Make this Monday Matter – your 10 week countdown Part 2
There are now only nine weeks to go, and I am confident that you followed steps one to three last week, you’ve stopped coasting, you’ve set time aside to really focus on your career. You are prioritising your career development. How many of your special and different stories have you developed. ( If you haven’t completed the first three then star there)
Research – understand your market and your options
It is highly unlikely that someone is going to knock on your door with a contract in hand and offer you your dream job. Yet many of my coaching clients were running a reactive job search campaign until we turned it on its head. How often do you look outside of your organisation, read the market news and research industries and competitors? Do you check the job market and follow the career paths of those you respect in your sector?
If you are considering changing sector how many people have you sourced in that industry and asked to have coffee with? I have always held the belief that people are generally willing to help others, if all you are asking for is a few minutes of their time and some of their knowledge – they really have nothing to lose and you have everything to gain.
Action – break it down but keep moving forward
As I outlined in step two it is crucial that you set aside time to make the change, ensuring that you are focusing on the things that make a difference is also crucial. There are a number of weekly tasks that you can schedule so that you are in consistently making progress. Anyone who signs up to, The Seven Steps to Career Consciousness, online programme receives our job search planner which ensures that people can plan and really maximise their return on the job search. You may notice that I also ensure that you schedule in time for the fun things in life. Those who are full time job seekers often feel guilty if they take time out to do the fun things, or take some time for them. The last chapter of my book is called “Be Kind to Your Mind!” for this very reason. All too often the job search can feel a lonely and negative road, you are told you came a close second; someone else had more experience, and even if the feedback is good people can take it as rejection. You have to find a balance to ensure that your resilience remains high.
Practice makes perfect
Many job hunters have to attend several interviews before they secure their ideal role, very few people spend time fully preparing for those interviews. There isn’t an excuse for being under rehearsed. The more effort you put into preparation the more confident you will feel in the interview – when you have completed your job search score card you are able to plan the questions you need to ask the interviewer so you have the full picture of the potential role. Remembering that it is a two way street is crucial.
- Four – Research and understand your options
- Five – Action is everything
- Six – Practice makes perfect