Invincible Career - Claim your power and regain your freedom Larry Cornett, Ph.D.

I hosted another live fireside chat via Zoom last month. In this podcast episode, I share some of the questions and answers we discussed.
As usual, people sent me questions ahead of time. But in this session, we also covered questions raised during the Zoom.
For example:
* “What is there to write about (related to my profession)?”
* “Do I even want a career anymore? Do I want to do something for myself?”
* “I changed careers and industries… how can I best adapt to a new job and collaborate with my new boss?”
* “How do I find a great product leadership job in this challenging economy?”
I recorded the call and uploaded it for this newsletter’s podcast episode. Scroll up, hit play, and enjoy!
By the way, if you’d like to attend the next fireside chat, I’m hosting it on May 30th. Sign up here to save a seat.

I’ll be sharing feedback on LinkedIn profiles and answering other questions you submit using the form on the event page. There’s still time to send me yours!
This week’s professional development challenge
Hi, I’m Larry Cornett, a Personal Coach who can work with you to optimize your career, life, or business. My mission is to help you take complete control of your work and life so you can become a more “Invincible You.” I currently live in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with my wife and our Great Dane.



This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsletter.invinciblecareer.com/subscribe

I hosted a live fireside chat via Zoom last month, and I’ve already shared the first half of the Q&A. This is part 2.
People sent me questions ahead of time; then I shared my answers with the attendees. We had some more detailed discussions later.
For example:
* “How to adjust to a new controlling boss?”
* “How do I persuade my colleagues to take action on one of my initiatives?”
* “What questions can I ask in an interview to make sure my manager is one of the good ones?"
* “What questions can I ask in an interview to make sure the company is healthy and it's not a toxic environment?”
I recorded the call and uploaded it for this newsletter’s podcast episode. Scroll up, hit play, and enjoy!
By the way, if you’d like to attend the next fireside chat, I’m hosting it on April 24th. Sign up here to save a seat.
I’ll be sharing feedback on LinkedIn profiles and answering other questions you submit using the form on the event page. There’s still time to send me yours!
This week’s professional development challenge
⭐ Cross-publish Your Writing This week, your Invincible Career exercise is to take one of your previously written articles (e.g., on your blog or Medium) and cross-publish it to LinkedIn. If you aren’t already aware of this, LinkedIn has a native article format that gets pretty good engagement. They also have a newsletter feature if you’re interested in trying it out.
Hi, I’m Larry Cornett, a Personal Coach who can work with you to optimize your career, life, or business. My mission is to help you take complete control of your work and life so you can become a more “Invincible You.” I currently live in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with my wife and our Great Dane.


This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsletter.invinciblecareer.com/subscribe

I hosted a live fireside chat via Zoom last month. People sent me questions ahead of time, then I shared my answers with the attendees. We had some more detailed discussions later.
For example:
* “What can I do to stand out amongst hundreds of other applicants?”
* “Should I change my resume?”
* “What are some strategies to network more effectively with professionals at my level or higher and what are some ways to maintain those relationships long-term?”
I recorded the call and uploaded it for this newsletter’s podcast episode. Scroll up, hit play, and enjoy!
By the way, if you’d like to attend the next fireside chat, I’m hosting it on March 27th. Sign up here to save a seat.
I’ll be sharing feedback on LinkedIn profiles and answering other questions you submit using the form on the event page. There’s still time to send me yours!
This week’s professional development challenge
⭐ Design or Redesign Your Website This week, your Invincible Career exercise is to settle on a host (if you don’t already have one) and start designing and building your website. If you already have a website, this is an excellent opportunity to review it to make sure you’re still happy with what you created. But if you’re like most of us, your website is probably due for an update and refresh.
Hi, I’m Larry Cornett, a Personal Coach who can work with you to optimize your career, life, or business. My mission is to help you take complete control of your work and life so you can become a more “Invincible You.” I currently live in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with my wife and our Great Dane. It’s been quite rainy and foggy lately.


This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newsletter.invinciblecareer.com/subscribe

Invincible Career® is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

He frowned and said, "That's a stupid idea. It will never work." 
"How do you know? We haven't even tested it yet!" 
He leaned back in his chair with a slightly smug look on his face. "I've been working on this product for five years. We've tested hundreds of concepts, and we tested something like this a couple of years ago. It failed."
She was frustrated. "This isn't the same, and timing matters. It tested well in the lab, so I want to get more data from an A/B test." 
He shook his head. "I disagree. That's a waste of resources." 
"Well," she said. "Looks like we're at an impasse. I guess it's time to escalate this."
I lost count of how many meetings I attended like this when I worked in tech. You know, the ones that were supposed to be "collaboration sessions" but turned into debates?
We seem to have lost our way with team meetings. Too many arguments. Too many show-offs trying to prove how smart they are. Too many people trying to "win" instead of actually working together to reach a great outcome.
Unfortunately, this type of exchange isn't uncommon in the working world. Even when we say we're going to collaborate, brainstorm, and discuss an issue in a meeting, it's actually not very collaborative. Everyone has an opinion, emotions run high, and people get stuck on their pet theories. It becomes a debate to see who can persuade the other that they are right — or force them to back down through intimidation tactics. 
It's probably true in every profession and industry, but boy oh boy, do we ever love to argue in Silicon Valley! Almost every meeting felt like a debate with one or two literal geniuses in the room (just to make sure you felt like an inferior little monkey). So many of us love to argue, demonstrate how smart we are, and crush our competitors in debates. 
I'm not saying I was above it all. I competed in debate and persuasive speaking when I was younger. As my wife will tell you, I kind of enjoy arguing. I don't take it personally. It's strangely fun for me. 
However, as much as some of us might enjoy these confrontational discussions, it's not the most effective way for teams to work together toward a common goal. When everyone is trying to win, the team often loses. 
Even in the healthiest of collaborative sessions, the full cognitive horsepower isn't fully aligned to drive the process forward in the same direction at the same time. 
* One person proposes a creative idea.
* Another person starts shooting it down. 
* Someone else tries to share useful data they think might help the discussion. 
* Yet another person says the idea doesn't "feel right."
* And, someone else in the room is already at the whiteboard trying to share a completely different idea. 
What if everyone's thinking process was aligned so the team was rowing in the same direction at the same time? What if people stopped viewing each other as opponents and competitors sitting across the debate table? What if we joined each other side by side and felt like partners working together on an issue? 
Not us vs. them. Instead, it becomes us vs. the problem. 
With parallel thinking, you don't stop and debate every point as it is made (unlike traditional meetings). It reminds me a bit of writing. It's a slow, laborious process when people try to write and edit at the same time. They barely get any work done. But, if you separate the two activities, you can get into a creative flow state. Write and let the ideas stream onto the screen with no judgment, no editing, no stopping to fix misspellings or grammatical mistakes. Then, once your writing session is finished, return to the document later to edit and revise it. 
Imagine working together to be creative at the same time, positive at the same time, and look for issues at the same time. No more competing across the table for things you want vs w

Invincible Career® is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

"It used to be so easy for me to get a new job. I didn't even have to look or try. People came to me! But, now? Now I'm struggling to get to the final round and I haven't received any offers in over a year? Something has changed…" — My new client

My coaching client was pretty unhappy about this twist of fate. That wonderful well of endless jobs had surprisingly dried up.
Many smart and talented people have this experience. Getting a job in their 20s was easy. Almost too easy.
It was so easy that they never bothered to think about a career plan or create an intentional career path. Employers were plentiful and the job market was bountiful. Heck, jobs were falling out of the sky and landing in their laps It would always be like this, right?
Wrong.
The wild ride will come to an end, sooner for some people than others. If you haven't mapped out a plan, put yourself in the driver's seat, and controlled your path and destiny, you might find yourself kicked to the curb.
Ageism is real, folks. Age discrimination is illegal, but it's incredibly difficult to prove. You'll simply notice that people are no longer actively seeking you out and trying to recruit you for roles.
Sitting back and waiting to see what happens in your career isn’t a great strategy. Do you see yourself as more of a driver or passenger on your journey?
* Are you just along for the ride in your career?
* Do you feel like your career happened to you serendipitously?
Most people let their careers "just happen." They don't give much thought to planning their career path, looking for the best employers, and controlling their future until something goes wrong.
Suddenly, they notice that:
* They're being passed over for promotions.
* It's taking longer to find new jobs.
* Their career growth is slowing down.
* Their raises have flatlined.
* They're feeling unhappy, stressed, anxious, worried, and unfulfilled.
Eventually, they ask themselves:
"Is this really what I should be doing with my life?What's going wrong?How do I get back on a good path?" 

Create an intentional path
Where do you want your life to be in 20 years?
Can you get there more quickly? 
Let me stop for a moment and make something clear. I am not suggesting that you create a rigid 30-year career path and follow it from the start to the bitter end. We don't do that anymore, right?
If you are thoughtful and intentional during your journey, you will learn more about who you are and what you really want from life. You will change your mind, and that’s ok.
It seems like I change my career plans and path about every 10 years. While the thought of changing professions and careers may make some people feel stressed out, I find it exciting.
Rather than selecting a point in the future that’s attached to a specific profession or financial outcome (e.g., I must be a CEO, a billionaire, or a famous author), I prefer to ask people to envision a life they would find interesting, exciting, delightful, and fulfilling.
* Where do they live?
* How do they spend their days working?
* How do they spend time playing?
* Who are they spending their life with?
When you have a plan in mind, you’ll notice more opportunities that can help you with your journey.
I created a 91-page Invincible Career Manual for my clients that we collaboratively complete and review. It’s meant to evolve with you and be updated as your career grows and changes.
* If you’re already one of my clients, ping me to make sure you find your customized copy of the manual in our shared Google Drive folder.
* If you’re a member of my Career Accelerator, I’ll share a link to get your free copy of the manual in our private Slack channel.
* If you’re a premium subscriber to this newsletter, I’ll share a link to get your free copy of the manual in our Office Hours channel on Slack

This year, I spent hundreds of hours researching and writing newsletter articles — and recording podcast episodes — to share with you. I listed the top 10 below, and I’ve also categorized most of the other articles and episodes for easier browsing.
If you found my advice and articles helpful this year and would like to support my continued writing and podcasting next year, please consider upgrading to a premium membership that also grants you access to:
* My private Invincible Career community of over 130 ambitious professionals (from entry-level to executives).
* Weekly professional development challenges and exercises delivered to your inbox.
* Exclusive office hours every Monday with the other premium subscribers and me.
Your support means a lot to me. Thank you! 😊
Welcome to my December wrap-up that summarizes and categorizes everything I published this calendar year.
When people ask for my advice on a career, work, leadership, or entrepreneurial topic, I can usually point them to a specific article that I’ve written on that very issue. You may already be a loyal subscriber, but I know that it’s easy to miss something over a year. I certainly do with the newsletters I follow.
So, enjoy this recap, and feel free to share the summary article with friends who might find some of the advice helpful!
My Top 10 Articles
I reviewed the stats for my articles, newsletters, and podcast episodes. These 10 rose to the top for the year.
* Use Your Purpose to Manage Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
* Community chat - What are your wins this week?
* Invincible Tip - Instantly Make Twitter Better
* Invincible Tip - Follow the Money
* Landing Jobs by Building Relationships in a Remote World
* Introduce Yourself!
* 5 Things You Should Do Every Night
* Doing Work You Love - Interview with Chris Cornett, Surgeon
* Create Your Own Career Ladder
* Invincible Tip - Always Be Looking
By the way, I made some big changes to the newsletter and podcast this year (and launched two new newsletters and podcasts), which I announced here.
Articles organized by category
I thought it might help to organize all of my articles and podcast episodes into categories that you would find most useful. Enjoy!
My book chapters
* My Book - Reclaiming Your Power, Freedom, and Future
* Book Chapter - Becoming Invincible
* Book Chapter - Assessing Your Current Situation
* Book Chapter - Defining Your Vision of the Future
* Book Chapter - Identifying Your Blocks and Barriers
* Book Chapter - Embracing the Best You
* Book Chapter - Identifying Your Audacious Goals
* Book Chapter - Creating Your Winning Strategies
* Book Chapter - Making Your Achievable Plans
* Note: I shifted my book chapter articles and podcast episodes to my new Invincible Life newsletter starting in June, so seven additional chapters are there.
Career planning and performance
* Doing Work You Love - Interview with Chris Cornett, Surgeon
* Create Your Own Career Ladder
* You Can Follow Your Purpose as an Employee
* Your Future is Unpredictable
* Q&A from the Community
Job search, interviews, and negotiation
* Landing Jobs by Building Relationships in a Remote World
* Invincible Tip - Follow the Money
* Invincible Tip - Always Be Looking
* How to Safely Job Hunt Today While You're Still Employed — So You Don't Get Fired Later
* Be loyal to yourself, first!
* The Job Market Has Flipped — Again
Success
* Doing Work You Love - Interview with Chris Cornett
* Create Your Own Career Ladder
* Burn Your To-Do Lists in 2022
* How to Build Good Relationships in a New Job
* Remote Work and Power Dynamics
* How to Market Yourself to Get the Attention You Want and Deserve
Living your best life
* Use Your Purpose to Manage Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
* 5 Things You Should Do Every Night
* Your Future is Unpredictable
* You Deserve Better
* Remote Work Has Saved Me $150,000
Solopreneurship and entrepreneurship
* This year, I launched a brand