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This Is Why Your Spouse Is A Great Career Advisor

This Is Why Your Spouse Is a Great Career Advisor by Mark Anthony Dyson

Many of us would love to work with our spouse in some way shape or form. Not me.

She is so honest with me that it hurts, and I am not one to crawl in pain all day long. Having said that, she has offered some of the best career advice. She said I should start a business. She surveyed her family and came up with a name before purposing the idea. I have not looked back since, nor entertain any regrets.

She suggested I write a book. I am playing with the idea although I have an e-book and white papers for public consumption. I am already overthinking it. Maybe if I had a co-writer, but then again, I have trust issues.

Not all spouses have that gift, but I married my wife because of the painful honesty she is loaded with about me. I recommend it if your spouse is honest with you that you invite the truth. I mean, about everything, particularly you. It’s a risk, but it’s a win. Here are my five reasons why you should seek painful but honest career advice from your spouse:

1) After the pain comes the healing. Your spouse is honest enough to tell you that you don’t have what it takes to be a great poet. And even if you were, would it pay the bills? What if you asked others and were told the same thing? Then probably, you’re thankful that the conversation took place.

2) Your spouse can encourage you like no one else. He or she knows what motivation buttons to push. Who doesn’t need someone remembering your strengths?

3) His or her critiques are often open doors to fix relationship issues. Sometimes our spouses critiques are double-edged swords. You asked for his or her opinion, but this particular time it had a ZING to it. Is this an opportunity to look a little deeper to see how deep the issue relates to home?

4) The advice is to protect you from yourself. Areas that used to be your strengths are no longer as valuable, and your spouse indicates that you should move on. On the contrary, the advice may mean, “Win.” she says. “Go win!”

5) Your spouses vision may be bigger, brighter, and bodacious than yours. How encouraging and strengthening is that? When you think supervisor, he thinks executive vice president? You may have to analyze if that is realistic or not, but the point is this is your spouses vision of you.

When you ask for help from your spouse, it is likely you’ll receive reality. At least you can start there. It’s a good thing they can crush you like no one else if their advice stems from love.

Would you trust your spouses’ career advice? Why or why not? Let me know what you think in the comments.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

How To Really Stop Underemployment From Stealing Your Soul

How To Really Stop Underemployment From Stealing Your Soul by Mark Anthony Dyson

Underemployment sucks in a few ways. As family and friends remind you the gratefulness you ought to have a job, you feel enslaved. Sometimes, it’s torture. Other times, it’s depressing. There is no shortlist for the range of emotions you feel from day-to-day. It’s frustrating, hurtful, and downright depressing.

You used to laugh, find fun in doing extra work and fostered meaningful relationships. Now you feel like an outsider. Perhaps your peers moved up or moved on, and you’re here.

Did you take this position as a bridge job? Did it have the schedule for you to be home more with your family? Did it provide some insight into future career goals? Whatever your reason you are over it now, aren’t you?

Most of you just know you need to move on. Perhaps you can’t identify what it is you feel or why? I got you.

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Here are three signs you’re underemployed and what you can do to ease the pain:

Any bit of enthusiasm for this job has dissipated

Depressed? Maybe not, but you are not happy and finding fault and shortcomings in the real things. If people are initiating lunches, casual conversations, and after work sets less could be a sign of your lack of positivity.

TIP: Start being intentional in finding and speaking positively about people who have stood out accomplishments either business or personal. You don’t have to be the cheerleader, but try being the noticer. Not only it could change your outlook on the job, but possibly bring you positive visibility.

It is as stressful as anticipated divorce

You want to leave now, but the job search is slow for your desired industry. You have bills to pay, and it’s tough to make it through the day. Some days you just want to quit. What’s worse– you can care less about what anyone associated with that job thinks about you.

TIP: Leave work at work. Leave the problems at work. Don’t try to overcompensate for uncompleted work not done during regular hours unless you’ve committed it to a deadline.

You’re always thinking of ways to escape

You can’t stop checking the schedule daily published a month ago. Are you thinking of ways and reasons to call off? It’s stress. It’s boredom. You have the “Cheshire Grin” just like the cat from Alice and Wonderland. You call off of work with no regard for the consequences.

TIP: Time off has its proper place, but it tips off your employer you’re unhappy and looking for a job. Even worse, you are unavailable for critical assignments and projects. In most cases, you want to leave on your terms.

Are you a loyalist to everything including friends, relatives, former girlfriends/boyfriends, former teachers, and neighbors. With employers in 2017, you can’t be sentimental.

It’s time to start looking for a meaning transition to a fulfilling career. If you don’t, you’ll regret it.

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And believe me, you’ll set yourself up for a lifetime full of regrets.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Why Should You Make Confidence Your Essential Skill

Why Should You Make Confidence Your Essential Skill by Mark Anthony Dyson

Confidence makes a presentation powerful. It’s a legitimate job skill. Well, soft skill, but one employers desire. Any presentation for any meeting whether in a large group, or one-on-one, confidence is what employers expect.

If you brag to compensate for the lack of depth in your superficial-frosted-flake-eating-mediocre-career-pursuing-barely-quit-before-I-got-fired 30 second elevator speech, then you have my permission to NOT read the rest of this post. It’s not for you. You are probably too engorged with pride and arrogance to take anything value from this post.

Thanks to the rest of you. At least you’re interested in grasping additional confidence for the next business meeting, networking event, job interview, or meeting your fiancée’s mother for the first time. Congratulations.

Again, if you are self-indulgent in self-serving and self-pumping statements, this post will help you score.

You are probably getting call backs for commission-only sales jobs. Arrogance, ha!

The habits of confident candidates do not include bragging, boasting, or attempting to compensate for the lack of HOT credentials. The impact of your contributions says it all. No need to offer egregious adjectives, or shout lies from the mountain top.

On the contrary, less is more.

Confidence is genuine. Never fake. You can’t do both at the same time.
A confident candidate has completed their due diligence to understand what the position requires. Based on research, questions are prepared to ask tactfully, but directly to the interviewer.
Confident job candidates challenge but gently correct a potential employer who starts to make wrong assumptions solely based on the candidate’s appearance, speech, or looks. “Gently” is different than “abrupt” or “abrasive.”
An accomplished candidate speaks in $ and %, and not just in ! and ?
A hirable candidate has spent time developing his or her presentation skills. Practice and preparation was a part of the strategy.
He or she practices writing and interviewing, and become sharp and ready. Remember point #2?

The solution: Less is more. Focus more about measurements, contributions, and impact.