Choking in an interview, no way!!!

I heard a story on the news a couple of weeks ago and then found an article that further detailed the story. As I read the article I realized that this would work for people who get nervous before an interview.   In the article, the author cites “Students who are the biggest worrywarts before taking a test might calm their nerves -- and improve their results -- by writing about their fears for 10 minutes before the exam.”

I thought, I wonder if that will work for my clients who are having anxiety about an upcoming interview. I can see a hopeful job candidate sitting in his or her car ten minutes before going into the company’s building. Just writing down how they are feeling and putting the note paper away and walking into the interview with their head held high, smile on their face with a bounce in their step.  

If you are willing to give it a try and would like to comment on how it works for you, I’d be happy to hear about your experience and thoughts.

One of the things I advise my clients to do to relieve stress and anxiety before an interview is to review their success stories. I like how the brain works... our mind’s eye doesn’t distinguish between new experiences and remembered/relived events. If you are thinking about and reliving an event, positive or negative, you body chemistry will react the same way as it did when the event first occurred. Namely, your brain will release those same endorphins as it did when you actually experienced the events of your success the first time.

How does it work? I don’t know, I only know it does... think about a dream where you’re being chased by a monster of some kind. It’s a dream right? But when you wake up,  you’re sweating, your heart is pounding and you’re flush full of adrenaline. Your mind/body is responding as if you had just been chased by a real live monster. So, we can use this phenomenon in a more beneficial role, for example, calming ourselves before an interview.

Review, remember and relive the success story. Remember the people who were around you, remember the temperature of the room, remember the smell in the air and remember the feelings you had when your were recognised, praised or congratulated. You’re brain will release endorphins, your anxiety will lessen and you’ll be smiling, feeling confident, and you’ll be ready for the interview.

Job Search Plus Holiday Stress

In the last couple of weeks I’ve had a number of clients tell me that they are overwhelmed by everything they need to do to launch and carryout a job search. They tell me that they cannot believe everything they need to do, all the meetings, classes and lectures they need to attend. Yes, it’s overwhelming... getting a professional resume put together, researching target companies, creating a contact list, developing positive responses to common interview questions and we’re just getting started. It’s a lot to do. That’s why I tell my clients and friends that people in Job Search are not unemployed... they’re working full-time.

“OMG, what about social media? LinkedIn and getting my profile complete and not to mention how long it takes to fill out some of these job applications...” Gee, I’m getting stressed just writing this, so what do you need to do, especially since the holidays are just around the corner?

I don’t know who first said, “Plan your work and work your plan.” But, this little cliche is a good device for decreasing stress in your life. Stephen Covey has another cliche that says, “First things first,” and I’m a big fan of Franklin Covey planners because they really help organize the goal setting process into daily activity where you can actually measure your progress toward a goal.

It’s important to realize that for most people planning decreases anxiety and stress. It allows us to see what needs to be done and what is next to do. If we follow Covey’s advice to do first things first, we are able to evaluate what activities are important and urgent and what activities are dependent on other activities which have priority. Okay, that is easy to say.

When we are at work, customers or bosses provide priorities to our day. With your career plan or job search you have to provide the priorities and create a sense of urgency. I sit down with some clients and we develop a formal plan of action for their career or job search. Some clients already have the plan but they haven’t written it down. Often when we keep things in our head they get confused or muddled. Sometimes we forget something that is essential in order to proceed.

Writing a plan down, putting it on a time line is a further way to eliminate stress.  It allows you to see in concrete terms how something is going to work. With a plan and a schedule written down you are able to fit in other activities that are necessary but ancillary to your job search. Christmas shopping for example or my favorite holiday activity, Christmas parties. I always want to make sure I have time for going to Christmas parties. They’re great networking opportunities.

Sit down and plan out what you need to do... if it’s a struggle, give me a call! I do this with clients all the time. When necessary, hire a coach or consultant to help you get up and running quickly. Remember the holidays are stressful enough, do some planing and enjoy the holidays.

Career Changers: Consider Temp to Perm

   Career changing is difficult for those of us who have done the same thing for a long time. Recently, a friend pondered that the reason we don’t like change is because we lose the illusion that we are in control. Things are new and we don’t know our way around. This causes anxiety and stress. Changing jobs, especially careers, is indeed very stressful. Even if we hate what we are doing or have been released from our previous job, making a career change does not make most people’s top ten list of  favorite things to do.

   Put your toe in the water first before you jump into the deep end of the pool. Many companies do this. They hire people on a temporary basis and then evaluate them before offering them a full time position. The same can work for the career changer.

   As a temp, you may realize that you love the work but not the company. This is another plus for the Temp to Perm argument of career changing. You’ll quickly learn the company culture and values. If it is not a fit for you,  you’re building experience while keeping your eyes open for a better opportunity at a better company.

   The difficulty for some people is taking a lower pay as they break into a new career. Starting out as a temp can mitigate this risk. I have found that salary is more important if people don’t like or enjoy their work.  In other words, if people love what they do and who they do it with, their salary is never a problem as long as their basic expenses are covered. By starting out as a temp, the career changer can evaluate their appreciation of the job and get a feeling if they can make the salary  work in their lives.

   Finally as a temp, age, gender or other so-called limitations (excuses for not hiring a qualified candidate) go away. When employers see that your transferable skills are what make you stand out over less experienced candidates, the “limitations’ fall to the wayside. Remember that those conditions are only there because they don’t know the true value you present by looking at a resume. A real person with a positive attitude, who is producing and solving problems leaves little doubt to their ability to aid in the company’s success.

   If your pondering a change in careers think seriously about starting in a temporary job and growing from there. It’s like a long interview where you can prove yourself and evaluate the career and company at the same time. It has worked for many career changers and it can work for you.