Get Comfortable in Your Own Skin – How to and Why it’s Important in Your Job Search [March 26 eColumn]

Just smiles. Seriously – that’s what I’ve been noticing as I accompany my father through the SA healthcare system. Man, there are a lot of people who enjoy what they do – or at least they enjoy helping other people.

Okay there are negatives – like, yesterday, being made to wait 4 hours for a 10 minute appointment – but from the hospital staff, admin staff and pharmacy staff to nurses at the private old age home/frail care facility, there are a lot of good people. Actually the only person with no smile was the private doc/specialist. Just shows money only goes so far in putting a smile on one’s face.

The job searching lesson? A lot of our success or failure in life has to do with how we connect with people. How we come across. Whether we come across as ‘open’, friendly, accommodating and nice to have around. Or not. Landing your next job, believe me has much to do with that – frequently more than your experience and qualifications.

So, are you comfortable in your own ‘skin’? Are you ‘okay’ with yourself?

Years ago I remember thinking of this feeling of being ‘okay’ with yourself as something like an anchor. Despite the knocks, pushes and shoves in life, basically you like who you are, you know you have value – so you shake off the inevitable job market rejections and the ‘difficult’ job interviews and interviewers (y’know, with that brainless recruiter!). You maintain your equilibrium or stability.

Do you believe in yourself? No-one should completely I don’t think – I mean we all need support, we all need to improve somehow, we all make mistakes. And most often there’s someone out there who’ll be faster, better, cleverer than us. But still, do you have that core of confidence in and comfortableness (there’s a new word!) with who you are and what you can do? ‘Cause if you are, then you’ll come across better. And be in line for better interviews and better job search results.

Here’s something practical regarding this – it’s going to be something I expand on in future: when you’re going on a job interview, in preparation, take a blank sheet of paper and make some notes in answer to the following questions:

What’s the job I’m interviewing for?

What kind of company is it for (if you know)?

What department is it in?

Then …

From my previous experience what are the 5 (or 3) most common challenges, problems in that kind of company, department, position? What are the daily problems someone like me is expected to solve?

Now, have I ever faced any similar situations? [Think of the 3 toughest situations you faced.]

What are some things I did really well? And what did I do to get that result?

How do I feel having done that?

Remember the good things you did, the good results you achieved. Focus on your value. Remind yourself.

Repeat this exercise considering your life in general:

• What are some basic things that I’ve achieved that I’m proud of? [Forget about the fact that others may also have achieved what you have - just be happy that you did it. It proves you have ability and value.]
• What are some things I COULD be proud of, if I let myself?
• What improvements am I making or will I be making soon that I’m proud of?

Here’s the idea: get your mind on a positive track – start building that anchor, make it a big one – not to be full of yourself – but just to be comfortable with who you are, and therefore solid, stable, able to smile, laugh easily … and come across as someone who is reasonably confident, ‘nice to have around’ and who fits in easily (as opposed to edgy, tetchy, scratchy, uncertain and porcupine-ish!)

Some people appear to have this whole ‘effect’ naturally – and frequently we’ll find they’re in jobs they are suited for and like and they do well. It’s like “maturity” – y’know, reaching a point where you’re comfortable, stable. But it’s also something that can be cultivated.

[For much more on this topic, getting to know yourself better, discovering 'who' you are - join the www.careerandsuccess.info community. You'll get immediate access to resources like "Wishcraft" by Barbara Sher (see quote in right sidebar) and Tony Robbins' "Awaken the Giant Within" (abridged version - really cool because the original was, like, 500 pages).]

Quick update – last week I sent out a short questionnaire about starting your own business – whether you’d like to one day. There was an unbelievable response – 680 responses so far. No surprise actually. So I’m starting a new website called something like Gerard’s Small Biz Ideas – just to share some of the ideas I’ve used over the years.

A lot of people are scared to start a business – and rightly so. But you have to ask – “what am I building for myself?” Or am I just always building for others? Also, in an economy that’s losing jobs – increasingly, we have to look at starting our own show. And success isn’t so difficult. But it is important to get the basics right – especially when it comes to marketing. More later.

I’ll also be expanding my CV writing service to writing business profiles, sales letters, newsletters etc for small businesses, consultants, etc – helping them get more interest more quickly from their customers and clients. Contact me directly on gerard@jobsearching.co.za re. this service for now.

On a Personal Note:

Do you allow dogs in your bedroom? This morning this was our family scene (as usual): Olive (in her xy ‘jamas), Ethan (4) and Zoe (6) in bed sipping their tea. Me sitting on the couch with my coffee. Bella (mostly Alsatian) lying at my feet, Molly (a Boerbull of Great Dane proportions) lying in the doorway with her pathetic stump excuse for a tail wagging side to side. It just struck me as cool. Oh, and there probably were a couple of cats hiding out in there somewhere too. Now, I don’t dig the dogs in the house really. But there are some simple things in life that just give one a good feeling. We were all having a chat (ok, not the dogs, they were just wagging their tails in contentment). It was early. No rushing for a few minutes. Nice. Good to have times like that.

That’s it. All the best.

A Malema Inspired Job Search and Life Lesson [March 19 eColumn]

Hi – So what are you born for? In last week’s Sunday Times the headline of a profile article on Julius Malema read something like “Born for Politics”. Ja, well some may agree, some not. That’s not the point.

Here’s the point: you – rightly – may wonder what career, job, life course you were ‘born’ for.

But does it make a difference, you ask? I mean isn’t life just a struggle, you just have to get through each day? Enjoying yourself is for weekends. What’s your belief on this?

If you don’t have an opinion – get one, ok? And if your opinion is the one described above – you’re wrong. There. I challenge you. Argue in the “comments” below if you like – and be shot down in public!

Here’s what I say:

You have something special. A unique combination of interests, abilities, ways of thinking, interests, knowledge and life experiences that makes you special. And a big challenge in life is to uncover your special factors. And then the challenge is to focus on them, a lot. Because it’s in these areas that you can be most successful. It’s in these areas you can best help others.

Problem: we get too busy with life, pursuing ‘things’, getting battered around by what others want from us, paying the bills and watching garbage on TV to focus on what we’re about, what we want, what we want our lives to turn out like.*

(* Balancing, of course, other important facets of our life – like family, spirituality, emotional and physical well being, etc – these are responsibilities, they make valid demands on us. I’m not talking about taking a “I’m no.1″ approach here – just a reasonable “I must look after the goose who lays the golden egg” approach.)

So … following on this theme: I’m really going to encourage you – if you see some of yourself in the above – to join the Career&Success forum. There are fantastic resources there to help you.

And there’s a new once off payment structure. No monthly membership hassles. And it’s cheaper than ever.

Here’s an example of on book available there – it’s waiting for you – “Wishcraft” by Barbara Sher:

“It will show you how and why you may have lost touch with your dreams, and it will give you simple, enjoyable exercises for rediscovering them. And then it will help you shape a real-world goal out of what you love.

“So far from being “impractical” or “irresponsible,” doing what’s closest to your heart is like striking oil: you tap into a surge of energy that will propel you to the heights of success.

“There are plenty of hard-working, responsible men and women in our society who do know how to get things done but have never felt free to explore themselves and find out what they want to do. If you’re one of them, the first half of this book will be a revelation.

Go here now and join: www.careerandsuccess.info

On a Personal Note:

Listening to Springsteen’s latest release – “Working on a Dream” – brilliant (am I giving away my age?) I’ve started a ‘thread’ in the Career&Success forum “feel good music” in the “Trivia” section at the bottom – c’mon join and make your recommendations and see mine and other members. Aren’t you tired of KFM and 94.7, Metro and 5 yet?

Suddenly turning cold here in the Cape, bit of rain yesterday and overnight. Life’s good. Just a bit behind with everything.

By the way - yesterday sent out a survey re. starting your own business – I had around 500 replies before lunch. Thanks for your response! I’ll be following up with that soon. Many are wanting to start their own business. But find it quite scary. In future I’ll be sharing some of the tools and ideas that helped me make a success of my business. It really helps to start off with the right / best practical advice out there – clue: universities and colleges don’t teach this stuff.

Your Job Search and Social Networking

Social Networking is hot – but is it hot for you? Does it help you? Do you use it?

You check more than one of the below options.

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“Burning Question”

From “C” comes this:

Some background – “C” and her husband are South Africans working and living in West Africa.

Is there a mind set about where you are currently located geographically in the market with recruitment agencies?

Yes. That’s the quick answer. And although we’re living in a ‘global village’ and recruiting practices have moved with the times to some degree with recruiting done by ‘remote control’ – the logistical factors of someone in the UK recruiting for a company in India and getting a job applicant from, say, Ghana – well you can imagine. And that happens a lot.

There are all sorts of factors:

• Ease or challenge of communication
• Prejudice against a certain country (may be see as a ‘backwater’ – despite the fact that this may be an indicator that you’re actually exceptional at what you do – succeeding in the harshest environments
• Wanting to interview you one-to-one
• Time frames – they may want someone to start immediately or within a week or two

People hire people, so recruiters will naturally go for things they’re familiar with first. If things are too foreign or too far away they may delay in responding or not respond at all.

So here are two strategies to tilt the playing field in your favor:

1. Persist – it’s the universal success law.
2. Narrow down your search to a particular industry – use the ‘net to research companies who likely need what you’ve got – identify the decision makers and approach them directly, via phone or e-mail.
3. Make your marketing message really powerful – aimed at delivering what employers really need; and really concise and to the point – “here’s what I do, and I’m fantastic at it – here’s why” – that should be your CV.

Hope this helps!