One of the greatest tests of a person's character, ingenuity, tenacity, flexibility and professionalism is a job search. Having been on both the hiring side and the candidate side, I have a deep appreciation for the impact a job search, of any length, can have on a person.
As an consultant and women's development coach, I am constantly approached by men and women alike asking for my input on their resume and their job search strategy. In most cases, all have amazing skills, experience and education but in almost every case the individual has internalized the job search as a personal wound, or gone to the other extreme of not recognizing how strategic a job search has to be to secure a new role, let alone a "dream job".
In the coming weeks The Alice Project is holding a low-cost 2 part series for women in the midst of change, specific to job transition. During the session participants will learn some of the strategies that will help them ensure they are making the most of their search.
In the meantime, I have complied my Top 10 Perspective Points to get the Focus back to where it should be for people in the midst of job transition:
- The power to change how the market interacts with you is in your hands. Present yourself as the person/candidate that you want to be.
- Authenticity trumps confidence, but it's not excuse for being unprepared.
- Confidence has it's place and getting there takes practice (assumed confidence quickly devolves into being a jerk).
- Saying you're willing to do anything is a sure way to end up doing nothing.
- Every interaction is an interview.
- Opportunity is the intersection of timing and relationship.
- The wounds of your transition story are only compelling if you design them to be. Forget what you believe to be your best qualities. If you were hiring you would you think "Poor sap" or would you think " This guy/girl would be great at THIS."
- Hiring managers are looking to get something specific done. The longer you take to demonstrate your ability to help them get that thing done, the further you get from an invitation to come back.
- If you're looking for the interviewing process to be consistently affirming, forget about it. It's a strategic process for those ready to engage their best skills and abilities. Based on how you've managed the interviewing process, on a scale of 1-10 (1 being you're a whiner and 10 you're a CEO) would you hire you? Now ask your closest family and friends.
- In business, woundedness is boring and risky. Either get help, get your blankie or go home. The place for healing is in the safety of your personal life, not your work life.
Before anything productive can come out of a job search, the first step is to get your head in the game. Focus on what's most important and keep yourself connected to healthy things that energize you (exercise, healthy eating, healthy relationships, meditation/prayer, enjoying beautiful music/nature, etc.).
Having a productive job search is as much about how you go about it as it is about the final outcome.
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