Don’t underestimate a company’s own career page in your job search!! 

When looking for a job – leave your ego, your opinion, and your biases at the door because anything goes…

I’ve (wrongly) assumed for quite a while that senior level jobs (VP level upwards) simply aren’t advertised. 

I mean just go look on LinkedIn and there are very few to choose from in Asia. 

But a recent conversation with a regional leader has changed my mind and I encourage you to do the same. 

When representing an executive looking for a new role I approached the hiring manager but despite positive interaction she basically told me to go look on the job boards of the career page and apply directly. 

I reluctantly did so already scathing her under my breath for wasting my time yet lo and behold there were 3 x VP level Commercial roles perfect for my client who has since applied for two of them. 

Moral of the story : When you ASSUME anything you make an ASS out of U and ME! 

Looking for a new role? 

FORWARD ACTION PLAN : make a list of 50 companies you want to work for right now, go through each of the company’s career pages and look for live job opportunities – you might be pleasantly surprised!

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When you go for an interview, you should reframe it as though you are going for a sales meeting. 

And you are the product! 

And just like any good salesperson you need to close the sale! 

For example, picture this….

It’s a sliding doors moment, you’re in an interview and it’s approaching the end. You think it’s going well…you hope it’s going well!! But the interviewer hasn’t mentioned next steps yet and you’re starting to get sweaty palms.

As the interview draws to a close and they ask if you have any other questions, what you do next could be the difference between getting a 2nd interview or never hearing from them again. 

After asking 2-3 smart questions, make sure you also discuss these 3 points:

1.Tell them you are interested (and be specific with why)

2. Ask them what the next steps are in the process

3. Ask them what concerns (if any) do they have about you progressing

If they say no concerns you can confidently assume you will be getting a 2nd interview and you can tell them…

“Great, so I assume I’ll be seeing you for a 2nd interview then?”

If they say they have 1 or 2 concerns, then this is your chance and your only chance of changing their mind.

I’m telling you the amount of people who leave an interview without any forward action plan or even telling the interviewer they’re interested is mind-boggling.

I’ve literally had candidates look at me like I’ve got two heads when I’ve prepared them for interviews. 

Most sales people get it but this doesn’t just apply to sales people. Anyone going for an interview can apply it…Finance, HR, Supply Chain, anyone! 

I’ve coached hundreds of people to do this over 20 years and even successfully implemented it myself on a couple of occasions and it feels great!

Most candidates won’t do it, so by doing it you’ve already created a differentiator from the other candidates in the eyes of the hiring manager.

If you really want the job – Sell yourself! Be a Sales person! Close the sale!

MY NEW BOSS DOESN’T LIKE ME, WHAT SHOULD I DO????

We’ve all been there at some point in our career haven’t we…

Working in a company we’re happy at, in a job we enjoy, working with a boss we like… Life’s good! 

And then BOOM, the company makes changes and suddenly you’ve got a new boss, only this one is a real jerk!! 

Ok maybe that’s a bit harsh but let’s just say you don’t see eye to eye!

Their ‘style’ is different and already you see signs of favoritism 

What does this mean for your career prospects now?

You could try to ride it out…you’re a mature, resilient type aren’t you…?

Are you prepared to operate like this for the next 2-3 years?!?

Unfortunately in most cases there’s only going to be one winner when it comes to who will outlast who…

If this is your situation right now…know this…

Your new boss may not value you….but plenty of others will!

Time to dust off your resume?

You might be performing well but are you fulfilling your potential?

This was a question I posed to a client last week as she thought about life in her current role.

Turns out it’s been something on her mind for a while but she’d dismissed it preferring to stay focussed and positive.

However recently, she’s started to notice more and more people around her being promoted and it’s triggered this thought again.

– Is there something wrong with me?

– Am I good enough?

– Should I be more vocal in front of my boss and peers?

Being overlooked for promotion can be confidence sapping and self-doubt can creep in creating a feeling of uncertainty – what do I do now?

But don’t worry – it’s only natural that you may start to question yourself and that’s perfectly fine.

It can be good exercise to do a bit of self-reflection.

  1. Revisit your purpose
  2. Revisit your personal goals
  3. Be honest with yourself on your performance.
  4. Can you achieve what you want in your current situation.

It could be that you can get back on track with your current company rather quickly, in other cases it may just be the realisation you need that finding a new company with enable you to fulfil your dreams.

If you are in a similar situation, what’s one thing you can change today to put yourself back on track with your goals?

Is there anything else more important in life than HEALTH, FAMILY, and CAREER? 

To ‘optimize’ your experience aka your ‘happiness’ in each of these categories you’ve got to be proactive. 

  • Want to find your lifelong partner you truly love and can raise a family with? You’ve got to get out there, make an effort to meet people and find them.
  • Want to be healthy? You’ve got to be more conscious of the food you eat and get up off your backside and exercise regularly! 
  • What about Career? Well that too – you’ve got to put in the hard yards if you want to work in a company with the same values as you, and work in a job you find fulfilling and impactful. 

It’s truly worrying that most people aren’t really happy in their career.

 

A recent HBR article reconfirmed what many recruiters already know – 70% of people on LinkedIn are ‘passive’ candidates – that is they are not actively looking but open to opportunities it presented. 

If you’re ‘passive’, how are you living an optimal experience in the ‘Career’ category of your life if you’re willing to consider leaving your current job from a random call or message from a recruiter? 

Ask yourself, 

  1. What will life look like in 5 years time if you continue on your current trajectory?
  2. What are you looking for in a company or in a job that you don’t currently have?
  3. If you were guaranteed [insert desirable salary], would you continue to do what you’re currently doing?
  4. What would you do if time and money were no object? 

It’s easy to stay in YOUR comfort zone but you will never truly live YOUR ‘optimal’ life 

So by now you’ve probably realized you need to take some action and make a change.

How are you going to go about it?

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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