The Career Intelligencer


Volume 4 Issue 20	Visit our website at www.career-intelligence.com	November 15, 2003

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In This Issue

Editor's Notes
Spotlight — Best of the Best 2003
Manage Your Holiday Stress, Part One — Eight professionals tell you how to get through the holiday season feeling merry and bright
Why did you leave (or are you planning to leave) your last job? — How to put an interviewer's concerns to rest
What's New! — Additional NEW Articles, our Expert's latest Advice, Teleclass updates, etc.
Marketplace — Resources & Services

Editor's Notes

Happy Thanksgiving! If you're here in the States, no doubt you're getting ready for Turkey day. I know at my house we eat almost from morning till night and I can't wait to get started.

Because Thanksgiving is the official start to the holiday season, this issue focuses on Managing Stress. Now, I love the holidays, everyone seems a little bit nicer and there's a sprinkle of magic in the air. However, there's no denying that they bring stress as well. While there's no way to side-step stress our two-part article Manage Your Holiday Stress will give you many ways to alleviate it.

While not a seasonal event, job interviews can be every bit as stressful. And one of the most dreaded questions relates to your availability. Pick up some tips on how to address an employer's concerns in Why did you leave (or are you planning to leave) your last job? Finally, if madcap mornings are stressing you out ease into the day with Easy Ways To Streamline Your Morning Routine.

Before you head off to the mall or begin your online shopping, take a look at this issue's Spotlight: Best of the Best. It might make your holiday shopping easier. Books are a good solution to the question, "what to buy for the person who has everything?" The bonus is you don't have to worry about the size.

Finally, if you're in the Fairfield County area, please join me for Goals! Get Going With An ActionPlan on Saturday, January 24th. During this half-day workshop, you'll get started creating your ActionPlan for 2004. Get a 20% discount with our Early Bird special! (See ad below)

Have a suggestion? Please send your comments to me at arichmond@career-ntelligence.com.

And, if you know anyone else who'd enjoy reading The Career Intelligencer, please help us grow by passing it along.

See you next month!

It's your life, make the most of it :)

Annette Richmond

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Spotlight	back to top

Best of the Best 2003

When I ask most of my friends when was the last time they read a book, most of them respond "Who has time?" Well, I know finding time to read anything is not easy. (The pile of books beside my desk is evidence of that.) That's why I started writing the Spotlight reviews three years ago; in the hopes of helping you separate the wheat from the chaff on your bookseller's shelves. In 2001, I began publishing an annual Top Ten list of what I consider some of the best business-related books I've read. Because books make great gifts, and next week kicks off the holiday shopping season, this year I decided to focus on books that would make great gifts. Here are my picks for 2003. Conversationally Speaking, Tested New Ways to Increase Your Personal and Social Effectiveness, by Alan Garner Filled with easily recognizable, often humorous, examples, Conversationally Speaking is a must read for anyone who would like to improve his or her communication skills. (Includes a very helpful chapter on handling criticism.) Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, by Susan Jeffers, can help you move past the fears that are stopping you from achieving your goals. A quick and informative read, filled with real-life examples of how Jeffers and others have managed to conquer their fears and realize their dreams. Getting Started In Consulting by Alan Weiss, PhD is a must read for beginners, a good refresher for anyone who sells his or her services. Weiss begins the book by explaining the traits you need to succeed in the consulting business. He goes on to list the steps you can take before you quit your day job. How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie Originally published in 1936, this book truly is one of the classics. Everyone - from my dentist to a waitress at Bertucci's - had something positive to say when they saw me reading this book. Most often the comment was, "Great Book!" I heartily agree. Filled with simple truths that will never go out of style. Make a Name for Yourself, 8 Steps Every Woman Needs to Create a Personal Brand Strategy for Success, by Robin Fisher Roffer, is one of my favorites. Roffer uses easily recognizable examples like Oprah and Madonna to explain the concept of having a personal brand. She then explains how to market brand you. (Now in paperback Nonstop Networking, How To Improve Your Life, Luck and Career by Andrea R. Nierenberg. A fast-reading, informative little gem, filled with practical advice and entertaining anecdotes delivered in Andrea's warm, gracious style. Whatever your expertise, Nonstop Networking can take you to the next level. I know it taught me a thing or two. Soul Proprietor, 101 Lessons from a Lifestyle Entrepreneur, by Jane Pollak, is a gem. It's like sitting with mentor who's willing to share her success stories and her learning experiences. You know, the ones that didn't quite turn out as planned. Fun and inspirational, a great read for every businesswoman. Talking From 9 to 5, Women and Men at Work by Deborah Tannen is a great read for everyone, a must for every workingwoman. Adding insightful commentary to real-life examples, Tannen sheds light on many women's issues including why women are not promoted as often as men and why they regularly earn less than their male counterparts. Type Talk: The 16 Personality Types That Determine How We Live, Love and Work, by Otto Kroeger and Janet M. Thusen, is one of the best books about Type theory on the market. Warm and witty, this book is great for anyone who wants to better understand themselves and the people they work with. Who Moved My Cheese? An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life, by Spencer Johnson, MD, is a simple parable that provides some unique insights into the truth about change. An entertaining read, that will help you cope with change in every area of your life. (Perfect for everyone who has trouble stepping out of his or her comfort zone.)

(Recommend your favorite book or movie for a Spotlight by sending an email to me at arichmond@career-intelligence.com)

Are you getting what you want from your life?


	If not, *Stop Dreaming & Start Doing, Create your plan for success* by Annette Richmond can help. Written in an easy to understand style with real-life examples and worksheets, Annette's *Stop Dreaming & Start Doing* will teach you valuable goal-setting techniques and help you translate them to create your success plan. Recommended by Carole Martin - The Interview Coach - Monster.com's interview expert. Now available in soft cover for only $14.95 (plus shipping and handling).


Manage Your Holiday Stress, Part One	back to top

Eight professionals tell you how to get through the holiday season feeling merry and bright

By Annette Richmond, MA

Each year, the holiday season seems to begin earlier and wiz by faster. When I was a kid the appearance of Santa in the Macy's^® Thanksgiving Day Parade marked the official start of the holiday season. Not anymore. This year many of my local stores were jammed with Christmas merchandise before we even finished with Halloween.

I love the holidays, everyone seems just a little bit nicer and there's a sprinkle of magic in the air. On the down side, it is becoming increasingly stressful. With this in mind, I asked several stress-management professionals how we can alleviate some of the stress that comes with the holidays. Here are a few of the tips they shared with me.


Why did you leave (or are you planning to leave) your last job?	back to top

How to put an interviewer's concerns to rest

By Carole Martin

This is a question that is asked in almost every interview. The interviewer wants to know, "Why are you available?" The answer you give regarding your departure from your last company will be either simple and straightforward, or very challenging - depending on your circumstances.

The following are three possible categories to answer the question of why you are available: Read More

Start Your New Year Off Right!

Come to
Goals! Get Going With An ActionPlan

Saturday, January 24, 2004
at the
DoubleTree Club Hotel
789 Connecticut Avenue
Norwalk, CT 06854

Don't miss our Early Bird special!


What's New on career-intelligence.com	back to top

Additional Articles New! — Easy Ways To Streamline Your Morning Routine by Diana Pemberton-Sikes

"There ought to be a law against looking that good this early in the morning with three little kids in tow," another mother told me recently at our preschool. "Stop it! You're making the rest of us look bad!" Read More

Ask the Expert — Are you re-entering the workforce and wondering how to market a diverse employemnt background to your best advantage? Career expert AnneMarie Cross has some suggestions for one reader. Have you thought about taking something you're passionate about and turning it into a business? Small Business Expert Dawn Rivers Baker answers one readers question. Have you ever heard the term "executive presence" and wondered what it meant? Noted image consultant Sherry Masonave defines the term for one reader. Are you having trouble finding a balance between school, work and your other responsibilities? Read what stress management consultant Frances Lylan Wolff has to say. To post your question visit Ask Our Experts.

Teleclasses/Workshops - Change! Our Intro to the MBTI is now available 24/7. We've converted this teleclass to a 5-part-workshop via autoresponder. Start this workshop today! Take our 5 Steps to Choosing the Right Career seminar anytime, day or night. For your convenience, we're now offering this class as a 5-part-seminar via autoresponder. Begin this seminar today! For more information on workshops visit our Tools section.

Job Search - Search for a temporary, contract or permanent job right here. Look through job listings from around the country, courtesy of Net-Temps.


Marketplace	back to top

Resources & Services

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