Bright Career Development Resources

Just a reminder to not take yourself too seriously.

Life is short, and it's more fun when we embrace fun.

Challenge. Struggle. The hard days.

We've been lured into the idea that it should be easy... "life hacks", "in just 30 days...." BUT that's not how it's meant to be.

Challenges teach us, build our character, and help is grow and learn. They are an important part of the process.

It was never meant to be easy.

This week I return to the program called ! The last time I was there I was Chair of the program with a 6-week old baby in tow. I've now ended my term and passed the program along to two amazing individuals and I cannot wait to see what they've done with it!

A lot of things have changed since spring 2019... including me. Here's to bringing my new self, into an old setting - an amazing way to notice and reflect on the changes.

I've been deep in 's High Performance Habits (highly recommend!) which has some great lessons around finding the balance of taking action while intentionally planning.

Depending on the type of person you are, you may find it easy to take action, and the planning part doesn't come as naturally to you... OR perhaps you find the planning part enjoyable while the actually taking action part feels daunting.

Remember - you need both planning AND action if you really want to reach your goals.

At the risk of sounding dramatic, this practice has changed so much for me.
In a subtle way, the practice of writing down frive things I'm grateful for everyday has been game-changing. I started this almost two years ago as an experiment; I kept hearing about the power of a gratitude practice, and while skeptical, I figured I had to try.
It is revolutionary. Though the change in perspective wasn't sudden or noticable at first, it was a slow transitition to feeling more fulfilled, appreciative, and joyful. If i miss a few days - I notice it.
This practice has also made me a better wife and Momma. More awareness of the great things about these humans has been a reminder to share my gratitude for them.
Are you ready to try a gratitude practice?

For all the incredible wonderful women in my life, I am grateful. I have been fortunate to be surrounded in my life by strong, smart, independent, and amazing women.
On my mothers side, there seven grand-daughters (I am #2, and there are no grand-sons), and growing up with these beautiful humans is such a blessing... and yes, at one point we did all braid our hair together... 😉
This one is for the all the ladies 🥂

Happy love day! ❤️
About five years ago, my husband and I made the decision to stop celebrating each other on Valentine's day in the way of gifts and presents. We felt it was so much more meaningful when we did these things for each other out of genuine thoughtfulness and not obligation. I mean, this girl still loves flowers and romance 😉, but it just didn't mean as much today.
So we made the decision to instead spend what we would have on an overpriced dinner, flowers or chocolates, on spreading love to others that may need it a little more. And so started our annual tradition of a Valentine's Day donation to a charity in need.
Tonight, we'll have dinner with our kiddos, and we'll talk about where feels close to our hearts. We'll share with our kids the importance of giving and helping others less fortunate - both near home and far away.
So today - share some kindness, and share some love. And if you're just not feeling it... all the more reason to create it 🥰
Shine bright friends. ✨

There is no elevator to success, you have to take the stairs. And just like climbing stairs, success is reached by one small consistent action at a time. ⠀⠀
👇Drop a 🙋 if today you made a small action towards success! ⠀⠀

Four weeks ago I started a new job. I like to think I'm a pretty confident person, but to say that I've felt confident in it is laughable. I've felt awkward, unknowledgeable, and under a lot of pressure. In our first board meeting, I was shaking - that hasn't happened in a long time and it UNCOMFORTABLE!
BUT I survived! It didn't kill me, and it will get so much better. Outside our comfort zone is where we grow. And with the world in turmoil, we're all a little uncomfortable, and we're also all growing. So let's get comfortable in the uncomfortable, and level up. 💪

Today I returned to work after my second maternity leave, to a new job with the Columbia Valley Community Foundation (check them out!!).⠀
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It was a hard day, it was a great day, and it was a big day. Leaving littles at home can be so hard (today I feel so grateful to have had my incredible parents watching our girls), and while hard, I know that I am more engaged and present with them when I have my own projects and passions.

Last year at a youth conference I heard two young women chatting about how they didn't think they would have kids, not because they didn't want them, but because they wanted to have careers. Ugh! It broke my heart to hear this. 💔

I'm not saying that activity trying to balance career and family is easy, I'm just saying that it can be done. And the narrative that it can't, needs to end. Like yesterday (which works well since it was International Women's Day lol).

From Sheryl Sandberg's book "Lean In" - a fantastic read particularly for women wanting to build a successful career. This book helped frame my mindset around the pursuit of balance of career aspirations, family life, and personal development/wellness. ⠀
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Would definitely recommend this read 📚⠀
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This last May marked my third and final term as the Chair of the program. Leading this program has been one of my greatest experiences - incredibly rewarding, challenging, and educational. ⠀
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Balance is a term I've used for a long time to describe what I desire in living a well-rounded life. Balance of work and home, balance of giving and self care, balance of play and serious. Lately I've noticed the term getting a bit of a bad rap as an elusive, unobtainable concept, setting unrealistic expectations. ⠀
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I still like it though. It describes this last May RYLA program where I had our 6 week old babe in tow. Creating this balance wasn't easy and require planning, asking for help (something I'm working on!), and some grit. ⠀
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What do you think? Do you like the term BALANCE? ⠀
Give me a 👍 or 👎 in the comments! 👇⠀
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Have you ever get held back because you didn't feel ready? Sometimes listening to those feelings is useful, other times it's our brains way of trying to protect us from the unknown. You may never ready, and if you're waiting that, you'll let time pass without the action needed for your success. It's okay to not feel ready, and do it anyway.⠀⠀
5 second rule is a great tool to help you past this. Countdown 5-4-3-2-1, and then take action. The countdown re-focuses your brain and blocks it from coming up with all the fears/excuses/reasons why you shouldn't do it. ⠀⠀

"In the end, I am the only one, who can give my children a happy mother who loves life."⠀⠀
At first, when returning to work the thought of leaving my sweet baby girl was SO hard. I loved working though and was really excited about the new role I was starting. As I do when struggling with something, I looked to the internet for inspiration. There were so many opinions on working-mother's, stay-at-home-mother's, and none of the judgements I found helpful. ⠀⠀
Then I found this refreshing tidbit. This thought was like fresh air. If it makes me a happier person, then my kids are better for it. ⠀⠀
So here's to all the mothers (and fathers!) that set the example for their children of what happiness looks like. ⠀⠀

This quote hit me HARD.
There are some people in my life whose opinions bring up a lot of doubt for me. Now, when worrying about what others think of my ambitions, I reset to this thought.
Often I believe their relectance and judgement comes from a mirror held up of their own unmet ambitions.
Don't be held back by the worries of others. Be brave anyway.

Recent study shows most coveted skills of Canadian employers are business management, leadership, and oral communication. This joint study conducted by and the Labour Market Information Council analyzed over 400,000 Canadian job postings. ⠀⠀
The article continues to discuss the shortage of these skills in our workforce. Your continued development of these skills will set you apart and take you further in your career. ⠀⠀
Give a 🙋🏼‍♀️below if you're down to build these skills! Follow along for tips and resources 😉

Outside your comfort zone, when things are scary and uncomfortable, that's where the magic happens. Get uncomfortable, get growing.

Failure means that we've tried.
In order to make progress, and in order to succeed, we must try new things outside of our comfort zone. This often means trying things we're not (yet!) good at.
If you struggle with failure holding you back, I challenge you to start collecting and celebrating these 'failures'. Each one means that you showed up in the world. Each one means that you tried. And the success is in doing it, no matter how well.
Like badges on a girl scout sash, can you collect 5 'failures' in a week?

Hi! I'm Caitlin, the face behind Bright Career Development Resources. ⠀⠀
For a long time I have been passionate about supporting others, and helping them reach their dreams and potential. Our careers and work can be such a huge part of our lives and I believe in making that enjoyable! By combining my expertise in Human Resources and leadership development I aim to help individuals achieve the success they aspire to. ⠀⠀
My strength is bringing out your best - on your resume, in how you show up in your current role, and in aspiring for that promotion.⠀⠀
This page is designed to give tidbits of inspiration, advice, and support along your journey. Follow along! ⠀⠀
Shine bright my friends 😊⠀⠀

Bright Career Development Resources