The long lazy days of summer always tempt me to slow down, work less and savor the fruits and outdoor concerts.  Now that I run an Italian ice cart in downtown Ann Arbor, my summer’s are far busier and brimming with projects and work.
So when I wrote about summer job search for the Washington Post and ways to network at summer picnics for Glassdoor.com, I felt the heat rising on summer as a work-able season. Businesses move full speed ahead in the summer months (and some are in overdrive). Many people land jobs in July and August, and many more get interviews that lead to jobs in September.
Yet sometimes the summer slowdown still beckons. So lately, I’ve been using summer to swing my motivation into super-speed, and you could too. Consider these :
* August is a great time for temping. It’s also a great time to sign on for contracts for projects that must be finished in the fall. August ranks as one of the biggest months for vacations, and yet projects and products still need to launch in the coming months. So polish up your resume and approach three temporary agencies this month. (For more on picking a temping agency see my AARP Bulletin article . )
* Reward yourself with a picnic or watermelon. Set a couple of goals for the week — whether it’s writing, promotion, outreach or developing relationships or LinkedIn profile. Make sure it’s a goal you can achieve – like contacting five human resources or hiring managers or finishing two chapters in a book  you are writing. Then when you achieve them, help yourself to a luscious serving of summer.
* Use summer’s beauty to inspire you. Take a small note pad along for your morning walk to capture ideas. When you’re on a garden tour, introduce yourself to the organizers – or better yet volunteer to be a docent. Saunter through a farmer’s market and make note of those that are thriving – they may need a part-time social media manager or marketer. As you kayak or hike, use the tranquility to restore your balance and build your confidence.
* Plan for summer bliss. Even if you’re jobless, you have friends who are going on vacation. Maybe you could stay at their house for a week as a “get away time.” Or plan a couple of pool parties at your neighbor’s pool and offer to bring along lemonade and plenty of fresh vegetables and dip as a summer snack. Take a long weekend to see friends – and don’t plan any networking or job search during mini vacation. If it happens anyway, that’s organic growth.

And as my articles pointed out, people are sometimes more open to conversation and networking at summer social events. Here’s some of the Washington Post tips from Kate Wendelton of the Five O’Clock Club and Tom Dezell, author of “Networking for the Novice, Nervous or Naive Job Seeker,”
Just don’t spend too much time in conversation about your career strategies at the picnic or garden tour. Save that for indoors on a work day when success — not sunshine and summer games – is the focal point.

Article links:

Washington Post summer search heats up:  http://bit.ly/cJXwAi  and sidebar / tips: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/10/AR2010071001115.html?waporef=obinsite

Glassdoor blog post: http://www.glassdoor.com/blog/working-summer-picnic/

AARP Bulletin temping can be tempting but requires research http://bit.ly/9ONrsF

If you missed the university graduation yet want to encourage the graduate, we have another shelf of great books to inspire and advise graduates.

Some of them show up in my short Washington Post article this weekend – recommended by a bookseller at Politics & Prose in D.C.  among others. Others show up here, recommended by Nicola Rooney, owner of another independent book store in Ann Arbor, and by Martha Finney, a former journalist and author. A couple come from the Books for a Better Life Award, given annually to exceptional self-help and motivational titles.

Finney, a former business writer now writes books such as “Rebound / A Proven Plan for Starting Over After Job Loss ” and “HR from the Heart / Inspiring Stories and Strategies …..” Finney also runs team-building workshops and speaks and consults on employee engagement.

Self-Reliance and Other Essays, by Ralph Waldo Emerson.  The  American philosopher tells us that it’s necessary to think for ourselves and not abandon our sense of right and wrong, especially facing external, societal pressures to take the easy route. “Although he lived and wrote in the 19th Century, his thoughts about independence and individualism are as relevant and inspiring today as they were when the ink was still fresh.”

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World: An Entrepreneur’s Odyssey to Educate the World’s Children, by John Wood. This wonderful story shows the power an individual has to make a difference to millions of strangers, with more than a little bit of help from his friends. Said Finney: “If I were to give this book to a new graduate, I hope its lessons would inspire my young friend to stay hopeful, energetic, observant, grateful, and passionate about the world.”

Find Your Calling, Love Your Life, by Martha I. Finney and Deborah Dasch.  This is a hopeful, inspiring collection of interviews with ordinary Americans who discovered who they are and their place in the world through adventures in finding their right life’s work. Although out of print, Finney is kindly offering a free ebook. Request a copy from her: martha@marthafinney.com.

The Books for a Better Life awards, given annually by the the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s New York Chapter, include several worth considering. These winners are from this year’s awards and include book descriptions culled from Amazon.com and various book reviews:

Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder, Random House, won in the inspirational memoir category. It tells the story of a medical student who flees the horrors of war-gorn Africa and arrives with $200 and delivers groceries to well-to-do New Yorkers. The New York Times called the book “one of the truly stunning books…this year.”

Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives By Nicholas A. Christakis M.D. and James H. Fowler won the psychology award. Book describes the science of our connections – and how they spread happiness, weight gain and political views.

Nicola Rooney owner of Nicola’s Books in Ann Arbor is a former engineer who says her choices “reflect my analytical tendencies. Choosing a career is too important to leave just to touchy feely.” Her choices:
Discover What You’re best At by Linda Gale, Fireside Books. The premise: You enjoy doing things you are good at, so for a happy career, pick one that matches your skills.  The book sets out several tests to pinpoint your skill set, then using the reults guide in the back, it groups the type of career path that utilizes those skills. For anyone who is uncertain which direction to take, this book give some great pointers and may broaden your outlook into new areas.

What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles,  Ten Speed Press. Now in its 40th year, still probably the best, most practical, proven method for organizing your job search. It’s useful for new job seekers, as well as mid career job shifts.  The book is updated every year to reflect the current job market, but is solidly based on experience and covers much more than just resume writing and interview techniques. (Elmer aside: See my Washington Post interview with Bolles from a year ago for a sampling of his  search strategies thinking.)

Do What You Are:  Discover the Perfect Career for You through the Secrets of Personality Type. By Paul Tieger and Barbara Barron  Little Brown  This one counterbalances the first one,with its focus on the good match between your temperament and your job equaling a rewarding outcome.  The book explains Personality Types, using the Myers-Briggs system.  Myers -Briggs tests are conducted by professionals, but the ideas in the book are valuable in general for instilling some structure into planning your career.  It offers suggestions on career paths likely to suit your personality.

I will suggest a few books myself, and serve up a few more suggestions from my experts, in my third post on inspiring graduates books that will be posted by Wednesday.

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My thanks to Martha Finney and Nicola Rooney for their contributions to this blog. I am friendly with both of them, but have no business relationships. Nor do I earn anything from the sale of any of these books.

Graduates this year are leaving commencement and entering a work world that has challenges and opportunities, holes and hopefulness, continuity and lots of change.

So they may need extra guidance on establishing their careers and navigating the complexities of being the new kid in a company that laid off one in five workers just months earlier. Or they may take a job they don’t really like, just to land safely. (The acceptance rate rose sharply among college graduates this year, and one fourth of them have jobs waiting for them, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.)

If you know a graduate and are wondering what to give her or him, I’ve asked some creative and smart people who love books to recommend their best picks for young adults. The books are a mix of career, business and life titles – some old and some new. And the blog post comes in two part, with a second helping of ideas including some of my choices.

The selections and  commentary come directly from my respected colleagues and from an independent bookstore in Ann Arbor that I appreciate. I hope they will prove valuable for high school and college graduates, though they are aimed primarily at the university departures.

Here then are the great books for grads, part 1:

Barbara J. Winter, author of Making a Living Without a Job and a woman who leads seminars on being “joyfully jobless” also calls herself a “passionate reader” and intrepid traveler. Barbara Winter’s picks:

1. ROADTRIP NATION by Mike Marriner and Nathan Gebhard. The book began with a conversation between two college friends who realized they had very few ideas about career options. They set off on a cross-country trip to interview people doing unique and interesting things and along the way got excited about their own futures.

2.  A WHOLE NEW MIND by Daniel H. Pink is subtitled Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. Pink makes a strong case for preparing for the future by learning to think like a creative innovator. And he shows us how to do that.

3. MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE by Bill Strickland is the inspiring and astonishing story of the author’s courage to dream bigger and make his Pittsburgh ghetto a better place to live. Along the way, he impacts thousands of lives by helping others do the same. He shows us that a nurturing environment can erase years of bad lessons.  (I heartily recommend this one too.)

4 .College grads will  find plenty of encouragement in a new book called DELIVERING HAPPINESS by Tony Hsieh, the founder of Zappos. It’s an inside look at how this Harvard grad become a successful entrepreneur and inspiration to employees.

Jim Pawlak has a varied background: He worked for Ford Motor Credit for a decade, then wrote about job search and careers for several newspapers, including the Detroit Free Press, where I helped him launch his writing career. He still writes Biz Books for newspapers including the Dallas Morning News. Pawlak’s picks:

5.  101 THINGS  I LEARNED IN BUSINESS SCHOOL by Michael Pries, Grand Central Publishing, $15.  It’s Business Basics 101 – ideal for the liberal arts grads who haven’t taken business courses.  Good guide to understanding how business does business.

6. FULL THROTTLE: 122 STRATEGIES TO SUPERCHARGE YOUR PERFORMANCE AT WORK by Greg Steinberg, John Wiley & Sons, $22.95.  Find your passion.  Create your path.  Make the committment.  Enjoy your journey.

7. MOJO – HOW TO GET IT, HOW TO KEEP IT by Marshall Goldsmith, Hyperion Books, $26.99. When you’ve got your mojo working, you’re in the make-it-happen zone.  You push boundaries.  Without mojo, you remain in your let-it-happen comfort or danger zone.

Rachel Pastiva, manager of Crazy Wisdom, an independent bookseller and tea room in downtown  Ann Arbor, is surrounded by books on subjects ranging from natural health to world religions to careers. Her  Crazy Wisdom recommendations for grads:

8. DIY U: EDUPUNKS, EDUPRENEURS AND THE COMING TRANSFORMATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION by Anya Kamentz. Not a light read by any means, this book is a serious look at the cost of higher education and why it needs to change. I  recommend this book as a gift to high school graduates or any graduate considering further education. It’s a good primer on higher education in the United States that will inspire students to actively contemplate what they want from their future.

9. GUARDIANS OF BEING words by Eckhart Tolle and art by Patrick McDonnell. While  this is a great gift book for anyone, t will particularly resonate with animal lovers and dog lovers. Whimsically illustrated by the creator of the comic strip Mutts, this book reminds us how to live in the moment. This is Pastiva’s personal favorite. This is not a book to read once! Each reading of this beautiful book offers new insight and inspiration.

10. YOU MAJORED IN WHAT? MAPPING YOUR PATH FROM CHAOS TO CAREER by Katharine Brooks, ED.D. This is a great title for students graduating college who are looking for guidance on what career path to pursue. Unlike any other book on careers, this book helps the reader map out his/her unique path by assessing not only education, but life experiences and other interests.

A big thanks to Crazy Wisdom and Rachel Pastiva, Jim Pawlak and Barbara Winter for generously sharing their time and wisdom. While I’m friendly with all three and actively support independent booksellers, I have no business relationship with any of them or in mentioning any of these books.

It’s 3:51 a.m. and I’m wide awake. I’ve answered two questions on LinkedIn and done some work on my Brazen Careerist profile. Now I’m ready to find another task to undertake.

Insomnia comes into my nights fairly regularly. So I’m starting to make use of the time – often two or three hours that always seem to start around 3 a.m.

This is the first time I’ve written a blog post, but I have written a lot of emails and provided some Answers on LinkedIn. As I hope you know, the Answers section is a great place to showcase your expertise and provide someone some insights, information, connections and well, answers.

If you’re actively managing your career, you  too can use this night time window of time to your advantage. Here’s seven ideas for insomniac career success:

1. Build your network. Send requests to connect to five former colleagues on LinkedIn or Facebook. (I’m actively building my LinkedIn profile and presence so if you already know me, please be in touch.)
2. Upload a new photo of yourself to your profiles. Your old one may not be professional enough, or give the vibe you want.
3. If you’re worried about something, do some research and reading so you feel more prepared. I’ve done this lately on my seasonal teen-jobs and Italian ice business Mity Nice, and I always feel better when I’ve done some due diligence.
4. Write a couple of Twitter posts. Send one and save a couple for tomorrow, when you’re tired and can’t think of anything worthwhile to say. Better yet, answer someone’s Twitter query with something helpful or funny.
5. Update your Success file with a few recent accomplishments, praise notes, etc.  If you don’t have one of these, it’s so worthwhile. It is similar to a resume but more eclectic: Use it to record and recall your successes – very useful when you’re asked to tell about yourself or need to boost your confidence.
6. Set up a Google alert on a career topic that’s crucial right now. And if you haven’t already, set up another to watch for any mentions of yourself. (If you have a common name, come up with a second or third term to make sure it’s not the woman across the country or in the next city who shares your name.)
7. Write a thank you note to two people who helped you recently. Yes, I mean pen to note card and while you’re at it, send your Mom or Aunt Lil a card telling them how much you love them.

And if you’re still not feeling ready to return to bed, read a chapter in a a career or self-help book. I like Adaptability by M.J. Ryan and just finished Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years and appreciate his message of changing your life like you’d revise a manuscript or story. These books may not put you to sleep, but they will put you in a better frame of mind.

And yes, when the yawns come, give into the need for sleep. First though, set your alarm back 20 minutes, and add a few extra spoonfuls of coffee to your machine.

Turn it on today.  It’s Tuesday -  and it’s the most productive day of the week.

That’s the view from the executive suite, and a 2008 Accountemps survey of 150 top managers at major companies. Some 57 percent picked the third day of the week  – yes, that’s Tuesday — as the day staffers really work at peak performance.

Mondays don’t make it because of all the catch-up and meetings, though they used to rate higher on productivity measures.

Forget about Fridays – those are the days when weekends beckon and some staffers are already missing.

And the other weekdays garnered barely one in 10 productivity picks.

Tuesday also was named the most productive day in Accountemps surveys in 2002, 1998 and 1987. The reason officials give: Tuesday’s efforts establish momentum for the rest of the week.

At Ruby Tuesday’s on Wisconsin Avenue in Washington, Tuesdays are one of the busiest days. “Tuesday is a day when they come out for lunch. Lunch is like the Wilson Bridge at the height of rush hour,” said assistant manager Mike Burke. “Everybody is trying to get into one space at one time.”

So staff move fast -  and customers mostly eat fast so they can get back to work and rev up their output.

If you’re looking to use your Tuesday wisely, consider the advice from Alicia Hicks, a B2B sales expert who writes SellingWoman. She suggests filling the day with “client meetings you are excited about, the kind where you have the best likelihood of leaving with a signed contract.”

Or consider the advice from Accountemps, when they proclaimed Tuesday’s importance:

• Sharpen your focus. Cluster tasks that require similar efforts or resources into one timeframe.
• Plan your day. Map out your desired accomplishments each morning.
• Don’t delay. Procrastination doesn’t work, so start chipping away at the chores.

My favorite productivity tool is a to do list – right there on a yellow pad I see everything I hope to accomplish for a day or two. And I’m also partial to a couple of productivity blogs, though too much time on them can eat into my productive Tuesdays or Thursdays. One I like is Stepcase’s LifeHack. Or check out a couple more Accountemps’  Tuesday  productivity tips here.

This posting was adapted and rewritten from a Working item I created for the Washington Post. I hold the copyright to these. In the interest of being more productive and thoughtful about reusing my writing, I am offering some of them on WorkingKind.

V

“Perhaps imagination is only intelligence having fun.”  ~George Scialabba, book critic, essayist.

Imagine your life and work infused with creativity. It’s not only possible, it’s available to us with only a little effort.

Anyone can have more fun while increasing their creative and imaginative muscles. And it doesn’t take a trip to some fancy creativity camp in Sedona, Ariz., or any new software or hardware for our laptops.

All it requires is 15 minutes a day and embracing and acknowledging ourselves as creative people who are opening up to our ideas, interpretations and imaginative approaches to work and life.

Break out the poetry, the balloons, the games. Here’s my 15 ways to increase your creativity in 15 minutes or less:

1. Take a walk around the block. Take time to appreciate the beauty, the energy, the surprises there.

2. Brew a new flavor of tea, and then savor it away from your desk.

3. Meditate. If you are able, use a phrase that affirms your creativity.

4. Browse in your favorite shop for the brightest, the cheapest, the funniest item.

5. Play with your dog or cat — or child. A quick game or a run around the yard will revive your spirits.

6. List your creative projects and successes. Take a few minutes to look back at a favorite project, poem or piece of work – it will reinforce your talents and confidence — and encourage you to use them wisely today.

7. Watch the clouds go by your window. Better yet, go outside and locate the cloud dragon.

8.  Read three poems aloud. Or one chapter in some trashy novel or escapist book.

9.  Call an inspired or upbeat friend for a creativity chat.

10. Pull out your magic wand or your magic feather (ok, a colorful pencil will work too). Be a wizard for 10 minutes.

11.  Take a new route to work. Take a different street to go to the gym. Vary your way to the coffee shop. Enjoy the journey and don’t worry if you get a little lost. It’s part of your creative path.

12. If you work from home or an office with a locker room, take a shower and sing something silly.  Have notebook handy afterward for great thoughts ideas that show up.

13. Develop a daily ritual or mantra that underscores your creative abilities. Write it down. Post it on your desktop, bulletin board, mirror. Doodle it on your to do list or legal pad.

14.  Engage your brain in something frivolous. Here’s two possibilties:  A: Which cartoon character is most like me? My boss? My best friend?  And how could I make one cartoon show that captures what’s happening today, but more funny? B: Which super powers do I really really want?  And which super hero really is the one I most resemble? What would I be doing right now if I were X Man or Wonder Woman?

15. Sign up for a class at the Y, Parks & Rec, the local community college or elsewhere – something new and foreign and surprising. Something that will require effort and put you in new spaces with different kinds of people. (I admit: The class will take more tan 15 minutes – but it could bring you so much inspiration and newness, worth the time investment in creative dividends.)

Only a couple of these  ideas requires you to spend more time hunched over your computer and staring at the same piles and projects on your desk.  Instead, I’m focused on activities that encourage you to move out of  the workspace and into your new groove.

Leave work behind for 10 or 15 minutes and your brain opens up to fresh perspectives and possibilities.  That’s why my favorite creativity refresher means taking a walk outside and embracing whatever and whoever I find there.

Before I head out for a few blocks in the sunshine, I’ll close with this from PBS journalist and great thinker Bill Moyers: “Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous.”

It’s easy to get discouraged when you’ve fallen off your career track and feel the weight of your misstep on your reputation and your resume.

Yet so many famous and successful people have been fired, screwed up their careers and otherwise needed to stage a comeback.  Harvey Mackay featured dozens of amazing people – from Michael Bloomberg to Larry King to tennis great Billie Jean King in his book “We Got Fired!…. And It’s the Best Thing that Ever Happened to Us!”  It came out a few years ago and I still refer to it as a powerful reminder that sudden departures can open doors.

My recent Washington Post article gave some advice oncareer comebacks.

One of the experts for the piece is John A. Sarkett, who compiled two books “Extraordinary Comebacks” and “Extraordinary Comebacks 2.”  He’s an marketing and public relations firm owner in the Chicago area who blogs about comebacks.

He believes the one essential trait of the 450 people in his two books is simple: “They never gave up.”

“Some forge ahead with great family support, others don’t have that, in fact they have instead the derision of their family (restaurateur and Food Network star Paula Deen).  Some of our comeback stories are genius visionaries, some are very ordinary people.  But they all have desire,” Sarkett told me.

As part of our email interviews, Sarkett provided these seven smart actions for making your way back:

1. PERSIST. Don’t quit.  It took Sir Edmund Hillary two attempts to climb Everest, Perry eight times to reach the North Pole, and various authors scores and sometimes hundreds of tries to get their works published. “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.”  Sir Winston Churchill.
2. WORK HARD. Great “comebackers” use every hour in the day: Food Network star Paula Deen barbecued late at night; boxer George Foreman out-trained younger fighters to win the championship.  You may find your comeback  in the effort you make.
3. UNDERSTAND TRANSIENCE. Don’t extrapolate temporary setbacks into permanent defeat.  It won’t last. Lance Armstrong was given a tiny chance to survive cancer, yet he won seven Tour de Frances.   Churchill again:  “When you’re going through hell, keep going.”
4. CHANGE DIRECTION. Sylvester Stallone was stymied as an actor, so he wrote Rocky after seeing the Wepner-Ali fight.  Quincy Jones was a talented trumpeter, but after a stroke, he had to quit. He transformed into a renowned music producer.
5. DEVELOP SUPPORT. Stay away from  nay-sayers, even if they’re famous or going to be. Hang out with friends who won’t let you quit.
6. STAY HUMBLE. Attitude  is everything.  When tennis master Andre Agassi fell from No. 1 to No. 141 as he abused drugs including crystal meth , he started over, back to the minor leagues, upped his training.  It set the stage for greater things.  Attitude – not image – is everything.
7. DREAM BIG. Your effort and ideas are worth many times what you may imagine.  Fred Smith wrote a college paper that got a “C,” as the story goes, then turned it into $40 billion FedEx.  J.K. Rowling wrote her ideas about a fictional boy.  Harry Potter sold 100 million copies, and $4 billion movie box office, and counting.  You too can more than you imagine.  Dream big.

These “to dos” were edited down from Sarkett’s original list and they are valuable even if all you can muster is following three of them.

Sarkett also thinks Tiger Wood’s fall from grace after an accident and disclosure of his string of affairs carries an important message for anyone who’s making it today. Woods showed up in Sarkett’s first book after rebuilding his golf swing. Now he has a bigger comeback to stage. The lesson: “No matter where you’re at, you’re not more than one day’s drive from a comedown and that life is nothing but a series of comebacks strung together.”

If you’ve been jobless for a while, you’re probably sick of the advice on using LinkedIn or effective networking. And you may feel worn out or burned out by the silence or lack of opportunities.

You may be ready for a “pause that refreshes.” With the Oscars upon us, it’s time to tune in to some motivating movies that work for job seekers.

These movies are intended to cheer your up, to see your problems in a broader light. You need some flicks that will encourage, inspire and remind you that life goes in cycles. So just when things seem bleakest, that’s when the hero – sometimes an aging boxer, sometimes a career challenged creative director – tears off her jacket and leaps into action.

So switch off the evening news and switch on these 10 motivating movies for job hunters, recommended by some of the smartest career and motivational types I know.

1. The Pursuit of Happyness.

I love this Will Smith movie, based on the true tale of Chris, a salesman down on his luck but eager to bring back a good life. He and his 5-year-old are homeless in San Francisco, yet always clean, caring and connected. The movie shows the importance of faith even when things look bleak, and how determination – and a zeal to build your future – make all the difference. It’s a feel-good movie that will make you want to hug someone and hustle on your own behalf.

2. Cinderella Man.

Recommended by Emmanuel Lopez, who calls himself Motivatorman and blogs about motivation and movies.  It’s based on the true story of boxer Jim Braddock, who struggles to feed his family and keep life together in the Great Depression. It shows job seekers how to use their passion as energy and focus, and tells of the hidden opportunities that show up in work outside your line. See more from Lopez’s piece in the Examiner.

3. Avatar.

Recommended by Susan Joyce developer of the popular site Job-Hunt.org , this flick shows how humans enter a strange and beautiful world using fast blue avatars, and how one of them changes his nature and his allegiance as he becomes more and more connected there.  “A resume, LinkedIn Profile, etc. is a job seeker’s avatar.  Not blue and sparkly and incredibly athletic, but… something that works in the job search world,” Joyce said.  “I don’t think that people need to ‘morph’ into blue beings, but they need to put their best “presence” forward.” Job seekers need to “battle to get a job, using guerrilla tactics to fight through to win the job,” she said, even if  interviewing and networking feels like a 3-D jungle.

4. Braveheart.

Part history, party mythology, this movie tells of a common Scotsman who fights for his country’s freedom. Recommended by Maryland Professional Outplacement Assistance director Steve Gallison, who says it shows “lots of blood but lots of guts/nerve …. a small group of people with a plan ably managed overcoming huge obstacles. It stresses teamwork, alliances and persistence to reach an objective.” He adds his takeaway: “Every man dies but not every man really lives.”

5. It’s Complicated.

Suggested by career coach Barbara Herzog, the movie tells of a middle aged woman, played by Meryl Streep, who runs a high end bakery and is courted by her ex-husband. After consideration, she chooses a dull architect instead.  “She knows when it’s  time to move on,” said Herzog, “a moral that may be  comforting to people who have hated their jobs or bosses, even while mourning the loss of those jobs. ”

6. The Shawshank Redemption.

Lopez, who blogs on careers and motivation, likes this Morgan Freeman movie about an escape from prison for its optimistic mindset and resilience. He also appreciates the character played by Tim Robbins problem-solving and careful strategy – traits that will help anyone’s career. Read more about his perspective on this film here.

7. Lemonade – The Movie.

Joyce suggested this, even before she’d seen it, since it shows how more than a dozen advertising types reinvented themselves after layoffs. Filmed documentary style, by someone who was himself laid off, it has this inspiring tagline: “It’s not a pink slip, it’s a blank page.”  The trailer looks very promising – and the DVD, available for $9.99 apiece, might be worthwhile for a job hunt club to acquire. I am looking forward to seeing this one soon. and may write more about it.

8. Julie and Julia.

This is my pick – and one of my passions too. When the director of her cooking school told Julia Child in her snooty French accent that she had no talent in preparing food, Julia just kept going. She wrote cook books, taught and ended up a legend. She inspired millions to try French cooking and Julie, a cubicle worker, to cook all her recipes and blog about them. I recommend this movie, starring Merrill Streep, because of its multiple messages. It shows the importance of plunging in, trying new things – and having faith in yourself. “They discovered I was fearless,” Child says of the men in her cooking school. It also shows that even mild women like Julie can achieve great things, if they take it one step or one recipe at a time.

9. Pay It Forward.

Maryland’s Steve Gallison recommends this story of a boy’s social studies assignment, which though he doesn’t realize it, spreads from city to city. Assigned to come up with some idea that will improve “change the world,” the kid believes if he completes three major good deeds for someone, they will pay it forward” and good things will spread out. The movie, Gallison believes, reminds unemployed people how they can help others – whether by pointing out job listings or sharing resources in a job hunt group.

10. The Full Monty.

Six unemployed steelworkers in England are looking for a way to make money in this classic film recommended by Herzog – and by me. They decide to perform in the nude, showing “the full monty.” It’s a dicey project in their small town, yet they come together, “make some money, have some fun and everybody’s morale improves,” Herzog said.  They also learn a lot about themselves, and about starting something new.

Of course, none of these movies will win you a job or even an interview. They won’t even help you prepare for the next interviews. But they will help you appreciate and enjoy  life, even amid adversity and setbacks.

I plan to post another 10 motivating movies in a week or so, and welcome your suggestions on what flicks inspire, encourage and refresh. Send them to me at Vickie@WorkingKind.com or leave them as a comment here.  As Steve Gallison said, “we must seek sources of encouragement for ourselves and reach out to others.”