When Job Seeking, These Tips Can Set You Up for Success
Next year this time I will
be faced with a task that I haven’t had to conquer in many years – finding a
new job. While I love working from home, and will continue to do so on a part
time basis, I also want the steady paycheck that comes with working for someone
else.
Looking for a new job,
whether as a new college graduate, a stay at home mother returning to the
workforce, or an employee unhappy with the current situation, can be stressful.
Though I have a year to go, I am already beginning to feel the pressure of
writing the perfect cover letter, putting together the best resume, and nailing
an interview. I’m already considering
what it is I want to do, how many hours I’d like to work, and what will – and
won’t – work for a career at this point in my life.
I’m still working on how I’m
really going to get from here to there.
“Success is about getting
the fundamentals right,” says Ben Newman, coauthor with Dr. Justin B. Short of
the new book Pocket Truths for Success: 365 Daily Principles to Become the
Most Successful Person You Know.
Newman says there is no magic bullet for building a home-run life. “You
have to get up every day and hit singles and doubles.”
Just how do we do this?
Newman believes there are certain truths we should all know as we tackle the
real world. “You may have heard some of these short, sweet, success-oriented
instructions before,” he says. “But they bear repeating because they’ve
withstood the test of time.”
Some to remember as I
prepare myself for the difficult – monumental, I should say – task of finding a
job next year include:
The first impression is
made in the first 90 seconds. Each
time you meet someone new she forms an opinion about you that’s difficult to
change as time goes by. Think of the people that you have met along the way in
life; has your opinion of them differed that much from that first meeting?
Newman says because of this, don’t underestimate the value of a well-groomed
appearance, firm handshake, and friendly smile. When you go out to an
interview, put your best feet forward (notice I don’t say foot, because both
feet should be in there together).
Age doesn’t matter. Quality, says Newman, is as important as quantity,
which is good for our children just starting out on the road to employment.
Still, even those of us with some years behind us should not feel bad because
we are older than some of the newest graduates entering the job market. “Your
ideas, your commitment, your character, and your willingness to grow and
improve are every bit as valuable as years on the job,” says Newman. Show up to
the interview with ideas you can share that will show the potential employer
you have done your homework and are interested in his company and know what you
can do to help it succeed.
Set goals that scare you. Then set bigger goals. Up until this point,
my goals have centered around business and running. I wanted to do a half
marathon; then I set a goal of a full marathon, regardless of how much it
terrified me. Now I need to use this in terms of finding a new job. I must set
a goal, and then set a higher one that scares me. Newman says that many wise
people have pointed out the value of living outside of your comfort zone,
because if you are not challenging yourself, you are not growing. “So set goals
that you know will stretch your intellect, your persistence, and your
ingenuity. And once you’ve achieved them, set more.” You can think of these
goals as your life plan, Newman adds, remembering that what gets planned gets
done.
Support your peers. The impact is greater when they also succeed.
While you’ve probably heard it is a dog-eat-dog world and you should always put
your priorities first, don’t do so by throwing others under the bus. “The fact
is,” says Newman, “when you support others, your collective efforts will
achieve much more. Plus, you’ll have a source of help when you need it.” The
worse job I ever had was one in which everyone worked against, and not for, one
another. Pettiness, bickering, and sabotaging happened on a daily basis and
made for a very toxic environment. As you go out into the world in search of a
new job, make sure you let the employer know you are a team player – and then
be that team player once you get the job.
