Dean and I had the honor Saturday of presenting to Job Connections, a wonderful group that supports unemployed Bay Area professionals. I lead the group through an exercise intended to bring their ideal career vision to the surface. Afterwards I asked what obstacles get in the way of pursuing that vision. The first reply was one I hear every time: MONEY.

There is no doubt that those of us who are not independently wealthy are more concerned with making enough money than nearly anything else. Yet most of us lose sight of how much control we do have over the money we make. Think about it this way. You are like a store that offers your skills and talents in exchange for money.

The amount of money you make is driven by:

1. The marketability of your skills and talents
2. How well you get the message out about the value of what you have to offer.
   

This holds true whether you want to maximize your earning potential working for a company or working for yourself.

If you are someone who has been a victim of a layoff, acknowledging your power over your paycheck may seem like positive thinking propaganda, but it’s not. You may be temporarily without a paycheck, yet you’re not without opportunities to increase your marketability and get the word out about what you have to offer.

In our quest to support individuals to create the careers they desire, Dean and I have recognized the real need to help people get beyond the fear of money. We have decided that we can do this better by expanding our training to more fully educate you in the hard skills that are necessary to be successful in today’s business world. For example:

• Learning how to be a more effective networker will enable you to exert your power to get the word out about what you have to offer.
• Learning how to blog will enable you to better promote your expertise to potential hiring managers or potential customers.
• Learning how to customize an inexpensive web publishing platform will give you the power to build and change your storefront without paying someone else to do it for you.

We’re in the process of adding this training to our event schedule. We are very excited about our mission to inspire you to reach for your dreams while educating you on how to use Web 2.0 technology to make your dreams reality. We’d love your suggestions on what kind of training would inspire you to take steps forward towards your vision.

The credit crisis in America has taken a toll on the availability of student loan products as more lenders drop out of the business. According to Net Worth’s Kathleen Pender “More than two dozen non bank lenders have stopped making college loans and last week, three large banks followed suit.”

The fact that college tuition is spiraling upward with no end in sight, adds to the ever growing importance of a student’s career path decision making process.

3 Pitfalls To Avoid

1. Lost Money: Finding the “right” career path is more important than ever before as even the slightest delays or u-turns can cost students and their families thousands of dollars in lost tuition.
   
2. Lost Time: Without a clear definite path based on passionate interest, a student can begin an ill fated career which can account for years of lost time and lost wages in pursuit of something that does not fit.
   
3. Misguided Deciding Factors: When students and parents look at job markets, financial compensation, and job availability as the only factors in choosing a career path they are setting themselves and their children up for disappointing results.
   

3 Tips For A Successful Career:

Before you consult the traditional counselors, career and interest surveys, and company representatives recruiting on campus consider the following:

• Awareness: You will graduate to the workforce via corporate America or as an entrepreneur with a work life history that averages 40+ years.

• Interest: The career path you pursue should be one that holds your interest. It is imperative that you identify all their interests. Make a detailed list of the things, activities, and rituals you enjoy. This should help to heighten your awareness about what direction to explore.

• Passion: After identifying your interests, which interests are your passions? Which activity, subject, or ritual do you lose time in? Make a list of these passion interests and consider them your priority list moving forward.

Dean and I have spent the last three business days presenting our Transition: An Opportunity to Renew Your Possibilities workshop to Experience Unlimited Groups in Oakland, Fremont and Marin County, California, where we talked about the obstacles people face when considering change. I find that regardless of geographic location, education level or occupational background, there is one thing that is on everyone’s minds as we make our life choices.

The fear that we will not have enough money stops us from doing what we really want.

You don’t have to surrender to your fear of money. It is possible to learn to feel more confident about money.

Here are a few ideas to build your confidence about money:

1. You are in control. Except in rare cases like inheritances and lottery winnings, money doesn’t just happen to you. You are the one who manages your flow.

2. You always have many options to make more money. The source of income that you’re used to is not your only option. For example:

· Part-time, full-time, side or temporary jobs

· Services you provide that utilize your talents, skills and passions

· Products you offer that utilize your talents, skills and passions

A reduction in your income may impact many things, including how you perceive yourself, whether you are conscious of it or not. If you have prided yourself on financial success, your ability to feel good about yourself may be impacted as you battle a tough economy.

How to manage this challenge:

1. Remember that a successful life is not all about the money. Look for other non-monetary ways to define success.

• Are you helping people?

• Are you growing as an individual?

• What are you contributing to your community or to the world that does not involve money?

2. Look back on your life to periods when you weren’t making as much money as you are now. Believe that you have the capability to increase your income level once again.

• Is this an opportunity to start something new that could lead you to a better place?

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Being in between jobs doesn’t have to be experienced like the kiss of death. I know that it is natural to feel very vulnerable, yet that is what being in transition is all about. It’s the very point that you are temporarily unattached to a job that provides you with a rare freedom to ask yourself what you really want from your next adventure.

Key questions to ask yourself in between jobs:

1. How soon do you really have to land a job?

Can you afford some time to step back and evaluate what you really want from your career while you have the freedom and time to prepare yourself for it? Sure, it’s no fun watching your life savings take a downward climb, but is your time here really about the money?

Are you at a point in your life where you can afford to spend some time being selective about your next step or preparing yourself for a new path? Think of your career choices now as investments in your quality of life.

2: Would the jobs you are now searching for be top choices if you were just starting out?

You spend a majority of your waking hours at your job. Consider it like you would a romantic relationship. Are you willing to settle for second best just to be committed?

3: Is it possible to support yourself financially doing what you love?

Make a list of all the different ways you can generate income by doing what you love. Your financial support does not have to come from one income stream. Maybe one single role can’t generate enough money, but adding other roles that express your passions might make the necessary difference.

4. Are credentials getting in your way of going for jobs you really want?

Ask yourself if you are truly lacking what is necessary, or if credentials are a convenient excuse to protect you from risk or rejection. Research the kinds of credentials that others doing similar work have. If you don’t have what it takes, identify sources that can provide the appropriate credentials. Don’t make assumptions without checking the facts about the true requirements to do the work.

www.innerarchitect.com