Posted: 05 Aug 2010 07:03 AM PDT

Often when you get career advice, the adviser works on the assumption that you want to stay in the industry you currently work in. But what if you despise your job, and want something completely new? What do you do then?

Well, speaking at the Career Circus, Reinvention Institute creator and CEO Pamela Mitchell says changing career focus is not only OK, but ideal to keep a stable paycheck. "The ability to reinvent yourself is the new form of job security," said Mitchell.

Mitchell explains that with the invention of the digital world, there's no industry safe, so learning to reinvent your career path is an important tool to have. Plus, it allows the job seeker to adapt as his/her likes and dislikes change.

"The ability to reinvent yourself allows your career to evolve as you evolve," said Mitchell.

In order to make this change, you need a new set of skills to learn. First, stop making excuses. Saying things like "I don't have the right degree" or "enough money to make a switch" then you don't find solutions to the problems.

"Write them down then basically 'X' them out," said Mitchell, who also wrote the book "10 Laws of Career Reinvention."

Another key attribute you might need to learn, getting comfortable with not knowing what will happen next. Simply focusing on the next step, and only the next step, will help you get over that hurdle.

"It's impossible to know what you want without getting started," said Mitchell. So get rid of that adviser and get started.

mediabistro.com content

Don't you wish the Internet would cut you some slack? You're not even awake yet and you're already responsible for keeping track of a never-ending flood of information. Sigh.

Get a jump on the day with Mediabistro's Morning Media Newsfeed. We'll send you an email before 9 am with fifteen stories that everyone in the industry should know about before they get to work.

We cover everything from breaking updates on major media deals to think pieces from journals you wouldn't usually check out. All in the name of making you smarter and more well-rested.

Go ahead. Hit the snooze button one more time.

Five Filters featured article: "Peace Envoy" Blair Gets an Easy Ride in the Independent. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Wall Street slips on continued job worries - Yahoo Finance

Posted: 05 Aug 2010 06:56 AM PDT

On Thursday August 5, 2010, 9:35 am

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks fell at the open on Thursday after data showed first-time applications for unemployment insurance rose unexpectedly, underscoring ahead of Friday's key jobs report the hurdles facing a recovery in the labor market.

The Dow Jones industrial average (^DJI - News) lost 43.37 points, or 0.41 percent, to 10,637.06. The Standard & Poor's 500 (^SPX - News) fell 5.24 points, or 0.46 percent, to 1,122.00. The Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC - News) dropped 10.92 points, or 0.47 percent, to 2,292.65.

Five Filters featured article: "Peace Envoy" Blair Gets an Easy Ride in the Independent. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Should You Bring ‘This’ Up During a Job Interview? - CNBC

Posted: 05 Aug 2010 06:56 AM PDT

In 2007, when the financial industry was at the brink of collapse, one executive at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) saw opportunity.

Shannon Schuyler, then a member of PwC's recruitment team, wrote a white paper for company leadership emphasizing that the firm needed someone to reorganize and refine their community initiatives, and give their corporate responsibility a face.

Three months later the job was hers.

iStockphoto

How did she re-strategize the firm's hiring policies and recruitment outreach to encompass PwC's commitment to corporate responsibility?

1. For one, having a background in experienced hiring and on campus recruitment helped. She has seen first-hand the gradual evolution of the hiring landscape, where candidate priorities shifted from the best-paid job offer to work/life balance, and today, to a company's commitment to responsible corporate citizenship. Her experience assured peers that directives coming from the new Corporate Responsibility Leader would be balanced and realistic.

2. Secondly, the message from campuses was loud and clear. According to Schuyler, candidates are increasingly asking what the firm is doing to give back to the community, who they donate to, what they do toward the environment, etc. "They want to know how they can get engaged when they start. They want to know what our strategies are," she said.

3. Finally, she noted, markedly changing business strategies and decision making processes can be a double-edged sword. As her team continues to work on ensuring that new hires are aware and receptive of the company's commitment from day one, she is also responsible for inculcating a deeper cultural change among current employees. And that is where her real battle lies.

Her observations mirror findings of Vault's recently concluded Job Hunting in CSR series, where four MBA candidates discussed business school, their career transitions and job hunting, all connected with a commitment to CSR and change management.

For now, Schuyler is focusing on the "life cycle of a student."

Her team is busy redefining the firm's hiring strategy by shifting their focus from best practices to candidates' personal journey. "Increasingly, we ask, what are the opportunities? What could we continue to build on as a continuum? Would that really change what their education experience is, and ultimately, their success? It's not just how you do the equations, but how you're taking that and making it part of their life."

More Executive Strategies on CNBC.com:

________________________________
Aman Singh is an Editor with Vault and works with Fortune 500 companies on reporting their diversity recruitment strategies and initiatives.

Comments? Send them to

Five Filters featured article: "Peace Envoy" Blair Gets an Easy Ride in the Independent. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.