How do you choose your next gig?

If you’re Bonnie Hunt, the answer is "Yes", that is how you choose your new gig.

At this point, you may be asking; “Who on earth is Bonnie Hunt, and what is she saying ‘yes’ to?”. Bonnie is the actress who played the concerned sister in Jerry Maguire, as well as the unbelievably patient mom in Cheaper by the Dozen. She is also the voice of Sally Carrera in the new Pixar film "Cars".

“Cars” opening weekend brought in $62.8 million dollars – or, to look at it in a different light, about 62 million litres of gasoline (enough to get your Ford Explorer to the moon and back!). As I am passionate about automobiles, our family made the trip to Movie Mecca to sit at the feet of the BIG SCREEN. We were thoroughly entertained by the gods of animation at Pixar.

When speaking to a reporter about getting the call from Pixar founder John Lasseter, who co-wrote and directed “Cars”, Bonnie said; "When I saw John Lasseter on my caller ID, I just said ‘yes’. You are guaranteed to become part of a team – not only are they creative geniuses, but they are kind, fair and very generous. In this business, that is a rare combo."

Bonnie is a talented actress. She has options, but she knows what she wants and where she can excel. It is not just doing the job that counts - it is the team and the "fit", what kind of leadership she excels with – essentially, it’s about the whole package. Because it is so clear to her what she wants and what she can bring to a project, her decisions are easy ones.

One of the key areas I see as a real help with clients is in getting this part clear – what is your perfect package? Then, it is all about getting to the “yes”, and who doesn't want that? If you need help finding your fit, visit us online at www.careerjoy.com.

On the road with you,

Alan Kearns

The vacation results are in

We had a tremendous response to last week's email on
vacations. The winner of our "Tell Us Your Vacation
Story" contest is Pam Soltesz. She has won a
copy of "Unforgettable things to do before you die" by
Watkins & Jones. Here is her story:

A couple of years ago, my husband and I decided to
take a TWO WEEK vacation. He had never taken two
weeks in a row and he was 52 at the time! He was
horrified at the thought of two whole weeks without
working. However, we decided to go to the east coast
because we had never been there.

We did not make any reservations, deciding instead to
just take things as they came. This was a huge step
for my husband because he is not a spontaneous
person and really likes to have plans cemented in place
before taking a step out the front door!

Our destination was actually PEI, so that's where we
decided to head for first. We crossed the
Confederation Bridge and stopped at the Travellers
Information station on PEI - a huge and lovely facility
strategically placed where tourists like us could find it
(what a great idea!). There we discovered numerous
brochures on everthing and everywhere in PEI, and the
other Atlantic provinces.

We decided on a B&B, and found our way to a lovely
spot we called home for 4 days while exploring the
island. Our hosts were wonderful, the room was
exquisite, and the breakfasts were to die for.

Once done with PEI, we took the ferry across to the
mainland and headed for Cape Breton. We had been
told by others to be sure to visit the Cabot Trail, so
that's what we did. What an adventure exploring all
the nooks and crannies of this stunning part of our
country. At the end of the first day we found another
B&B for the night, and then immediately headed off to a
local ceilagh (kay-lee) where we received a history
lesson on the roots of the communities that make up
Cape Breton, and then heard the most toe-tapping
fiddle music we have ever heard. It was like a step
back in time and I could feel my blood pressure
dropping and the stress oozing out of every pore of my
body - and we were only at day 6!

We travelled on into Nova Scotia, staying at B&B's we
discovered along our way, toured the Halifax waterfront
with its fascinating marine museums and ships to
explore, and then headed on to Peggy's Cove. Little
did we know that the very day we were visiting this
postcard-picture-perfect community was the
anniversary of the SwissAir 111 airplane disaster. News
crews were set up and some family members had come
to pay their respects to those who perished that
terrible night, but also to thank the local people for
their bravery, courage and generosity through that
ordeal. It was quite moving to be there at that
time.

Our entire trip was like that - every time we turned a
corner there were new vistas to see, places to explore
and wonderfully warm and friendly people to meet. By
the time we finally arrived back home in Brampton,
outside Toronto, it felt as though we had been gone for
a month, we were so relaxed!!

This journey, that began as a vague plan to go to PEI,
ended up to be one of the very best vacation times we
have ever experienced, and deepened our love for
Canada and her people. So much did we enjoy
ourselves, that this year we are planning to explore
New Brunswick the very same way. We can hardly
wait!

Best wishes to Pam and to the rest of you - we hope
your vacation is just as relaxing!

On the road with you,

Alan Kearns

Would you like to take a vacation?

It’s that time of year again, when we start getting our bags packed for our summer trip to Europe. Ten glorious days on a ship, followed by a two-month vacation in France, and then, (sigh), I awake from my dream.

I am back in the year 2006, but at least I was right about one thing - that wonderful time of the year we call summer is fast approaching! My children and I are really excited to have no schedule and lots of fun.

According to Expedia.com, the workforce will leave 574 million vacation days untouched this year, which is an increase from last year’s record of 421 million. I wouldn't exactly call that an encouraging trend. Upon researching the subject, I came across some interesting facts I wanted to share with you. The following is a short list of the number of compulsory vacation days instituted in different countries around the world:

Brazil: 30 consecutive days

China: 0 days

Canada: 10 days

European Union: 4 weeks (more in some countries)

Finland: 5 weeks

Israel: 14 days

Japan: 5 weeks

Tunisia: 30 days

United States: 10 days

If you are planning a company transfer, my advice would be to avoid China and shoot for Finland!

In a study by the University of New York State, researchers followed a group of 1200 men aged 35 - 57. The results of the study suggested that the men who took their vacations every year reduced their overall risk of death by 20% and heart disease by 30%. Those who hadn't taken a vacation in over 5 years suffered the highest overall death rate and highest incidence of heart disease.

So the real question is, why are you not taking a vacation? Yes, I can hear all of your reasons; ”I am busy, who will do my job, I will have too much work to do when I get back, I just want to complete this project”, and so on. I am hoping this will give you some food for thought, however. If you are truly a dedicated employee, then TAKE your vacation. You, your family, and your employer will benefit.

Join our vacation contest - send me a note at alan@CareerJoy.com with your best ever vacation story. We will choose some of the best stories for a special edition WORKout, then send the writers a copy of “Unforgettable things to do before you die” by Watkins & Jones.

Bon voyage!