It Takes All of You

When you’re conducting a job search you need to combine a variety of skills and abilities. Some you have, others you’ll want to learn. For example; you’ll want to think like a visionary, plan like a strategist, operate like a tactician, write like an advertiser, research and revise like an editor, persuade like a sales person, deliver like a distributor, and follow through for all you’re worth.

Skip a step and you’re back to square one so you’ll want to get it right from the start.

Think like a visionary: if you don’t know where you’re going, you won’t know how to get there. Expand your thinking beyond the next job and the next paycheck. Imagine yourself in a place and with people who fulfill your intrinsic values doing work that meets your extrinsic needs.

Plan like a strategist: Once you know where you want to be and what you want to accomplish, develop a strategy that takes you there. Identify the life-skills and job skills you’ll need to acquire that will meet the expectations of future employers.

Operate like a tactician: Connect the dots and make the plan. Outline and organize your short- term objectives that combined will satisfy your long- term goals. Identify the gaps in your formal and informal education, on the job training, technology training, and cross- functional training.  Decide and commit to what you’ll need to fill those gaps and what you’ll do to make that happen.

If you want to advance you need to lead courageously, challenge considerately, be out front and upfront about what you think and actions you’re willing to take. If you want to change companies or industries from those that are receding to those that are achieving, decide which they are, what to do, and when to do it. Once your plans are in place you’ll be ready to put together your promotional materials.

Write like an advertiser: Start with your cover letter.  Make your feature/benefit case as compelling as it is convincing. Here’s what I do and how my strengths and experience can add significant value; here’s how I will drive your top line (or protect your bottom line or streamline, expedite, lead or manage) in a way that takes you where you want to go. Be as confident as you are courageous. Draw on past experience, apply it forward, and demonstrate how you can create benefit for them.

Research and revise like an editor: Create a resume that gives evidence you’ve done what your cover letter says you can do. Jump- start it with an objective that reads like a headline: this is what I want to deliver for you. List your positions in reverse chronological order. Highlight your experience with bullet point accomplishments and in two pages or less, write a document that’s succinct, easy to read, in 12 point type, with wide clean margins. Use action verbs to tee up each applicable, valid, quantifiable, reliable piece of information you include.

Persuade like a salesperson, operate like a distributor, and follow-through for all you’re worth: Network to get in front of the people you need to know who will connect you to the people you want to meet. Go face to face to get your name, your brand, and your message to the individuals who lead and manage businesses you want to join and can benefit most. When you get a lead, qualify it, follow up on it, follow through on it until you understand what the employer needs and can clearly and effectively communicate how you can deliver a product, process, system, or service that gets the company closer to where it wants to go.

Sticky Interviews

In Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Health tell us that memorable stories, stories that stick, are simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, and emotional. The Heath brothers may not have consciously applied that perspective to the art of interviewing, but its well worth the effort.

An interview that works is memorable. It is complexity simplified; a conversation between equals that is grounded by unexpected clarity and purpose. It’s concrete; the speaker succinctly describing a learning experience in definable, quantifiable ways.

Simply told stories from experience evoke emotion, combine credibility with integrity and tell the truth about making a difference. They are straightforward, easily understood and easily remembered.

The employers’ predictable question, “Tell me about yourself”, invites the applicant to tell a story. Employers want to know what it is about you, what you do and how you do it, that can add value to what they need and why they need it. They want to know how you think and what motivates you to behave as you do. Your values are the underpinning of your actions and drive your behavior. Your behavior is the structure of your story. Have the courage, the insight, and the self- awareness to tell it.

As a career coach I’ve worked with people who want to find jobs, leave jobs, keep jobs, and change jobs. Those who find their way with the fewest energy draining detours are those who are open to possibility: possibility that there is more instead of less, that mistakes are opportunities to learn; that learning opportunities can be painful but the pain is time limited and the wisdom that’s accrued is worth the effort it takes to get there.

Those who succeed in what they do are satisfied with who they are yet want to be more than they have been. They are, among other things, curious. They ask themselves and others, “why?” Not just to challenge assumptions but to explore their world and expand their minds; to find answers, discover problems, and find answers to solve them. They want to learn because they know that it is there, attainable, and they want to understand it, learn from it, and grow from it.

Those who struggle, consistently struggle in their careers see life as a series of contests to be lost, closed doors and shuttered opportunities. Their world is limited by their view of it; rules, regulations, and policies that define not what they can, but what they cannot, dare not, do. They have adopted a scarcity mentality and communicate its negative philosophy at work, at home, and in the interviewer’s office. Their story is one of endings with no beginnings; a story the interviewer would rather forget than remember.

Interviewers don’t want to hear stories of can’t, won’t, don’t, he did it to me and she made me do it. They don’t want testimony from the helpless and hopeless. They don’t want to hire followers unless they’re willing to learn how to manage and lead others.

They want to know that potential employees trust and are trustworthy. That potential employees believe development is what enables and empowers others to achieve, that it benefits those with whom they work, who work for them, the customers they serve and the employer who invests in each employee with each pay- check and each opportunity.

They want you to tell them your story, your way, so they can remember it and tell others that you’re the one who can make a difference because you can, because you want to, because you’ve done it before and you want to do it again. For them.

Imagine Your Interview

I just got your message marked urgent. You have an interview tomorrow morning; you want to know what to do; and you want to know it now.

For starters, relax. You’re so uptight you’re likely to shut down the

interview along with the interviewer. Go for a walk, jog, or

swim and think about how you want to be on that interview.

Image your calm, cool, and collected self driving to the meeting, knowing

where you’re going, with plenty of time to spare, wearing clothes and shoes that fit you well and comfortably. Then picture yourself parking in the visitor’s lot, walking to the building, greeting the receptionist, providing your name along with the name and title of the person you’ve come to see. And see yourself sitting patiently as you wait however long it takes for the interview to begin.

As the interviewer approaches, image yourself naturally extending your arm

for a firm, warm, dry hand-shake and upon entering his office, waiting to be

seated until he gestures you to the appropriate chair. You sit comfortably, you’re

alert, tilted forward ever so slightly, your arms uncrossed, your feet on the

floor.

You picture the interviewer as your equal, as interested as you are

in finding the right match. You notice how the meeting begins

conversationally, with small talk about the weather, having a fine

weekend, and an easy time finding the office. He begins by asking you the

question you’ve most looked forward to,” tell me about yourself”, and you

describe why you are interested in working with the company and what you

believe you can do to contribute to their organization’s success.

As the interview progresses you delight in how your practice sessions have

paid off…  how easily you respond to open-ended questions about your strengths, skills, and abilities to overcome business challenges, to be a team player, and to attain individual as well as team goals.

You let the interviewer set the pace, the tone, and climate for the

meeting. You focus on why you want to be there and why you were invited to be

there. Your style is pleasantly upbeat and optimistic as you describe your

experience through a perspective of authenticity, curiosity, and consideration.You

obviously enjoy the opportunity to learn about what’s important to this company

and its leadership team.

You’re pleased that you took the time to study the company’s website

particularly when the employer referenced it,  asking questions about it. You seemed to surprise him with your level of understanding of their business and market strategy. He didn’t realize that you had also gone on line to read some recent articles published about them in the News & Record and the Wall Street Journal.

Your listening skills are at their very best. You take in what the

interviewer’s saying and when you’re unclear of his meaning, you clarify your

understanding before responding. You’re able to connect his comments to your

experiences, demonstrating your knowledge and ability to add value to his

organization.

You ask open-ended exploratory questions about the company’s direction

and its strategy to get there; the culture of the company, how people treat each

other, what they expect of one another, what the boss will expect of you and

what it takes to demonstrate success in the short term and over time.

The conversation moves effortlessly between you. The interviewer indicates he’ll

be in touch and you confirm your interest in the job.

You know the interviewer will draw conclusions, as will you; he’ll make comparisons, as will you, and he’ll come to a decision. As will you. And that’s as it should be.

Are you ready? Then go get ’em, tiger!

Try Again

If you’re willing to think through your answers and select the responses most likely to lead where you want to go, you can turn a potentially difficult interview into an honest, open exchange of relevant information.

When you’re asked, “why were you fired?” don’t play victim or blame the person who fired you. Accept accountability for your role in the outcome and connect your strengths to what employers want and say they need.

Why did your boss fire you?

He fired me because I intimidated him. I was smarter than he was and he was worried I’d take his job away from him.

Instead of assuming what your boss thought, tell me what you knew and what you did.  Try it again.

I knew I was underemployed. I accepted a job that wasn’t challenging. I was frustrated because I wanted to do more and make more decisions. I was second-guessing my boss in front of his boss. I know why he let me go.

That’s the ticket and that’s accepting accountability. Next, move the conversation from the past to the future by connecting your strengths to the job opportunity:

I’m at my best when I’m doing work that’s mentally challenging and I’m part of the decision making process.

That’s more like it.

Here’s a question for someone returning to the workforce:

Your resume indicates you haven’t worked for a few years. What have you been doing?

I’ve been a stay at home mom with two small kids. My husband left me with little financial help and it was up to me to get it all done.

It’s a compelling truth but it’s not a compelling reason to hire you.  Why should the employer hire you? Try it again.

I’ve been a single parent stay at home mom. During that time I’ve had a variety of experiences leading, managing, supervising, training, and developing others, sustaining relationships under sometimes adverse conditions, while remaining positive, encouraging and flexible. I’ve worked under pressure, under budget, coming up with creative solutions to complex problems, for groups of all ages, all while maintaining my balance and sense of humor.  I am more than ready to take on this job!

You nailed it. Now, answer this one:

Describe the worst boss you’ve ever had.

My worst boss acted like I couldn’t please him.

Try again.

My worst boss was also my best: He could be demanding and impossible to please but he caused me to learn more, try harder, and improve my work product.

Here’s a question that, if you’re not careful, can derail a good interview:

What are your biggest weaknesses?

I have trouble getting places on time, I’m impatient with stupid people, and I bite my nails.

Remember, when you answer, keep the employer top of mind. Why should she hire you? Try again.

I get very focused on my work and as a result I can run late to my next appointment. I’m demanding of myself and that can come across as being demanding of others, and I do get impatient with others when deadlines are looming and they’re not as responsive as I’d like them to be.

Here’s a question you can count on being asked:
Tell me about yourself.

I was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan and I have two brothers and a sister and went to…

Whoa. The interviewer wants to know why he should hire you. Try it again.

I’m at my best when I’m working with people who focus on objectives, and teams that work together to get the job done. I’m a strong communicator, a listener and leader, who believes in combining guidance with empowerment and alignment with intention.

Go get ‘em, Tiger.

Rise & Shine

Rise and shine. I understand you have a job search to conduct, a position to secure and a success story to write; that the company you’re in and the job you’ve had were good enough when you signed on, but that’s changed. What happened?

“When I got this job I had a college degree and three years experience under my belt; I was just beginning to realize that I had something to offer an employer.  As I proved myself, my boss gave me stretch assignments and the space I needed to learn through experience.  I took on tough projects and worked with challenging people under difficult circumstances. We learned to support each other and trust each other and we benefited from the results.

After five years I’m ready to move on. I’ve done all I can do here, not because I’ve figured it all out; I’m done because the company’s leadership has changed, and as a result its vision and mission have changed as well.  I want to be part of a company that I can grow and I want to lead a team that makes a difference.”

Do your employers know you’re looking?

“No, I’ll keep it to myself because I want this transition to happen on my clock, not theirs. If I told them I was looking it would likely come across as a threat, an “if you don’t give me something, I’ll leave,” and threats backfire. If I wanted to stay, I’d say so, state what I wanted and make my case for why I deserved it.  If my employers agreed it’s a good business decision they’d negotiate with me; and if they didn’t they wouldn’t. That’s business.

Two more reasons I’m not letting on that I’m looking: my boss would have a business obligation to replace me, and it would happen on the company’s time table, not mine. And no one, not my boss, co-workers or customers want to hear that in my estimation, where they work or conduct business isn’t good enough.”

How can you launch a job search when you can’t or won’t tell anyone you’re looking?

“I’ll tell plenty of people I’m looking. They’ll be outside the company, not inside, and I’ll be selective about who they are. I’ll focus on finding, connecting, or reconnecting with people I like and respect, people with whom I have something in common, and I’ll build on that foundation.”

Tell me more about “something in common”. How does that make a difference?

“When you have something in common; a business interest or outlook, a sport, hobby, political or religious interest, you share a point of view or view of the world that enables you to establish a mutual level of trust without having to rely on a lifetime of shared experience. With that trust you can talk about career goals and ways to help each other achieve them. That’s why I’m going to network and why networking will be essential to my finding the right match and getting the right job.”

It sounds like you know what you’re doing. What other advice would you like to share?

“Preparation and readiness is key. Be in a position to respond to opportunity, leverage it, and capitalize on it. Have strong references who can make your case as well as you can make it for yourself.”

Who are these ‘strong’ references and how can they make your case?

“They’ll be people who know me, who know my values, my track record and how I work; they’ll be people who are willing to speak on my behalf because I’ve demonstrated the capacity and energy to make a difference when it counts.”

Ouch!

Job applicants seem to complain a lot when they describe how they feel they’re treated during and after their interviews. I thought it only fair to get some candid perspective from prospective employers and the applicant situations that bother them. Here are just a few:

Our interview committee was so impressed with a job candidate we wanted to make him an offer on the spot. The hiring manager insisted that we check references first and although the rest of us didn’t think it necessary, we went along and made a few calls. I called the first name listed and the so-called reference never heard of the applicant. I called the second on the list and was told the reference died several years ago. The third person on the list knew the applicant but didn’t have anything good to say about him. We not only didn’t make the offer, we decided that we won’t hire anyone unless we check references thoroughly, no matter how impressive the applicants are in person or on paper.

On the subject of decorum:

Too many young applicants treat our waiting area like it’s their personal break room. They bring in food, drinks and cell phones; they’re loud and use disrespecting language. We’re not interested in hiring them if they don’t know how to show consideration for our workplace and the people who work here.

These comments were addressed to ”seasoned employees who ought to know better”…

We continue to be distressed at the number of job candidates who walk into interviews while talking on their cell phones, who check text messages and take calls in mid-interview, and those who ask us (with a polite gesture) to wait while they complete their conversations. Tell them to leave their blasted cell phones in the car.

This employer described job applicants who shoot themselves in the foot by demonstrating their total lack of self-awareness:

Save me from applicants who explain why they’re late by telling me about their sick children, cars they can’t count on, and clocks that don’t work.  Shield me from applicants who wear seductive clothing, overpowering perfume, and exhale stale tobacco breath all over me and my office. Protect me from applicants who describe their depression, confess their addiction, and describe their predilection for things I just don’t want to know. Tell them to limit their comments to skills, strengths and abilities that would cause me to hire them, so neither they nor we are compromised in the process.

This employer weighed in on resumes filled to the brim with fabrication:

According to the applicant’s resume he went to the best schools and worked for the best companies. His problem was that the document looked like a bad cut and paste job; different fonts, different formats, like it was lifted from different sources. Because it looked suspect I checked it out and found out that none of it was true. I don’t know what other companies do, but if we hire someone and later find out his or her resume is a deliberate misrepresentation of the facts, we terminate that person, immediately.

And then there’s this story about an applicant so rehearsed she sounds like she’s memorized a script:

I knew the minute she walked through the door she was too tense for her own good. Whatever question I asked she responded with something that sounded memorized. There wasn’t anything spontaneous about her, so naturally I questioned her about flexibility and her ability to work under changing conditions. She stared at me  blankly, then looked like she was going through her mental Rolodex of responses and finally said, “I haven’t practiced that one yet. What do you think would be a good answer?”

Tell Your Story

The interviewer asks you to describe your strengths. You respond by reciting a ready list of tidy, scouts-honor phrases.

“I’m loyal, honest, hard-working….”

Are you making points with the interviewer? Probably not. She’s heard the same or something similar from everyone she’s asked. Rather than parrot words that may be true but sound like the National Anthem of all Job Seekers, advance your candidacy. Describe your attributes in ways that demonstrate your understanding of what those words mean to you and the circumstances in which they apply.

You are more than the sum of two or three words. Expand your responses so you’re more than a cliché. For practice’ sake, I’ve provided some examples. Tailor them so that your intentions match your impact. For example, if you typically say that you initiate, anticipate, and have integrity, create word pictures that tell your story. Here’s what I mean:

Initiate: When you initiate you capitalize on opportunity before the moment can pass. When you initiate effectively, you combine instinct, logic, and action and respond to all three. When you initiate you’re aware that consequences follow, that you learn, stretch, grow, make mistakes, and gain experience while developing a reputation as someone willing to take and manage risk.

Anticipate: Actions yield consequences. If you act on instinct without

considering consequence, your mistakes can outweigh your intentions. When you anticipate, you evaluate outcomes prior to creating them, improving your odds for long term and short- term success.

Integrity: Integrity is an inside-out process that integrates thought and

feeling, action and reaction.  It defines and clarifies what you value as important and are willing to defend without compromise. When you demonstrate integrity you conduct yourself accordingly and consistently, in all places and with all people.

Timeliness: If time is the currency of the workplace, your timeliness

describes how appropriately you spend it.  If time is a commodity, being timely dictates the value of your effort and the outcome of its worth. Spending time toward an end that benefits you at the expense of others, manipulates time. Utilizing time in ways that solve problems and achieve goals for all concerned is time well spent.

Loyalty: Loyalty is a demonstration of trust.  Trust in ones

employer is based upon an assumption of shared values and principles. Employees are perceived as loyal when they consistently behave in ways that mirror the observed behaviors, implicit beliefs, and effectively and efficiently respond to the expressed or unexpressed expectations of their leadership. Employees are seen as disloyal when those behaviors, beliefs, and expectations are ignored, questioned, or violated, consistently, and over time.

Employers are seen as loyal to their employees when they consistently communicate their intentions and reasonable expectations, do what they say they will, and tell the truth while demonstrating courage, conviction, and compassion.

Honesty: Honest people tell the truth as it is, not as they wish it

could be. They tell the truth to inform or persuade, not manipulate or conceal. Honest employees have agendas that are open to examination and clarification. They respond to criticism by focusing on solutions and common interests.

Strategic: Strategic thinkers consider, evaluate, and analyze potential as they envision future opportunity. They design and develop methodology to optimize that potential.

Tacticians respond to strategic vision by objectively modifying and codifying what must be done to achieve it.

Organized: Combining intellectual organization and

external structure enables you to prioritize importance and communicate findings, to take appropriate action or motivate others to do the same.

Respectful: Respectful employees are true to their personal preferences, values, and principles even as they show consideration for those whose opinions, perspectives, and orientations differ.

Accountable: Accountable employees consistently examine choices, acknowledge consequences, and own results.

Travel and Job Seeking

What does job search and foreign travel have in common? Having recently returned from a business trip abroad, I’m not only brimming with fresh perspective and chock full of new learning, I see connections I’d earlier have missed.

The learning: Airline personnel, flight cancellations, impatient travelers. When the few are assigned the work of the many and there’s a critical intersection of the few, complicated by a critical interruption of the many, chaos reigns.  The ensuring struggle becomes emblematic of any business or organization in the throes of downsizing, limited supply, and crushing demand. The fragile system that supports a tentative network breaks down.

The lesson for job seekers:  Do your homework before you even think of

accepting a job offer, however attractive it appears to be. If the company you want to join has been laying off employees instead of hiring them, you’re walking into a structure that has been stressed and surviving personnel who have been stretched. Can they and their systems react quickly and appropriately to change that is predictable, yet not of their choosing? Are they planning for the long term or struggling to survive the world of “what’s happening now”?

The learning: It helps to speak the same language. When issues are simple and time ample, the gulf created by cultural and language difference is negotiated with relative ease (“How charming” we say. “How American” they reply, as we each smile, nod, and cautiously make our way around the other). However, when time is currency, and there’s too little of it to enjoy the impasse, minor gaffes create major blunders, cultural customs create corporate inefficiencies.

The lesson for job seekers: When interviewing, realize that what you say (or think you’ve said) isn’t necessarily what they hear (or thought they’ve heard). What are priorities for you, may not be priorities for them; what they value most may be what you value least. Clarify understanding, yours and theirs, while you both have time to adjust your thinking, alter your plans, negotiate your differences, and work for a common and desired outcome.

The learning: It’s important to be well rested. Travel can be tiring. International travel can be exhausting. You’ll change sleep cycles, social contacts, and meal times to meet the calendar and clock of the location and people with whom you interact.  Change your circadian rhythm and you affect your blood pressure, body temperature, sleep patterns, and ability to digest the food you’re not used to eating. No wonder you feel as though your brains and your batteries have been popped in backwards.

To look and behave as though you know what you’re doing, to have your words leave your mouth in the order in which you conceived them, you’ll have to pace yourself, and get the rest you need.

The lesson for job seekers: You don’t need to travel abroad to realize the benefits of good, sound, uninterrupted sleep. The better your rest, the more productive you’re likely to be. Each of us are different, some of us requiring more, some fewer hours of sleep to be at our best. Whatever you rest you need, be sure you get it and recognize that when stressed you might need more sleep than ordinarily would be enough.  (How do you know? If you’re easily distracted, forgetful, moody, clumsy, and nodding off instead of networking and knocking on doors, get some sleep).

Whether you’re traveling to the coast or to Costa Rica, eyeing a job in IT or in Italy, plan ahead. Think strategically and behave tactically. What’s your goal?  How will you measure your progress toward achieving it? What do you want, why do you want it, and how will accomplishing it align with your priorities, values, and longer- term objectives?

The Dream

You’re having a struggle. You’re trying to identify the career direction your life should take and despite your best efforts you can’t figure it out. You’ve sought advice from your best friend to your dad’s business partner; you’ve read self-help books, walked in the woods, read the want ads, and nothing’s helped. Then, one night, you have a dream…

You’re standing in the great check-out line of life, and you’re handed a clip board and questionnaire. You’re told that you must complete the form before you’re allowed to pass from where you are to where you’re going.  Once the Gates open you’ll get to choose what your next career should be.

You’re advised to pull up a chair, relax and reflect; you have plenty of time to answer the questions with care and consideration:

1. Which of your life achievements are you most proud and why?
2. What do you wish you had spent more time doing, and what, less?
3. What areas of your life have you consistently overlooked despite their importance to your sense of self and well- being?
4. If you had a chance to do next what you want to do most, what would next look like?

The man sitting next to you writes his responses with an energy and enthusiasm that suggests he knows exactly where he’s going.

“I do!” He says triumphantly. “It’s what I put off doing when I married and had children. It’s what I wanted but felt selfish pursuing. It involved financial risk and personal courage. I could have handled the risk and I had the courage, but I didn’t feel right asking my family to sacrifice a comfortable lifestyle for me to attain it. So I didn’t.”

“What is it?” I asked, assuming it involved sword-swallowing, storm chasing, or bungee jumping.

“I’m going to be a musician.”

“A musician? What’s so daunting about that? It doesn’t seem like such a risk.”

“It is if you’re a teenager and your parents say ‘You’re a fool’; ‘You’ll fail’; ‘Play it safe’; ‘There’s no future in it’. So I gave up on what I loved most and went with a career that paid the mortgage and made me miserable. I never dreamed I’d get another chance to do what I love. This time I’ll get it right. He completed the questionnaire, gave it to the Company Representative, and jogged through those Pearly Gates.

You were about to revisit the questionnaire when you noticed a woman seated to your right. She appeared deep in thought. You waited for her to break her concentration so you could ask if she were making any progress in completing the form.

“Oh yes, thank you, I am. I know exactly where I want to go next.”

Thinking of the conversation you just had with the fellow to your left, you asked, “Is it somewhere you’ve always wanted to go but hadn’t the courage to make it happen?”

“No”, she said simply. “I’m going to do a better job of going where I’ve already been.”

Your quizzical look spurred her to continue.

“I’ve spent too much time worrying about my looks, my title, and my competence. I want to do whatever’s next, differently. I want to spend more time exploring ideas and pursuing possibilities. I want to be fully present for the people who spend their time with me. I want to embrace life as it is, rather than battle it because it’s not what I want it to be.”

Your alarm clock rings and as it does, you realize that it’s time to wake up to the fact that you’ve avoided the obvious: asking yourself the questions you’ve not wanted to answer. You go to your laptop, and remembering the questionnaire, begin writing…

Selling Yourself Like a House

If you were getting ready to selling your home, and to buy one, instead of leaving a job and looking for onea job, I bet you’d do whatever you could , that was affordable and within reason., to be successful.

If you were buying a home, you’d do the same.

You’d begin wby doing a ith a full house inspection, eyeballing the interior and exterior of your space to figure out what works and what doesn’t, what needs to go, what needs to stay, and what’s appealing to the greatest possible number of buyers. You’d highlight its special features and downplay its least attractive characteristics. what’s least attractive about it.

You’d consult with a trusted financial advisor, and ask advice from savvy professionals with a positive track record in home sales.

Job seeking isn’t much different, so, here’s your short list of things to do and get done before you put yourself on the job market.

If you’re serious about your search looking for a job, commit yourself fully to it the search. If you’re ambivalent, not sure that you’re ready to make the change to something different, and better, you haven’t done the challenging work of assessing your personal, professional, and financial situation. That assessment involves more than knowing you’re miserable where you are and that you want out. It requires your knowing, without doubt, what you do best and the ecircumstancesnvironments inunder which you are most likely to succeed. Those are the strengths you want to utilize, develop, and grow, and the circumstances that will allow you to do just that.

If you were selling your home you’d want to do more than ask advice from savvy insiders, you’d want them to play a proactive role in your preparation. You’d ask them to do a homea house inspection, along with you. You’d invite them to open the drawers and the closets, and point out the clutter that you’ve overlooked or the eccentricities you’ve come to loveonly you could love. You’d ask for answer their pointed questions, despite your discomfort, and stumblecourageously ask when asking a few of your own.

So it is with your job search. You need input from people who live outside your head and your perspective. You need their objective opinion regarding aspects of your style that you might think endearing and they see as difficultoppositional. If you were selling one home to move to another, you’d need to know the questions that are essential to choosing wisely, well, and once. You’d getneed a professional’s take on your strengths and skill-sets; what’s competitive, what needs upgrading and what is best overlooked. And you’d need to know how to sell what you do best by first finding out what the prospective buyer is looking for and why.

Since you’re selling one home to move into another, you’d need to know the questions that are essential to choosing wisely, well, and once.

If you were selling your home and the carpet was shot, the paint peeling and the roof leaking, you’d make the necessary upgrades and required repairs or suffer the consequences of having to lower your price and expectations regarding the less return on your original and sizable investment.

So it is with your job search. If your wardrobe is in serious need of repair, and your general physical appearance issadly lacking in energy and spirit, you’ll you’d make the appropriate changes. You’d gYou’ll get in shape, emotionally and physically, and you’ll buy clothes that indicate you know how to dress for the workplace and the levepositionl to which you aspire.

If you were to sell your home before buying another, you’d need to know  where to find affordable and available and affordable temporary housing.

And Sso it is in your career search.

If you, were you to lose your job or leave it, intentionally or otherwise, before you have another, you’d. You’d have planned ahead by knowing how and where to for the unwanted yet possible to feel in control were it to happen. You’d arrange for short term and part-time jobs or consulting opportunities that could see you through the tough times..

If you were selling your home, you’d do it right. If you’re looking for a job, you’ll do the same.

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