Looking for a new job? Act As If…

“Act As If…”

In the classic sales movie Boiler Room, Ben Affleck famously says,

“Act as if you’re the f*cking president of this firm. Act as if you’re got an 9 inch c*ck. Okay? Act as if!”

This is a highly entertaining form of putting the placebo effect into play!

The placebo effect is very, very real and has been used by many psychologists, therapists, coaches on their clients, and many a mother on their kids to trick the mind! (Think a spoonful of sugar or the magic sponge!)

If you’re interested, listen to the excellent No Stupid Question podcast with Angela Duckworth and Stephen Dubner episode 12, “Does As if thinking really work?”

One way this can be put into effect as a Job Seeker is to ‘Act as if [you’re not looking for a job], or Act as if [you’re still in a job]. 

For example, if you attend every interview and; 

‘Act as if’, it’s just another meeting, then you’ll be less anxious, less nervous, and you’ll reverse the power balance between interviewer and interviewee to be more like 2 peers meeting on equal terms. 

Most probably you’ll perform much better in the interview.

Try it next time,

Act as if…!

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FOCUS YOUR RESUME ON YOUR FUTURE BOSS… 

I think every resume should have an ‘Executive Summary’ not a ‘Career Summary’.

You may just think it’s semantics but your outcome will be emphatic!

Your ‘Executive Summary’ is not a short paragraph summarizing your career

It’s a strategic power statement of intent specifically written for the reader (i.e your future boss)

This slight change triggers a shift in mindset and rather than focusing everything about you you’re thinking about what’s in it for them.

Write it in 3 parts…

  1. Who you are
  2. What you’ve achieved
  3. Why you can help them

You’ve got to get specific here – what are their problems? How do your past achievements help them? 

Do the research and you’ll find the opportunities…

Writing an ‘Executive Summary’ for your future boss will guarantee interest in your profile and increase the probability of more interviews. 

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Don’t leave your life to chance…

According to LinkedIn, 70% of people are classified as ‘passive’ candidates

That is, people who are not actively trying to get a new job, but are open to the idea of a better opportunity.

If you are one of the so-called 70% ‘passive’ candidates, what the hell are you waiting for?

If you want a better opportunity than what you currently have, then why not go out and get it?

Why not grab the bull by the horns and take control of your career rather than waiting on ‘chance’ that somebody may or may not contact you to change your life? 

If you are feeling unfulfilled in your job, treading water, lacking challenge, stuck or lost, what’s the consequence of you staying where you are for the next couple of years?

The longer you leave it, the less likely you’ll ever make a change.

Ask yourself: What would your future self tell you to do?

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“Motivation gets you started, habit keeps you going.”

This quote was on the back of an old gym card I had years ago that has always stuck with me. 

It’s sometimes hard to get yourself into the gym but once you’re in, you never regret a workout.

And once you go a few times and get into a routine, the habits you formed keep you going.

It’s the same if you’ve decided to look for a new job…

When you’re already in a job and working long hours, running the kids everywhere, squeezing a workout in, and basically juggling multiple things, it’s only natural that adding a job search into your schedule is going to be hard to start…(It’s a pretty mundane task at the best of times!)

But just like the gym, if you don’t get into a routine every week and do the reps then you won’t see any results, and eventually you’ll quit. 

After all, if you’re already in a job and getting well paid, how important is it? 

But just as your beachbody doesn’t happen overnight, neither does finding your dream job.

Start today, build a routine, block out your calendar, dedicate a specific number of hours per day to it and in 3 months who knows where you will be!

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Why do you want to leave your job? 

You’ve decided to look for a new job but how deeply have you evaluated your reasons why? 

Is it having an impact on your health? Keeping you up at night, the first thing on your mind when you wake?

Or is it more a slight irritation like her aching limb, annoying but not serious enough to take a trip to the doctors?

Making sure you are clear on why you want to leave a job (and company) is a hugely important life decision and should be clear BEFORE starting a job search.

Take some quiet time alone to figure it out. Consider is it intrinsic or extrinsic? Intrinsic motivators are things such as ambition, lack of purpose, autonomy, mastery or relatedness, whereas extrinsic is more external facing things like lack of money, recognition, work condition or policy.

The grass is not always greener and so making sure you are leaving for the RIGHT reasons is critical, and underestimating the risk involved is very real.

Move forward with a clear mind and the right intent!

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How will you stand out?

The average number of applicants per job advert can vary between industries but a commonly cited figure according to Glassdoor is between 100 and 250 applicants.

So if there are so many applicants per job and key word algorithms in ATS filtering you out before recruiters spend less than 10 seconds reviewing your profile, what chance have you got… 

If don’t work for a big brand, ‘Hollywood’ company, 

If you’re length of service is a bit choppy, 

If god forbid you’re the wrong age, nationality, or gender?

How do you get past that? 

Well how about doing the opposite? 

How about NOT applying via LinkedIn or their company page?

Try the following:

  • You could identify who the hiring manager is and email them directly
  • You could send a short video message via LinkedIn 
  • You could reach out via other platforms like X or Instagram 
  • You could ask a mutual connection for an introduction
  • You could send a handwritten letter! (Yes, remember those?) 

The point is if you’ve got a 1 in 250 chance and you don’t have the ‘perfect resume’ you may need to approach your job search differently otherwise you’re likely miss out…

So what are you going to try today?

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Do you know what you are capable of? 

You’ve heard the phrases…

  • Treading water
  • Stuck in 2nd gear
  • Coasting

Does this apply to you?

Or would you consider yourself a hard worker?

Do you take pride in the number of hours you work or by what you’ve got done by the end of the week? 

However you view yourself there is ALWAYS another gear!

Just like an Olympic sprinter chasing his personal best, the ‘Workplace Olympians’ are chasing their own personal best every week…

  • To a better leader
  • To be a better colleague
  • To produce better work than they did the day before

Never get too carried with your own performance or with that of those around you, you can ALWAYS do and be better!

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Your possibilities in life are only limited by your own lack of imagination.

When we were children, everything was possible… our imagination ran wild, making up games and imaginary play  – when did it leave us?

Perhaps it never did but life just took over?

If you are someone in Career limbo, wondering if this is it for the next 20 years then I’m here to tell you it’s not… 

As Napoleon Hill said in his best seller, ‘Think and Grow Rich’, 

What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

Ask yourself…

What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?

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“THE ONLY CONSTANT IN LIFE IS CHANGE.”

This fantastic quote by Greek philosopher Heraclitus highlights the obvious yet overlooked truism…that life is constantly on the move.

This is a strong reminder to you today that if you want to feel happier, more secure, or financially free 10-20 years from now, you should be investing in your future now.

Whether it be investing your savings, improving your diet, or learning a new skill, you should start now if you want your future self to thank you!!

What are you going to start today?

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Your DREAM JOB is not ‘online’ waiting for you!!

I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news but wake up and smell the coffee! 

It’s true…

And another thing…

Nobody is waiting for you to apply for their advertised jobs either!

If you want your ‘dream job’ you’ve got to make it happen yourself and that starts by first working out where you are today and what options there are for you. 

I say ‘options’ because that’s what you have – you have options…you’re not tied to any profession just because you spent significant time doing it. That’s great if you’re happy and you want to continue but you can also design a new (work) life and job you want.

  • Where will you be in 5 years if you continue on your current trajectory?
  • What work would you do if time or money was no object?

What ‘options’ can you think of for your next chapter today?

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