If there’s one “truth” about a successful physical fitness routine, it’s that you must have a disciplined diet to accompany any exercise or fitness plan. In other words, all the working out in the world will be useless if you continue to eat junk food.
When building a Financial Fitness Routine, the same can be said about spending. One of the cornerstones to building a plan toward financial freedom is to understand the kind of spender you are - being very aware of how, where and when you spend your money. It doesn’t matter what plans you make toward a stronger financial future if there is no restraint in your spending habits.
We’re all guilty of reckless spending. Whether it’s being the first to get the latest iPhone, gaming platform or those Manolo shoes, we all have our guilty pleasures where self-restraint is thrown out the window. I remember when I was younger, I insisted on rewarding myself with a new Harley-Davidson – beautiful bike, but I would only drive it 2,000 miles in four years!
Just like any nutrition program, a small indulgence once in a while is not the end of the world. For example, going out for a nice dinner on a special occasion or splurging for popcorn at the movie on a date night won’t necessarily take you off the tracks of your Financial Fitness Routine. But these must be the exceptions rather than the rule.
So, what kind of spender are you? Are you naturally prudent and thrifty? Or are you a YOLO (You Only Live Once) type of spender? Are you the kind that likes to “live large” or “live within your means”?
I launched a new website earlier this year with the idea to help people figure this out. GoAskNewton.com is a non-commercial website designed to help everyday people get more comfortable understanding personal finances. Two of the tools on the site are quizzes designed to gauge your personal spending habits.
I’d like to invite CAREEREALISM readers to try one or both of these quizzes. The regular Spender quiz is here; but if you’re in your teens or 20s, you might like to try the YOLO quiz here. Either is designed to give you some insights into how you approach money management, with multiple-choice questions like:
What at your buying habits when at the grocery store?
You’re buying tickets for a concert, what seats do you choose?
How do you handle your workday lunches?
These are fun and insightful, and should give you a better idea of the kind of spender you are today. And knowing the kind of spender you are will help put together a Financial Fitness Routine.
The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and that familiar chill is in the air. You think it's the perfect time to look for a job, and it is! But are your job search fears preventing you from making that leap?
It's not uncommon to feel lost when embarking on your job search journey. After all, school teaches us everything except how to get a job. What should you put on your resume? What questions should you ask in an interview? How can you stand out in the hiring process when there's so much competition?
Are you feeling spooked yet?
Believe it or not, there's no need to be afraid of the job search process! You can land your dream job with the right tools and strategy. You can find a job that won't give you nightmares. Here are three spooky secrets every job seeker should know as they look for a job this fall.
1. An Effective Job Search Starts With An Interview Bucket List
Bigstock
Despite your fears, you've decided to take the plunge and look for a new job. You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?" The answer is simple: start by creating an interview bucket list.
An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Are you passionate about a company's products or services? Do you feel connected to its mission? Can you relate to its values and beliefs as an organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, that company probably belongs on your interview bucket list.
Once you create an interview bucket list, you'll be able to conduct a targeted job search, one with direction and a foundation upon which everything else will be built. An interview bucket list helps you focus your job search and networking strategies on the right opportunities, making it easier to get your foot in the door at one of your dream companies.
2. Your Job Application Needs To Disrupt Hiring Managers
Bigstock
In order to stand out in the hiring process, you need to disrupt recruiters and hiring managers. You accomplish this by doing two things: optimizing your resume and writing a disruptive cover letter.
A well-optimized resume includes keywords from the job description. This ensures your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager. Once it's in front of the hiring manager, it needs to grab and keep their attention. Quantifying your work experience—adding numbers to your bullet points—will make you stand out from other applicants. Hiring managers will want to know more about you and your accomplishments, and that's how you land a phone interview.
Before that, though, a hiring manager will read your cover letter. To disrupt them, you need to write a disruptive cover letter (obviously!). A disruptive cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell a story about why you feel connected to the company you're applying for. It's that storytelling aspect that will stand out to hiring managers and compel them to pick up the phone and give you a call.
3. Employers Hire You Based On 3 Things
Bigstock
You can't get hired unless you know what employers are assessing you on in the interview process. While your skills and expertise matter, companies actually hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience (in that order).
Most job seekers don't realize how important it is to demonstrate their personality, aptitude, and experience in an interview. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn't think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won't get a job offer.
Make sure you demonstrate your soft skills and learn how to answer behavioral interview questions to prove you're the best candidate for the job you're applying for, not just the most qualified.
Want To Learn More Job Search Secrets?
As you look for a job this fall, it might be helpful to know some more spooky secrets so you can get over your job search fears and finally take control of your career.
We know the job search process can be scary. However, it's important to get clear on what you want to do next and focus on conducting a strategic job search, or what we refer to at Work It DAILY as job shopping. This is the only way to effectively market yourself to employers. If they can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing the job.
The competition is fierce, and there are a lot of factors that are out of your control. But the one factor you can control is your job search strategy, the tools and tactics you use to land a job.
If you want to learn the secrets to conducting a strategic job search, sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp, a two-hour, on-demand video workshop that comes with a free workbook.
In this video workshop, you'll learn:
How to use backchanneling to get directly to hiring managers.
The secret to using a connection story to stand out against the competition.
How social media can be your secret weapon to get job interviews.
The resume format that is getting job seekers more job interviews.
