It's 6:30 am and my phone weather app tells me it's "15 degrees, feels like 4" out there. But the sun is shining and my dog is pacing, so we bundle up and go out. There's no other option when you have a dog. We do what's necessary. Returning to our warm home, I settle in with a cup of coffee at the southern facing window. My city view is somewhat gritty and it's full of power lines and dirty snow, but there's a patch of sparkling water at the end of the street.

Recently I attended (virtually) a panel presented by my high school's alumni association (shout out to St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School in Alexandria, Viriginia). Moderated by a bright and engaging faculty member, the panel included SSSAS alumni and parents whose professional work is related to AI. The panelists focused on both the upsides (the promise) and the downsides (the perils) of AI. One of my takeaways: we need to test AI out ourselves, play around in ChatGPT, try different prompts, and learn by doing.

As the New Year begins, are you a person who makes resolutions? I'm not much of a resolution maker myself, but I do use the start of a new calendar year to remind myself of my values and how my work and my life do or do not mirror those. As a career coach, I often advise clients to clarify their values as they search for a job.

Photo by Anna Tarazevich on Pexels

Many years ago I worked at Grinnell College in Iowa. Each year, students who had completed their work in the middle of the term (December) instead of the end (May) would participate in a small graduation ceremony. They'd invite a speaker from the staff or faculty to address them as they commenced. One year, they chose my kind and wonderful colleague Jo — counselor, career center director, student advocate, and wise soul. All these years later her words to them have stayed with me: "learn to live with uncertainty."

As I write this, we're still in election season, although the finish line is in sight. The amount of disinformation and actual lies out there may seem overwhelming at times to you; it certainly does to me. It got me thinking about how we gather information and who we trust. I was a history major in college and one of the lasting gifts of that work is this mantra: "consider the source." Is the person sharing information someone you trust (and why do you trust them), are they well-educated and experienced in the topic, and do they approach their work in a fact-finding way?

Recently I've started a couple of new things, and they have both reminded me how uncomfortable it feels to fail at something, make mistakes, or not learn as quickly as we would like to. As we move ahead in our careers and our lives, we all get into routines. Many of us are doing things that we've now done so much that it's an easy routine. When we start something new — and changing jobs or even just interviewing for jobs falls into that category — it can be very uncomfortable.

My dog, Gemma, is a rescue dog, a twelve-year-old corgi mix. As an older dog now, Gemma needs medication for joints and special supplements and vitamins. Patient, sweet, and devoted, Gemma is part of my family. I'd do pretty much anything to keep her healthy and comfortable. One day after the latest Chewy order had arrived, I noted that the dog's expenses had increased steadily. I also noted: if I'm willing to spend extra each month to keep Gemma healthy, why don't I extend that same generosity to myself when I need support for exercise or strength training to keep me well? Are we not worthy of the same care we afford our pets?

What do you value? 

We all find time for the things, people, and experiences we value. Understanding what we value can lead us to clarity around the kind of work we will find most fulfilling.

Photo of Reid State Park. I value balance in my life so I can enjoy natural places like this favorite spot.

Do you ever hesitate to try something new because you don't want to fail? Are you so used to doing things well that you don't want to try something that might be uncomfortable or that you might not do perfectly?

📷: the wrong bus stop 😉

Recently I was lucky to travel with my 28-year-old son, Kyle, to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Recently I was also lucky to attend virtually the Moms First Summit led by Reshma Saujani.

A daughter of a college teacher, I also worked in higher education for much for my career. So, being aware of college "commencement season" is ingrained in me. As colleges celebrate their graduates this year, I got to thinking about the ongoing commencements we all make, whether we're starting a new job, moving into a new stage as parents, or making other major life changes. The word commencement, of course, comes from Old French "comencier" which means to begin. One of the most frequent questions I hear from clients is "where do I begin?" in the job search. Here are 3 thoughts on how you might commence your own career journey.

Photo of a recent rainy Commencement at Bowdoin College

I traveled to Ireland recently for a solo trip to many places I'd never visited before. I planned and navigated the travel on my own using public transportation to get around. There's no language barrier (at least most days), but it was still all new to me. As always, travel taught me several lessons that also relate to job searching.

Photo from the bus station in Killarney, Ireland, where I was waiting for my ride to Galway.

In my work as a career coach with women who are returning to the paid workforce, the topic of interviewing is almost guaranteed to elicit anxiety. Perhaps it's the time away from the office or the worry that their skills might seem rusty, but my clients frequently express nervousness about interviewing. While each woman's challenges are unique, there are some commonalities.

Each year the first truly lovely day in the spring renews my spirit and energizes me. Here in Maine, even after a mild winter (which this one has been), spring always seems a late arrival to this Virginia-born woman. I love seeing the first crocus*, the first bees on flowers, and I savor the sun's warmth on my face as I sit on the porch and type this.

If you're a mom contemplating a return to the paid workforce after time home with your child or children, I hope you have a moment of renewal this spring, too. To help your career planning juices flow, I'm sharing a few thoughts and some resources to consider. I hope you can get outside and feel the sun on your face, too! 

*photo from my garden today :)

When I told my artist friend that I wanted to take some studio art classes now (and I'm in my 60s), he said "great, just don't say you can't paint or draw." I think I'd been saying that for years as an art lover who recognized so many with greater skills. The point is well taken: I can't paint or draw like a professional, that’s true, but it's really “I can't paint or draw yet.” If I keep an open mind and learn, I will be painting and drawing with greater skill fairly soon.

 "Can't" and "won't" are words I hear frequently from clients and say myself. It's understandable: we seek closure and definition in our lives because, let's face it, the world is chaotic. Some of these are healthy choices, such as setting boundaries and behaving ethically, but some limit us. As you start a job search, I'd encourage you to keep an open mind to opportunities.

Photo by Pixabay

Writing resumes and cover letters is sometimes the most challenging part of the job search. Here are some tips to make the writing process a little easier.

Photo by Monstera Production on pexels.com

My "baby" is 28 years old. My years as an at-home parent spanned 1995-2006, decades ago. So, it came as a surprise to me that some of the issues I faced 20+ years ago are still with us. In fact, it's these issues that sparked my interest in founding my own business to help women in the job search, especially those women making a career change or returning to paid work after time spent caregiving.

Photo by James Wheeler on Unsplash

It's the holiday season which means, more often than not, women are feeling overwhelmed with work obligations, family issues, finances, weather, travel, and health. If you're contemplating a job search or are in one, add to all that another layer of complexity. Here are a few thoughts to help navigate the next four weeks.

Anyone who lives in coastal Maine knows that driving up the coast doesn't mean driving north, it means travelling east. (Hence the term associated with further up the coast: Downeast.) And while I know this intellectually, it wasn't until this morning at dawn that I remembered this fact.  Driving toward that light gave me pause for thought.

Photo of Portland’s Eastern Prom one morning

My dear friends Linda and Judith are multi-talented and multi-dimensional women, two of the smartest and kindest people I know. They sometimes visit me. On one of those visits, Judith said "that clivia plant of your needs to be repotted and the roots covered." "That what?" I replied. I'm an indifferent gardener and plant caretaker at best, and I didn't even remember where that houseplant had come from nor what its needs were. I watered it occasionally and it seemed to do well enough, but  I never knew more. "Oh, yes, repot it, cover up those roots, and it will give you a lovely flower," advised Judith.