Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Stressed Out? Go Zen for Relief!

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Photo by Brittney Bush

Are you “stressed out?” 

So many of us are so busy with our work and personal lives, stopping to think how to keep everything in balance doesn’t make the list of “things to do.”  Marci Alboher’s  Shifting Careers column in the New York Times recently recounted a session with Jennifer Edwards, whom she describes as “a ‘stress reduction educator’ with a background in dance, meditation and yoga.”  

Ms. Edwards encouraged the group to focus not on the actual stress point itself (the complaining co-worker, the high price of gas), but instead on “the stories we tell ourselves about these things and the way we respond to them that causes the stress.” 

Some of you may be familiar with the Buddhist state of nonattachment.  This involves avoiding judgements and expectations in your daily interactions.  We can’t control the stressors, but we can control our REACTION to the stress.  Yes, it is possible not to get your blood pressure up every time someone cuts you off on the highway or a co-worker shirks a responsibility.  (Maybe it takes some practice, though!)

Alboher mentions the physical techniques she learned in her workshop, such as “pausing during long stretches at our computers and applying some pressure to a point near the elbow (that)…helps reduce strain caused by repetitive movements like typing on a keyboard.”

After a long day myself, a new pressure point seems just the trick!  Does it work for you?

A long job hunt causing you stress?  Keppie Careers can help.  Let us encourage, enlighten and empower you for success by writing your resume, teaching you how to find a job and supporting you every step of the way.

Build Your Networking Base as a Connector

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In her recent Shifting Gears column in The New York Times, How We Introduce, and What It Means, Marci Alboher discusses different types of connectors.  She references Wikipedia‘s definition:

Connectors are people in a community who know large numbers of people and who are in the habit of making introductions. A connector is essentially the social equivalent of a computer network hub. Connectors usually know people across an array of social, planes, cultural, professional, and economic circles, and make a habit of introducing people who work or live in different circles.

Although connectors are rare — only one in several thousand people might be thought of as a true connector — they are, like mavens and salesmen, very important in the healthy function of civil society and business. Connectors are also important in trendsetting….

Alboher notes that there are different types of connectors, and describes these types in depth in her article.  In short, some are proactive, some passive and some don’t follow-up at all.

I recently attended a talk with Wendy Kinney, a networking guru, where she spoke about the different levels of connecting.  She noted that we must earn referrals by building trust and relationships with people. One of the strongest recommendations is when an ally inserts our name in a conversation and offers to set up a meeting without even being asked for a referral. (“It sounds like you should meet Miriam Salpeter.  She is a terrific career coach. I will set the meeting up.”)

This assumes that the connector has a fairly close relationship with each party and that it is possible to leverage the introduction.

Dan Shawbel, whose focus and website are all about personal branding, reminds us that it is important to give before receiving.  I agree with this philosophy.  Just being aware of how important it is not only to be connected, but also to connect others, is a great step in the right direction.  Building trust and relationships with colleagues and associates is key to networking.  It’s something every professional should work on regularly – not only when job seeking.