Launchpad is a new career search strategy guide, which was just released on Amazon and will be published quarterly by our good friend Chris Perry. Chris is the founder of CareerRocketeer.com a fantastic resource blog for career development and personal branding!

Launchpad is a collection of articles by some of the top career advancement and branding experts in the industry. You’ll find great articles such as:

“Irrational Fear and Your Job Search,”

“8 Hot Tips for Today’s Executive Resume 2.0″

and a very special article titled “Many Roads Lead to Success” by Jen Kushell.

According to Chirs, “in this economy and job market, professionals are actively seeking new and creative ways to stay on top of their job search efforts or to increase their job security; however, there are so many different books, blogs and articles from so many different experts and authors for professionals and career seekers to consider.

Our goal with Launchpad is to bring together short, relevant and actionable articles and tips from the industry’s top experts into a powerful “one-stop-shop” career search and personal branding resource to save job seekers time, energy and sanity in their pursuit of their next job opportunity.

I am proud to say that this first volume does just that, covering today’s hot job search topics including: resume optimization, interviewing, personal branding, career search strategizing, relationship building, professional networking, the use of web 2.0 search tools, and much more!”

Launchpad is available now on Amazon, click here to purchase!

If you haven’t taken a trip on your own for either business or pleasure I highly recommend it! And this is coming from a 26 year old who has never gone anywhere without a PIC (partner-in-crime).

This week I was going to attend Pubcon, WebmasterWorld’s Search & Internet Marketing Conference in Las Vegas with Jen Kushell. I was all set to go…and then Sunday morning I received a call from Jen saying that she had to cancel for a family emergency (see Jen’s heartwarming article – May You Live to 120 Years Old)  and would not be able to join me – but that I should consider going on my own.

My first thoughts – NO way! I didn’t know anyone attending and the excuses in my mind for not going kept building. I spent Monday morning calling all my friends who work from home and tried bribing them to come with me. I even tried to convince my mom. After relentlessly trying to find an accomplice, I gave up and started driving to the office.  And then it hit me! Why should I pass on this amazing opportunity out of fear of the unknown? I quickly turned around (it was 2:00pm and my flight, an un-refundable ticket, was at 4:00pm) packed my bags and headed to the airport. I’ll forever remember this moment as a growing point in my life!

For those who are afraid to travel alone, let me tell you – you have nothing to worry about. Think about the positives:

• It’s a growing experience that you’ll never forget.

• It will bring a sense of confidence and independence to your life.

• You don’t have to share a hotel room with anyone, which means – you go to sleep and wake up when you want, choose the station or movie to watch on TV, and you get throw your clothes all over the place.

• You can make your own schedule. One of the greatest things about traveling alone is that you can do and eat whatever and whenever you want. No compromises!

While this trip was a huge success for me (in many ways) it would not have been possible without the encouragement from Jen Kushell, Shade Kelly, and Joseph Morin. Joseph is an evangelist and organizer of PubCon Internet Marketing Conferences, Founder of Boost Search Marketing, advisor and consultant for several major companies, AND speaks around the world. But most importantly, he is a dear friend of Jen’s (and now a friend of mine). Joe you made this trip for me, and forever I’ll be grateful!

If I hadn’t made the decision to step out of my comfort zone I never would have had the opportunity to hear Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos, speak about the core values and culture behind the success of Zappos. I never would have been exposed to the views on social media, SEO, SEM and Twitter by some of the greatest online marketers such as Warren Whitlock, Kate Morris, Mike Dorausch and Bob Brisco! AND I never would have gained the courage to attend a party or networking event on my own!

**Stay tuned for my next post full of tips and tricks I learned at PubCon from some of the top online marketers in the country, including Tony Hsieh, (CEO, Zappos), Brandie Feuer (Director Interactive Marketing, Planet Hollywood), Scott Stratten (President, UN-Marketing) and more!

Over the past few years, I’ve had many discussions with recruiters and hiring managers who have all told me that the candidates who land positions are the ones who really stand out among the sea of ambitious, smart and hungry applicants. In these tough economic times where jobs are scarce it’s more important than ever to nail an interview – should you be lucky enough to land the opportunity!

When I came across the WOW … You’re Hired™ job search system by Jimmy Sweeney I was so blown away by the uniqueness of this approach to interviewing that I had to write about it. At YSN, I’ve seen some of the best job-hunting tools out there (we’ve even created our own) and I must say – this one really stands out!

After you’ve learned all about your values, motivators and operating style through our career assessment reports we strongly urge you to utilize this amazing system to land the job of your dreams.

With the WOW…You’re Hired!™ system you’ll learn how to stand out from all the other applicants during the job interview process. Go beyond memorizing the answers to questions most commonly asked and take the interview to the next level with a two page template called the “Secret Career Document” which will show the interviewer exactly what YOU plan on doing for the company if hired.

With the “Secret Career Document” you’ll:

• Leave the interviewer compelled to hire you for fear of losing you to another company.
• Shift the traditional interview conversation into one that’s 100% focused on picturing you as the new hire.
• Get hired on the spot or shoot straight to the top of the hiring managers list.
• Create a unique job-landing strategy that other applicants simply cannot compete with.
• Be in control of your job-search. Reduce stress, frustration, anger, anxiety and fear!

Learn more and Discover The Job Interview Secret Now!

This could be considered one of the worst job markets in years! On the bright side, one of the things I’ve been hearing a lot lately is that this is actually a good time for those with an entrepreneurial spirit! Many of today’s millionaires have risen to the top in a time of recession, think Jeff Bezos, Founder & CEO of Amazon.

Okay … I know it’s not that simple. We all have responsibilities, bills, and maybe student loans to pay off. But if you’ve ever dreamed of owning your own business, but are too scared and don’t know where to start — I recommend at least checking out Robert Tuchman’s new book YOUNG GUNS: The Fearless Entrepreneur’s Guide to Chasing Your Dreams and Breaking Out on Your Own.

In this book, you’ll learn how to start your own business through real stories of entrepreneurs making their dreams come true!  Tuchman will take you through real and practical strategies to get you started and running, particularly in this economy. You’ll also learn how to sustain your business for years to come with “reality checks” that will help ensure that you’re on the track to success. For more info, visit www.youngbusinessexecutives.com.

Well … until you get the book, here are some exclusive tips from Robert Tuchman, that every entrepreneur should consider:

WHY NOT ME?

Get into the habit of asking, “Why not me?”  The answer to this question will be the single most important thing in your personal campaign to build a great business from scratch.  The answer to this question will lead you to success: it will strengthen your resiliency, persistency, fortitude and sense of purpose.

THE DECISION

You have to make a decision to make a name for yourself in the field that inspires you.  The decision to change, whether it is catalyzed by unhappiness or otherwise, must come first.  Commit yourself, with all your energy and enthusiasm, without reservation to what you love.

THE BIG IDEA

You need a big idea to transform roadblocks into reasons to move forward.  The big idea will awaken you and ignite your motivation.  Find ONE passion and pursue it—it should be one connected to an activity you love and should engage you emotionally.

THE FIRST TEST… AND THE FIRST PLAN

Once you have the big idea, test it.  If what you are doing reminds you in any way of doing homework or feels like a chore, you have the wrong “Big Idea.” If your work passes this test, do your research and build a plan.  Find a mentor!  Stay focused on your short-term goals leading you to your long-term end.

THE PARTNER PRINCIPLE

Start-ups that feature two people have a significant competitive advantage over businesses in which one person, without consultation, makes all the major decisions.  Picking a partner is analogous to picking a spouse: find someone who compensates for your weaknesses.  Take your time: be positive about your choice as partnering with the wrong person can destroy your business, reputation, vision for the future, and physical or mental health.

GUT CHECK: GETTING STARTING

Prioritize internal workings before external: the external observable processes will not make or break your company in the first year.  Your answer to “Why not me?” will lead you past your gut-check moment.  You will have to expose yourself to short-term pain in order to secure the long-term that you believe you deserve.

PRIORITIES FOR THAT FIRST ALL-CONSUMING YEAR

Make a commitment: three years of long hours, hard work, and high energy.  Your commitment to yourself will shape the commitment others will make with your company.  You should have some main priorities—some of these being building a culture of action and enthusiasm and taking daily action on your business plan.

YOU ARE THE COMPANY

The best entrepreneurs are focused on their “why” that drives them to connect to customers—if you are truly connected you will never stop selling; it will be automatic.  There is no right or wrong way to sell: just jump on the phone and talk to everyone you can with all your passion and enthusiasm.

TECHNOLOGY: OUR GENERATION’S GREAT EQUALIZER

Online, your message must be crafted carefully, resources invested wisely, and potential and actual payoff evaluated closely.  To sell, find out how your customers are communicated and connecting.  Hang out with customers online and in person. There are inexpensive ways to launch and promote a business and its target message.

SERVICE IS WHAT YOU’RE SELLING

Business is all about relationships—it is the service that you deliver to support these relationships that is your one true product.  And that service is all about follow-through.  Be upfront about everything of consequence that affects your client; take ownership of any problem.  Sell light, perform heavy!

BACK UP YOUR SELL

Honesty is the only policy.  There is only one way to build credibility: tell the truth to clients and prospective clients, and then surprise them and deliver more.

INSIDE PLAYERS: YOUR TEAM

Entrepreneurship is not just founding a stage where you as the founder deliver all the good results yourself—it means building a good team.  Delegate!  Hire people who share your values and attitudes.  You should have a strong personal connection with every person you hire.  Keep in mind that the general atmosphere is more important than any one employee.

CELEBRATE FAILURE, REWARD SUCCESS

You learn the least when you succeed, and the most when you fail.  To never fail is an impossibility.  Failure does not equal losing!  You only lose when you halt your momentum and do not move forward to help the people on your team to success.  Learn to bounce back and look for a silver lining.

YOUR VENDOR RELATIONSHIPS MATTER

It is just as important to keep your vendors happy as your employees.  Nurture, sustain and service your relationships with the right vendors. You are placing the future of your business in the hands of the vendors: you relationship with them needs to be one of trust.  The two most important outside vendors you can have are your accountant and lawyer.

BY THE NUMBERS

Find someone who can keep you organized and on top of your expenses and obligations AND who can adapt and expand as the business starts to take off.

WHY NOT YOU?

Over time, you will have to find different ways to answer that question to keep you motivated on your path to success. Find new rituals that engage you in a fresh and motivating way.  Master the art of supporting, learning about, and growing yourself before you try to do the same for your business. 
 
In the end, take energy from taking risks. Live in the spirit of the entrepreneur!

Robert Tuchman is the Founder of TSE Sports & Entertainment, Executive VP of Premiere Global Sports and Author of Young Guns The Fearless Entrepreneurs Guide To Chasing your dreams and breaking out on your own.

5 tips on How to Ease the Pain of Returning to Work.

I recently had the luxury of skipping town for a little vacation. And, although I only took 3 1/2 days off, I was slammed with things to do and emails to read (300 to be exact) upon my return to the office. I took a real vacation, meaning — I left the computer and blackberry at home, so to no surprise of my own — there was a lot to catch up on when I returned. Getting back into the groove of things was not easy but there were a few things I did to ease this transition, which I’m happy to share with you!

1. Out of Office Reply: Setting an auto responder before you leave takes about a minute and will let your contacts know that you are out of reach, so that they don’t anticipate an immediate response. If you have a colleague who is willing to take care of your urgent inquiries, leave their name and email address in your away message – this will really ensure that your contacts are taken care of should they need immediate assistance. Another benefit of the out of office reply is that it buys you some time upon your return. Most people understand how hard it is to jump back into the swing of things … so they don’t expect a reply immediately. Unless, of course, there’s a project on deadline or an URGENT matter, most people will give you a few days to get caught up. So breathe — read your emails one by one and answer them in order of urgency.

2. Arrive an Hour or Two Early: If you are able get a decent night of rest before the big day back, plan on arriving to work an hour or so before you normally arrive. Usually this is a more quiet time in the office — and should allow for you to make a dent in your “catch up” before people start asking to see pictures and hear stories from your trip.

3. Adjust to Your Time Zone ASAP: If possible, and I say IF because I know that you can’t always control the timing of your flight home and the feeling of jet lag, adjust to your time zone. If you can get your body to catch a few extra zzz’s or stay up a few extra hours to get your body back to your normal time zone, do it. The sooner you can acclimate your body to your natural time zone the easier it will be to get back on track and focus at work. Naturally, this is much easier for domestic travelers. If you are traveling internationally try to schedule an extra day upon your return to sleep. I know this sounds crazy … especially if you just took a week off, but in the end — you will be much more productive when you get back to the office.

4. Make a List: Before you leave, go through your To-Do list, if you have one, and prioritize it according to what MUST be finished before you leave and what can wait until you return. Essentially everything on your list is important and needs to be accomplished, BUT it’s just not humanly possible to get through everything before you leave. Do yourself (and your vacation) a favor and realistically parse your list into before and after tasks. If you stay hyper focused and make a dent in this new list, you will not only have an easier time relaxing during your vacation, but you’ll be prepared and organized for your return.

5. Keep the First Day Back Light: If you can avoid scheduling any big meetings on your first day back this will help a lot. Block out time to get caught up and be sure to revise and re-prioritize your To-Do list as soon as possible. Knowing exactly what is expected of you that first week back should help ease your nerves and help you ease back into working again.

Article Written By, Monique Peltz

YSN – Expert Advice on Career Advancement and Tools for Professional Development