The Girl And The New Job Decision

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Decision pic

I had a big decision to make.  The magnitude of this decision weighed heavily on me, my head spinning as I ran through the options in my mind.

This seemed to be a great time to enlist the advice of trusted friends.  So I took a poll.

Do I cut my hair short, or continue to let it grow?

Yes, this was a major decision. To cut my hair or not.  After all, it takes a super long time to grow it out. Clearly this was a first-world problem, but it was important to me nonetheless.

To be clear, when it comes to my hair I’m not afraid of change. I’ve had it so long I could sit on it and so short it was almost a buzz-cut, and everything in between.

After all, it’s just hair and it does grow back.  I become very courageous in the stylist’s chair, proclaiming, “Do whatever you want!”  Most of the time, I’m lucky and walk out of the salon with an uber-stylish new ‘do.

Yet we all know that one miss-snip of the shears and we can be left with a hot mess.  And having bad hair is a downer every second of every day until it grows out.

This time I was on the fence with my decision, having spent the last year growing my hair.  It was time for a consultation. Not sure why I felt the need to get a focus group together for something as simple as a haircut.

Clearly my mind had been playing tricks on me, confusing my work projects with personal projects.

In the end, the decision was mine.  Didn’t matter what the focus group said; it’s my hair and I had to feel good about it.  Besides, there was no clear consensus among focus group participants. Shocker.

The problem with involving too many people in the decision process is just that we all have different opinions.  It may be that we really don’t want to hear the opinions of others; we may simply want validation for a decision that we’ve already made in our head.

Same thing is true for a new job decision.  We need to decide for ourselves what is best for us.

It’s okay to have a trusted advisor or two to provide an outside, objective opinion and strategic counsel.  We don’t want to make a job decision that’s based on emotion; sometimes we get so fired up about a job that we’re too close to the situation to be objective.

But the advisor’s job should be simply to provide a sounding board.  No interjecting their own biases as if they were the ones standing in your shoes.

Don’t get me wrong; friends want to help and think they have our best interests in mind.  Yet they don’t really know everything about our situation.

I’ve made this mistake before, consulting others about a new job decision.

Once, when I had to make a difficult decision to leave one job in pursuit of something totally different, a former colleague offered unsolicited advice about my decision.  And it was not pretty. This person said I was making a mistake, along with some other opinions about my career.

While I understood why my colleague would consider it a mistake for her family and financial situation, she failed to understand that my situation was very different from hers.

That was pretty much a “friend fail”, in my mind.  Note that this “advice” didn’t help me, nor did I change my mind.  It momentarily caused me to question myself – which is never good – yet ultimately it was a good lesson. It reminded me that it’s my life and my career, and I have to live with the results.

Just like my hair.  Which I did cut short, by the way.  And I’m loving it.

Three Basic Steps to Career Reinvention

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your career

Just read an article in the paper that talked about reinventing yourself in your career.  It was one of those employment advice columns, and the person asking the question basically stated that it’s not only difficult to start over when you are over forty, but it’s ridiculous.

I know what you’re thinking; someone actually reads a real newspaper?   Now that’s ridiculous.

Seriously, as someone who has reinvented herself several times during the course of my career, I think statements like this are ridiculous.  In my opinion, the person writing the question seems to be enjoying a pity-party. Hope they are having fun.

Let me share some of the different points brought up in the question:

–  Motivational speakers talk as if it’s “nothing” to follow your passion

–  Workers who were raised to follow the career paths they were told to follow or do what their parents did with jobs that offered security above everything else now find their long-term security threatened

–  When you’ve got umpteen years in the same field, no matter what kind, it’s not easy to reinvent yourself

–  How does one even find their passion to begin with

As a motivational speaker myself, not only am I offended but I would never say it’s “nothing” to follow your dreams.  After all, this is my passion, and I figured out how to do it.

Anything worth having takes energy, time and determination.  For me, even college took everything I had to make it to graduation.  But if you’re not willing to put in the effort, you’re going to be stuck in the same place.

Career reinvention at any age can be difficult, yet it’s definitely possible.  When it comes down to it, there are three basic steps:

  1. Figure out what it is you want to do.
  2. Figure out how to do it
  3. Just do it

Sounds too simple, right? 

You’re thinking, “I just wasted time to read a bunch of crazy talk”. Let me assure you that I have not lost my mind and I’m not just making this stuff up.  I’ve reinvented myself at least three times during my career; here are the biggies:

–          Engineering to retail buying

–          Retail buying to marketing

–          Marketing to public relations

–          Public relations to author and speaker

And this doesn’t count all the minor reinventions within each of those careers.

I get it. Really, I do.  It’s hard.  I can hear you saying, “But you don’t understand; you’re not in my shoes”. I agree – I’m not in your shoes.

Here’s a look at my shoes:  Hubby and I were both laid-off within one year.  Both of us are considered to be “older” workers – you know, in a “protected class” in HR terms.  We have a mortgage and other expenses, and neither of us comes from a wealthy family who could possibly lend a financial hand.

Guess what?  Both of us found ways to make money at jobs we enjoyed. I discovered a new passion and found employment that leveraged not only this passion but my career experience.

So how is it possible to successfully reinvent yourself in your career?  It’s a bit different for everyone but here are some key points that I’ve learned about this process.

  • You have to be open to new opportunities as they present themselves.  Don’t “pooh-pooh” something without hearing more about it.
  • You have to be willing to be uncomfortable.  Trying something new brings a certain level of discomfort.  Embrace it.
  • You may have to be willing to accept a lower title and/or less money.  We all have to start somewhere.
  • You may have to work at something that’s not your dream job while you figure out how to pursue your passion.
  • Don’t have a passion yet?  Take up a hobby, enroll in a class, do volunteer work or take a part-time job in a field of interest to see if anything clicks.
  • Listen to yourself and try not to be influenced by well-meaning friends and family. This is your career; not theirs.

Again, I’m not saying that it’s easy to reinvent yourself.  If finding a new career opportunity or discovering your passion was as simple as donning ruby red slippers, clicking your heels and stating, “Find my passion; find my passion”, don’t you think everyone would be doing it?

But I can say with absolute certainty that it’s possible.  And the rewards are great.

I’m sure I’ll be revisiting this topic again here on my blog.  Stay tuned. As usual, I’ve got lots to say.

It’s All About Bright, Shiny Objects

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Disco Ball

Years ago I worked with a “master presenter”.  This guy was superb at creating PowerPoints that were almost works of art.  His verbal presentation skills were stellar.  At his meetings, attendees would almost enter a trance-like state, hanging on his every word.

At the end of each presentation, applause ensued and attendees headed back to their desks praising this genius and his words of wisdom.  All wanted to work under his tutelage because surely he had all the answers.

We were all attracted to the “bright, shiny object” that was his presentation.

After attending a few of his meetings, I realized his true genius.  He actually said NOTHING in his presentations.  There was no strategy, no goals, no tactics to execute.  Oh, the presentations were beautiful, but they were empty of true business substance, filled only with lots of theory and questions to ponder.

If a company could be successful by simply thinking of ideas without considering execution and outcome, or discussing other lofty thoughts that may or may not be on strategy, this guy was your man.

That was his genius; he was so good at positioning himself and his ideas that we all believed without questioning.

Call me crazy, but I would rather have a straightforward presentation that provides serious content that can help with my business needs.

I recently met another such “genius”.   His presentation was full of cool graphics and he spoke with such confidence that some were ready to buy without asking critical questions.   This presenter used the age-old tactic of rapidly speaking and moving through the presentation, so fast it was difficult to take notes.

Since this was not my first rodeo, I recognized the bright, shiny object approach. 

Most of the presentation was “Marketing 101”; nothing new.   The words on the paper sounded good, yet there were no specific goals, tactics for execution or metrics for success.

Lack of clear metrics alone should have been a red flag for everyone in the meeting. Most disturbing to me was that this was something he had done years ago and he was relying on past success, despite the fact that the business landscape has changed with the wide-spread use of social media.

But he had a bright, shiny object.  

Apparently, bright, shiny objects appeal to lots of people, including executives.  This was a reminder to me that even if you have a great product or a fabulous idea, if it’s not positioned well it won’t sell.

The same can be said for job interviews.  Candidates that position themselves well have a better chance of landing the job.  While experience and education are required, the entire “presentation” must be packaged well to gain the attention of the hiring manager in order to win the job.

That includes a well-presented resume, dressing appropriately, showing confidence, asking the right questions and providing stellar answers.

Shouldn’t hiring managers dig deep and ask probing questions to make sure a candidate is truly the best for the job?  In a perfect world, yes.  But managers are short-staffed and pressed for time.   Doesn’t matter if you are the better candidate in terms of experience, your total presentation will be the final test.

I’ve got to remember to position myself in the best possible way during interviews, providing great information that shows the hiring manager know I’m the best candidate.  Let’s just hope the job opportunity isn’t a dud, packaged as a ‘bright shiny object’.

Do I Know You?

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Businessman Giving out Card 

I stare at the face on the screen, my brain searching for any memory of this person.  For the umpteenth time I look at the name, still not remembering anything. 

The face stares back.  It’s a great picture of this person, dressed in business attire, not a candid shot taken at a party with some questionable activities going on.  I mean, we all love a good party but those “beer-bucket-on-the-head” photos may not be as funny years from now.

Surely we must have been friends, or colleagues, or at the very least acquaintances at some point in my life.  Why else would someone want to connect with me on social media?

I scroll down to read any information about this person.  Didn’t go to school together, their career seems a bit different than mine.  Ah-ha!  There it is; years ago we both worked at the same company.   

Yet I still have no idea who you are.

Probably due to the fact that while we were both employed by the same company, this person worked in a different city than I did. And to my knowledge we never even attended a meeting together. 

Seems like I’m getting more of these random requests from people I don’t know, with no explanation in the note as to why they are reaching out to me.  Am I the only one who thinks we should have at least some knowledge of the people we connect with online? 

Perhaps you think I’m conservative.  Or maybe you’re thinking that I just “don’t get” social media.  As an early adopter of LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, I’m pretty sure I understand the concept. 

I’ll be the first one to tout the virtues of these platforms, especially LinkedIn and Facebook.   They are great ways to maintain and build your business network, as well as reconnect with friends and family socially. 

In fact, I’m forever preaching the benefits of LinkedIn to those who are in a job search, and I’m amazed when I discover that many have not made use of this platform.

That said, I think we need to remember that social networking is not a high school popularity contest.  There’s no prize for the most connections.  The Great Social Media Gods are not keeping tally.  More isn’t necessarily better.

I’m sure I have hurt some feelings when rejecting “friend” requests on Facebook, preferring to truly be friends with someone before allowing them in.   Radical concept, I know.

For LinkedIn, I can see the value in relaxing the standards since I’m not sharing details of my weekend or the fabulous pair of shoes I just picked up at the mall.

Yet I still see the need to use some discretion on this platform.

This person whose photo I’m looking at is probably very nice.  My assumption is that they are trying to find a job as it appears they are out of work, although I have no idea since they did not include an explanation in the connection request.

My challenge is that even if I connect with you, I don’t KNOW you.  And that means I’m not comfortable either connecting you with others or sending your resume to HR because, again, I don’t KNOW you. 

Did you really manage everything alone, as your profile indicates, or were you part of a team?  How about your people skills? I need to know about those too.

True networking is getting to know people so they have at least some knowledge of your personality and abilities.  It’s not about finding any and all who worked at the same company, or worse, just randomly trying to connect so you can brag to your friends about your huge network.

My apologies to this nice-looking person, but I’m denying your request.  If you feel strongly that we should connect, please send me a note with some sort of introduction or explanation.  

I, too, want to have great connections.  I’m just not in it to win a popularity contest.

Direction Unknown

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MP900321197[1]

Ever feel like you’re spinning out of control? That life is controlling you, instead of you taking the lead?

It seems like I always feel that way. Too much to do, not enough time.

This is not a bad thing.  I’ve got so many interests that I could be busy 24/7.  Could be worse; I could have no interests at all and struggle to find ways to fill my days.  Yet I may have too much of a good thing – between work, writing, family, volunteering, exercising and other assorted hobbies, it’s hard to find even a minute to sit back and relax.

It happened again Saturday night, the overwhelming feeling of “must do this, must do that” overtaking me.   

Saturday night used to be “Date Night”.  A sacred time when we were free from work and stress, when we allowed ourselves time to simply have fun.  Unfortunately Hubby and I had forgotten this ritual and again found ourselves, late afternoon on Saturday, with no plans at all for that evening.

Guess we just hoped that something exciting would happen without any forethought on our part.

I tried to calm myself, as I could feel a meltdown coming on.  Hubby was trying his best to get into the spirit of a last-minute date night, even stepping outside to call me on the phone from the backyard to ask me out.

“Humph! Don’t you think it’s kind of late to be asking me out, an hour before you want to leave?”  I cried.  “Do you just assume I’m sitting around waiting for you to call?”

Amazing how easily I reverted back to single-gal mode, huh?

Knowing that we were reaching critical mass and tears were imminent, Hubby came up with a back-up plan that most women love to hear: “Let’s have dinner and go shopping!”   Gotta love Hubby; he sure knows how to make a girl smile.  Food and fashion are always a win with me.

While this was a nice short-term fix, we still have the bigger issue of our lives spinning out of control.  A planner at heart, I know that direction, not intention, determines destination.  Hubby and I made a promise that night to work on planning more fun, rather than waiting for fun to find us.

This is true for careers as well as date nights.

When I was laid-off, I took this to heart and mapped out a plan.  Starting with the end result, I worked backwards to figure out how to accomplish my job search goals.  I even wrote everything down on a grease board.  Sometimes it seems like writing it down makes plans more real.  After all, it doesn’t matter how much you want something to happen – without a plan, chances are you’ll stay put.

Simply intending to work on a job search is not enough. We need to have direction – a plan – in order to reach our destination of a job offer.

Even now that Hubby and I are working again we still need to map out our career goals as well as our life goals to make sure they work together in harmony.  Hard to remember this, but we are trying.

Yes, I’ve forgiven Hubby for asking me out at the last-minute.  Although I’m sure next time he’ll remember to plan in advance.

Right, Hubby? Hubby?

Girl Power

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photo

One of the benefits of being an author is that I get invited to speak at different groups and events.  And that means I get to meet new people – always a plus for a social person like me.  It’s especially good if there’s food involved; bonus points if there’s chocolate.  

Recently I had the opportunity to meet a wonderful group of women who are part of an organization designed specifically to support local business women.  They meet regularly to talk about business issues in general as well as those specific to women.  They want to empower themselves and other women through constant learning and growing. 

During my time with them, we focused on reinventing yourself in your career.  It was a wonderfully engaging conversation.  We talked about almost everything: our careers, the economy, even shoes.  It’s a universal rule: whenever two are more women are gathered, there will be a discussion at some point about shoes.

This was “Girl-Power” at its finest.  Or whatever you call it now that we are adults.

Although I was the guest speaker, I felt immediately like part of the group. The chatter flowed effortlessly as though we had been friends for years.   And I was reminded about the importance of supporting our friends and colleagues as we journey through our business lives. 

Last week I wrote about neglect as it pertains to our resumes and interview skills.  This meeting reminded me that we also need to keep our friendships thriving – both personal friendships as well as business acquaintances. 

This is beyond networking; this is a support system.  And it’s vital to our career growth. 

I, for one, am guilty of neglecting my support system.  Not talking about family here.  Hubby looks wounded, like he’s been kicked off my support team.  He is my rock, and always will be.  It’s just that everyone – women and men – need a business support system outside of the family.   People who are objective third parties.

This group of women reminded me that I need to make my support system a priority, although that’s easier said than done. We’re all busy, and adding one more thing to the schedule seems like a monumental task.  It’s important for me to do this so I can continue to grow in my career and as a person.

I sure don’t want to wait until a layoff or I’m desperate to begin a job search to try and round up my friends and colleagues.  Yikes.  That would be like asking friends to come to my wedding at the last minute. 

To my Girl-Power friends out there, I’m sorry I’ve neglected you.  It’s about time we re-grouped for a friendly networking event.  If I’m in charge, there will be lots of food and plenty of beverages – and definitely chocolate. 

And don’t forget to put your best foot forward – shoes will be the first topic on the agenda.

Neglect

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Fence

Hubby and I were ecstatic when we bought our home.  A contemporary gem with walls of windows in every room that looked out onto beautiful spaces, we couldn’t believe our good fortune.   While it had, as they say in real estate, “good bones”, it needed serious cosmetic help.

Multiple previous owners had each left their interior design stamp, layering on hideous wallpapers with different trims that defied logic.  And don’t get me started on the floors.  We had five different kinds of flooring, including three different carpets.

We knew that over time we could fix the inside.  We were thrilled that the outside was in great condition – beautifully landscaped, fence in good shape, solid retaining wall.   Eventually we were able to slowly renovate the inside to our liking.  It’s beautiful and we couldn’t be happier.

Until recently.

The once beautiful outside spaces had become a wasteland, the type you see in sci-fi movies, all gray with an assortment of broken things strewn about.  What was left of plant life was overgrown in many areas and barren in others. Hardly the view we wanted to enjoy from our walls of windows.

In all fairness to me and Hubby, neither of us have a green thumb nor do we have an interest in yard work.   Oh, we enjoy being in the yard. We just want someone else to take care of it.

The only plant life remaining was indestructible bamboo.  Some years ago, in an attempt to make a Zen-like retreat around the pool, we let a landscaper convince us that bamboo was the way to go.  He said it would require almost zero maintenance and would withstand the drastic temperature changes, especially the heat.  We were sold.

You all know where this is going.  Didn’t take long for the bamboo to take over.  Sure, it withstands any temperature.  In fact, we couldn’t kill it – and we tried.  Hubby regularly inspected our neighbors’ yard each week to make sure the bamboo wasn’t invading.

The real issue here was not the bamboo, although it’s a nice excuse.  Hubby and I had neglected the outside spaces, putting our finances towards travel and other home improvements.

How bad was it, you ask? The neighbors would creep down the alley in their cars, staring and shaking their heads. The once solid retaining wall had crumbled to dust and we feared sliding downhill into the neighbors’ house. The fence had weathered to an ugly gray and was barely standing.

Actually, it wasn’t standing at all. What was left of the fence was secured to the house with a variety of straps, two-by-fours and rocks.  Every night we’d watch the weather report for wind gust predictions, knowing that blowing out candles on a birthday cake would be more difficult than blowing our fence down.

Desperation set in as we waited for our turn on the fence company’s list, our wood-strapped-to-the-house contraption becoming even more of an eye-sore.  Hubby spent hours trying to secure the remaining boards and both of us tried to reassure the neighbors that we planned to replace the fence.

We had to view this ugliness every day from our walls of windows, we were sick of it and now we had to act quickly.

Why, oh why, did we let it get to this?

There are many reasons for neglecting something so important.  Money, time, hoping the problem will resolve itself.  That works for awhile, but at some point you have to take action.

How many of us neglect a job search when we already have a job?  We ignore that things may not be as good as we’d like at the office since we do have a salary and work.  Besides, it’s so much trouble to update the resume, work your network, and apply for jobs.  Sometimes we take the ostrich approach, like Hubby and I did with the fence, hoping that our resumes remain strong even if we fail to update them.

Problem with that approach – for either our fence or a job search – is that there comes a critical point where we simply must act.  A job search is not something you want to do under pressure if you can avoid it. Don’t neglect your job search skills until you’re desperate.  Keep an updated resume and stay in touch with your network.

Our new fence is great.  Now I’m working on my resume, just in case.

The Art of the Sale

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used car salesman

It’s important to know your strengths; what you’re most skilled at.  For example, a career in sales would be a huge mistake for me.  While I’ve worked in retail most of my life, my focus has been corporate office stuff.

It could be residual scars left from having to sell fruitcakes for a school club – whose brilliant idea was that?  The first year was not so bad, as most neighbors politely purchased one to send to a distant relative.  But year two and three?  The neighbors saw me coming and immediately shut the blinds so I would think they were out. Honestly, no one really eats fruitcake anyway, so one is good for a lifetime.

Or maybe my lack of selling skills stem from the fact that I don’t like to be sold on anything.  If I feel the least bit of pressure from a sales associate, I will walk the other way no matter how great the item is. Even if it’s the last pair of this season’s trendiest sandals – I’m serious!

Hubby has watched when a sales associate has tried to trap me, especially those with fake sincerity. It’s not pretty.  My sarcasm and snarky comments can leave even the toughest salesperson wishing they had not approached me.  The commission isn’t worth it.

As we speak, there’s a car salesman who wishes he never met me – lost the sale of a new car due to over-selling.   In an attempt to pressure me into purchasing the car, he told me, “This is the ONLY car in this limited edition color in the state”.  “Really?” I said to him.  “I just drove the same make and model, in the limited edition color, at your competitor across town.”  He was silent as I walked out saying, “You should expect your customers to be smart, not gullible”.

Of course there is a bit of selling to every job and I’ve learned ways to approach others when I want to pitch an idea to them.  Usually a softer intro is best, like “I wanted to talk to you about an opportunity/idea; let’s see if it’s something we can work on”.

Working for big brands, I’ve been on the receiving end of more sales calls than I can remember. Seems like everyone on the planet has a great idea/product/project that would be PERFECT for my company.  Major brands are in the driver’s seat in these situations, as others are eager to work with them.

Just had a call from someone wanting to sell me on an idea for one of my clients who happens to be a big brand.  I’ve never been so offended in my life.  First, this sales person would hardly let me get a word in edge-wise.  Then he refused to provide key information about the opportunity – a reasonable request in order to make a decision – wanting me to pitch him on why my company should be considered.

Excuse me, didn’t you call me? 

It took every ounce of strength to remain professional.  Sarcastic, snarky me was just begging to let him have it.  My colleagues, who could hear my side of the conversation, congratulated me for a great job maintaining a professional demeanor.

Despite my negativity towards sales, there’s one time when I do have to bring my A-game, and that’s during an interview.  Even my resume has to be a selling tool to get my foot in the door.  Once I secure an interview, I have to tell them why I am a better choice than all the other equally-qualified candidates out there.

It’s difficult for many of us to sell ourselves and our accomplishments, yet that’s exactly what we have to do when we interview for a job.  In this cut-throat employment environment, we have to stand tall, speak confidently and show them we are worth their investment to hire us.

Just don’t offer them a fruitcake.  Trust me on this one.

It’s OK to Take a Break

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Not sure where the time goes.  Suddenly I realized it was time for my twice yearly girls’ weekend, when we all go to a B&B for a few days of crafting, eating, talking, eating, watching chick flicks and – you guessed it –  more eating. These weekends are a great chance to reconnect with good friends who I rarely get to see due to our schedules and distance.

Yet this time, instead of looking forward to the weekend, I found myself frustrated and regretting my decision to attend.  It had nothing to do with seeing my friends.  It was all about my to-do list that was at least a mile long and growing.  In addition, I had no idea what creative project I was going to work on.

Usually I’m eager to pull out my scrapbooking stuff and work on a vacation album.  Not this time.  Disorganized, I hadn’t touched my stuff since the last girls’ weekend six months earlier.  I’d been so busy with work, speaking engagements, volunteering and family, it felt like the energy and creativity had literally been sucked out of me.

I contemplated not going.  I considered bringing my laptop instead of my scrapbooks so I could work on my writing.  I wondered if I could simply hide in one of the bedrooms and catch up on much-needed sleep.  Mostly I just wanted to stay home, convinced that this was the worst possible time for me to leave.

How would I get my writing done?  What would I put in a scrapbook?  Would I even have anything fun to talk about with my friends? 

“But you always love to go,” said Hubby.  “Think of the fun you’ll have once you are there.”  Easy for you to say, I thought to myself as I reluctantly packed my things.  My only thought was that I was wasting valuable time I could spend at my computer.

To be completely honest, recently I had begun to feel like my work and writing was suffering.  Maybe it was just too much to do; maybe I had “lost my touch”.  It even crossed my mind that maybe I had become lazy.  Whatever was happening to me, it seemed like a really bad time for me to attend a girls’ weekend of fun.

Or was it?

I had plenty of time to think about this in the car.  Maybe Hubby was right, I thought.  I remembered that I took a break from the job search when I was laid-off, and it turned out to be the right move. Perhaps this situation was similar; maybe I needed a break from everything for a couple days to spend quality creative time with my friends.  I slowly started to relax.

Upon arrival I was greeted by smiles and laughter as my friends all gathered around.  Shoes were replaced by comfortable slippers as we all talked at once, trying to catch up.  Paper, paste, photographs, stickers and all sorts of creativity began as we plugged in the first of many chick flicks.  Food and drinks were abundant, truly the sign of a great gathering.

It took me a bit to shake the creative cobwebs from my head but I managed to get my photos organized and a new scrapbook started.  I enjoyed visiting with my friends and realized how much I value their friendship.

My scrapbook didn’t get finished, although that’s not important.  What matters is that I took a break – mentally and physically – from my normal routine.  Something I should do more often.  The computer, work and everything else can wait.

Remember this story if you find yourself on-edge during a job search.  Sometimes a break – even a short one – can put us back on track.

Ready, Set, Action! Searching for a New Job

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What’s the most important part about searching for a new job? 

A.      A fabulous resume

B.      Confidence in your abilities

C.      Making a connection with the interviewer

D.      Wearing the right clothes

I’m sure you’re thinking that if the clothes make the woman, then the answer must be D.  While nothing makes me happier than rockin’ a new outfit, it’s not the right answer here.  This is a trick question; none of the answers are correct.

The most important part of a job search is actually applying for a job!  It’s taking action to get a reaction.   Sounds simple, right?  If so, when was the last time you took positive action and sent out a resume?  While you still had a job?  Hmmm?

We all reach a point in our careers where we are curious to see what else is out there.  It could be that we’re tired of our current situation, bored with our work, ready for some new water-cooler chat or simply curious to see if the grass really is greener on the other side.  Oh, we all talk a good game, venting our frustrations with overused phrases like, “That’s it; I’m getting out of here”, and “I can’t take this anymore”, and my personal favorite, “I wish they would just give me a package to leave”.  

Yeah, right. Those of us who have been to the Land of Layoff know that those packages are never as good as we expect them to be. 

When push comes to shove, most of us rarely take action.  We sit back and wait.

I imagine actors preparing for a scene would have similar issues taking action, if it wasn’t for the annoying guy with the clapperboard shouting, “Action!” Maybe we would be more motivated to search for a job if we had an annoying guy with a board shouting at us.  

I’ve always been a fan of periodically applying for jobs as they present themselves – even if I’m perfectly happy with my current situation.  Some think that’s crazy, yet for me it is about self-empowerment.  Just applying for opportunities can give me an energy boost that’s better than any caffeinated beverage.  The upside of taking action is that I feel like I’m in the driver’s seat, in control of my career. 

The added bonus is that occasionally applying for a new job gives me the discipline to keep my resume updated.  If I’m fortunate enough to land even a phone interview, it may confirm my satisfaction with my current job – or show me that there are new companies I might enjoy working at.  Not to mention that it helps me understand my value in the work place.

Note that I’m not so much advocating that we all leave our jobs as I am persuading us to keep our resumes – as well as our interview skills – up to date.   This way we’ll be prepared when we do see a great opportunity, or if the unfortunate pink slip lands on our desk.

It’s easy to buy the new outfit, update the resume and talk a good game.  The hard part is taking action.