July 2003

Celebrating 2 Years in Business

When I started The Ginac Group, Inc. two years ago, my plan was to build a company that helped a diverse group of people with their career development needs. My definition of career development involved helping people clarify goals, improve performance and find meaningful work. I never imagined that career development could mean so much more. Not only has The Ginac Group provided career strategies and tactics to help people become more resilient in the workplace, we have also changed lives in meaningful ways.

In two years, we've worked with over a hundred men and women ranging in age from 24 to 60, with varying backgrounds, ethnicity, beliefs, educational levels and work experience. We have guided this diverse group of people through a myriad of complex career issues, ranging from finding employment and changing careers to dealing with same-sex sexual harassment and overcoming dual career stress.

Our organizational career management and planning services practice has also grown. Today, we offer services to a number of businesses nationwide. We help employers provide their employees with the means to adjust, perform, improve and advance in the workplace. Our core services include Individual and Group Coaching, Individual and Group Assessment, Career Program Management Implementation and Diverse Population Career Planning.

I would like to thank all of our valued clients and friends for their continued support and referrals. You have all enriched my life in so many ways. Your support has enabled us to enhance the lives of so many wonderful people. We look forward to helping more of you achieve your goals in the months and years ahead.

Success Stories
Many of your friends and neighbors are in the midst of a formidable career crisis. Below are two stories of people who overcame numerous barriers to achieve positive results in their lives and careers:

The Situation: Roger is a 38-year-old software sales executive who has overcome numerous barriers only to find himself in the midst of a formidable career crisis. The crisis originated after Roger's bungee-jumping career advancement initiative during the dot-com boom. Following the boom, he experienced three lay-offs, one contract non-renewal and most recently lost his job as the VP of Sales. Roger was referred to me by a friend concerned about his depression, declining self-confidence and lack of progress in his job search. When I met Roger he'd been unemployed for six months and was living off credit cards. He didn't have an income and he lost a significant amount of money in the stock market. This problem not only affected him deeply but also his family. His marriage was strained, overdue bills were piling up by the dozens, and his children required financial assistance with school.

The Solution: The Ginac Group worked with Roger to build up a realistic view of work and of the local job market. A customized career plan was created that consisted of specific job search deliverables to be accomplished daily. We also introduced Roger to a financial planner who helped the family develop a plan to overcome their financial hardship and build for the future. After six weeks of dedicated effort, Roger accepted an executive-level sales job with an Austin company. In addition to helping Roger find meaningful work, the career development process changed his self-image, improved his marriage and saved his home. Roger's wife also benefited greatly from engaging in the process. She accepted a part-time position and is now working outside the home for the first time in 20 years.

The Situation: John and Emily have been married for five years and are ready to start a family. They both have high stress jobs, work an average of 70 hours a week each, and travel up to 40 percent per month. Emily contacted The Ginac Group because she was experiencing guilt and anxiety over pursuing her career interests and raising a family. Emily was torn between climbing the ladder higher and remaining at her current level. She was concerned that advancement would diminish the quality of her relationship with John and squash all chances of having a healthy family.

The Solution: We worked with John and Emily to help them gain clarity and understanding on the level of commitment and tradeoffs that are required to sustain a successful dual-career family. A career plan was implemented that enabled John and Emily to maintain the integrity of their careers and build a foundation for a balanced, more fulfilling dual-career lifestyle.

Ask the Coach
Kevin writes: My job was cut because our IT organization decided to outsource much of development and quality assurance offshore. Is this a trend I can expect more of from U.S. companies?

The Career Coach responds: You raise a very sensitive issue and one that is gaining wide media attention in 2003. CNN Money, in an article entitled U.S. Jobs Jumping Ship released on May 2, 2003, indicates that numerous industries are jumping onboard the offshore outsourcing bandwagon. "More than 40 percent of US enterprises will have completed some type of pilot or will be sourcing IT (information technology) services," Gartner Inc. (IT: Research, Estimates), a technology consulting firm, said in a study late last year. Companies are outsourcing to countries like India, Russia, China and the Philippines because they believe they can get better quality work and better value for their money. Before you accept your next job, you should develop a set of questions to ask during the interview phase that will give you insight into a company's offshore strategy over the next 5 years and what that will mean for you.

Faced with a career crisis, obstacle or difficult situation? Send your questions and concerns to the Career Coach at coach@ginacgroup.com.

Bad News for Generation X
Between 2000 to 2002, the household income of those under 35 dropped 14% -- the biggest decline of any age group, according to the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances.

During 2002, the unemployment rate for 25-to-34-year-olds rose higher than that of 45-to-54-year-olds and even those over 55.

Faced with the challenge of developing and retaining your best employees to improve organizational effectiveness?

The Ginac Group, Inc. offers Organizational Career Management services that provide employees with the means to adjust, perform, improve and advance in the workplace. Our organizational services include:

Individual and Group Coaching

• Identify and implement professional career goals.
• Understand career decision-making processes.
• Identify performance improvement areas.
• Understand social contextual conditions affecting employees' careers.
• Recognize and understand biases and attitudes toward work and workers based on gender, race, and cultural stereotypes.
• Support and challenge employees to examine life-work roles, including the balance of work, family, and community in their careers.

Individual and Group Assessment

• Assess personal characteristics such as aptitude, achievement, interests, values, and personality traits.
• Assess learning style, life roles, self-concept, career maturity, vocational identity, career indecision, work environment preference (e.g., work satisfaction), and other related life style/development issues.
• Assess conditions of the work environment (e.g., tasks).
• Identify and evaluate staff competencies.

Career Program Management Implementation

• Implement programs in career development for specified populations.
• Plan, organize, and manage a comprehensive career resource center.
• Mount a marketing campaign to support career development activities and services.

Diverse Population Career Planning

• Identify developmental needs unique to various diverse populations, including those of different gender, sexual orientation, ethnic group, race, and physical or mental capacity.
• Define career development programs to accommodate needs unique to various diverse populations.
• Identify alternative approaches to meet career planning needs for individuals of various diverse populations.

To learn more about how we can help you reduce turnover, increase performance and improve morale, call us at 512-633-7121 for a free briefing. Visit us at www.ginacgroup.com.