Career Musings

You have often heard the saying, “If you always do what you have always done, you will continue getting what you have always gotten”, or something close. If that sounds like you and your job search or your career, then you may want to reconsider your strategy, regardless of your status or what stage of the job search game you are at.

Consider this story:

A Mom wrote me on September 8, and said, “My daughter has taken a year off before going to college and she desperately needs a job.  She has been job hunting, but her lack of experience is a real hindrance.  She is now very discouraged.  Could you spare some time to talk to her on the phone in the next few days?”

On September 10, I contacted the young lady – all of 17 years old – and asked her to explain to me what she had been doing. After our initial conversation, I suggested she did things differently. Since she had never worked before, I gave her a research assignment to visit several locations in her area – Tim Hortons, McDonalds, Starbucks, Canadian Tire, among others. She was to observe the surroundings, how the employees behaved, how they treated customers and generally be alert for other things that were taking place. She was also to make notes of her observations. In addition, she should write down comments that people frequently made about her – her punctuality, reliability, leadership skills, etc. Lastly, she should create a list of some of her own qualities.

With the information from her research, we created a one page hybrid of a cover letter and résumé and I asked her to customize each to fit the companies she was targeting. She was to write what she observed on her visits, what was going well and how she could add value as their next employee. Remember, she had little to go on in the first place.

On September 15, she responded by saying: “This is incredibly helpful! I’ve been applying to places all week so tomorrow I will follow up with all the companies to which I applied. I will keep you updated on how that goes.”

What a difference in her mood in five days! On September 23, she wrote: “Hi Mrs. Wright, I just want to say thank you for all your advice and help. I really appreciate it. I received my first job yesterday – full time hostess at Red Lobster. I’m ecstatic!”

Entry-level students are not my usual clientele, but I deviated from the norm with this young lady. What I found is that a change of strategy works, whether one is an entry-level job seeker or a more seasoned professional, but it requires commitment and perseverance. Who would’ve imagined that in a such a tough job market, a 17 year-old who had never previously worked could change her job search strategy and find success within 13 days?

How about you? Is your job search strategy working for you, or is it time to go back to the drawing board and tweak it a bit? Contact me if you need some assistance!

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If you are reading Monday Rx for the first time, welcome! Since many of us suffer from the ‘Monday Morning Blues’, I use this space on Mondays to send out positive picker-upper messages or other useful information to help us start the week right.

Today’s message is a simple one from Og Mandino’s “The Greatest Salesman in the World”.

1.    Today I begin a new life
2.    I will greet this day with love in my heart
3.    I will persist until I succeed
4.    I am nature’s greatest miracle
5.    I will live this day as if it is my last
6.    Today I will be master of my emotions
7.    I will laugh at the world
8.    Today I will multiply my value a hundred fold
9.    I will act now
10.    Today I will pray for guidance

Select any line that resonates with you and make it your mantra for today.

To your success,

Daisy

The 10^th Anniversary of September 11, brought back so many memories, and while it’s human nature for us to focus on the sadness of the event, today, let’s reflect on the positive aspects of people helping people during that crisis. In such a spirit, and just one day after the anniversary, is there something you could do to help someone, probably a co-worker? By doing so, you will take your mind off the Monday morning blues and focus it on someone else.

Could you be a mentor? Have you had the benefit of a mentor? If you have, you know it doesn’t have to be a long drawn-out process. Mentoring is as easy as having coffee once a week and asking, “How is it going?” It could be an offer to assist someone struggling with their workload, or with an issue that’s in the realm of your expertise. It could be as easy as offering career advice. According to @BoardMtrcs on Twitter, “Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” It’s as simple as that!

A survey by CERIC (Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling) states that “While mentoring is more common with people in management, professional and executive ranks, few individuals at the lower level have had a mentor, and among those who have, most value the relationship for the career advice and encouragement they received.”

Do you see a window of opportunity here?  Can you be a mentor to someone who does not fall within the ranks of those mentioned in the CERIC survey? Can you give them the feeling that they are important even though they are not an executive or a manager?

Don’t think you have what it takes to be a mentor? Find another way today, to help out a co-worker!

To your success,

What is success? Whatever answer you come up with will be correct, as success means different things to different people. I read a quote recently that said “If you fail and learn something from it, that’s success too.”  Isn’t that amazing?

These seven simple steps won’t tell you how to get a promotion or how to make more money. They are more basic than that. They will guide you into making simple changes to your thought processes and set you on the path to achieving your success. You see, there certain things we all have to get out of our way before we can begin to see success.

Do you have anything else to add here? Post your comments below, and have a succesful week!

A woman was waiting to be interviewed for a job she could have done with her eyes closed. While she sat in the reception area nervously awaiting her turn, a little voice in her head started playing games with her. “Why do you think they are going to choose you? What if they say your are overqualified? What if you get the position and it doesn’t work out?”

By the time they called her in, she was sweating profusely, negative thoughts and doubt had dominated her mind to the extent that she could not answer some of the interview questions. She became tongue-tied, and in some instances, froze. She was ‘a basket case’, according to her. As you can imagine, she lost out on that opportunity because she spent the entire time thinking of what could go wrong.

This situation plays itself out very often, not only in interviews but in other aspects of our lives. Probably you are feeling inferior; that you don’t measure up. Or, it is taking you a longer time to find the job and you are losing hope. Or, you have heard it too many times that “You were a close second, but we chose someone who was a better fit”.

These things happen, but don’t lose faith in yourself? Don’t quit. Obstacles are thrown in our paths to test our patience, determination and tolerance level. Don’t allow these obstacles to take control over your thoughts and actions and stop you on your path to success.

Were you planning to quit today? Hang in there, give it another try, stick to it until it is done, but don’t quit. Finish strong!

Have a great week!

PS: If you enjoy these snippets of encouragement, enter your email address in the box above to continue receiving them.

Are you someone who believes that networking doesn’t work for you? If you do, then you may have the wrong concept about the process. It is not schmoozing or ‘brown-nosing’, it’s not about handing out business cards, and it’s not about asking for a job. Networking is about building relationships. Getting to know people who can offer you assistance and who you can also help, and…there are many people out there just waiting to be asked for help.

It is said that between 65-80% of opportunities – job or business – are found through networking. Networking opens the doors to the hidden job market, but most job seekers use it the wrong way. They believe networking is all about asking for a job, and so they irritate people by telling them, on first meeting, how long they have been unemployed and can they help them find a job. They miss out on the relationship-building piece.

Author Job & Success Expert Harvey McKay said, “If I had to name the single characteristic shared by all the truly successful people I’ve met in my lifetime, I’d have to say it’s the ability to create and nurture a network of contacts.” 

What are your networking plans today? Make an effort to contact someone you have always wanted to meet and start the relationship-building process.  Nurture that relationship and see what happens!

If you are stuck in a career or networking rut, pop into our CareerTips2Go Cafe, and let’s talk!

How many times have you said to yourself:

•  I would really like a promotion, BUT my boss is going to say ‘No’?

• I would like to change careers, BUT I am too old, or I can’t be bothered?

• I would like to start my own business, BUT I don’t have the time or the money, and it might just not work out?

•  I would like to become a ____________, BUT my (friends, family, coworkers, spouse, kids) keep asking if I am crazy?”

How many of those questions resonate with you? These ‘BUTs’ are your fears that tell you that you don’t have the time, the money, the education, the nerve, or the skills to become who you should be. These ‘BUTs’ tell you to stay in your comfort zone, and not venture into the unknown, but if you continue to give in to these ‘BUTs’, a year from now you will still be wishing you had started today. (Karen Lamb)

Get rid of the ‘BUTs’ in your life and:

B – Become the person you were destined to be. Stop playing small.

U – Understand that obstacles are opportunities in disguise. Embrace them.

T – Try and try again. Don’t ever quit. Remember the little engine that said it could.

S – Stop engaging in negative self-talk. If you consistently have these conversations with yourself and allow the ‘buts’ to get in your way, you will never become who you were meant to be.

Today, ask yourself, “What if I moved forward in spite of these ‘BUTs’? What if I take a chance?” You may be pleasantly surprised. Emerson said, “Beware what you set your heart upon for it surely shall be yours”. Set your heart on that dream, and see what happens to your life!

Today’s post is about recognizing your value and asking for what you want, whether you are a man or woman!

Over the past several months I have become a fan of Morning Joe on MSNBC, with Mika Brzezinski, Joe Scarborough and Willie Geist. After watching Mika interview some of the women profiled in her book “Knowing Your VALUE – Women, Money, and Getting What You’re Worth”, I decided to buy a copy. It’s an excellent read. She talks about how difficult it is for women to ask for what they want, especially asking for a raise or a promotion. While men are comfortable promoting themselves, and almost demanding what they want, women prefer to work, work, work hoping the boss will take notice.

While reading the book, I was struck by a couple of quotes from Valerie Jarrett, President Obama’s senior advisor.

“I felt like if I was deserving, then my boss should recognize that I was deserving.”

After one of her mentors said to her, “You can’t sit around waiting for people to recognize your work, you have to ask for it”, she gathered her courage and went to her then boss.  Soon after that discussion, she got the promotion and the front office she had wanted.

That bold, courageous move prompted Jarret to say, “If you’re not asking for a promotion…you’re not going to get the gold ring”.

See, even high profile people like Valerie Jarrett, Mika Brzezinski and others quoted in the book, found it difficult to ask for what they truly deserved, and when they did, they got what they wanted. You are no different! You are ‘high profile’ in your own right. What is it that you would like to ask for, but are fearful about? Are you afraid to ask for the job during the interview? Are you worried that in the current economy you can’t ask for a raise? Are you waiting on your boss to give you the promotion that you know you deserve? As a small business owner or a coach, do you feel uncomfortable charging the fee you deserve for the services you provide?

Whatever it is, you owe it to yourself to ask for what you want…today! Go ahead, promote yourself, and see what happens!

Have a productive Monday!

In May 2010, I began sending little picker-upper nuggets called ‘Monday Morning Rx’ to my newsletter subscribers. Sometimes it was a quote, sometimes something longer. You see, Monday mornings are tough for a lot of people whether or not they are in the job search. Anyway, I got busy and stopped a few months afterward. I believed then, as I do now, that everyone of us, at some point, needs a picker-upper when the going gets tough, so I recently restarted the Monday Morning Rx. Some posts have and will relate to career and job search, others will not.

Reflect on Today’s quote taken from Jon Gordon, author of The Energy Bus, and other books.

“Don’t Seek Happiness – Ironically if you want to be happier don’t seek happiness. Instead share your strengths and decide to work with passion and purpose and happiness will find you. The research shows that people are most energized when they are using their strengths for a bigger purpose beyond themselves. Whatever your job, decide to bring passion to it and find purpose in it. I’ve met bus drivers, mortgage brokers, janitors and fast-food employees who are more passionate about their jobs and happier than some professional athletes making millions of dollars. Every job will get mundane and “old” if you let it but purpose and passion keep it fresh and make you happier.” ~ Jon Gordon’s Positive Tip: 5 Ways to Be Happy at Work

Pass it along and help someone have a happy Monday.

Have a productive Monday.

How many times have you started something, then dropped it mid-way? It could be a hobby that you are passionate about, or a coaching program that fell by the wayside. It could even be a course you wanted to pursue to make you more marketable. But…you just didn’t have the zeal, the courage or the perseverance to see it through. You cannot succeed if you lack the conviction – the ‘belief in self’ – and you cannot succeed without commitment.

Today’s message is from Zig Ziglar’s little book, Success for Dummies.

“Success begins with the desire to be successful and the conviction that you can be successful. Then and only then, do you make plans to reach that specific objective of achieving success. After you make plans, you must be willing to commit to them. But no responsible person makes a commitment until he or she has a reasonable plan of action to fulfill that commitment.” ~ Zig Ziglar

Today, ponder on this math equation:

Conviction + Commitment = SUCCESS!

Have a successful week!

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