Ignite Your Sparks! Resources
“Wherever you go, go with all your heart!”
Job Search & Career Stats-
•80% of people find jobs through people they know (also usually employers’ preference).
•The ideal ratio of time spent job searching shows best outcomes with:
10% indirect job searching (job boards & applying), 10-20% direct job searching (targeted company search and screening process), & 70-80% networking
•People who focus on using their strengths are 3x more likely to report having an excellent quality of life and 6x as likely to be engaged in their jobs (important with only 1/3 of U.S. employees and 13% of employees worldwide reporting feeling engaged in their work, Gallup).
•Workplace satisfaction is much higher when employees report that they feel they have a close or best friend at work and that their manager cares about them (Gallup).
•More than 70% of U.S. office workers are based in open spaces, which are meant to increase communication and teamwork. However, research shows workers lose 28% of their time to interruptions and distractions, and that it can take 25 minutes to regain 'flow.'
•90% of firings are the result of a poor attitude, inappropriate behavior, or difficulties with interpersonal relationships, despite having the knowledge and skills to do their job.
•11% of children are diagnosed with ADHD and estimates of adult entrepreneurs with ADHD are surprisingly very high (up to 80%). Wonder why? I’ve heard time and time again, entrepreneurs saying, “ADHD is my superpower. I’m successful because of it, not in spite of it.” What do you think?
•Strengths focus in coaching isn’t saying you can be anybody you want to be, but it’s saying you can be a better version of who you already are and leverage your natural strengths!
Career-Related Assessment Tools-
These are some of the main tools I administer and debrief with my clients:
Job Search Tools
Resume, Cover Letters, & Linked-In Reviews
Interview Guidelines
•The end of a company phone screen is a good time to ask about next steps & estimated time to hear back
•When contacted for an interview, take your time and ask what the format of the interview will be and time frame you should expect. There are several possibilities including:
•1.5-hour panel interview
•1-hour computer test and a 30-min meeting
•20 min presentation, plus a 30-min meeting with the hiring manager & a 40-min meeting with 2 staff people on the team
•3 back to back 30 minute 1 on 1 interviews
It’s also appropriate to ask for interviewers’ first & last names, job titles, and the interview location. Research your interviewers on Linked In and the company website or social media. Know the company and the job description as clearly as possible and create your questions. Some company interview practices are described on Glass Door, www.glassdoor.com.
Practice, practice, practice!!- 5 of the most common interview questions:
Salary Negotiation-
•DO NOT accept the position on the spot! Project enthusiasm plus inquire about and negotiate a reasonable deadline to get back to company or organization, for time to carefully weigh job prospects, salary, benefit packages, perks, flexibility, and other defining values.
•Salary research on: www.glassdoor.com, www.salary.com, www.payscale.com
Energy and Self-Care Tools & Resources
Meditation & mindfulness practices- from taking a minute or two for simple deep breaths to incorporating daily guided meditations, listening to live or pre-recorded voices
Examples- Calm, Insight Timer, or Rainy Mood apps
Meridian tapping- can help, whether self-tapping with emotional reframing using the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), or by receiving professional acupuncture or acupressure, or a Matrix EFT session
To enhance focus & a centered mind, try a martial arts class such as Tai Chi or Chi-Gong
Examples- Body & Brain centers in Arlington, Cambridge, & Brookline, MA; they recommend pursuing 3 stages of growth:
Jung Choong - Being able to accumulate energy in your dahn jon (your core) for optimal physical health
Ki Jang - Living with an open heart and a mature relationship with your emotions
Shin Myung - Reaching a state of a peaceful and awakened consciousness
Brain Gym exercises to support inter-hemispheric connections; mindset coach Geoffrey Abeles describes the mechanism as "strengthening the corpus collassum, which is the bridge between the left & right hemispheres and builds a framework for the creative side by anchoring the vision in a more practical way."
Biofeedback or neurofeedback programs train your brain to self-regulate and improve memory and attention; A passive form of neurofeedback is the Alpha Stim device, which is FDA approved for anxiety, depression, and insomnia, and can be purchased at Hallowell Centers, drhallowellsudbury.com.
Aromatherapy- Targeted use of essential oils to support energy, mood, moments of overwhelm, and every day emotional regulation. I recommend using high quality, high vibrational, therapeutic grade, organic essential oils as part of a morning and evening routine, and as needed. If interested in exploring, contact my.doterra.com/igniteyoursparks.
Examples- This may include diffusing oils before bed and during the night, applying targeted oils to key reflexology points in the morning, using lemon drops in your water in your water bottle, and certain drops in the bath, in natural cleaning products, in massage blends, and in special edible cooking recipes.
Example of Essential Oil brands- DōTERRA, Young Living, Oshadhi
Mental Conditioning- Mindset Coach- Geoffrey Abeles is a certified clinical hypnotherapist and NLP Coach and EFT Matrix practitioner who will help you release limiting beliefs, negative emotions, and patterns of self-sabotage that are keeping you stuck. Learn how to align and activate your highest potential and inner vision. For a free consultation, email Geoffrey at [email protected], www.linkedin.com/in/energy2heal
Communication at Work & Relationship Tools and Resources
John Gottman’s, the 7 Principles for Making Marriage Work, www.gottman.com
“It matters how you argue”- Avoid the 4 horsemen:
Criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling
Melissa Orlov’s, The ADHD Effect on Marriage, www.adhdmarriage.com
•Blog posts, community forum, seminars and groups
Brené Brown’s, Rising Strong: The Reckoning, The Rumble, The Revolution, www.brenebrown.com
•Brene’s TED talks and U-tube videos cover themes of vulnerability, blame, shame, generosity, empathy, forgiveness, and the gift of imperfection.
•She talks about the importance of developing emotional literacy, stepping back from your inner story so you can rewrite it, and developing a sense of belonging in your core relationships and community.
Byron Katie, The Works, www.thework.com
•Judge your Neighbor/ Enemy Image worksheet: http://thework.com/sites/thework/downloads/worksheets/JudgeYourNeighbor_Worksheet.pdf
Non-Violent Communication (NVC)- Needs consciousness; being a compassionate self-witness; and making clear, mutually beneficial, here and now requests and agreements
•Posting on the fridge and Using the Universal Human Feelings & Needs/Values list
•Practice making Connection and/or Action Requests & Agreements in relationships
that distinguish between what you’re wanting and willing to do for the mutual benefit and good of the relationship.
•Read Marshall Rosenberg’s seminal book, Non-violent Communication. www.cnvc.org
•Attend online or in-person workshops from some of today’s most engaging local, national, and international NVC leaders including:
Gail Carroll & Paul Merrill, Boston area, www.nvcboston.org
and www.newenglandnvc.org
John Kinyon, San Francisco Bay area, the Mediate Your Life framework and program, www.mediateyourlife.com
•John’s books: From Conflict to Connection: Transforming Difficult Conversations into Peaceful Resolutions, and When Your Mind Sabotages Your Dreams: Turning Your Critical Internal Voices into Collaborative Allies
Sarah Peyton, Seattle, WA, Your Resonant Self, www.empathybrain.com
Robert Gonzales, Portland, OR, www.living-compassion.org
General Decision-Making, Productivity & Time-Management
Strategies and Techniques-
•Wheel of Life- This coaching tool gives you a snap shot of your current satisfaction in eight primary domains of your life so you can visualize the big picture and track your experience over time.
•Mind-maps- An alternative note-taking system that’s colorful, non-linear (for those intuitive folks), and uses symbols/doodles to get things out of and into your mind and organize your ideas and plans and learn complicated information, www.mindmapping.com.
•SOAR Charts- Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, & Results
•Ignite Your Sparks! Goal Setting Process for Coaching using SMART Goals
•Prioritizing systems that work for you- Beyond the ‘Urgent-Important Principle’, www.mindtools.com
•Organization around scheduling, communicating, and remembering
ADD-friendly organizing techniques and resources
•Learn ways to simplify papers and other potential visual and inner mental clutter
•Organizing systems that are stimulating and easy to use rather than boring
•Knowing when it's time and where you can sell or get rid of things you no longer need
Susan Pinsky (Organizationally Yours) will help you streamline and simplify your home organization and filing systems, www.organizationallyyours.com
•Susan’s book, Organizing Solutions for People with ADD
Judith Kohlberg, fileheads.net, her books at squallpress.net including:
ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life, co-authored with Kathleen Nadeau
Locate other professional organizers under membership with the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO): www.napo.net.
-For additional resource questions, ask Michelle during a regularly scheduled coaching session or phone check-in.
•80% of people find jobs through people they know (also usually employers’ preference).
•The ideal ratio of time spent job searching shows best outcomes with:
10% indirect job searching (job boards & applying), 10-20% direct job searching (targeted company search and screening process), & 70-80% networking
•People who focus on using their strengths are 3x more likely to report having an excellent quality of life and 6x as likely to be engaged in their jobs (important with only 1/3 of U.S. employees and 13% of employees worldwide reporting feeling engaged in their work, Gallup).
•Workplace satisfaction is much higher when employees report that they feel they have a close or best friend at work and that their manager cares about them (Gallup).
•More than 70% of U.S. office workers are based in open spaces, which are meant to increase communication and teamwork. However, research shows workers lose 28% of their time to interruptions and distractions, and that it can take 25 minutes to regain 'flow.'
•90% of firings are the result of a poor attitude, inappropriate behavior, or difficulties with interpersonal relationships, despite having the knowledge and skills to do their job.
•11% of children are diagnosed with ADHD and estimates of adult entrepreneurs with ADHD are surprisingly very high (up to 80%). Wonder why? I’ve heard time and time again, entrepreneurs saying, “ADHD is my superpower. I’m successful because of it, not in spite of it.” What do you think?
•Strengths focus in coaching isn’t saying you can be anybody you want to be, but it’s saying you can be a better version of who you already are and leverage your natural strengths!
Career-Related Assessment Tools-
These are some of the main tools I administer and debrief with my clients:
- Strengths Finder- Signature Themes & Strengths Insight Report, and follow-up with Talent Map and Individual Development Plan; https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/Coach/en-US/Profile/4399892
- MBTI Step 1 or 2- This tool can only be given and debriefed by a certified practitioner or master practitioner. It is a Jungian personality tool to measure psychological preferences in how people perceive the world, take in information, make decisions, and approach getting things done. There are 16 different personalities based on combinations of having 1 of 2 preferences in four quadrants. Step 2 is a detailed look at 5 subcategory preferences; it shows in and out of preference variability. While a given personality can be drawn to a range of career choices, this often helps one see how their natural preferences may play out in work and work on teams.
- Strong Inventory- This is somewhat like other interest inventories but typically more comprehensive. Results appear in 5 areas: vocational, avocational, ideal work environments, co-workers, and tasks you’ll most enjoy.
- Skill Scan card sort- The client sorts 60 transferrable skill cards into 4 sections (primary, secondary, minor, & unwilling to use) and prioritizes favorite skills and learns about skill sets and choices of jobs affiliated with these choices.
- College 101 card sort- Prioritize 101 considerations when choosing the right fit college for you
- Work Values Inventory- Prioritize within 3 categories: work setting, work purpose, and work relationships
- Prioritizing personal values (you can do this one on your own), https://www.viacharacter.org
Job Search Tools
Resume, Cover Letters, & Linked-In Reviews
- Work with a career coach on editing and tailoring your resume, cover letters, and Linked-In profile
- Action Verbs for Resumes, CV’s, & Professional Profiles
- Google resume samples in your field or for your degree
Interview Guidelines
•The end of a company phone screen is a good time to ask about next steps & estimated time to hear back
•When contacted for an interview, take your time and ask what the format of the interview will be and time frame you should expect. There are several possibilities including:
•1.5-hour panel interview
•1-hour computer test and a 30-min meeting
•20 min presentation, plus a 30-min meeting with the hiring manager & a 40-min meeting with 2 staff people on the team
•3 back to back 30 minute 1 on 1 interviews
It’s also appropriate to ask for interviewers’ first & last names, job titles, and the interview location. Research your interviewers on Linked In and the company website or social media. Know the company and the job description as clearly as possible and create your questions. Some company interview practices are described on Glass Door, www.glassdoor.com.
Practice, practice, practice!!- 5 of the most common interview questions:
- Tell me about yourself.
- Why do you want this job?
- Why should we hire you?
- What is one of your strengths & weaknesses and how does this affect your performance on the job?
- Tell me about a time you confronted a problem at work (or something more specific) and how you solved it?
- Going Global, www.goingglobal.com, for long-distance job searches & H1B research, etc.
- ONET, www.onetonline.org/ (national), MassCIS (Career Information System), https://portal.masscis.intocareers.orportal.masscis.intocareers.org/, MA Job Quest
- Linked-In for Job Search, www.northeastern.edu/careers (Jobs & Internships tab, click Linked-In for Job Search link)
- Setting Up and Navigating Informational interviews, www.northeastern.edu/careers (link for network and informational interview guides)
Salary Negotiation-
•DO NOT accept the position on the spot! Project enthusiasm plus inquire about and negotiate a reasonable deadline to get back to company or organization, for time to carefully weigh job prospects, salary, benefit packages, perks, flexibility, and other defining values.
•Salary research on: www.glassdoor.com, www.salary.com, www.payscale.com
Energy and Self-Care Tools & Resources
Meditation & mindfulness practices- from taking a minute or two for simple deep breaths to incorporating daily guided meditations, listening to live or pre-recorded voices
Examples- Calm, Insight Timer, or Rainy Mood apps
Meridian tapping- can help, whether self-tapping with emotional reframing using the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), or by receiving professional acupuncture or acupressure, or a Matrix EFT session
To enhance focus & a centered mind, try a martial arts class such as Tai Chi or Chi-Gong
Examples- Body & Brain centers in Arlington, Cambridge, & Brookline, MA; they recommend pursuing 3 stages of growth:
Jung Choong - Being able to accumulate energy in your dahn jon (your core) for optimal physical health
Ki Jang - Living with an open heart and a mature relationship with your emotions
Shin Myung - Reaching a state of a peaceful and awakened consciousness
Brain Gym exercises to support inter-hemispheric connections; mindset coach Geoffrey Abeles describes the mechanism as "strengthening the corpus collassum, which is the bridge between the left & right hemispheres and builds a framework for the creative side by anchoring the vision in a more practical way."
Biofeedback or neurofeedback programs train your brain to self-regulate and improve memory and attention; A passive form of neurofeedback is the Alpha Stim device, which is FDA approved for anxiety, depression, and insomnia, and can be purchased at Hallowell Centers, drhallowellsudbury.com.
Aromatherapy- Targeted use of essential oils to support energy, mood, moments of overwhelm, and every day emotional regulation. I recommend using high quality, high vibrational, therapeutic grade, organic essential oils as part of a morning and evening routine, and as needed. If interested in exploring, contact my.doterra.com/igniteyoursparks.
Examples- This may include diffusing oils before bed and during the night, applying targeted oils to key reflexology points in the morning, using lemon drops in your water in your water bottle, and certain drops in the bath, in natural cleaning products, in massage blends, and in special edible cooking recipes.
Example of Essential Oil brands- DōTERRA, Young Living, Oshadhi
Mental Conditioning- Mindset Coach- Geoffrey Abeles is a certified clinical hypnotherapist and NLP Coach and EFT Matrix practitioner who will help you release limiting beliefs, negative emotions, and patterns of self-sabotage that are keeping you stuck. Learn how to align and activate your highest potential and inner vision. For a free consultation, email Geoffrey at [email protected], www.linkedin.com/in/energy2heal
Communication at Work & Relationship Tools and Resources
John Gottman’s, the 7 Principles for Making Marriage Work, www.gottman.com
“It matters how you argue”- Avoid the 4 horsemen:
Criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling
Melissa Orlov’s, The ADHD Effect on Marriage, www.adhdmarriage.com
•Blog posts, community forum, seminars and groups
Brené Brown’s, Rising Strong: The Reckoning, The Rumble, The Revolution, www.brenebrown.com
•Brene’s TED talks and U-tube videos cover themes of vulnerability, blame, shame, generosity, empathy, forgiveness, and the gift of imperfection.
•She talks about the importance of developing emotional literacy, stepping back from your inner story so you can rewrite it, and developing a sense of belonging in your core relationships and community.
Byron Katie, The Works, www.thework.com
•Judge your Neighbor/ Enemy Image worksheet: http://thework.com/sites/thework/downloads/worksheets/JudgeYourNeighbor_Worksheet.pdf
Non-Violent Communication (NVC)- Needs consciousness; being a compassionate self-witness; and making clear, mutually beneficial, here and now requests and agreements
•Posting on the fridge and Using the Universal Human Feelings & Needs/Values list
•Practice making Connection and/or Action Requests & Agreements in relationships
that distinguish between what you’re wanting and willing to do for the mutual benefit and good of the relationship.
•Read Marshall Rosenberg’s seminal book, Non-violent Communication. www.cnvc.org
•Attend online or in-person workshops from some of today’s most engaging local, national, and international NVC leaders including:
Gail Carroll & Paul Merrill, Boston area, www.nvcboston.org
and www.newenglandnvc.org
John Kinyon, San Francisco Bay area, the Mediate Your Life framework and program, www.mediateyourlife.com
•John’s books: From Conflict to Connection: Transforming Difficult Conversations into Peaceful Resolutions, and When Your Mind Sabotages Your Dreams: Turning Your Critical Internal Voices into Collaborative Allies
Sarah Peyton, Seattle, WA, Your Resonant Self, www.empathybrain.com
Robert Gonzales, Portland, OR, www.living-compassion.org
General Decision-Making, Productivity & Time-Management
Strategies and Techniques-
•Wheel of Life- This coaching tool gives you a snap shot of your current satisfaction in eight primary domains of your life so you can visualize the big picture and track your experience over time.
•Mind-maps- An alternative note-taking system that’s colorful, non-linear (for those intuitive folks), and uses symbols/doodles to get things out of and into your mind and organize your ideas and plans and learn complicated information, www.mindmapping.com.
•SOAR Charts- Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, & Results
•Ignite Your Sparks! Goal Setting Process for Coaching using SMART Goals
•Prioritizing systems that work for you- Beyond the ‘Urgent-Important Principle’, www.mindtools.com
•Organization around scheduling, communicating, and remembering
ADD-friendly organizing techniques and resources
•Learn ways to simplify papers and other potential visual and inner mental clutter
•Organizing systems that are stimulating and easy to use rather than boring
•Knowing when it's time and where you can sell or get rid of things you no longer need
Susan Pinsky (Organizationally Yours) will help you streamline and simplify your home organization and filing systems, www.organizationallyyours.com
•Susan’s book, Organizing Solutions for People with ADD
Judith Kohlberg, fileheads.net, her books at squallpress.net including:
ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life, co-authored with Kathleen Nadeau
Locate other professional organizers under membership with the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO): www.napo.net.
-For additional resource questions, ask Michelle during a regularly scheduled coaching session or phone check-in.
