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.

Finding yourself without a job and in a job search can be fun, exciting and full of adventure.  It can also be filled with fear, questions and be a very unproductive time.

Our jobs, families, and communities go at a frantic pace.  Western culture, especially in the U.S., seems to call out, in a very loud voice, that success means doing more, being busy, and dashing here and there with not “enough” time.  Days are full, 8 -10 hours of work, a commute, and taking family members to this and that.

Often the impact of being the family member without a job is additional new expectations and tasks. Tasks like carpool, shopping, picking up the dry cleaning, and walking the dog.  Then there is the “fix-it” list and the forgotten jobs like cleaning the basement that hasn’t been cleared in years.  No one item is bad, nor an unrealistic expectation if the same is expected of you when you are working.

However, if this is a shift due to your unemployment, use caution and quickly set up a job search schedule.  Your schedule should include the average number of hours you intend on working once employed and one that follows you own internal rhythms.  For example, if you are a morning person, do critical thinking tasks in the morning hours so that you are able to fully step into your power.

Then, add your new tasks and activities into your search schedule at a time when you are not searching for work.  Don’t allow non-employment tasks to rule your schedule — just as these things would not be done on your employers’s time when you are working in your new job.

If, after looking at your skills, the labor market and your bank account, you assess you will be okay if your job search takes about a year, you may have just set a goal in your mind that you need a job in a year.

Telling yourself you have a year to find your next position and then taking action to make that happen is great.  However, if you decide can can do any number of things in lieu of putting all your time, effort and energy into your current job — finding a new job — I will bet you lunch that you just extended the time you will be out of work.

It’s healthy to add fun, relaxing new projects into your life — even if the project is simply relaxing.  I do caution you that if you allow these things to take the place of meaningful work, your days will be filed with tasks and activities that leave little or no room for a new job.

Add valuable career-focused actions and practices to your day to accelerate your search.  Here is a practice I created for myself and my clients after reading Deepak Chopra’s book Seven Spiritual Laws of Success:

1. Daily, set aside time for quiet meditation or reflection.
2. Start with 3 – 5 minutes of sitting still, taking in a deep breath and listening to the sounds in the room.
3. Pause, write down what you heard and felt.  Then write down what you are grateful for from the prior day and in your job search.
4. Set down you pen, take 3 deep breaths.
5. Pause, expand your awareness, and be open to possibilities, new ideas, and flashes of insight.
6. Be still for as long as you wish, then set an intention for the day, take 3 deep breaths.

Suggestion: add a few minutes to your practice until you can meditate at least 10 minutes a day.

Don’t sweat the process.  It is okay for your mind to wander.  Don’t worry if you find it difficult to relax when starting out. Ten full minutes is a long time at first.  Work up to it and if you don’t get to 10 minutes, that it is okay, too.  There is magic and benefits found in even a few minutes.  Try it and do what works for you.

According to a study conducted by the Kyoto Convention Bureau, those who meditated at least 10 minutes prior to a meeting were better at focusing, listening, retaining information and completing projects [Source: Deepak Chopra post, EliteDaily.com].  My clients who have never done meditation are always amazed at the results.  Clients often share that after beginning this practice they were able to complete a nagging project or were able to the connect with someone new thanks to an idea that came to them in quiet reflection.

Do you have a reflection or meditation practice?  Post a comment and share what works for you.

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.

“Do what you love.  Lead with vision and passion; use your strengths and offer unique value, the market will notice and reward you.” ~ Cindy Key

Tomorrow is April 1^st – April Fool’s day!  And, at least in the Western world, a day of light-hearted fun and for me a sure sign Spring is near.  The days are growing longer and that means more time to be outside.

I will enjoy the day, the FUN it brings and even being called a “fool” if I fall for some of the day’s pranks.  I have been called a fool more than once, including for the quote above and my career advice of “Do what you love and money follows.”  If I am a fool for helping others find work they enjoy and serving the world with my gifts, then the title of “fool” is fine with me.

The lightness of April 1^st reminds us life is a trade-off.  You don’t get what you deserve.  In life and in business, you get what you engage in, work for and ask for.

You get paid for doing what you love because you are willing to do what it takes to succeed — whether you love every aspect of your job or not.

When you do what you love and you enjoy your job, you are likely to use your talents to be the best you can be.  You don’t mind the trade-offs and will adjust to such items as part of the deal.  For example, if you don’t love living in the big city where the wages are higher, you may decide that living in a small town and driving further to work is worth it.  The commute is your trade-off.

Trade-offs in work and life come in many forms.

For years, I was willing to work the graveyard shift to gain different experience, earn more money, do work I enjoyed, and have my days free.  Working the night shift was my trade-off to achieve my goals.

May you be so blessed by doing what you love that all the trade-offs will feel very inconsequential.

In case you feel fooled, it works this way too:  “Love the work you’re doing and opportunities will follow.”  If you find yourself in a work situation that has changed and you no longer love it as you once did, find something new to love and be grateful for your new understanding.  Open yourself up to the possibilities around you and the world will notice and reward you with other opportunities to do the work you love.

Do you have a question about your job search?  Post your question or comment below or look to the right and sign up for the next Q & A session.

Have an amazing April Fool’s Day!

Will you move your career goals forward this year?

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

1.  Assess your current situation.

• Where are you today?
• What would you like to be different in your career six months from now?
• What’s important to you about the work you do?
• What is the right fit for you and your lifestyle now?
• What do you want your lifestyle to be 10 years from now?
• Why is changing your current career situation important?
• Do your career marketing materials promote you in a credible and distinctive manner?
• What enhancements do your career marketing tools need?

2.  Create an action plan.

• Who are the 25 people who need to know you and your career goals?
• Who else needs to know you?
• How will you get in front of the people who need to know about you?
• What are 3 things you will do this week to connect with these people?
• How will you follow-up and reconnect with the people who need to know you?

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?

Do you need some help?  If so, let’s connect.