Last week on our weekly web TV series, Career Juice, we discussed the number one trait all CEOs possess.
I assure you... the great, the bad, and even the down-right sinister - when it comes to leaders who become CEOs, all of them possess this trait.
The reality is, all CEOs have their jobs because (drum roll please... ) they want them.
That’s right.
The only trait every CEO shares is they all want the job.
And that, my friends, is why so many bad leaders become CEOs.
Honestly, it makes me sad.
So many talented people out there with incredible leadership skills never step up to the plate. They don’t want the drama, the headaches, or the risk of failing. So instead, they let the lesser-talented, and sometimes, bad-blooded folks take the helm.
Question: Are you guilty of being one of the bad ones?
Here’s the thing: We can all get angry at the terrible acts of CEOs we see in the media, but what about the terrible acts we sometimes perform as the CEO of our businesses-of-one?
You heard me.
If you haven’t realized it, we are all a business-of-one responsible for our own career success.
Which means, we are all CEOs. And like it or not, there are times when we run from that responsibility.
Why?
We don’t want the drama, the headaches, or the risk of failing.
We’d much rather take a job and blame the CEO of our employer for what happens to us.
(I invite you all to grab a membership to CareerHMO and watch the full episode to see the excellent discussion we had on this subject with viewers that day.)
When we embrace our CEO status, we take ownership of our careers and our future. We recognize we’ll make mistakes, but we realize that we’d rather have a few setbacks and be in control of our destiny, than be powerless and miserable.
Your Turn
Do you agree that you are a CEO of your business-of-one?
How have you taken control of your business-of-one in the last year?
What tips, advice and resources can you share with readers to help them step up and take over as CEO of their business-of-one?
Why bad leaders become CEOs image from Shutterstock
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
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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
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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
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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.
You heard me.
If you haven’t realized it, we are all a business-of-one responsible for our own career success.
Which means, we are all CEOs. And like it or not, there are times when we run from that responsibility.
Why?
We don’t want the drama, the headaches, or the risk of failing.
We’d much rather take a job and blame the CEO of our employer for what happens to us.
(I invite you all to grab a membership to CareerHMO and watch the full episode to see the excellent discussion we had on this subject with viewers that day.)
When we embrace our CEO status, we take ownership of our careers and our future. We recognize we’ll make mistakes, but we realize that we’d rather have a few setbacks and be in control of our destiny, than be powerless and miserable.
