Accelerate Your Search™ Now

You are growing fast, maybe faster than those around you.  As you look forward to your next position the terrain looks a bit bumpy.

You know that speed over rough terrain can be very dangerous.  One wrong turn could flip you on your head, cause a spin-out or worse.

This is the time to understand the terrain.  Look around, listen, and assess what your fine-tuned instincts and intuition are telling you about the terrain.  It is time to cut the clutter and step forward with intention.

One of the first steps is to carefully pause and look at your own energy, the energy within your organization, and the energy of your current industry.  When you are growing fast and taking care of day-to-day business, reflective pauses are necessary to avoid missteps and to get an accurate read on your surroundings.

Next, be sure you are ready for and open to the opportunities around you.  Have those key heart-to-heart conversations with your boss.  Ask if he/she is happy with your leadership, direction and results.  Ensure you are aligned with your boss, the organization’s direction and achieving results at the expected pace.

Then, ask about the future and where your boss views you in six months and two years.   You may be looking to make a move outside the organization or industry, that is fine.  No matter your direction, you need to know how others view you and the actions/results they expect you to achieve.  Not understanding your boss’ expectations creates a blind spot.  Blind spots can be deadly as you speed over rough terrain.

Finally, create a process for yourself (and one that your boss will appreciate) to follow up, check in, and communicate what you are doing and your results.  Most people believe others know about your actions and results — it is the old “actions speak louder than other words.”   Allowing your actions to speak for themselves might have worked in 1950, but now it a sure way to be out-of-sight, out-of-mind.

Ditch the “I refuse to brag about or tout my results” mindset.   If you want to get promoted and earn what you are worth, help others know and understand the value of your results.  Life and work are busy, helping people keep up-to-date also helps others navigate the terrain ahead and is viewed as a valuable service.

Navigating the road ahead is not just about you and what you want.  It is also about helping others get what they want.   An intentional path with a specific, well executed plan accelerates your journey over the roughest terrain and helps you avoid an out-of-control spin.

Do you have a question about navigating your next promotion?  Post your question below or contact me directly.

Events can be fun and uplifting -or- they can be dull and a drag.  This week I am attending a multi-day  national conference.  To fully enjoy the event and achieve great ROI I need to do some planning and  identify ways to keep my energy high.

A special thanks to Kelly Schaefer  for inspiring me to look at tasks differently and  to Cena Block for tips on organizing stuff and for making me laugh!

Below are the 10 tips I use to insure I have fun, connect and  reconnect.  Each fine tuned via an event connection that has impacted my results and blessed my life.

1. Organize yourself

Pack your name tag, business cards and a specific note pad or portfolio that you only use for  conferences, workshops, or seminars.   Be sure to have plenty of business cards on hand.

Do you remember how enthusiastic and excited you were after your first interview?  I hope so.  You will need to continue to share that level of interest with the hiring manager as the process continues.

Candidates who fail to communicate sincere interest throughout the process are certain to miss out.  It is difficult to stay interested when an organization has a different timeline than yours.  It is easy to let the voice in your head tell you that the company is not really interested in you.  When you are in career transition and want to return to work quickly two weeks can feel like two months!

Instead of waiting for “the” phone call, use your time to pursue other opportunities.  Focusing on only one opportunity at a time may extend your search by months.

Also use the time to learn additional information about the position for which you interviewed and the company you are looking forward to joining.  Doing this prepares you for your second interview — preparation is rare at this level and it will set you apart from the competition.

Here are some easy ways to make the most of your second interview:

1. Read the company website and press releases.
2. Learn about the company’s products and services.
3. Read LinkedIn and online profiles of employees, leaders, and managers who work for the company.
4. Connect with appropriate people in the organization, online and in-person.
5. Read and learn about the company’s competitors.
6. Practice interviewing.
7. Know how you come across and how you demonstrate interest, eagerness, and enthusiasm.

Being able to authentically communicate how you fit and how your experience will help the hiring manager achieve his/her goals will help you ace the second interview.

It is a challenge to wait for the next interview.  Make the most of the time and prepare.

If you liked this post, please share it with your friends using the links below!  Post a note, share your questions and thoughts in the comments.

If you want help accelerating your search and landing the job you want contact me HERE.

Are you at a four-way stop or a fork-in-the-road with your career?  Here are some of the signs that indicate you may have reached a career crossroad:

• You are bored,
• You are no longer a top performer, and
• You stopped learning and growing.

If you are over 40 and like most people, you think about your career and its future, at least once and a while.  You may be asking yourself, “What do I want to do for the next 25 or 30 years?”  Maybe you long for additional success or more satisfaction from your work.  Maybe you are looking to increase your income to help achieve other life goals.

If you actively managed the first 20 years of your career you no doubt have envisioned your next promotion or career move.  You already have a map or GPS system to guide your next turn.  Your four-way stop/crossroad will feel like a peaceful drive in the country on a Sunday afternoon.  Congratulations!  You will glide forward smoothly and create 20 more years of career success!

What was that?  You say you took a different approach?    Maybe you elected to abdicate managing your career to chance, your boss or the organization you work for — you are not alone.  Maybe you are someone who actually “quit” your job yet continue to show up and collect a paycheck.  Yes, there are quite a few who take this approach at the crossroad.

If you opted for this approach, I hope you are among the lucky few whose boss has been too busy to notice or hire your replacement.  Either way, you can bet your days of producing just enough to meet minimum expectations while hoping no one notices are numbered.

Whatever your choice, don’t worry, you can still quickly create a map to help you move forward from this crossroad.

Here are the steps to help you quickly move forward:

1.  Assess where you are and ask yourself, “Where do I want to be in one year? In three years?

2.  Decide how much time you will invest each week in managing your career.

3.  Create a one-year plan with weekly action items.

4.  Execute your plan.

Before you know it you will have map or GPS system to guide you through your mid-career crossroad.  The second half of your career and next 25 – 30 years is often the most fun, as well as the most profitable and satisfying.

Enjoy creating a sustainable, fun and profitable career.  It is an amazing experience!

Do the following statements sound all too familiar?

“All the jobs go to internal candidates.”

“You must know someone inside or have a inside contact.”

“If you have experience and a track record, you are out of luck, good companies don’t hire experience.”

If so, here is some information to ponder:

According to data published [01/2014] by Great Place to Work Institute (compiler of the annual list of Best Companies):

• The average number of positions filled internally, for those organizations on the Best Companies list, was 30% — meaning that 70% of the positions went to people new to the organization!
• Additionally, 28% of new hires were referred by current employees.  This supports that having an inside contact can help.
• Of the 100 Best Companies appearing on the list, 24 plan to fill 1,000 or more positions this year and only 9.9% of those positions will go to new college grads.  To me, that says experience matters 90% of the time!

Be careful who you listen to and how you interpret the data.  Good employers are always looking for talented professionals.  Landing your next promotion takes work, preparation and a well executed plan.

While flying by the seat of your pants can work, preparation and a plan usually generates faster, more effective results.

If you hate job searching and want to land your next position faster and with less stress, request my 162 ways to Accelerate Your Search by clicking here.  And, don’t forget to implement the strategies!

Have an amazing week!

Here are six tips that ease stress, magnify minor acts and help you sustain your career year after year.  Success and unending happiness are not far from your reach.

1.  Harness the unique power of good habits.  Be a slave to habits grounded in the principles important to you.  You will quickly tap into amazing opportunities, success and wealth beyond your current imagination.

2.  Act every day with intention.  Do the work you need to do.  Focus on the blind spots that hold you back.  Discard the notion that the acts of preparation, reflection and work on yourself is busy work.  Those who decide only to do surface personal work for fear of what they will uncover stall career growth and progress, holding desired success inches out of reach. Overwhelm and doubt always knock at the door of minimal action.

3.  Believe in yourself.  Believe in your strengths, your gifts and your skills.  Believe in all that you are.  The unique journey before you is leading you to success.  Belief in yourself is not optional, it is required.  Believe NOW!

4.  Initiate, practice and repeat.  Your simple commitment to repeating productive practices push failure out of sight.  Repetition soon creates habits which will subdue activities that previously lead you astray.

5.  Today, not tomorrow, is the day to begin.  Why waste another beautiful and amazing day you can never recapture?

6.  Success awaits you.  It is yours, uniquely given.  Be ready, able and willing to embrace those daily actions that many already call habits.

Habits create processes and ease stress.  Habits will magnify strengths and sustain your career success and unending happiness.

What powerful habit energizes you?  Post your habit and how it boosts your career below.

“A leader may not have answers to all the questions, but knows how to ask the right questions” ~ Unknown

The above quote came to mind as I recently concluded a call with a former client.  He called to ask assistance with a challenging situation — he and his spouse were both currently unemployed.

With both of their children in college, they are empty nesters and felt at a crossroads.  They decided they wanted to talk to a career coach together.  This was a new request for me.  We agreed to set up a call where the three of us would discuss their specific situation and goals and determine if I, or someone in my network, might be able to assist them.

Oftentimes the stress of a job search can be exacerbated by the assumptions or expectations of a spouse/partner or other family member.  Having clear, calm, thoughtful conversations with your spouse or partner is one way to address this challenge.  Here are some powerful questions you can use to guide such a conversation:

• What are your concerns about my being without a job at this time?
• What are your hopes [or fears, or concerns] about the next position I will land?
• What type of financial planning or adjustments do you think are necessary at this time?
• In what timeframe do you feel we should review our financial situation?
• How would you like to be informed of my job search status?
• How would you like to help [or be involved] in my job search process?
• How will you feel if I am unable to find a job with similar status or salary?

An open conversation does not always result in immediate take-aways or agreements, but it will open the door to ongoing conversations that will will clarify your direction and help create a vision to inform your long-term career success.

Do you have a powerful question to add to the list above? Post it below.

Everyday you have opportunities to connect, build relationships and get your brand in front of decision-makers.  Businesses understand the value of this type of connection.  Think about it.  Everyday you receive coupons and offers via snail mail or company newsletters via email.  Why do they invest time and resources in staying in touch?  Simple.  They want you to think of them when you need their product or service.

For example:  If I need a plumber and the plumber I met at the Chamber of Commerce meeting last March mailed me a note, then a coupon, then another note and enclosed a refrigerator magnet with his logo, website and phone number, odds are good that the magnet is on my refrigerator or at least I will recall his name when I (or a friend) need a plumber.

Starting this year, find or create a system for staying in touch with your network and getting those people to be your brand ambassadors.

How do you get started?  Follow the steps below:

1. Create your list.

Who needs to know you?  Start small and focus on key influencers.  You are not building a mass marketing list.  Think of the people you really want to connect with during the first quarter of the year and those you will stay in touch with throughout the year.

2. Make your regular connection all about them.

Whether you craft a note, letter or email (I recommend giving snail mail a try), don’t go on and on about you.  Focus on what the person means to you, acknowledge them as a person and thank them for previous projects — you can even share an experience or fun memory you’ve had with them in the past.  If appropriate, you can mention what you are doing or ask to connect in person.  Don’t send your card, but do add your phone number under your signature or in other appropriate places.

3. Think about your system and how you plan to continue to connect.

A personalized plan is best.  Decide how often you will stay in touch.  Once per quarter is ideal — more often and you are less likely to actually follow-up (or your contacts may begin to wonder why you have so much time on your hands!).  Add holidays, business events and personal events like birthdays or work anniversaries to your systemized plan.

4. Have an impact and make a statement.

This method of connection also helps your network connect with the things that are important to you.  Do you run in charity events?  You could send a card that also supports that cause.  If you are a golfer, send a postcard from your favorite course.  Or design a card yourself using your own personal color of ink.  My plumber does not send coupons for his services, but rather for purchasing trees to help with reforestation and he sends recipes for his favorite cookies around the year-end holidays.  What have I now learned about my plumber?

5. Mix it up.

Don’t always do the same thing — be creative.  There are many tools to help you find creative ways to “reach out and touch” your network.

Connecting, nurturing and staying in touch with your network is a necessity.  Being known and trusted requires being present.  If you wish to leverage your network, you must invest in your network.  Personal marketing, building relationships and connecting helps others know you, which in turn, helps your career and your brand.  When others know who you are they are able to speak to your uniqueness and value.

Connecting with your network is not just a job search task, it is a career management must.  What is your plan for this year?  How will you really connect with your network?

In late January, I am hosting a 3-part workshop:  Identify, Leverage & Own Your Uniqueness.  The workshop is designed to help you quickly identify your strengths and see how others view those strengths, so that you can stand out in the eyes of hiring managers.

If this opportunity speaks to you, drop me an email.  I will send you the details and information on how to sign up for the workshop.

Have an amazing week!

My wish for you is amazing abundance and success in the new year.  You possess everything you need to launch a fun, exciting and prosperous 2014!

Now, you might have a doubt or two.  We all do sometimes.  Turn all that doubt, fear and stress into belief, hope and absolute optimism.  Before you stop and say, “Forget it!” — remember your thoughts drive your beliefs, your beliefs drive your attitudes, your attitude drives your behaviors and your behaviors drive your results.  All results are impacted by your thoughts — your happiness, abundance, prosperity, who you are and how the world sees you.

If you don’t like your results, look at your thoughts first.  Your thoughts and your focus are the drivers of who you are and who you become.  Below is a four-step process to help you move forward with optimism:

1. Select one of your distressing thoughts.  For example, you made a call and the call was not returned.
2. Change the distressing thought into a successful thought, i.e., I placed a call and it was returned within 2 days.  Notice that finding successful thoughts is as simple as looking for the opposite.
3. For the next 24 hours repeat the success thought 7-9 times during the day.  You are on your way to changing your thoughts.
4. Repeat this practice for 21 days.  Yes, the average time to change a thought or a habit.  Warning:  it may take more than a few days before you repeat only the success thought.  The old distressing thought is a habit and you may repeat it before you check it and return to the success thought.  That is O.K. — just stay the course.

Change your thoughts, change your life.  May you have all the change and success you desire in the coming new year!

Have an amazing year!

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.