Accelerate Your Search™ Now

Nine Actions – 9 Week Challenge – Week 8

It is week 8 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.

Only two weeks remaining in the challenge!  Remember you can revisit Actions 1-7 by scrolling through the previous posts on the Accelerate Your Search blog.  For now, we are on to action #8.

Action #8:  Stop Kicking Dead Horses

Following up and being persistent is critical in business and life, but you also need to know when to stop and change paths.  Life is a cycle — birth, growth, death.  All things (including jobs and interests) begin, continue and end.  Whether it is your interest or the interest of another that has ended, release it.

In a job search, and in life, there are things without answers.  Phone calls or emails may go unanswered.  You may never know why you were released from a job or why an offer was not extended.  I know you want to know.  Ask yourself this, “What value do I gain by knowing?”  Will knowing change the outcome?  There is a point in time where you are best served by abandoning the desire to know.

It is a fact that things changes, times change, people change and evolve.  Passions die and that is OK.  Instead of getting caught up in the past, ask yourself what you want to pursue NOW.  As one thing dies, another is born.  Move on and walk a new path.

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 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.

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!

“Wherever there is danger, there lurks opportunity; whenever there is opportunity, there lurks danger. The two are inseparable. They go together.“~ Earl Nightingale

Have you ever experienced one of those phone calls when you hear someone’s voice and immediately sense danger or distress?

I’ve had those calls.  Often they begin with a simple request like, “Hi, I need some help . . . ”  I feel the distress or danger and my thoughts begin to race.  What’s the danger?  Where is this person? And so on.  The distress in their voice and the energy on those calls can be very intense.  Luckily, I usually know within a few seconds that no one is physical danger and no on was injured.

When I reflect back on the calls, the quote above almost always comes to mind and is a reminder that the line between danger and opportunity is very thin.

Preparation and awareness are the key to creating the best outcomes — to turning danger into opportunity.  And, in business and our careers in particular, we often turn those “thin” moments into unique situations — presenting us with better than envisioned outcomes, connections and profitable opportunities.  Applying this preparation and awareness to our knowledge creates focus and the successful outcomes others may view simply as luck.

For a long time I sought the awareness I saw in others — awareness I thought was just easy luck.  Then I discovered I had the awareness I needed, yet too often I ignored it or simply forgot to pay attention to it.  The impact?  Loads of missed opportunities right at my fingertips, ripe for the taking.

My first coach helped me discover why I ignored the great stuff.  It turned out to be a simple issue, though one I could not have seen without help.  Now, my nutrition coach is helping me tackle why I ‘forget’ self care — hydration, rest and better nourishment.  Their coaching makes me better prepared, creating the focus and awareness I once thought was simply luck.

Recently, a client, whose goals were to create focus and successful outcomes, opened with the distress call, “Hi, I need some help . . .”  Through our interaction he tapped into his internal awareness and built into his search what he called a “lifeline call” to help him deal with the thin points.  Using his lifeline, he turned an unexpected question about relocation into an opportunity, then a second interview and through a continued conversation, a great offer.

Are you aware of the opportunities around you?  Are you tapping into them?

 Are you ignoring or overlooking opportunities because you only see danger?

 Are you creating your own “luck” or just hoping for the best?

 Have you built a support network so you can place the “lifeline” call if you need to ?

“The reality of life is that your perceptions — right or wrong – influence everything else you do. When you get a proper perspective of your perceptions, you may be surprised how many other things fall into place.”~ Roger Birkman

People often ask me about the need for additional certifications to land the job they want.  The bottom line?  Sometimes it is necessary to have a certificate or special training for a job.

Yet, when the question I hear starts with a statement like, “I think I need a certification or training to get a job, what do you think?” my radar goes into overdrive.

In most cases, I am very direct (yes, I’m known for being direct and to-the-point) and say, “It doesn’t matter what I think or what an employer thinks, your perception is your truth. Therefore if you think need it, you must acquire it.”

Of course, that’s not helpful to most people.  As a coach it is my job to help the person exploring a certification understand their motivations.  I ask questions to help them discover a solid perspective on the additional training and then assess the need and value of that certification in the marketplace.

It is critical  to remember the employer’s perception of what you need is one of the keys to getting hired.  Forget that and you may stay in your current position indefinitely or quickly become unemployed.

If you’re contemplating a certificate or additional training, ask yourself the following questions:

• Why do I want a certification?

• How will this certification increase my capacity to do the job?

• How does this certification help me use my best-loved skills in my ideal job?

• What is the cost of the certification over 5 years?

• What is my return on investment over 5 years?

• Do I think a certificate is an easy solution?

Then pause and ask yourself, “Am I using a certificate or training as a crutch to avoid addressing a different issue?”

Are you telling yourself you need training just to avoid taking action, making a commitment or shifting a habit/belief that is really slowing your search?

Are you using a obtaining a certificate or additional training as a reason not to face your fears?  Explore carefully or you may just be ‘kicking the can down the road,’ leaving the real issue to be dealt with at a later time.

If you want to discuss the above questions with someone, contact me.  We can dig into the answers and move forward together.

Have a question or comment?  Post it below.

This is an interesting question.  It came from someone who is really running a focused and productive search.  The question came as he prepares to travel to a family wedding followed by a family reunion.

Family events, holidays, etc. can be fun, uplifting and stressful all at once.  Or at least those with my family can be and that is really my only experience I have in this arena. Don’t get me wrong I love my family, but with five kids, spouses, grandchildren, great-grandchildren…you get the picture.

I suggest you set some boundaries, and focus on the event rather than your search.  You don’t want to ignore possible help or a great networking opportunity.  However the odds are you don’t need added stress, a drilling about being out of work, or loads of career advice.

Your family cares about you and they want to help.  So, be prepared to tell them specifically how they can help you.  It will help you avoid listening to extra advice, long sad stories and set a neat boundary around your job search.

Here is my suggestion.  Be well prepared to deliver a 30-second introduction, 100% focused on your ideal position, include your top three target companies and when you wrap up your 30-second comments explain how the person you are addressing or anyone else can help.

Imagine you are at the reunion, Uncle Ben walks up and begins to pick around the edges starting a conversation about your job search or point blank says “Grandma tells me you are still out of work, you could move back to town and work for your brother”.  How can you respond?

You can say,

“That’s a great suggestion however, my brother doesn’t have an opening or a need for <fill in the blank with your target job title & experience; then describe your ideal job in one sentence> and I am targeting <list your top companies>.  I am looking forward to joining one of these three organizations soon.  You could help me a great deal if you would share your contacts at <repeat your top three target companies>.  Would you do that for me?  (Add a brief pause, as you take a pen and paper out of your pocket)  Can I get the names of your contacts and their phone numbers at <repeat your top three target companies> now?   (Pause, look Uncle Ben in the eye and smile and add) Or feel free to call or email with your contact names and how to reach them by phone at a time that is best for you.  Thanks for your help.”

This technique allows you to set a respectful boundary around your job search.  You will have shared the critical information about your experience, the job you are seeking, and you will have provided a specific manner for someone to help you if they wish to do so.

The technique also allows for a graceful transition to another conversation in a manner that is good for you and honors your relationship.  It allows anyone wishing to help with contacts to do so in a specific way at that moment or when it is best for them without any pressure or requirement to do so.  You will have created a polite boundary and space for the conversation to flow to another topic.  And it takes less than a minute to do this!

You can modify this technique and use it in other situations too.  It is a powerful way to gather contacts and set boundaries.

Do you have a question about your search? Look to the right and sign up for next Q & A session, join the session and ask your question.

Post your suggestion to help others or your comments below.