Accelerate Your Search™ Now

Nine Actions – 9 Week Challenge – Week 7

It is week 7 of the Accelerate Your Job Search Results & Create a Life You Love challenge.  The challenge is to take action and transform your search and life in nine weeks.

Did you add some “spice” to your life last week?

Congrats!  You’ve made it through 6 weeks of the 9 week challenge.  How has your life changed?  Let’s get started on week 7.

Action #7:  Share How You Solve Problems

Everyone has problems.  Some people are miserable because of their problems.  Everyone cares about their problems, not your problems.

This week, focus on how you solve other people’s problems.  Share what you do to relieve the problems and people with those problems will be VERY interested in you and what you do.

Often I hear people say, “Sounds great, but I don’t want to serve others or be a do-good person.  I want a great life, good income and less stress.”  Well, guess what?  Serving others serves you.   It is the best way to achieve a great income and an amazing life with less stress.   Most businesses make money because they deliver a service or product that solves a problem and make someone’s life better.

The truth is, creating an amazing life, one where you earn the salary you deserve, have less stress, and enjoy what you do, usually revolves around solving the challenges or problems of others — be it a boss, a customer or a vendor.

Solving the problems of others creates joy, interest and fun.  Isn’t that something you are looking for in your next position?  Share what problems you solve and people will call you.

Take action. Post a note, share your thoughts and how you implemented the action of the week and your results

Nine Actions – 9 Week Challenge – Week 6

It is week 6 of the Accelerate Your Job Search Results & Create a Life You Love challenge.  The challenge is to take action and transform your search and life in nine weeks.

Did you try something you “hate?”  If not, revisit last week’s action.  If you did, you are ready to move on to the next assignment.

Action #6:  Jazz it Up

“Variety is the spice of life.”

What does this saying mean to you?  I believe it is about being creative and can easily be achieved by:

• changing your patterns of behavior, or
• driving to the store using a different route, or even
• buying a pen with green or purple ink if you always use black.

Breaking a pattern or changing a habit allows you to see things in a different light.  Eat a new type of food or take a walk in a new park.  You will add new and memorable experiences to your world.

A client of mine drove to the grocery store via a different route, saw a sign, explored the company and landed a job she loves earning 25% more.  WOW!  This happened when she added simple variety.   She changed up her drive to the store by going to the stop light in lieu of the stop sign.  Add a little or a lot of spice to your life.  Create variety.

Take action. Post a note, share your thoughts and how you implemented the action of the week and your results.

Nine Actions – 9 Week Challenge – Week 5

It is week 5 of the Accelerate Your Job Search Results & Create a Life You Love challenge.  The challenge is to take action and transform your search and life in nine weeks.

Last week’s action was all about trusting your instincts.  Did you have an occasion to use your gut to help make a decision?  Let’s move on to this week’s action.

Action #5:  Do What You Hate

Remember when someone tried to convince you to “try the green beans, you might like them?”  Interesting and fun experiences can and do come from trying the things you think you dislike.

As an adult, since you don’t have a parent telling you to eat new stuff or try new things, you must do this for yourself.  Again, this is about stepping out of your comfort zone.  If you never try something simply because you believe you will not like it, you may miss some very interesting and exciting things.  The blessing in doing something you “hate” is that it helps promote flexibility.  Even if you try something and didn’t end up enjoying it you expanded your experience.  Go ahead — just try it.

Take action. Post a note, share your thoughts and how you implemented the action of the week and your results.

Nine Actions – 9 Week Challenge – Week 4

It is week 4 of the Accelerate Your Job Search Results & Create a Life You Love challenge.  The challenge is to take action and transform your search and life in nine weeks.

Last week’s action included facing your fears.  Did you write down your fear(s) and your plan?  Are you ready for the next action?

Action #4:  Follow Your Instinct

You have amazing internal wisdom, aptitude, talent and gifts.  Your creator blessed you with these.  Unlock them — be more impulsive and less robotic.  Examine what you do well and what you enjoy doing.

If something comes up, try it!  Be flexible and disciplined at the same time.  Be aware of the things that come up naturally and how they make you feel.  See beyond your schedule, your job boards and your past experience.

When new things arise, take a few minutes and:

• assess the value of the opportunity
• recognize the time and energy the opportunity requires
• ask yourself if the activity will help or hinder your journey

Listen to your heart and gut, your instinct is not in your head.  Follow your instinct.

Take action. Post a note, share your thoughts and how you implemented the action of the week and your results.

Nine Actions – 9 Week Challenge – Week 3

It is week 3 of the Accelerate Your Job Search Results & Create a Life You Love challenge.  The challenge is to take action and transform your search and life in nine weeks.

Did you schedule time for something new last week?  Did you follow through?  Ready to move on to the next action?

Action #3:  Face Your Fears

What are your fears?  Lower pay, being judged, not being enough, ridicule or <fill in the blank>?  Write it down.

FEAR is nothing more than False Evidence Appearing Real.

Fear is often driven by ego.  Doing something different feels difficult and therefore your ego says, “Stop! This isn’t safe!”

Be bold.  Have courage.  Write down your fears.  Then write down:

• the worst thing that could happen if your biggest fear occurred.
• the odds of this actually happening.
• what you would do if the worst occurred.  How would you handle it?
• what you might gain in the situation.

Now you have a plan if your fear becomes reality.  You are prepared to face your fear and to move on.  Move on.

Take action. Post a note, share your thoughts and how you implemented the action of the week and your results.

Nine Actions – 9 Week Challenge – Week 2

It is week 2 of the Accelerate Your Job Search Results & Create a Life You Love challenge.  The challenge is to take action and transform your search and life in nine weeks.

How did week 1 go?  How many new people did you meet?  Ready for the next action?

Action #2:  Take On Something New and Rekindle a Hobby

Spend at least one hour per week on something new and an hour on a hobby you rarely had time for when working.  Add these to your schedule.  Do them at a time you expect to be available even after you have secured your new job/position.

It is up to you to make time to explore new things and do things you enjoy.  If your hobby is expensive and does not fit your current budget, find a way to connect with or enjoy your hobby at a lower cost.

I love golf, but in the New England winter there is no golf.  What do I do?  I read books about golf, watch videos, and putt on my carpet.  I also play rounds of golf mentally.  Did you know there was a POW who played a perfect round of golf every day for years in captivity?  After he was released and able to play golf again, his game was great.  A tight budget is not an excuse for not investing your time in something you enjoy or in learning something new.  Invest.

Take action. Post a note and share your thoughts on how you implemented the action of the week and your results.

Searching for a new position, especially if you are between gigs, can be filled with many distractions.  The day-to-day things can turn into worries that seem to loom large when you don’t have a job or job you enjoy.

Life does not stop if you are between jobs — unless you stop it.  You can live, work and create an amazing life you love or you can be down and miserable.  The choice is yours.

I challenge you to join me each week this fall and transform your search and your life.  If you start now and faithfully implement these nine actions you will be amazed at how different your life will be by November 15th!

Are you ready?  Will you take this on?  Will you take action?

Here are the nine actions to take to add interest to your life, your work and accelerate your results:

1. Meet More People
2. Take On Something New
3. Face Your Fears
4. Follow Your Instinct
5. Do What You Hate
6. Jazz it Up
7. Share How You Solve Problems
8. Stop Kicking Dead Horses
9. Keep Growing

Each week tackle the assignment and then post a note and share your thoughts in the comments.  Tell us how you implemented the action of the week and the results you achieved.

Action #1:  Meet More People  

People are amazing, interesting and fun.  Expand the network of people you know.  Not only will your life will be fuller, but meeting more people means more opportunities.

Meeting people is not only about discovering what others can do for you (or what you can do for others), it is about connecting, learning, and sharing.  Be interested and curious about others.

Yes, I am outgoing and love to meet new people.  If you aren’t outgoing, I get it, this will take some effort.  Step out of you comfort zone and toward a person.  Say “Hi,” share your name and smile, then simply listen.

If this makes you uncomfortable, believe it or not more people feel like you than me.  Many people are hoping someone else will start the conversation.  If you take the leap and start the conversation, you’ll be making everyone more comfortable — making the situation easier for all involved, including you.  Meeting people is a skill and skills take practice to hone.  Get out there and practice!

Some time ago I began asking my clients and workshop attendees to offer feedback and share which tips they found most effective.   Below are the top five tips.  May they also help you reach out, contact and leverage the power of your personal network.

1.  Find the diamonds, rubies and emeralds among your old contacts. Annually go through your contact database.  Call people you haven’t spoken to in 3 to 8 years.  Update your data:  verify phone numbers, addresses, email addresses and organizations.  Discover what’s new with your contacts. If a number is disconnected or the person has moved on, place those people on your research list.  You might be surprised at how many people say, “I am so glad you called.”  For each contact reached be sure to note and schedule your next contact.  One contact and one follow-up per week helps you stay in contact with 100 people a year.

2.  Organize your contacts into categories.  Use your Contact Management System (CMS) and sort all of your contacts into five or six categories.  My recommended categories are:  1) those who can hire you; 2) those who can influence someone who can hire you; 3) those who can recommend you to someone who can hire you; 4) centers of influence with whom you have a strong relationship and who have an interest in your success; 5) to be determined (TBD) – these are people you just met or have not contacted in some time and therefore you are unsure of the most appropriate category; and 6) others contacts – family members or close friends who belong in your contacts, yet do not fit in one of the first 5 categories.

3.  Pick up the phone.   Allot one hour per day for phone calls.  Call those people in categories 1-3.  Be frank.  Explain you are engaged in exploring opportunities and seeking your next position and ask two questions:  Is there any assistance you can provide them at this time and what names can they give you of people who may need your assistance?  When possible arrange a face-to-face meeting within 3 weeks and secure the names of three referrals.   This is tough to do.  I know.  Face your fear of rejection and pick up the phone.

4.  Build your contact list.   What service can you provide to a group or association that will quickly build your contact list?  Who could use your assistance on a project (large or small) for free?  Offer to help and do it for free.  A former client called four contacts from his “who can influence someone who can hire you” category and offered to review 2-3 contracts for free and provide written recommendations.  Within six weeks, he had three interviews with hiring managers that liked his findings report and added 30 new, solid contacts to his list.

5.  Leverage the power of direct mail.  Mail requires thought, planning and an investment.  Sending direct mail to your top contacts pays dividends.  Unless you have invested in an email system with analytics and tracking features you may never know whether your email was delivered, opened or read.   However, direct mail that includes a strong call to action, such as, “Will you meet me for lunch downtown at your favorite deli at 12 noon, Tuesday, Oct 5 for a sandwich and conversation?” pays off amazing well and has a cumulative impact over time.

What is your favorite tip?  Do you have an adaptation or a success story?

Please share how you used one of these tips to manage your personal marketing and reach your contacts.

But, are you willing to do the labor to have a great resume?

Yes?  That’s great!  So many people aren’t — they’d prefer an extra day at the beach.  Then they wonder why their resume isn’t getting results.

Your resume is a key marketing tool.  Good marketing doesn’t just happen.  It takes work, thought and oftentimes a team to fine tune it and help get the message out.

Many people think creating a great resume is akin to developing a BIG billboard, posting it on a busy highway and then waiting for the phone to ring.  Businesses who depend solely on one advertising vehicle, like billboards, don’t stay in business long.  A single billboard may not been seen by the business’s target audience or remembered as the reader flew by at 60 mph.

A great resume is employer-focused.  It clearly identifies how you can meet their needs and wants.  It speaks to the employer in his or her language.  In other words, it is targeted directly to them.  Your resume demonstrates the value you alone bring.  It clearly states how you will earn your salary.  It markets and sells YOUR value.

A great resume includes:

• Your branding (what differentiates you from the competition)
• Appropriate keywords
• Strong examples of the results you achieve
• Relevant work history, and
• Your education

Your resume should leave nothing to the imagination — a hiring manager will clearly see how you will benefit the organization.  It is a marketing tool that visibly demonstrates your value.

Mostly importantly, it is unique.  You are different.  You need to see that, own it and share it.

Your assignment is to take a look at your resume.  Ask yourself, “Is it great?”  Rate it (1 is poor and 10 is great).  What’s your rating?  What will it take to move up one number?  Take that action.  Improve your resume!

Do you need an objective eye to look at your resume and career marketing materials?  Are you ready to stand out from the competition?  Let’s connect and discuss how I can assist you.

Does today, or worse yet, your life, feel out of sync?  Is this feeling impacting your career?

When you get up in the morning to go to work, does it feel like it is the middle of summer and you’re walking around in your winter coat, hat and gloves?  Does your work feel more like shoveling snow than playing on the beach?

It saddens me to think about the number of talented professionals who say their careers feel like a “heavy winter coat on a hot summer day.”  Life is meant to be fun and enjoyable.  Earning a living and sustaining your career shouldn’t feel like a burden.

If you feel out of sync in your work, or in a career transition, it is not a huge problem.  In fact, it is much easier to solve than you think.

But, you say, “The economy is still not very good.”  Well, guess what?  You can have a job you love in a good economy or a bad one.  The economy does not drive your career — you do!

When you feel restless or like something is missing in your career, it might be that you are just a little out of touch with your talents.  Maybe you are not fully using them or you got sucked into someone else’s opinion of what your great career looks like.

These three steps will help you get clarity, find focus and feel in sync:

• Assessing where you are
• Assessing what you are saying and doing
• And, asking yourself, “Are these things in alignment?”

To help, answer the following questions:

• List three things you did this week that felt wearing a winter coat in summer.
• Now, list three things you love to do.
• What do I talk about?
• Does what I talk about feel like a burden or a joy?
• What would happen if I did more of the things I do well and enjoy doing?
• What would happen if the things I enjoy doing were the things I talk about and share with others?

Being in sync is really only steps away when you align your talent to your work, and your message to your talent.   Using the steps above, create a plan to use your unique gift and execute your plan at least 9 minutes per day.  If you have a question or need some help to get started, contact me.