Manchester Idea Parties

Great Work Movie

Just watched Michael Bungay Stanier's new 'Great Work Movie' at http://www.greatworkmovie.com/. (Had to turn the music off though...)

Watch the video and download the first 3 chapters of his new book for free!

‘Caretaker’ sought for tropical paradise

Could this be the best job in the world?

Tourism Queensland is advertising for a caretaker for Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef.  The lucky successful candidate will be paid AUD$150,000 (around £70,000) to soak up the sun, explore the beaches and spend the workday sailing, kayaking and snorkelling. Included in the renumeration package are free flights and accommodation in a three-bedroom villa with stunning sea views. 

In what is, essentially, a PR role, the caretaker will be expected to tell the world about the trip through blogs and photos and by giving interviews to the press. Candidates need no formal qualifications, just a passion for the outdoors and the ability to describe the adventure to the world. The ability to swim is also essential so that the caretaker can explore (and, presumably report back on) the incredible dive sites.

Want to know more?  Click here to find out how to apply. 

Six tricky job search traps

Even with the news that unemployment increased to an 11-year-high of 1.82 million between July and September, there are still jobs to be had - especially for candidates who have the right skills and qualifications. 

In this article for MSN Careers, Phil Sheridan, UK Managing Director of the Robert Half recruitment consultancy, lists 6 job search traps and offers strategies to avoid them.

Great Quotes - On career changes

The workplace is full of people who are unhappy with their careers but who have several years earlier decided that they are too old to make a shift.

William Bridges
from 'Transitions - Making Sense of Life's Changes'

Do pretty people earn more?

According to American research published in the Journal of Labor Economics, attractive people earn about 5% more per hour than their average-looking colleagues, who, in turn, earn 9% more per hour than the plainest-looking workers.  Read it for yourself here...

10 ways to make £100 more per month

Although there's plenty of advice around at the moment about how to cut expenses and spend less cash, it's always a great idea to have other sources of income so that you're not so reliant upon that one 'lump' of money coming into your bank account every month.

With that in mind, here are 10 ways to make £100 more a month, most of which will fit around your normal working day...

And if you're dying to ditch that day job completely, you might be interested in one of a series of occasional, themed Idea Parties that will be starting up next year.  In January 2009, I'm going to be hosting a 'Join our Escape Committee' Idea Party aimed at anyone who's ever dreamed about jumping ship, jobwise, and starting their own business. There'll also be an 'Escape Commitee' Mastermind Group to provide motivation, support, accountability and a sounding board for people who are really serious about doing their own thing.  More details to follow, so, if you don't want to miss out, make sure you sign up for our email updates at the top of this page.

(And don't worry - no-one will be expecting you to go into work the following day and give your notice in...  The emphasis will be on setting up a part-time business quickly and cheaply, which you can then use to supplement your current income or which you can grow until you reach the point where you can ditch that day job for good.)

How can we help?

The credit crunch, rising prices and the downturn in the economy are leaving a lot of people feeling worried about the future and dissatisfied with the way they live their lives.  Many are left with a feeling of needing to do something more - something different - maybe even to reinvent themselves and what they do in order to:

~ supplement or safeguard their income

~ help themselves feel less vulnerable to the ups and downs of the economy

~ pursue a different way of life - one that feels more sustainable and fulfilling

If this sounds like you, we can help...

Scenario 1

You have no idea what to do but you just know you need to do something - something different, something else.

Solution

Come along to an Idea Party, tell us that you don't know what to do/where to start and we'll brainstorm for you.  We'll give you ideas to help you decide what you could do and resources to help you explore your options.

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Scenario 2

You have an idea but you don't know where to start with it...  Or you've hit a problem or obstacle that's stopped you in your tracks before you've even got started. 

Solution

Come along to one of our Saturday morning Idea Parties.  Tell us what your obstacle is and we'll brainstorm it for you.  We'll tell you how we coped when we were in a similar position and we'll tell you about any resources that we know of that will help you get unstuck.

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Scenario 3

You've got your idea.  You're pretty sure you know what you need to do to get it off the ground.  You may have even started your engines...  But you need some friendly support to help you make it fly (and keep it in the air). 

Solution

Join one of our Success Teams.  We'll help you to produce a specific plan of action to follow to achieve your goal.  We'll give you practical, down-to-earth support in the form of information and contacts, phone numbers, addresses and directions... the resources and 'odd bits of information' that you need to make your dreams come true.  More importantly, we'll give you guidance and encouragement, week by week, until you've achieved your goal and we'll absolutely refuse to let you lose or give up on your dream.

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Scenario 4

You've got your idea.  You know what you want to do.  But you've been here before and you don't have a good track record.  You've given up in the past - got discouraged, talked yourself out of it (or let other people talk you out of it).  Maybe you've fallen at the first hurdle or you're scared that you'll come up against something that you can't cope with.

Solution

Join one of our Success Teams.  We'll troubleshoot and brainstorm any obstacles you have. We’ll explore where winning attitudes and persistence really come from and keep you focused, supported and encouraged until you get where you want to go.

Isolation is the dream killer... Got a dream?  Get a team!

Can you turn your talent into a new job?

Find out what you're good at and what you love to do, and then get a job doing that.  Sounds easy doesn't it?  But what if your special talent is a little obscure... something like being very good at guessing a movie's storyline, for example...  Are there any jobs out there that can utilize this ‘talent’?   

MSN Careers contributor, Eve Tahmincioglu, tests out the theory by asking various career experts for their advice.