“A musician must make his music, an artist must paint, a poet must write if he is to ultimately be at peace with himself.” Abraham Maslow
Recovering From Sudden Unemployment
Are you unemployed? Do you know someone who is? Practical steps and helpful resources for you to consider—post a comment if you have anything to add that can help someone else going through the same challenge.
Today’s Quote: Moments of Decision
“It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” Anthony Robbins
What Language Do You Speak?
by Now What?® Coaching Founder, Laura Berman Fortgang
Spanish? French? Arabic? German? Those are not the languages I am looking for when I ask what language do you speak? I am 
wondering if you up-language or down-language when you write or speak about yourself. By that, I mean do you undersell, oversell or get it just right?
Whether you are marketing yourself as a business owner or a job candidate, the use of words is critical to your success.
I have had the recent pleasure of working with a director-level job candidate who exemplified the power of our choice of language.
Her resume read like a younger person with less experience than she really was. The language was underselling her accomplishments and despite almost fifteen years in her industry, her resume read like that of a young hopeful.
She reworked the language to be more powerful and to better exemplify her solid experience. Entries like “Established a ____” became “Maintained full responsibility for ____”. And “Implemented _____” became “Pioneered the implementation of ____”.
It was no surprise that interview opportunities started to show up more readily once the changes were made.
Your word choices are colored by how you see yourself. Are you afraid of bragging? Do you lack confidence in your accomplishments? On the other extreme, do you embellish the truth too much? Finding the right balance is key. A strong self-image is important as long as you can wear ‘the suit’ you carry yourself in well.
Try this: Have someone read your website, business brochure or resume out loud to you. Then, answer these questions:
- How did it feel to hear the language used in your materials?
- If it was hard to listen to, why do you think that is?
- Could the documents use some toning down or some ‘up-languaging’?
Before you change anything, have your buddy listen to you reading it. Get their opinion of your answers to the above and make some changes accordingly.
If your language needs upgrading, be aware that you’ll need to practice saying those words in a mirror or mock interviews to get comfortable wearing them. If you over embellished, practice being more truthful and know you are enough as you are. Finally, become very conscious of what you say and please, choose to speak the language of success.
What business idea might you like to explore?
Here we have three examples of women who started their own businesses. In one case the business idea originated as a simple holiday gift; in another instance the business started as a sideline; the third business involved a more deliberate study of a potential market niche. As Nan Langowitz, associate professor of management and entrepreneurship at Babson College states, “Even in an economic downturn, there’s opportunity for smart entrepreneurs.”
Today’s Quote: Suited to Your Needs
“Serendipity. Look for something, find something else, and realize that what you’ve found is more suited to your needs than what you thought you were looking for.” Lawrence Block