Keeping Your Psyche Strong during Job Search

The saying goes “Desperation does not work in dating or job search”. I can verify both of those when looking at my school years and my own job transition.


At one point in my search I had six solid job leads go completely dark within a week’s time. I remember going to a 7 a.m. networking meeting the following Monday. Big mistake – I wasted a good networking opportunity. When I got home, I cancelled all of my job search activities for the next two days, so I could get my psyche back in order and avoid a downward spiral (which we all know can be tough to pull out of). I also sent follow-up notes and apologized to my contacts, I told them exactly what happened and apologized for not being in top form.

I recognize this advice to cancelling meetings can come across as a bit extreme. But it is not, a strong psyche is more important than a strong resume. Ask yourself this question: How often have you made a major purchase or commitment from a less than enthusiastic salesperson? The answer is “Not very often, if at all”. As for the follow-up notes, not much I could do after the bomb went off, but was a sign of respect and managing my reputation.

In the end, a job search is like making a sale and you need to believe in the product (yourself) before anyone else will.

Both asking someone to introduce you to their network, much less a hiring decision, is asking someone to ‘buy’ your story. No matter how hard we try to put a ‘good face’, if your psyche is in the dumps, it comes across during your networking and interviews.

If a job search is selling, you have to believe yourself first before anyone else will.

Once I took the time off, here is what has worked for me many a time to boost my psyche. Make a list of small projects that you would like to accomplish. When you feel down, pull out the list and work like mad to finish the project. The sense of progress, accomplishment and putting your mind somewhere else for a stretch of time will work wonders. Trust me.

There are loads of other good ideas like volunteering, etc. – whatever they are, put them on the list and keep it handy. It’s not a question of ‘if’, but ‘when’ you will use it.

Remember, if you run into someone who needs to take a break – do them a favor and tell them.

Good luck today.

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com



http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Good News for Candidates - Hope Lives on a Small Diet

Your secret weapon in search is a strong psyche. It’s your resume or contact that gets you in the door; it’s the strong psyche that closes the sale and lands you the role.


The resumes from people in your profession will likely read very similar. Several candidates will be pulled out because they show the ‘promise’ of succeeding within the role. When you speak to the company, it’s your strong psyche that truly brings the differences between you and the other candidates to life.

A strong psyche gives you confidence, poise and the ability to look anyone in the eyes when you answer or ask a question. Sitting across the table as the interviewer or networking contact, a strong psyche is almost tangible, as though that person has a shield in front of themselves and no matter what you toss at them – nothing is going to make them stray.

The strong psyche is driven by the hope that you will see an office, cubicle, nametag, or paycheck with your name on it – or whatever the symbol you think of when being employed. It’s that vision that gives you the hope. Anyone has let their hope dip will tell you it’s like living in slow motion.

Here’s the good thing about hope, it can live on a small diet. Hope is driven by the small events of a day or week, not only major events.

This is good because most of us don’t experience many major events or opportunities that get us ‘discovered’ to be immediately hired. Sure it happens to people, but you cannot count on it – sort of like that winning lottery ticket (I could have sworn the Powerball was going to be ‘10’ this week!)

Keep track of the small positive events in your search, the act of keeping track of these actions helps build your hope as well by reminding you of what is going well.

For example, any action that moves you closer to the hiring manager, information you discover that helps match your resume to a company, holding a great networking meeting, getting useful or positive feedback on your experience, finding someone who will connect you to a highly-desired networking contact, shortening your pitch or resume without losing any potency, etc.

Here’s the other good thing about hope. Whatever hope you give to someone will increase yours by an equal share.

Good luck today.

Mark

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.


http://TwitJobs.net The Career Community

Taking Advantage of the Freedom in your Schedule

There’s a saying “The problem with unemployment is that when you wake up, you’re on the job.” – Actually that’s not completely true, though it does feel like it.

Outplacement firms and fellow candidates will recommend you spend 35 – 40 hours a week on search. After 40 hours, your productivity begins to slide.

In discussions with fellow candidates, we all agree as you tend to focus on issues with diminishing returns - but it is also a way to drag down your attitude which is even worse than wasting time.

Your weekly priorities should be to dedicate time to your search and then dedicate time to yourself.

Use the extra time to take some on-line courses/seminars to develop your skills, volunteer, etc. – it does not matter. Just think of all the stuff you never had time to do when you were working. If you can, sleep in on Wednesday.

The non-search activities allow you to make progress and accomplish tasks.

For ideas on your schedule, take a look at Candidateschair.com - under Candidates Tools you will find “Organizing Your Search Week”

Good Luck today,

Mark Richards
www.candidateschair.com
Job Search from a Candidate's Perspective - Advice and tools for search organization and networking
Candidates Chair LinkedIn Group:
http://www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=2328268



http://TwitJobs.co.uk - Jobs Fed Into Your Life

12 Expectations of Job Search - To keep you more productive

Before I begin this post, I am going to break my cardinal rule about giving more than 3 -4 pieces of advice at a time. But the list I am going to give was built from literally dozens of colleagues, so think of this as advice from lots of folks.

Regardless of your search progress, I found these were areas where others and I stumbled. So learning to have expectations that align with what you will encounter may help you stay more productive. Many of these you know already, but could be a good reminder.

#1 – Get ready to meet loads of people
If you treat networking like any task you did at work, expect to meet loads of people. I was a networking rookie, but I hit 100 networking meetings in no time.

My week #1: I met five people, each gave me three names, so in five days, I generated twenty potential meetings.

You can see where this is going. 3 X 20. That’s 60. Of course, not every contact you get works out (see Expectation #5), but you’ll fill your calendar quickly. Your biggest challenge will be managing getting the right type of meetings.

#2 - Confessions of a rotten networker
When I worked, I did not make networking a priority in my calendar. Sure I did some, but I mainly filled my day with everything else. My help to individuals in transition was even less. Obviously, I have learned and changed.

As you reach out, you’ll find loads of people like I was: Never through transition, low value on networking, etc. The people can help you; just get ready to guide them.

#3 - Networking creates value beyond yourself
Your full-time networking offers a great deal of value to both yourself and the people you meet. Simply because you are out there making connections while they are in the office. You are keeping up to date with the new tools, networking groups, etc.

Don’t go into a meeting with your hat in your hand, you are bringing something of great value to the table.

#4 – Welcome to the Sales Department
Here is the biggest mistake I made in my search – I should have assumed the practices and behavior of a Rainmaker. Because in the end, a search is about making a sale: that you are the one for the job.

From what you sell, who to sell to, how to get decision makers, etc. – the practices of a good sales person are very helpful.

#5 - 80% network, 20% recruiter
This statistic is helpful to set your expectations: 80% of jobs come through networking and 20% through recruiters. Understand the company’s hiring practices for the position you seek. But in general, it is networking, especially with people who know your skills that make it happen.

#6 – The continuing stigma of being in transition
100% of resumes present people in the top 10% of performers. Of course, we know that’s not true. Problem is you cannot always tell who is telling the truth.

Sadly, some people deserve to be in transition, while others had no choice (sale of firm, etc.). Problem is you cannot tell when you read the resume or meet them.

The risk adverse will simply avoid any one in transition – so use your LinkedIn recommendations from your peers and bosses at your last firm, there’s something to be said when people make them so public. Also, find people who know you well to make introductions or call on your behalf

#7 – Expect the reject
No matter how strong the referral or relationship, some people will simply not respond. There are a myriad of reasons over which you have no control or no knowledge of when you reach out to them.

Be professional and persistent, but if they do not respond after three tries, just move on.

#8 - No one but you to get it done
From the start, you need to assume control every aspect of the search, you can rely on others, but be responsible for every aspect.

You plan, you schedule, you meet, you take notes, you follow-up, you find a job!

#9 - Things people forget when they are in transition
In short, they forget what its like to be busy at work. People tend to send long e-mails, expect immediate call backs, getting a meeting scheduled this week, include more detail that you would have ever read when you were working.

Keep it short and compelling. If you intrigue them, they will ask for more!

#10 – Climbing over the 100-day networking wall
In my work with fellow finance executives, I often see ‘100 Day Wall” – where people who are starting the networking from scratch hit a point of frustration from a lack of results.

So if you are in a similar situation, expect to hit that wall. But trust me that those 100 days of networking are going to pay off soon.

#11 - Trying to enjoy the trip
If you simply focus on being out of a job, you will miss the experiences that can make networking an enriching experience. When will you ever take this much time to meet so many people again, so enjoy your contacts’ experiences.

One of my favorite is John Geenan. John is a financial planner/wealth manager, but his is also a Jack Nicholson impersonator (www.looklikejack.com) . Our lunches together have been more fun than I can tell you.

#12 - It’s not all new out there – more in common than you might think
Don’t be tentative in expressing ideas, etc. , if you do your research, you will realize that there is more in common between businesses than you will expect. Look beyond the industry jargon and regulations, and focus on their business model (e.g. how do they make money).

There are 2-3 key principles that drive a business. Sort those out before you meet someone – it will be worth the investment.

Good luck today!

Mark Richards
www.candidateschair.com
Job Search from a Candidate's Perspective - Advice and tools for search organization and networking

Candidates Chair LinkedIn Group:
http://www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=2328268



http://TwitJobs.co.uk - Jobs Fed Into Your Life

Focusing on the issues you can influence

A former colleague of mine once told me the story of how he wrecked his trip with his teenage daughters to Disneyland. He started keeping track of how much money they were spending on Diet Coke. So instead of enjoying all that Disney had to offer, he spent the week stewing over the amount spent.

When it comes to search, I did the equivalent by counting all of the people who I did not get an opportunity to network. In hindsight, this practice is like trying to defuse a bomb after it’s gone off – there’s not much opportunity to change the outcome.

So give yourself this test for items you where spend a good deal of time: “Can I influence the outcome?”

If the answer is “No”, then move on.

Good luck today!

Mark Richards
www.candidateschair.com
Job Search from a Candidate's Perspective - Advice and tools for search organization and networking

Candidates Chair LinkedIn Group: http://www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=2328268 - Open to fellow Candidates!

http://TwitJobs.co.uk - Jobs Fed Into Your Life

Keeping Your Psyche Strong During Job Search

The saying goes “Desperation does not work in dating or job search”. I can verify both of those when looking at my school years and job transition.

At one point in my search I had six solid job leads go completely dark within a week’s time. I remember going to a 7 a.m. networking meeting the following Monday. Big mistake – I wasted a good networking opportunity. If a job search is selling, you have to believe yourself first before anyone else will.

When I got home, I cancelled all of my job search activities for the next two days, so I could get my psyche back in order and avoid a downward spiral (which we all know can be tough to pull out of).

So here’s a tip to help you keep your psyche strong – which has worked for me many a time. Make a list of small projects that you would like to accomplish. When you feel down, pull out the list and work like mad to finish the project. The sense of progress, accomplishment and putting your mind somewhere else for a stretch of time will work wonders. Trust me.

There are loads of other good ideas like volunteering, etc. – whatever they are, put them on the list and keep it handy. It’s not a question of ‘if’, but ‘when’ you will use it.

Remember, if you run into someone who needs to take a break – do them a favor and tell them.

Good luck today.

Regards,

Mark Richards
www.candidateschair.com




http://TwitJobs.co.uk - Jobs Fed Into Your Life