Job search for most people is tough. It’s been said that people experience emotions similar to death after losing a job or while in career transition: shock, denial, guilt, anger, and depression. If we just address the first emotion of shock or disbelief, we know that it often leaves people feeling numb and unmotivated, unable to move forward with a job search.
Here are seven secrets to remotivate yourself—or remain motivated—and get back on track:
1. Simplify. Get rid of the energy-draining clutter in your life. Is your workspace disorganized? Are you experiencing paper-stack overload? Do you have an overabundance of sticky notes on your screen? Take a few minutes to declutter your workspace and organize your job search files whether they are online or on your desk. It will help unclutter your thinking space as well.
2. Efficient effort. Reevaluate how you spend your time, energy, and money to coincide with your definition of getting job search tasks done efficiently and effortlessly. Do you have a job search plan in place or are you shooting from the hip and answering ads online as you see them? The saying “time is money” is still true today and using a job search plan will give you a framework. For example: Spend 30 minutes a week posting to LinkedIn groups; participate in a local meetup once a month; and make 3 to 5 network calls a week. Evaluate these efforts on a regular basis to see which ones are generating the most and best job leads.
3. Create priorities. There are usual priorities to the progression of any job search. Make sure your priorities work for you (résumé written, LinkedIn profiled published, etc.). Work around the obstacles that may get in the way of an important interview. Your priorities can change throughout your job search so adjust as necessary.
4. Reserves. Build reserves of time, space, energy, money, and love into your job search plan. This allows you to make decisions based on what you really want instead of letting fear drive your decisions. Time and money particularly have a way of interfering with the decision-making process. Try to think beyond the obvious: December has a reputation for being the biggest layoff month of the year, but many people also get hired in December.
5. Eliminate distractions. Up to 75% of your energy can be tied up in things that drain and distract you. Find ways to free up your time for distraction-free job search efforts. The days of multitasking have come and gone! Try short spurts first if you need to and build up to longer spans of time. Set a timer and focus on the task at hand—don’t answer your phone, check emails, or LinkedIn notices—just concentrate on what you have planned for the next 15 to 20 minutes. Take a short break and then block another portion of time. You will be amazed at how much more productive you will become.
6. Thoughts. Whatever you think and believe, you create. So, if thoughts become things (and they do), adjust your inner voice to help you reach your goals. Don’t sabotage yourself by saying “I can’t do this” because you won’t. Reframe your thinking to positive thoughts and believe them to be true. Before you know it, these thoughts will become reality.
7. Start! Most important of all—don’t wait! There will always be an easy excuse to delay putting these motivating steps into action. Just remember, what you do today will make a difference in your life… today!
Getting Interviews, But Not Job Offers?
Here’s the good news – if you’re getting interviews, your résumé is doing its job – assuming you’re getting interviews for the types of positions you want. But what you do before, during, and after the interview can increase your chances of getting the offer.
Before the interview, do your homework!
Review your target company’s website and LinkedIn profile to learn more about the key personnel, the work they do, their clients, and potential areas where you might be an asset. See what current and former employees have to say. Check your network for connections or help with learning more about the company. Google your potential supervisor’s name. Check out his or her LinkedIn profile and social media accounts. And prepare a list of targeted questions to ask in the interview — 3 to 5 questions that demonstrate you’ve done your homework and that, when answered, will give you additional insight into the company.
In the interview, listen carefully.
Your interviewer is assessing how well you will fit within the company, and you should be doing the same. You want to make sure that this position is also a good match for you!
Closing Statement.
One area where executives are caught off guard in an interview is being prepared to give a “closing statement.” Be ready to summarize (in a few minutes) why you think you’d be a good fit for the position. If possible, incorporate the additional information you’ve learned in the interview itself. Prepare the key points of this closing statement in advance and review them so that they sound natural, not “canned” or rehearsed. Before the interview ends, ask if there is any other information you can provide to help with the decision such as a 30-60-90-day plan for what you’d do in the first 3 months on the job, etc.
At the end of the interview, always ask what the next step is.
You want to know about the next round of interviews, and when they will begin or when the hiring decision will be made. Ask if you can follow up, and if they’d prefer phone or email. Remember to specifically express your interest in working for the company! That’s important. Many people forget to do that, leaving their potential employer to question their interest level.
Immediately after the interview, send a follow-up/thank-you letter.
Send a post-interview letter to thank each person you met. Thank-you letters are always appreciated, especially if you can mail it the same day (and the hiring timeline allows sufficient time for it to be sent and received). Otherwise, an email follow up is fine. Express your appreciation for the opportunity to meet, reiterate your specific interest in both the position and the company, and confirm the next step—whether that’s information you’ve promised to provide, or what you’re expecting from the interviewer.
If you don’t hear back from the interviewer within a reasonable time, then make sure to follow up.
Just remember that hiring often takes much longer than expected. By knowing the timetable for the next steps, you won’t have to second guess when to follow up. For example, you can say: “I am following up to make sure that you have everything you need from me to assist in your decision making since you mentioned that the second round of interviews would begin this week.”
Follow up with the interviewer to get feedback.
If you don’t end up getting another interview—or the job offer—try to get feedback from the interviewer—specifically, why another candidate was a better fit. You may not be able to obtain this information (recruiters may; hiring managers may not want to answer this question), but if you do get this type of feedback, it can be helpful in your overall job search.
If you can’t reach the hiring manager, take note of who is ultimately hired, assess that person’s professional profile, and see if there was something that might indicate a key qualification (perhaps a certification, or a past employer) that might have set them apart. Sometimes you just won’t be able to tell, so move forward to the next opportunity.
Why Choose Us?
We turn experience into opportunity – and résumés into interviews. We know what recruiters and hiring managers look for in candidates. And we don’t disappear after your project is done. We will be available to answer your questions and address your concerns throughout your career.