The secret formula to success

In the quote by Napoleon Hill, “Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success,”  we find the recipe for job search success.  The combination of all three is what separates the successful job searchers from the unsuccessful.  You can’t have one without the other two.  It’s a complete package.

Patience.  Patience is a virtue is something we all know.  But it isn’t something we all have especially in our instant gratification world we live in.  Imagine leaving the house without your cell phone.  The panic it causes.  But what did we do 10 years ago when we didn’t have a cell phone?  We waited until we got home to find out who wanted to talk to us.

Patience is needed in the job search.  Nothing happens overnight.  You might hear some stories about people getting a job quickly, but those are few and far between.  Currently, the hiring process from submitting a résumé to getting an over can take several months.  You don’t want to give up, instead your must persist.

Persistence.  Fits and starts don’t work.  It’s a lesson we learned from the children’s story, “The Tortoise and The Hare.”  Steady progress is the way to success. 

The secret formula to success.

The secret formula to success.

Job searching is very difficult.  It’s also painful.  But to be successful you must keep at it even when you think nothing is happening.  You must continue submitting resumes for positions you are qualified for.  You must follow up when you feel like giving up.  Very few people have hiring managers banging down their doors with job offers.  You are the one who must go after them and keep going after them.  It’s your perspiration that will get you a job.

Perspiration.  Nothing happens unless you work.  Very few people get anywhere without doing any work.  They were either born wealthy or very lucky.  If you aren’t one of the select few, you need to do the actual work. 

No one can so the networking for you.  Creating a résumé that says you are the one takes time and energy.  When you are interviewing, there isn’t anyone else there to do the talking.  You must do the research and know your value proposition.  It takes time and effort to get it done and you have to do it.

Success.  Success comes when you have worked hard; didn’t give up no matter how frustrated you were, and waited out the long hours, days, weeks and months of struggle. Now comes the reward.  The fruits of your labor. 

Your job search will be over.  You will get a job.  And you will have earned it.  Your efforts will pay off.  Keep going even though you aren’t seeing results.  It will come.  Be positive that it will and start thinking like a success, and you will be.

Napoleon Hill ought to know.  He spent his life researching, teaching and writing.  He worked hard and it paid off. 

 

How can I help you in your job search?

How to Get a New Job by Labor Day

 

Team sports are a great way to meet people

Team sports are a great way to meet people

Finally, after the long winter, Memorial Day is here! It’s the unofficial start of summer. And it’s an exciting season for the job searcher. It’s the best time to look for a job. And here is why:

  • Many job searchers take the summer off
    • There’s less competition for you
  • It’s the barbecue, graduation and wedding season
    • The parties are excellent networking opportunities
    • Jobs are often the topic of conversation at graduation parties
    • The bride and groom usually invite people from work
  • People are in vacation mode
    • The hiring managers may be answering their own phones because the gatekeepers are on vacation
    • They may be available to meet for informational interviews
  • Perfect weather for meeting people
    • People enjoy eating lunch in a park and not at their desk and may be more receptive to a little conversation
    • Helping a neighbor with a project can lead to a new contact
    • Whether you coach or play summer sports, you will meet plenty of people
    • Watching sporting events are great ice breakers
  • Companies need superior talent all year round
    • Beat the competition by being flexible and patient with the interview process
  • Some companies hire temporary help for the summer
    • It may turn into a permanent job
    • Add more connections to your network
  • The fiscal years ends/begins July 1 in some organizations
    • They have to hire before they lose the position
    • They will hire as soon as the new fiscal year starts
    • They want the new person trained and ready to hit the ground running by the fall
  • People are more relaxed
    • They are more willing to engage in conversation
  • Opportunity for outdoor exercise
    • It will help you relieve stress
    • It will boost your mood
    • You will look and feel better

There are many free events around you that you can enjoy while networking.  Check out baseball/softball leagues, free concerts, road races, festivals, and other community events.  You can either take part or volunteer at the event, but you will have a great time either way.  Each and every event is a networking event waiting to happen.  Keep your job search going during the summer even though others are taking the summer off and you may be in a new job by Labor Day.

 

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The One Thing Every Job Searcher Needs

Wait--that's all I seem to do.

Wait–that’s all I seem to do.

There is one thing every job searcher needs.  It doesn’t matter if the job searcher is employed or unemployed; a recent college graduate or a 50+.  This one thing is learned way before a job search is launched.  It comes from years of practice. 

This one thing is called patience.  It is needed when looking online for jobs and wading through website after website with jobs that are only somewhat of interest to you, or you are qualified for.  Patience is needed when networking and you are hoping to hear from someone you have contacted for follow up. 

As the job search progresses, the need for patience increases.  After submitting your résumé, you wait for a response and a phone screen that indicates their interest in you.  Then you wait for the rounds of interviews hoping that you make it to the next round.  Finally, after all the interviews, you wait for the words:  You are hired!  It isn’t an easy wait.  It is comprised of hope, despair, positive and negative feelings. Кредит онлайн Москва.

It seems like a lifetime waiting to hear about the next steps.  But in this life patience is needed all through it.  This has been shown to me a lot in the last 3 months.  Patience is needed in good times and in bad.  Three months ago, I was anxiously awaiting the birth of my new little neighbor.  I had “seen” him in ultrasound pictures, but I wanted to see him in person. 

The last month has been a month of watching my mother-in-law die.  That took an incredible amount of patience as I saw her fade gradually.  I often wondered how she could go on with all the pain and no nourishment.  She had to be patient while nature took its course.  But the end came peacefully one week ago today.

I have come to learn that patience is learned.  At least for me it had to be learned and practiced over and over again.   Here are a few ways to help you increase your patience.

  1. Lose your ego.   Life in unpredictable and you are not in control of everything.  Your plans and perspective are not the only ones.
  2. Some things can’t be rushed and need time.  Everything takes time to come to fulfillment.   Allow the process to play itself out naturally. 
  3. Relieve frustration in healthy ways. You need to relieve frustration so that you don’t pop like an overfilled balloon.
  • Breathe deeply. At the first sign that you are becoming impatience, take 3 deep breaths, breathe in and breathe out slowly.
  • Give yourself a time out. Step aside from the situation.  Do something different.  Then after a while go back with renewed energy.
  • Use guided visualization. Guided visualization will relax you and help your learn how to deal with the issue while relaxed.  Imagine the results you desire to use all 5 of your senses: taste, touch, sight, sound, smell.
  • Meditation. Will help you be calm.  If you are able to be in a calm state, issues won’t be as stressful.  It’s a proactive approach.
  • Laugh. Enjoy time away from the issue with family and friends.  If you laugh, it helps your relieve stress. 

 You need patience in every aspect of your life.  You will be best served if you learn how to practice patience before you need it.  Have a plan and put into action as soon as you start feeling impatient.  Your job search will thank you for it.

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Finding Your Future

Your future is waiting, are you ready?

Your future is waiting, are you ready?

Deciding to leave your job for a new one is challenging.  Once you the decision to leave is made, you have to decide if you want to do the same job or try something different.  A job search for the same job is easier than a new career.  You can start looking at the job search sites such as, Indeed.com/Simplyhired.com/Careerbuilder.com/Monster.com and networking.

If you choose to try another career, you want to do some research.  There are several websites that will help you select your next career.  The United States Department of Labor has great sites to help you that you must look at. 

The first one I suggest is www.mySkillsmyFuture.org which allows you to find new occupations to explore based on your previous work experience.  The information provided includes:

  • job titles and descriptions
  • wage range
  • jobs in your area that are available
  • companies in your area who have people doing this job
  • further education you may need
  • where you can get further education

The second, www.CareerInfoNet.org, is filled resources the help you make choices. 

  • occupation and industry information
  • salary data
  • videos about various careers
  • self-assessment tools
  • look at groups of similar occupations
  • search for jobs by skill or software needed
  •  

Finally, The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) provides information on

  • what doing the job entails
  • education and training needed
  • the work environment
  • education, training, and other qualifications
  • wage range
  • projected growth rate 

I believe these websites are the best for anyone trying to decide on a new career or young people interested in finding what to major in at school.  There is nothing like doing the job to see whether you will like it or not.  If you would like to know what doing the job is like, try volunteering at that job or something very similar. 

You don’t have to stay in a job you hate, but you want to make sure you find something that you will enjoy and doing research is key. 

 

How can I help you in your job search?

How to Recharge Your Job Search

How to recharge your job search.

How frustrating it is when you want a cold glass of milk, but someone before you took it all.  The carton is empty.  When it’s gone, it’s gone.  Nil, zip, zero.   No matter how much you want it, there is nothing there.  You can squeeze and squeeze, but you won’t get anything.  The same is true with your energy, your perseverance, your patience, and your positive outlook, to mention only a few.  At this point in your job search, you may be noticing some of these are being sapped from you.  The result is you just don’t have the strength to continue on, or so you think.  You have lost the momentum.

What happened to the momentum?  It has been slowly leaking from you after repeatedly sending out unanswered resumes, interviews that don’t result in an offer, staring at a computer screen day after day looking for the elusive needle in the haystack-the right opportunity that fits your skills to a T.  When this happens it is difficult to remain optimistic and to continue your search.  And this comes through in your attitude and appearance–the two most important tools after your marketing materials.

How you present yourself to your network or to the person interviewing you is crucial.  In order to be successful in your job search, you must show energy and enthusiasm.   You need to take care of you just as much as you are taking care of your job search.  In fact, if you don’t take care of you, your job search will suffer.  You need to pay attention to your mind, body and spirit.  Proper nutrition, adequate sleep, exercise and connecting with your Higher Power should be high priorities on your to-do list.

Eating nutritious foods instead of snacking on carbs provides your body with the necessary vitamins and minerals to keep your energy up and maintain a healthy weight.  (Weight gain is another whole blog.)  Exercising release endorphins that make you feel good and look fit.  Taking care of your spirit will keep you centered and grounded.  Below are some things you can do to keep your body fit and your mind clear.  It is not an exhaustive list, but it serves as a way to jump-start your creativity to find things that you can do to take care of you.

  • Exercise:  Keep yourself physically fit.  Fit into some clothes that have gotten too small.  Prevent yourself from gaining weight.   (Check with your physician before starting any exercise program.)
  • Prepare healthy meals yourself:  No take out. Shop and chop fresh fruits and veggies.  It is cheaper to prepare a healthy meal at home than to buy fast food loaded with sodium, fat and calories.
  • Meditate:  Usually involved with meditation is deep and conscious breathing.  Breathing this way has a calming effect on the body.  Meditation will also focus your mind off your troubles and  on to calm, peaceful thoughts–a respite from the anxiety.
  • Connect with your Higher Power:  The lessons taught by your Higher Power are often the ones we need to hear most often.  By looking at the lessons, we see which are appropriate for our current situation and can find ways to feel better about ourselves by following the practices of the faith we subscribe to.
  • Learn something new:  Learning something new carries a sense of satisfaction with it and promotes self-confidence.  At this time, your self-confidence has taken a hit below the belt by first being laid off, then feeling rejected by not being chosen for the jobs you interview for.  You counter these negative feelings by showing yourself you are a capable person.
  • Relax:  Take time each day to relax in any way you choose.  This is vital to your health.  Being overstressed can take its emotional and physical toll on the body resulting in illness, aches and pains.  Overcome this by relaxing your mind and body each day.

Taking care of you holds in check the frustration you feel while unemployed.  If you are doing all the right tasks to find a job, the only thing left to do is try to relax while waiting for the good news to come.  Instead of a cold glass of milk take a cold glass of lemonade and a good book under a shady tree and read something that affirms you.

How can I help you in your job search?