Why Not Five Kids, 50 Hours in a Van, We Actually Survived!

Why Not Five Kids, 50 Hours in a Van, We Actually Survived! We recently got back from the biggest road trip of our marriage. We had a few things to do in the San Antonio area, including a 10 day family reunion in Seguin, TX, and a 2 day conference for work.  (see the map below, which shows the route we took) Initially we were going to drive to and from the reunion, and then Id fly back to San Antonio, but the timing just wasnt working out.  So we made a four week trip of it, which allowed me to speak a number of times while on the road (In Austin 3 times, San Antonio once, and Albuquerque once). It was a trip!  I appreciated all of the people I met who complemented me on doing this with my family, making memories, etc.  There were lots of highs, a few lows, and tons of great memories. My biggest regret, really, was that I *didnt* catch the three foot water moccasin, as I think it would have made a very nice office decoration (stuffed, of course :)).  I was really, really close to having it but I had it pinned down with a very light broom handle, instead of a heavier oar, which would have allowed me to catch it :s Oh well, next time! There are lots of reasons to not go on a trip like this.  Money is a big one.  Time is another.  I took four weeks to do this, which I perhaps could have spent blogging, or writing, JibberJobbering. But there were better reasons to do it. I want to make sure my kids have family memories they can lean on when they move out of the house, and this is how its done. Im back now, though. Im renewed from my vacation, even though Ive found it hard to get back in my seat and work as long as I have before. Also, being away was refreshing I had time to get out of the forest so I could see the trees Ive rededicated myself to some projects Ive needed to finish, and am excited to move in the directions Ive needed to. Heres where our trip took us: Like I said, lots of reasons to NOT do a trip like this.  But after writing WHY NOT (one of my favorite posts), I knew, there was not a good enough reason to keep us from doing it Why Not Five Kids, 50 Hours in a Van, We Actually Survived! We recently got back from the biggest road trip of our marriage. We had a few things to do in the San Antonio area, including a 10 day family reunion in Seguin, TX, and a 2 day conference for work.  (see the map below, which shows the route we took) Initially we were going to drive to and from the reunion, and then Id fly back to San Antonio, but the timing just wasnt working out.  So we made a four week trip of it, which allowed me to speak a number of times while on the road (In Austin 3 times, San Antonio once, and Albuquerque once). It was a trip!  I appreciated all of the people I met who complemented me on doing this with my family, making memories, etc.  There were lots of highs, a few lows, and tons of great memories. My biggest regret, really, was that I *didnt* catch the three foot water moccasin, as I think it would have made a very nice office decoration (stuffed, of course :)).  I was really, really close to having it but I had it pinned down with a very light broom handle, instead of a heavier oar, which would have allowed me to catch it :s Oh well, next time! There are lots of reasons to not go on a trip like this.  Money is a big one.  Time is another.  I took four weeks to do this, which I perhaps could have spent blogging, or writing, JibberJobbering. But there were better reasons to do it. I want to make sure my kids have family memories they can lean on when they move out of the house, and this is how its done. Im back now, though. Im renewed from my vacation, even though Ive found it hard to get back in my seat and work as long as I have before. Also, being away was refreshing I had time to get out of the forest so I could see the trees Ive rededicated myself to some projects Ive needed to finish, and am excited to move in the directions Ive needed to. Heres where our trip took us: Like I said, lots of reasons to NOT do a trip like this.  But after writing WHY NOT (one of my favorite posts), I knew, there was not a good enough reason to keep us from doing it Why Not Five Kids, 50 Hours in a Van, We Actually Survived! We recently got back from the biggest road trip of our marriage. We had a few things to do in the San Antonio area, including a 10 day family reunion in Seguin, TX, and a 2 day conference for work.  (see the map below, which shows the route we took) Initially we were going to drive to and from the reunion, and then Id fly back to San Antonio, but the timing just wasnt working out.  So we made a four week trip of it, which allowed me to speak a number of times while on the road (In Austin 3 times, San Antonio once, and Albuquerque once). It was a trip!  I appreciated all of the people I met who complemented me on doing this with my family, making memories, etc.  There were lots of highs, a few lows, and tons of great memories. My biggest regret, really, was that I *didnt* catch the three foot water moccasin, as I think it would have made a very nice office decoration (stuffed, of course :)).  I was really, really close to having it but I had it pinned down with a very light broom handle, instead of a heavier oar, which would have allowed me to catch it :s Oh well, next time! There are lots of reasons to not go on a trip like this.  Money is a big one.  Time is another.  I took four weeks to do this, which I perhaps could have spent blogging, or writing, JibberJobbering. But there were better reasons to do it. I want to make sure my kids have family memories they can lean on when they move out of the house, and this is how its done. Im back now, though. Im renewed from my vacation, even though Ive found it hard to get back in my seat and work as long as I have before. Also, being away was refreshing I had time to get out of the forest so I could see the trees Ive rededicated myself to some projects Ive needed to finish, and am excited to move in the directions Ive needed to. Heres where our trip took us: Like I said, lots of reasons to NOT do a trip like this.  But after writing WHY NOT (one of my favorite posts), I knew, there was not a good enough reason to keep us from doing it

How to Get Out of That Really Horrible Date

How to Get Out of That Really Horrible Date Youre on a date. Its a blind date, its a random guy you met at a bar, its an online date- anyway- he is brand new. You only have a small description of the whole person in your head. Outgoing, people person, great personality And then You really meet him. He has no career, he has a funny smell, he is misogynistic, he uses your mom jokes way too often (which mean ever). You must escape the date. So how do you do it? What are the best ways to leave a date? First, always have plans for later that evening. Never make the date open ended. That way, if it is bad you know when you can get out. If it is good, you dont overstay and he will definitely be interested in seeing you again! Really bad? Then here are some options: Your out of town friend has asked to meet earlier. You have to go back to the office. Work was insane. A project blew up in your face today and you have to go spend some more time on the project before the boss returns from vacation tomorrow. Your roommate just called and something broke. Your washer is leaking, your power just went off or your  roommate is locked out. Youre sick. You got a flu shot that afternoon and it really isnt making you feel well. You have to go save your friend from her terrible date that she must escape. OR tell the truth. You seem like a really great guy but its obvious to me that things arent meshing between us. Thanks for the coffee/drink/meal! It was a pleasure to meet you! And you are out. Whatever the situation- just dont waste your time. Sure there are some guys that take a little while to get to know, but if a guy gives sure signs of not-your-type right away, there is no need for round two- youre better than that! So what do you think? Do you have any good ways to get out of a terrible date? Lets talk. Happy Thursday yall!

5 Ways to Promote Career Progression for Women

5 Ways to Promote Career Progression for Women With FTSE companies recently been set new government targets for a minimum of 33% of women in board level positions over the next five years, the issue of the number of women in leadership positions remains as prominent as ever. We run a  Women’s Leadership Programme to help more companies of all sizes and sectors to proactively gain the guidance and support needed to create workplaces which encourage women’s senior careers. However, the best performing businesses achieve high performing teams because they attract, retain and develop the best talent at all levels, regardless of gender. The tips below are from our Women’s Leadership Programme, but are just as relevant for men’s career progression as they are for women. They all relate to removing any potential barriers to retaining the best people in an organisation and to ensuring there is scope for them to progress to senior levels. Our aim is to inspire organisations to create rewarding work environments where all barriers to progression are removed and where everyone is able to work in a way which makes them feel productive and engaged. With the job market having become more buoyant, people are now more confident about switching companies. So when organisations have attracted skilled employees, it’s vital they do all they can to keep them, and to encourage them to progress within the organisation. 1) Examine your progression pipeline Take the time to examine your organisation’s progression pipeline and succession planning. Is there an equal balance of men and women working their way up? Are enough people being promoted through the company to senior management positions? Or are they leaving before they reach that stage? If the results are not what you expected, look to establish what barriers could be preventing this. If you don’t know why people fail to climb the career ladder at your organisation you can’t make any changes. Are women being put off going for promotion because director jobs are mainly occupied by men? Are junior employees aware of the career progression opportunities available to them? Dig out the root causes and find positive solutions. 2)  Explore your working practices It’s equally vital for both male and female employees to strike the delicate balance between work and home life to be able to effectively manage their careers and to excel. This helps employees to stay healthy generally, plus feel engaged and focused at work, and able to make lasting contributions to their organisations. Review your organisation’s practices around flexible working to provide opportunities for employees to successfully juggle work and family life. A recent CIPD report found that 72% of employers believed implementing flexible working practices had a positive impact on staff engagement. And make sure you demonstrate a clear, positive policy on shared parental leave. This new legislation was put in place to help drive gender equality in the workplace, eliminate discrimination around maternity leave and to build employee engagement. 3)  Introduce mentoring programmes Asking senior staff to mentor younger employees in your organisation can create huge benefits. Not only does it unlock talent among junior teams, it can also boost their confidence if they are intimidated by the journey to the top. Advice and a sympathetic ear, matched with a professional attitude, can be a powerful force in creating future business leaders. Many women in particular avoid talking about work-related problems with their peers. Finding a mentor to answer their questions, and to listen to them without judging, could boost their leadership potential if they’ve previously been held back by their own fears. 4) Give staff the opportunities to develop Don’t risk losing your best employees by neglecting their professional development needs. Hang on to top talent by providing a robust and meaningful development plan with clear progression opportunities outlined. Take the time to identify the skills they need to develop and to do their job well, and trust them to take on new responsibilities. Provide the opportunity to experience as many areas of the business as possible. This will inspire and stimulate employees by allowing them to move outside their comfort zone a little. It’s also great practice to get them working with other teams and in new environments. 5) Achieve buy in from senior team members An organisation’s culture and values needs to flow from the top level down. It’s essential to get senior-level buy in for developing a workplace culture which provides clear progression opportunities. The aim is to create an environment where all employee development needs are met and where they feel inspired by opportunities, rather than limited by a lack of options or support.

9 Ways to Get a Job Youll Love

9 Ways to Get a Job Youll Love Since the economic down turn in 2007, people all over the world have lost their jobs. Yes we are in a recession and yes it is harder to find a job but that does not mean there are no jobs out there. You wouldn’t go into an exam unprepared so why go job hunting unprepared? Here are 9 simple steps to getting you the job you’ll love: 1) Decide on the job: Firstly decide what type job you would like to apply for and research the job you want before you start anything else! Its important to know what you are trying to get. 2) Create skills audit: Secondly conduct a skills audit it is a great way to clearly lay out all the skills you currently have and how advanced those skills are. It will also document what skills you need for your dream job, where the gaps are in your skill set and how you gain the skills you need. As time goes on you will learn more skills, this means that your skills audit will be different year from year, and it is  recommended that you redo your skills audit twice annually. Here are the steps to conducting a skills audit: Write down all the skills you have gained, that you would be able to refer back to and use: including your  education (school, college, university),  work history (make sure you look at the small detailed tasks as well as the bigger picture) and personal  experiences (travelling, countries you have lived in, major events). Critically rate each skill, from 1 (low) â€" 10 (high), in terms of your experience level. Write down all the jobs you would like to have. Write down all the skills needed for those jobs (look at real job descriptions). Write down any skills you need to gain or improve to land those jobs. Write down how you can develop the skills in question (you may need to take on other jobs  to develop particular skills before you can land that dream one). There are a few optional extras depending on what you want and on your circumstances: time frame needed to develop skills, companies that would be particularly good in nurturing those skills and countries where you can develop further (particularly in relation to language skills). Add all of these details into a spread sheet, adding your plan and best route into that dream  job. Make the plan visible (print and stick on your wall) and implement! 3) Create a CV: Your skills audit is now complete, from here you will know if you currently have the right skills to proceed in applying for your dream job or do you need to further your education and experience. You can now begin writing your CV. Below are comprehensive CV guidelines, which remove the unnecessary information from a CV and strengthen the essential information that employers look for on a CV: Personal information:  Name address and contact information (email and phone number) Brief profile description:  Talk about your past skills experience and what you want to do next. Work experience:  Newest to oldest, employer name, the company name address, your position,  dates of employment, include any achievements. Use key words from the  advertisement. Education:  Use a brief overview of your results history (e.g Leaving Certificate 450 points). Skills qualifications:  Use key words from the job ad to answer the questions the employer is asking.  Highlight specific skills and qualifications starting with the most relevant to the  particular job application. This also involves career goals achieved. Hobbies, interests other skills:  This includes your interests and other skills you have achieved (such as committee  memberships, intern experiences, relevant volunteer work). References:  Name, number, position and address (you MUST ask this person can you place this  information on your CV) RELATED: Top 10 Things NOT to Include on Your CV 4) Shortlist companies: Then shortlist all of the jobs you would like to apply for. This is where your skills audit will help you, you now know the skills you have and if they are required for the jobs in your list. 5) Tailor your CV: Your CV must be now rewritten for the jobs you are applying for. Always, always, always tailor your CV to the job that you are applying for. This is a big must. Use key words from the job advert in your CV; this helps the employer identify the good candidates from the great. 6) Put extra info into your cover letter: At this point you will now write your cover letter for the job you are applying for, again tailoring it to each job you apply for and here you will add in any extra information. This letter should be personally addressed to the recruiter of the company (if you don’t know who that is try researching online using tools like LinkedIn). Use information that will grab their attention it should be again different for every job you are applying for. Key words and key phrases are important here, show the company what they will gain if they hire you and what you can offer them. Be positive and knowledgeable. Give a date that you are available to start on. RELATED: 5 Rules to Keeping Your Cover Letter Simple and Effective 7) Apply for the job: You are now ready to apply for the job, you have a great strong CV that the employer will recognise and this will make you stand out from the other candidates. Your cover letter is tailored to the company to display how you will fit in with the company ethos. Sending the application is half of the work. If you do not hear anything back from them after one week, be proactive give them a call, this will show you are eager to work for their company. Now you have to prepare for the interview. 8) Prepare for the interview: Research the company: make sure you look into the company, its customers and news. Research the job position: understand the role you are applying for and bring ideas. Practice sample questions: have answers prepared for what they might ask they might ask about experience or your input on a problem they have. Prepare some questions to ask the recruiter: do not just ask about salary you will need to demonstrate your interest in the company and job, while also  showing your drive and ambitions to succeed in your career Find out the exact location: know where you are going and DON’T BE LATE! Bring documentation:  Bring your CV and any other relevant documents (e.g. past projects) After the interview, it is good manners to send the recruiter an email thanking them for their time,  this also keeps our name fresh in their heads. Do connect with the recruiters and managers you  meet via LinkedIn this will also give you that connection  which might be of use in the future and it gives them the opportunity to contact you again should  another position arise! 9) Take the job! Simple. This article is everything you need to know and do to apply for and succeed in being offered that  dream job. If you follow these steps and guidelines you’ll be on the fast track to attain your ideal job. Do you have anymore tips? Please let us know in the comments below! Author: Beulah O’Brien is Marketing Manager at jobcoconut.com.

What Is a Mechanical Services Business and How to Start One CareerMetis.com

What Is a Mechanical Services Business and How to Start One Original Image Source â€" Depositphotos.comLet’s face it: There’ll always be a demand for air conditioner repairs, installation of plumbing systems, and maintenance of electrical services. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world; people will always want to live comfortably. And they’re ready to pay a higher premium to do so.That’s why some people don’t bat an eyelid when paying a high repair bill, especially if their air conditioner is out or the plumbing system fails. You can’t function well at home without them, anyway.Starting a mechanical business that offers servicing, installation, and maintenance of air conditioners, plumbing systems, and electrical appliances â€" at a residential and commercial level â€" is challenging. People won’t automatically do business with you just because they need what you offer. You have to work hard to build your business. And be strategic enough to run it well.evalThis, as you know, takes time.Before you can start a mechanical business, there are few things you need to think about:Are you really interested in what you’re doing? When you’re passionate about your business, you feel a sense of pride and achievement. And you won’t run away when problems arise.Is there a lot of competition? If the market is oversaturated, and competition too stiff, you’ll find it so difficult to win customers. Remember when the competition is too high, with many people selling the same services, prices suddenly dip. Then businesses start competing on price.The lower the prices, the lower your profit margins. Low profits and revenues won’t keep your business afloat for too long. Conversely, when the competition is too low, it means fewer people are interested in the services you offer. It’s the law of demand and supply.When there’s no demand for mechanical services in the area, you’ll not succeed in your business. It’s, therefore, easier to find out what people really want and provide it for them. Than persua ding them to buy something they hardly need or want.Is a Mechanical Services Business a Good Business to Start?Starting any business is not for the faint of heart. You can have a few clients, hire a couple of technicians, and even find someone to pay your bills and answer the phone, but it won’t make starting a mechanical business any easier.You’ll need a solid business plan that covers everything from starting your brand to balancing finances the right way. And even so, things won’t go your way as you expect them to. In any case, you’ll be stressed, and you’ll endure long hours at work. But there are a few practical tips you can embody to help you easily start a mechanical business.Tip #1 â€" Seek The Support of Your Family. evalThis may seem like a no-brainer, but most people looking to start a business, let alone a mechanical business, don’t discuss it with their family. There should be more than just telling your family, “I’m going to start my own business.”eva lExplain things in detail. Have in-depth talks with them. Because when things are good at home, chances are you’ll succeed out there. Seeking the support of your family means you don’t need to stress about home life. Giving you time to focus on growing your mechanical business.Tip #2 â€" Remember Money Will Be Tight The first few years of starting a business won’t be easier. You’ll need to grow your business from scratch. And as such, getting your name out there will take time more than you think. Let’s face it; getting your foot through the door in an oversaturated market is the hardest thing to do.Mechanical business is an over-saturated business already. There are too many businesses also providing residential and commercial air conditioning, plumbing, and electrical services in many areas within the country. As such, you need to convince customers why they should choose you over the next business. You need to remain visible, relevant, and your business name recognizabl e.Until you can figure out how to break into the market, convince customers, and open your own mechanical business â€" the right way â€" your money will always be tight.Tip #3 â€"Realize You Might Fail evalFailure is inevitable. It’s a definite possibility that most new business owners don’t want to come into terms with it. Failure can happen for a number of reasons beyond your control, and that’s fine.However, it’s good to talk to your family first to avoid making grievous mistakes and later regretting it. Before you can start thinking about starting a mechanical business, make sure you’re financially stable to support your family for the next half a year or 12 months. It’s a fact that 8 out of 10 new businesses failin the first one and a half years.Tip #4 â€" Focus On Success. Always. Instead of just focusing on how to start a mechanical business. Think along the lines of starting a successful mechanical business instead.Two things will happen when you do this:It train s your mind to succeed.It helps you ask the right questions.Anyone can start a mechanical services business. There’s nothing new about that. But what if you won’t make sales, what good will that do for you? What will make you stand out from the rest? Having a positive attitude is the best way to survive in any situation. In fact, it helps you grow a business into the company you want it to be. And it helps you focus on myriad ways to crush your competition.In short, failure isn’t an option.What Are Some Questions to Ask before Starting a Mechanical Services Business?If you’re waiting to figure out everything you need before you start a mechanical services business, then you won’t start your business. The important thing to have is your core mission and business model in place, of course. But to help you kick-start a mechanical services business, ask yourself a few questions. And the rest will take shape.1) Do You Have a Marketing Plan? evalFirst, you need to make your cust omers know who you really are before you can hire the best team to run your mechanical services business.Invest a lot of time in creating a marketing plan that will convince customers that you’re exactly the right fit for their needs. That you’re who they need to hire for the installation and maintenance of air conditioners and other mechanical devices.2) Do You Have the Right Equipment and Tools? evalTo build a successful mechanical services business, you need to have the right tools at your disposal. You can’t have technicians walking around at the site area, for example, without their necessary tools for the job.Having the right tools doesn’t necessarily mean physical tools alone, used in the field. But also technology that allows your team to get customers approved for financing, submit signed invoices, or simply that allows them to work through a sale.You must also have in place tools to help you communicate directly to your customers. To let them know that you’ll be dispatching technicians to their home at a particular date and time.You want to make sure your service is impeccable and effective enough to provide excellent services. This is where proper equipment and tools come in. Customers rely on excellent services before spreading the word about your great service.3) What Problems Are You Solving? If you’re not sure what problems your mechanical services are solving, then you need to go back to the drawing board. It’s necessary that your service solves some sort of need for your customers before you determine the real value it offers.evalWhen you think of a service that solves a problem, you often think of functionality. For example, an air conditioner installed at a property and keeps the air clean. Or, a plumbingsystem that allows the free flow of water in a home.4) Who Else Is Doing This? You can’t become the best mechanical services business in your area if you don’t know who your main competitors are. Do simple research of anyon e else out there doing exactly what you’re doing.Just because someone out there is installing and maintaining commercial air conditioners doesn’t mean you can’t offer the same services, too. However, you need to see how their store looks like or what other mechanical services they offer in order to decide whether you can provide better services than them. Or find another better location.How to Start a Mechanical Services Business?Starting a successful mechanical services business requires creating long-term relationships with customers. But before you can create these relationships, you have to earn credibility. And this starts by acquiring a license from the state.i) State Contractor’s LicenseLike every other business, starting a mechanical services business requires paperwork to validate its credibility. There are requirements that, when met, will help you to acquire a license for your business.These requirements are, typically, similar across all states including:State co ntractor’s license testProof of minimum experienceApplication of the licenseReceipt of payment of feesii) Contractors’ Insurance There are two types of insurances that are necessary for you to start a mechanical services business: 1) workman’s compensation insurance, and 2) general liability insurance.iii) Cost of Starting a Mechanical Services Business Starting a mechanical services business can cost you an arm. That’s why you need to account for all the expenses your business accrues. Failure to do so will cripple your business.Remember, you’ll need to buy vehicles, equipment, and tools for your business, and this doesn’t come cheap. If you buy them up-front, the costs could go up than expected. So determined beforehand, the cost of starting a mechanical services business.Here’s what you’ll further need:A vehicle big enough to carry all the equipment and tools.Workers’ compensation insurance and liability insurance.General tools used in the installation and main tenance of air conditioners, plumbing systems, and electrical services.T-shirts with company logos.Safety equipment.Supplies.Marketing materials, including business cards and door tags, etc.iv) Improve the Look of Your Mechanical Services Business Every business wants to come across as a professional in their line of work.So to be seen as providing installations and maintenance services exceptionally well, you have to improve the look of your mechanical services business. This is one way to establish trust with your customers, especially if you just started.For example, you can invest in a business website that showcases your services along with your business email. To leave a lasting impression on customers who call in, create a professional voicemail set-up that automatically answers the phone all the time.v) Create a Business Plan You can’t overstate the importance of creating a good business plan that acts as a roadmap for your mechanical services business.It’s within this d ocument that you’ll clearly define your revenue projections, financial obligations, business structure, marketing plan, and your target goal as well as your local competitors. So take your time and develop a business plan that will help you secure funds from financial institutions and help you keep on the right track.One of the toughest and intimidating things to do for any would-be businessman is to figure out a way on how to successfully start a mechanical services business. It’s not easy. You have to jump through a number of hoops to find your way to success.But before you start a mechanical services business, it’s important to ask yourself a few questions: are you truly passionate about mechanical services? And who are your competitors? The answers to these questions will help you create a strategy good enough to run your business.Remember to seek the support of your family, watch your budget, consider the possibility of failure, and always focus on success as this will tr ain your mind to succeed and ask the right questions all the time.Lastly, don’t forget to create a business plan. It’s the roadmap you need that will point you in the right direction. Improve the look of your business to establish trust with your customers. And account for all the expenses your business accrues lest you cripple your entire business before you get started.

Why Investing In Yourself Is Critical and Why So Many Women Dont - Kathy Caprino

Why Investing In Yourself Is Critical and Why So Many Women Dont As a women’s career coach and consultant, I deliver scores of training series, teleclasses and career coaching programs each year helping women build more success and reward in their careers. In the seven years I’ve offered these types of programs, I’ve been truly shocked at the number of women (hundreds upon hundreds) who indicate they want to join a program (whether it’s $10, $100, or $1,000), but never pull the trigger.   I can tell you categorically that this is different behavior from what I see in the men who come to me for help. And this reluctance relates to all forms of development â€"   classes, certification, joining industry associations, attending networking functions, asking for funding, getting help with business plans, and much more. Typically, men hear me speak, or read my website and blog, talk to me, and then say “Yes” very quickly to working together. No hemming and hawing, no “Let me have a few days to think about this,” and certainly not “I have to check in with my spouse about the investment.” Ever.  Even when the woman is the primary breadwinner, she often doesn’t feel she has the power or authority to say yes to investing in herself without checking with her husband first. I believe that a part of this behavior is a lack of confidence women experience in investing in their own growth. There’s been a great deal of research and writing about this confidence gap in women, and the root causes, and I have my own theories and beliefs about what contributes to it today (including cultural training, rigid gender roles, role modeling, etc.). But as a career coach who spent years as a therapist and a corporate director focused on advancing women, I’m less interested in the causes and much more interested in the solutions.   I’ve come to see that this is not a myth â€" women often do, in fact, let their doubts and insecurities about themselves stop them, whereas men tend to push forward despite their doubts. For example, in Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In, she references an internal report at Hewlett-Packard that revealed that women only apply for open jobs if they think they meet 100  percent of the criteria listed; men apply if they think they meet 60 percent of the requirements. I share this not to be unsupportive to women, but to help us all gain awareness of what ’s holding us back to achieve what we long for.   After all, greater awareness equals greater choice. Do a check-in and see if you’re suffering from this condition I call “intractable resistance to growth.” Here are what I’ve found to be top five reasons why women won’t invest in their own growth when they should, and why it hurts them. Do these sounds familiar? They need to check with someone else. When it comes to personal and professional development (or anything in life for that matter), you need to make yourself the highest authority of your life, not your spouse, your sister, your boss, your partner.   You need to know beyond a shadow of a doubt what you need, want and what you deserve, and go out and get it.   It’s not up to your spouse or anyone else to tell you if you should make this investment â€" it’s up to you. (I know you’ll say that you and your husband need to agree on your budgeting, etc. To that, I say you need to know what’s necessary, and find a way to get it.) They’re not sure this is the “right” time. Here’s a harsh reality: we’re all over â€"the-top busy and over-committed, and it’s never going to feel like the “right time” to invest in yourself.   But that doesn’t mean it isn’t the best time.   You’ll always be able to make excuse after excuse as to why you don’t have time to do something critical that will help you. But people who create great success, happiness and reward in their lives carve out the necessary time and money.   They don’t get lost in all the reasons why later would be better. They’re not clear about the return on investment. Women worry, “Will I get enough out of this?” and “Will this be a mistake?” Ensuring that your investment offers a healthy return is a choice â€" it’s based on your actions and decisions, not some random act or chance occurrence. It requires thorough research and due diligence to know if an investment will pay off, but more than that, it requires confidence and commitment that you’ll make sure the money you spend on yourself will be well worth it in the long run. CLICK HERE to read the complete article on the top 5 reasons women resist investing in themselves. Do you resist investing in your own growth?   Do you chronically put yourself last?   What can you do to push forward and step up to say YES! to supporting your own development, and contributing to the world in bigger ways.   Id love your thoughts.

Writing a Resume For a School Superintendent

Writing a Resume For a School SuperintendentIf you're hoping to become a school superintendent, then there are some things you need to know before you start writing a resume for a school superintendent job. While the government may not actively recruit school superintendents, there is no lack of candidates willing to apply.The first thing you'll want to make sure of is that you meet the standard education qualifications required of school superintendents. Make sure that your transcript is current. In addition, ensure that your teacher's certification is up to date and you've never been placed on leave, demoted or otherwise disciplined for poor performance in any of your education and/or training courses.When it comes to obtaining employment as a school principal, the public works department will provide a chief administrative officer (CAO) position and assistant chief executive officer (ACE) employment in addition to the standard positions like assistant superintendent and school sup erintendent. These two positions have a slightly higher level of accountability than the principal's but can still be very rewarding. To get these posts, you'll need to show them that you've the ability to help them in their daily tasks, namely planning.Most public schools will require at least some knowledge of mathematics in order to do the job. For this reason, there are classes like algebra, trigonometry, calculus and statistics to help students learn the basics of mathematics. You can also take college courses for two years after high school, which will help teach you the basics of math while still developing your analytical and critical-thinking skills.As for the key skills for a school superintendent, those will be related to the education and safety of the children in the schools. Knowledge of statistics will help you plan the budget for your district and work with other school staff to develop a curriculum. You'll also be able to supervise and control teachers through your other responsibilities within the school. You may also want to look into special needs education and children from low-income families. This may come in the form of minority-oriented schools and children who need the extra attention from an individual who is one step above the average teacher. Working with these kids can be very fulfilling, but be sure that you know how to handle and motivate those who don't act like they should.Remember that school districts are always looking for people with experience in all the fields of education. You'll find that being able to operate an entire school district is a great opportunity, but will also require an employee who can deal with a multitude of situations and be able to give solutions where others fail. At the same time, there's a lot of money to be made from the administrators, superintendents that have the most experience and ability in all areas of education.Getting the best job out of your career can be quite the challenge, but if you 're hoping to be a school superintendent, then make sure that you take a close look at what you need to know and do in order to land the best job in your field. Start the process today by becoming a member of the online community for superintendents.