Hi! I’m Elizabeth Grace Saunders, a time coach and founder of Real Life E® and a member of the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour. Inc magazine, NBC, and The Chicago Tribune are just a few of the places where I’ve appeared, and here are my “dream career” tips:

1. Try It: I worked at three corporations, a small business, and a non-profit before realizing I loved entrepreneurship. You don’t know what you really want until you try it.

2. Talk to People: Since high school, I’ve regularly reached out to people in the field that I wanted to pursue. Through informational interviews, I found out the back story on life in the industry.
3. Notice Your Energy: If you’re doing what you should be doing, your work will energize you. No matter how good you are at something, you shouldn’t do it if it drains your energy.
4.  Surround Yourself: You could be doing the perfect work but be miserable in the wrong environment. Notice what culture makes you thrive.
5. Follow Demand: If you have no clue what to do, look for areas of job growth and pursue them. You’ll most likely be happier in a high demand field where you’re paid and treated well than one where you always have to struggle.

Elizabeth Grace Saunders is a time coach who empowers women business owners to achieve work/life brilliance.TM  If you want to end your feelings of overwhelm and guilt and step into the future with confidence and enthusiasm, go to www.ScheduleMakeover.com TODAY!

Success Spotlight is an on going series you can find on the YoungandSuccessful blog. Each week we’ll highlight one of our awesome YSN members or successful young person! Stay tuned…

For submissions contact media@ysn.com.

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

#1. Be Passionate. No one can tell you what to do with your life and the only way to figure it out for yourself is to figure out what you are passionate about. Write down the top 5 things that you are so passionate about that if they were taken away your life wouldn’t be the same. Now, think about how you can get your life to revolve around these five passions?

#2. Travel. You may think you know everything, but believe me, until you begin traveling the world you don’t have a clue. Teachers and textbooks only go so far. Traveling to new places, seeing different cultures, and meeting all types of people will challenge everything you have been taught. If you’re willing to open yourself up, the experiences you gain from traveling will shape you and define the person you become. You will be far better for these experiences; the good, the bad, and the ugly.

#3. Volunteer. Helping other people and dedicating yourself to a cause can open your eyes to what matters most in life. Sometimes in the craziness of day-to-day living we forget who we are and what we really care about. Volunteering will force you to open your eyes to how other people live and make you grateful for the life you have. Don’t think volunteering once will change your life, make a commitment to continue volunteering, you just may enjoy it!

#4. Dream. When your college debt is racking up and the stress of entering the workforce is becoming overwhelming don’t give up on your dreams. It’s easy to sink into a rut and continue that rut for 20 years, but it’s a lot harder to hold onto your dreams and continue striving to achieve them. Take the time now while you can to figure out what your dream is and how you can achieve it. You will be chasing money your whole life, so don’t settle for anything less than your dream. And, most importantly, don’t let anyone else tell you that you can’t achieve your dream. Stay focused and work hard.

#5. Be You. Your teens and twenties should be when you are experimenting with new ideas and concepts. Figuring out what to do with your life is really dependent on what makes YOU happy, so if you only know what you were taught by your parents, high school teachers, and college professors, how do you expect to know who YOU are? Are you simply the product of what all of these people combined have molded you to become? Don’t be so quick to answer no because most of us are just products of our surroundings. Finding out what makes the real you tick is harder and deeper than most people are willing to go. Question your beliefs, likes and dislikes, and decide how and what will truly put a smile on your face. It’s not your parents, teachers, or professors who are living in your body every day, so first and foremost make sure what you do with your life next is right for YOU and no one else.

Stay positive and just enjoy being the true you!

Article by, Chad Kennedy – Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, Teen Scene Magazine

In May 2000 at just 13 years old, Chad Kennedy started Teen Scene Magazine. Today, Teen Scene is the leading online magazine for teens and young adults by teens and young adults attracting more than 150,000 readers each month. Over the nine years, Chad has worked with Hollywood’s hottest celebrities, including Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and 50 Cent. Teen Scene will be featured on an upcoming episode of Sprint’s “Business Fantasy Camp” web series airing on BusinessonMain.MSN.com showcasing Kennedy being mentored by Tony Hawk.

Chad on Twitter – @ChadKennedy

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

Lauren Berger, The Intern Queen

I’m Lauren Berger and I’m called ‘The Intern Queen’, a fictional name that I created. I now run a business and live the life I want to live each day as ‘The Intern Queen’. People said it would never happen. They said I could never make a living calling myself ‘The Intern Queen’.  I proved them all wrong. It’s so important to do what you enjoy in life. Work shouldn’t be so much work, it should be something you enjoy, something you’re passionate about. I encourage everyone (young and old) to take a long serious look at their lives and focus on letting your passion drive your career.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself so you can get started!

What are my interests?

I suggest that individuals looking into their first career or looking to switch careers find a listing of all potential fields. Go to any large college website, and find a list of the majors they offer. Circle any that have the slightest bit of interest to you.

When I did this as a freshman in college, I circled public relations, film, advertising, creative writing and meteorology (random, I know).  Doing this exercise eliminates options that don’t work for you and creates more of a focus.

What have I achieved?

Have you won any awards? Done anything that’s been recognized on a larger scale? Have you taken any specific classes for a long time? Are you skilled or trained in a specific area?

Answer these questions to start your passions list. I had won a few writing awards back in the day. I took dance classes for a long time. I had 15 internships and that was the kicker that really stood out on my resume and list of passions.

What do you enjoy?

This is the time to name your hobbies, what you like doing in your spare time.

I really enjoy writing, researching, and meeting new people. I enjoy laying by the pool, making my own schedule, socializing, and going to Barnes and Noble.

What do I enjoy and what makes me unique?

After looking over your list of potential careers and answering the above questions, look over your answers and circled choices. Does anything stand out to you? Are any of your hobbies, your accomplishments unique or make you stand out?

For me this “Stand Out Factor” was my 15 internships. I knew this was different than anyone else, I just needed to find out how to create a business around it.
I asked my friends on Twitter what they thought about doing what you love:
geointlinc@InternQueen because life is short. Do what you love.

sabrinareid@InternQueen It’s best to do what comes easiest to you. That way you will have the maximum potential to be @ the top of your industry.

CrisN73@InternQueen because it is what will take you up the career ladder and enjoy it along the way

LaurGrob@InternQueen doing what you love gets you through the times there are few other rewards ($) for your work (like in a crummy economy).

kaneishnorthern@InternQueen Because when you do what you are passionate about, you will never work another day in your life!

lindsayglatz@InternQueen if you do what you love it never feels like work. You will achieve great things if you focus your energy on your interests.

jjaime@InternQueen because you get bored, unmotivated and finally stop being productive. And above all you are unhappy.

JohnExley@InternQueen It’s important to do what you’re passionate about in your career b/c you’ll probably out-perform those who are purely $$-driven.

rachelesterline@InternQueen If you aren’t passionate, then you won’t be willing to be put in the effort needed to become great.

BiancaMercedes@InternQueen think about all of the classes you took in college and hated… Now think about the ones you loved. I aced the ones I loved

Lauren Berger is called “The Intern Queen” after completing 15 internships during her 4 years of college. Lauren is the expert on everything internship-related and she actively pursues opportunities to help educate Students, Parents, Professors, and Employers about internships.

I remember some time ago when dinosaurs were still roaming the plains people used to stay on their jobs for 30 or 40 years and then retire.  Well you won’t see that in this life time again.  So much has changed as these are certainly different times.

According to the USA today employers slashed their payrolls by 159,000 workers in September and this is due to the credit freeze.  Employers are just not able to get funding to even meet payroll and other business expenses.   These job cuts represent the most we have seen in 5 years and this is the ninth straight month we have lost jobs.  By the way (job stands for Just Over Broke). Now without a job I guess it’s JUB, (Just Under Broke).

This is the classical example of, Too Much Month At the End Of The Money.  Here is the break down for jobs:

Manufacturers cut _____________51,000 jobs
Construction cut _______________35,000 jobs
Retailers cut __________________40,000 jobs
Business services cut___________27,000 jobs
Financial services cut___________17,000 jobs
Security & Investments cut ______8,000 jobs
Leisure & Hospitality cut ________17,000 jobs

The economy is taking it’s toll.  There has been an increase in business for temporary agencies. A lot of organizations are looking at bringing on temporary agencies to fulfill job obligations because they don’t want to commit to full time employees right now.

The nation’s unemployment rate is at 6.1%.   If you are looking to retire from your job then you had better think again and start looking at other alternatives for making a livelihood.   Click here for better opportunities.

To Your Great Success,

Mel Richardson
VisionStar Enterprises
Check out Mel’s new Moneycash Blog

During the course of my career I was able to compile tips, techniques, and strategies which I feel can serve to advance one’s career and help you to stand out at work. I have to admit it was only through trial and error that I was able to put these things into practice. You make plenty of mistakes but you never give up you always want to try and move forward. It’s only through perseverance and determination that you are able to accomplish those things that seem impossible at times. Here are some attributes that have served me well in my pursuit of success.

Number 1. Know yourself – your strengths, abilities and limitations. Once you know your major characteristics you will be able to pin point the career path you should take and put all of your energy attention and passion into that endeavor. There is nothing worse that giving something your all while you are speeding along on the wrong career path, putting all your talent and ability to work doing things that you can never be the best at.

Number 2. Be a prudent risk taker – Think Big. To stand out at work and get ahead of the times calls for you to take risks. You should take risks only when they have been well thought out and planned. Never go hap hazard into any venture will out giving it some thought and developing a plan of action to get there. You also have to think big. When you develop a plan of action it should encompass the entire organization, or an entire department. It should never be just about you. Think big and try to develop win/win situations whenever possible. Think in terms of impacting the entire organization.

Number 3. Set Goals that Stretch You. You have to get out of your comfort zone. Establish some goals that are attainable with effort. When you have goals that stretch you chances are you’re excited, enthusiastic, passionate, and energetic in the pursuit of those goals. Goals that are easily attained don’t ignite any type of fire within.

Number 4. Keep your horizons and interest broad. Never limit your career perspective and outlook. There are always other possibilities and different roads to travel. Learn new things at every opportunity because you never know when your increased knowledge base is going to enable you to take on greater responsibility in the form of a promotion.

Number 5. Learn from failure and mistakes. It’s okay to fail and have set backs. Every person that has achieved any type of note worthy success will tell you that they have failed not only once but sometimes three or four times. Use your failures as learning experiences that catapult you forward to take on the next challenge. Make amendments and adjustments based on the lessons learned from past failures. Never let failures impede your progress.

Number 6. Remember the first person plural – think in terms of we. Share your best demonstrated practices with your co-workers, teammates, department, and the entire organization if possible. When you help another person meet their goals and objectives it in turn helps you achieve the career advancement you seek. Always look for ways to help others.

Number 7. Keep your sense of humor. Never get characterized as a person who can never have fun or is always serious. You can be perceived as unapproachable and this can limit your career advancement and keep you from getting ahead and standing out.

Number 8. Develop your interpersonal skills – communicate well. It is imperative that you enhance your ability to communicate. Look for ways to improve your presentation skills. If you are able to communicate with every level of employee within an organization, including upper management, this will do more to help you stand out.

Number 9. Work hard – very hard. Be the first one to work and the last one to leave. When you work on a project try to get it done efficiently and effectively. Make working hard a habit. Become known as the person who works harder and smarter than all others within your department.

Number 10. Be committed to the vision. Find ways expand on the company vision or mission. Be exceptionally committed to the cause.

Number 11. Share the responsibility and the credit. Look for ways to recognize your peers, and upper management. Be quick to praise others for their accomplishments.

Number 12. Keep your word. Develop a reputation for integrity and honesty. Do what you say you will do. Others will begin to trust you and look to you for answers and you will become known as a person with a good reputation.

Put these things into action consistently and you will begin to stand out at work in the sight of all involved.

To Your Great Success

Mel Richardson

Read more from Mel at his weblog: Moneycashfinance.com