“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.
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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.
It has come to this
The rug pulled The walls crumbling Because someone decided My work is done. And for two weeks I bowed my head And let them beat me, But now I say no– I want my power back, I want me–confident me– Who has a job to do. So here’s my message: I will be a company of one CEO of a start-up– And I’d just like to say Try to stop me! |
I was recently chatting with another career coach and when I told him that I’d been let go by a major outplacement firm after 15+ years of service, he commented that there was something particularly ironic about that. I agreed. After all, my work consisted of meeting with people who had just been let go, and working with them through the search process. That would certainly make me prepared for what was coming, right? Wrong.
The full answer is I was somewhat prepared. I knew that as the company I worked for had acquired another company, job cuts were likely. My resume was in shape and I had spent a few months exploring some job leads. But here’s what hit me:
Another confession. When I was working and a client told me something like, “I just can’t believe how busy I am. I don’t know how I had time to work!” my thinking was: you’ve lost your structure and have become inefficient. But now that I’m on the job seeking side of the great divide, I find myself saying the same thing and I don’t think I’m disorganized or running in circles. What I do think is that my life has much more variety in it. Every day is different, and if I want to take a short break from my search and run my dog in the nearby field, I can do it. If I want to have lunch with an elderly neighbor, I make it happen. And I’m volunteering once a week at the local hospital which is rewarding. I’m also allowing myself to live with much less stress which means I don’t have to race from one thing to another.
If you’re part of an organization and colleagues are let go, please reach out to them. Invite them for lunch or talk on the phone. It will make a huge difference. And if, like me, you’re one of the thousands who have been let go, remember you own your value which hasn’t changed, your true friends will stay in touch with you, and make sure to keep your networking active as it’s really encouraging to make new friends, too. And one last thing–get over your pride and be the one to reach out if you don’t hear from people. They’ll be glad you did, and so will you.