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Re-energize Your Search – One Conversation at a Time

The typical job seeker spends countless hours trolling the internet, crafting clever cover letters, modifying resumes and managing their online applications. For any single opening, a lucky few are interviewed and a single candidate will land an offer. The odds are stacked against the majority of applicants who fall into the “black hole” of a broken recruiting process.

This is where many people get stuck. The black hole is filled with talented new grads, midlife career professionals and seasoned experts who keep doing the same thing hoping for a different result. Eventually, many job seekers give up on their dreams, take survival jobs and choose to wither away in poor fit positions.

Throwing in the towel could be an act of self-preservation in the short term. Receiving cursory rejection letters or, worse yet, getting the silent treatment from employers takes a toll on one’s self-confidence.

What if I told you to stop wasting your time with job boards and search agents? What if there was an alternative to surfing the web and filling out online applications? Would you give it a try? My advice is simple: get off the computer and start talking to people.

Yeah, but. You are probably coming up with a whole bunch of reasons why you cannot talk to people.

  • Yeah, but I am an introvert and I get shy talking to people.
  • Yeah, but I am new in town and I don’t have any connections.
  • Yeah, but I have already talked to everyone I know and nothing came of it.
  • Yeah, but I feel like I am being a pest.
  • Yeah, but I don’t even know what I want to do!

Yeah, but this is necessary. We create momentum in our careers when we engage in discussions about topics that light us up. Talking is a necessary pre-cursor to taking action.

Start by hanging out with people who do what you aspire to do. Listen, learn and ask questions. Share your own insights and ideas. This is how you find your tribe and build community.

If you take this approach, many conversations will happen naturally. Some career conversations require a bit more effort to coordinate. It takes courage to ask someone we barely know to share their valuable time with us.

Either way, this is not about hustling your way into an opportunity. It is about being genuinely curious and humbly asking for guidance. Stay true to yourself and do things that align with your style.

As you gain clarity about what you desire, you can be more direct. You might eventually ask a connection, “How would someone go about pursuing a path similar to yours?” Or, “What is the best way for someone to gain the attention of a hiring manager in your organization?” Allow the quality of each relationship to guide the level of support you are requesting.

Sure, you can get a job online but significant opportunities that provide meaning and purpose are born from relationships. Tapping into the so-called “hidden job market” requires making authentic connections with people who share similar interests and values.

Imagine if you had 50 stimulating, exciting career conversations over the course of the next three months. How might this impact your career? Your life? I invite you to turn off the computer and go grab a cup of coffee with someone who inspires you. Re-energizing a sluggish job search and breathing new life into your career begins one conversation at a time.

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The Hero’s Career Journey

We are all familiar with the hero’s journey. In a nutshell, a hero’s journey is about conquering our fears and overcoming incredible obstacles to go in search of something rare and wonderful. It is the archetype of most movies because we never tire of watching ordinary people do the extra-ordinary.

As a career counselor, I accompany clients on the journey to finding greater purpose and pleasure in their work and in their lives. Each person’s story is unique yet some elements of the hero’s journey play out time and again.

Being called.

We all know stalwart employees who show up at the same job for decades without ever considering doing anything else. More power to them! Then there are those who feel called to a new path. The call could come in the form of an inner yearning, a chance encounter, or a significant life event such as a car accident, lay-off or the passing of a loved one.

I have a client who recently left a secure job in city government to heed a call to build sustainable housing for indigenous and fragile populations. Another is feeling called to leave a high paying healthcare technology gig to coordinate medical mission trips in faraway lands. A third is developing a non-profit that will focus on mentoring at-risk boys.

The hero’s journey begins the moment we decide to answer the call.

Cue the fire breathing dragons.

Heroes have no clue what lies ahead and they go forward anyway. Be forewarned. You will suffer and you will be tested. It is inevitable.

You will face inner demons such as self-doubt, fear of failure or lack of hope. And, you will encounter obstacles and meet up with real world adversaries who seem hell bent on stopping you from reaching your goals. Your job is to overcome each challenge as it arises.

This is the point at which we question ourselves. We wonder if the call was real and we come up with all kinds of logical reasons to scurry back to our hum drum jobs and lives. This is a completely normal plot twist.

In the end, the hero remains committed to the journey. No. Matter. What.

Seek guidance.

Luke Skywalker has Yoda. Dorothy has Glinda the Good Witch. Who will help you along the way? It could be a life coach, a trusted friend, or a colleague that will provide the support you need.

Sometimes all we need is a dose of self-confidence but more often we require practical skills and training to make it to the next stage of the journey. Don’t sit around waiting for a wise mentor to show up out of nowhere. Despite the many similarities, your life is not a movie!

Seek out the help you need to keep moving forward.

Embrace the journey.

Make no mistake, searching for a new career is a hero’s journey. It is a worthy endeavor and requires tenacity, grit, humility and hope. Once we you have embarked on your journey, your life will never be the same.

Even if you don’t quite end up where you intended, you can still choose to feel good about what you accomplished. True heroes celebrate lessons learned and honor the skills they gained along the way. The journey itself is more important than the destination.

For better or worse, the hero’s journey is one worth taking. Why? Because nothing else will bring you closer to self-actualization than staring down your deepest fears to make a dream come true. The greatness inside you is listening. This is your call. Will you answer?

 

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2017 – The Year to Give Back!

Mountain Landscape in Colorado Rocky Mountains, Colorado, United States.

One of the best things we can do for ourselves, and our careers, is to share our time and talents to do some good in the world. Volunteering enhances our professional resiliency and increases our personal life satisfaction. Here are 5 reasons to make ‘giving back’ a priority in the coming year.

Expand Your Network

Serving on boards, volunteering for a non-profit, and supporting fundraising events connects us to new people who share similar interests. In time, these acquaintances can turn into professional alliances. When we volunteer, we have a chance to put our talents to use and show our skills in action. This leads to high-trust relationships with people who can then speak to our qualifications or refer us to new opportunities with real conviction.

Build the Resume

Volunteering helps us look good on paper. We can minimize gaps in our work history by showing that we have remained active and involved during transitions or layoffs. We brand ourselves when we include volunteer experience on our resumes. We also differentiate ourselves from other candidates who have similar skill sets but lack community involvement.

Skill Development

Think about what you have to offer and what you hope to gain in terms of skill development when you consider a volunteer opportunity. Sometimes we volunteer because we want to be considered for full time, paid positions within the organization. In other cases, we plan to take the skills we gain from volunteering and put them to use in our regular jobs. Yes, we give back for the sake of giving back but we can also be strategic in terms of what we want to develop in ourselves.

Career Exploration

If you are considering a career change, volunteering is the perfect way to test the waters before jumping in with both feet. You get first-hand experience and valuable insights into what it takes to be successful in a new industry. This can help you avoid a costly career mistake. If you do find a match in your new field, you will have developed great experience and connections to help you make a successful transition.

Good Vibrations

Volunteering often leads to feeling a sense of purpose and belonging in the world. If we are a bit stale in our careers, volunteering can reignite a sense of passion. It feels good to give back yet we all need support from time to time. When we are in a career transition, it can be psychologically easier to reach out for help if we have made it a priority to be of service. In giving to others, we can create good karma for ourselves.

Keep in mind that finding the right volunteer opportunity can be challenging. Start by considering what issues call to you. What are you curious about? Do you want to work locally? Or, do you yearn to support national or international issues? What talents do you have to share and what new skills do you hope to gain?  How much time can you devote given your other commitments?

Use this online resource:  https://www.livecareer.com/quintessential/volunteering to learn about possible areas of interest. Your local library also offers resources to help you research non-profits, foundations, and giving organizations such as Rotary International.

The new year is a perfect time to envision a brighter future for yourself and for the world. It is a time to set goals and seek out rewarding experiences. One thing I know for sure is that as you serve the world, you will also be doing yourself a whole bunch of good. Happy New Year!

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Attitude Adjustments and Job Satisfaction

Are you ready for some good news? Job satisfaction is the highest it has been in over a decade!

Earlier this year, the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) reported that a whopping 88% of employees are satisfied at work. While overall job satisfaction spiked, employees also reported a slight increase in engagement.

SHRM’s extensive research measures 43 aspects of job satisfaction and 37 factors associated with employee engagement. The key issues related to satisfaction in the 2016 survey included respectful treatment of employees at all levels of the organization, compensation, benefits, and security.

You can read the full report here. https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/trends-and-forecasting/research-and-surveys/pages/job-satisfaction-and-engagement-report-revitalizing-changing-workforce.aspx)

For years, surveys have reported dismal levels of job satisfaction in the workforce. So, what has changed? And, why bother sharing the good news? SHRM’s 2016 survey is noteworthy and the information it provides can help organizations as well as employees increase satisfaction and engagement.

In terms of what has changed, there are subtle and powerful shifts happening in how people think about work and life. We are gradually moving away from the belief that we need to find one true passion in order to be happy and fulfilled. Despite well-meaning advice from talk show hosts and self-help gurus over the past two decades, finding one’s passion isn’t all that easy!

And, the pressure to do so often causes stress and anxiety. Letting go of the need to find a singular purpose for being on the planet and linking that to a specific career path allows us to reconsider what it means to be satisfied and fulfilled. Rather than feeling like failures for not having found a passion, many of my clients feel a sense of relief to learn they could be equally happy working in a variety of positions or industries.

The quest to find one’s passion has been replaced with a more realistic goal of exploring different ways to put our key skills to use. We have known for years that job satisfaction increases when people use their strengths or unique super powers for 70 to 80 percent of the work day. Most people are satisfied to be paid a competitive wage to do work that they enjoy. That is meaningful and fulfilling in and of itself.

Another shift I see occurring is that people are no longer expecting any job to fulfil all of their needs. Work is an important part of who we are but it is not everything. Employees who are most happy and fulfilled at work are also committed to taking care of their personal needs and desires. This can include volunteering in your child’s classroom, pursuing creative hobbies, unplugging from email after hours or getting to the gym five days a week.

One reason people are making more conscious decisions about work/life integration is because the job market is less tight. Rather than feeling stuck, people feel empowered to seek out opportunities that are a better fit not only in terms of the skills they want to use but also in terms of value alignment and culture.

Let’s give credit to the organizations that are committed to creating positive work environments in an effort to retain talent. It is also important to recognize that job satisfaction is closely related to how content we are in other parts of our lives. Career is just one slice of a much bigger pie. No matter how you cut it, the goal is for work and all the rest of your life to be equally delicious.

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Job Search Survival Guide

Your job search has been going on for months. After turning in hundreds of applications, you only landed a handful of interviews. You made it into the final round on a few occasions but have yet to receive an offer.

Looking for a new job is a lot tougher than you imagined. Initially, you were hopeful but now you feel lost and discouraged. You hear news of the job market opening up which only adds to your despair. Trust me, you are not alone.

I realize this is a small consolation. However, it is really important to remember that looking for a new job is a tough process. I don’t know anyone who thrives under financial pressure, enjoys being in a state of limbo and relishes the sting of rejection.

Unless you just won the lottery or inherited a fortune, giving up is probably not an option. Like it or not, the hunt for a good job must go on! Here are three tips to help you survive your job search.

Take a Break

Job seekers who are dealing with health issues tend to flounder the most. It is difficult to focus on job search activities or make positive networking connections when grappling with anxiety, depression or serious physical conditions.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is put your search on hold. Depending on your circumstances, this could mean a week, a month, or perhaps longer. You may need counseling support or you may simply need to give yourself a break from the stressors of life.

During this time, you will not scan job boards, go to networking events, or even peek at LinkedIn. Instead, put your health and wellbeing first and fill your calendar with enjoyable activities. You might add a few house projects to the list if that seems therapeutic.

Once you are stronger and more confident, you can step back into the job search process with renewed energy and hope.

Get Clarity

The second biggest hindrance to job search success is a lack of focus. Job seekers who struggle the most often confess to being unsure about what they want to do next.

When you lack clarity, you are going to pale in comparison to more focused, enthusiastic and determined candidates. Your networking tribe will struggle to support you in your search. Simply stated, it is mighty difficult to be compelling when you are confused.

You may need outside support. Visit a workforce center, utilize alumni career services at your college or seek out a job search coach to help you gain the clarity you need to move forward.

Reset the Strategy

Finally, many job seekers struggle because they do not know how to conduct an effective search. Landing a position in today’s marketplace requires a fresh strategy and a different set of job search skills than in the past.

Today, you need so much more than a polished résumé. Landing a great job and managing one’s professional growth requires a career marketing plan. If you have never heard of a career marketing plan, you have some homework to do!  If you have one, start executing it with determination.

It’s a jungle out there. In order to survive, self-care is key. You also need a clear focus, updated job search skills and a strategic career marketing plan. If you are still feeling lost and unprepared, find a group of other job searchers and band together. The journey is much easier, and hopefully more fun, when shared with fellow travelers.

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