Successful Job Seeker

#1 Skill Needed by Every Successful Job Seeker

I have traveled all over the world, and while at airports waiting for my flight, I always try to find a gate where the plane is having mechanical issues, is extremely late, or was cancelled altogether. And I would go to the gate just to watch majority of the people go through the stages of grief: Denial/Shock, Distraction/Panic, Irritation/Anger, Bargaining, and Depressed. I would literally watch the passengers go through, or get stuck in these steps. It was cheap entertainment and better than airport food. The professional travelers did not panic. They took action and were rebooked almost immediately through the private club assistant, a customer service representative, companies travel expert or their PDA. What do these seasoned travelers' know that the other passengers not know, or do?

Top CEO's and professionals including seasoned traveler's know a secret and execute this secret everyday when hit obstacles - RESILIENCE

Job Seekers initially hit the downsizing, out of work obstacle that will move them into the stages of grief. They will also hit job-seeking obstacles along their career transition.

Now the secret of handling any major change is not to avoid these steps for everyone goes through these at some rate. The secret is to rapidly more through the steps of grief, using only second's not hours or even days to accept the current state and get to work on your future state. The remedy to is to put Resilience into action.

Resilience is the number one skill that all successful Job Seekers posses.

Take an inventory of how resilient you are: Positive, Focused, Flexible, Organized and Proactive.

Positive

Successful Job Seekers are positive that this will work out and for the better. It will take hard work and some long hours, yet it can and will be done. Along the way you will make some great friends and build your personal network. You will learn to do without some things and be better for it. In the end you will grow and be stronger and better positioned to grow personally. You may need to learn some new skills and become better in others and with some study you will get better. You have the ability to learn. You are positive that with practice executing resilience will help you transition rapidly toward your next opportunity.

I love the Wizard of Oz when the Wizard hands out gifts to each of Dorothy's friends who are missing some quality: Courage, Brains, or Heart. As a Job Seeker you too might be missing some key qualities. That is why you build a team around you. You hire a coach, or mentor; you attend network sessions, training, groups etc. and ask the experts. With a little training and hanging out with smart people I am positive you can ask the right questions, learn what you need to, and be able to market yourself on-to the "MUST HIRE" List.

Focused

Distractions will happen. Successful Job Seekers keep distractions under check. They stay focused on the key actions they need to accomplish and when they need to accomplish them.

Distractions will happen and sometimes will drag you back into one of the steps of loss. It may be some statement or message that you process and drags you down. This is where the power of resilience can take you through those grief/loss steps and back focusing on the important steps that are your future. Learn from the past, but don't live there. Live in the present - Today. And plan on your future opportunity.

Focus on today. To many Job seekers jump to what I call the sexy part of job seeking - The Resume. The love the marketing, yet forget eight of the most important steps every Job seeker must accomplish before ever crafting one word on their resume. Focus is key.

Flexible

Successful Job Seekers are flexible in the sense they use social networks, coaches, and friends for support, in keeping positive, focused, flexible, organized and proactive. These people, your team is essential for helping you remain resilient.

We also find flexibility when it comes to learning new skills, and perfecting your personal brand that matches your target companies needs. As a successful Job Seeker must be better than the competition, so forget what worked in the past. You must be flexible at perfecting your stories, and personal brand to you market and their needs to use social networks and relationships. It is time to rebrand, perfect, sharpen, and present a dynamic brand not a cut and paste resume and cover letter blasted out to the internet void.

Organized

Successful Job Seeker is organized with various tools that structure all the activities of your job campaign. This is an area that many people struggle and fail. Failure to fully utilize these tools will dramatically reduce your return on investment. Each person will have a Vision, Mission, Goals and pain messages that will direct their activities. Each activity is structured to support the next activity and tied to short and full term goals.

Also organization will help focus on the use of the top search strategies allowing a return on investment. Companies have systems that help them accomplish more and so you must also have tools/systems to manage your contacts and the marketing materials disbursement and management.

Proactive

Successful Job Seekers are proactive by planning their work and working their plan. They are working 30 or more hours each week. They are using ONLY the top strategies that return results not Internet job boards that are the least effective strategy and have a low ROI. They help others and take time for themselves during downtime. They put resilience into action every day.

Remember the key skill Job Seekers must have in executing a successful career transition is resilience. Having resilience does not mean you won't get depressed, angry, fearful, or upset. It does mean you'll recognize it quicker and move through it faster and reframe the issue as an opportunity.

Posted in: Successful Job Seeker