“Your Career Is Calling”
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We all have days where nothing seems to go right, but in job search, they can be particularly paralyzing. What should you do if you’re stuck in one of those days where no one is calling or emailing you back, you can’t fix an error you just discovered in your resume, the cat throws up on the rug and the people from the interview you had a week ago seem to have fallen off the planet?
My short answer is: something else. Get away from your desk and even your phone and shake things up a bit. Get outside if it’s nice, call another job seeker and see if you can help him or her, bake something for a neighbor, take a walk, brush the dog, you get the idea. Don’t just sit there thinking that by sheer persistence you can make the phone ring.
As a career coach who has worked with thousands of people in transition over the past 18 years, I’m a big believer in breaks. And I’m not talking about booking a cruise–just an afternoon where you go to the movies or do something you can enjoy. How do these help? They refresh us, keep us going and help us gain a better perspective. So work hard on your search but don’t forget to take some time off, too.
Spoke on the phone today with a former client who was as excited as she has landed a new job. As we talked about it and I asked her to walk me through the steps, an interesting thing surfaced. The company had placed an ad for a Sales Manager but a few weeks later took it off their website. When she called to find out if she was in the running, HR told her that the company had decided not to fill that position.
Fast forward a few months and my client gets a call from the same company and learns that a different division needed a sales manager and asked HR to share the resumes they had previously collected. Hers was chosen because they knew she was in transition and might be more open to an opportunity that was temp to perm. In other words, being out of work made her a more attractive candidate. She went on the interview and got the job. So don’t assume that your current status, if you’re out of work, is a disadvantage.
Great group at The Hamilton Public Library last week thanks to Katie and Nick DeVito of NJ Unemployed. It was interesting as we looked at my topic, “What’s Stopping You From Landing the Job You Want?” to see a range of reactions. At one end of the spectrum was anger and discouragement, and on the other end, excitement about a new venture. And of course everything in between.
Age seems to be a big issue that I hear about in almost every talk I give, so here’s my quick take. Make sure you’re up-to-date in your field and demonstrate the flexibility and enthusiasm of younger job seekers. Use your physical skills: posture, gesture, voice, and facial expression to communicate that you are excited about your work, not just looking for a paycheck. And be with it in terms of social media, especially LinkedIn, as this will help you come across as contemporary and trainable.
Rule number one: get out of the house and attend meetings like this one. You’ll make new friends, get energized and have the chance to help someone else. And it’s a healthy break from surfing the net. Lastly, whenever I attend a meeting, I set a quota for myself so that I don’t talk only to the people I know. I usually make myself meet three to five new people–even if it’s just a “hello.” Try this and you’ll find that others appreciate it and your network will continue to grow.
That’s a long title, but the concept is important and I often ask my clients, “What have you been avoiding?” or “If you could only do one thing today to move your search forward, what would it be?” Having asked this I’ve learned that most of do what’s easiest, not necessarily the smartest thing to do in our job searches.A quick trick to get around this obstacle: write down that one thing that you must do as your number one agenda item for tomorrow. Place it on your calendar or notebook or whatever devise you use so that you can’t miss it when you sit down to work on your search. Resist the temptation to do something else. Don’t clean your desk or empty the refrigerator. Get that one thing done. Period.What you may discover is that you feel really good for having pushed through your resistance and that you’re now ready to tackle some other challenges. This is a critical part of what I like to call “searching smart.” |
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Register Now!
What’s Stopping You From Landing the Job You Want?
Tuesday, March 13th from 9:30-11:30am
Hamilton Public Library, Hamilton, NJ
Jean will cover common obstacles that often get in the way of job seekers, how to stay motivated and organized and ways to make the process more enjoyable. In this interactive session, Jean will answer questions and be available with copies of her first book, “Eliminated! Now What? Finding Your Way from Job-Loss Crisis to Career Resilience.”
Register Here – http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2617190086
I went on an interview recently and gave myself a good talking to–both as I prepared for it and on my way to their office–reminding myself that this was probably more of a networking meeting and not to expect much in the way of results. Because I almost always tell my clients to visualize success–to know what they want before an interview–I was in a strange way doing the opposite because my interactions with the company had led me to believe that it wasn’t a match. I had learned about the compensation (way below my most recent level) and that they had an immediate need that would have put me back into the kind of work that I had intentionally left many years ago, that would have also involved a killer commute.
As I told my friends after: “Yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks!” meaning that I was surprised and that the outcome was way more than I had expected. As I thought about it I realized that my “low expectations” had helped me be relaxed and probably improved my listening skills as I wasn’t trying to sell anything to the two interviewers. Of course I wanted them to know who I am and what I can do, but that happened in a very natural, easy going way. And I found it wasn’t difficult to let them know which kinds of work would be the best match, and when asked about compensation, I didn’t get specific but simply stated that I was confident we could come to an agreement.
I did follow my own advice after the interview and wrote down my analysis: “This was a yes-yes. A this is who I am and this is who you are and wouldn’t it be fun to do business together. It felt like mutual admiration.” Of course I wrote my thank-you notes and we established a time frame for next steps. The wonderful thing about this interview experience is that even if it doesn’t lead to an offer, I felt affirmed and valued. A great result!
This reminded me of a former client of mine who couldn’t stop searching even after hours at his computer. We had talked about balance, we had discussed self-care and how important that was, but nothing helped. He was still driving himself and his family crazy so one day I told him that I had a present for him. His face lit up until he saw my gift: a piece of paper with a large, black X on it. I said to him, “Starting at 5PM every day, I want you to tape this over your monitor. You are done your work for the day and must wait until the next day to go back online.” He agreed to try it, and although I think he had a few slips where he sneaked back to his desk after everyone was asleep, it helped him stop.
I can’t say if this is what helped him land a new job which he did, but I do think it helped him not run himself into the ground. Put in a good 20-30 hours of week of smart searching (that means don’t just answer internet ads but network, research companies, go to job search group meetings, etc.) and then enjoy your remaining time. Take a walk, read a good book, visit a neighbor, take a class–do things you enjoy. It might just help you land your next opportunity.
I’ll be speaking at three events in the several weeks and hope you can join me. My website has the details (www.JeanBaur.com) but please mark your calendars for March 13th at the Hamilton Public Library where I’ll be talking about “What’s Stopping You From Landing the Job You Want?” The following week, on March 21 from 1-3 I’ll be at Bucks County Community College in Newtown, PA speaking on “Eliminated! Now What?” and is for Encore participants (not open to the public). And lastly, please tune in on April 8th at 8AM to “Your Career is Calling” on 107.7 FM or if you’re out of the listening area on www.1077thebronc.com. Topic is still in the works but it will include advice on running an effective job search. All events are interactive and free so kick your job search up a notch and join me.