Get Smart! About Modern Career Development

Are you serious about creating your life’s work? If so, then leave behind all of your traditional ideas about work and Get Smart!

Reading this interactive LearningBook will energize your career by changing the way you think and feel about the modern world of work. Contrary to popular belief, creating your life’s work should not be left to fate. In fact, to increase your chances of choosing wisely, you need to utilize a practical, proactive, and smart approach to your career development.

Each Get Smart! Chapter is full of journaling assignments, reflection exercises, and case illustrations designed to raise your self awareness, enhance your intuition, and develop your decision-making skills—all of which will empower you to fulfill your career aspirations.

Get Smart! About:

Decision-Making
Reprogramming Yourself
Living By Vision, Working With Purpose
Getting in Touch With Your Spirit
Work in the 21st Century
Entrepreneurship
Self-Marketing Tools
The 6 Stages of Career Development

CONTENTS
From the Author

How To Use This Book

Chapter One:  Get Smart! Decision-Making

Chapter Two:  Raise Your Awareness

Chapter Three:  Re-Program Yourself

Chapter Four:  Get in Touch With Your Spirit

Chapter Five:  Living By Vision, Working With Purpose

Chapter Six:  Work in the 21st Century

Chapter Seven:  Define Your Career, Create Your Life’s Work

Chapter Eight:  The Return of the Entrepreneur

Chapter Nine:  Career Killers

Chapter Ten:  Self-Marketing Tools

Chapter Eleven:  The Stages of Career Development

Chapter Twelve:  The Assessment Stage

Chapter Thirteen:  The Investigation Stage

Chapter Fourteen:  The Preparation Stage

Chapter Fifteen:  The Commitment Stage

Chapter Sixteen:  The Retention Stage

Chapter Seventeen:  The Transition Stage

Chapter Eighteen:  Lifelong Learning

Excerpt from the book:
When it comes to modern career development, one thing we can all count on is change. With the advent of technology, telecommuting, and E-commerce, how work is performed is in a state of reinvention.

Self-employment and small business development will become more the norm than big business. And career changes will be more frequent due to rapidly changing organizations and industries. Finally, the line between one's personal and professional life will become even more blurred. Since the modern world of work is rapidly changing to keep up with the demands of our fast-paced lives and lifestyles, here are some characteristics of what the new work contract will look like:

'    Seeking more meaning from work.
'    Equating career success with personal satisfaction over paycheck or status.
'    Everyone will need their own name-brand.
'    Increased use of technology.
'    Finding work that needs doing.
'    Changing in the way management and leadership is conducted (less arrogance at the top level, more power on lower levels).
'    Increased need for networking and self-marketing.
'    Lifelong trying on of various roles, jobs, and industries.
'    Creating a plan that is flexible, and continually assessing the fit of the work.
'    Increased representation of women and minorities in the workforce.
'    Changing career fields numerous times in a lifetime.
'    Self-responsibility: Everyone knowing they have to chart their own career direction. However, the 21st century career also offers many advantages:
'    More career opportunities for everyone.
'    Freedom to choose from a variety of jobs, tasks, and assignments.
'    More flexibility in how and where work is performed, i.e. working from home or telecommuting.
'    More control over your own time.
'    Greater opportunity to express yourself through your work.
'    Ability to shape and reshape your lifes work in accordance with your values and interests.
'    Increased opportunity to develop other skills by working in various industries and environments.
'    Self-empowerment mindset.
'    Allows you to create situations or positions where you can fill a need in the world that is not being filled.
'    Opportunity to present yourself as an independent contractor or vendor with services to offer. How can you successfully navigate through the turbulent times of change and career uncertainty? By developing resiliency, exercising proactivity, creating excellent self-marketing tools, keeping your skills up-to-date, and finding your unique life balance.

1.    Develop resiliency (the ability to bounce back). Having the right attitude about career change is imperative to your ability to bounce back from setbacks, sudden changes, and twists and turns along your career path. You will experience a lot of career change and transitions, so you may as well get comfortable feeling uncomfortable.

2.    Take a proactive approach to your career development You must constantly be on the lookout for new ways to apply your gifts and talents in the new economy. This requires thinking creatively, actively promoting yourself/business, and being actively involved in how your career progresses. Staying involved in professional associations, and continuous networking are excellent ways to connect with other like-minded professionals.

3.    Create first-rate marketing materials Always keep your resume current. You never know when you are going to want to share it with someone or pass it along. If you are in business for yourself, develop classy business cards and letterhead. Harness the power of the internet by developing an interactive website.

4.    Commit to lifelong learning To keep earning, keep learning. Do not wait until you lose your job or want to look for another position to gain new skills or training. Recognize the need to be open to learning and attend classes related to your area of expertise to keep your skills sharp and marketable. Keep in mind the top skills needed for career success include:Communication, Computer-knowledge, Creativity, Customer Care

5.    Find your unique life balance There are four dimensions to life: love, labor, leisure, learning. Remember that work is just one aspect of your life pie. Be sure to indulge in all of your areas. Because having an overall balanced life is what leads to the most fulfillment.

About the Author:
Michelle L. Casto is Owner of Get Smart! a personal empowerment company. She is the author of three books and eight workbooks: Get Smart! About Modern Romantic Relationships, Get Smart! About Modern Stress Management and Get Smart! About Modern Career Development who resides in Corpus Christi, Texas. She holds a Master of Education degree from the University of South Carolina, a Bachelor of Science degree in Interpersonal Communication from Ohio University, and is a Certified Career Development Facilitator Instructor and Customer Service Trainer. She has taught at numerous universities including Emory University, Kennesaw State University, Lanier Technical College, and the University of South Carolina.

As a writer, speaker, and teacher, Michelle specializes in “Whole-Life” issues such as romantic relationships, gender communication, career development, and stress management. When she discovered there wasn’t much practical, proactive advice about how to integrate the various human dimensions of love, labor, leisure, and learning, she founded her company Get Smart! in 1997. Since then she has taught others to take control of their life destiny. Her coaching practice is Brightlight Coaching, as she helps people come up with bright ideas for their lives and empowers them to freely shine their bright light to the world.

Visit virtually:
www.getsmartseries.com
www.brightlightcoach.com