By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Kris Parfitt
A large pile of laundry can be such a daunting task that we put it off as long as we can before we run low on under garments. However, instead of buying more skivvies every week, wouldn’t it make more sense (and be cheaper) to just sort the piles and do our laundry?
This daunting feeling is similar to what we experience when we consider a career change, pursue a promotion, or when looking for employment. The questions loom, consume and balloon into such beasts of burden that we keep putting it off until our vitality is sapped and we are truly out of underwear.
Where to begin?
Why do you want a change in the first place? Do you have a similar complaint about every position you’ve had or is there validity in your inquiry for change? Are you not doing what you WANT to be doing?
The secret to doing your laundry is well known but not as an exercise in distinctions. That big loathsome pile is not so foreboding once you’ve separated the piles into lights, darks and colors, is it? Then sit down with pen and paper and start asking yourself a few questions about why you’re looking for change.
First, distinguish if you are looking for a career change, promotion, or being employed. The first step in simplifying what you want is to distinguish the change you seek.
Next, list out everything you dislike about your current career, position or status of employment. For example if you are a mid-level manager at a retail store, write out what you don’t like about your job. It could be what you don’t like about your position as manager, or the people you work with or for; your list could include the areas you feel challenged by or not trained in doing. Write down every complaint, issue and dissatisfaction you have about your current and past positions and/or career.
Coaching Tip: Don’t get hooked into the drama of what you are writing. Keep your answers to one sentence each and list out the fact of the matter, not the gossip of the chatter.
Next, list out everything you really like about your current career, position or status of employment. For example list out what inspires you about what you do. What is it about your position or career that has you stay or continue? What makes you smile or brag about your position? (either to others or to just your mom).
Enjoying this article? You could get the best career advice daily by subscribing to us via e-mail.Coaching Tip: Really look at the positives and list them out. It’s okay if there are more complaints than positives, or more positives than complaints. This exercise is not a test or measurement, it’s a sorting of the piles. Again, keep them to one sentence answers and stick with the facts.
Next write out what concerns you the most about pursuing a change. What are you afraid will happen if you start looking, seeking or pursuing? What do you fear won’t happen? What will you make it mean if what you set out to do doesn’t come to fruition? What will you make it mean if it does?
Coaching Tip: Be honest with yourself when answering any of these questions, sometimes when you think someone might be judging your answers, you’ll document something different from the truth. Again, keep your answers short and to the point.
Once these lists are complete, summarize the common themes that have become clearer after listing all these things out. Guaranteed you will see a theme and pattern about your complaints, what you enjoy about what you’re doing and what concerns you about taking the plunge into change.
Bonus Tip: The complaint list is very important because of the insight it offers. If you have a common complaint that shows up in many to most of your jobs or responsibilities, consider that this complaint is yours to own. Meaning, you are the common denominator to any dissatisfaction you experience in the workplace – you played a hand in how your career has turned out thus far. What if you took a look at the source of your complaint, made a difference with how you cause the complaint and reinvent your outlook on the issue? You would be a source to your happiness and I bet you’d have a new outlook on your position, career and more importantly, yourself.
Your next step is NOT TO STOP being in inquiry about your desired change. Your next step is to ask yourself, if money was no object, what would you be doing? Using the themes you’ve discovered from your lists, this question will be fun to answer and also an interesting discovery into what’s possible for your future career, promotion or new position of employment.
Finding you have roadblocks to your success in making changes in your life? Or, did you do this exercise and find yourself excited about what’s possible for you but would like more guidance? Contact Kris Parfitt at www.careerleadershipcoaching.com and be the source of your success.
Kris Parfitt is a career strategist and leadership branding coach who is committed to finding your roadblocks and moving them out of the way so you can have the career success you want. Kris has over twenty years experience in leadership, counseling, and training positions all of which have provided an exceptional education which allows her to be a dynamic coach, one that focuses on inspiring you to acknowledge and express your extraordinary abilities and potential. Connect with Kris via LinkedIn or follow her on Twitter.
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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
BigstockMake 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
BigstockAre 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.
Let's start with resumes!
Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.
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
BigstockYour 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.
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