The Likeability Factor

People hire people that they like.” I feel like there was a time in my career where I either said or heard this phrase once a day, while working as a Trainer in a non-profit organization that focused on offering case management and workforce development services to clients with a history of substance abuse.Back then a major part of my time was spent simply talking about the value of a smile and a firm handshake. Now during my coaching and instructing, smiling isn’t such a hard sell, but I still find myself discussing the likeability factor.

So, how do we get people to like us, especially during a job interview that may only last 35-40 minutes. More than just proving that we can do the job we must also connect with an employer during the interview, especially when meeting with your direct manager.

I believe that we should always strive to be our authentic self. A big part of job success and satisfaction is meshing well with the culture of your employer. I do think on an interview we should put our most positive, professional, and enthusiastic self forward. Positivity leads to productivity and no one will knowingly add a “Negative Nancy” to their team.

Employers want people who are excited about the work and the mission of the company. Showing that enthusiasm for the company will quickly win over Hiring Managers. As we all know, not everyone is going to like you, but a smile, enthusiasm, and alignment with the company mission will definitely win points and up your likeability factor.

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We've Moved

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Developing Patience in Your Job Search

I’ve done a lot of personal work over the years and one of the things that I’ve come to realize about myself is that patience and I are not the best of friends. Time and time again I have seen things work out in my life for the better, even though it has not necessarily been on my timing. But yet there always comes that moment when I start to doubt all the work I’ve done and worry about the result.

This point comes at different times for people during their job search. Most of us will hit the wall of frustration hard. Everyone will react differently; it may be that push we need to get just a little bit more creative or it may force us to retreat from our job search feeling as though our next opportunity is never going to arrive.

For me it usually does both, I retreat, sometimes I even wallow, and then once it’s all out of my system I pick myself up and think about what I could be doing differently, and how can I make the process enjoyable again.

I have heard different numbers about how long the job search takes, some say 3-6 months most recently I heard 6-9 months, which when you are looking for a job can be a long time. So how do we keep motivated, consistent and most of all patient.

One of the things that has always helped me is an inner knowing that things will always play out in the end. I can look back on my life and in my job search and no matter how long it has taken me I was able to transition into the career I wanted. I moved from legal recruiting to human services and then to education. These past accomplishments fuel my fire, I know that if I did it once I could do it again.

Another thing that has helped me is having a good support group. During my last job search another co-worker and I were looking at the same time (I do not recommend discussing your job search with co-workers, this happened to be a special situation). We were able to keep each other on track with what we were doing. Just make sure to try and look at other people’s results as a sign that it will also happen for you, instead of with jealousy. Use it as fuel to continue your efforts.

Better than mastering patience is to develop a spirit of persistence in the job search. The will to keep going, and stay consistence will take you far not only within your search but in all other personal and professional goals.

Embracing the Procrastinator Within

Procrastinator seems like such a dirty word. I've been sitting here trying to find a good definition for the word or one that at least makes me feel more comfortable about my own habits of procrastination. “A person who delays or puts things off — like work, chores, or other actions — that should be done in a timely manner.” First I found this definition and felt like that wasn't so bad. Then I found “to delay doing something until a later time because you do not want to do it, because you are lazy, etc.” I definitely didn't want to think of myself as lazy, and for the most part I’m not. Juggling a full-time job as a Career Counselor, freelance resume writing, and a career coaching practice is a lot of work, one that requires discipline and motivation.

At work my colleague and I took a workshop on Competing Priorities and the best description I heard of myself was as a “Necessity Thinker” as oppose to a “Possibility Thinker” A necessity thinker is someone that is motivated by the due date and flourishes during those last few minutes before a project is due. I often find that a due date sets a fire under me. "Possibility thinkers" plan ahead and generally have preventative measures or extra time built into their plans.

Image By Stuart Miles, www.freedigitalphotos.net

I often wonder what it is about that sense of urgency that spurs me into action. I have decided to embrace my tendencies of procrastination or my being a “necessity thinker”. I believe there is something very valuable in knowing how you work best.
For one, it allows for realistic planning on my part; if I know that a due date is going to spur me into action then I can start from there and work backwards when creating my project plans.

Also, I often see the whole picture or imagine the final result in my head. From that point I can then work through the minor details, and I know that the minor details can be where I need the most support. Knowing what is needed to support you in accomplishing your goals and what your strengths and weaknesses are, can help your productivity, and can put a stop to negative self-talk regarding your work style. Once you embrace how you work best, you can put a realistic plan in place for increasing your productivity.

Sticking to a Schedule

A good project plan, to do list, and calendar have been the keys to my success so far. Frankly it is really the only way that I get anything done. I can remember being back in college and freaking out because I had a test or papers to write, and my mom sitting on the phone with me and creating a schedule of when I was going to get things done. It is really the only thing that calmed me down when I was having one of my moments.

Now, whenever I feel overwhelmed at work, one of the first things I do is create a to-do list. But, I find that just like goals, having something with a deadline attached is what really propels us into action; especially for someone like me who can be a procrastinator.

                                                                                Successful Working Man" by Renjith Krishnan (Freedigitalphotos.net)

Right now I am about to start the 28 day "Get Client’s Now" marketing system by C.J. Hayden. This program allows you to set marketing goals and create a tracking system with daily actions. I have found this to be very helpful in the past, so helpful that I have utilized the system for other areas in my life that have nothing to do with marketing. I even adapted their tracking sheet to assist my clients with staying focused and looking for jobs.

 

 As we've been discussing it is all about finding what works for you. I believe strongly in writing things down and making lists. A good to-do list or project plan can increase your productivity in unimaginable ways.

 

 

 

Did You Do Your Homework?

There is always something popping up. That could be a motto for some of us, an email or phone call that needs to be answered or an issue that needs to be dealt with. On the other side a birthday that calls for celebration or a new show that you've been wanting to check out. So with all these things constantly popping up how do you stick to the goals you’ve set.

 

I’ve always said that I was the kind of student that would only study when I knew there was a test coming or would do my homework only if I knew it would be collected. Now as an adult I have to learn techniques to maintain my productivity without a teacher checking over my shoulder.

 

www.freedigitalphotos.net by renjith krishnan

I have noticed that the best way for me to stay focused is to create that homework system for my goals. I love checking in with people around my goals, especially with someone who is also working on goals of their own. For me it’s like having someone check my homework and it also ignites my competitive nature. If the person I’m checking in with is accomplishing their goals and I’m not, I stop procrastinating and get to work.

Having an accountability partner allows someone else to hold on to your goals with you. For me it lessens the weight, yes I’m the one that has to get things done but now I have another person behind me who believes in me and believes in my goals. The concept of having an accountability partner is not new. Most times that is what having a coach can provide. Someone to make sure that you're sticking to your deadlines and hold your feet to the fire. A successful partnership can be the difference between getting things done now and putting things off till the last minute.

Setting Goals That Work for You

I have been working in the field of Career Development for the past 7 years and the number one question that I find so hard for my clients to answer is “What kind of position are you looking for?” When still working within non-profits and social service agencies I’d often get the answer “I’ll do anything”. Which most times turned out not to be the case. Now that I work at a college I get a more generic answer, "anything within a corporate fashion office" or "marketing", "anything in fashion except retail". It’s very had to create a strategic plan for accomplishing these goals when the goal itself is still fuzzy.

                                      Image:freedigitalphotos.net ("Business Success" by renjith krishnan)

Setting clear goals with dates is one of the keys to being productive. Even before we are clear on what we need to do in order to make our dream a reality we need to define the dream. I think some of the most productive times in my life have been when I had to set clear 3 month goals in every area of my life, including, relationships, career, finance, community and personal development. I know that even if I could consistently set goals in 2 or 3 of those areas I would be on my way to manifesting big dreams within my life.

I personally have overall goals and then I break each of these goals down into mini projects with dates. This too has been exceptionally helpful when I had deadlines to make and events to plan. I think when looking at our own careers and where we want to go it’s important to define our overall career goal and then break it down into the categories we will need to succeed. Making sure the take a look at things like cultivating our network, personal branding, marketing materials, and performing research. All these things can sound like daunting tasks but simply setting a few goals with dates in each area can totally improve your productivity.