In either scenario, most of us are going to be doing some soul searching on where we want to take our careers and our lives in this next phase, it never hurts to get a little perspective before we start.

Here are a couple of posts from Penelope Trunk of the Brazen Careerist that may sum up what many of us are thinking right now as we prepare for the next chapter:

1)    Bad situations breed creativity
2)    How to figure out what you should be doing with your life
3)    Test Yourself to Find Out What Truly Makes You Happy?

This may give you a good foundation for focusing your efforts on which direction you want to take your career.  We’ll also be focusing on career resources, expert interviews, and professional development in this section, but thought we’d share a few pieces of writing that really spoke to us as we began our search.

So if words like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Blogging scare the hell out of you, or if you can’t seem to draw a straight line between how they can help you find a job, build a business, or develop a brand, this post is for you.

Just Get Started

There’s a big debate in our culture about the value of social services.  Are these things just time wasters to let us broadcast what we had for breakfast, or are they really forming the most powerful communications infrastructure in our planet’s history, allowing us to connect with anyone on the planet to form relationships, transact, and advance each other’s cause?

The truth is they can be used for both, but the bottom line is that they are being used.  Our advice?  Don’t get left behind; jump in, and figure it out with the rest of us.

4 Easy Steps to Social Networking

Here are some easy steps that you can use to get started with social networking technologies, in order to build your brand and see what’s out there for you:

Step 1: Establish Yourself on LinkedIn

More and more employers are looking at LinkedIn with even greater interest than your resume.  So if you’re not using it, consider it.  Having a strong LinkedIn profile is also one of the first things that would come up if someone were to Google you.

So take control of your online identity, and make good use of this tool.  Sign up at www.LinkedIn.com.

If you want some additional tips on how to make the most of your LinkedIn profile, check out:

a)  How to Get Started With LinkedIn
b) Top 10 Ways to Use LinkedIn

Step 2:  Conquer Your Fear of Twitter

We’re going to throw you out of the nest when it comes to Twitter.  Don’t even worry about whether you understand it or not, just do the following:

Go to www.twitter.com, sign up (it takes 2 minutes), and update your status with:  “I am (insert your name), and I am now on Twitter.”  Then do a search for @afterpharma, and “follow us”.  That’s it for now.  When you’re done that, THEN you can go read up on how you can productively use Twitter in your personal and professional lives to discover what conversations you want to plug into, how you can increase your profile, and how you can think about using it to its full potential.

To get your head around it’s potential, here are some resources for how Twitter could be used to benefit your career and lifestyle:

a)    Twitter in Plain English
b)    The Promise of Twitter
c)    How to use Twitter and LinkedIn to build your personal brand

Step 3:  Start a Blog

According to the Brazen Careerist:

A blog is a great way to figure out what you want to do with yourself because writing regularly is a path to self-discovery. And a blog is a great way to build a network of people who respect you for your ideas, so it is the perfect tool for helping you to attain your goals and dreams, when you know what they are.  And, this pretty much covers everyone, right? The super-focused and the super-lost: You should all be blogging.

We agree Here are some other recommended reads to get you comfortable with the idea of blogging:

a)  Penelope’s Guide to Blogging (and why it could be critical for your career).
b)  Some Rules of Engagement for the Blogosphere

Step 4:  Get onto Facebook

We think you should do this anyway, but if you don’t want to start a blog yet, you really need to get onto Facebook if your’e not already.  Don’t worry about that kid who teased you in grade 5 finding you and wanting to hang out.  Just get on and join the conversation.

The Bottom Line

Are all these tools just hype?  Maybe.

But maybe you’ll also be surprised just how easy it will be to connect with like minded people, reach out to prospective employers, build a following for your business, or help you determine your next direction.

The real bottom line is this:

Just start.

As often as we can, we’re going to be profiling current and former pharma professionals who have made successful transitions into other careers, ventures, industries, and lifestyles.     

Some will have taken their skills to the broader healthcare industry, others will have left the industry completely to pursue completely different paths.

We hope you find some inspiration in their stories, and motivation in their methods, and if you have any ideas for someone we should be profiling please drop us a line!

An 11 year vet of the pharma industry, Jonathan Richman made a transition to Director of Business Development for Bridge Worldwide, an interactive and relationship marketing agency based in Cincinnati, Ohio, whose clients include: Procter & Gamble, ConAgra Foods, Fifth Third Bancorp, and Kroger.

He now preaches the virtues of e-marketing to the broader healthcare industry as a whole, and has written extensively on how to embrace digital technologies like Twitter to develop and nurture a company’s brand.

1)  Can you tell us a bit about yourself personally?

I’m a very curious person by nature and, as anyone who’s worked with me will tell you, I’m also very analytical. Sometimes, this is a good trait and other times it’s a hindrance. I’m always looking to try new things,  figure out how they work, and how to apply them to other situations. That’s my personality at least.

As for what I do and like personally, I have a wonderful wife and equally wonderful daughter (it goes without saying that they’re also both beautiful). In my limited free time, you can find me either working on my photography skills, trying out a new recipe in the kitchen, or getting clobbered online  by a far better chess player.

Least equipped is probably, for marketers, consumer packaged goods (like paper towels or soup…anything in the grocery store). The marketing of these products is vastly different compared to pharma marketing, as it involves more in-store and supply chain issues and much more consumer relationship marketing. Most pharma marketers’ experience wouldn’t fit at a company like P&G.

For sales folks, I don’t think their skills translate well to selling many other products that require a “hard sell.” The relationship, influence, and clinical sales model that they are used to simply doesn’t sell copies where you need someone to sign on the dotted line today. Pharma selling is a much longer process and very different.

Kathleen has been featured by more than 100 media outlets worldwide, including the New York Times, The Economist, CNN, NPR, Atlantic Monthly, and Oprah Radio. She has also been a contributor to O, The Oprah Magazine.

Kathleen sat down with After Pharma to discuss what life has been like since making the transition.

Name: Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau
Pharma Career: 10 years
Position(s) Held: Sales Rep, Institutional Rep
Highlight of Pharma Tenure: The day I got the ovaries to walk away.
Currently Keeping You Busy: Making movies and radio. Being a mom and wife.

Questions:

1. If you could give any advice to those thinking of leaving their pharma to start a new career, what would you say?

Have faith in yourself. You landed in pharma because of certain attributes that will serve you very well in every other arena. You’ve also learned many skills (sales, marketing, presentation, etc.) that can easily translate to many other fields.

But be sure to use this as the opportunity of your lifetime to pursue the career that rocks your world. Use this as an opportunity to learn how to live lean so that you will never be dependent on ‘the man’ again. So that you can choose your life’s work, your destiny…instead of being trapped in a career because the stock options and bonuses have you locked up with golden handcuffs.

It may not feel like it right now, but leaving (by choice or by force) could be the very best thing that ever happened to you. Use it.

2. Kathleen, you made a personal decision to leave Pharma, and leaving a rather comfortable lifestyle. How did you prepare to replace the perks (the car, the per diem, the autonomy)?

At the time I left, I was so ready that I didn’t care if I had to flip burgers to make ends meet. (Convincing my husband of that is an entirely different story…but I digress.)

When I finally walked away, I was mentally prepared for a serious change in lifestyle. (But remember, I had been thinking of leaving for years.) On a very practical level, my husband and I scoped out a very used mini-van (my first used car in over 10 years) and when I sat down to do my new budget I actually had to look up the price of a gallon of gas. Again, ten years of never paying attention.

Losing autonomy wasn’t something I had to worry about because I was, well, unemployed. Can’t get more autonomous than that. Things were very tight, but it also felt good to have to check in and actually pay attention to my finances. Because one thing became crystal clear in the process—I had wasted a lot of money when I was a rep.

In addition to my work in film and radio, I also became involved in a few small business ventures that helped support our family along the way. What I have found is that the possibilities are endless—both to make a living and to live on less.

Again, have faith in yourself.  Be open. You will figure it out.

3. What was the most uncomfortable thing about leaving the industry?

Leading up to leaving:

Fear of the unknown. Worry that maybe I was making a mistake—that I’d regret leaving what everyone else considered a ‘great’ job. Worry that I wouldn’t be able to learn to live on less. Worry about loss of security (which with all the layoffs, etc. we now know is bullshit). Worry that I didn’t know what the hell I was going to do with the rest of my life. You know, all the usual suspects.

Once I left:

Nothing at all. Zero. Zip. The most surprising thing about leaving (pleasantly surprising) was that all of the doubt and insecurity flew out the door the moment it was a done deal.

The very hardest part of leaving the industry…is fear of leaving the industry. You’ve gotta trust me on that.

4. How long has it been since you left, and where has life taken you After Pharma?

I left pharma in the spring of 2002. Throughout the course of my career I had jotted down many of the crazy—sometime hilarious—but other times downright shocking/scary experiences from my daily life as a drug rep. (Most of you know exactly what I’m talking about…those “did that really just happen” feelings that take place 20 times a day in doctors offices, in our cars with our managers or at district meetings/product launches.) It felt like I was constantly diving for a pen to capture these moments—writing on sticky notes, or on any paper napkin or company branded paper plate I could reach.

When I finally left the industry, I took a look at that stack of notes and realized people (patients and doctors) needed to know what goes on behind the scenes of the drug industry (the marketing, the suppressing, etc.) so that they can make savvier decisions and ask better questions about the pills they are taking and prescribing.  I decided to put this information in a screenplay because I thought a heck of a lot more people would sit down to watch a movie (especially one that stars Katherine Heigl) than a documentary.

Long story short, when my LA agent wanted me to dumb down the script for the big studios by taking out all of the meaty pharma stuff and adding in car crashes and other Hollywood BS, I decided I wasn’t going to sell out all over again and decided to make the film myself.

So I raised the money, cast Katherine Heigl as the lead and the result is my independent film Side Effects which unexpectedly exploded in the international press. We went on to do a limited theatrical and DVD release before the film was picked up by New Line Cinema and ultimately just released nationwide on DVD two weeks ago by Warner Bros (who absorbed New Line).

Based on the strong interest in Side Effects (including many great questions from the public and medical community) I did go on to make a documentary on this subject called Money Talks: Profits Before Patient Safety. This film takes a much more in depth and serious look at the many layers of pharmaceutical marketing/influence (beyond reps)—things like the FDA, lobbying, how studies are funded/written, etc.

But through this whole process, one thing became clear to me—that the more important message is one of prevention. Because if each of us were taking better care of ourselves, we’d be less reliant on prescription medication and the questionable marketing that comes with it. So I decided to launch a syndicated radio program called The Kathleen Show which focuses on taking charge of your life (yes, even career) and health. I feature interviews with the country’s top experts and our goal is to inform and inspire folks to push back and live their boldest and healthiest lives—to say a big ‘hell no to the status quo.’

So that’s what I’ve been up to.

Oh, and one more thing. (Because I know what some of you may be thinking):

Although one of the main goals of Side Effects was to inform (and entertain) the public about pharma marketing…at the heart of the film is the fork in the road we all face.

What am I doing with my life?

What am I selling myself for everyday?

Creating a ‘fiction’ film allowed me to explore that theme (a theme I had personally wrestled with for a long time.) Here I was selling out for the big paycheck and a company car—by staying in a job I felt was unethical, all the while lamenting that the industry was selling out for profits before patients. Hard to swallow, but true (for me).

And this was a chord that struck home with people everywhere—both inside and outside the industry. Do I go down the path of easy money and comfort but compromise my values/my passion? Or do I go down the path that is right and/or what I love?

I bring this up because many of you will be reading this specifically because you are trying to figure out which route to go next. Again, you now have this big beautiful opportunity…and these kinds of questions might help take you exactly where you want to go.

5. Any regrets?

I thought I would be filled with anxiety/doubt once I pulled the trigger. But the moment my manager turned out of my driveway with all of my samples and schwag filling up his Ford Taurus, the only thing I felt was…relief. I felt at peace for the first time in over a decade.

But if there is one thing I regret, it’s that I didn’t leave sooner. Seriously. That is my personal cross to bear. That I didn’t listen to my gut sooner. That I didn’t have more faith in myself that I would be fine without the money and the car. That I didn’t have more faith that my life was meant for something bigger. That I sold out for ten years.

However, I can also see that maybe I was exactly where I was supposed to be for that decade. Maybe it was part of my purpose—that I was meant to experience everything I did because it would be my greatest life lesson. And the basis for a story that needed to be told.

6. Any Life Motto or Words to Live By?

The tagline of my radio show is ‘Grabbing Life by the Ovaries’. I think that pretty much sums it up. (And guys…you know what to do too.)

You can visit Kathleen at:  www.thekathleenshow.com
You can follow her on Twitter at:  http://twitter.com/KathleenShow

He sat down with us at After Pharma to talk about some of the skills he picked up in pharma that he was able to leverage in serving it from the outside.

Name: Jim Dart
Pharma Career: 3 years
Position(s) Held: Sales Rep
Highlight of Pharma Tenure: Celebrex vs. Vioxx battle
Currently Keeping You Busy: Owner, MedAccess Recruiters

1.  Jim, if you could give any advice to those thinking of leaving their pharma to start a new career, what would you say?

I’m a big believer in following your dreams. In my job as a recruiter, I regularly hear people speak about an entrepreneurial venture they would love to try but their reality in Pharma is just too attractive to leave.
As people find themselves on the wrong side of a downsizing this is a great opportunity to explore the ideas they have always dreamed of pursuing.  Sometimes a negative experience like getting downsized can turn into something very positive.

2.  Leaving Pharma means leaving a very comfortable lifestyle. How did you prepare to replace the perks?

From my experience leaving a Pharma sales job, it is important to figure out what you’re going to do about replacing your car and cell phone ahead of time. This will relieve a bit of the stress associated with a career change.

3. What was the hardest thing for you about leaving the industry?

It’s funny; I still think of myself as very much a part of the Pharma Industry.  Sometimes I have to remind myself that I’m not actually a part of the different organizations I work with.  Thinking back to when I was leaving I think sometimes people can experience tunnel vision in any industry – the feeling that a given industry is the “only” place to be.  The hardest thing for me was breaking through that tunnel vision and having the courage to step out and pursue my business.

4.  How long has it been since you left the industry, and where has life taken you After Pharma?

I left Pharma in 2004 and began recruiting for the industry. Many people develop an expertise within the Pharmaceutical industry based on time and exposure. My expertise was people.  My network within the industry was strong and I loved the challenge of competitive sales environments, so recruiting was a natural fit for me.  I started MedAccess Recruiters 4 years ago, and have never looked back.  I think the next few years is going to be a time of innovation in Pharma, with much of that being driven by people who take their expertise outside of their particular companies and offer solutions on an outsourced or consultative level.

5. Any regrets?

That’s an easy one!  My biggest regret came in 2002 when Pharmacia’s hockey team lost 3-2 to BI in the finals of the Pharma Hockey Tournament.

6. Any Life Motto or Words to Live By?

“Those who risk and persevere, win”

You can reach Jim at:  jimdart@medaccessgroup.com

For many affected by the downsizing of the Pharma industry, the biggest challenge is finding the right resources that can help them take the next step.  Depending on the exit package your firm is offering, some help can come at their expense, not yours.

More and more, companies are hiring outside HR companies to provide ‘Transition Services’ to individuals affected by downsizing.  Here is how you can make the most of this internal service:

• First Contact - Usually at the exit meeting itself, this often takes the form of a quick introduction to the rep from the HR firm, a meeting lasting anywhere from 5 minutes to half hour, and a binder of information to add to the growing pile of documents you’ve already been handed along the way.

  
  

  
  

• Follow Up Appointment - While likely still in shock, you may mutter something about “getting back to them” when you are asked to book a time to meet for a follow-up.  Do yourself a favor and book that meeting.  It could end up being the most valuable part of your package in terms of getting you reconnected to a satisfying work life.

In that follow up appointment, here are some of the offerings you can ask your firm to cover:

Career Counseling

Career Transition specialists can help you take stock of your skill sets and interests, as well as whether your plans include more education, additional certifications to make your next career step count.  They also have access to research looking at industry forecasts and trend that may point you in new direction altogether.  This can be a great resource, so make use of it.

Financial Solutions

Still reeling from the changes?  Take some time to talk it out with the pros.

Unlike family and friends offering sympathy and love, they have the actual tools to guide you during this unsettling time.  Pension questions, tax implications, and Employment Insurance benefits are just a few of the issues that can add to the drama of a lay-off.  Get the answers you need from the experts that can help.

Resume and Interview Support

Been a while since you dusted off your resume?  Look through hundreds of industry-specific resume templates designed for maximum impact and get the help you need to make yours stand out.  Can’t remember the last interview you went on?  Let the HR specialists get you comfortable with the current interview styles and question themes.

These are just some of the transition services your employer may be offering, so take the time to familiarize yourself with the package if your employer has prepared one for you.  It’s easy to get focused on the financial portion of the compensation package but there’s so much you’d be missing!

Even those of us with the most outgoing and sparkly of personalities can dread the idea of networking.  Working a room, calling up contacts and fishing for opportunities while exchanging stacks of business cards can make even a seasoned sales person cringe.  How to avoid feeling like a phony?  Don’t wait until you need your network before you start getting your network into order.

We’ve all been there—a phone call or email from a distant past.  The polite opening chit chat followed by the hit-up for a favor, a reference, a job lead.  Inevitably, both parties are left feeling a little awkward but you can avoid this scenario and all that’s required is a little socializing along the way!

Taking Stock

Begin by taking stock of the people in your life and work on getting their contact details.  For work colleagues you would like to stay in touch with ‘after pharma’, make sure you have personal email addresses.  Remember that the company laptops with their convenient address books will have to go back eventually and you’ll need an alternative way of staying in touch with colleagues.  Same goes for reps from other companies.

If you’re meeting up at conferences or in the field, make sure the business cards you are handing out and receiving in return have a personal contact number or email.  One of you may be affected by job change and you’ll appreciate not having to go through others in your network to track these folks down.   When it comes to your personal contacts of friends and family, well, let’s hope you already have a way staying in touch!

Take Action and Reach Out

Next up requires actually taking a few minutes every day and reaching out to a couple of folks on your list.  Make a call, send an email or even get together for a quick catch-up.  Remember, these are people you actually like and want to stay in touch with so don’t think of it as another thing to be crossed off your ‘to do’ list.  Enjoy the process of finding out how people are doing and what’s new in their world.  A funny thing happens when you make a conversation about someone else, instead of yourself.  You often get more out of it anyway!

(For a great perspective on “Rules of Engagement”, check out Career Consultant Leesa Barne’s article).

Make Your Customers Work For You

Lastly, don’t forget your customers!  If you’re doing your job right, you’re probably already servicing the hell out of them but if you’re not, you’d better start.  They can be your biggest advocates in your future job search, especially if your plan is to stay in the industry or a related one.  The busy customers have multiple reps walking into their office every day and can connect you to opportunities.

What company wouldn’t look at a rep a key physician has put forward for a position?  Let your customers know that change is up ahead and find out if they’d be willing to write a letter of recommendation or act as a reference.  Again, a lot less awkward now while you’re still calling on them in a professional capacity than if you’ve disappeared for a while and left them wondering where you’ve been all this time.

Summary:

The best advice is to just be genuine, and be yourself.  If you need a little help getting started, check out some of the great resources available such as:  Networking for Dummies, and Let’s Connect:  A Practical Guide for Highly Effective Professional Networking. Get those connections going now and you’ll minimize the drama associated with the industry changes we’ll all be facing eventually.

Good luck!

HOW TO STAND OUT BY FITTING IN

“It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances” -Oscar Wilde.

Positioning yourself in an interview so your best attributes shine through and give you an advantage in the hiring process is one of the toughest things to do. I want to make you aware of soft but important skills you can use to make your hard skills stand out, specifically how to use non-verbal cues such as appearance, and the clothes you can choose to subconsciously direct an interview, as well as how to ‘read‘ an interview to know it’s going well.

It’s All In The Details

When I began to market my consulting services to larger companies, I used to scout those companies by visiting their lobbies to see how people dressed, spoke, and acted so that I could gain some insight into their culture. By mirroring the attire of the most polished people in the company, I was able to instantly establish a comfort zone with interviewers and, more often than not, I would win the contract. All by trying to achieve the effect that, in the interviewers mind, I was already “one of them.”

Create and maintain a signature look

Clothing is the outward expression of the inner person. It’s important to dress in a way that sends the right message but also looks effortless and natural. It’s better to be overdressed than under.  The darker and more solid the color, the more elegant and authoritative. With the possible exception of creative fields like advertising or computer programming, it’s best to stick with navy, black or grey.

For Women:

You have a choice between a pantsuit or a skirted suit.  Again, do your homework. For example, when Andersen Consulting recruits on college campuses, the firm recommends skirted suits for the first two rounds of interviews, with pantsuits acceptable for the third round. Take your cue from your research into the company and its culture. The cardinal rule is that it’s all about your fit with the company.

For Men:

Coordinate your shoes and socks with your suit.  Socks should match either the shoes or suit color, and be certain that your shoes are freshly shined. The belt and the shoes should be the same color, and the socks should be executive-length so you don’t expose hairy legs. If you carry a briefcase or bag, it should also be clean and well kept. And please, no tie clips, pocket protectors, suspenders worn with a belt (!) or thick rubber soles with a power suit.

Wear your tie as your signature. It should be silk, and elegantly knotted, like a full or half-Windsor. Choose the type of tie depending on your audience. The more conservative interviewers typically appreciate stripes and repetitive small patterns. The tie should not extend below your belt. And please, refrain from wearing short-sleeved t-shirts or singlets under your shirts if they are of a thin weave. You don’t want the interviewer to think, h-m-m-m-m, fearless executive by day, longshoreman by night.

The Four Food Groups

As my mother used to say, there are four main food groups: hair, teeth, hands and feet. They are your biggest assets in making a professional impression, and the first things people notice. Everyone should have a recent, stylish haircut, freshly brushed or dentally cleaned teeth, well-groomed nails and polished shoes.

For Women: Avoid noisy and oversized jewellery; opt for a more refined look and make sure your shoes are in perfect condition. No scraped heels or scuffed leather. Makeup is a must; not to look like a runway model but to demonstrate that you have confidence. Eye contact is critical in a job interview so invest in subtle shades of color to showcase your eyes. Wear black mascara for definition and some blush with lipstick or lip gloss to accent your look. Nail polish completes the frame of this picture so choose a subtle color rather than black/purple selections. Ditch the long fake extensions and keep your nails at a conservative length. Carry a simple handbag, and keep it in the same color family as your shoes or clothing.

Directing the Interview

My good friend Debra Fine is the author of the bestselling book “The Fine Art of Small Talk: How to Start a Conversation, Keep it Going, Build Rapport and Leave a Positive Impression”. Among the tips she offers for tilting the interview table in your direction are these two gems:

•    Be a good listener.

Come across as relaxed and at ease. Smile and appear approachable, making eye contact and responding with verbal cues to show you hear what the speaker says. Verbal cues include these phrases: “Tell me more.” “What happened next?” “Give me an example of what you mean,” “How did you come up with that idea?” and so on. Using these and similar cues shows you are an “active” listener.

•    Dig Deeper

Take your time during conversations to ask follow-up questions that dig a little deeper. For example, if someone just described their company’s new IT policy, ask about the previous policy or what the company hopes to gain by implementing the new policy. You are showing your interest in the company while planting the seed that you are thinking about the company’s future success.

•    Reading the Cues

Its takes skill to read lips, and a genius to read minds. But during the course of an interview, we all give off clues about what we think of the person across the table. This is an opportunity to read between the lines, according to Lynn Hazan of Chicago based recruitment firm Lynn Hazan and Associates. She says you know it’s going well when:

1. They show positive body language like nodding, smiling, learning forward and jotting down information about you.
2. They say that there are some other people they would like you to meet. They may even introduce you to people following your first interview.
3. They discuss events surrounding the company and how you would fit in.
4. They ask about your availability and ask if that works for you.
5. They share specific information about the role that you know will help you in future interviews within the company.
6. They use positive words like, “Yes, go on …,” “This is good …” or even “I like what I am hearing, tell me more …”

Final Note:

The biggest mistake people make once they have achieved their immediate job objective is to fall victim to amnesia. By that I mean, after a few months on the job, they gradually forget all those good practices that got them where they are and become too comfortable, in attire, attitude and actions.  This is dangerous. You risk senior management not noticing you, or worse, noticing you have become like everyone else, when they thought you were coming onboard to shake the fruit out of the trees.
Maintain and try to raise your standards. Seek out an image consultant if dressing isn’t your strength. And remember to be consistent in dress and behavior in each interview.

Wishing you visibility, polish and to be the chosen candidate.

Roz

About Roz:

Since 1990, Roz Usheroff has been one of the most sought-after personal branding coaches in North America, working with leaders of Fortune 500 companies, executives, managers, sales teams and individuals.

Founder of The Usheroff Institute and author of “Customize Your Career,” Roz infuses her clients with the strategies and insights necessary to understand the dynamics and subtleties of professional communication, impression management, the art of personal leadership and business savvy and gender protocols. Through her seminars and keynote addresses, Roz helps clients maximize impact, deliver results and distinguish themselves in today’s competitive marketplace.

Her corporate client list includes Xerox, Pfizer, SAP, General Mills, Johnson & Johnson, Frito Lay, Bayer, Siemens, Xerox, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Irving Oil and U.S. Department of Justice. She has delivered keynote addresses to associations such as MPI, Society of Pharma and Biotech Trainers, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Westchester Chamber of Commerce, SHRM of Florida, Canadian Association of Professional Speakers, and International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP).

Her popular two-day public conferences, “The Art of Wow,” for females and “Projecting Executive Presence” for leadership development are held several times a year.

Roz is often called upon by the media to comment on workplace, training and gender issues, and has appeared on national radio and television (NBC, CBC,
Canada AM, Venture and BTV) and has been featured in articles in the print world.

Born in Montreal, Roz completed her degree in Small Business at the University of Toronto and maintains offices in West Palm Beach and Toronto, Canada.

(They just may not be in the pharmaceutical industry.)

Curing Opportunity Paralysis:  Divide and Conquer

If you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed with all the possible directions you can take, it always helps to take a deep breath and ask yourself a few important questions that will let you divide and conquer, focusing your energy effectively.

1)    Will you work for someone else or for yourself?

If you’re the entrepreneurial type, now is a great time to go for it; take a look at different ways you can start a business.  If you prefer working for others, no problem - focus more on career development.  Simply asking this question is a great way to begin focusing your efforts.

2)    Will you work from home or from an office?

There are all kinds of ways to make money from home whether you’re starting a business on your own or seeking an employer who will let you work remotely.   That said, maybe you prefer the social nature of a real office.  Understanding what your preferred lifestyle will be will determine which opportunities you will chase down.

Other questions you may ask:

3)    Will you be full time or freelance?
4)    Will you work on your own or within a team?
5)    Will you sell a product or service you own, or will you promote someone else’s?

The point is there are thousands of opportunities out there, and identifying which ones to pursue can feel overwhelming sometimes.  So to cure opportunity paralysis, make a list of questions like these, be honest with yourself about what you want out of this next chapter in your life, and divide and conquer.

Whichever path you decide to take, perhaps the most important question you can ask yourself will be this:

Will you start now, or will you wait another day?