Being Overqualified is Actually a Good Thing

[Note: Before I forget, my next 4-Week Accelerated Coaching Program starts in a few weeks...are you ready for BIG transformation results in your career? Achieve your dream biz goal in just weeks, space is limited so check it out now! Here's to your success! ~Alex]

When you're in a state of transition, as many of my clients are, you may sometimes find yourself feeling like a small fish again in a big ocean. You have so many years of work experience, but if you are changing careers or starting your own business, this process may seem overwhelming. It's like being at square one again. You may even find yourself "underqualified" in many skills or experiences, even with years or decades as a professional. 

Just recently I asked a couple of PR/marketing agencies if I could shadow them for a few months to gain more agency experience. Many of the principals were shocked at my request and I received a similar response from many of them..."But you're so overqualified, you've even written a book!" I felt like my experience was more detrimental than anything else.

Another friend of mine who has held managerial roles in finance companies for over a decade, recently began studying to become a CPA and needed real-life accounting experience. To land an internship position at an accounting firm, she decided to leave out her supervisory experience on her resume. Otherwise, she believed she would never get hired for this position she was clearly too qualified for. 

It's such a pity when we feel bad for our experiences and credentials, or that we have to "dumb down" to such a level to get a position.  

I don't believe you're ever too old to learn new skills, to transition careers or to even start a brand new career in something you've never done before. Heck, lots of retired folks I know became amazing artists, craftsmen and entrepreneurs in their 60s and 70s! 

When in doubt, create your own job and career path that merges your background and your new goals in life. That way noone can ever discount your past work experience.

I found myself in this similar situation when I transitioned out of banking a few years ago, into the arts, media and marketing world. At first I started on a very narrow path I thought I should take, but felt lost pretty quickly. 

When I self-reflected on my purpose in life, what I was good at and what I loved to do, it became clear as day that I needed to become a coach. Coaching of course requires training, but I didn't need to get a whole other advanced degree such as a psychologist or attorney requires. And it allowed me to incorporate all my background...even the business side which I swore off when I left the corporate world! 

Along the way I've taken coaching courses, become more spiritually aware and continued enrolling in business and leadership programs to round out my training. My new path even led me to write a book... another passion of mine that had become dormant while I was in the corporate world.

I'll end with a success story of one of my clients who decided to transition into the wellness industry after a decade of advertising and corporate experience. After she started her own business, she needed to make ends meet while the business took of, so she looked for jobs that she knew she could handle but was clearly "overqualified" for. She received responses like "You run your own company, why would you want to work here?" and "Do you think you'll be able to run your business and still complete the duties in this job?" How terrible... I really empathized with her situation. But I also knew she was worth so much more.

Finally one day she found her dream sales job, which was flexible enough to allow her to continue running her own business. Plus this new company found all of her experience perfect for the new role--her past work experience plus her new industry experience--and they loved that her business synergized with the company's goals.

The moral here is that your background--no matter what it is--gives you your you-nique set of experiences that you bring to the table, that make you you-nique and suited for your perfect job. Always be proud of your accomplishments. If you're still in the process of looking, remember that one day you will find or create the perfect job, career or "zone" that is perfectly suited for you. And in this case, being overqualified will suit you just perfectly! 


To learn more about how I can help you transition careers, find your path or assist you to become more successful in your chosen path, please check out my coaching services or my success e-program Sculpt Your Life From Sketch to Masterpiece. Here's to your personal and professional development!

Cultivating Intuition

I've been reading and reflecting a lot about intuition and tapping and using one's intuitive powers and I ran across this post by Jack Canfield. I couldn't have written it better myself, so I share his thoughts with you in hope that you learn from his vast knowledge and experience. Cheers! ~Alex

Cultivating Intuition
By Jack Canfield

For most people, early education and training taught us to look out outside of ourselves for the answers to our questions. But we have the answers we need inside. Our unconscious mind is the source of our hidden genius.

Everyone has intuition. Successful people learn to develop this muscle and follow their inner guidance. If you want to leverage your innate wisdom to create greater success, you must learn to tap into your intuition at will.

Recognize When Your Intuition Speaks

To be able to use your intuition, you must able to recognize when it is speaking. Intuition is not loud and demanding. It is subtle and appears differently for different people.

Some people receive messages as visions or images, which can appear in quick flashes or unfold slowly, like a movie. Your intuition might speak to you as a hunch, a thought or in words. You may even find that you are able to dialogue with your intuition to get more information and clarity.

You might notice physical sensations, such as goosebumps, discomfort in your gut, a feeling of relief or a sour taste in your mouth. Others experience intuitive messages through emotions, such as feelings of uneasiness or confusion when their intuition is trying to steer them away from something or, when the message is positive, feelings of euphoria and profound peace. Sometimes intuitive messages are simply a deep sense of knowing and certainty; if you’ve ever said “I felt it in my heart” or “I knew is in the depth of my soul,” chances are it was a message from your intuition. 

Deepen Your Intuition

Although intuition is something everyone has, you must cultivate it to receive the maximum benefit. Here are 5 tips to help you access and use your intuiotion to greater effect.

•    Use meditation to deepen your intuition. Regular meditation will help you clear your mind of distractions, as well as teach you how to better recognize the subtle impulses from within. As you become more attuned to your inner world, you’ll be able to more quickly and easily pick out the sound of your higher self or higher power speaking to you through words, images and sensations.

•    Make time to listen. Life is busy, and in the rush to achieve our tasks and goals, it’s easy to forget to stop and tune into our higher wisdom. Your most valuable wisdom comes through when you are open to receiving it. Devote time every day – and even multiple times each day – to consciously giving your intuition center stage.

•    Ask questions. Don’t be passive when communicating with your intuition. Step up and ask for answers to the questions you are struggling with.

•    Write down your answers. Intuitive impressions are subtle and can “evaporate” quickly. Neuroscience research indicates that intuitive insights not captured within 37 seconds will likely never be recalled again. Many people find journal writing to be a highly effective way to access their intuition. Try it – you’ll be amazed at the clarity of what comes through.

•    Take immediate action. When you act on the information you receive, you’ll find that you get more and more intuitive impulses. After a while, you’ll be living in flow. Intuition works best when we trust it. The more you demonstrate faith in your intuition, the more you will see the results in your life.

Whether you want to make more money, make better decisions, solve problems more quickly, or create winning plans, tuning into your intuition will help you achieve your goals. Trusting your intuition is trusting yourself. The more you trust yourself, the more success you will have.

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About the Author

Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com

Spring into a clutter-free lifestyle

Okay, so Now is officially the time to clean-up your life! Why wait? This goes for all areas...and trust me, you'll feel so much better.

Here are some easy ways to re-energize your life at this time:

1. De-Clutter: The Chinese technique Feng Shui teaches that clutter is a major cause of chaos, sickness and stress in our lives, and it constricts the flow of energy. So dump those old papers, broken appliances and unused trinkets. Clean out your car, closet and purse. According to my sister Annette, an Ayurvedic Educator, it is best to do this during the full moon period.  

*A tip of the hat to Martha Beck, if you have a hard time doing a heavy duty purge, try throwing out 2 items per day in the trash outside your home. Although it may be difficult at first, you'll soon become addicted to finding the two daily items to throw away, and continue this momentum year-round.

2. Let Go of Past Items You Don't Want: Per Feng Shui, it is not healthy to hold on to items from the past, especially those you don't want, such as tacky family heirlooms and old gifts, and even awards when you were 6 years old that are falling apart. To move on, give away or throw out these items that are collecting dust from your past, especially if they don't evoke happy feelings. It's just "stuff"...they don't hold your memories. Everything in your home should serve a purpose and you should love. This also goes for having pictures in public of your family from 20 years ago. Always update these items to current times to ensure you are moving forward, not staying stuck. 

3. Let Go of Emotional Baggage: Similar to clutter and holding past items, holding on to emotional baggage can restrict our energy flow and keep us from moving forward. Forgive those that have hurt you, ask for forgiveness and let go of past grievances or mistakes. This also goes for feelings of guilt and resentment. You may even be holding on to a bad relationship or dead-end job that's not going anywhere. Whatever you're holding on to, is it really worth it? You'll feel much better when you lift the weight and move on!

4. Reflect on the last quarter: Have you started and followed through on your New Year's goals and commitments? Are you where you want to be professionally, personally, spiritually and emotionally? Have you made any headway since the last time you reflected on this? Do you have any new goals, or is it time to resurrect an old goal that you've forgotten? What will get you moving forward, perhaps additional resources or help? Maybe you can hire a nanny or a virtual assistant so you don't work such long hours. Or perhaps you can use a coach or therapist to help with professional goals or emotional issues, respectively.

5. Recharge Time: Try to get a little rest and relaxation if you can! You'll be glad you did, especially if you've been working long hours in the typical grind. There's a slowwww movement taking steam now, and I am totally on board. Sometimes we just need to slow down for a bit to recharge our batteries. 


*For additional help on meeting your professional and personal goals, check out my coaching services, sign up for one of my upcoming online webinars or workshops, or check out my success e-program Sculpt Your Life From Sketch to Masterpiece(TM). All of these resources are designed to help you break through your personal clutter and become your best self!

Marketing your Business Online

It’s no secret that Social Media and online tools are very cost effective for marketing your work. The problem is that everyone’s using it, and there’s way too much clutter online. How do you know the right people are even seeing your message?

Consider the following points when creating your marketing plan online:

1.  Be Aware of your Goals: Online Marketing can be particularly effective if you wish to promote your products and events to all your online followers. You may even be able to attract a good amount of your friends and supporters to attend your events with just a simple Facebook event invitation. But if your goal is to sell your $5,000 products, you may need a more aggressive, creative and tailored approach.  

2.  Be Aware of your Audience: Who are you trying to reach online? If you want all your followers to know about the latest series you created, or about the newest partnership you formed, then go ahead and share online. However, if your intent is to reach buyers to buy your work or attend your next opening, they may not be hanging out on Social Media or reading all your perfectly manicured e-newsletters. I always suggest doing research to determine where your clients are.

3.   Be Aware of your Medium: There are so many social media platforms and online tools out there, which one do you choose? Once you know your Goal and Audience, again, research can help you figure out the best strategy. Facebook and Twitter are well-known for engaging with your followers, but have you ever considered LinkedIn to find a certain type of buyer or agent in your area? Perhaps you have a great client email list but you haven’t sent out an e-newsletter in 6 months. Look at what approaches have and haven’t worked in the past. And don’t be afraid to try something new!

Nowadays we move so fast that we often do things too quickly or spontaneously. Whenever possible, try to brainstorm and come up with a plan in advance before implementing it. It will also serve you to do a bit of research to see what is the best strategy given your Goals and Target Audience. You may be surprised or amazed what you find. A week or two of preparation and research could save you a lot of time, energy and money in the long-run!

Would you like to learn how to gain more followers, leads and traffic, designing effective Facebook Ads, and learning other great strategies and shortcuts to be more effective on Facebook? Join me this Friday as I host a webinar Facebook for Business: How to Create an Effective Marketing Strategy. Get your early bird discount and space by Wednesday, as space is limited!