better business blog

Tips and stories to add value to you and your organisation

Yes – You Can Get A Job!

23 October 2011

All it requires is for you to be persistent, have faith (that you will succeed) and get some quality support. Too many people rely on luck and this week I was reminded about the difference support can make.

A client of mine called Paul secured a new job. Big hooray for Paul… he’s a star performer and proves the case that there is a job out there if you really want it.

Paul made sure he was targeting jobs that matched his CV, he worked hard preparing for interviews and he always asked for feedback. He was also big enough to accept the feedback and act on it, which was a crucial step to being successful.

After one particular interview he was given a piece of feedback that didn’t make sense so he called me and we worked through it and it turned out that a worry ‘out of his awareness’ was creeping in to affect his language and posture.

Although the effect was subtle the outcome for the interviewer was to feel uncomfortable…and of course Paul then didn’t get the job.

We contracted for coaching time and used Skype to ‘meet up’ …and after a few sessions had nailed the problem (using some nifty insights from Transactional Analysis) and in consequence Paul’s interview performance soared.

Is there a ‘moral’ here?

Well, I’m always amazed by people who trust to luck to get a job. In my view they’re just kidding themselves and causing undue stress to their family. (Many don’t really want a job and prefer to stay stuck).

I’m also sure that there’s a job out there for us all… if we can be bothered to work hard enough to get it.

Paul has been chasing work for several months and his success didn’t some quickly – but it did come.

And it came because he was able to accept feedback and work with a professional coach to help fine tune his performance.

What I learned was that Skype is an excellent way to get coaching support and so it doesn’t matter where you are in the world… you can get ahead with a coach.

If you really want a job or have a problem that needs solving I’m now only a mouse click away. And I like that… as it’s a very cost effective, time efficient way to support people.

Tags: Job Hunting

If You Want A Job… (2)

28 August 2011

…Maintain an open mind. Last week I was chatting to a person who said he was ‘out of work’. This is quite a passive statement and helps to reinforce negative feelings, so I was not surprised that he said it with an Eeyore sigh.

Much better to be ‘looking for work’ or ‘looking forward to my next job’ as these forward looking phrases help us to remain more upbeat.

As I met the person before going on air at a local radio station I had both Job Hunting 3.0 and How To Keep Your Job in my hand and I happily showed him the books. His response was, without opening either of them:

‘Hmmm….these books are all rubbish.’

(Actually he said a ruder word, which rhymes with rap).

‘Well now,’ I replied with a smile, ‘the world is full of books and perhaps some of them might rhyme with rap. But not all of them. For example, these two are based on real life coaching conversations and feedback about what really works and what doesn’t. You don’t have to choose to read them, but if the next person does, then you’re going to be disadvantaged.’

He mumbled something along the lines of ‘I see your point’ and grudgingly gave them a closer inspection.

If you’re looking for a job then keep an open mind and judge things on their merits and not on preconceived ideas or simple nervousness.

Books are a force for good, as is coaching, or getting support from your friends. I’m always amazed that people hoping to earn £200,000+ over the next 5 years spend zero on their own success and leave things to chance. And I’m saddened when people prefer to say ‘no’ to new opportunities and new learning, in order to stay stuck.

So, if you catch yourself making poorly judged sweeping statements, stop and think. Think about what you can do and who you’re gonna call?

Ghostbusters!

….But don’t call them unless you’ve just been slimed. Amazon, a coach, or a well informed friend is a much better bet.

Tags: Job Hunting