LinkedIn Maintenance II Do THIS RIGHT NOW (or else)

LinkedIn Maintenance II Do THIS RIGHT NOW (or else) Three months ago I wrote LinkedIn Maintenance: Do This Right Now (or else), strongly encouraging you to back up your network (export connections in Linkedin) and download your profile as a PDF.   I got 49 comments on that post, and a bunch of bloggers shared it.   I didnt mean to use a scare tactic, as I think those are generally lame, but the story about Susan Irelands account getting deleted (or, becoming inaccessible) by LinkedIn is a reality that most LinkedIn users wont want to face. Today I want to present Part II of LinkedIn Maintenance (or else) to you.   If you dont do this when you read my blog post, dont call me asking to help you because I wont be able to.   First, the story: I got a desperate email and few voice mails, and then finally connected on the phone with a recruiter.   This is someone who has read me, known about me, heard from me, etc. for over a year.   She was practically in tears, and clearly distraught.   She had built her LinkedIn network to over 1,500 connections, and used it religiously in her work as a recruiter. Can you imagine taking all the time and making all the effort to build a network that big, and using LinkedIn on a daily basis as she did her job?   LinkedIn is to her what a hammer is to a carpenter.   Critical. She ended up leaving her employer.   And shortly after, probably within 24 hours, her LinkedIn account was GONE. Wait, it wasnt totally gone.   This is scarier than gone.   From what I understand, heres what happened: Her boss must have done a forgot password.   Since her primary, and ONLY email address on her account, was the corporate email account he provided her, which he now had COMPLETE control over, he was able to login as her. And he changed her LinkedIn password. And he changed her vanity URL (from her name to his name). And he changed the name (the one at the very top of your Profile). It looked 100% like HIS account.   But there were two problems: All of the 1,500 connections were connected to this new, bogus, fraudulent account.   Sounds like a HUGE breach of privacy/security to me.   And embarrassing and disrespectful to the lady, who had built the relationships.   Not to mention the complete disrespect for each of her LinkedIn connections. All of the recommendations had HER name, not his.   He couldnt change that.   If I happened upon the Profile I would have guessed it was a bug in LinkedIn. But it wasnt a bug.   It was a fraudulent situation.   I said, YOU DIDNT READ MY BOOK!   Because in my book I say, MAKE SURE the primary email address is one that you will have 100% complete control over, like a gmail account, or Yahoo, or AOL, or Hotmail, or something like that.   The second address in your account can be your employers address, but it should NEVER be your primary address.   NEVER! Thats it no more story, no more writing about this.   GO NOW to your LinkedIn Profile, click on Account Settings, then on the right click on Email Addresses, and the rest should be obvious. If you want more info on using LinkedIn, you can buy my book or follow the Im on LinkedIn Now What??? blog.   I blog regularly over there. Please, go do this NOW. LinkedIn Maintenance II Do THIS RIGHT NOW (or else) Three months ago I wrote LinkedIn Maintenance: Do This Right Now (or else), strongly encouraging you to back up your network (export connections in Linkedin) and download your profile as a PDF.   I got 49 comments on that post, and a bunch of bloggers shared it.   I didnt mean to use a scare tactic, as I think those are generally lame, but the story about Susan Irelands account getting deleted (or, becoming inaccessible) by LinkedIn is a reality that most LinkedIn users wont want to face. Today I want to present Part II of LinkedIn Maintenance (or else) to you.   If you dont do this when you read my blog post, dont call me asking to help you because I wont be able to.   First, the story: I got a desperate email and few voice mails, and then finally connected on the phone with a recruiter.   This is someone who has read me, known about me, heard from me, etc. for over a year.   She was practically in tears, and clearly distraught.   She had built her LinkedIn network to over 1,500 connections, and used it religiously in her work as a recruiter. Can you imagine taking all the time and making all the effort to build a network that big, and using LinkedIn on a daily basis as she did her job?   LinkedIn is to her what a hammer is to a carpenter.   Critical. She ended up leaving her employer.   And shortly after, probably within 24 hours, her LinkedIn account was GONE. Wait, it wasnt totally gone.   This is scarier than gone.   From what I understand, heres what happened: Her boss must have done a forgot password.   Since her primary, and ONLY email address on her account, was the corporate email account he provided her, which he now had COMPLETE control over, he was able to login as her. And he changed her LinkedIn password. And he changed her vanity URL (from her name to his name). And he changed the name (the one at the very top of your Profile). It looked 100% like HIS account.   But there were two problems: All of the 1,500 connections were connected to this new, bogus, fraudulent account.   Sounds like a HUGE breach of privacy/security to me.   And embarrassing and disrespectful to the lady, who had built the relationships.   Not to mention the complete disrespect for each of her LinkedIn connections. All of the recommendations had HER name, not his.   He couldnt change that.   If I happened upon the Profile I would have guessed it was a bug in LinkedIn. But it wasnt a bug.   It was a fraudulent situation.   I said, YOU DIDNT READ MY BOOK!   Because in my book I say, MAKE SURE the primary email address is one that you will have 100% complete control over, like a gmail account, or Yahoo, or AOL, or Hotmail, or something like that.   The second address in your account can be your employers address, but it should NEVER be your primary address.   NEVER! Thats it no more story, no more writing about this.   GO NOW to your LinkedIn Profile, click on Account Settings, then on the right click on Email Addresses, and the rest should be obvious. If you want more info on using LinkedIn, you can buy my book or follow the Im on LinkedIn Now What??? blog.   I blog regularly over there. Please, go do this NOW. LinkedIn Maintenance II Do THIS RIGHT NOW (or else) Three months ago I wrote LinkedIn Maintenance: Do This Right Now (or else), strongly encouraging you to back up your network (export connections in Linkedin) and download your profile as a PDF.   I got 49 comments on that post, and a bunch of bloggers shared it.   I didnt mean to use a scare tactic, as I think those are generally lame, but the story about Susan Irelands account getting deleted (or, becoming inaccessible) by LinkedIn is a reality that most LinkedIn users wont want to face. Today I want to present Part II of LinkedIn Maintenance (or else) to you.   If you dont do this when you read my blog post, dont call me asking to help you because I wont be able to.   First, the story: I got a desperate email and few voice mails, and then finally connected on the phone with a recruiter.   This is someone who has read me, known about me, heard from me, etc. for over a year.   She was practically in tears, and clearly distraught.   She had built her LinkedIn network to over 1,500 connections, and used it religiously in her work as a recruiter. Can you imagine taking all the time and making all the effort to build a network that big, and using LinkedIn on a daily basis as she did her job?   LinkedIn is to her what a hammer is to a carpenter.   Critical. She ended up leaving her employer.   And shortly after, probably within 24 hours, her LinkedIn account was GONE. Wait, it wasnt totally gone.   This is scarier than gone.   From what I understand, heres what happened: Her boss must have done a forgot password.   Since her primary, and ONLY email address on her account, was the corporate email account he provided her, which he now had COMPLETE control over, he was able to login as her. And he changed her LinkedIn password. And he changed her vanity URL (from her name to his name). And he changed the name (the one at the very top of your Profile). It looked 100% like HIS account.   But there were two problems: All of the 1,500 connections were connected to this new, bogus, fraudulent account.   Sounds like a HUGE breach of privacy/security to me.   And embarrassing and disrespectful to the lady, who had built the relationships.   Not to mention the complete disrespect for each of her LinkedIn connections. All of the recommendations had HER name, not his.   He couldnt change that.   If I happened upon the Profile I would have guessed it was a bug in LinkedIn. But it wasnt a bug.   It was a fraudulent situation.   I said, YOU DIDNT READ MY BOOK!   Because in my book I say, MAKE SURE the primary email address is one that you will have 100% complete control over, like a gmail account, or Yahoo, or AOL, or Hotmail, or something like that.   The second address in your account can be your employers address, but it should NEVER be your primary address.   NEVER! Thats it no more story, no more writing about this.   GO NOW to your LinkedIn Profile, click on Account Settings, then on the right click on Email Addresses, and the rest should be obvious. If you want more info on using LinkedIn, you can buy my book or follow the Im on LinkedIn Now What??? blog.   I blog regularly over there. Please, go do this NOW.

3 Tips for Knowing when to Quit your Dream Job

3 Tips for Knowing when to Quit your Dream Job When I was in college, one of my best friends had dreamed of being a lawyer since she was in grad school. She did everything she could to get into a top ten law school. She participated in the high school debate team, she worked really hard on earning good grades throughout college, and she managed every single legal related extracurricular she could fit into her schedule. She studied her butt off for the LSAT and took it several times until she got an optimal score. Eventually she did get into a prestigious law school, and passed with flying colors. She took the bar, and then landed the corporate law job of her dreams. After a few years, burned out and disillusioned, she realized it was not what she wanted after all. The long hours, gruesome competitiveness, and overall hostile environment completely broke her heart. She eventually found legal work that was more fulfilling, although not as lucrative. But she wasted years of her life pursuing a dream she realized did not fit her personality or talents. If you find yourself in a similar situation, heres how to tell when to jump ship. 1.           Pursue your own dreams, not your cultures or your familys. Most of the time, when we develop our career dreams, we have other peoples opinions in mind. Of course, this is only natural, but when you allow others to dictate your dreams, you will be destined for unhappiness. Sometimes, its not even a particular person that influences us. For example, corporate law jobs have always been esteemed in this country, simply because they are lucrative and the hustle-and-bustle seems high-powered and exciting. This is our culture trying to tell you what job you want to have, and you may not even realize it. Always assess your career goals based on your personal tastes and talents. If they dont match, dont cling to the myth of the respectable profession like doctor and lawyer. 2.           Understand the concept of cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance occurs when you hold two, contradictory beliefs in your head. Not being able to resolve these contradictions causes stress and anguish. The only outcome is to eventually dispose with one belief or change it in some way. For example, smoking often gives rise to cognitive dissonance. A smoker often believes, like the rest of us do, that shes a reasonably intelligent human being and wouldnt do anything to harm herself. At the same time, she is aware smoking poses health risks. To reduce cognitive dissonance, a smoker may convince herself that the risks wont affect her. In terms of your career, be   aware that when you spend years of your life, say, going to law school, you may not want to quit simply because you believe that youre a grounded individual who wouldnt waste years of her life pursuing something that you didnt want.   Its important to stop here and realize the cognitive fallacy that just because you spent tons of time doing something, doesnt mean that you must continue on with it at the expense of your happiness. 3.           Create a more holistic understanding of career happiness. Most young people understand career happiness in terms of money and prestige. Even if you think you are above such considerations, we all, in one way or another, participate in this meaning of success. Its important to look at other factors that contribute to career happiness, like work environment, relationships with your colleagues, work schedule, and, most importantly, the actual nature of the work you do on a daily basis. For example, corporate lawyer sounds like interesting work, but most of it long hours of painstaking paper-pushing. This may be just what you love to do, but always remember to fall in love with the work and not with the job title and its aura of prestige. Are there any other tips you would add to this list? Have you ever quit your dream job and if so, why? Let us remember that like everything else, career goals and dream jobs are dynamic and you can (and sometimes should) change them.

5 Ways to Encourage Female Pipelines in Workplaces

5 Ways to Encourage Female Pipelines in Workplaces With International Women’s Day just around the corner and the looming mandatory gender pay gap reporting deadline in April, the topic of encouraging female talent in the workforce is more prevalent than ever. Recent research has revealed that teams that included women were more successful at logical analysis, coordination, planning, and problem-solving, while the Peterson Institute found that 30% female representation on boards could add six percentage points to a company’s margin. Now that the problem has been acknowledged, companies are now dedicating time and resources to finding solutions, all with the aim of closing the gap and increasing gender diversity. While some may suggest that businesses should simply hire more women, unfortunately, it’s not always that easy. Senior decision makers need to look at their existing workplace culture and start to implement innovative structures, policies, and procedures that make their company a welcoming place to work. Only then will the workplace become one that encourages development and growth. Here are five ways to encourage the attraction and retention of female staff: 1. Revise benefits packages In our candidate-led market, building an attractive benefits package is important to attract any candidate. In building a package specifically to attract women, consider what would be appealing â€" could you introduce childcare subsidies or extended maternity/paternity packages? Perhaps you could investigate flexible working or flexible start and end times to allow for school pickups and drop-offs? Allowing paid time off for medical procedures such as smear tests and mammograms, or introducing loans for weddings or children could also go a long way. 2. Clear progression paths A 2017 PwC survey found that female millennials and generation Zs ranked opportunities for career progression as the most attractive employer trait. Considering they are soon to dominate the workforce, having a clear structure in place for career progression is essential. Employers must demonstrate what is possible and ensure that there are pathways to match employees’ skills and ambitions. When said opportunities arise, every eligible member of staff should be considered equally â€" there’s no point in offering openings for progression without seeing them through. 3. Install leaders, mentors, and sponsors When it comes to role models in leadership, the pickings are slim for women. According to EY,  just 5% of Fortune 500 CEOs and 0.3% of FTSE 250 CEOs are female. Therefore, in order to foster an aspirational mindset, it is worth ensuring there are visible leaders and mentors within a company. Consider establishing a structured mentorship or sponsorship program where those in leadership positions can provide advice, advocate for and generally assist emerging talent. To keep them accountable, introduce incentives for the leaders, ensuring a valuable relationship. 4. Get in front of the right people Gone are the days where jobs are harder to come by â€" the nature of the 2018 market means that job seekers can be a lot pickier with the roles they apply for. This also means they are undertaking research into companies, looking for factors that may give one role the edge. Make sure you are at the top of their list by endeavoring to rank on industry lists, such as The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies and Fortune’s 100 Best Workplaces for Women. It’s also worth considering improved incentives for female referrals and re-considering where you are advertising â€" if you are using an agency, make sure it’s clear you’d like to see candidates of both sexes. 5. Like attracts like: diversify your hiring panel The law of attraction states that like attracts like. In the recruitment process, this translates to hiring managers hiring people that are like themselves. By introducing different personalities and perspectives into the mix, you’ll not only receive different opinions, but female talent will also be encouraged by the inspirational women sitting across from them. Make sure you follow the same interview structure as you would an interview with a man, asking all the same questions. This way, you can judge a candidate’s competencies on objective elements and not answers to left-of-center questions. The general rule of thumb is if you wouldn’t ask a man something, don’t ask a woman. About the author: David Morel  is the CEO/Founder of  Tiger Recruitment, London’s leading recruitment agency for business, private and virtual support recruitment. David founded Tiger in 2001 and has written extensively in the press and wider media advising both  employers  and  job seekers  on best recruitment practice.

Reason to give thanks There is no job shortage for young people

Reason to give thanks There is no job shortage for young people I know that we have a bad economy, so bad that we have a not-yet-President who is running the country from the Chicago Hilton so that the markets dont implode while Bush gives pardons for cronies. But can we just take a minute for a reality check? Its not really bad for people who are young. Its a part of the world you dont hear much about in mainstream media. Think about it. Most media is in NYC, and you dont make a lot of money as a writer, so most people who are writing in the tri-State area are married to bankers. Yes, this is a huge generalization, but it is a stereotype because its true. Two neighborhoodsMontclair, NJ, and Park Slope, NYare the bastions of media elite married to banker elite. And its a combustible moment there, demonstrated by how we get a lot of reporting about how sad it is for the bankers right now. Who are mostly middle aged. And we get a lot of reporting about how sad it is for older people in the workforce because those are the people getting laid off. The baby boomers love to report about how much discrimination there is against them. And they have huge pulpits to report that from. Of course, dont get me started. The baby boomers had a great run spending tons of money they didnt have and then bitching that the economic rug is pulled out from under them. But there is no mention that Gen X never even had a good run. How about reporting that? But okay. This is not the point of my post. After all, if you write a Thanksgiving post, it must be upbeat and not grouchy. But also, I will not write a purely upbeat post because then Id be in the league of all the people who are going to blog about how much they love their family and how great their family isblah blah blah. And I should remind you you that it was none other than Tolstoy who said that all happy families are the same. And that is why you should never write about them. But the adage that happiness is boring is true for everything. For example, it is true in the list of sex scenes that stink. (Thank you, Ben Cascnocha, for knowing I would love that link.) You need to have tension in a good sex scene, like maybe the guy cant get an erection and wants to slit his wrists. Or something less tense but still a little tense. Surely you can imagine. Okay. So I cant be all good cheer or I would bore you. But I am doing my Thanksgiving post, so here: the niceness, the lets-all-feel-good thing, is that young people are doing fine in this economy and people should start reporting it. The not-feeling-so-great thing is that, in the case of everyone but the young, the economy is only good for star performers. But really (and here is the part of the post you should skip if you want Thanksgiving bliss) I have been ranting and screaming for years that the best way to have a good life is to be a star performer at work because that gives you the most flexibility to get what you want out of life. Dont be a star performer for money. Be a star performer so that in an economy like this, you dont have to worry about a paycheck. ButI know someone will askhere is the evidence that things are fine for young people: 1. Jobs for low-level candidates are increasing. This data comes from a report from Beyond.com issued on November 14: In October 2008, jobs for candidates with 0-3 years of experience increased by 3.68% when compared to jobs posted in September 2008. This was the only category of jobs by experience level that did not decrease over the previous month. 2. There are plenty of entry-level jobs to be had. There is a backlog of entry-level jobs that have been going unfilled for years. Alan Schweyer of the Human Capital Institute said just three weeks ago, sitting next to me on a panel, that the unemployment rate for college grads has been at 0% for the past seven years. (ed. Alan Schweyer has a great comment toward the bottom of the comments clarifying this statistic.) In the middle of 2008, Robert Half, a recruiting agency for accounting and finance, said that accounting firms have been so chronically understaffed that wed have to have a five-year recession for them to catch up. 3. College grads are doing fine in todays market. On November 19, JobFox announced that, Skilled professionals remain in demand despite the economic downturn. While the unemployment rate rose to 6.5 percent in October, the unemployment rate for professionals with college degrees remains manageable at 3.1 percent. So I know what youre saying. If things are so great for young people, then why is Obama creating 2.5 million jobs from the Chicago Hilton? The answer is that unemployment is insanely high for older people: Yesterday, Fox News reported that the unemployment rate for people over 50 is nearing 50%. Im not saying things are great in the U.S. (Though I do love Obama.) What Im saying is that young people shouldnt be thrown by the bad news that old people are pushing. Things are not that bad if youre beginning your career. Think big, ask a lot of the world, demand respect and fun and a high learning curve. You will annoy people, for sure, but young people annoy older people in a good economy too.

Online Presence and Personal Brand Management 5 Things to Remember - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

Online Presence and Personal Brand Management 5 Things to Remember Why is a candidates online presence so important to executive recruiters and hiring professionals?

How Social Media Can Help You Get Your Dream Job

How Social Media Can Help You Get Your Dream Job Heres How Social Media Can Help Social media is a huge part of human culture. In fact, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram have a combined 2.3 billion users. That’s roughly one-third the amount of people on the planet. Let’s all just take a moment to let that number set in. Social media impacts our world in so many ways. Breaking news hits Facebook and Twitter almost instantly, videos go viral in just hours, and people we haven’t spoken to in years get a front row ticket to view our everyday lives. These massive outlets of communication are incredible, and as a job seeker, it is in your best interest to use them to your benefit. So how can you use social media in your job search? Heres How Social Media Can Help LinkedIn Unlike, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, LinkedIn was built for professionals. It is your number one resource as a job seeker because it has been carefully curated to not only help you find a job, but to help you keep in touch with people you meet along the way. Keep your LinkedIn profile updated all the time to make sure you are putting your best foot forward. Recruiters scour LinkedIn looking for candidates to fill open positions. Take an active role in LinkedIn by joining groups and taking part in conversations. Connect with people from those groups, as well as with recruiters and CEOs in your field. Get your name out there and build up a strong network. Twitter The ways in which to utilize Twitter are not as obvious as LinkedIn when it comes to your job search. Thinking outside the box will not only open up new doors for job opportunities, but it will ensure you are among the very few on the other side of that doorway. Connect with CEOs and hiring managers from companies you want to work for. Use relevant hash tags along with smart, thoughtful posts to get their attention. Your innovative use of the social media platform will show you are a forward thinker. Facebook When you get to the interview stage of your job search, combine the forces of LinkedIn and Facebook to learn about your interviewer. First, look up the hiring manager on LinkedIn. Get an idea of their education, professional background and skills. Then, see if they have a public Facebook profile and use it to find out if you have any friends or hobbies in common. While a resume is your chance to let your experience do the talking, the interview lets your personality shine through. Connecting with the hiring manager can put you at a huge advantage. Instagram Aside from learning a little bit more about the hiring manager, Instagram can serve as way to build your personal brand. Hiring managers and recruiters might search your Instagram profile to get a sense of who you are. Sure, if you are a designer or work in the arts, it makes sense to fill your profile with images of your best work. But, regardless of the field you work it, you can make Instagram work for you. For example, you can post pictures from events you’ve attended that relate to your career. If you intend to use Instagram for professional purposes, commit 100% to that use. Let everything you post speak to your brand and make connections with others in your field. The final scoop Social media has earned its reputation as a powerhouse industry over the last decade. Once used primarily for keeping in touch with old classmates and getting ahead on celebrity gossip, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn can now help you get closer to your dream job. Thanks for this guest post from James Hu of Jobscan James Hu is the founder and CEO of Jobscan, a web tool that helps you land more interviews by matching your resume to job descriptions. With nine years of technology product experience, he previously co-founded an award-winning transportation start-up and worked as product managers for Kabam Games, Groupon, and Microsoft. James grew up in Seattle and graduated from the University of Washington and he is determined to lead a team to build the best software for job seekers. You can follow James on Twitter and Jobscan on Twitter  and  LinkedIn Below  are more posts James has contributed: 5 Things You Need if You Want Your Resume to Be Seen 5 Things You Need to Know About Applicant Tracking Systems

The Recession is Bullhonkey Laurens Story

The Recession is Bullhonkey Laurens Story This is part of The Recession is Bullhonkey series, where I share stories of those who have gotten hired and/or started their own businesses (or sometimes both!) since 2008. This is Laurens Story, and man oh man, if youre suffering from a case of the shoulds (especially around your degree and/or your stable/traditional job) and feel the travel/yoga bug, this is the post for you. Just beautiful. Not all who wander are lost by Mesa Dreams I shouldn’t be writing this post right now. I should be staring pensively out the window from the 38th floor of Four Times Square, imagining my slow ascent to the top of the corporate events world. I mean, if 22-year-old me had had it her way? I would be two years away from Director of Events at a Fortune 500 company. I should be wearing suit right now. It’s a weekday, for chrissakes. Instead I’m three days into my yoga pants. I’ve taught 8 classes so far this week, and haven’t had a whole lot of time for laundry. Plus I was doing bike maintenance on my new ride on Sunday and really haven’t had time to get around to changing. I went to a good college. A really good college. A college where kids like me are working in the Office of the President (of the United States!). A college where kids like me founded non-profits, started internet companies, and revolutionized healthy corporate lunches in our nation’s capital. All in the last five years. Pretty impressive stuff, amiright? And to be honest, it’s what I wanted when I got into said college. It was what I was expecting my life to be like when I graduated from said college. My recession story doesn’t start with me getting laid off. In fact, in 2009, just 8 months after I had started at this company, my boss held onto me and my entire department like a soggy security blanket. We rode out the storm together, while people at our company were being dropped like Enron stock. But after four years of the same routine, I knew that there was more to my life than clinging to the hope that I would have a corner office if the economy would just get a little bit better. I applied. I interview. I networked and I was recommended. I was told my resume was good, I was told I just wasn’t the right candidate. Either way, nothing ever felt quite right. It felt like I was interviewing for more of the same job, career, and lifestyle, just at different companies. And so, recession and all, I took 18 months and saved up what I could save up (like $15,000. There were a lot of nights where I ate toast for dinner), and quit. After five years spent almost exclusively indoors, I wanted to work in the outdoors. I wanted to get dirty, I wanted to wear yoga pants to work. I wanted to work from home, I wanted to have adventures, I wanted to write, a lot, and to work with clients who share my values in this funny little game called life. Maybe not forever, but for a while. I realize how selfish that sounds. How not based in reality it sounds. But it was really and truly what I wanted at that point in my life. And so I did it. I went to India to tromp around in the Himalayas for two months. I got really good at setting up a mountaineering tent. I learned about prussiks and how to haul myself up and down a snow field. I spent many nights getting pummeled by snow, sleeping in a tent, wondering what it was all for. After two months, I came back, continued on an epic three-week road-trip up and down the west coast. I went to Montana to work for the summer, to sleep in a tent every night, and when it was clear enough, to fall asleep under a halo of stars. I fell in love (with big skies and clear waters), and decided to stay. After some fierce emailing, I was offered a full-time, suit-and-tie job. After more fierce emailing, I was offered a part-time, no money, teaching-yoga job. I opted to live out my 27th year in yoga pants and racerbacks. When I realized that wouldn’t pay the rent even in Montana, I emailed everyone that I had met over the last few months, took meetings in coffee shops (wearing yoga pants, of course) and spent a lot of money on lunch. Someone once told me this was called “networking.” If I have one piece of advice for all of you out there reading this?   The one, single thing that got me a job, friends, clients, and security in this new industry was those two weeks of lunches. After the twelfth day of Southwest Salads in downtown Bozeman, I realized that each person I met with WANTED to help me. And reflecting on this back at my apartment, I’d even say people want to help you succeed when they are succeeding. It makes them feel good. After two weeks of lunching, I was hired to do marketing and social media consulting. I decided to work on my writing business on the side. I bought a book about marketing and social media consulting and spent the weekend becoming an expert. I started working on my own website, at night, on weekends, and in between ski sessions. And after being here for two months, I’ve realized that it’s possible. It’s possible to live out the life that I really wanted. To reject all that I knew for something that I didn’t know.   I’m poorer, for sure. But I am conscious every day that this is the choice that I’ve made. I’m putting in the hours, the work, whatever you want to call it, so that someday down the road, I can live this life that I’m dreaming of.   Until then, there are a lot of grueling hours that need to be put in. In the last 6 months since I left my job, I’ve learned will be no “perfect life.” I won’t “arrive” at my destination. It’s not all just going to “feel good” one day. Because the minute I feel like I’ve arrived at my perfect life? I’ll want to grow beyond that. I thought working in the field, sleeping in a tent, spending a lot of time in the great outdoors was my “perfect life.” And now I know that there is so, so, so much more to be accomplished than what I ever thought possible.  Lauren Caselli is a freelance writer and web copy artiste that works with health, wellness, and green small businesses. After five years living in New York City, she had enough of crowded subways and far-too-expensive rent, packed her belongings and high-tailed it out west. She didn’t make it quite as far as California, but decided that Bozeman, MT was a suitable alternative, particularly due to epic snow in the winter and big skies in the summer. You can check her out at her website or her personal blog.