Like any typical Canadian, I love ice hockey. I started skating when I was four, and since then, hockey has been the one thing I could always count on to feel like I excelled at.
Although I never fulfilled my dream of boyhood dream of playing in the NHL, I did win a few MVP and top scorer awards on my teams, so looking back, I consider my “career” a success.
I also have hockey - along with my Dad - to thank for teaching me the first of these three powerful and universal laws of success.
This first law has served me all my life, and without it - I wouldn’t be writing to you today.
I discovered the other two laws later in life, and though there are many more laws out there… these three are what I consider to be most powerful in terms of helping you get what you want in life.
So, without further ado, here are the three universal laws - starting with...
Law #1: You Get Out What You Put In
On the ice, I got direct and instant feedback based on my efforts.
If I skated hard, played smart, and tried my best, then I’d score goals and help win games.
If I was lazy and unfocused, then I would make mistakes and hurt the team.
There was no confusion about the cause of the problem and no one else to blame. I was directly accountable for my results, and I was the only one who could change them.
In life and our careers, we don’t always get feedback as quickly as in a game, and that’s why it’s even more important to understand and accept this law in the ‘real world’...
… Because realizing you despise what your life has become after 5, 10, or 20 years in the workforce is a pretty ugly wake up call…
And if the reason for those results is that you didn’t put in your best effort, then you have no one to blame but yourself.
So, ask yourself at the end of each and every day, is what I’m putting in going to give me the results I want? You get out what you put in, so it’s all up to you.
Law #2: You Get What You Believe You’re Worth
Feel like you’re not paid enough? Or maybe that you deserve a better job?
Well, here’s a law I learned after getting my heart broken as a young man… and it goes like this:
If you truly believe with every fiber of your being that you deserve true love, then you’ll get it. If you feel you’re not good enough, then you won’t.
If you believe you deserve to earn $50k - or $100k a year, then that’s what you’ll make, and if you believe you’re worthy of a great job that treats you well, then that’s what you’ll get.
See, if you truly believed that you should have a result you desire right now, then that would already be your reality.
If that’s not your reality, then one reason could be that you don’t believe you deserve it quite yet. Maybe you just need to work at it more, or maybe - based on your upbringing - you don’t even think it’s possible for someone like you.
Either way, spending time with and learning from people who are getting the results you want is a great way to close the gap quicker and get what you want.
Law #3: The Law Of Specificity
Now here’s a law you can have a bit more fun with… because it’s as simple as this:
The more specific you can get about exactly what you want in life, the faster you’ll get it.
So, have some fun dreaming and scheming about what you want in your career and your life - and get specific!
What color car do you want? What type of characteristics does your dream partner have? What kind of income do you want, and what type of job suits you best?
So, remember the three universal laws if you’re looking to get what you want: you get out what you put in, you get what you believe you’re worth, and you’ve got to get specific about what you want.
Happy job seeking!
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.