Marty Nemko's Blog, page 253

Craftily Laying Low: A success strategy for introverts....and everyone

Conventional wisdom is that success requires assertiveness. But especially for introverts  but also for others, craftily laying low can be wise. In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I explain why and offer examples of how to craftily lay low.

You U: A solid alternative to State U, let alone Private U

Of course, some careers require a degree, notably in the health fields, but many careers don’t. Sure, in other fields, employers tend to pick degree holders but that preference can be trumped by the self-driven learning process I describe in my PsychologyToday.com article today. I call it You U.  And once you’re in a career, the case is even stronger for You U over State U, let alone Private U.

 

The Emotional Side of Career Issues: Symptomaticand deeper solutions

With so much free career information available free on the Internet, many people see a career counselor, not just for tactics, but to overcome emotional blocks that keep them from doing what they know they should do.

Whether you’re a career counselor, coach, other mental health professional, or user of career services, my PsychologyToday.com article today offers some thoughts, based on my work with 5,500 clients over the past three decades, on how to address the emotional side of career issues.

Embracing Eclecticism: One-size-fits-all therapy doesn't.

Therapists and counselors tend to emphasize one treatment modality: cognitive-behavioral, family systems, etc. But the research doesn't support a one-size-fits-all approach. 

The field is still in its adolescence. That means the mental health counseling is more an art than a science, and the good practitioner needs skills in a range of modalities and must restrain the temptation to too-often rely on his or her favorite modality, but flex to accommodate that client's needs.

My PsychologyToday.com article today fleshes this out and provides supporting data.

10 Self-Improvement Musts

Some people who want self-improvement prefer deep dives into a particular technique. Others prefer quick-and-dirty. My PsychologyToday.com article today is for the latter.


As I think back on my 5,500 career and personal coaching clients, I believe the ten items I describe are most central to self-improvement.

The Commencement Speech I'd Give at Harvard

Yesterday, I posted the commencement speech I’d give if I were talking to the graduates of a typical college. I called it “A More Honest Commencement Speech.” It replaced the disingenuous  puff-em-up “Dream big! You can accomplish anything!” bs with straight talk.

Today, I offer the commencement speech I’d give at Harvard, equally tough but very different.

The Case for an Unstructured Summer: Don't overschedule your child...or yourself

Many parents structure much of their kids’ summers: camps, courses, family trips. Of course, those yield benefit, but because kids’ school years are so structured, my PsychologyToday.com article today makes the case for a more let-it-happen summer.

A More Honest Commencement Address

Even at a 98.6 college (All you need to graduate is normal body temperature), the commencement speaker typically tells the students to dream big.

That’s always been disingenuous—Many of those graduates were lucky to get and hold a mundane job, for example, marketing coordinator, school teacher, or construction supervisor.

“Dream big” is even more disingenuous today. Solid, well-paying careers are ever rarer thanks to automation, offshoring, and ratcheted-up requirements: technical, interpersonal and general intelligence. Many if not most graduates of Southwestern State University at Mudville will, for lack of ability and/or drive, end up in a cycle of a few-month lackluster gig followed by a few months of desultory looking, followed by another lackluster gig.

What would an honest commencement speaker say to them? My PsychologyToday.com article today offers one shot at it:

Milking Every Heartbeat

Perhaps today’s #1 mantra is “work-life balance.” I think that’s misguided. I believe life is better-led when you spend as many heartbeats as possible, perhaps 60 or 70 hours a week, using your best abilities to make the biggest difference to society or at least to your sphere of influence. That’s what I call, milking your heartbeats.

My PsychologyToday.com article today makes the case for the wisdom of that and practically how to make it happen.

Is Competition as Bad As They're Saying?

Today, competition’s evils get lots of ink and give less credit to competition's benefits. 

My PsychologyToday.com article today attempts to present both sides.