Do You Have a Vision Regarding Your Career?

I was reading a book the other night and the author quoted Proverbs 29:18 and in his translation it stated: “Where there is no vision, the people perish...”

Now that got me thinking about my clients and career growth. Many of my clients come to me with a vague sense that something is wrong in their life. There is a gap or a hole that is difficult to identify or is producing an anxiety. They report that everything is “okay” but that the joy, pride or excitement they once had in their career is no longer there.

I’ve come to believe that many of us are suffering from a lack of vision. The loss of context to our lives. Many of us work to meet a need, achieve a goal of one type or another. Often these goals are born out of our core values. Say “Family” is a core value in your life and providing for your family is a principle goal... once the family is grown and on their own the reason for working so hard on the job is no longer there.

In a job search, if the job seeker doesn’t have a compelling reason for landing a job, it is difficult to motivate himself. He wakes up in the morning knowing that he has to look for work, but there is no drive, no plan, no vision. Alas the job search falters and the people perish.

Of course there are many other reasons why someone struggles in a job search or moving forward in a career... fear of rejection chief among them. Yet, without a clear vision and definite goals with timelines the person stands still. Whether a career has grown stagnant or the rug was pulled out from under you with a layoff, you’re most likely missing a goal and vision of your future.

Even a person who doesn’t like to plan needs to know where they are going, needs a vision of their life actualized. I think of Chevy Chase in “Caddyshack” when he’s advising one of the movie’s characters about life, “I'm going to give you a little advice. There's a force in the universe that makes things happen. And all you have to do is get in touch with it, stop thinking, let things happen, and be the ball... Be the ball Danny...”

Maybe Chevy Chase’s character isn’t a good example of a Career Coach, indeed he’s not. Still we all need to be in touch with our values and have a vision that is in alignment with our values. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. But with some willingness to look deeply into yourself, working with a coach or a mentor, your career and your job search can be meaningful and filled with passion, enjoyment and excitement.  With a vision, you’ll not perish and will find that hole, that emptiness filled.

More: Don’t take things personally

I’ve pointed out many times in talks, coaching session and in this blog that we have control over two things in this world. First, we have control over our attitude--namely, what we want our attitude to be. Second, we have control over our behavior--namely, how we act toward the world around us.

On the job or in a job search this is no less true. When something happens at work, from losing a promotion to getting a notice of termination, you are faced with what famed psychotherapist Albert Ellis, Ph.D. called an “Activating Event.” These events are without emotion, they simply are a fact one has to deal with. How we perceive these events, Ellis would say, is influenced by our “Belief System” which can be either rational or irrational.

I believe that if you get a pink slip at work a rational belief system would hold that your termination isn’t personal. In major lay offs where there is a 10%, 20% or even 30% reduction in force, it’s a numbers game, and your specific case probably has more to do with your salary or where you sit on an Org Chart than it is about who does or doesn’t like you. To quote The Godfather again: (Sonny Corleone to Tom Hagen and his brother Michael) “You're taking this very personal. Tom, this is business and this man is taking it very, very personal.”

What if your boss doesn’t respond to an email you sent? Don’t take it personally until he tells you so. For example: A job seeker and LinkedIn user wrote:  I have 55 first-level connections on LinkedIn, but 50 outstanding invitations that I have sent to people whom I have previous connections and relationships with, and yet they don't even bother to reply to my invitation. I am not sure if these folks are just not interested in LinkedIn anymore, or if they aren't interested in me anymore. Any suggestions???

And I responded: Remember not to take this or anything in your job search personally. There could be a 100 different reasons why these folks haven't replied. You've thought of two. Instead of playing a guessing game, follow up with an email or better yet a phone call. Reconnect and find out...

Life is filled with too many situations, events and accidents to believe that they are all focused on you. Give yourself a break, free yourself of the worry and stress of taking things personally. You’ll be happier and you’ll sleep better at night.

"Landing" a Job?

How important is a positive frame of reference? Can you get a promotion without a positive attitude? A positive attitude and a plan are two of the three elements you need to be successful in your career.

The other day I attended a keynote speech by Jonathan Salem Baskin who commented on the terminology: landing a job. He asked, “If landing means getting the job, then where were you before you got the job? Flying? Grounded?” Someone from the crowd called out, “Crashed.”  Everyone laughed.

Let’s think about it; you can land a job, a pilot lands a plane, a fisherman lands a fish, Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon. Where else can you land?

But Jonathan Salem Baskin’s question is what I want to reflect on this week. Before you’ve gotten the new job or promotion, are you flying or grounded? If you don’t get the job or promotion does that mean you crashed? Or... is it time to move on to the next opportunity.

You need to be flying... period! Grounded is not a choice that will get you that job or promotion. You might not be flying at 30,000 feet, maybe you’re flying just a few hundred feet of the ground, but you’re not grounded. You’re moving forward. You have to be moving toward your goal to achieve it....

Once you take off for your goal, you’re going to see a number of targets. Some targets might be your goal and you’ll need to check them out. Some won’t be your end goal, but may be short term goals on the way to your final goal. There is good news today; there are more and more targets on the horizon as the economy gets better. There are more people to help you hit your targets. These folks are your networking contacts.

Don’t think for a moment that your grounded. If you haven’t fueled up, get the tools you need for a successful flight. If you don’t know what you need for your flight, think about taking on a coach, someone who can be objective and give you the straight scoop so you don’t crash.

The third thing one needs to achieve success in their career...  consider a “product” that the target is looking for. We’ll talk about branding your “product” next time.

Christmas 2010 filled with hope

Christmas is in the air and have you noticed how warm and kind people are in the stores? I was at the movies tonight with my daughter and there was a traffic jam exiting the Mall at 10:15 PM. This is a lot different than just a year ago.  There seems to a sense of hope for the future. My wish is that you’ll experience the peace and hope of the Christmas Season. And may the new year be filled with success and prosperity.

I have worked with over 200 people this year. Many of the folks I coached, trained or presented to were motivated and invigorated in the hope of an improving economy. And a good number of my clients who had been in transition for over a year landed a full time jobs. They did that with some new tools, hard work and a commitment to working their network. They quickly found that the more they called their contacts and asked for help and support in their job search the more interviews they were getting. 

Making the calls

It’s easy to say it’s a numbers game... it’s hard to move out of your comfort zone, learn new skills, practice phone and networking scripts and ask for help. They tell me that it’s even harder to accept people’s help when you have nothing in return. But with me in their corner, cheering them on, they made the phone calls, got the meetings, did well in the interviews and landed the job.

This November I was privileged to give the Keynote Speech, which was an inspirational talk to the Career Stimulus Program’s 150 attendees. For weeks afterward, I ran into people who told me how motivated they were by the talk. They emailed me with accounts of how it gave them courage to carry on and trust in a higher power. As I said at the end of the presentation, I cannot guarantee when, but each one of your will find a job, if you trust in your God, your friends and family and most importantly, have faith in yourself.

Have a Merry Christmas and may the blessings of the Christ Child fill your heart, your home and your future. Happy 2011

The Gift of GAB

An Irishman & motivational speaker

   I have this friend, Conor Cunneen. We have worked together and offered each other support as we transitioned into new careers from our corporate gigs. Conor is a great example of someone who looked at his “transferable skills” and re-invented himself. Check out this example of Conor’s re-invention: Click Here


   The gift of GAB talk is filled with points that might be of benefit for us. GAB is an acronym for Goals, Attitude and Behavior.


Goals, 
   After a termination from your job, the structure, deadlines and routine of the job is gone. The discipline from the job is missing and we need to replace it with our own personal accountability. A refresher in the basics of goal setting is often all you need to get back on the wagon, so to speak. See Goal Setting for Job Seekers


Attitude,
   Having a positive hopeful attitude with expectations of success is essential for people doing a job search. It's where the smile comes from which is the most powerful non-verbal humans have to offer the world.  With so much competition out there why have anything other than a positive attitude. Drop your “stinkin’ thinkin’” and stop making excuses and start moving toward your goals. As Conor states in his book SHEIFGAB, “The key question is, What do I want my attitude to be?”


Behavior, 
By putting goals and a new attitude together your behavior becomes directed and more active. There lies the path to success. Job search is work. That’s why Conor challenges everyone he hears say that they are “unemployed.” In stead, he says that you are, “NIGEP = non-income generating employed person.” This is the most important work you have to do and may be the most important work in your whole life. 

WARNING

   Remember the old adage, "If you don't have anything good to say..." As a job seeker, you cannot afford to pass negative thoughts, actions or energy... you don't know where it will land. Like a stray bullet that hits an innocent bystander, a negative comment can paste you with a reputation as a whiner and complainer, in short, a problem,  when you want the reputation of a problem solver.  Remember you can choose your attitude and you have control over what you do and say. Take control over the things you can take control over and see what happens. Like the fellow said, “If you think you can you can, and if you think you can’t you can’t. Either way you’re right!”

Next week I’ll focus on developing and working from a job search plan. Good hunting. 

Accountability Group or Support Group

   Recently I posted that most of the groups I observed were support groups rather than networking accountability groups. A few folks have asked me to define the difference.  As I thought about that question I asked myself what are the goals of the two groups? Each benefits its members. But each type of group has a different focus, tone and outcome.


Focus

   The principle focus of the accountability group is for its members to achieve a new job or new career, and to utilize the dynamics of a group to change something in ourselves in order to achieve the next step in our career. The support group is there to help someone through a transition. The support group is a safe place to talk about pain and fears and is focused on healing. 


Tone
   While accountability groups should also be as safe a place to talk about ideas and feelings, it is primarily a business meeting with goals, metrics and recognition. The tone of the meeting should be “what business do we need to get done?” The support group really doesn’t have an agenda except that everyone who has a need to heal and feel supported is heard. The hope is that those who feel supported can then feel stronger in the things they need to do for their transition. The support group is more warm and fuzzy without specific measurables. 


Outcome
   The outcome of the accountability group is that everyone finds the next job. Job transition is primarily a sales job and most people looking for work are not trained sales people nor are they prepared to overcome the rejection that comes as part of the sales process. Having a group to help its members focus on the mechanics of the job search via the power of positive peer pressure is the way of accountability groups.  The support group is about healing and having the energy to make the person go. A successful group will answer the question, “Does everyone in the group feel better now?” And hopefully the answer is yes. 

   Finally, both groups’ objectives are to help the members grow and change. So they are not mutually exclusive and one could be a member of either or of both groups because in the end they fulfill different needs.  If anyone in the Western Suburbs of Chicago is looking for a transition support group might I suggest St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Glen Ellyn, IL. They have an intimate group that meets on Wednesday Mornings.  Contact me if your are interested in St. Barnabas’ group or starting either a networking accountability group or a transitions support group.

Would you hire yourself?

  I recently gave a talk where I posed the question which is the title of this blog entry. The question leads one to access what is unique about oneself. What are my strengths? What do I do which people would consider me an expert? Above and beyond this is the question; once I get noticed as the special and unique person I  am, how do I get a job offer? 

“There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.”  

  Dr. Norman Vincent Peale makes a point that we should revisit on a regular basis and constantly remind ourselves. I've often said, all things being equal or near equal, the hiring manager will hire the person they like best. Among all the things that makes us most likable is enthusiasm. An enthusiastic person is most likely to make a more favorable impression than a pragmatist or a pessimist.

  There are other benefits to being enthusiastic too. Enthusiasm builds energy in us. When we are more enthusiastic we are more creative. We are quicker to see and seize on opportunities. However when we are filled with fear or feel defeated due to our job search it feels like we have no energy or joy. We're flat as a cold  pancake. This is the worst place to be when seeking a new job.

 
  So if you are feeling down, depressed and/or bored... You need to pump yourself up. One of the questions from that workshop was, "How do you stay positive when you've been over a year looking for a job?"

  The answer is a difficult one and really depends on the person asking the question. For some people who may be clinically depressed they need to see their doctor or a psychotherapist and seek professional assistance. Regardless of the treatment, medication or therapy or both, fixing this needs to be a priority. A successful job search is nearly impossible if you're suffering from depression. 

  If you're not suffering from depression there are other things you can do to pump yourself up. Read a good book, something spiritual or inspiring. Listen to professional speakers on tape or CD; people like Zig Ziggler, Denis Waitley, or Stedman Graham. Listen to positive radio or internet radio broadcasts. For example, Joe Takash of Victory Consulting does an internet broadcast for VoiceAmerica Business <link> or there is Joy Maguire-Dooley's radio show Job Talk on AM 1530 broadcast out of WJJG in Elmhurst, IL. 

  In order to be positive at a difficult time in your life, you have to put positive things into your brain by reading, watching and listening. Be around positive people and run away from negative people with "stinkin' thinking" attitudes. Stay away from the evening news; even NPR which has loads of positive stuff, still has stories that will bring you down when you need to be pumping yourself up.  

  Finally, exercise, a balanced diet and sleep are essential to good physical and mental health. If your body is out of wack you'll not deliver the message you want when meeting with people. If you are sleep deprived it's hard to be enthusiastic. If you're in physical pain you'll be distracted and miss opportunities to shine.