Accelerate Your Search™ Now

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!

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.

What will 2013 bring for you?   Will you achieve your goals?

Is a new or better job on your list of resolutions?  If your goals include building, accelerating and sustaining your career or finding a new or better position in 2013, here are three steps to help you:

1.    Assess your current situation.

• Where are you today?
• Where do you want to be at the end of 2013?
• What’s next for you and your career?
• What is the right fit for you now and 10 years from now?
• Why is changing your current situation important?
• Do you have career-marketing materials that promote you in a credible and distinctive way or do they need to be created?

2.    Create an action plan.

• How will you get in front of the people who need to know about you?
• What is the quickest path to get from where you are to where you want to be?
• How do you manage future positions so you don’t end up in this situation again?

3.   Set up an execution strategy.

• What are going to do every single day to execute your plan?
• How will you measure and evaluate your results?

Have a wonderful 2013.  If I can help you, let’s connect.

Having worked with thousands of professionals to improve their personal brand and help them develop a clear, unique brand message I can tell you it takes time, energy and desire.  For many, it is a struggle.  I know it was for me.

Once you know what makes you unique and what to say, most people think it communicating it in a clear manner will be easy.  That’s not always the case.

I realized developing my message was something I could not do alone.  I held on to this belief for far too long.  Why?  Because I was stubborn and I thought I didn’t need help.

And, if I’m really honest, I was afraid of what others would think of me if I could not do this for myself.  Then my coach so wisely asked, “Can you give yourself a good haircut?”  I laughed and got help!

The result was a better message.  I realized the process of clarifying my brand message as a collaborative process was more fun, faster and the message was more authentic.  I needed a pro and a coach to help me get real.

After several conversations with professionals and reflecting on my experience helping others, I recognized there are 10 key steps to the process.

You are special and your message needs to be genuinely you.  It needs to be focused and speak directly to your target audience.  Here is an activity to get you started:

1. Identify your value and why it is important to your target audience.
2. Gather feedback from those who know you.
3. List five to seven adjectives that describe you.
4. Review your adjectives and narrow the list to the three that reflect how you talk.
5. Describe your ideal employer in detail.
6. Jot down phrases that include your value, your adjectives and focus on the employer’s needs.
7. Write many variations of your message.  Say them aloud.
8. Ask other people what the messages ‘sound’ like and watch for their reactions.
9. Ask and answer (honestly) how do you feel about your message?  Is the message you? Are you being truthful or blowing smoke?  Are you communicating your value in a way that is important to your audience?
10. Continue to test your message.  Adjust as needed.

Get help if you need it.  Not everyone “can give themselves a good haircut.”  I couldn’t.  It took me far too long to get help and the cost of my stubbornness was significant.

What does your brand marketing message say about you?  Does it communicate your value to your target audience?  Are you still searching for your message?

What makes you different?  What make you unique? 

Answer these questions and you tap into your unique value.

Oftentimes, people applying for a certain job will have similar backgrounds (education, previous experience, training, etc.) — because without these basics you are not qualified for the position.  Merely listing these basics on a resume or in an interview will not help you stand out.

When you are ready to transition to a new position, you must highlight how you are different.

When you are able to clearly communicate your unique value, you gain favorable attention, build trust and attract your target audience.

A clear, consistent marketing message shares what is unique about you and helps strengthen your personal brand.  It allows your audience to really ‘get’ what you do and how you add value. We often take our unique skills for granted, assuming others will automatically understand our gifts as well.  Not so.

Do not take your uniqueness for granted, rather highlight it.  It is important to carefully craft your marketing message to share your unique value.

If you are struggling to identify your differentiating factors, ask your network.  Ask your peers how they would describe you if asked by a potential employer.

Maybe you are a CFO who has a special talent for communicating bad financial news to investors.  If you fail to clearly communicate your unique ability, you may not be called for an interview or selected for the job.  On the flip side, if you share your brand personality in your written and verbal communication, odds are it will set you apart from the competition.

Want to get started?

Make a list of the characteristics that separate you from your peers.  Then, share your uniqueness in all your communications — including introductions and in your resume.  Emphasizing what makes you different is a sure way to stand out in a crowd.

One note of caution:  it is rare the unique qualities or abilities an organization seeks will be included in a job posting.  However, those qualities are how candidates are selected for interviews and positions, so bring ’em to the table.