Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you.

Okay, let’s say it together, “I resolve to…”

To what? To stand on your head and spit nickels? (That was a favorite of my mother.) Probably not. But tradition gives us a chance to start the year anew, with a fresh perspective and a new attitude.

That’s expecting a lot out of a simple turn of a calendar page. Did anything really change when you clicked one more digit at the end of the date?

Only you can tell.

But if you’re looking for a socially acceptable time to announce some sort of change in your life, here’s your chance. Everyone lets you do something different because it’s a New Year.

Your career move? Take the opportunity and run with it. Why not? Maybe the next chance you’ll have is your birthday — and if you do it then the words “midlife crisis” could come out and ruin all your fun!

Have a great 2011.

Happy Holidays!

Ho! Ho! Ho! It’s been quite a year. Thanks much for being a loyal reader.

I find that this week, along with the week when someone takes a vacation, are the most thoughtful, reflective times when it comes to making career decisions. Many people kick back and think, “What do I want to do when I grow up?” even if you’d think they were “grown up” by now.

It’s a weighty question, especially if you mean it. But it’s meaningless — and eventually frustrating — if you don’t do anything about it.

So your career move this week? After you drop from the shopping, the food fest, and the football follies, take a few minutes and write down three goals for 2011. It could be as simple as making improvements where you are, or as extreme as making an entire career change. Whether one end or the other, or somewhere in the middle, you’ve taken the first step to getting it done. An excellent career move for a Happy Holiday.

Flexible Friends

When I was in Uganda during the World Cup there was a fun television commercial from Coca Cola that aired quite a bit. There was a recognizable football (soccer) player (to Ugandans, at least) who was in a “typical” rural village. The kids wanted to play football, and the soccer star looked around and asked “Where’s the pitch?” (“Where’s the field?”)

Suddenly the entire village showed up and formed a huge rectangle. With every kick the rectangle moved to accommodate the village team’s plays!

So how is this a career move? Do you have “flexible friends” to help you “keep the ball on the field”? Who do you need to organize to be on your team, even if they’re on the sidelines?

At the end of the commercial everyone had a laugh and enjoyed a Coke (what else would you expect?). The home team won — like you can — with the help of some flexible friends.

Your Career Budget

What are your career costs? I’m talking about real dollars. What do you have budgeted for your career?

I know, it seems like an odd question. After all, isn’t it a matter of creating a resume and applying for jobs as you see them on the web? A few e-mails and you’re done, right?

Is that how you would handle your fundraising program? Just create a nice email and keep on sending it out to the folks who put an ad in the paper: “I’m giving out money”?

Probably not.

Even if it’s direct mail, fundraising takes an investment in time and money. Who is your target audience? What are their giving (hiring) habits? What do they like to give to (what skills do they employ)? How do you meet them?

It may not cost you huge amounts to learn these things about your donors or your job prospects, but investing nothing is a quick way to get nothing — whether it’s a charitable gift or a job.

So like your fundraising, budget some money for your career. Set aside some funds for networking events. Take a class or go to a seminar. Upgrade your computer. You get the idea. Learn, be seen, communicate — getting a great gift or a great job are pretty much the same.