Repurpose Your Career | Career Pivot | Careers for the 2nd Half of Life | Career Change

Latest Episodes:

Mailbag — Divorce, and Later-in-Life Job Search Questions #038 Jul 24, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, Marc answers questions with his trusty sidekick, Elizabeth Rabaey. You can learn about her career pivots in Episode 020. Listen in to this episode for ideas on planning a path to the end goal, harvesting contacts in similar and adjacent industries, coping with stress before searching for a job, and pivoting to a new industry using your core value proposition!

Key Takeaways:

[2:44] Elizabeth introduces herself. After pivoting, she is the marketing coordinator for an international company. Elizabeth invites listeners to connect with her on LinkedIn to share experiences. She enjoys working with Marc, and helping on the Mailbag episode!

[3:27] Q1: I am 49 and am going through a divorce. I've been a housewife since 1992. I'm going to college for an MBA. I have eight years ahead of me. I am hoping to support myself by a job in Hawaii after I get my MBA. I will have no debt. Any ideas what to do?

[4:06] A1: Marc notes she will be in her late 50s, with no experience, after getting her bachelor's and master's degrees. Rather than looking at an MBA, she should look at her actual goal. Marc connected her with contacts in Hawaii, to understand that economy. Marc suggests buying a franchise or business, learning trade skills, or something else.

[6:49] Marc says many of the best jobs today didn't exist five years ago. What will exist in eight years? Divorce later in life often leads to poverty. This client doesn't want to leave Hawaii. Marc put her in touch with a Hawaiian workforce specialist to help her.

[7:33] Q2: I am a 56-year-old account manager. I was just laid off from a position that I held for 18 years in the moving industry. I'm getting depressed, as I have been unsuccessful in my job search. I have been applying to jobs every day, but never hear back. What should I do?

[7:51] A2: Account managers are becoming rare in B2B sales. The need for account managers has been greatly decreased. Marc helped someone very similar to this. See the :Introverted Sales Guy Job Search" blog on Marc's website. The key piece is, your next job will only come from somebody you've worked with over the last 10-15 years.

[8:43] You're going to have to go back and carefully harvest all of your contacts, people you have worked with, reach out to them where they work now, and see if they are willing to help. The answer is most account managers are really nice guys. Usually they're very good at relationships. Very often people will remember them positively.

[9:25] As Marc did with the Account Manager who came out of the equipment manufacturing business, he had the client very carefully go on LinkedIn to find his previous employer's page, look for similar companies, and adjacent industries, who need the same skills, and look for weak ties at those companies.

[10:27] This is a long process. Look for connections everyday. You don't know when you will find the right contact who can help you, who has a job, in an industry where you fit. Start taking really good care of yourself, eating right, exercising, and getting up at the same time, and managing your own health. Your mental attitude is absolutely critical.

[11:26] Q3: I am a 52-year-old traffic manager. My job has gotten toxic after I was transferred and I uncovered fraud. I cleaned up the mess, but it has taken quite a toll on me emotionally, and after everything was cleaned up, the owner brought in someone over me who has ethical flaws. I have been looking for a year. What should I do?

[11:57] A3: This is a family-owned business. The challenge with working for a family owned business, not being family, is that it can get ugly. He's an emotional guy. When he was getting rid of people, and getting his tires slashed, it really took a toll on him. If you're stressed out, no one is going to hire you. First, chill out.

[13:14] In this situation, he will need to stop caring about doing a great job. He needs to work on his own emotional health, and get rid of stress. Marc suggests the book Positive Intelligence to get out of stress. The point is to stay in the positive mind three times longer than in the negative mind. Find your emotional saboteurs. Name them.

[15:20] Then you need to find your core value proposition. This gentleman's core value proposition was recruiting drivers. We don't have enough drivers in this country. Build a brand that sells your core value proposition, in your LinkedIn profile, your resume, and more importantly, when you talk to people. That is your primary selling point.

[16:04] He needs to look at himself as a product, understand what his core value proposition is, and and go sell that 'product.' He's getting offers that are not local, but his wife has a good job, and he doesn't want to move. He can move into a different niche, because his recruiting skill is transferable. He should think of himself as a consultant.

[17:57] When Marc left corporate America, he was completely stressed out. It took him six-to-nine months to destress, before he was useful again.

[19:30] Marc has started recording the audio version of his book. He is also working on the Career Pivot Community website. This will be a membership area of the current CareerPivot.com website. An initial cohort of members is helping develop the content. Look for more on this, in the coming months.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Please pick up a copy of Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey. When you get done reading the book, please leave an honest review on Amazon.

Careerpivot.com Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me

Episode 020 Elizabeth Rabaey

Elizabeth Rabaey on LinkedIn

CareerPivot.com Introverted Sales Guy Job Search

Positive Intelligence: Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential AND HOW YOU CAN ACHIEVE YOURS, by Shirzad Chamine

CareerPivot.com Episode-38

Take a moment — go to iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play. Please give this podcast a review and subscribe! If you're not sure how to leave a review, please go to CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there.

Two Chapters from the audiobook Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life #037 Jul 17, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, Marc reads the first two chapters of his new audio book. The topics are vetting the company, and answering the dreaded question, why do you want to leave your current position? Marc uses case studies and examples to explain the purpose of these important themes. Listen in to learn how to make sure the company you target is really the company where you want to work.

Key Takeaways:

[2:33] "Vetting the Company." A client told Marc about interviewing for a new startup. After getting to the final interview, she lost. The employee that was hired was fired in six weeks. The company came back to this client, and she declined.

[3:05] Before approaching a company about a job, do your due diligence. Research the company on sites like Glassdoor.com. Go to the hiring manager's profile on LinkedIn and check their recommendation section. Have they given recommendations to their employees? Have their employees recommended their manager?

[3:47] Connect with recruiters or HR Professionals at the target company on LInkedIn. This will give you visibility at the target company. Ask your connections for connections at the target company. Former employees may give information what it's like to work there. Find out what current and former employees think of the hiring manager.

[5:03] Prepare for the interview. An interview is like a first date. It's not all about whether the other person likes you. What do you like or not like about the company? Be ready with your elevator pitch about what you need.

[5:18] The interview isn't just about whether you get the job, but whether you want it. Marc gives a case study from a hiring manager. Have written questions to ask, and write the answers on the paper. Use controlled pauses. Restate the question you were asked.

[6:09] Marc gives examples of questions you should ask, and scenarios you may encounter. If the hiring manager balks at your questions, you might want to dig deeper.

[7:36] You may watch body language to get an accurate reading of the situation. With the information you have received from current and former employees, you should be able to 'play detective.' Pay attention to your gut instincts.

[8:06] Action steps. Check out the company before the interview. Look on sites like Glassdoor.com. Talk to people who work for the company, and former employees.Look at recommendations on LinkedIn. Prepare a list of 10 questions you want answered.

[8:37] For additional sources, check out CareerPivot.com/ryc-resources.

[8:46] "The Dreaded Question." It is all but guaranteed you will be asked the following question: "Why do you want to leave your current company?" They may harp on this, to see if you have anger about your company. Your response should pivot the conversation from what you are leaving to where you are going. Do not get negative.

[9:55] When you need more love and more money. Marc uses the example of Robert, a lecturer at a major midwest university, and gives sample questions to use, to pivot from a negative theme to a positive response. Use the questions as a way to pose a question back at the interviewer. Practice doing this with your own questions and answers.

[12:03] When you need more status and freedom. Marc uses the example of James, and gives ways that James could pivot the conversation where he wants it to go, when asked why he wants to leave his current position.

[14:15] When you need to be in charge of the process. Marc uses the example of Mary, who works in marketing for a large company. Marc gives sample answers Mary could provide to the question, why she wants to leave her current position.

[16:59] Action steps: Formulate a positive response to the question why you want to leave your current position. Practice answering uncomfortable questions by asking the interviewer a difficult questions. Avoid saying anything that looks, smells, or sounds the least bit negative.

[16:20] These two chapters were only updated slightly, and are still relevant. Pick up a copy of the book, and please write an honest review on Amazon.

Mentioned in This Episode:

CareerPivot.com/blog

Marc@CareerPivot.com

Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me. Marc is accepting new clients, so reach out to him. He will supply a link to his calendar to set up a call.

Please pick up a copy of Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey. When you get done reading the book, please leave a review on Amazon.

CareerPivot.com/ryc-resources (Repurpose Your Career Resources)

CareerPivot.com/episode-37

Please take a moment — go to iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play. Give this podcast a review and subscribe! If you're not sure how to leave a review, please go to CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there.

8 Individuals. 8 Career pivots. Listen to a Recap of Previous Guests. #036 Jul 10, 2017

Show notes

Marc introduces the common themes of the eight career changes or pivots recapped in this episode. First, they had an idea, and did not act on it. Second, there was a moment or event that vaulted them into action. Third, no matter how well they planned it, things did not turn out as planned, and they needed to adapt as they went along. Marc reviews some of their stories, with clips characterizing the three phases in common. He shares some guest clips for each of the three phases.

Listen in for a variety of experiences and tips for pivoting to, or changing, careers.

Key Takeaways:

[3:08] Marc interviewed Dr. Joel Dobbs in Episode 3. Dr. Dobbs was an accomplished pharmaceutical executive. Now he has a portfolio career that includes consulting, teaching, and coaching. He planned this out well. Dr. Dobson noted that his life was half gone, and he was inspired by the book Halftime, to do something different.

[5:28] Dr. Dobson took a pause to reflect, and sought things that would lead to a new life of significance, to give back. He thought about doing something very different.

[7:26] Marc interviewed Mike O'Krent in Episode 7. Mike went from a carpet store to chronicling people's lives in video interviews with Life Stories Alive. Mike tells how he started chronicling Holocaust survivors' stories for the Jewish Federation of San Antonio — for one project ending in 2000. When it was over, he went back to his carpet sales.

[10:02] Marc interviewed Jennifer Winter in Episode 28. Jennifer was VP of Sports Sponsorship for Turner Broadcasting, and hated it. Everyone told her how great her job was, so she stayed 21 years. Impending layoffs started her thinking about a change.

[14:12] Marc introduces the next phase, vaulting into action, with more from Mike O'Krent. Mike's business coach had him write a list of items he both enjoyed and did well. As he read the list to the coach, he was directed to reread certain items, and lit up with the Holocaust interviews. The coach asked, can you make a business like that? [16:47] Marc interviewed Kay McManus in Episode 32. Kay was a business professional working for technology companies before she was laid off in 2009. Now she is the CEO of Kay-Kan. Kay says being laid off was what moved her to act. It turned out she was able to serve the managers at her past job as a freelancer. Then she went full-time.

[20:33] Marc introduces Vicki McCullough of Sequitur Marketing, his guest in Episode 11. Vicki was laid off multiple times, and finally decided to be her own boss. She explains how she started. After she tried the job search route to no success, she started contract work in marketing. Then she told herself, this was the time.

[22:18] Marc had two guests who made multi-step pivots. Elizabeth Rabaey was Marc's guest on Episode 20. Elizabeth also helps Marc on the mailbag episodes. Elizabeth worked for an environmental engineering company, on air and water permitting. After multiple pivots, she is a marketing professional for a large mining equipment company.

[23:16] Elizabeth networked into a project manager position at a company larger than her first one. Elizabeth got involved in marketing and branding there. After a year, her old company reached out to her for marketing, and she worked for them for three years.

[29:32] Towards the end of 2016 Elizabeth was looking on job boards, and found a marketing coordinator position for an international company. She went to the company website, applied for the job, and her engineering and marketing backgrounds got her hired very quickly. She works from home, with the possibility of international travel.

[32:06] Marc interviewed Thom Singer in Episode 15. Thom was a business development professional who worked for a law firm until the 2009 recession, when he was laid off. He then launched his career as a keynote speaker and MC. He had already been speaking on the side, but the layoff motivated him to make this his profession.

[32:36] Thom's background prepared him to train other law firms. But, because of the recession, they stopped hiring outside services. Associations of all kinds still held their meetings, and so keynote speaking became the biggest part of Thom's business. He was unable to get the rates per speech he needed, and his mortgage didn't shrink.

[34:30] Thom was losing money. The family went through cash reserves and credit cards. In a few years he caught up to his previous salary, but then had to work off three years of debt. In six and a half years he was at a stable level. A bad quarter still makes him nervous, but then the next quarter is fine.

[35:34] Marc interviewed Mike Martin in Episode 24. Mike spent most of his career in industrial sales, but that career sputtered out. Mike shares his multi-step pivots, from teaching school, to driving trains, to being a drone pilot instructor.

[37:36] Mike got his teaching certification just as massive teacher layoffs hit Texas. So he finished his bachelor's degree in aviation. He took a job at a small airport, but didn't like it, so he looked at other transportation, and found an opening as a train operator in Texas. He passed the test, aced the interview, and was sent to train operator school.

[39:30] Mike got an RV, and parked it at an RV resort near the train school. In 10 weeks he had a certificate, and was assigned to wash trains until a route came up. He got an assignment to burn in new trains, with their computer systems. Then he started testing the signal systems on a new route. When the new route opened, he ran the PR train.

[41:37] With the new line open, and new confidence from training operators, he returned home. When he looked around, he saw activity in the drone world, and that's where he landed. He took 25 hours of training, and started training others to fly, for Dart Drones. He could not have planned his career path, and made corrections on the way.

[44:43] Mike encourages career pivoters to pursue their dreams and never give up. The first avenue might not work out. Work the industry deep and wide.

[45:23] Marc's final words: Please pick up a copy of Marc's book, and write an honest review on Amazon.com. He is working on the audio version next. Marc is also working on the Career Pivot Community membership website. Watch for updates in the coming months.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Careerpivot.com

Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey The paperback and ebook formats are available now. Marc is recording the audio version of the book, and he plans to have it available in September.

Marc is taking on new clients. Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me or call at 512-693-9132, and leave a message with your email address. Marc will respond with a link to his calendar, to find a time to talk.

Show Notes at Careerpivot.com/repurpose-career-podcast

Dr. Joel Dobbs, Episode 3

Halftime: Moving from Success to Significance, by Bob P. Buford

Mike O'Krent, Episode 7

Jennifer Winter, Episode 28

Kay McManus, Episode 32

Vicki McCullough, Episode 11

Elizabeth Rabaey, Episode 20

Mike Martin, Episode 24

Thom Singer, Episode 15

CareerPivot.com Episode 36

Take a moment — go to iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play. Give this podcast a review and subscribe! If you're not sure how to leave a review, please go to CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there.

How NextAvenue.org Prepares you for the Second Half of Life, With Richard Eisenberg. #035 Jul 03, 2017

Show notes

Richard Eisenberg is Marc's expert guest in this episode. Richard is the Managing Editor for PBS's Baby Boomer website, NextAvenue.org, a site for people 50-plus, and Editor of the site's Work & Purpose and Money & Security channels. He previously worked at Money Magazine, Yahoo, Good Housekeeping, and USA Today. He is the author of How to Avoid a Midlife Financial Crisis, and The Money Book of Personal Finance. Richard lives in New Jersey, and will be 61 in July.

Marc and Richard start the discussion with Richard's career history, how he heard about Next Avenue, how he got involved, and what were the attractors that brought him to work for a virtual company starting in his mid-fifties. Richard comments on some of the issues faced by the fifty-to-seventy demographic, and what Next Avenue is doing to educate and inform about these challenges of mature life. Richard tells of the surprises, mostly pleasant he found at Next Avenue.

Listen in to learn about this online resource with great information to improve your life.

Key Takeaways:

[2:43] Richard became a journalist because he is curious. He likes to learn things, and relate them to other people.

[3:06] NextAvenue.org is a website by the public television station of Minneapolis-St. Paul, TPT. Next Avenue was the idea of Jim Pagliarini, TPT President and CEO. Jim researched for seven years how PBS could serve Boomers, as they had served children with Sesame Street. He settled on a website. Richard helped launch it in May, 2012.

[4:50] Richard decides which pieces to publish and when to publish them. He maintains the home page and copy edits all the articles on the site, which includes new content every day. His main job is editing two of the five channels — Money & Security, and Work & Purpose. He also assists with the other three channels.

[6:10] Next Avenue has developed in five years. Based on the economy, there is less concern now over major layoffs and "Will I ever get hired?" The audience has grown, and they give feedback. Partner companies republish some Next Avenue articles.

[7:58] Gen X people are moving into the 50-and-older group, and the site writes now for Boomers and Gen Xers. The content is targeted to people in their 50s and 60s. In the years to come, Richard sees the groups becoming more educated about age-related topics, so Next Avenue will go into more detail beyond the basics in articles.

[9:12] Marc has also pivoted his site to address Gen Xers in the second half of life. Some Boomers are 70-plus, crossing the demographic boundary.

[9:30] Richard was referred to the site as it was launching, and he wanted to be part of a startup, where he could write again. The role and the opportunity were right for him. He had spent his career doing service journalism, and this site was for his own age group.

[11:19] Next Avenue is a virtual operation, headquartered in St. Paul, Minn. There are about nine people who work on the site full-time, in various cities. A lot of the articles are written by freelance writers or by the editors, or are excerpts from books.

[12:24] Next Avenue gets between one and two million visitors a month. This is from five years of publishing. Richard would like more people to know about it, and read the articles.

[13:25] Marc joined the Next Avenue Facebook group in 2011. From there, he met someone who introduced him to Richard. Marc and Richard were in the same graduating class at Northwestern, but never knew each other, in their separate majors.

[14:23] Richard enjoys learning new things every day about his channel areas, and about the other channels, which he might not read if he didn't work there. He likes to be able to talk to people that are the smartest people in the areas of the site channels, to pick their brains, and also to read the latest research.

[15:16] Richard's readers are more upbeat, positive, and resilient than he might have expected, even in view of serious challenges of employment and health. They tell how they've managed to survive in spite of the challenges. People are hopeful, and willing to do what they need to do.

[17:20] If you have hope, you will likely get through it. The internet is allowing us to learn more, through other people who have gone through these challenges in the past. One of Richard's big disappointments is with people knowing what to do, but not doing it, such as saving for retirement.

[18:40] The reality is the environmental change isn't slowing down, it's speeding up. We need to adapt. It's a lot harder to do than it sounds. If you're not preparing yourself for the things that you need, it will be even harder when the time comes, to do something.

[21:06] Marc's final words: NextAvenue.org is not just a website, it is a community to go to for inspiration. Marc would like you to pick up Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide to the Second half of Life, at Amazon or other online retailers. When you complete reading the book, Marc would appreciate an honest review on Amazon.com.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Careerpivot.com/episode-35

Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the Second Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey (Now available online)

Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me

Call Marc at 512-693-9132 and leave a message and email address.

REisenberg@NextAvenue.org

NextAvenue.org

Twitter: @RichEis315

LinkedIn: Richard Eisenberg

How to Avoid a Mid-Life Financial Crisis, by Richard Eisenberg

The Money Book of Personal Finance, by Richard Eisenberg

Mailbag - Teachers, Resumes, and Competing Against Internal Candidates #034 Jun 26, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, Marc answers questions with his trusty sidekick, Elizabeth Rabaey. You can learn about her career pivots in Episode 020. Listen in for ideas on exploring the job market, transitioning from teaching, the relevance of resumes, and tips for competing against internal candidates!

Key Takeaways:

[2:14] Elizabeth shares her story, and how Marc has helped guide her to her latest pivot, which has worked out well. Elizabeth invites listeners to listen to Episode 20, and connect with her on LinkedIn to share experiences.

[3:25] Q1: I am 57 and have recently retired from teaching H.S. science. I am seeking a freelance, travel freelance, or consulting job. I love to write, but not for a corporation. I love to travel and compare educational systems to create learning activities. I tried to start an early-learning school, but did not get enough students. Can you help me?

[4:22] A1: Marc talks about teaching H.S. math. He said teachers live a very isolated life, and are disconnected from the world. Marc wants this former teacher to explore. Travel blogging is one choice. Marc challenges him to focus on exactly what his writing emphasis will be. Marc can share resources for travel blogging if you contact him.

[6:35] Marc says to do homework, and find the opportunities. Teachers sometimes suffer from 'MSU,' because they don't have the background. By the way, there is a huge cohort of teachers about to retire. Marc says it will take a lot of exploration for teachers to choose a direction and follow it. It won't be easy.

[7:16] Q2: I am looking for a resume writer. I have seen prices from $200 to $5,000. Man! Why such a difference? Am I wasting money if I'm paying 'crazy expensive?' What do you think?

[7:40] A2: The resume is not nearly as important as it used to be. It is a good idea for new graduates, spend a little for help with your resume. For high income executives, it might make sense to spend $5,000 for a resume. For most in the second half of life, the resume is not what gets us the job; it's the personal connections. Marc suggests a book.

[8:44] The huge range of resume costs reflects the amount of work needed for it. If you've got a decent resume to start, you can do it yourself, or get someone to clean it up. If you have no resume, it's probably worth spending $500 to $1,000 with a decent resume writer. Marc offers low-end and a high-end suggestions for resume writers.

[12:17] Elizabeth wonders about switching career fields. Marc advises job shifters to reframe their experience for the particular job they are pursuing. He recommends Jobscan.co as a reframing resource. Also, the Modernize Your Resume book. But making a transition requires working your network connections, more than your resume.

[14:31] Marc talks about a client who has recruiters reaching out to her through her LinkedIn profile, regardless of her resume. If you get past the recruiter, you are fine.

[15:24] Q3: I am interviewing for a position where I know I am up against three internal candidates. Do you have any advice for how to compete for a position when the competition are coming from the inside of the company?

[15:40] A: Understand that when you are going up against internal candidates, you are going to lose a significant portion of the time. The hiring manager will make the safe choice. They know what they are getting. Marc says, go for it. Why are they interviewing you against these internal candidates? That's what you've got to find out.

[17:17] What is the real problem? If they have three internal candidate, and one external candidate, they are looking to the external candidate for some reason. They may be looking for different ideas. Look on LinkedIn and find out as much about that department and their recent hiring, as you can. Have they been hiring externally?

[18:10] Marc gives the example of Nation Instruments, who hire mainly college graduates, who either stay, 7-10 years, or their entire career. They rarely hire externally. Marc says: go for it, be aggressive, ask good questions, find out why they are looking at an external candidate, and don't get your hopes way up. Marc cites Jim Camp.

[20:18] You have nothing to lose. Really do your homework, and ask great questions. "If I poke you here, does it hurt?" What you're trying to do is get them to spill the beans, as Jim Camp says in his negotiating book, Start With No. Then you have a way to position yourself. When you don't get a job, always get on LinkedIn afterwards and see who did.

[22:03] Next episode will be with Richard Eisenberg, Managing Editor of Next Avenue, talking about the origins of Next Avenue, and where it's going.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Careerpivot.com Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me

Episode 020 Elizabeth Rabaey

Elizabeth Rabaey on LInkedIn

The Smart Passive Income Online Business and Blogging Podcast

Modernize Your Resume: Get Noticed ... Get Hired, by Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark

L. Xavier Cano, The Resume WhizTM

Resumes That Stand Out!: Tips for College Students and Recent Grads for Writing a Superior Resume and Securing an Interview, by L. Xavier Cano

Chameleon Resumes by Lisa Rangel

Jobscan.co

National Instruments

Start with NO...The Negotiating Tools that the Pros Don't Want You to Know, by Jim Camp

Next Avenue

CareerPivot.com Episode34

Marc as a Guest on Think, Believe, and Manifest! Online Radio Podcast #033 Jun 19, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, Marc says he has been getting tremendous feedback from his appearance on the Think, Believe, and Manifest! Online Radio podcast, and he decided to use it as an episode of the Repurpose Your Career Podcast. This time, Marc is the guest! Marc shares career pivot advice and anecdotes from his own career and the pivots of his clients, with host Constance Arnold. Listen in for a refresher course on how to plan for your career pivot.

Key Takeaways:

[1:31] Constance Arnold introduces Marc and he goes over his history at IBM, a startup, and his near-fatal bicycle accident, his high school teaching stint, his work with a not-for-profit, another startup, and his inspiration for a career pivot system.

[6:15] Marc says people are living longer, and are often dissatisfied with the direction of their current career, so they pivot incrementally to get where they want. The most common way to do it is to repurpose their industry knowledge or their business skills.

[7:45] Marc has an intern, Elizabeth, who found she wanted to change careers. She wanted to use her creativity. So she first went from permitting, to business development and marketing at the same company. Then she pivoted to a pure marketing role at a different company. Marc, in his seven pivots, used half steps. He explains that.

[10:02] To pivot, first, "know thyself." You are not the persona you've taken on at work. As you prepare to pivot, what skills do you want to carry forward, and what skills do you want to leave behind? Marc uses a practice from Susan Cain's book, Quiet, 'restorative niches.' Schedule into your day something that will restore you, for self-care.

[12:38] Sometimes you make a career pivot because you need the money. One in four people over 65 still have college debt, and it comes out of their SS. There has to be a balance between doing what society needs and doing what you want.

[14:43] The second step in pivoting is learning not to make assumptions. Marc calls this "MSU Syndrome." Marc talks about assumptions he made when pivoting to teaching high school. Several of his assumptions were completely wrong. He uses an example.

[17:34] The third step is you're not going to do this alone. Build a tribe — those people you can go to and reliably ask a favor and it be fulfilled. Who are those people? Many of us need a fan club. A fan club is those people around you who, when you're making this change, and things don't go right, they will cheer you onward.

[22:14] Ask your weak ties for advice, insights, and recommendations. Asking for advice is a compliment. People will rarely turn you down. Ask what should I do next? Is there anyone you can think of I should talk to?

[24:32] To help clients know where they want to go, Marc uses the Birkman Assessment. He finds out when they have been the happiest, and when they have been the most miserable, and helps them understand why. Be honest with yourself. Get a coach, or your spouse, or friend to advise you.

[29:33] LinkedIn is a valuable tool to find people who look, taste, and smell like you, and where they are working. There is wonderful information in LinkedIn. Represent yourself authentically.

[32:33] Someone looking for a career pivot has to be willing to ask for help. Be humble, be willing to move along and go with the flow. Marc gives some examples from past episodes of Repurpose Your Career.

[38:52] The possibilities are unlimited. Marc puts people on the podcasts who have made the transitions to say, yes, you can do this. There are a lot of people going through what you're going through. And they found ways to accomplish it.

Mentioned in This Episode:

CareerPivot.com/blog

Marc@CareerPivot.com

Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me. Marc is accepting new clients, so reach out to him. He will supply a link to his calendar to set up a call.

Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey

Think, Believe, and Manifest! Online Radio

Birkman Assessment

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain

CareerPivot.com/episode-33

A Career Change from Account Manager to Organizing Entrepreneur. With Kay McManus. #032 Jun 12, 2017

Show notes

Marc first gives statistics about the Repurpose Your Career Podcast so far. The show is in the top half on LibSyn, after seven months of availability. Marc thanks you, his listeners for your support. Kay McManus is the Founder of K-Kan, Inc., a firm that provides, office, home, and record organization, as well as administrative, accounting, and business development services. Kay leads with integrity. She and her staff are detail-oriented, personable, supportive, and effective, whether organizing physical or electronic items, designing efficient storage systems, orchestrating a move, assisting with downsizing efforts, or serving as a company's marketing rep. In addition to being an active member in the business-related and networking groups, Kay is involved with fundraising efforts for the American Cancer Society, other charitable organizations, and working on the family ranch. Marc says, "Let me confirm that Kay can."

Kay discusses her beginnings, the various skills she developed along the way, and the happy accident of a layoff that got her started in her own business helping people organize files, accounts, homes, storage, and processes, in what turns out to be her dream career. Listen in for an inspiring journey to a career with purpose.

Key Takeaways:

[3:36] Kay has learned to be adaptable, to roll with the flow, and to distinguish a position or a job that will be truly valued, from someone that may just not be prepared to be organized at the present time. Kay has had to walk through a few fires to get to this point. It has been a journey she did not anticipate, but which has truly been a blessing.

[4:29] Marc attests that Kay is organized. He tells of a client he sent to Kay for help organizing her taxes and her house, who says it was the best money she ever spent.

[4:57] After college, Kay worked in business development marketing in tech, moved into sales, and then account management, where she did a bit of everything. The last employer, Spansion, came to an economic crunch, and laid off a lot of people, including Kay. The layoff propelled her to the idea of starting her own company.

[7:32] The remaining staff at Spansion became very overloaded, and managers who didn't know how to do the jobs their people had done, started calling her for advice. She helped one, and got a referral to help others, as a freelancer. She saw how many skills she had, and came up with the name K-Kan, Inc. to signify her many abilities.

[8:31] Kay envisioned two parts to her business: the first part would be hands-on, and the second would be virtual, with assistants that would help in various areas. The challenge is always scheduling. Kay describes the kinds of organizing and design jobs she takes.

[9:28] 80% of the work is personal, and 20% B2B. In the office, Kay will manage email and marketing or follow-up calls for clients, and enter it into the CRM. For accounting, she will work with QuickBooks, Excel, Quicken, or Mint, and works with CPAs. Kay has been doing Marc's books for over four years, about two hours each month.

[12:44] The mix of business client tasks is 60% virtual, marketing, or staffing a trade show, and 40% physical tasks on site. From helping organize and move offices, she gets referrals for organizing garages and storage units with remodeling and design.

[13:41] For design jobs Kay calls on two contractors to do the carpentry and finish work. She has three virtual assistants to do phone calls and other tasks. Working on contract rather than by employment allows them to choose their work hours, and frees Kay from constant payroll. Marc also has a contractor crew, including Kay, to help his ventures.

[15:13] Coming out of the corporate world, working with contractors was a change from having a staff. She started with one part-time staffer, but the need was not constant, and they decided an on-call situation would work better for both of them. Kay soon found others who were happy with an on-call agreement.

[16:14] Marc is getting ready to launch a Career Pivot online community. For many people, flexibility is more important than the money or what the job is. People just want to work when they want, and with people they enjoy.

[17:29] Kay expected to stay in the sales and management world forever. Instead, she had to take a hard look at her skills and talents, and truly what made her happy, and how she could be of service to people. She knows she is making a difference to others.

[18:19] Kay started K-Kan with the thought of its being a one-man-band. When she needed help, she learned to let go, and start working with other individuals. Now she not only works to support herself, but has the opportunity to give other people income.

[19:05] Kay wishes she had known better how to judge character, and be more forceful about managing individuals, to have the difficult conversations in a nice way, to be more effective as a manager and as a communicator.

[19:54] Marc cites Sherry Lowry, who coached Marc to identify the clients he wanted to work with, and the clients he wanted to repel. Kay also met with Sherry, who helped her understand it was OK to fire a client that wasn't a good fit.

[20:35] Marc has only fired one client so far, but he identifies people as they come to him, if they will be a good fit, or not. Kay has a routine where she will do a complimentary interview, and at the end of the interview, she will either accept them, or refer them to someone else.

[22:20] Marc met Kay at Metropolitan Breakfast Club, where he also met others who have been on the show, all with a common theme of going on an entrepreneurial path, but not always for an obvious reason. Vicki McCullough, like Kay, was laid off, and, like Kay, is happier for it.

[23:02] Kay has really appreciated the challenges, and the opportunities to work with other people, and help them out, and she is grateful for the 'kick in the butt' that she needed to get out of a situation that wasn't the best fit for her personality.

[25:01] Marc's points: Kay listened to people when they said, Kay can, and she made that her brand. She evolved the business, and has surrounded herself with great support people who are not employees. Kay has multiple types of clients, so there is variety. Kay has figured out it is important to work for clients who value her service.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Careerpivot.com

Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey

Show Notes at Careerpivot.com/repurpose-career-podcast

Jennifer on LinkedIn: Jennifer H. Winter

Kay-Kan.com

(512) 431-8069 to reach Kay by phone

Metropolitan Breakfast Club

Vicki McCollough, Episode 011

CareerPivot.com/episode-32

Flexibility May Be The Best Option for Your Career Pivot, With Brie Reynolds. #031 Jun 05, 2017

Show notes

Brie Reynolds is Marc's expert guest in this episode. Brie is the Senior Career Specialist at FlexJobs, the award-winning site for remote work, flexible schedule and freelance job listings. She helps people empower themselves to find jobs that fit their lives by providing practical information, resources, and insights into flexible jobs and the future of work. With a background in human resources and career advising, Brie has 12 years' experience working with jobseekers and employers, and she offers career hiring and work/life balance advice through the FlexJobs blog, media outlets like Fast Company, Forbes, and NBC News.

Marc and Brie start the discussion with an overview of the origins of FlexJobs, the growth flexible opportunities, how Brie got involved, and the types of work FlexJobs features on its site. They talk about the four measures of flexibility of a job, the types of companies offering flexibility, the types of jobs offered, and the reasons a person might seek flexibility in employment. Brie offers tips for preparing to apply for a job with flexibility, and how to make yourself stand out as a solid contributor.

Listen in to learn about the trend of flexibility in employment, and how you may obtain a flexible position.

Key Takeaways:

[3:08] Brie describes herself, and her passion for 'job stuff.'

[3:42] FlexJobs is a job search service, with a few key differences, specializing in telecommuting and flexible jobs for professionals. All of them have some flexibility, and many of them are for remote work. This is FlexJobs' 10th year!

[4:24] In 2006, Sara, the CEO and Founder, was laid off late in her pregnancy. She had founded a job search company in college, and also had held high-level positions. Looking for work, she wanted the flexibility to work from home. Flexible jobs were rare. She knew there must be others in her position. After giving birth, she founded FlexJobs.

[6:03] Brie is the Senior Career Specialist, and helps people learn about the flexible jobs market. She writes articles, hosts webinars, and has press and media interviews to spread the word, so job seekers can prepare themselves to find a job with flexibility.

[7:37] The world of flexible or remote work has changed dramatically, and a lot of that is due to technology. Marc is in Austin, and Brie is in Boston, and they are recording this podcast over free software. Marc is recording it on software that cost him $19.00.

[8:03] Brie started looking for flexible work about eight years ago, when her husband got on a rotational career track. Brie had worked as a college career advisor. Her first flexible job was as a customer service job working from home. She loved working from home, but not customer service. Someone from the company put her in touch with Sara.

[10:04] This recommendation from her co-worker to apply to work for Sara at FlexJobs was the best networking experience she had ever had. This person had worked at Sara's earlier job search firm, before she had sold it. Brie interviewed, and found herself writing part-time at home for FlexJobs, as one of nine employees at the time.

[10:36] Brie loved it. It allowed her to offer career advice, and learn about this new way of working, to learn which companies were doing great at it, and what sorts of jobs were compatible with flexible work. The company moved around, and is now in Boston. In seven years she has gone from flexible, to full-time, and back to flexible part-time.

[11:40] Marc used to run a help desk for IBM, supporting 500 engineers while he took away their drafting boards and put them on CAD/CAM screens. He also used to train world-wide technical support people. He knows talking to unhappy people all day can cause morale problems. Certain people can do it, and others can't.

[13:04] FlexJobs considers jobs that have flexibility in any of four areas: hours (part-time to full-time); schedule; telecommuting; and freelancing. They list jobs in 55 career fields; the type of work determines the type of flexibility. There are so many companies that offer flexible work, but not always to the same degree.

[15:40] FlexJobs offers a mix of employee and freelance jobs on the site. The freelance assignments may last six weeks to six months or longer, rather than being quick tasks.

[16:43] Marc now wants more control over when and where he does things, than over what he does. He wants to work less time doing what he likes to do. Brie sees that type of applicant, along with people who are looking to advance their careers and grow their responsibilities; also, people who want to take a step back for a while.

[18:02] FlexJobs has C-level jobs, telecommuting VP positions, and Executive Directors, and jobs with no advancement, just flexibility, such as customer service and data entry.

[18:32] Brie cites an example of a retiree who needed the flexibility to travel around the country in an RV. She found a behavioral coaching position for an insurance company, using her background in medicine. Others just want to transition to a different position or career, and take a flexible role as part of their pivot.

[21:13] Some people just start a new career and start as freelance, or part time, and work their way up to a full-time position in their new field.

[23:41] In applying for flexible work, consider if you have previous flexible experience. What skills did you use to focus? What software did you use to communicate with coworkers? Put these on your LinkedIn profile. Companies want you to be able to troubleshoot basic errors at home. Tout communications skills, and conferencing tools.

[28:09] Former entrepreneurs looking to transition back to the corporate world, bring great skills with them. Flexible work and freelance work are similar environments.

[31:08] Marc's final words: To join the FlexJobs community, please click on the FlexJobs ad at the bottom of any of Marc's CareerPivot blogposts. He is a proud affiliate of FlexJobs.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Careerpivot.com/episode-31

Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the Second Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey (Now available online)

Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me

Call Marc at 512-693-9132 and leave a message and email address.

FlexJobs.com

Twitter: @BrieWReynolds

LinkedIn: Brie Reynolds

LinkedIn: Sara Sutton Fell

UpWork.com

Very Late in Life Career Decision Questions #030 May 29, 2017

Show notes

Marc answers very late in life career decision questions with his trusty sidekick, Elizabeth Rabaey. You can learn about her career pivots in Episode 020. Listen in, for ideas to pivot your career very late in the second half of life!

Key Takeaways:

[2:11] Elizabeth shares her story, and how Marc has helped guide her to her latest pivot, which has worked out well. Elizabeth invites listeners to listen to Episode 20, and connect with her on LinkedIn to share experiences.

[3:23] Q1: I am 70 and retired when I was 52. I had a long career as a programmer and project manager. The money is starting to run out, and I need to go back to work. What do you think I should do?

[3:40] A1: There are three factors. He retired about 1999 from a large technology company. He thought his retirement money would last forever, but the Dotcom bust blew that away. He also retired very young, without a plan. His skills are very stale. His network is largely retired, also. The technology space that he knew no longer exists.

[5:14] Marc told him to find a problem to solve, and that started his brain going. He has entrepreneurial tendencies. Marc wanted him to find a problem he could develop into a business service or product. He has Social Security, so he's not going to be out on the street. After 18 years being unemployed, at 70, no-one else is going to invest in him.

[6:48] His most valuable skills acquired over the last 18 years have been the engineering things he has done on his property. He liked that answer, because it got him juiced. It's never been easier to be an entrepreneur. Marc has a friend who has products manufactured in China, and has them shipped directly to Amazon Fulfillment.

[9:51] Q2: I am doing informal research on analytics career paths. My company puts analytics professionals on a business management track. I understand some companies offer higher analytics professional positions. I want to continue to develop as an analyst. Do you have any ideas on a career path?

[11:11] A2: IBM and other companies started doing this in the mid-90s. This gentleman is in his early 60s. Working for a government contractor. The company needs him in business development (sales) to get more contracts. They will not invest in his analytics career. They might invest in Millennials.

[12:45] Marc asked him, "What do you want to be doing in five years, and what do you have to do to get there?" It could be retirement, it could be consulting, it could be getting certified to teach classes. This man is in supply chain, and that skillset will be needed in the automation world.

[15:40] Marc will be doing a series of blogposts on "How will automation, AI, and robots destroy your career?" One of those will touch your career. There is a retail crash as a result of competition from Amazon and similar online companies.

[17:06] Q3: I have spent the last 15-20 years as a lecturer at a public university. I feel like the future looks dim, as they continue to cut costs, move to part-time adjunct professors, and move coursework online. Where does someone like myself go? I'm very late in my career, and I think I'll be pushed out soon. What should I do?

[17:31] A: This is a composite of three conversations Marc had, all fit the same profile, 50 and above, and had the same circumstances. They had stayed at the university because of the tremendous amount freedom it offered. They took the summer off to pursue mission-driven endeavors. They enjoyed flexible office hours.

[18:16] People from a college teaching environment typically do not make very good employees. Marc suggested to one to find a problem to solve, and look at stair-stepping his way to a new business (See Episode 14 with Taylor Pearson). The second case was in liberal arts. Marc steered him to UpWork and FlexJobs to do freelance while working.

[19:16] The third individual was a dean at a public university. Many people in higher education receive enjoyment from the mentoring aspects of their jobs. That is not found in the corporate world. Look at Episode 3, with Joel Dobbs. Joel has a portfolio career; part of it is mentoring executives. He also teaches, and consults to companies.

[20:25] The dean needs to determine what people will pay him in the private sector, and how he gets into it. He has some of the connections required, and needs to find which ones will work for him, and start working the relationships.

[21:00] Marc did not tell any of these to go find a job. Elizabeth suggests embracing the change you face, and now is the time to do it. The transition will be difficult, but once you pass through it, it will be a great opportunity to do whatever you have always wanted to pursue, and still maintain control over your schedule.

[21:48] Marc says the getting out of higher education or high school teaching is challenging. Plan for the long haul, and don't expect it to happen tomorrow. Stairstep your wait out over a year or two. Do something on the side, as the Millennials do.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Careerpivot.com Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me

Episode 020 Elizabeth Rabaey

Elizabeth Rabaey on LInkedIn

Roger Whitney's Retirement Answer Man

The Smart Passive Income Online Business and Blogging Podcast

What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard N. Bolles

Chris Farrell's Unretirement Podcast

Episode 014 Taylor Pearson

UpWork

FlexJobs

Reality Has a Nasty Habit of Biting Us in the Butt #029 May 22, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, Marc is recording the show in the hospital with his wife. He talks about making stuff up, dealing with assumptions — most of which are wrong — and how things do not go as planned. He discusses insurance, planning to retire to another country, checking things out, and being set back by plans gone wrong. Listen in to hear how, regardless of how carefully you plan, you should never assume, or make stuff up.

Key Takeaways:

[1:46] Marc has had numerous times over the last six months where reality has bit him in the butt. Marc and his wife are on the Affordable Care Act, and in October their premium went up 50%.They changed to another plan, for $1,100 a month with a $13,000 deductible. Marc Listens to Money Matters, and an interview gave him an idea.

[3:17] On Money Matters, RetiredBrains.com had analyzed countries for retirement, and they gave some recommendations in an interview. Trying to stay real, Marc considered Ecuador and Mexico, and planned to research and visit each country to evaluate them.

[4:01] Marc tried very hard to stay with what was factual, which is really hard. In March they visited San Miguel de Allende, in Mexico. They found good Internet, good phone service, a good exchange rate, and acceptable transportation, but they had questions.

[5:41] Next, Marc planned to visit Cuenca, Ecuador. Corey Coates of Podfly put them in touch with some people in Cuenca, and they felt prepared. They used frequent flyer miles to fly into Quito, the capital. Morning and evening flights commute to Cuenca

[6:32] Cuenca was beautiful, and inexpensive. Health care was top-flight. Ecuador uses the U.S. dollar. They spent a few days in Quito. Phone wires were everywhere, strung from building to building, and on the edges of buildings. Internet was all copper wire. In Cuenca, the Internet would go out for a couple of hours at a time.

[7:48] Marc uses AT&T, and arranged for a plan in Ecuador, but they only connect at 3G. Walking a block may cause a change in carriers and speed. He was surprised that the ATM would only let him take $40 twice, and $80 once. He thinks it was limited by his credit union.

[9:00] In San Miguel, Mrs. Miller seemed to have had altitude sickness, but recovered at home. In Ecuador, much higher, her sickness was much worse, and they left five days early. With connecting flights, it took three days to get home from Cuenca. With planning, it could be done in two days. Mrs. Miller started to feel better, and then, worse.

[11:01] They went to the ER, and it turns out, she was anemic, which turns out to have been a long-term problem. Now they don't know whether Ecuador would cause problems or not. Reality slapped them in the face.

[11:45] We do this throughout our careers. We believe we're doing all the right stuff. The more Marc learned, the more questions he had. Now, there are probably other things he was missing, and he needs to keep on doing his research.

[12:39] As you go through your career decisions, don't make stuff up.

[12:58] As Marc is recording, his wife is going through tests to determine the cause of the anemia. Now that he knows she has been anemic for a considerable time, it makes sense, some of the experiences she had had. This was a big reality check. Marc thought he had understood what was going on, but he really hadn't.

Mentioned in This Episode:

CareerPivot.com/blog

Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me. Marc is accepting new clients, so reach out to him. He will supply a link to his calendar to set up a call.

Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey

AHCA House Bill 1628

Hanson McLain's Money Matters

RetiredBrains.com

Podfly Productions

CareerPivot.com Episode 029

CareerPivot.com Making Stuff Up Episode