Challenge – The History Game

One of the important things about careers is that things change.  Your vision for yourself and what you want to do has to deal with time, technology, and more – at times within a few years.

At the same time, being aware of the history of what you do with your life is critically important.  Industries, jobs, personal callings, etc. do not spring fully-formed from nothing.  They have histories, often long histories, and understanding these is vital to your success and happiness.  You can't create a blockbuster movie without understanding the early blockbusters (Jaws, Star wars, etc.), you won't be a successful sports writer if you ignore the successes of the past.

So your challenge this week is to play the history game.

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Weekly Challenge – Relocation Research

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time you know Bonnie and I are people who are aware of relocation issues from research, news, and our own experiences (such as my cross-country move).  Relocation is something that you'll have to face – either doing it or deciding why you haven't.

Set aside an evening for this one.

Your challenge for this week is to identify five places you'd like to live that are both geekily satisfying and good places for your careers.  List why you've decided that these places are worth moving.

Now that you know these places, do bit of research:

  1. 1) Where do they stand in the CnnMoney.com best places to live?
  2. 2) Take a look at the same pages city information and see if anything changes your mind or confirms your ideas.
  3. 3) Go to Meetup.com and see what kind of events are in your cities of choice
  4. 4) Go geektastic and visit UpcomingCons.com – a great website – and see what cons are in and near that location.

So, did any of this research confirm – or reduce – your interest in these places?  For that matter, how much research did you do in the first place?

– Steve

Book Review: How to Position Yourself as the Obvious Expert

How to Position Yourself as the Obvious Expert
In 90 Days or Less Without Spending a Fortune on Advertising

by Elsom Eldridge Jr. and Mark L. Eldridge

ISBN-10: 0972094164
ISBN-13: 978-0972094160

PROS: Straightforward, information-dense.  Has quotes, ideas, and examples from a lot of professionals.

CONS: Focus limits the book.  Some exercises not as useful as others.  Erratic consistency.

SUMMARY: A must-read book on self-promotion that is useful to anyone looking to promote themselves, network, and connect.  It is focused on consultants and coaches, but is actually useful to most any professional.

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