Lost Application

I just got finished reading an article titled "Where, Oh Where, Has My Application Gone?" published in The New York Times that affirmed everything I have come to learn about job seeking in today's current economy. Although the Internet has become a life line for many of us, traditional protocol is going out the window because people are investing their time in the WRONG resources.

With an average of 1,000 resumes submitted for each job posted there is a good chance you wont even make the first cut. If you are one of the lucky ones who does get a glance or two, you still may not get anywhere as its hard to determine a personality from a standard resume.

Instead of spending all of your time submitting resumes through online site and desperately waiting for a response, dare to be bold and contact the person hiring. Most companies want someone to come to them -- here is your big chance!

Although this concept is quite scary for shy individuals like myself, I can tell you from experience that the only interviews I have obtained recently have been because I got a hold of someone. People want to hire an individual they can trust, and if you know a mutual contact they would be crazy not to hire you.

Until next time, get out there and mingle!

Everything Happens For A Reason

We have been raised in a society that honors "tragedy" and human suffering, however no situation can be a tragedy unless we label it as that.

When I look back on some of the worst events in my life, I can honestly say that with 100% certainty those events were in my life to make me stronger or to encourage me to go a different route. We don't have to claim our failures any more than we do our successes. It's not personal. Its just feedback.

So you lost your job, your house, your spouse, however instead of trying to go back and change the un-changable, what did you gain???? The song "Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts is a perfect example of what I am trying to convey here....sometimes we have to go through a lot of shit before we can have exactly what we want (otherwise we may not appreciate it).

Daily Challenge: I encourage us all to welcome chaos with open arms, as it is nothing more than a vehicle to get us where we want to be in life.

Is It True?

If you are anything like me, you have a tendency to create meaning out of nothing and lets face it your career path reflects it! I have had the unique pleasure of being let go from every corporate job Ive had since college, and have come to realize that outside every closed door, possibility is always presenting itself. Instead of embracing change/possibility, we often times mope around and feel sorry for ourselves, while making everyone else around us MISERABLE!

In the event that you are having trouble moving past your current state of limitation, I invite you to put yourself in check by answering four simple questions outlined by Byron Katie in a book titled "Loving What Is"...

1). Is it true?
Yes, you got let go from your job, however is it true that you are lazy and none will ever hire you again?

2). Can you absolutely know its true?
Outside of the "shitty committee" inside your head, can you absolutely 100% prove that you are lazy and no one will ever hire you again? If you are able to obtain validation, I strongly suggest that you question your source. You may appear to be lazy when unmotivated or challenged, however you may be a whole new person when doing something you love to do.

3). How do you react when you believe that thought?
Example: In the past, Ive ascribed meaning around losing my job and somehow convinced myself that because of one negative experience I was doomed for the rest of my professional career. When I convinced myself of the lack and limitation, I heightened my fears and got nothing more than lack and limitation. When you are ready to rid yourself of the drama in your life, this is a POWERFUL question to consider!

4). Who would you be without that thought?
Example: I have come to believe that I am a success outside all of my setbacks, because in life we are not defined by what happens to us, rather how we respond. We all have traumatic pasts, however I encourage you to think about who you are outside all of the drama and chose another legacy for yourself.

Whose Life Are You Living?

I was recently talking to a neighbor about working out, and she mentioned that she used to always exercise to impress men, but has since started working out for her own health and has been able to maintain long-term success. As I was processing what she was saying, it became quite clear to me that as social beings we often care more about what others want for us than what we want for ourselves.

Although the people in our lives only want the best for us, to truly live an authentic life, one must follow the dreams/aspirations that are unique to oneself. To listen to other peoples ideas of what you should/shouldn't be doing is really only delaying the inevitable of you tapping into your own unique brilliance.

Example: Before my dad found an interest in Psychology, he was FORCED into going to Dental school as that is what his father thought he should do. Although he is absolutely brilliant, he flopped in Dental school as that wasn't his calling.

I encourage you to question whose life you are REALLY living & if you are happy living out someone else's dream, continue on your path. If not, do something different. Only you can make the change & break free from the mold that everyone else has put you in.

Set Goals & Hold Yourself Accountable

I recently had the opportunity to re-connect with a friend that I met in my undergraduate studies at ASU, and it became quite clear that the only difference between us here and now was that she set goals and held herself accountable, and I did just the opposite. Both proponents of higher education, we shared a vision of getting our Masters and teaching at a University. Four years later she had completed her Masters and what did I have to show for it? In that moment, I decided that I was going to set goals and hold myself accountable. Life works in mysterious ways as the very next day I took a class on goal setting at AWEE. Here are the Top 3 concepts that I learned...

1). We all have reasons for are inability to set goals (whether its fear of failure, a un-supportive social network, limited thinking, or our SAD stories), however the better you get to know yourself, the more likely you are to move beyond those fears and become the success that you already are.

2). A dragon or obstacle in goal setting is helpful as it often times propels us to the next level. This may be a nagging friend/family member, or a recent lay off, however without that dragon you may not be motivated to do something completely different (as we often times don't take action until life gets unbearable).

3). All goals should be S.M.A.R.T in that they should be SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACTION-ORIENTED, REALISTIC & TIMED. When will you write your resume/apply online? What action steps will you take to get a job? How will you measure your progress (i.e. obtaining interviews)? Are your aspirations realistic to your skill set? What is your time frame for finding a job?

Procristinate Later!

Time management is one of the MOST important aspects to master when unemployed, as many people (myself included) are used to a specific schedule and are unable to regulate themselves when additional flexibility is provided. After taking a class titled "Its About Time For You:Time Management Methods" at the Fresh Start Women's Foundation here is what I learned about time management...

1). Scheduling ahead of time is MANDATORY. Create daily tasks just as you would if you were working in a corporate setting. The better prepared you are, the less likely you will be tempted by distractions present at home.

2). Customize a schedule around what works for you. If you are used to going to bed late, and waking up late, don't get frustrated when you cant wake up early.

3). Schedule to-do's by the time of day or order of importance. If the task takes less than 2 minutes, get it done right away.

4). Utilize 3 separate calenders - A daily calender (usually ordered by time), a weekly calender (all of the to-do's that don't have a specific time frame to be completed), and a 6 month-year calender that encompasses all of items that need to be completed somewhere down the road.

5). If you are anything like me and have a hard to estimating "time frames", increase the time allotted by 50%, giving yourself wiggle room in the event that your task takes longer than anticipated.

Persevere with Conviction!

A family friend recommend that I pick up a book titled "The Wealthy Spirit" as I make my transition through unemployment, uncertainty and growth. I thought I would easily be able to pick up a copy at my local bookstore , however unbeknownst to me, a lesson in perseverance would present itself. To make a long story short, I had to call over 9 bookstores to finally get my hands on the book.

You may be asking how does this apply to me? Most people looking for employment do not have the conviction or perseverance to continue going when the doors of opportunity close around them. Instead of taking control of the situation and asserting themselves, they sit around waiting for their dreams to happen on someone else's accord.

My father used to always say "in life there are those people who are in the game to play, and those who are simply there to warm the benches." Are you the type of person who hears one "no" and gets down on your luck, or are you a fighter that will go the distance to play in the game of life? When was the last time that you fought for what you really wanted?