This article is going to be short and sweet. It also might be the most important piece of advice you get this year... about taking advice.
Related:Getting Your Dream Job: What You Can Learn From Harry Potter
You see, advice is a tricky thing. Most of us happily take it from our friends, family members, co-workers, and the Internet.
But have you ever asked yourself whether that advice is working for you?
Is it helping you get the results you want in life?
Especially when it comes to success and your career, advice can be a dangerous thing.
My Dad has one idea about success, and would give me different advice than my friends, co-workers, or boss. Each one may have valid ideas, but how do I know what works for me?
Let Me Tell You A Story…
When I was in high school, I wanted to be a golf pro.
I absolutely loved the game, and I figured with a bit of work, I’d be good enough at it to go to school and become one.
I knew they didn’t make a ton of money, but I didn’t care. I’d earn enough to live, I figured, and I would do what I loved - which was most important.
I told one of my best friends this - we were getting close to graduating, so that’s all anyone was talking about.
And I heard back from him about a week later. He had talked to his Dad about it, and got the feedback that I was a smart guy, and would essentially be wasting my talent by just becoming a golf pro.
Of course, his Dad was an engineer, and now my friend is a geologist - so their advice makes sense… in their world.
I didn’t listen to them right away, but eventually that sunk in, and I decided that no, I shouldn’t be a golf pro. I should go to business school instead - that would be a better use of my talents, and I’d make more money.
Bad Advice = The Worst Decisions Of Your Life
Now, I have no regrets, and I’ve found my way in life and my career, but there have certainly been times when I wish I would have pursued being a golf pro.
And that’s not all - I can think of several other times when I’ve listened to other people’s advice - and the decisions I made as a result where the WORST ones I’ve made in my life.
So, how about you? Have you listened to someone else and wound up with a less than desirable result?
If so, you may want to consider adopting…
My Golden Rule Of Taking Advice
So, the question is, how do you make sure you only take the best advice - that’s going to help you the most in achieving YOUR goals?
Here’s the golden rule:
Only take advice from people who are doing and getting what you want to do and get.
When I first heard this from a speaker at a conference - it absolutely blew me away in it’s simplicity and power.
It’s become one of my core beliefs, and has completely changed my life.
Don’t get me wrong - I still listen to everyone’s point of view and do my best to understand where they’re coming from.
I just choose to evaluate the advice and the person it’s coming from very carefully before accepting it to ensure it’s actually going to help me.
So, in your quest for success and your dream job (and anything else, really) - make sure you’re ONLY taking advice from people who are doing and getting what you want to do and get.
On that note, my mentor, whose advice has helped my career more than I could ever express enough gratitude for, helped me get my dream job years ago, and now we’re sharing his teachings with the world in a free video.
So, if you’d like a little more advice on how to get your dream job with an awesome company, then feel free to check out our free video with three valuable tips you can apply today, right here.
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
Bigstock
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
Bigstock
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
Bigstock
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!
Need more help with your job search?
Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.
Bigstock
Bigstock
Bigstock
