. You will have enjoyed a whole year with no self blame or reprisal. If you slipped a little, and even if you didn’t quite reach your goal, I am willing to bet that you have achieved much, much more than any other year, and that your outlook has considerably improved.

The reason for this is that it is a proven fact that if you start your year with defined goals, you will either achieve them, or at least get a good way towards achieving them. If you do not state your goals, you have nothing to aim for, become distracted by other things, and be left still dreaming of a better life as yet another year draws to a close.

You are the only one who really knows what you need and you can set yourself up for success. Be realistic and plan for successes, but also think about how you will handle setbacks. Get your support systems in place and do something every week that will move you closer to where you want to be and to who you want to become.

Finally, don’t forget to celebrate all small successes as you go along. This way you draw a line in the sand that you will be less likely to slip behind in the future.

To show our appreciation, please accept the following pre-recorded webinar with our warm regards.

Click on the following links to download the webinar materials:

Video Recording - Webinar “Your Job Exit Strategy”

• Toleration clearing - Work Sheet
• Networking tip sheets - Live
• Networking tip sheets - Online
• Networking tip sheets - Inner Circle
• Tips for writing online resumes

I don’t know if this video says more about the value of vision, or the current global
infatuation with reality TV - but it should remind you to think outside of the box.

How could you improve your career, or life by thinking differently?

What is ISO and why would it be important for the International Coach Federation to become ISO compliant?

About ISO

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the world’s largest developer and publisher of International Standards.

ISO is a network of the national standards institutes of 162 countries, one member per country, with a Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, that coordinates the system.

ISO is a non-governmental organization that forms a bridge between the public and private sectors. On the one hand, many of its member institutes are part of the governmental structure of their countries, or are mandated by their government. On the other hand, other members have their roots uniquely in the private sector, having been set up by national partnerships of industry associations.

Therefore, ISO enables a consensus to be reached on solutions that meet both the requirements of business and the broader needs of society. Read more >>>

The ISO standard sought by the International Coach Federation is ISO/IEC 17024:2003: Conformity assessment — General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons.

This International Standard aims to harmonize the various procedures used around the world for certifying the competence of personnel in different professions.

It will provide a global benchmark for certification schemes to ensure that they operate in a consistent, comparable and reliable manner worldwide, thus establishing an environment for the mutual recognition of schemes and facilitating the global mobility of personnel.

Today, thousands of certification programmes exist for personnel in practically every industry, in particular in the service sectors, from healthcare personnel and financial planners to safety professionals and non destructive testing operators, as a means of demonstrating their professional ability. One of the functions of the body carrying out certification of persons is to undertake an independent assessment of education/training, experience, demonstrated knowledge and skills applicable to the area for which the certification is awarded. This process is known as a “certification scheme”.

The new standard, ISO/IEC 17024, Conformity assessment - General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons, provides a uniform set of guidelines for organizations managing the qualifications and certification of persons, including procedures for the development and maintenance of a certification scheme. It is designed to help bodies operating certification of persons conduct well-planned and structured evaluations using objective criteria for competence and grading in order to ensure impartiality of operations and reduce any conflict of interest. Read more >>>

Update on ICF Credentialing and ISO

The following are frequently asked questions that the ICF has been receiving regarding potential changes to the ICF Credentialing Program.

There are many more details and specifics to be finalized and probably many more questions to be asked and answered. As such, four open calls have been scheduled in October (October 9, October 14, October 20 and October 22) to allow for a conversation around proposed changes. Please visit the ICF Event Calendar for more information.

Additionally, a special e-mail address has been created should you wish to forward a comment to ICF Headquarters regarding this topic. Please use isocomments@coachfederation.org.

Read more about the ICF initiative here >>>

A three webinar Networking Series

Dates: Wednesday 7th October,Wednesday 21st October and Wednesday 4th November
Time: 9 pm UK time
Location: Webinar - just log on, or pick up the phone.
Cost: £20 each or **Special Offer - all three for £50**
Book here

Please note: You can participate in one, two or all three of the webinars, and don’t worry if you can’t make the live webinars, we’ll also be recording them so you can listen in your free time.

How to Network Your Way to the Top!!!

If you are frustrated by the old boys club, have been devastated when someone from outside your company got a position that you had applied for internally, because, it seems they knew the bosses, or you know on one hand that networking is important, but on the other you find yourself wasting a lot of time on it with no perceivable benefits, then the following course is definitely for you.

Remember the old saying “it’s not what you know it’s who you know”? Well in this competitive age the rule has never been more true. If the thought of networking makes you cringe you will love this informative course which will teach you, not only why networking is essential for YOU - but also that networking is not a “one hat fits all” approach. There is a specific method to suit every kind of person, even introverts!

If networking has not worked for you up until this point, this series is going to help you understand why, and provide you with a networking plan that is guaranteed to work for you in the future, while saving time and energy in the process.

Not convinced this course is for you?
Think about the following statistics:

1. Research has found that networking accounts for at least 60% percent of all jobs landed and the figures are said to rise as high as 90% for positions at the executive level.

2. Career experts say that the vast majority of job openings are never advertised or publicly announced, but filled through word-of-mouth or networking, known as the “hidden job market.” The likelihood of a job opening not being advertised at all increases with the level of the job.

Can you afford not to be a successful networker?

In this series we will cover three different networking arenas:

* Live networking
* Online Networking
* Inner Circle networking

You will be taught the rules for succeeding in each arena and it will become clear to you which one best suits your personality and should be your main point of focus.

Part 1. Live networking - Wednesday 7th October

* Who you need to network with and how to find these people
* How to develop an effective networking strategy that is time efficient
* How to work a live networking event for best results
* What to do after a live networking event
* How to find and maintain a minimum of 50 useful, active contacts in the next 12 months

Part 2. Online Networking - Wednesday 21st October

* How to develop a useful time efficient plan for networking online
* How to put together a profile that will make you stand out from the crowd
* How to make the most of posting on targeted networks
* How to grow your network and keep it engaged
* How to get your networking contacts to promote you

Part 3. Inner Circle networking - Wednesday 4th November
~ The most effective and underrated networking strategy of them all

* How to become the head of your own networking circle
* How to extend your inner circle of useful contacts
* How to mobilize your network
* Tips for making your network connect with you
* The importance of having clear objective in an inner circle network.

At the end of this 3 part course you will have a clear networking strategy that is in tune with your personality.

* You will no longer waste time and energy on inefficient networking
* You will know who your target network is and how to find them
* You will employ techniques which keep you top of mind with your network
* You will have a plan and a strategy for increasing your useful network by at least 50 people over the next 12 months.

NOTE: The Information provided in each part of this course will not be repeated session to session, so it is highly recommended that you attend all three parts. Although certain networking arenas might not suit your personality type, there will be plenty of information pertinent to the growth of your personal network in each session.

Click here to sign up

The Global Dinner network
The GDN is the result of an idea a woman had when she was sitting alone in her hotel room while on a business trip to a foreign city. She thought ‘What can I do to make my time here more enjoyable? Surely I’m not the only woman having room service alone? I want to go for a run but I don’t know which areas are safe here.’ And so the GDN was born!

The GDN is a networking platform which you can use to:
• Make the most of your travelling by meeting local women
• Introduce foreign women travellers to your home town
• Get to know other GDN members in your area
• Meet other women in other offices of your own company
• Make useful contacts and new friends at home and all over the world - it’s an easy way to get to know new people
• Share information childcare or travel tips, recipes for last-minute dinner parties, restaurant recommendations…
• Share experiences and support with people in similar jobs or life situations
• Network for business and create opportunities
• …and so much more!
And you can access all this - including your GDN site-based communications* - with other GDN members from wherever you are, as long as you can get to a computer with Internet access.

Check out the Global Dinner Network - for women only

London, UK (PRWEB) July 7, 2009 — Women in IT positions often find themselves isolated and unable to access the information they need to further their career development. To address this issue womenintechnology.co.uk and Krissy Jackson, The IT Girls Career Coach have partnered to provide further training opportunities via webinar for women all around the Globe.

“This is a natural partnership. Both organizations are committed to assisting women in technology to build successful and satisfying careers”. “Partnering with the IT Girls Coach and adding webinars to career training course options is helping to dramatically extend the reach of womenintechnology.co.uk,” said Sarah Lilley the Events & Training Co-ordinator. “This month’s featured webinar already has 280 registrants from four continents.”

See full Press Release here

New cyber-rules for resume writing
By Randy Woods
NWjobs

You think you know everything there is to know about resume writing?
Fuh-gedd-aboud-it, says Paul Anderson, a career and psychology expert with Kirkland-based ProLango Consulting. “The algorithm for resumes has changed significantly, even since last October,” he says.

The most noteworthy shift since the economic meltdown began last fall is that most people make the mistake of writing resumes for actual people. “Humans aren’t reading resumes anymore.”

Instead, they are being fed and processed to online resume software systems that are programmed to look for specific key words. If certain skill sets are not detected, the resume is summarily rejected well before an actual breathing person has a chance to read that you have an interest in photography and “work well with others.”

Anderson, who teaches free seminars on career search advice, interviewing tips and resume writing, says this online resume revolution has rewritten the basic rules of how resumes are crafted. Here are a few pointers to write for these resume software algorithms:

Read full article here

Resume Writing Basics

By Penelope Trunk
Founder: Brazen Careerist

This is the problem with the resume-writing world: Everyone thinks they’re an exception to the rules. Everyone thinks they can pick and choose which rules are important. Do not do this. Until you work in human resources and personally scan 300 resumes a day, you are in no position to discard rules of resume writing. Here are the six most violated rules among the resumes that people send to me to review:

Read full article