It’s when you have a couple of things on the boil at the same time, say working two jobs simultaneously, that time management becomes crucial. Makes me wonder how people with families, young children especially, manage to get anything done. To say nothing of working a job.

But then as the old saying goes, “if you want something done, ask a busy person to do it”!

Let’s kick off the Friday five with a little time management theory (and practice). Perhaps you could try applying this over the weekend?!

• The Pickle Jar theory. This is one I have regularly harped on about over the years (on other websites and blogs), so it’s time I mentioned it here. It’s all about prioritizing your time. Get the day’s biggest and, most important, tasks (the rocks) out of the way first, and then fit whatever else you can (the pebbles and sand) in the “jar” with what’s left of the time. Great in theory, except my pickle jar is often full of empty space by day’s end… and that would be procrastination time!
• On the subject of The Pickle Jar theory, here’s an interesting variation on the time management theme. “The Mayonnaise Jar and Two Cups of Coffee” story takes the pickle jar concept (a mayonnaise jar in this case) and applies it across a lifetime. In other words make the “big” things in life a priority and the rest will fall into place, in the “space” between the rocks, the pebbles, and the sand.
• The Secret To Finding Dream Jobs. This articles contains a number of pearls of wisdom, including two of my favourites; “find out what you like doing best, and get someone to pay you for doing it”, and “find a job you enjoy, and you’ll never work a day in your life”. Finding your dream job is a secret no more!
• In Progress: this flow chart breaks down the whole career change process into its simplest form… and sometimes we need a bit more of this sort of thing! Take a few of whats, ifs, buts, and maybes out of the equation, and what are you left with? Raw determination, right?
• We probably hear a lot about how people hate their jobs, and despise their bosses. Etcetera. Have you ever given any thought to how your boss feels though? As Mira Katbamna reveals, we don’t even know the half of it!

Could regular, and acute, cases of Mondayitis be a symptom of a career rut?

It’s a four day week in this part of the world, following the four day Easter weekend, and one neighbour I met in the lift on Tuesday evening, who had just arrived home from work, was looking very much the worse for wear.

Or do we just hate Mondays, or the first day of the working week, regardless of how much we like our work? This is something that warrants further investigation. The good news, for those working a Monday to Friday week at least, is that Friday is here. At last. Enjoy the weekend; I know I will!

• How to set personal goals from the Study Habits blog. Achieving goals can be reasonably straightforward so long as we work to a plan. Or to guidelines. Even a “to-do” list is a great way to make sure things get done. While we’re on the subject of such lists, Remember The Milk is an excellent online personal organiser.
• And not being organised may also be another reason why you are not as successful as you would like to be, or doing as well as others. 9 Reasons You Are Not Successful, an article at Career Ramblings, looks at some of the things we need to consider in order to make an impression.
• Confidence Vs Experience. Almost written for career changers! Obviously we will be low on experience when establishing ourselves in a new career, so this is the time to work on boosting our confidence. Amit suggests a few ways to increase our self belief.
• Ten Reasons To Turn Off Your TV. My loathing of TV is legendary. I have always maintained there are better ways to spend time, even if that is just day dreaming; at least it is making use of the imagination! There’s a lot you can do with your (new found free) time if you ditch the TV though. How about start a second business, take an evening class, learn a new skill or a new hobby, and take on a major project? Never had time to start making that career change? Now you do!
• And finally a little humour for a Friday, thanks to the people at Flying Solo, who pointed out a couple of parody websites the other day. Huhcorp is a great take off of a consulting company, while Duhcorp as a go at application developers. Actually both companies seem fun places to work, I wonder if they’re hiring?

Today is the beginning of a four day weekend for many people. As if I need to say so. Hopefully most of you will be having some time off. I’ll be taking it easy while also tinkering around behind the scenes here. I can’t help it; it’s just in my nature! Enjoy your break, but read the Friday five first!

• Since Richard Bolles, author of “What Color Is Your Parachute?“, shares some of his thoughts in this article, I really thought I had to point to it! “Discovering your life’s purpose is more like putting together a big puzzle then it is finding a needle in a haystack.” I envy those who seem to have it all worked out!
• Setting goals is one thing, but working consistently towards achieving them can be something else. And while we all forget to do something, or are prone to procrastination at sometime or another, Jen has found a solution! Dreaminder allows you to list your goals or dreams, and then arrange for a reminder, or a follow-up, to be emailed to you at some point in the future. A kind of automated conscience maybe?
• Considering many of us have to return to work on Tuesday (something that is difficult enough after an extended weekend, doubly so if you also can’t stand the job!) you may want to skip over this one. Secrets of the nomads profiles a few (lucky) people who travel as part of their job. Not so much about working as such, but a great holiday weekend read nevertheless!
• Top 10 reasons why happiness at work is the ultimate productivity booster. May seem like commonsense for many people, but there are certainly one or two workplaces around that have no idea!
• A little motivational reading. Strength from Weakness and What You “Can’t Not Do”. Did you know that Richard Branson gets bored easily and that is why he started so many businesses? When working for one project starts to becomes a little familiar, he puts on another cap, and does something different for a while. How’s that for a response to boredom?! Gives the term “multitasking” a whole new meaning that’s for sure!

What do you know, it’s Friday already, and that must mean it’s time for another edition of the Friday five! Ah, some quiet reading, just the tonic for a week that was way too busy. Enjoy!

• Withdraw your resignation! No, I don’t mean your letter of resignation, I mean your resignation from leading a happy life, trying to get out of whatever rut you are in, or pursuing a career you really want. Sometimes we are pushed into a corner that we don’t like, but the real problem is when we don’t try and dig ourselves out of it. Leaden Winter, at Verve Coaching, offers some excellent advice for dealing with these sorts of situations.
• Perhaps a career as a writer appeals to you. The work is creative and as long as you can meet deadlines, the working hours flexible. So why not? That just leaves the problem of what area of writing to specialise in, and with the range as varied as the world is wide, the choice can be difficult to say the least. Not to worry though, the “What Type of Writer Should You Be?” quiz, is here to help you out!
• Changing careers is a big step for many people and sometimes the prospect of taking a big step, any big step, induces a certain inertia or reluctance to move forward. Or to be more precise, fear of change. These fears can be overcome as this article (which originally appeared at PayScale) at the Career Transition Resources suggests.
• Chances are you’re considering a career change because you not only find your current job un-fulfilling and boring, but you HATE it with a loathing as well! If the latter is the case then you should check out Disgruntled Workforce. Read about what peeves other workers and even submit your own stories. It’s great to really vent now and again and this is the perfect place to go!
• And if you do submit a workplace tale to Disgruntled Workforce, remember to be discreet, and not give away too many clues as to who you work for. It just may get you dooced or fired! But what if the worst has already come to fruition? First, calm down and try not to panic, and then second, read the advice from Career Hub about what to do in the hours immediately after a sacking.

If you consider yourself a slash careerist (this week’s favourite term at The InterChange Desk!) then this week would have been a “slash week”, as I’ve been wearing a couple of work hats these last few days. Talk about busy days and busy nights! Still time to compile the weekly check list though, I hope you enjoy today’s selection.

• Rather than search high and low for your dream job you could try creating it for yourself instead, by starting a business that is related to your field of interest. So what is it you want to do though? How to choose a career is an article at Flying Solo written by Katie Roberts, and suggests a few ideas for those seeking out their dream job.

• Aspiring entrepreneurs, or those thinking of launching their own enterprise, ought to check out the series of articles by Bryan Baker on how running has changed his life and inspired him to become a successful entrepreneur. Some interesting parallels there, long distance running and starting up your own business are hard work, but the result is worth the effort.
• What did you did about your dreams? Some excellent motivation reading for a Friday, together with some lessons about never being afraid to ask for help, and being prepared to constantly reassess your weaknesses.
• Another must read for those contemplating a career change, The Power of Calling, at Creative Careers Unleashed. Just what is your calling in life? There’s something each of us wants to do, and is capable of doing, but somehow we seem to miss its call. I love the article’s summary: “You CAN definitely ignore your Calling - but believe me it WILL HURT to do so”.
• A picture speaks a thousand words! Another way of looking at finding the “ideal career” equation!

Here’s a double serve of the Friday five for you this week. While you’d think I did nothing but spend my days surfing the net, that’s not quite the case. There’s a lot of good stuff out there, and we have to keep on top of it somehow! Happy reading, I’ll see you all again next week!

• Slash careers are a by-product of the multifaceted, multitasking times we live in. If you have a “job title” that looks like say this: designer / writer / speaker then you are a “Slash Careerist”! This could be a smart way of effecting a career change though. Begin doing part of the time (and in addition to your current career or work) what you would like to do all of the time…
• Some sort of study will usually be required by those changing careers. But how to fit in study time while trying to hold down a full time job, taking care of a family, etc? How to study with a full-time job offers a few good pointers.
• Ghosting… No, it’s not about pursuing a new career as a ghost buster, but is a training method used by sports people. It’s a little like role play, whereby you imagine yourself to be in a real, or live, situation during practice sessions. Think “fake it before you make it”.
• Finding Your Passion Amid the Hate is some great motivational reading at Success from the Nest, which I found this via a post at Antbag.com
• Refactoring Your Career is an article that runs a little a long the lines of my 10° career change article, in that it suggests making small changes until you reach the place you want to be. Software releases are subtly changed or “refactored” overtime, which end users seldom notice as it still appears to carry out the same function. Think of how software like Word or Excel has changed over time for example.
• 4 Reasons to Do (Work) Only What You Love: a very succinct and to the point article at Lifecho.
• Is It Your Job, Or Your Passion? Think about the amount of time you spend working. If you enjoy it, great. If not, then you should give the reasons why you stay put some thought.
• Find Your Inner Jerry Maguire. “What is it that separates those who succeed from those who fail?” Whoever thought we could take a few pointers from Tom Cruise?
• While aimed more at those who find themselves out of work suddenly, Five Tips to Jump Start Your Network is also useful reading for career changers looking to establish some networks. Never underestimate the power of networking…
• Time for some fun. Sometimes finding career direction is simply a matter of looking back to the future! The Futuristic Job Quiz will set you in the right direction. Who knows, you may find a job that is “groundbreaking” and “ahead of its time”!

Elevator statements are usually the domain of marketers and small business owners, but with a little adaption can also prove useful for career changers as a self promotional and networking tool.

Far from being some sort of presentation you make to the occupants of a lift (though I could imagine one or two would be stand up comedians, or politicians, relishing such a captive audience), an elevator statement is in-fact a way of effectively conveying information quickly, and where time is short.

Such as the brief amount of time you are in an elevator.

Here’s how it works. You walk into a lift and another occupant nods at you, and you nod back. By the time you have reached your floor, they have introduced themselves and explained their company provides various training and motivational courses for small to medium size enterprises.

You marvel at how, in the space of what seems like ten seconds, you have the lowdown on the services offered by the business of a complete stranger whom you are sharing an elevator with!

In a way an elevator statement is like a small pitch for business, and in a competitive marketplace such a simple device could be all it takes to snare a deal.

Despite the name though, they can be used in any situation where an opportunity to mention your work, or business, arises and time is very short. This could be in the queue at a bank, a taxi rank, or a chance encounter with a former associate as you are hurrying along the street to an appointment.

And while being great for those in sales and marketing, the concept can also be used by career changers as a way of networking and generating job leads.

Now I’m not suggesting you devise a self promotional spiel and then start eyeballing everyone you meet in an elevator. Rather, what you can do is prepare a short statement outlining your career change ambitions, that can be dropped into everyday conversation.

And sometimes just the simple fact that you are looking for something new is going around the grapevine can be enough to bring opportunities your way.

So think of your “elevator statement” as being more of a way of networking and spreading the word, like a mini press release if you like, that summarises your career change intentions.

Now it’s time to get to work. What’s the best way to describe the sort of work you are looking for, while being descriptive and also concise? How much could you say in the space of 20 seconds? In ten seconds?

Time yourself, you’ll be surprised at just how much information you can convey in that sort of a time frame, if you think it through carefully.

Try this “elevator statement” as a starting point:

“I’m a photographer but have spent the last few months doing IT courses, as I would like to do some web development work going forward.”

You are not only clearly expressing your intentions to become a web developer, but also conveying your commitment by mentioning your studies. Now start telling people, anyone, family, friends, neighbours, whoever you come into contact with.

It may only take the single instance of a say a neighbour, to hear that a business colleague is looking for a web developer, to set things in motion!

Here’s a summary of the benefits of a career change elevator statement;

1. Not only are you creating an elevator statement for public consumption, you are also composing a personal “mission statement” of sorts, as it put your objectives, and the way you intend achieving them, in clear focus.

2. Getting word about your career change intentions around through interpersonal networks just may generate the job lead you are looking for. Remember personal recommendations are often highly regarded, we all like hearing a “good word” about something, or someone, from a person we know or trust.

3. Also, bear in mind that only a quarter to a third of jobs are ever advertised, meaning the rest are filled by other means. Having word going around the streets you are after work can therefore only be a good thing.

4. Crafting a personal elevator statement is relatively quick and simple, and there is really nothing to lose from having one, even if nothing comes of it.