Following a series of recent discussions with clients in transition, I began to reflect on questions and concerns that people have shared with me over the years concerning their job search during the tough times. I boiled my long list of themes down to my Top 10 Clues to Erase the Job Search Blues.
Always Remember:
- Somebody out there wants and needs you, guaranteed; you need to find the right company or opportunity for you…and it is out there! When given the opportunity, if you effectively communicate your brand, value proposition, and likability, you will ultimately land the right opportunity. You are as good now as you ever have been, and don’t let the tight market get you down or lead you to believe that you have lost what you once had. In 25 years of career coaching, I have never seen a client fail to get a job unless they stopped looking. With planful perseverance and execution, it’s only a matter of how and when not if. The right opportunity will come along. If initially, you have to settle on the less-than-perfect job, then do so, but keep your antenna up and continue to build your network…always. Your laser focus eventually can and likely will lead you to a fantastic job.
- The 4th quarter through the 1st quarter is a great time to look for a new opportunity. During this period of time, companies are assessing the past and are gearing up for the future. Leaders have either achieved their numbers or not, or they are poised to achieve them. Hiring managers in the 4th quarter usually have more discretionary time available to spend on networking meetings and interviewing and are often in the mood to spend it. Granted, hiring managers take a lot of time off during the holidays or are occupied with social events, but they are also interviewing aggressively to fill 1st quarter-budgeted positions. After the holidays, they have to fill key positions to help them get a jump in hitting their new performance objectives. Hirings ramp up in Q1, so get after it hard.
- Expect the unexpected. If your job search has failed to gain the momentum you had hoped, don’t be surprised when “manufactured luck” turns your way. I believe when you are doing the right things at the right pace, you will put yourself in the position to be not only effective but also lucky. The job search process is an arduous one with many hills and valleys. It’s more often than not “business as unusual.” Opportunities often come, go, and return, especially when you stay in touch with your network. Many times a contact you made weeks or months ago recycles to yield fruit. As long as you are continuously active and talking to people, good things will ultimately happen. Keep your eye on the prize and keep pushing forward; events will eventually turn in your favor. It is no different than if you make your living in commission-only sales.
- View your transition as a time for renewal. Focus on your whole self during your transition period, not just your career and job search activities. Conducting a job search especially when unemployed, is frequently time-consuming, stressful, costly, draining, and for most people, not much fun at all. So it is important to eat right, exercise, get plenty of rest and set goals and limits on your search activity (6 to 10 hours per day). Additionally, look for signs of depression or moodiness. Be open to seeking professional help to deal with both the tactical and emotional sides of the equation if you feel like you are not in control or are not making the progress you need to. Finally, if spirituality is important to you, tap into your belief system and get centered on what is really important.
- Give to others unconditionally to receive from others unconditionally. “Pay it forward” without strings attached, and you will receive the rewards on the back end. Whenever you feel down that you have lost something or are fearful that you could lose a lot more, look for opportunities to help others in need. Not only will you likely encounter people less fortunate than you, but your spirits will also be lifted as you lift others up. Relationships are what matters most, so when you offer help and support to others, the blessings will ultimately return to you.
- All you can control is your attitude, effort, and decisions. Attitude and effort are the two most important characteristics that you control that will affect your success. You are accountable for your own actions but not for the action or inaction of others. You will get frustrated when others let you down with poor follow-through, lack of communication, or inaction. Just do your part, and don’t let the actions of others get you down. Winston Churchill said, “Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our potential; never, never, never give up.” Remember, your glass is always at least half full. Make the best decisions you can with your knowledge and do so with prudent haste. Progression or regression is left open to chance and has equal odds of movement if you don’t decide and act.
- Be grateful regardless of your situation. Your situation could always be worse, even though sometimes you’re not sure how much worse it could get. Grateful people are almost always happy people. Remember…”This too shall pass.” Being grateful and thankful brings hope, which leads to confidence, which can lead to success and peace of mind.
- Keep the main things the main things. It’s easy to get distracted and spend a lot of time on non-essential tasks. Sometimes we look for the simple things to accomplish to avoid doing the hard and more important things. Identify the core tasks and deliverables required to achieve your primary goals and place your main focus on those things. Develop a sound written marketing plan and stick to it. Spend at least 70% of your time connecting and networking with key people and 30% of your time searching job boards, working with agencies, researching companies and contacts, and doing administrative tasks. Accomplish small tasks of the most important items daily, and you will make needed progress.
- Always believe in yourself, even if you are not sure others do. Don’t lose sight of who you are and what your dreams are. I believe we are all placed here for a purpose. Our true purpose may not always be what we initially think it is. Life has a way of placing things before us that are unplanned and sometimes unwanted, but events and our own maturity begin to establish priorities that bring our purpose into vision. Ultimate belief in yourself, and for many, belief in a higher power, will sustain you through tough times.
- Don’t be slow to ask for help. Oftentimes our pride, loss of clarity of our goals, a belief we have all of the answers, or a lack of perceived financial resources gets in our way of reaching out and getting the help we need to move forward effectively. Sometimes we need personal and emotional support to get through a difficult transition. Other times we need professional guidance to help us navigate the career minefield to find the most efficient and effective path forward. All of the time, we need help networking and getting to know the people that can lead us to our next satisfying endeavor. Ask yourself, what is the bigger risk? Not quickly reaching out to enough of the right people and going alone or making the connections necessary to accelerate the process? The stakes can be high if you don’t make enough of the proper connections early in the process. Time is money, and applied knowledge is power, so if you can land a job even one month sooner through very active networking and enlisting the help of others, overcoming the apprehension to reach out can offer a huge reward.
As you work through these next few weeks and months, push through the difficulties and stay positive, active, and grateful; good tidings will eventually swing your way. Get organized, develop a validated plan, and work on the plan aggressively. Most importantly, embrace and even enjoy the journey, and engage the people and the experiences that bring meaning to your life.
Happy hunting!
Rex Rolf
Executive Career and Leadership Coach
Cornerstone Performance Group, LLC
