January 11, 2011 • Volume 2, Issue 1 • ISSN: 2154-3240

In This Issue

♦	Feature Article: Theme Your Resolutions
♦	Ask Amanda: If I'm leaving a job due to a values mismatch, what would be the appropriate way to respond to an interviewer who asks why I'm leaving?
♦	Practical Tips: LinkedIn

Theme Your Resolutions

Statistically, if you made a resolution this year, you’ve probably abandoned it by now since most of us do so within two weeks. Undoubtedly, this doesn’t surprise you. Setting a resolution reflects a desire for change. What usually happens is that we set a goal and pair it with unrealistic expectations. When we don’t see immediate change we abandon the goal. Then some of us spend time feeling guilty about it!

When we’re setting resolutions, it’s usually about changing behavior—becoming more organized, healthier, spending more time with friends, etc. Rather than setting a goal using traditional techniques, try using a theme to direct your behavior. You’re more likely to remember your resolution and to act upon it.
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	People pay for results, not experience.

Practical Tips: LinkedIn

Ignoring LinkedIn could cost you. According to Socialnomics, 80 percent of companies are using LinkedIn (LI) as their primary tool to find employees. Sign up for a free account now!

Be Strategic
Know why you’re using LinkedIn and craft your profile accordingly. Think of it as an ad indicating how you want others to think of you. Most people repeat their current job title as their professional headline (the sentence immediately under your name)—that usually doesn’t say much about you. If you want LI to help you find future job opportunities, use keywords and highlight your expertise in your headline.
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If I'm leaving a job due to a values mismatch, what would be the appropriate way to respond to an interviewer who asks why I'm leaving? K.S. Cincinnati, OH

First, congratulations! Identifying a values mismatch is a major accomplishment—most people do not consider the role their values play in their work happiness.

In an interview situation, try to direct the conversation so that you can talk about your work values in context and describe what you like about your current company, while setting the stage for an explanation of why you want to leave.
read more

Recommended Resources

Making a Living at What You Love™ starts January 26th. As our gift to you, ezine subscribers qualify for a 20% discount. To take advantage of this discount, register using the same email address you use for this ezine and enter the discount code EZINE20DEC10. Special Early-Bird Pricing ends January 15th. If you act now, you can get both!

We will be offering our Taking Control of Your Career™ Bootcamp twice this year. The Spring Session begins February 10th.

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About Us: Our Corporate Life LLC (OCL) is a company that offers a new system for reducing unnecessary workplace suffering caused by the organizational, interpersonal, and ethical issues of our time. It is founded on the belief that adhering to core human values and achieving business success are always compatible. Working with both companies and individuals, OCL helps create solutions that enable corporate employees at every level to optimize profits while enabling them to thrive in the corporate environment. OCL was founded by Amanda Mitchell to help meet the needs of people working in corporate America during this transformative moment in our nation’s history. The OCL system reflects her experience and insight gained from a 20-year corporate career working with Fortune 500 companies, and as an executive coach to senior-level corporate executives.