by By James F. Fitzgerald, CPA
Can You Overcome These Seven Obstacles?
This is the final column of six dealing with the specific issues related to a real or anticipated job loss. The first column in September addressed how one keeps his/her current job, while preparing for the possibility of termination. The second, in October, addressed the lessons that job coaches have learned about the process. Third and fourth columns covered the need for preparing and rehearsing for your interviews while learning things that the average job seeker doesn’t know. The fifth column was really a job search pep talk.
This column will address the most frequent and major obstacles that I have seen people stumble over time and again. It is essential that you learn how to recognize and overcome these obstacles. The seven obstacles are:
• Overcoming inertia
• Handling rejection
• Getting organized
• Seeing people
• Developing persistence
• Being in control
• Doing your homework
#1. OVERCOMING INERTIA.
Being unemployed dissipates a person’s energies. Very active, energetic people acquire the habit of procrastinating when in a job search. They cross into the world of Gonna. They are “gonna” contact that company. They are “gonna” call that prospect. They are “gonna” look up the information.
Do you know anybody who is successful in their career by working only five hours a week? Why five hours? Because some experts say that is the amount of time that the typical job seeker spends per week looking for a job. The real test of success in the job search is: Can you get yourself moving? Set attainable goals and work towards their achievement. Get into exercise; it will help to keep your energy up.
#2. HANDLING REJECTION.
This concern seems to go to the core of our existence. What’s been your experience? Have you heard people speak enthusiastically about how they were turned down? Nobody likes rejection. But our life experiences tell us that no one bats .1000.
Do you expect to win (succeed) at every single interview? We need to deal with the realization that even the best athletes, insurance sale representatives and job seekers, do not win all of the time. Can we mitigate our need to succeed by redefining success? Have an alternative strategy if you see a “NO” coming. Don’t leave an interview empty-handed. Consider flattering the interviewer a bit and then ask him for a couple of referrals.
#3. GETTING ORGANIZED
The job search process seems to drain us of every organizational cell that we have applied to our work for years. You have to apply the same organizational skills that have made you successful in the past to your current job search. At the onset of your search, you want to develop a systematic approach to the search process. The precise composition of any system you develop is not nearly as important as is its very existence.
Many people get caught up in processing data; they don’t distinguish between activity and achievement. Those whose search focuses simply on responding to internet job listings are kidding themselves. You have to deal with the realities. A personal contact is far more likely to be productive than sending your resume to a total stranger. And yet, many job searchers describe their activity level by how many emails they send out each week.
#4. SEEING PEOPLE.
While watching an NBA game several years ago, I heard a statement that still speaks to me. John Stockton, the outstanding guard for the Utah Jazz, was not guarding his man closely. Magic Johnson, the color commentator, said that John had to get in the player’s face in order to stop him from scoring. To Magic, it was simple—if Stockton is in his face, his opponent would not score. If Stockton lays off the guy, he would score. If you accept the analogy—to be successful in finding a job you have to get into people’s face. GO SEE THEM. You don’t make a sale without a sales call.
You must let them know that you are out here. Let them know what you seek. Tell every contact four things: (1) what you have been doing: (2) what you want to do now: (3) what level of compensation you are looking for: and (4) where do you want to live geographically. Develop a two or three sentence introduction for yourself. If people know even a little bit about you they will feel more comfortable with you. Then they are far more likely to be of help. So your task is to make a friend out of a complete stranger. Most people want to help you but you need to give them a reason to help you. Offer to help them in some way i.e. by giving them contact names at companies that interest them.
Remember that there are different levels of contact or intimacy. If you email somebody, it is not interactive. There is no immediacy associated with it. The recipient could be reading your message on a commuter train. There is only a second level of intimacy to a telephone call. Think about it, you could talk to a person for 20 minutes on the phone, walk out of your office, stand next to the same person on the elevator, and not even know who they are. The ultimate goal is face to face contact. Once you have met a person it isn’t likely that you’ll ever treat them quite the same way as if you hadn’t met them. They have entered your psyche. And, of course, the whole notion of seeing people should culminate in a” real” interview: the ultimate purpose of contacts.
#5. DEVELOPING PERSISTENCE.
Can you think of a single business leader, politician, or religious figure that you admire that is not persistent? Do you really admire anybody that isn’t persistent? Plain and simple, you need to keep at it.
#6. BEING IN CONTROL.
Many job seekers simply give up the reins of their search to their outplacement consultant, some friend, or a mentor/colleague, associate/significant other. Somebody else dictates the process. Don’t allow that to happen to you. Don’t allow your contacts to dictate to you. People say things like, “Well, my contact doesn’t want me to talk to the referral until he/she does first.” That could be weeks, months, or even never. The person receiving your resume does not see your job search with your same sense of urgency.
#7. DOING YOUR HOMEWORK.
Many job seekers simply don’t do the fundamentals. They don’t prepare an achievement-oriented resume. They don’t make sure that their resume is typo-free. So consider these three simple concepts when developing your resume: A) Make it readable, B) Keep it crisp and neat, and C) Give yourself enough credit.
Are you prepared to be interviewed right this minute? Most of us are simply not prepared to talk about ourselves. Do you have a crisp five minute presentation ready? Can you answer fundamental questions like, “Why should I hire you?” Have you thought about these things? You need to hone your interviewing skills continuously. Ask a close colleague to conduct an interview.
Take thirty minutes to review these seven obstacles with somebody else in job search. Discuss how you will overcome these barriers. Discuss how you might help each other. In my experience, your job search could be significantly shortened if you learn how to deal with these seven obstacles.
I certainly hope this six part series has been helpful to you or others you know. Carpe diem.
James F. Fitzgerald is the president of James F. Fitzgerald & Associates, Inc., an Oak Brook, Ilinois-based senior executive career transition and executive coaching firm. Phone# 630-684-2204. Email:
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