Accelerate Your Search™ Now

“Make each minute count!” – Dave Edwards

There is much collective wisdom about interviewing for your next position.  Wisdom will be shared by:  job seekers, coaches, HR professionals, mentors, hiring managers, recruiters and, of course, friends and family.

The quote above is not simply about interviewing or even working.  It is one I learned from a leader and COO that I admire.  It is known by all in his organization and by those touched by the organization.

I have shared this quote before and, odds are, I will share it again.  Why?  It is not only a quote about a method of leadership or running a business, but a quote about a way of life.  It is four little words that bring focus to what is important right now.

I share it now because it is central to embracing the secrets of interviewing — secrets that are rarely shared and even when known, often overlooked.

If a client tells me, “I get interviews, but I don’t get hired,” my first questions, as a coach, are about interview preparation.

The secrets to interview preparation that are often not shared and even less often practiced are:

• Knowing and understanding how you are feel about yourself, the interviewer and the particular position.
• Knowing how your personal energy and power radiates and then using that energy and power to your advantage.  The four key times to leverage this secret are:  the day before the interview, during the interview, in the minutes after the interview ends and the day after the interview.
• Being open and aware of the guidance and information provided during the interview.

If you are struggling to move into your desired position or land a second interview and feel you are well prepared and qualified for interviews, you may be overlooking these secrets.

Realize that leveraging your experience, skills and collective wisdom might not be enough.  You may need to pause and review how you prepare for interviews.

“Make each minute count!”  By using the secrets minute-by-minute you will land a new position faster and with less stress.

If something isn’t working, pause, reflect and adjust.  If you need help with pausing and reflecting, seek some support and guidance.  One of the fastest ways to avoid the pain and disappointment of repeated failed interviews is to discover quickly what to adjust.

It need not take you months of heartbreak and stress and mulitple job interviews to discover what to adjust.  Often small changes can make big differences.

One option to consider is to have a focused dialogue with a coach to help you see what you might be missing.  A small tweak or simple technique may be all you need to transform your next interview into an offer and a job you love.

Do you have a question or comment?  Post it below or give me a call.  I am happy to help you find the answers to your questions.

Ready to transform your next interview?  

It’s spring.  While it has been for about a month now, it doesn’t really feel much like spring to me.  Yet, slowly, the signs are shooing up.  The trees look ready to bud, the ground is visible again and people are buzzing around outside and at events, including those anxious to explore the job market or consider their next move.

For those of you with spring fever who are beginning to think about what’s next for your career, here is a short checklist to review.  The list includes three action items and some key questions to answer before your begin your “spring fling” and move into a full blown job search:

1.  Talk to your advocates and your brand ambassadors.

Do you have support?  Do they know you are exploring a move?  How can you entice additional support?  The 2016 elections are not near, yet you can learn from the possible candidates by watching and listening.  Your advocate and brand ambassadors are out and about, having meetings, talking to people and they can help you get a feel for the landscape — if they are well informed by you.

2.  Know what you are uniquely known for and how to leverage that in the marketplace.

Why is what you do of unique value?  Who can use your talent?  What can you do for those who can use your talent?  Can you prove your value?  Do you know how to answer the question, “Why should I invest time talking to you?”  Even if it is never asked of you, knowing the answer will carry you far.  Knowing your value and how to leverage it in the marketplace will accelerate your search.

3.  Know your call to action.

If you are exploring and/or launching a career move campaign, you need support.  In order to garner quality support, you must know what you want and what action you want from each person you engage.  Do you want them to listen?  Do you want feedback?  Do you want referrals or introductions to hiring managers?  Do you want information about their industry or particular business?  Before you engage, know your call to action.

Before you spring into action and fling yourself into the job market, do your homework.  If you want to explore a career move campaign, contact me and book a no cost 30-minute review by the end of the month.

Do you have a question or comment?  Post it below or give me a call.  I am happy answer your questions.

Do you hate to network?

Almost weekly someone tells me they HATE to network.  I get it.

Once upon a time, networking was not my favorite thing to do either.  When I reframed networking to simply “meeting new people,” my point of view about networking changed.

Do you need to reframe how you see networking?  Here are 5 tips to help:

1. Be open.   No matter what you think or feel about networking, be open.  The next time you go to an event or are in a position to connect with other people begin with being open to the possibilities.  Odds are you will be delighted by pleasant surprises.

2. Simplify your approach.  Plan to greet all you meet with a smile and a hello.  Then just listen.  Listen and listen some more.  Engage in conversation as appropriate.

3. Give.  Limit your agenda to giving.  If you are attending an event for the first time, go with a smile for all.  Give of yourself and your time to all you meet.  Not sure what to give?  Start with a smile, eye contact and a listening ear and heart.  Let what you hear be your guide.

4. Introduce yourself to the host.  Be sure you identify the host of the event.  Say hello and introduce yourself.  Before leaving thank the host and say goodbye.

5. Return and stay in touch.  Networking is about building relationships — return to the next event and stay in touch.  Relationships are not build with a single meeting or a single conversation.  Decide when you will return and how you will stay in touch with the people you meet.

What is you favorite networking tip or experience?  Please share and post below.

“Do not be fooled by its commonplace appearance.  Like so many things, it is not what is outside, but what is inside that counts.”  ~Aladdin, Disney’s “Aladdin”

When you are ready to move your career forward by searching for your next job, judgment will play a role.  Judgment can be your friend or your foe.  Aladdin’s quote offers a simple tip to help you accelerate your search:  things and people may not be as they seem.

Frankly, placing your snap judgments (not your good sense or discretion) on the shelf during your job search and instead adopting a practice of conscious discernment will accelerate your search.  Discernment is clearly seeing and understanding people, things, and situations by sorting out the facts from your beliefs and emotions.

A job search is filled with highs and lows.  It requires you to draw on your resources and seek the support of others.  For example, the judgement that a job search is a solitary journey ignores the facts.  The truth?  You will not achieve success in your search without the help of others.

Additionally, thoughts such as “I am not worthy or capable or deserving of this position” are judgements.  If you are not aware of these judgements, they can easily become your truth.

Similarly, we often create scenarios about how others will react to us and our resumes.  We rarely know what someone will do before they actually act.  These judgments impede your progress and stop you from achieving your goals.  This type of thinking is more creative than all the amazing animation in all the Disney movies combined.

Failing to shelve these types of judgements may well turn your job search into a long, emotionally draining period of time.  If you cannot discern whether your judgement is friend or foe, find support and ask for help.

Others will help you.  Seek out what you need.  Ask friends and peers to help you sort through your judgments and doubts and locate the facts.

Are you ready to banish your judgements and accelerate your job search?  If you are looking for support and someone to help you see your situation clearly, feel free to contact me.

Nine Actions – 9 Week Challenge – Week 9

It is week 9 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.

The final assignment!

Action #9:  Keep Growing

People need to grow in order to be relevant, current and fulfilled.  Make it your lifelong goal to continue to learn complex skills, teach yourself new things, meet new people and visit new places.

You don’t need to be a master at every endeavor.  Mastery of a skill requires about 10,000 hours, while learning a new skill only requires about 20 hours of learning and practicing.

By committing to one hour a day, you can become proficient in a month!  If you love it, go on to the mastery level or choose to become proficient at another new skill.  In a year, you could learn and be proficient at 12 or more new skills.

An amazing life is created through new experiences and daily effort.  Keep growing.

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

What of the nine actions you took on this fall helped you the most?

What was your favorite?   Share your best results.

Congratulations for completing the challenge!

What is a challenge without a prize?  After you post your best results, go enter the challenge raffle.