Success in Action

A Roadmap for Life . . .

Jim Shaw, former US Air Force Pilot, business executive, entrepreneur and lecturer, has spent his life managing events, businesses and people. His expertise in planning, goal setting and success in life focuses on planning, dedication and execution.

Jim Shaw, President and CEO The Shaw Group Headquarters in Joppa, MD.

Regardless of whether you are a high school student, college graduate, business owner or retiree, you can benefit from his direction. His common sense approach to goal setting and planning will show you the way. As a wise man once said, “If you don’t know where you are going . . . how will you know when you get there?”

You have taken the single most important step in guaranteeing your own success. Armed with Success In Action, you soon can see your life change – dramatically. In fact, with some hard work and perseverance, you can actually achieve the three key goals that can turn your life entirely around.

• For the first time ever, you will see your own path to peak performance more clearly than ever before.

• You will begin exuding the inner confidence that tells others you’re ready to take charge, and . . .

• You will have mastered the essential decision-making skills that can put you in control of your personal and professional life for years to come!

The concepts presented are simple ones when considered individually.

Together, however, they are a formidable tool for self-development. Success In Action is not new. It has been in use for over 30 years. Hundreds have met with Jim Shaw personally to learn his systematic approach to career development. Recently though, through word-ofmouth and the present economic conditions, the number of people requesting this educational experience has grown beyond the scope of Jim’s seminars. This digital tutorial is the result of his continuing dedication to helping others capture their dreams.

Prepare for Change

In today’s word, the only constant is change. For all of us, no matter what our role in life, or place in society, change is as inevitable as sunrise and sunset. Yet, few people are prepared to meet the moment when change occurs. For most, change is the enemy. It is at best unsettling and at worst unthinkable. In short, they haven’t found the Success In Action way to anticipate change – and turn it to their advantage.

Those who remain unprepared to meet change are not only failing their future, they’re failing to face the facts of the present. They feel the adverse effects in every area of their lives.

Success at Work

With Success In Action on the work-front, you can control the timing and terms of your own career decisions. Most people don’t yet realize that the age old concept of job security is as outdated as the buggy whip and Black Jack gun. As Gerald Celente wrote in the best-selling book, Trends Tracking:

“You can no longer assume that if you work for a company and do well, you’ll always have a job with them. Your father could assume this, but you can’t

“If you’re a senior executive, a middle manager, or an employee, you have nothing to protect you other than your own ability to get a job elsewhere.”

With that the case, you would think that most people would fully prepare themselves for the inevitable vicissitudes of constant change. In fact, you would think they would prepare themselves to turn change into choice – of where they want to go next and how to get there.

Unfortunately, most people have never had the advantage of Success In Action. They end up confronting the following facts with little or no preparation – and the bleak prospect of a recurring nightmare:

• 12 million people are now forced to change careers – that’s careers, not jobs – every year. That’s over 30,000 career changes a day. According to the Rand Corporation, this number will double by the year ?????????

• The average person entering the workforce today will face a career

change four to seven times during his or her worklife.

• The average person now works at ten jobs during their worklife.

• 56% of women and 40% of men now expect to shift from company to company throughout their working careers.

With Success In Action, you develop a plan for change. Used periodically, it serves to benchmark your career progress. Should a career change be necessary, you have a database of possible opportunities at your fingertips.

Success at School

With Success In Action on the school-front, you can plan the courses you take, and control the future. For high school graduates, college students and parents, it’s the perfect guide for making key college and curriculum choices. One former dean of a major northeast college recently stated:

“Students who come into college knowing what they want to do in life – having chosen the major to meet their needs – are invariably more successful than those who arrive with unfounded or vague objectives. Unfortunately, most students fall into the latter category.”

When you consider the time and money (average $40,000 a year for a private university) spent in pursuit of a college education, the value of Success in Action becomes readily apparent.

For the student, the college years should be a time when career choices are researched and developed, making for an easy transition from academic to professional life. For parents preparing to spend possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars for their child’s college education, Success In Action provides a career planning tool that can be used for years to come and will assist in the process by providing networking contacts.

How important is this guidance? Consider the following:

• The average high school graduate has more than 3,000 colleges from which to choose. Less than one third graduate from their first choice.

• The average college student has more than 600 major fields of study from which to choose. Less than one-fourth finish in the major they initially pursue.

• The average college graduate has less than one chance in five to work in their original field of choice.

With the clear, concise guidance of Success In Action, students can enter college knowing the course of their future – and the courses to assure success. In addition, they can begin building a database of key contacts that last a lifetime!

Success at Home

With Success In Action on the home front, you can control the choices and changes that bring families closer together. Most Americans find themselves trapped in a continual quest for mere contentment. The very idea of a family truly happy has almost been abandoned.

Even here – on the most important front of all – most decisions are made without the benefit of even the simplest systematized plan to assure spiritual, physical and emotional success. As a result, most people have little or no idea how to meet the inevitable moments of personal change. The results speak for themselves:

• One of five Americans move each year. An additional 40% would move if they could decide where to go to meet their needs.

• 50 million Americans diet each year but only 2 million succeed.

• Two thirds of all marriages end in divorce and three out of four divorcees remarry.

The remarkable Success In Action Personal Priorities Grid enables you to make the most vital decisions with mathematical precision. Unlike any other tool, the Priorities Grid focuses your attention, narrows your choices and helps you make not just the best decision possible – the but the best possible decision!

A Constant Guide to a Changing World

Clearly, change is the only constant. You have to ask yourself, “Why are so many people unprepared or ill prepared to meet the moments when change occurs?

The answer is simple. Until now, very few people had access to the incredible program you are reading. It contains a powerful system for positive change.

With Success In Action, you can know beyond doubt what to do to control your future and – in detail – how to do it. You now can not only meet the moment – you can actually master it and make it yours, for the rest of your life.

That’s the promise, and the power, of Success In Action – your constant guide to a changing world!

Overview

Do not attempt to complete the entire program in one sitting. Success In Action requires a lot of soul-searching and personal evaluation. Rushing through with a “got to get it done” attitude will only leave you short changed. Take your time, analyze your feeling and persevere. You will see revealed personal strengths and professional strategies guaranteed to take you where you want to go.

Success In Action is a complete system of establishing your personal priorities, evaluating those priorities, producing a professional resume, and most importantly, developing a system for effective interviewing. All of these components are used in a cycle designed to get results. As you read through the program, you will begin to see that Success In Action is far more than the sum of its parts.

This is a system you can use for the rest of your life as change demands. Your challenge is to learn to manage the inevitable process of a changing environment.

First, let’s take a graphic look at how it all fits together.

We will now break down the three phases In the program and expand upon each later.

• Phase One – The Employment Analysis. This enables you to determine your own strengths, weaknesses, wants and needs. Then, you can judge how well they match up with key aspects of your new job opportunities – and even with the parameters of your current career position.

• Phase Two – The Resume. This is a specially designed tool for introducing your most pertinent personal skills to a prospective employer. You learn not only how to put it together, but also how to use it to your own advantage during the interview.

• Phase Three – The Interview. This is where Success In Action teaches you how to control the ebb and flow of the interview – and gives you the confidence to make a great impression.

Now you’re ready to jump in with both feet and put Success In Action to work for you. You’ll find it to be a remarkable system, vitally important in making critical educational decisions, in choosing or changing a career, in evaluating your current job status, preparing for annual reviews and making the critical moves on a daily basis that lead to true personal satisfaction and happiness.

Phase 1: The Employment Analysis

Developing Personal Career Objectives

The first step in making a vital career decision – in taking control of your own professional future – is to thoroughly evaluate your own criteria for career success.

Each of us has our own criteria for judging our personal success. There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to true job satisfaction. Yet, it’s amazing how few of us take the time to carefully analyze our own definition of success. You may be surprised at the outcome!

Below are typical examples of the qualities you may be looking for in a job. Add your own in the spaces provided and choose the ten that are most important to you. Now, prioritize them from the most important (10) to the least important (1).

• Starting Income

• Future income (3-5 years)

• Benefits

• Working environment

• Flexibility of hours

• Advancement opportunities

• Job security

• Geographical location of job

• Travel requirements

• Self satisfaction

• Growth of the industry

• Size of company

• Diversity of job

• Training opportunities

• Prestige

• Responsibility

Employment Analysis Directions

It’s now time to turn your Priority Ratings into objective quantities that will automatically guide your career choices. Refer to the example following when using this simple six-step process. Remember, Success In Action is a cyclical program. Much of the information needed to complete the chart is described later in this tutorial.

• Step 1 – Take your ten Priorities and place them across the top of the Employment Analysis, along with their Ratings.

• Step 2 - Down the left side of the Employment Analysis, list specific industries and companies within those industries, for whom you might like to work.

• Step 3 – Immediately following an interview, objectively enter your Interview Results based on a scale of 1 to 4, with 4 being the most positive and 1 being the least.

• Step 4 – Multiply the Priority Rating by the Interview Result to calculate the Score.

• Step 5 – Calculate the Total adding horizontally the numbers from Step 4. This column will enable you to analyze the career options best suited to you. Through interviewing and evaluating, you will soon see that certain industries and careers meet more of your personal goals than others.

• Step 6 – The Remarks area on the right side of your Employment Analysis is used to make notes for appropriate follow-up. This is your “To Do” list.

We’ve analyzed some examples as a guide. To give you some up-front practice in using The Employment Analysis, analyze your current (or most recent) job using the six steps above. The results may surprise you.

Operating A Restaurant

• When considering a business startup interview people in that business for information.

• An accurate Business Plan is an essential first step when considering your own business.

As is clear from this comparison, opening a restaurant will fulfill many of this person’s goals There is, however, one formidable drawback – starting salary. Most start-up businesses provide little, if any, income for the first year. Based upon their Business Plan, the capital to open a restaurant is not available at this time.

There are far more factors affecting this person’s decision than we c an present in this chapter. We can, however, develop a few possible strategies:

• He can find an equity partner to finance the restaurant’s startup. This would significantly change the evaluation.

• Because of the bank job’s significant starting salary, he could work there until he has saved enough money to support his family during the restaurant’s lean first years.

• Arrange Informational Interviews with people in the restaurant industry and attempt to combine an employment opportunity with vital restaurant experience.

The ability to make these objective comparisons is what makes Success In Action so effqqqective. Instead of making career decisions on a “first come – first served” basis, you can analyze your choices graphically and make the best possible decision.

The next Phase of Success In Action flies directly in the face of conventional wisdom. The resume is the least important element in your job search package. There are those – some charging thousands of dollars for a consultation - that will tell you to print resumes by the bulk and send them to every name in the phone book. This is the most impractical and least productive method of career development that can be used. The fact is, a recent study by the outplacement firm Drake Bean Martin, Inc. found that a mere 8% of those who land a job do so as a result of a mass mailing.

What, then, is the role of the resume? Properly constructed, the resume should be considered a tool for introducing you to prospective employers and a forum for presenting your skills and attributes during the interview. It can be used effectively in your information gathering and job interviews for bridging and briefing.

First, let’s discuss the “look” of your resume. As a result of the desktop publishing revolution, the typewritten resume is no longer considered acceptable. If you have access to a personal computer, use it. If not, most small printing companies offer typesetting services. These companies will also be a valuable source of information concerning the use of high quality paper, as well as interesting formats and print styles.

The resume should be presented in a clear, uncluttered format. The prospective employer has the tedious duty of reviewing dozens of applicants. It should, therefore, be considered a professional courtesy to submit a resume that can be read completely in a few minutes.

Long, detailed descriptions will, at best, be “skimmed” and at worst, ignored.

The resume should be presented in a clear, uncluttered format. The prospective employer has the tedious duty of reviewing dozens of applicants. It should, therefore, be considered a professional courtesy to submit a resume that can be read completely in a few minutes. Long, detailed descriptions will, at best, be “skimmed” and at worst, ignored.

The items most important to the development of the resume, in addition to your education and employment history, are your positive characteristics that you would like to discuss during the interview. Remember, the employer is hiring you largely based upon your abiity to fit into their work environment and offer a positive impact. It is, therefore, vital for you to develop a description of your personal qualities that coincide with the company’s professional needs.

Relate instances where you have demonstrated these qualities when citing education, employment, or other experiences. Be prepared, then, to elaborate on these instances during the interview. Telling a short story (2-3 minutes) is most effective.

Following are examples of positive personal qualities you may want to consider in your resume development. As you will in Phase 3, they will be used to formulate an important part of the interview itself.

• Leadership

• Perseverance

• Creativity

• Self-motivation

• Goal setting

• Teamwork

• Responsibility

• Communication Skills

Many applicants include the statement “references available upon request.” In many cases, the use of qualified references may be one of the more important features of your resume. Without their inclusion they can have no impact. Remember, however, to talk to prospective references before you include them on your resume to confirm their positive opinion. You will, most likely, have only one interview opportunity, why not pull out all the weapons in your arsenal?

Most of all, be creative! The bottom line is this: most employers in today’s overcrowded job market are flooded with resumes (remember the mass mailings?) To be noticed above the din, you need what the social scientists all “cue clarity.” There has to be something about your resume that clearly sets you apart. A selection of well-designed resumes are reproduced on the next few pages.

Now that you’ve designed a striking, succinct, and informative resume, to whom do you send it? With few exceptions, send them only to people within your networking strategy. There are, however, job advertisements that specifically request a resume only. Don’t let any opportunity pass you by.

Phase 3: The Art of the Interview

With Success In Action, the interview is the “bottom line” of your plan for success. It is the single most important element in securing the career and job you desire.Not surprisingly, though, most people – numbering in the 90 percentile – hate the very thought of a “job interview.” They walk in almost as supplicants. Hoping and praying for the best, dreading the worst. They’re not quite sure what they want, or where they’re going. The person behind the desk is entirely in control.

With Success In Action, however, the interview becomes a 50/50 exchange of information. You know beyond a doubt what you want, you’ve done your homework. Now it’s simply a matter of your decid-

ing whether the two of you can establish a win-win situation.

Research has shown that more than 70% of successful job acquisitions are the result of personal contacts. A prospective employer is far less likely to respond to a “cold call” than a person to whom he’s been introduced. How do you get these introductions? They are achieved through networking.

Start with your friends, your family, and your co-workers. Ask them if they have any friends, family or business relations in your prospective field. If you consider all the

people you know, and all the people those people know, it is clear how many networking opportunities already exist. You can also meet people through your college Career Placement Office, college alumni with careers in your prospective field, former co-workers, previous job contacts, your church and clubs, etc. Just about everyone you come in contact with has the potential to arrange the introductions you need.

When you find a contact in the field you are pursuing, enter the information on your Employment Analysis and try to arrange an interview. Even if this person is not in a position to offer you a job, he or she will still be an irreplaceable source of information (and other contacts). These information gathering interviews are a learning experience. You simply want to interview with someone who can explain what work in his or her field entails, and what opportunities might exist. The interviewer may even become your mentor.

move on to the job interviews, executing them with quiet confidence.

It is also a good idea to try to schedule your interviews in an prioritized manner. Every task becomes easier with practice, so it makes sense to have your least important interviews first. When you have made a few contacts with people you would like to interview, analyze these opportunities in comparison to each other, and schedule the most important interviews to take place after you’ve had some practice.

Typically, you’ll have only one interview with each contact. It will likely last only 30 to 60 minutes. Clarity and precision are, therefore paramount. Don’t count on the interviewer for that, the only thing he or she knows about you is on the resume you’ve likely sent along before. It’s up to you to make sure the interview is a 50/50 exchange of information.This takes comprehensive planning.

Information gathering interviews also serve as excellent practice strategy for the job interview. You can meet new people in your prospective field, exchange information, and make new contacts – without the pressure of negotiation As you become comfortable with their procedure, you can

Success In Action’s Individual Interview Evaluation is a tool developed for this purpose. It uses your Personal Priorities to develop specific questions that will be used to move the interview iat your pace. In other words, you need to be capable of tactfully moving the interview along step by step. Here are the five steps through which you will be navigating:

• Introduction – 3 to 5 minutes

• Resume Review – 5 to 10 minutes

• Industry and Company – 5 to 10 minutes

• Job Review – 5 to 10 minutes

• Summary – 5 to 10 minutes

Step 1: The Introduction (Typically 3 to 5 minutes)

It is, of course, essential that you arrive on time and are well groomed, allowing for a comfortable initiation to the meeting. Remember the old adage, “You only get one chance to make a first impression.” Think about the introduction process, and practice it if necessary.

As you enter the office, you may wish to “break the ice” with an informal non-job-related observation. Perhaps you will notice something on the wall or the desk of the interviewer that represents a special achievement or interest. For example, if the interviewer has a photograph of a ship on the wall, you may say “I see you are interested in sailing do you do much sailing?”

Make a short comment and follow it up with a question. This type of opener recognizes the interviewer on a personal level and provides them a chance to talk about their own interests and endeavors.

begun to establish a positive rapport right from the start.

Introductions should take only 3 to 5 minutes. You want to move the conversation along because you have much to accomplish in a short period of time. To keep the pace flowing from one step to the next, you will want to have a ready supply of “bridging” comments.

To more from Step 1 to Step 2 (the Resume Review), you might use a bridge such as:

“Before we begin, do you mind if I review my resume with you, so that you may have a clearer understanding of my background?”

No one will ever turn you down for that kind of comment. In fact, they will appreciate it – and you will be on your way to Step 2. Introductions should take only 3 to 5 minutes. You want to move the conversation along because you have much to accomplish in a short period of time. To keep the pace flowing from one step to the next, you will want to have a ready supply of “bridging” comments.

This also gives you a chance to adjust to the environment and situation. If the subject you’re addressing is one about which you know something, you might add a comment or two of your own. You now have

To more from Step 1 to Step 2 (the Resume Review), you might use a bridge such as:

“Before we begin, do you mind if I review my resume with you, so that you may have a clearer understanding of my background?”

No one will ever turn you down for that kind of comment. In fact, they will appreciate it – and you will be on your way to Step 2.

Step 2 : The Resume Review (5 to 10 minutes)

This may well be the most important stop in the Success In Action interviewing strategy. Presenting your assets and skills in a manner with which you feel comfortable is essential. The interviewer must clearly understand your personal qualities, and it is up to you to communicate them successfully while walking the line between confidence and humility. It is imperative that your resume be reviewed early on in the interview process, as this establishes a firm basis for the rest of the interview.

How do you establish an understanding of your personal qualities with the interviewer? The most effective way is to tell one of the stories you prepared in Phase 2 –The Resume. While the interviewer is reviewing your resume, you might draw his or her attention to a particular section of the resume by saying , “One of the things I am most proud of . . . “ as a way of leading into a story about an

experience, event, or situation in which your actions strongly illustrated your skills, interests, traits and values. You can then project your desire to further develop these qualities with a new company.

After you have completed your personal story, take a moment to answer the interviewer’s questions. When you are comfortable that you have developed a positive image in his or her mind, it is time for another bridging comment to move the interview to the next step.

Your bridge from Step 2 to Step 3 (The Industry and the Company) might be something like:

“I see the company profits were up by 12% over the previous year. To what do you attribute that success?”

Such a well-informed interest in their company will be appreciated by the interviewer and show that you’ve done your homework

Step 3: The Industry and the Company (5 to 10 minutes)

This step in the interview process will require some prior research of the company and the industry. Follow-up questions might be about the trends in the industry, the relationship of the company to the competition, etc.

Such knowledge serves two purposes: (1) it helps you decide whether the industry and company really meet your own career criteria, and (2) it impresses the interviewer with the depth of your interest. By all means, do your homework! If information is not easily available, call a contact such as a secretary or salesperson within the company. You could request press packages, sales information, annual reports, brochures, etc. Other sources of information include:

• Stockbrokers (if the company is publicly held)

• Trade Association publications

• Periodicals like Fortune, Forbes, Business Week

• Newspapers (including the Wall Street Journal)

• Chambers of Commerce

• Online services (Dow Jones News Retrieval, Infotrac)

It is important that you learn as much as possible about the industry and prepare yourself to ask and answer questions. Most interviewers will appreciate your knowledge.

Your bridge from Step 3 to Step 4 (Job Review) might be:

Step 4: Job Review (5 to 10 minutes)

The purpose of the Job Review is to discuss the possible opportunities in terms of how they relate to you. You’ve prepared for this by outlining your Priorities on the Employment Analysis, and by formulating your questions on the Individual Interview Evaluation. You’re already well on your way to Success in Action!

Here are some sample questions that will enable you to rate the interviewer’s responses on the Employment Analysis:

Income:

“Could you give me an idea of the range of starting income for a person with my background?”

Advancement Opportunities:

“Assuming excellent success, could you tell me the advancement opportunities available in a three to five year period?”

“Could you give me an idea as to the career track of some senior people in the company with a background similar to mine?”

“Based upon my education and experience, what training programs would your firm offer to further develop my qualifications?”

This will lead smoothly into a discussion of training opportunities – and the next step, the Job Review.

Future Income:

“Assuming successful advancement, could you give me a range of income opportunities in a three to five year time frame?”

It is important to ask questions in a positive manner and avoid coming across negatively or defensively. This points up the importance of preparing the questions in advance, and writing them down in your Individual Interview Evaluation form.

From this point, your bridge will depend upon several factors. They are discussed in Step 5. The Summary.

Step 5: The Summary (5 to 10 minutes)

For an information gathering interview:

“Can you give me any suggestions for additional contact, here or at other companies, who might be able to help me understand and evaluate this field?”

“Based on our discussion, what should I do to become a qualified candidate for a job in this industry?”

Record this information, thank the interviewer and depart, knowing you have accomplished your objective and you have further defined your plan. Don’t be surprised, though, if you’re suddenly offered the opportunity for a future interview – or even an unsolicited job offer!

For a Job interview:

“Based upon my background and experience, how would a person with my qualifications fit into your organization?”

The interviewer’s response will determine your next move. If a position is not offered, attempt to determine why. Ask a question such as:

“Even though an opportunity might not be available at this time, would my qualifications and experience otherwise meet your requirements?”

The answer to this question will assist you in determining your weak points, underlining your strengths, and developing future interviewing and career strategies.

If a position is offered, or a further follow-up is suggested, restate the mutual agreements, decide what the next step should be, and who should be responsible. Then thank the interviewer for his or her time. You must walk out of this interview with a clear plan of action mutually agreed upon by you and the interviewer.

The Follow-Up

Immediately after leaving, complete the Post-Interview Action Agenda portion of the Individual Interview Evaluation while your memory is fresh, then begin the process of follow-up. Accurate and timely follow-up is vital to interviewing success. Unless otherwise agreed upon, a letter is the most appropriate follow-up at this time. The first paragraph should thank the interviewer for his or her time. The second paragraph should restate any mutual agreements that were discussed. The third should state your action steps for further follow-up.

Complete The Cycle

It is now time to grade this opportunity based on your Personal Priorities. Go back to Phase 1 and perform the Employment Analysis rating process. You’ll begin to see the power of Success in Action. There in black and white, is a quantitative comparison of your employment choices by industries, companies, new business startups, and advancement alternatives within your existing company. It rapidly becomes an at-a-glance working system for career preparation and evaluation. From this one document, you will quickly and easily be able to extract the following information:

• A prioritized list of criteria for true job satisfaction.

• A plan for developing interview questions enabling you to extract vital information relative to your Personal Priorities.

• A quick-reference list of important networking interview contacts.

• A simple, quantitative rating of each job prospect.

word – persevere!

“Nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not, unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Perseverance and determination alone are omnipotent.” Calvin Coolidge.

Then, there’s the example of a man who, through remarkably dogged perseverance, parlayed failure into ultimate success:

In 1831, he failed in business. In 1832, he was defeated for the legislature. In 1833, he again failed in buiness. In 1836, he suffered a nervous breakdown. In 1838, he was defeated for House Speaker. In 1840, he was defeated for elector. in 1843, he was defeated for Congress. In 1848, he again was defeated for Congress. In 1855, he was defeated for the Senate. In 1856, he was defeated for Vice President. In 1858, he again was defeated for Senate. In 1860, he was elected President of the United States.

He, of course, was Abraham Lincoln, the “Savior of His Country.” So keep your eyes on the prize and persevere.

• Key remarks for developing an effective follow-up.

Now it’s time to start over. Keep interviewing. Expand your network, hone your skills, and, in a

The Personal Priorities Power Grid

The analytical and decision making skills that you have now mastered can also be used in making life’s major decisions. Decisions about buying the right car, buying the right house, or even the right city in which to live can now be made objectively and systematically. By applying the program to more and more aspects of your life, you will begin to feel more in control, and you will be one step ahead on the path to true satisfaction.

The process is the same as in the Employment Analysis, you just use the spaces for different information. The information needed to complete the chart is found, as before, through research and Information Gathering Interviews.

Let’s walk through the process, step by step, using a relocation decision as an example:

• Step 1: Rate your priorities, just as you did when considering a career. Though your criteria will be different, the system operates the same way.

• Step 2: Take your top 10 Priorities and place them across the top of the Power Grid, along with their Ratings.

• Step 3: Make a list down the left side of the Power Grid of the various locations being considered for relocation.

• Step 4: Research completely the information regarding each of your localities based on your Personal Priorities. This will likely require considerable networking and interviewing, as well as research in newspapers, periodicals, almanacs, etc.

• Step 5: Immediately following each research effort, objectively enter your Research Result based on a scale of 1 to 4, with 4 being the most positive and 1 being the least.

• Step 6: Calculate the Score by multiplying your Priority Rating by the Research Result.

• Step 7: Find the Total by adding the Scores horizontally. The Total colulmn will enable you to analyze the relocation option. This will graphically compare each option, and begin a process of narrowing the field.

Example

Al and his family live in Philadelphia. The company he works for is closing their Philadelphia office. He is a successful employee, so the company has offered him a choice to transfer to another office in either San Francisco, CA or Raleigh, NC. Additionally, he could leave the firm and not relocate.

It is apparent that Al should consider leaving Philadelphia. His present position is lucrative and fulfilling, and by moving, he will be able to keep it.

Moving to San Francisco will present two formidable problems, housing costs and the distance from

his family. Raleigh’s advantage is based not only on the job opportunity, it offers far more affordable housing and it is within a driveable distance from Philadelphia.

The decision making and career planning skills you have developed will give you a unique advantage in today’s highly competitive job market. You’ve learned how to evaluate the opportunities that come to you, and how to find the ones that don’t. You know the elements that are essential to an effective resume. Most importantly, you’ve learned and practiced strategies to maximize your interviewing impact.

It’s now time to put Success In Action to work. Start building your network, making appointments, and interviewing for information. The more contacts you make, the more opportunities you will have. Above all – persevere!

When you’ve found the job you want, put the link to Success in Action in safe place and don’t forget to open it and re-evaluate your situation every five years or so. As you and your family mature, your priorities will change, and what was a great job five years ago may not be as satisfying today.

This program has been in development for more than 30 years. By giving seminars privately, I have been able to continually improve Success In Action through the attendees’ feedback. Now, I need your help. Write down your suggestions, your comments, your success stories, and send them to me at the e-mail address here. It is my sincere hope that this program is as beneficial to you as it has been to me all these years.

Here’s to your Success!

Jim Shaw

The Shaw Group

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About the Author

Jim Shaw was born in Federalsburg, a small town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. After graduation from high school (in a class of 36 students) he attended the University of Maryland, earning a BS in Business. Jim then served his commission as a pilot in the US Air Force, spending his last year in the flight test squadron.

Nearing the end of his military commitment, Jim was faced with his first major career decision. He realized that, through high school, college and military training, no systematic method to evaluate one’s career goals was presented. He developed this system to objectively evaluate his own personal priorities and to choose the career path that most complemented them.

Through personal evaluation, networking and information gathering interviews, Jim chose a sales position with IBM’s Data Processing Division as the career that would most fulfill his priorities at that time.

Five years later, it was time to re-evaluate, and Success in Action suggested changing jobs. Jim accepted a managerial position with Memorex, opening offices for their business computer division in Baltimore, Washington, DC and Richmond, VA. After five years with Memorex, Success In Action showed that another job change wasn’t necessary. It was, however, time to branch out. He started his own business, a public warehouse facility in Salisbury, MD.

The next evaluation suggested it was time to move on. Jim became Vice President of the Eastern Region for Municipal Leasing Corporation, a company specializing in tax-exempt financing for municipal governments. Five years later, while continuing with Municipal Leasing, he started his second business,

the development of an industrial park in Harford County, MD.

After the most recent evaluation, Jim chose to leave Municipal and concentrate on his own businesses. He founded, and was the first Chairman of the Board for a local bank. He was part owner of the charter ship Clipper City, a topsail schooner based in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, and he continues as Operating Partner for the Cranberry Run Industrial Park.

Apart from his business interests, Jim has served as President of the University of Maryland Alumni Association, Chairman of the Harford County Econonic Development Board and Chairman of the Harford Community College Foundation Board. He has given career development seminars publicly at the University of Maryland and privately to more than a thousand people in the last 30 years.

Thank You

Iwould like to dedicate Success In Action to my daughter Suzy who worked with me throughout the development of this project. This was a great opportunity for us to work together and to continue to develop mutual love and respect. Thanks, Suzy.

I would also like to thank Michael Saunders, Ralph France, Carter Clews, Vince Clews and Johnny Contino for their assistance in producing this package. Additionally, to complete the list of those who have supported me, I’d like to thank my wife Barby and son Steve, Bob and Sue Fisher, Tony and Shirley Mellon, Rick and Tammy Quigley, Ted Repplier, Mac Saddaris and all my friends whose love encouraged me to bring this to fruition.

Finally, I would like to offer thanks to the Success In Action graduates interviewed for the video: Bill Blocher, R. F. ‘Kit” Carson, Parry Dalal, Peggy Daly, Larry Delcios, Connie Englesson, David Fu, Art Gehly, Warren Hartenstine, Fred Kern, Jeff Jackson, J. Gary Lee, Maggie Linton, Randy and Tara Nash, Edward Pitts, Cliff Stretmater, Amy Vodraska and Brian Weatherford.

The road to success is riddled with potholes. Let’s hope we can avoid most of them. To borrow a phrase from a Neil Young song, “In the field of opportunity, it’s plowing time again.”