Accelerate Your Search™ Now

“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosopher

Just as the limits of your language will limit your world, what you say to others and yourself limits your success in your job search.  The job search can be the toughest jobs you will ever have, don’t believe me?  Ask around.

Each week I listen to the limiting language of those looking for a job.  “No postings in my field”… “No one is hiring” … “I am overqualified” … “I am too old”… “Too young” … “too experienced”… and the list goes on.   Go ahead, admit it , you are saying some of these things aloud or at least thinking them.

Pause and think about if you are using this language.  If so, you will begin to believe it, or those around you will begin to believe it.  Your thinking and your language dictate how you think and shares with others how you think.  Do you want others to think you are “too old”?

What message are you sending with your language?

Does your language encourage others to think of you in terms of positive results, your desired income, the job you want?

If not, review your language.  Your language is a choice.

Does your choice and what you say help you move forward, or is it helping to maintain the status quo?

What language are you using that limits your search or your brand?

Yesterday at a Networking event, I was speaking with three very talented individuals with different views and concerns about doing what they have passion for doing in their next job.  One who is energizes and excited about what he wants to do.  The second fearful and almost stopped in his tracks from fear, unhappy and afraid to take action.   The third,  so on fire about exploring a ‘love’, hobby and the opportunities in the market place he left behind in college you could feel his energy.

As I listened, I recalled a post from Meg Guiseppi, “Can You Work Your Passion in a Lousy Executive Job Market?” Meg shared the three points, from Curt Rosengren’s article in the US News & World Report article, “Does Having Passion for Your Work Even Matter?” – the point, here is that why passion is such an important investment for your career, was playing out before my eyes and why it is important to your job search as well.

It still surprises me that so many people, elect not to spend a little time to discover or think about what they have passion for and find a way to incorporate that passion within a search to land their next job.

For years I have shared, “Do what you love, money follows”.   To do that you do need to discover what you have passion for and how that aligns with your purpose and goals.

A job search is always challenging.  Work and life will always include bumps in the road.  When you know your purpose, what makes you unique and different, what brings you joy, what you want to do, it is much easier to find and once you are working, it make your career much more fulfilling.

Can you answer the questions?  What do you want to do?

Have you taken time to explore what makes you happy?

What excites you?  What matters to you?

What makes you get up in the morning or stay up late?

What is stopping you from spending the time right now to reconnect with your passions or to answer these questions?

Why are you afraid to do some soul-searching?

I believe landing the job you want fast means helping a potential employer hire you.  Here are a few tips I would offer all candidates about connecting your references and potential employers:

Prepare your references: Be sure your references have a copy of your résumé and keep your references posted on your job search progress. After each interview that moves forward schedule a call with your references to review the position, your background and why the job is a great fit for you and what you can offer to the position.  Don’t forget to review how your past accomplishments demonstrate what you are going to do for your next employer.

Help your references connect: Find out who will call your reference and provide that information to your references.  If you reference are hard to reach, help with the scheduling if needed, suggest the best times and best methods to connect your references.

Follow up: It is critical to follow up with your references to see how the conversation went.  What should you be aware of, did the employer have concerns or are there red flags, points, or items you should know about, affirm or address with your future employer.

Thank your references: Drop a personal note in the mail to each of your references to say thanks for their help, and the time they invested in you and your career.  You would be surprised how many people forget to say “Thank You” to a reference.  Don’t forget to also let your references know when you land and start a new job.

Believe it or not your references can tip the scale in your favor or break the deal ensuring someone else is the finalist for the job you want.

What additional suggestions do you have to prepare your references?

“Write injuries in sand, kindnesses in marble.” ~ French Proverb

Hope you had a great two weeks!

The quote above is one I shared this week with a super person.  A talented professional, highly skilled and in very unique position, yet stuck.

Being stuck happens.  Getting angry happens.  However it is always a choice that keeps you stuck or angry.

I know.  I did it many years ago and the cost was very high.  Staying angry and staying stuck for a long time about the end of a job was a BIG WASTE.   I wasted energy, time, my talent, it impacted my health and it hurt others.

Any time you are attempting to sort out events or things that made you angry use caution.  You may not have access to all the information or the facts, even when you think you do.  It is easy to “fill in the blanks” and “tell yourself a story”.

Be careful about the story you tell yourself as you fill in the blanks and “Write injuries in sand…” especially about the people and events that cause you injury.  Wind, rain, and many other factors can and do move sand around easily!

Think of a sandcastle at the beach.  One minute it adorns the landscape, then a wave comes in and it is gone.

In business, organizations can and do make decisions for thousands of reasons, and sometimes those decisions are poorly planned, communicated, or executed.  The outcome of some decisions will be  dramatic and immediate and then the  outcome of other decisions may take months or years to be seen or may have little or no impact at all.

When an organization decides to make a change, to reduce staff, change job functions or duties of staff, layoff staff, or terminate one or many ~ PEOPLE are impacted.  Each person in the organization decides what they will do with the change.

Some professionals see the end of a job is a powerful force that moves them forward at once to the next great adventure.  Others see the blow is dramatic, career ending and the end of a job stops them in their tracks.

In lieu of a viewing the situation as a business decision and moving on, some professionals become focused on the hurt or emotion they feel.  They write the “hurt” of losing a job in marble and review the “hurt” over and over.

They focus on the “hurt”.  They etch the “hurt” in marble and then they carry the big piece of marble around with them to help tell the story.    They tell themselves the “bad” the story over and over.  Then they freely share the “story” and “negative energy” with all who will listen.

Do you write messages in sand or marble?   Does it matter?

Volcanic eruptions are not everyday career bumps.  Would you be ready if you woke up one day to learn that a long dormant volcano in Iceland has erupted and you job was gone?  Would it feel like the end of the world?  There was a time in my life and career, that I thought so.  Today, I know better. 

An unexpected career bump can cause as much of an economic crisis to you, your family, your plans, goals, and retirement, as the grounding of flights has to the British and European economy.  The experts estimated the grounding of flights would be £520 million ($800 million) impact to the airline industry alone by April 18.   In our global economy, this event has impacted air travel, the Boston Marathon, the price of flowers and vegetables and much more.   Was this a totally unexpected event?    

It is my view the signs were there that something was up with the volcano.  Day to day most of the world does not have what is up with a volcano in Iceland on the radar screen.  However, both recent events and the fact that Iceland is known for its glaciers and volcanic landscape provide information that this was not a totally unexpected event.  

Could this volcano continue sending ash into the air for 14 or more months or longer?  It happened before.  Like geophysicists who monitor what’s up with the Earth; top talent monitors what’s up in their business, operation and career, and they understand what the impact could be if an event caused a 14-month change to their revenue stream, aka their paycheck.

Knowing what is going on, requires an awareness and willingness to see the signs that tell you things are up in business that can impact you and your job.   For most, focus on career comes after all the other stuff is done.  What would happen to your career if it was derailed for 14 months? 

As with the volcano eruption, if you ignore or unaware of the signs around you; you get surprised!  Being aware and having a plan can help you avoid or lessen the impact of a sudden event that could derail or destroy your career. 

You can leverage your talent and be ready.  What if you walk in one day and receive a pink slip due to a 5% reduction of the workforce?  What if your job is changed to a new title or function that required you to do something that you don’t want to do for the next five, or more years even for the same money and the same earnings potential you have now?

Your career need not die, or change in a direction you will be unhappy with.  Nor should your bank account be destroyed by a business change, new boss, or some other event on the scale of volcanic eruption.     

Nature and business can be unpredictable.  Predicting volcanic eruption is not my area of expertise, career management is, and working with top talent to manage the career they want is not hard.  The tools are not complex nor are you dealing with factors as unpredictable as figuring out if a volcano will ground planes and changes lives forever. 

Top talent does not overlook, fail to monitor and study trends, or “see” what changes are in the environment.  Top talent does possible scenario planning. 

Scientists strive to understand what does and could happen when the Earth’s plates move.  Do you do this for your career?

For so many people, what’s up in the business, industry and the impact on their job is out of sight and out of mind.  They are clueless as to the signs of what is going on around them.  Even for top talent, it is easy to put your head down, go to work, focus on the day to day operation and never look up. 

The impact of “head down, tail up” working and never looking at the “radar screen” all too often results in being surprised by an unexpected event.  It also results in the misdirected view that your career path and your earnings are unpredictable and out of your ability to influence. 

What can you do to avoid this?  Understand your business, industry, and your job. Have an ongoing plan to accelerate your career and continually move it forward. 

Do these  five basics 1) stay aware of changing trends, 2) maintain contact with your network, 3) make your goals known, 4) have a plan to achieve your goals, and 5) update your résumé every 90 days. 

Simply executing on these basics will blunt the impact of an unseen or unpredictable event that might happen.   Top talent does not get caught “flat footed” time and time again.

What’s going on around you?  Have you allowed your busy life to take the place of staying focused on your career goals? 

Top talent does not stay on top by becoming overly focused on the day to day operations, and short term goals at the expense of long term goals, and the bigger view.  You know it is easy to waste time on meaningless stuff and stop doing the basics. 

Fix it now, before the eruption. Have a plan, execution the basics of the plan, review your progress, and as needed update to the plan.

What are you doing to accelerate your search or your career?  What will you do this week to lessen the impact to your career when a volcano does erupt?

You thought your search was over.  You have targeted the company and position you most wanted.  You received a conditional offer pending the results of a background check and a drug screen.

WOW! You’re feeling great.  Then the call, it is bad news.  They are rescinding the offer after reviewing the background check.  The nice voice saying good luck with you job search sounds like it is miles away!

Just like that!  What happened?  What do you do next?

Preparation is a key factor in your job search.  Just as you prepare your résumé, cover letters and your references, and do your research on the companies for which you want to work.  You need to be prepared and know what a background investigation will discover.

Are you prepared? What action will you take this week to be sure your offer does not disappear?

“What you have to give is enough – if you give it with all your heart.”~ Chieko N. Okazaki

The quote above was shared with me by one of my mentors and I wanted to share it with you.  Enjoy it.

Every week, sometimes hundreds of times a week, I hear the questions Should I … or Do I need to … followed by: post my resume online, go back to school, retire, take less money, do a different job, change industries, change careers, quit my job, fire my boss, network with others, network online, and the list could go on and on.  Are you asking these questions?

What do you think my most common reply would be if you asked me one of these questions?  My reply would likely be to ask you the question – “What’s important to you?”

Yes, I know by the look on your face, you might be annoyed by my responding to your question with a question.  However usually that is the best place to start if you are asking yourself or someone else these types of questions about your job search or career transition.

First of all, may I remind you that unless, you lost your last job due to misconduct, or lack of your willingness to correct your work performance to meet your employer’s employment requirements, or your lack of willingness or ability to acquire a specific skill or skills your employer required, you were successful in your prior job.   Your experience, skills, knowledge and abilities are probably solid enough for you to be highly marketable and successful again in today’s job market.

Therefore, if you will spend a little time to reflect on your skills, experience and what is important to you before you jump in to a full blown marketing campaign and job search you will know what is important to you and you will be better prepared to accelerate your success.  If you test the market and determine that you do need help or are missing a skill to do what is important to you, you will be prepared to take the best action.

Be careful about using unanswered questions or other conditions as your excuse for inaction.  Are you using the economy, or not defining what’s important to you as an excuse not to move your job search forward?  You must get out into the job market in a BIG WAY!

Excuses, whatever they are can be a deep dark pit!  A costly pit and a pit filled with fear.    A job search can be scary.  You may feel hesitant as you first start to market yourself.  You may fear rejection, and you may fear making mistakes.  I get that – and by the way, you will be rejected and you will make mistakes!

Job searching has a learn-as-you-go component to it, the market place changes, things change, business needs change, and you change over time.  Get busy, get over having to learn everything before you start your job search, and marketing yourself for your next job.

Be willing to learn-as-you-go, to change what you are doing, or to stop doing the things that are not working for you.  Market YOU.  Get out there with who you are, what you have to offer, what makes you unique and different in the marketplace.

Stop using “Should I” or “Do I need to” questions as excuses.  Clarify what is important to you, stop making excuses, and communicate your value to the marketplace.

Excuses stop you dead in your tracks.  Stop making excuses.  Know what is important to you; communicate what you can do and how you are different.   You do have enough to give.

Will you give it with all your heart?

In early December 2009,  Kristin Burnham, Staff Writer for CIO.com in the article 5 Ways to Get More from LinkedIn in 2010 provided tips on how to get more from LinkedIn in 2010.  She noted that using five features could help you gain more from LinkedIn.  Ms. Burnham recommended participating in Groups, finding and connecting via Events, using the Advanced People Search for seeking new connections, discovering relevant trends about companies of interest, and seeking Recommendations to enhance and validate your profile.

All these are solid tips and helpful suggestions, as I talk to those who use LinkedIn and get results I always ask “What do you do and what features to you use?”  I find that the specific features vary from person to person, however the common thread among those who get results is that each person has a specific strategy for using LinkedIn and how much time is spent using, connecting and researching via LinkedIn.

One savvy user,  who has landed four (4) interviews via LinkedIn connections since mid-November told me that it took him about 20 days to figure out the best ways to use LinkedIn.  Then he could connect with those who could hire him and make the most of all the company information available via LinkedIn.

He noted initially he spent a couple hours a day just learning what information was on the site, setting up his profile and inviting connections.  Then he decided on a plan with clear action steps.  Now he uses LinkedIn less than a couple hours a week with great results.

Do you have a plan for using LinkedIn?

What is working for you?

What results are you getting?

“Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.” ~ Elbert Hubbard

Hubbard’s words ring true for your job search too.  Be careful that you don’t take your job search to seriously or not seriously enough.  Either end of the scale can be fatal to your career.

I have worked with thousands of people engaged in a job search.  Some are not serious enough about the “job search” and others are so serious about the job search it consumes each minute of the day.

Both of these paths will impact your success.  If you are not serious enough you may lose focus, miss opportunities and often extend a search so long that the prolonged search causes damage to your finances, your career and earnings potential.  Being too serious about a job search can also result in lack of focus, damage to your relationships, lack of balance and tons of effort in the wrong direction.

Do you have the right balance in your job search?

What are you taking too seriously in your job search?

What in your job search should be more serious?

Is the job search you are conducting effective?

“Cherish your visions; cherish your ideals; cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow delightful conditions, all heavenly environment; of these if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built.” ~ James Allen

This James Allen quote reminds me that my success begins with my thoughts and is nurtured by my thoughts and my vision.   My vision inspires, my thoughts provide direction, my goals act as a roadmap, and daily execution builds exceptional results and delightful conditions.

Having just returned from a wonderful trip that provided my husband, me, and an enthusiastic group of top performers with an opportunity to celebrate a terrific 2009, the most delightful part of the trip was the reminder of the power of a shared vision.  As the trip ended the eagerness and expectation of something just as wonderful for 2010 was clearly expressed.

What is your vision?

How do you cherish your vision?

What action items will you do this week to support your vision?