It’s time to drop the “stuff.” It’s time to get real, get personal and talk to people.
As you look forward to 2015, no doubt you are assessing what’s ahead, planning how to be more effective and determining what you need to do to land your next position. And, all that is great . . . however, you also need to drop the “stuff.” You know the stuff — the time wasters, the excuses and the mask (all those sophisticated ways you are hoping will influence people and help you land a job).
What is the one of the biggest time wasters? Surfing the web and job boards. Get started by cutting the time you spend surfing by 50%.
Excuses? The most common ones include: a bad economy, your age, or your last salary. Drop them. Whatever time you are spending discussing, thinking or worrying about these matters cut the time by 75%. By doing so, you now have more time to (authentically) talk to people.
Drop your mask and get real with yourself. Identify your unique value, name it and embrace it. Then, share your unique value all the time, in all modes of communication.
Next, go where people are gathered and share your value. Make it your goal to have short focused personal conversations with 200% more people than you did last year.
Searching for a new job can take a long time — sometimes up to two or three years — and many people get frustrated by the length of time it takes. If you want to avoid this frustration or can’t afford to draw out your search for years you need to –you guessed it — drop the “stuff!”
One of the fastest ways to accelerate your search is to talk to more people.
Bottom line, it takes between 150 and 160 conversations about what you do and your value to land an interview. If you are only talking to 5 people a week, it will take you 30 weeks to talk to enough people to land an interview.
If you talked to 50 people this week and shared your value and what you do with only 5 people, you missed 45 opportunities. On the bright side, if you confidently shared your value with all 50 people you shorten the time to land an interview from 30 weeks to 3 weeks.
Want to accelerate your search? Talk to more people.
How many people will you talk to this week? Will you drop the “stuff?”
Will you get personal and share your unique value and what you do?
This is such gold. I love your straight talk and I know a lot of people really need to hear it right now. Drop the stuff is bang on! Focus not on what you lack but on what you have…YOUR value! Brilliant
Always such great practical tips we can use whether searching for a new job…or for the next big opportunity!
Cindy I appreciate the awareness raising and accountability! An intention I have for the coming year is to have sustainable systems in place for more focus and discipline in getting things done. I am going to assess my time wasters in the coming weeks so I can have the impact I aspire to have in the world! Thank you!
This caught my attention: “. . . it takes between 150 and 160 conversations about what you do and your value to land an interview. If you are only talking to 5 people a week, it will take you 30 weeks to talk to enough people to land an interview.” Holy Cow!!!
The idea of short, focused conversations also caught my attn. I’ve not conditioned myself to think of having conversations in this way – but it’s so smart.
Great post. You seem like a bright coach!