During 2002, Career Journal, the career arm of the Wall Street Journal, ran a series about one man's journey through unemployment. It was well written and definitely worth taking a look at if you are currently looking for a new job. In the epilogue, Tim Johnston wrote about his job search being two processes, one the resume, phone calls and interviews; the other the deeper, more spiritual process. This section is about those two processes; the external and internal, the logical and the creative, the yin and the yang of the work transition. There's a lot of information about the external search, therefore a topic has been selected that isn't utilized to it's full potential using the internet as a research tool. There is very little information about the internal journey, so we've explored how to incorporate creative tools into the transition process.

Research Options
Most career professionals equate the job search to sales. And while that is certainly an important part of the process, research is every bit an important component. Research is so much more than looking for openings. It's also about being pro-active and looking for the career, industry or company that is a good fit for your talents, interests, values and personality. That is one of the reasons the internet is revolutionizing the way we look for work. Not because of posted job ads, as many people think, but by placing information about work at our fingertips. Utilizing the sites below will assist you in broadening the scope of how you use the internet in work transitions.

Exercise: Using the resources listed below, incorporate research into your weekly activities. Start by creating a list of what you would like to learn more about that will help with your work transition.

Where people get stuck: Not taking the time to truly utilize the potential the internet has to offer. People can get overwhelmed by the abundance of information and as a result, don't maintain strict time management when using the internet. As your coach, I can help you determine the most appropriate resources without wasting valuable time and energy. Email me for a free coaching session.

Resources:

Internet Guides
These three directories will provide you with more career and job search information, links and resources than you will ever be able to use in a lifetime. They should be the first stop of everyone who is engaged in any kind of work transition.

Quintessential Careers: An amazing site full of content, well organized and easy to maneuver. It is a must for anyone looking for education, career, and job search information, tools and resources. I am in awe.

The Riley Guide: The grandmother of internet job search directories. Well laid out and easy to follow.

JobHuntersBible.com: Richard Bolles is considered the grandfather of the modern job search with the book "What Color is Your Parachute". He does it again with a wonderful web site about utulizing the Internet as your career partner.

Career Information
A tremendous amount of information about exploring careers exists on the internet. These are the two sites I recommend first:

Occupational Outlook Handbook online: This book is published by the Department of Labor describing the most popular jobs, their projected growth rates and salaries.

UCBerkeley Most colleges have an online career center. I like Berkeley's site the best for exploring careers. It's organized nicely with good information. They mention careers that might be a bit off the mainstream.

Career Exploration: Companies
Whether researching companies you want to work for or preparing for an interview, knowing where to find company information is critical to an effective campaign. These sites offer a great place to start. Remember to also check with your local library and chamber of commerce as the majority of hiring is now done by small companies.

Researching Companies Online: A great tutorial for researching companies online.

Hoover's Online: Features profiles of large and fast-growing public and private companies in the US and abroad. More information if you want to pay, starting at $49.95 a month.

Career Exploration: Associations
Not only are associations a major source of information on industries and employers, many associations offer job leads, tips, and training. Get plugged in by discovering the associations for your desired profession or industry.

The Internet Public Library: This is a fun place to just hang out to discover all the different associations that exist. Warning: Fun places can also waste precious time. Don't let this suck your energy or time.

American Society of Association Executives: The pull-down bar "gateway to associations" leads to a database of over 6500 associations in the U.S.

Create Opportunities
When asked how they got their jobs, many people respond with, “I just happened to be at the right place at the right time.” While many of us will acknowledge, in retrospect, a serendipity, or creative process that takes place during a work transition, most of us don’t proactively incorporate it as a part of our routine. Below are exercises that will help activate the creative and personal development aspects of this transition.

Exercise: Start keeping a journal. It's a great way to tap into your creative energy, explore the emotional ups and downs, and solve problems. Download my free e-book 365 Journal Topics to help you with this exercise.

Resources for Journalling:
The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron and Mark Bryan. Amazon.com review: With the basic principle that creative expression is the natural direction of life, Julia Cameron and Mark Bryan lead you through a comprehensive twelve-week program to recover your creativity from a variety of blocks, including limiting beliefs, fear, self-sabotage, jealousy, guilt, addictions, and other inhibiting forces, replacing them with artistic confidence and productivity.

Exercise: When stuck or wanting to organize your ideas, experiment with mindmapping. It is a visual outline that uses both sides of the brain to organizes information and generate ideas.

Resources for Mindmapping:

• Innovation Network: Eight step tutorial for using mindmapping. (Check out the other wonderful resources for creativity and innovation on this site.)
• Mind Jet Visual Thinking: Mindmapping software you can try out for 30 days.
• The Mind Map Book by Tony Buzan Amazon.com review: ...Tony Buzan is one of the world's leading experts on how people can maximize their brainpower. Now, in his most comprehensive book yet on the topic, Buzan reveals exciting new ways to improve one's memory, concentration, creativity, ability to learn, and more.

Exercise: Create a vision collage of where you'd like to see yourself at the end of this transition. Cutting words and pictures out of magazines or downloading from the internet, select images representing your skills, interests, values and personality and where and how you want to use them. Arrange and glue them on a large poster board. Hang it in a prominent spot so you can constantly reinforce your mental image.

Visualization Resources: Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life by Shatki Gawain. Amazon.com review When it comes to creating the life you want, Shakti Gawain literally wrote the book. Now considered a classic, Creative Visualization teaches readers how to use their imaginations to manifest their deepest desires.

Where people get stuck: Because the work transition can be difficult, people often find a comfortable routine that may not be effective. When getting a new job takes longer than expected, it often undermines their self-confidence and self-esteem. Experimenting with new strategies and thinking outside the box can be an important part of the process. As your coach, it is my responsibility to introduce effective strategies that will help you meet your goals. Email me for a free coaching session.

The Last Step: know how to get there