I just heard from a client I worked with about a year ago.
Amy graduated from college in Meteorology and worked for a weather department with the state in a job that had nothing to do with her passion. She quickly realized that the “perks” of this job were her golden handcuffs, and she was fairly miserable.
She was not exactly loving the idea of getting up and spending the day with people she did not relate to, or a boss who had no clue how to manage people. She just knew she didn’t want to end up like some of the older employees who watched the clock and counted the days before “retirement.”
Amy came to career counseling determined to change her direction, but since she was young, she was still tied to what other people thought was the “best” thing for her to do in her career. She completed her road map with great enthusiasm.
She knew without a doubt she wanted to work in a field that allowed her to use what she learned in her college major meteorology, and that her biggest passion was to be involved in some way with... hurricanes.
I can’t relate to this, but passion is passion.
Amy determined that in order to really get deeply involved in the work she wanted to do, she would likely have to complete a Master of Science program. There happened to be one in Florida that offered a $25K stipend.
She was excited and relieved (as is the case with everyone who completes this work) to know without a doubt what direction she wanted to take.
So, the vision was complete. All she had to do was take the next step.
But... not so fast. What do you suppose happened? Amy let “the birds get her” (one of Jim Rohn’s wonderful phrases for allowing dream stealers to take the reins).
In this case, it was the fear of losing her parents favor or of damaging her relationship with them because she left a job that was seemingly secure, no matter what the cost to her happiness.
Clearly, she was not yet willing to move forward with the plan to fulfill her dreams. This is where good mental health counseling can come into play.
The Road Map To A Successful Career Contains...
Fast forward to a few months ago, Amy was offered a job in Washington DC that encompassed every element of what made up her ideal job – took the leap of faith and made the move, although she still considered it a gamble. She stated that she learned more about meteorology in one month than she did in two years of her work with the state. Her new company even has an office on the campus where she will eventually earn her Master of Science degree! She is also enjoying life in DC and meeting great people.
Here’s the key – Amy had the vision.
She held on even with doubts and fear. She did the work and knew what she wanted to do down to the last detail. It may have taken her a bit more time to overcome her old limiting beliefs, but now she is on the road to living her dream and doing what she loves.
The lessons:
When you have your road map, you can now see in your mind’s eye where you want to go and envision the end result. If thoughts become things, you are half way there.
Always keep your eye on the prize and look for opportunities that may help get you there – an organization, a professional(s) with connections, work opportunities that may encompass a portion of your goal and help get you there.
Be aware of excuses to not move forward. Get committed and take action – one small step at a time. Remember, folks with ADD or who are prone to distractions can get easily overwhelmed
Get the help and support you need to create your road map!
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.