“When you wonder if God is interested in the details of your life, consider the evidence demonstrated in nature. He cares about everything – no matter how inconsequential.” – Spiritual Refreshment For Women

Throughout your career as an executive, entrepreneur or creative professional you will have to write compelling career documents that highlight your gifts, strengths and experience.

Regardless if it’s your resume, CV, professional bio, proposal, pitch or executive summary, you want to write from your power, purpose and soul.

You want each of these key career documents to broadcast who you are and what you bring to every project, team and organization. You want your brilliance to leap off the page and immediately “WOW” the reader into the right course of action.

When you first focus on activities that have you come alive, it will be easier for the right keywords and phrases to spill out of you and onto the page.

Focus on activities that help you feel more energetic and enthusiastic about your career again. Then you’ll find yourself having fun preparing these key documents and naturally want to share them with others.

In the final part of this three-part series, I share ten brand new practical, creative and spiritual career success strategies that will help you create a winning document and attract more of the opportunities that you really want.

1. Add quantitative values to your achievements. Dollars raised, dollars saved, clients served, teams managed, events produced, tickets sold, etc.

2. Attend a networking event of like-minded colleagues. Choose an event that feels less like work and more like you are connecting to new and old colleagues, clients and joint venture partners.

3. Browse one of your favorite stores. Choose a store that inspires you, renews your creativity, and reminds you of the purposeful career and/or business that you are committed to having.

4. Visit the websites of professional resume writers. Most have sample resumes, CVs, professional bios and executive summaries for you to view. Choose a format that speaks to your heart and soul and will best highlight your skills, knowledge and experience.

5. Schedule an informational interview with a leader in your industry. Find out what critical skills are needed to succeed and thrive in your field. Then make sure to highlight the skills you already have.

6. Act as if you’re writing someone else’s resume, CV, pitch or proposal. Take your emotions out of the writing process. Pretend it’s a homework assignment that only you and your teacher will see.

7. Write where you are most inspired. Your environment influences your flow and the work that you produce. Instead of forcing yourself to work against your natural rhythm, embrace the environments that help you produce your best work.

8. Sleep on it. Allow your heart and soul to digest what opportunities you really want to attract. After a good night’s rest, you’ll discover what needs to be added and removed from your document.

9. Review a job description of one of your “dream” positions. Identify the transferrable skills that you currently possess and the ones that you need to gain experience in and develop.

10. Make a list of 5 people in your network to ask for help. Get feedback on your document from people who want to help you succeed in your career. Gain insight from their different perspectives and points-of-view.

You don’t have to do all of these. You just have to do the ones that help you write from your power and soul and have you produce a strength-based document that attracts more of the opportunities that you want.

Althea McIntyre is a Chicago-based coach, mentor and speaker.

She loves helping clients thrive in their careers by teaching them how to follow their hearts, leverage their strengths and work from their power and soul.

Receive Althea’s favorite career success tips right to your inbox. Sign up for her newsletter below.

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You know you need to work on your resume, CV, professional bio, proposal and/or pitch, but you’re feeling a bit down in the dumps.

Truth be told, just thinking about working on this critical marketing and personal branding document has you filled with anger, resentment, fear and worry sprinkled with a dose of depression.

You need to ditch your resume, CV, professional bio, proposal and/or pitch right now. You are not in the emotional state to produce your best work.

You want to write from your power, purpose and soul. This is guaranteed to have your strengths, experience and value-added skills jump off the page and attract the opportunities that you want.

First focus on activities that will help you come alive and feel more energetic and enthusiastic about your career again.

Because when you feel alive about your career’s future, the right keywords and phrases will just tumble out of you. Then you’ll truly highlight all that you bring to every project, team and organization.

In the second part of this three part series, I share ten new practical, creative and spiritual career success strategies that will reenergize you and help you create your winning document.

1. Create affirmations that empower you to write with confidence and conviction. Such as “I love showcasing my skills, experience and achievements,” or perhaps “I bring a bucket load of value-added skills that companies and clients are looking for.” Say your affirmations daily over and over and over again until you truly believe them.

2. Envision yourself in your desired position. Start with the end in mind. Spend five to ten minutes each day envisioning yourself working in your desired position. This simple activity will shift your mindset, attitude and ultimately the actions you make.

3. Mind map your resume. This right brain tool is ideal for effectively accessing your intuition, natural creativity and inner wisdom (and all that you bring) so that you create a document that you are proud of and love sharing with others.

4. Move your body. Go for a walk. Go for a run. Do twenty minutes of yoga. Put on your favorite playlist and dance your heart out. Your thinking is clearer and sharper after you exercise – and you feel more energized. This is exactly the emotional and mental state that you want to be creating your resume in.

5. Read your vision story. Reconnect to what you REALLY want to achieve this year. This is your personalized tool that helps keep you focused and committed to your big dreams and goals.

6. Review the job descriptions of your ideal position. Identify the critical skills and experience that are needed. Then identify the ones you already possess and are currently developing.

7. Use social media. Follow the companies you’d love to work for and the respective industry leaders on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

8. Create your biggest bragging resume. Toot your own horn so loud that it actually makes you laugh out loud. Don’t exaggerate the truth. Just tell it as a matter of fact.

9. Spend time on LinkedIn. Look to see if any of your connections are connected to the organizations that you’d love to work for.

10. Be inspired by the blog. Give yourself an inspiration break. Before sitting down to write, spend ten minutes (guilt free) feeding your spirit and creativity by enjoying one of your favorite blogs or your Pinterest account.

You don’t have to do all them. You just have to do the ones that help you write from your power and soul and helps you produce a strength-based document that “WOWs” the reader.

Althea McIntyre is a Chicago-based coach, mentor and speaker.

She loves helping clients thrive in their careers by teaching them how to follow their hearts, leverage their strengths and work from their power and soul.

Receive your FREE copy of 12 Practices To Thrive In Your Career and other career success tips by signing up below.

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In this podcast, I’ll be interviewing experts and learning how they use their personal power and soul to succeed in their careers and in business.

Listen to the entire interview with Laura West on the topic of Creativity In Business.

Or download the entire interview here.

Laura West, President of the Center for Joyful Business at www.JoyfulBusiness.com

What inspires you?

Everything, when I allow it.

What’s your work mantra?

Follow your energy.

What’s the best business advise you ever received?

Trust your intuition, imagination and ideas.

Althea McIntyre is a Chicago-based coach, mentor and speaker.

She loves helping clients thrive in their careers by teaching them how to follow their hearts, leverage their strengths and work from their power and soul.

Receive your FREE copy of 12 Practices To Thrive In Your Career and other career success tips by signing up below.

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Fresh starts and new beginnings. We all want these. But when it comes to our careers and businesses, starting entirely fresh and new, isn’t always easy, practical or necessary.

There’s the big challenge of where in the world do we actually begin, how do we plan, and how to we remain enthusiastic and inspired as we move forward in our fresh start and new beginning.

We may desire a fresh start but then get stopped, because we don’t know how to break that inspired idea and project into realistic actions that get done.

1. Dump out all of your thoughts and ideas. Get them out of your head, whether it’s writing them on paper with colored markers (this is where I tend to start), recording them on an audio, creating a PowerPoint, writing out sticky notes or noting them in your iPad. Do whatever works best for you. Free up your mental energy by letting them out of your system. Don’t edit or delete. Just write. You can’t think clearly, creatively or effectively with a ton of thoughts and ideas swirling in your mind.

2. Translate each of your brilliant ideas into action statements. Each should begin with a verb – call, write, mind map, research, review, follow up, connect, email, schedule etc….

3. Sort and bundle your actions by the skill and energy that it requires. This sorting process helps you use and manage your personal energy. You’ll find that by bundling your work activities you get more work done. Your mind and energy won’t be bouncing back and forth. It will be focused and clear. Think of Oprah. She taped three or four shows in one day. When you bundle your work activities, you’re also able to create the ideal work environment for you to thrive – whether that’s your favorite café, restaurant, conference room, creative workspace or dining room table.

4. Prioritize either by project, goal or simply by what naturally inspires you. Look for opportunities where you can create small wins that build your confidence. ALWAYS keep in mind your personal vision – your compass of where you are heading. Make sure that your priorities are aligned with the vision that you set for yourself.

5. Sleep on your plan and actions. Allow your heart and soul to digest what you really want to accomplish. Give yourself time to take in your fresh start idea before jumping in right away and easily getting overwhelmed. The next day, or three, you’ll discover what you are truly inspired and committed to achieving. You’ll also discover what you left out and which actions are “shoulds” and “ought tos” that can either be eliminated or delegated.

6. Pray about your plan and what you are up to. Ask for guidance, wisdom, direction and support. Then listen with open ears, heart and mind.

7. Do what you are committed and called to do in order to thrive, flourish and succeed in your career. Take action to manifest your fresh start and new beginning.

Althea McIntyre is a Chicago-based coach, mentor and speaker.

She loves helping clients thrive in their careers by teaching them how to follow their hearts, leverage their strengths and work from their power and soul.

Receive your FREE copy of 12 Practices To Thrive In Your Career and other career success tips by signing up below.

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