Keeping Your Career Keeping Your Career on Track– in a Down on Track– in a Down

Economy and BeyondEconomy and Beyond

Webinar #1:Webinar #1:“Finding the Opportunities“Finding the Opportunities

in the Problems”in the Problems”

The Alumnae AssociationThe Alumnae Association

Of Smith CollegeOf Smith College

Career Webinar SeriesCareer Webinar Series

Copyright Barbara Reinhold, Ed.D.Copyright Barbara Reinhold, Ed.D.

www.barbara-reinhold.comwww.barbara-reinhold.com

The advantages of graduating The advantages of graduating from Smith go on and on…from Smith go on and on…

• Welcome to the first Alumnae Career Webinar, linking you with alums from other classes and fields in a virtual exploration of how to thrive in a seemingly chaotic world of work

• The four sessions combine the webinar interactive format with exercises and resources around the following sequential topics:

1) “Finding the Opportunities in the Problems” 2) “Managing Your Own Employability for Whatever Moves

You Want to Make, Whenever You Want to Make Them” 3) “Presenting Yourself—Be the Choreographer of Your

Own Career” 4) “Spiraling Up: Shifting Gears Across the Lifespan”

This webinar series is being moderated This webinar series is being moderated by Dr. Barbara Reinholdby Dr. Barbara Reinhold

• Formerly Director of both the Career Development Office and the Smith Executive Education for Women Program, Barbara brings expertise from both the employer and job seeker perspectives.

• You can read more about her work at www.barbara-reinhold@com

It’s a wild ride, externally…It’s a wild ride, externally…• 20th century rules just

don’t apply• Nothing will ever be

certain again—that’s the good news and the bad news combined

• The best place to find a helping hand might well be at the end of your own arm, AND

……. through the Alumnae . through the Alumnae Association, of courseAssociation, of course

• Smithies know that you’ve “gotta have a gang…”

• And don’t forget the online alumnae networking

• It’s a High Tech/ High Touch deal

But often the factors in career But often the factors in career stress are internal as well as stress are internal as well as

external…external…• Wondering whose life

you’ve been living?• Itching for change?• Feeling like a prison

break?• Too terrified to make a

move?• Afraid you’ll never find

what you have again?

Here’s the bad/good news:Here’s the bad/good news:

• Without the grains of sand in the oyster, there will never be a pearl

• In tumultuous times, there is plenty of sand to go around for oysters who dare to open up…

Here’s where you have a choiceHere’s where you have a choice—to make this interactive, or to —to make this interactive, or to

just watch and thinkjust watch and think• Trust me, though, the more effort

you make to do the interactive thing now, the more you’ll get out of the hour and the whole process

• So grab some paper and a pen, and go through some of the exercises with me if you can…

Take a minute to write down at Take a minute to write down at least one grain of sand in your least one grain of sand in your

oyster right now:oyster right now:

• 1)__________________________

• 2) _________________________

• 3) _________________________

For each grain of sand, For each grain of sand, answer this question:answer this question:

• What can you imagine doing now that you wouldn’t even consider if you didn’t have this problem or issue?

Somewhere in your responses Somewhere in your responses to that question is the wisdom to that question is the wisdom

of what you of what you really, reallyreally, really want to do next!want to do next!

• Let yourself think about it and then write it down, now or later

• Find a trusted “peer coach” to share it with

• Maybe do a little research about the ideas you generated

The The real real problem with problem with uncertainty is that we let it rob uncertainty is that we let it rob

us of our confidence…us of our confidence…

• And others around us, who are themselves frightened and wondering about their own competitive edge, are happy to help us give away our power

• Especially if we’re female—in most settings, at least…

Here are just a few mind-Here are just a few mind-bending factoids to consider:bending factoids to consider:

• The 21st century model of leadership is built around both the natural and the acculturated strengths of women. Companies are spending billions to teach men to act like women.

• In a 30-year study of the success of high school graduates, women have outperformed men on every measure—except salary and expectation of high earnings.(Clifford Adelman, US Dept of Education)

• According to Catalyst, companies with women at the top levels consistently outperform those with limited female leadership.

Here’s what Shelly Lazarus ’68, Here’s what Shelly Lazarus ’68, CEO of Ogilvy and Mather has CEO of Ogilvy and Mather has

to say:to say:

• “It’s all about talent; women should be asking for what they want, because companies really need the talents they bring.”

YOU are the CEO of your own YOU are the CEO of your own career, probably in one of the career, probably in one of the

following three scenarios:following three scenarios:

• On your own as a free agent selling products or services

• Contracting to do work for one or more individuals or organizations

• Being a paid employee, but choosing a place that fits with your visions and values and what you have to offer

• Which one(s) are you now? Which do you want to be next?

Who said a job is not Who said a job is not necessarily a job?necessarily a job?

• More than 75% of business entities are sole proprietorships; and women’s start-ups succeed twice as often as men’s

• Your “work” is what you know how to do and enjoy—and that somebody is willing to pay for

Here’s what the guys are Here’s what the guys are generally generally notnot talking about: talking about:

• Women are now uniquely positioned to shape and lead the global economy

• Why? It’s all in how we are wired and re-wired…

Female brains are Female brains are double-powereddouble-powered

• Activity on both sides of the corpus callosum

• High doers• High feelers• Able to respond to

both kinds of challenges

So what do we need to do So what do we need to do with this information?with this information?

Women have to own and declare their Women have to own and declare their natural advantage:natural advantage:

• Understand the real value of this dual-competency

• Give themselves permission to claim their own emerging “identity”

• Educate colleagues, bosses, nay-sayers about the advantages their style and skills bring them

So who are you now, So who are you now, anyway?anyway?

• What skills and experiences do you want to use?

• What new things would you like to learn?

• What really matters to you?

Write it down—Write it down—so you can so you can revisit your ideas and feelings revisit your ideas and feelings

throughout this processthroughout this process

• What reactions are you having to this information?

• What’s the wildest risk you can imagine?

• Who could coach you to be a little more outrageous?

The kaleidoscopic approach The kaleidoscopic approach to career planningto career planning

• Smith resources for alumnae shift and evolve as you do across the lifespan

• Whatever “design” you’re in at the moment, the college and other alums are there for you…

WHAT HAVEN’T YOU HAD AWHAT HAVEN’T YOU HAD A

CHANCE TO DO YET? CHANCE TO DO YET?

• Talents to use?• Places to go?• Relationships to explore?• Time with and for yourself?

Let’s check your Let’s check your fillersfillers and and drainersdrainers::

• Fillers: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Drainers:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What do those lists tell you?What do those lists tell you?

With whom will you discuss With whom will you discuss what you see?what you see?

Hear what Abby Slater ’80, Vice-President of Suncee Hear what Abby Slater ’80, Vice-President of Suncee Socks, had to say recently about managing her fillers Socks, had to say recently about managing her fillers

and drainers by being an entrepreneur:and drainers by being an entrepreneur:

• “After years in banking, I decided to start a business with my husband just because the constraints of corporate life were hampering my creativity and my flexibility. In our company, when we do the hard work, we see the results. And I don’t miss my kids’ games.”

So how is your design So how is your design shifting?shifting?

• Did you initiate the re-design, or did someone else?

• Let’s talk about the ways Smith can help

Resources for your Resources for your redesign:redesign:

• SCAA web site• Alumnae

networking• Exercises• Print and online

virtual “coaching”• Telephone

coaching• www.barbara-reinh

old.com

Here’s an exercise from my Here’s an exercise from my web site that you might find web site that you might find helpful, to let you zero in on helpful, to let you zero in on what feels right about your what feels right about your

current or most recent work, current or most recent work, and what doesn’t/ didn’t…and what doesn’t/ didn’t…

• http://www.barbara-reinhold.com/work_satisfaction_audit.html

• It’s called the Work Satisfaction Audit—and it’s free to you or anyone you think needs to take it!

Q & AQ & A• Let’s hear some of

your questions about managing uncertainty with an “opportunistic” lens now…..

• and then you’ll hopefully share some ideas with friends, colleagues and, of course, the Smith Alumna Network

I know we haven’t had time I know we haven’t had time for all of your questions:for all of your questions:

• If there’s something you want to ask, just visit the blog site, post it there, and I and other alums will chime in with our collective wisdom

• http://alumnae.smith.edu/career/blog.php

Remember our next Webinar, Remember our next Webinar, “Managing Your Own “Managing Your Own

Employability, for Whatever Employability, for Whatever Moves You Want to Make, Moves You Want to Make,

Whenever You Want to Make Whenever You Want to Make Them”Them”

• Time and date: Wednesday, April 29, noon, EDT

• Register at http://alumnae.smith.edu/career/

index.php