Are You Burned Out at Work? 10 Questions to Ask Yourself.

Do you feel that?

The uncontrollable and all encompassing feeling of hating absolutely EVERY SINGLE THING about your job.

Whether it's your commute, the projects you've been assigned, the sound of your boss' voice, or the way the person next to you breathes loudly while you're trying to concentrate, every thing about your job works your last nerve.

Everything.

If this sounds like you, you may be one of the many women who are experiencing burnout every day.

Burnout is a physical and/or emotional meltdown due to being overworked and over-stressed. And as someone who has experienced this in my professional past, I can tell you that it's no fun.

People who are burned out usually experience:

• lack of focus (from being so overwhelmed with their workload at work)
• frequent mood swings (from feeling happy about the state of their job/career)
• extreme guilt (for never being able to complete assigned tasks and projects on time)
• feelings of social isolation (from not having anyone to talk to about work frustration)
• interruptions in sleep patterns and habits (from all of the above)

Want to  find out if you're burned out or not?

Why You Haven't Found Your Perfect Career Yet (And What To Do About It)

So, you want to know why you haven't found your absolutely, positively, PERFECT dream career, right? Well, the answer is actually quite simple.

It's because it doesn't exist... yet.

Ask anyone who's got the "perfect"job and they'll tell you 3 main things:

1. They didn't find their perfect job, they created it
2. No career is truly perfect, so there will always be good days and bad
3. It doesn't happen overnight

I think it's important to note these things because a lot of us are out here searching far and wide hoping to finally find that magical career that we keep hearing about.  

You network til' you're blue in the face, apply to dozens and dozens of jobs and even try to make the best of where you currently are, but for some reason it always seems that what you're truly after - that perfect career - is always escaping your grasp.

Instead of giving up all hope that you'll ever be one of the "lucky" ones who get to enjoy what they do for work, I challenge you to just start looking at things from a totally new perspective.

Check out 3 tips you can start using right away to help you move closer to your ultimate goal.

Get clear on what you're really after 

When you think of your ideal career, what about it makes it so enticing.  Is it the pay, the hours, the people, the projects, all of the above?  Take some time to map out exactly what you want. You need to be specific here, because this is the only way you'll know what you're looking for and be able to assess when you've actually gotten there.

Figure out what it'll take for you to get from here to there  

OK, so now that you know what you want to do, it's time to research what you need to get there.  Do you need to get some sort of certification, expand your network, or move to another state (or country)?  You catch my drift, right?  Take this from some abstract idea to a well thought out process map.

Talk to someone who's already done it

Do your research and find people who have already succeeded at creating the ideal career for themselves.  Many of these people are just waiting to tell their stories to anyone who will listen. It's super important to surround yourself with people who are of the same mindset you are. This is how you will take your thinking to the next level.

Want to get started mapping out your ideal career right now and take the first step to switching into your ideal career? Click here to check out the Career Changers coaching program where you'll get the tools, strategies and accountability you need to reach your career goals.

Can You Hear Me Now: The Ultimate Guide to Acing a Phone Interview

Phone interviews suck.  They are annoying and sometimes inconvenient.  Yes, I said it and I know you were thinking it.  Phone interviews rob you of the benefit of seeing the interviewer's facial expressions and body language and you don't have the luxury of charming them with your amazing smile and unforgettable eye contact.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, we have to move past it.  No matter how much you or I don't like them, phone interviews are here to stay and have actually increased in frequency during the job search process in recent years.

There was a time when the phone interview was reserved for the quick 15-20 minute phone screen that recruiters held at the beginning stage of a job search or when candidates lived out of state or the country and it was inconvenient and/or too expensive to have an in person interview.  This, however, is no longer the case.

With recruiters and hiring managers getting an average of over 200 applicants for each available role, they often have way more qualified candidates than time and try to weed out those who aren't a good fit for the company via a first round phone interview.

Because of this, even the most attractive of candidates on paper are finding themselves knocked out of the running in the very early stages of the interview process.

Before we get into the ways to make sure you are not one of these candidates, it's important to look at some of the red flags hiring managers are  looking out for.

• Low energy

• Unfriendly demeanor

• Distracted

• Unprofessional

• Bad Communication Skills

• Insanity (unfortunately, this is not a joke)

Keeping these red flags in mind, here are 5 ways to make sure you sail through your next phone interview with ease so that you can make it to the second round.

Start Strong. You'd be surprised by the number of otherwise great candidates who remove themselves from consideration during the first 5 seconds of the interview simply by being unprepared and unprofessional in their greeting.  Since you had to pre-schedule, it's highly unlikely you will be caught by surprise. You should be prepared, alert and friendly from the moment you answer your phone.

Take advantage of not being seen.  Since the recruiter can't see you,  you should have your notes, the company website, the job description, your resume and any other relevant document in front of you during your interview.  It's like taking an open book exam.  You have all the answers at your disposal.

Stand during the entire conversation.  Standing while speaking allows your voice to sound more clear and also makes you feel confident and like you have more energy. This is public speaking 101.  Although you aren't speaking to a crowd of 100 people, you do have a captivated audience of 1 on the other end of the phone and you should be doing everything in your power to keep this person engaged.

Smile when you speak.  Similar to standing, smiling does wonders for your voice while on the phone.  To the person on the other end, you will sound very warm and approachable.  Remember, you will not be able to convey emotion with your facial expressions, so it's extremely important that you make your emotions come through your voice.

Control your environment. Again, the interview was pre-planned, so before the call begins you should have found a quiet and isolated area for you to have the conversation.  Most likely you will need 30-45 minutes of uninterrupted time.  Nothing is more distracting to an interviewer than hearing loud noises, chatter, or music in the background.

Phone interviews are no longer an exception in the interview process, more often than not, they are the rule.  Follow these tips and you will be on your way to the second round interview in no time.

What other tips can you think of to crush the phone interview?

5 Lies 99% of People Believe About Work-Life Balance

Check out this infographic I created on the ever elusive idea of "work-life balance". How do you manage your own work and life demands? Let me know in the comments!

-Dorianne

How to Be a Jet Setter When You Don't Have A lot of Vacation Days

Everyone thinks they want to be an entrepreneur... that is until they actually have the opportunity to be one. Most people completely ignore the downside of being your own boss (irregular hours, long bouts of isolation, fluctuating income, expensive health benefits) and zoom in on the good stuff (location independence, unlimited earning potential, no annoying coworkers).

 From the outside looking in, it looks like a dream life. You wake up when you want, wear whatever you want and have the luxury to choose which work projects you will work on in any given day.

Above all of these perks, another benefit most people point to about entrepreneurship is the fact that you can pick up and travel whenever you want! This idea of being a jet setter is a huge factor for people measuring their work life balance.

Since 97% of us are about that cubicle life though, does it mean we simply won't get to enjoy the personal fulfillment that comes with jet setting?

I'm here to shout loud and proud that the answer to that question is NO! Here's how I have been able to travel to 19 countries (and counting) all while having a full time job and at times having very limited vacation days.

Plan ahead

You should plan your travel destinations at least a year in advance. The year is only half over and I know that I plan to go back to Spain, New Orleans and Missouri next year. Planning in advance not only helps you get cheaper plane tickets, it also allows you to create a plan for your vacation days strategically.

Don't waste your days

My vacation days have varied from as little as 3 weeks when I started my career, to my current rate of 7 weeks. Sure, it's much easier now to plan vacation, but this wasn't always the case. When I had less vacation days to work with, I only called out sick if I had a fever. Spontaneous days off may feel good in the moment, but can mean the difference between you having enough PTO to go to New Zealand or the local beach town only one state over. Both are great, but New Zealand really has a nicer ring to it, no?

Incorporate work travel

Do you have to travel for work? Why not add on one or two extra days at the end of your trip to enjoy the sights and sounds of the city you're in? A lot of times people think of jet setting as only going to exotic, foreign locales, but that's not the case at all! I've been to 3 continents, but still can't wait to cross Houston, Texas and New Orleans, Louisiana off my travel bucket list!

Get creative

This summer, my plan is to spend a few days in Montreal, Canada. It just so happens that my company has an office there, so instead of using 5 whole vacation days to travel, I will work from that office for 2 days. When I also factor in the weekend I'll spend there, I'll only have to take 2 work days off. This could also work if your company has a work from home policy that allows you to work from anywhere. It doesn't have to be a permanent arrangement either, a lot of companies can be flexible.

As much as I believe in hard work, I also believe in play! If your desire is to travel the world, your job doesn't have to be something that gets in your way.  As with any other big goal you have in life, a little preparation goes a very long way.

-Dorianne