The Creative Career

Alexandra Levit is back again to talk about her latest book, New Job, New You: A Guide to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career. The book features stories from real people who have reinvented their own careers.

Find out more about Alexandra Levit at alexandralevit.com, and read more about her new book at newjobnewyou.com.

SHOW NOTES

There are seven motivators that may lead you to seek a new career:

Family

Independence

Learning

Money

Passion

Setback

Talent

A few of the questions that we covered:

How do I overcome the fear of making a big change?

Where do I start?

What are the major challenges of shifting to a new career?

How should I structure my goals for the new year?

What if I fail?

"In many cases, and especially as you get up the ladder in the work world, you really often can't tell an introvert from an extrovert because many introverts who are far along in their careers have developed certain social skills, have developed public speaking skills, and you really can't tell us apart."

mdash;Nancy Ancowitz

Nancy Ancowitz is a business communications coach and author of Self-Promotion for Introverts: The Quiet Guide to Getting Ahead. Shenbsp;spent twelve years on Wall Street as a marketing head for major financial firms. While there, she took a personality assessment, and she was surprised to learn that she's an introvert.

What is an introvert?

Introverts aren't loners or antisocial. They simply gain their energy from being alone. Solo activities such as reading, writing, researching and quietly thinking will recharge their energy.

What can an introvert do to better prepare for career success?

-Rest up and recharge your energy before big meetings

-Prepare a few opening lines, questions, contributions or topics of conversations

-If you're heading into a meeting, get on the agenda before it begins

-Introverts tend to be better at writing, so email a few ideas in advance or follow up with ideas through email.

-Lobby your ideas in one-one situations before the big meeting

-Get speech or public speaking lessons to learn how to use your voice (introverts tend to speak more quietly)

-Make eye contact, sit up straight and have a firm handshake

-Practice

Find out more about Nancy Ancowitz at selfpromotionforintroverts.com.

Marcus Sakey started his career in advertising. Ten years later, after a combination of fateful events, he made the leap into the world of writing novels.

He's now an award-winning novelist based out of Chicago, and he's about to release his fourth book, a crime thriller called The Amateurs (which will certainly end up on my book club list). Three of his novels are in development as films.

Listen to the audio interview to learn more about Marcus Sakey and his adventures from the world of advertising to the world of writing novels.

And while you're at it, check out a few of his favorite novels.

M.J. Ryan, author of AdaptAbility: How to Survive Change You Didn't Ask For, is full of advice for new grads. Life after graduation, as she says, is one of the most challenging times a human being goes through. In this podcast interview, she has shared her thoughts on a few important points.

What if I've lost interest in my major, but it's too late to change?

Many young people agonize over what major to choose. Take comfort in the fact that this is a decision you're making for now, and the future will unfold in ways that you absolutely cannot predict or know now. We must become life-long learners and recognize that our lives will be continual process of education and growth.

What are my thinking talents?

These are your persistent ways of thinking that you've been doing your whole lifemdash;although you haven't necessarily been trained in them. To find out more, visit the ptp-partners.com and take an assessment to discover what yours are. A study of two million people shows that when we understand what these talents are, we create greater productivity and profitability.

What if I'm having a hard time adjusting to life after college?

This is a difficult stage in life. It won't always be like this, even though it feels like it now. Because it can be a challenging time in terms of your feelings, it's no time to go it alone. The question is not, "Do I need support?" but "What kind of support do I need?" Talk to people who have been through it and can offer perspective, or join a group to meet others in the same position as you.

Should I create a 5 year plan?

Harvard Business School did a study to find out if people who could answer this question did better than people who didn't have a plan in terms of money, success and happiness. Looking back at those who had a five year plan and those who didn't, there was no difference.

"There is no such thing as a five year plan. There is no such thing, really, as a year plan. You can set intention, you can set goals#8212;but you then have to keep noticing what's actually happening and revising as you go...

What we all need to do, rather than have a plan, is to keep enriching our environment with connections to other people and information."

M.J. Ryan, inspired by Meg Wheatley

Kathryn Marion has just published a new book filled with advice to help new grads venture into the next chapter of their lives. The book, Grads Take Charge, features advice from recent grads (including yours truly and other bloggers with great advice) on everything from finding the right job to handling money and life at home.

The book is available at QwikSmarts.com, and The Creative Career readers can use the coupon code CC25 for 25% off.

The Giveaway

I have an extra copy of Grads Take Charge to give away to one lucky reader. To win, leave a comment with the phrase Take Charge, and if you want, tell me what you look forward to or fear about life beyond college (you don't have to be a senior to win#8212;this giveaway is available to anyone who can benefit from the advice in this book). I'll randomly select a winner next Monday, May 18.

Marcia Wallis, a 2003 Stanford graduate and 2008 graduate of Pepperdine University School of Law, has an unique mix of experiences. She has played on several U.S. gold medal teams, including the 1999 Pan-American Woman's Soccer Team and the 2001 and 2002 Nordic Cup teams. Before law school, she played professional soccer in the WUSA and golf on the Futures Tour. Oh yeah, and she helped her cousin, gold medal winning beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh, launch an active-wear clothing line called K-Active.

If that's not enough, Marcia recently co-authored a book called Girl Talk with law school buddy Jennifer Azadnia to help guide young girls.

Recommended Reading

- Marcia recommends reading the newspaper to stay in touch with current events.

- Spend some time relaxing with a work of fiction (Marcia recommends the Twilight series, which I have yet to read, but I'm starting to feel that I should...)

Roger Weller got into advertising by building his copywriting portfolio through freelance writing at small design shops. He moved to Chicago from the west coast and got a job at an agency called Bozell. From there, he moved to Cramer Krasselt, where he became a creative director.

Listen to Roger Weller's beliefs on branding, core marketing skills and the difference between advertising and public relations. The interview runs just under a half an hour, but I think it's one of the most insightful interviews on the marketing and branding world that I've heard.

Recommended Book

The Deviant's Advantage: How to Use Fringe Ideas to Create Mass Markets

Photo Source: Pink Ponk under Creative Commons

When Christine Hutchison was traveling in Bali on her honeymoon, she fell in love with the local individuals and their crafts. She was so inspired by the stories and products that she went on to start an accessory company that would give back to those communities. The company, Five Accessories, now gives five dollars of each handbag sale and 15 percent of all other sales to support causes within the communities where the accessories were created.

Read more about the company at fiveaccessories.com.

Recommended Book

Launch It!: How to Turn Good Ideas Into Great Products That Sell

Jeff Siarto, the new co-author of Head First Web Design (and my boyfriend), shares the best resources for creating or improving your blog, online portfolio or personal website. Listen to the podcast and check out the links below.

Start a Basic Blog

Although there are many blogging options, we recommend Wordpress.com. It's free to start a blog using yourblogname.wordpress.com.

Create a Custom URL

To create a custom URL, such as yourblogname.com, you must buy a domain name. These typically run from $10 to $40 per year, although you should generally pay no more than $15 per year for a .com, .net or .org domain. Check out Namecheap or GoDaddy to get started, or look at ICANN's complete list of accredited registrars.

You can map the domain name to your Wordpress blog for $10 per year. For more on this, read Domain Registration and Mapping on Wordpress.com

We also recommend using a WHOIS Guard-type service to protect your privacy. Namecheap offers a free year with new domain name registrations.

Host Your Own Site

Although free hosting may be a good place to start for those on a budget, there are some limitations. For more control and features, higher bandwidth, no ads and more storage space, you might opt to host your own site for. Expect to pay around $100-$200 per year for good hosting (we recommend Dreamhost).

Create an Online Portfolio

If you're looking to go into a creative field, an online portfolio is a must. If you don't have any experience with web design and don't have the budget to hire someone to do it for you, check out Squarespace. This service lets users create custom websites without any programming knowledge.

Consider your blog or online portfolio an investment in yourself. Ultimately, the more professional your web presence, the more impressed your potential employer will be. This could make all the difference when it comes time to look for a job.