You’ve been applying and interviewing and finally you have a job offer.  But the job isn’t everything you had hoped.  Now you have to decide whether to take it or not.  Decisions are always difficult because we can never be certain what the future holds.  However, a good analysis of the situation can help us make good decisions.

Take a look at your situation and write out your answers to these four questions:

1. What will happen if I take the job?
2. What won’t happen if I take the job?
3. What will happen if I don’t take the job?
4. What won’t happen if I don’t take the job?

This is the Cartesian coordinate questioning technique and it will engage you in a deeper level of thinking than simple logic.  Use this technique for all your difficult decision-making and notice the difference it makes.

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To successfully achieve our goals in life, we must capitalize on both our conscious and unconscious minds.  Study after study confirm that successful people have clear-cut goals, which implies a clear vision.  When we create a clear vision of what we want and who we want to be, our conscious mind defines the action plan while our unconscious mind helps us work toward those goals.  One way to keep your vision strong is to create a vision board.

A vision board can be created on poster board, on a bulletin board, on a PowerPoint slide, or whatever your imagination can come up with.  You can use magazine pictures, articles, photographs, slogans, quotes, affirmations, anything that represents your goals and inspires you.  You can use drawings, markers, sticky notes, note cards, etc.  You may want to add motivational words such as, “Joy,” “Smile,” “Success,” “Believe,” and others.

Use your imagination and create your vision board today.  Put it where you will see it often.  When you are in job search, having a vision board can act as a motivational tool and a reminder of what you are working toward.  Let it guide and inspire you to take daily action toward your goals.  With a clear vision and defined action steps, you will be amazed at what you can achieve.

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Research shows that our environment has impacts on our behavior that we are often unaware of it.  Psychologists refer to these influencers as primes.  One research study found that people who were shown sad movie clips spent 300 percent more money on a bottle of water than a group of people who were shown neutral movie clips.  Every person who watched the sad movie clips insisted that the movie clips had nothing to do with the price they paid for the water.

Stop for a moment and take a look at your surroundings.  What things in your environment are having a positive impact on your work and what things are having a negative influence on you?  Here are some suggestions for positive primes that people have used:  (1)  Change your cell phone ring tone to a song that motivates you or reminds you of a happy event.  (2)  Add an inspirational quote to your email signature.  (3)  Make sure the slogan on your coffee mug is a positive one.  (4)  Keep a list of your goals where you can review them daily.  (5)  Hang a picture of someone you admire where you see it often.  (6)  Choose an object that inspires you and keep it within your range of vision as you work.  Change your primes and you can change your behavior.

Note:  I currently have a few openings for one-on-one clients.  If you are interested in getting some help to discover your ideal career or in taking control of your job search, click here to schedule a free consultation and let’s discuss your needs and how coaching can help you achieve your goals.

Research shows that happier people

• are more creative,

• are more motivated toward high performance,

• are more alert,

• have sharper cognitive skills,

• act more effectively,

• are more helpful to others, and

• are more successful in all aspects of their lives.

Whether you are in job search or not, happiness provides amazing benefits. So here’s a quick exercise you can do that has been shown to increase happiness. Every night before you go to sleep, either write down or just think about three good things that happened during the day. And then ask yourself what you did to make those things happen. Even if your good thing is that you enjoyed a beautiful sunset, although you didn’t make the sunset happen, you did take the time to notice it and enjoy it. If you will do this every night for several weeks, not only will your happiness level rise while you are doing it, your happiness level with remain higher even after you stop doing it. (My source for this exercise is Dr. Carol Kauffman of Harvard University.)

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In the current job environment, chances are that when you find your ideal job, you will be competing neck and neck with one or two other candidates for that coveted position.  Imagine, you and your competition have equally impressive qualifications and experience, you all do well in the interview, and you all are a good fit for the company.  So, how do you get the advantage and take the lead in the job race?  One way is to draw positive attention to yourself by attending to the little things that others often ignore.  Here are a few suggestions:

1.    Wear a suit to the interview. Now that business casual has become commonplace, some career experts will tell you to sit in the parking lot of the company, observe how the employees dress, and dress slightly better than they do for your interview.  I disagree.  Wearing a suit to the interview shows that you respect the interviewer and that you are a professional who takes the job search seriously.  (Note:  Before you put on that suit that has been hanging in the back of your closet for years, make sure the suit is currently in style, that it fits you well, and that it is in excellent condition.)

2.    Send a handwritten thank you note*. If you want to send a thank you note by email immediately following the interview, that is perfectly acceptable.  Make sure you touch on one or two things that came up during the interview and try to provide an additional brief story that you didn’t have a chance to bring up during the interview that reinforces your value proposition.  But don’t stop there.  Sending a handwritten thank you note within 24 hours is another opportunity for you to get your name in front of the interviewer.  Additionally, making the effort to write a second note and getting it mailed shows that you are willing to go the extra mile.  Be sure to send separate notes to each interviewer.

3.    Follow up. At the end of the interview, ask when you should expect to hear something.  If you haven’t heard anything by that time, follow up with the interviewer.  Don’t be a pest, but follow up often enough to let the employer know that you are still interested in the job.

These tips alone are not enough to secure a job offer, but when the decision between candidates is close, sweating the small stuff may be just enough to put you over the top.

*If the company is “green,” send only electronic thank you notes.

YES! You just got the call and the interview is scheduled for tomorrow.  This is what you have been waiting for.  But, are you ready?  The most successful job seekers, the ones who find the best jobs the fastest, know three things.  (1)  They know exactly what they want in their next job.  (2)  They know what they have to offer the employer that differentiates them from the competition.  (3)  They know their value.  Preparation is the key to a successful interview.  When you are prepared, you will be confident and self-assured, which makes you very appealing to the interviewer.  Here is a list of questions to help you prepare.  If you have clear, strong answers to these questions, you are well on your way to acing the interview.

1. Do you know exactly what type of job is right for you? If they ask you, what will you say?

2. What do you have to offer the company that is uniquely you and that is different from your competitors?

3. What is your branding statement and how will you use it during the interview?

4. What is your value proposition and how will you incorporate it into the interview?

5. What are the three to five attributes you bring to the job that you will emphasize throughout the interview?

6. Do you have accomplishment stories for each of the attributes you identified in Question No. 5?

7. Have you prepared answers for the most commonly asked interview questions?

a. Are your prepared answers each 60 seconds or less?

b. Are your answers succinct and to the point?

c. Do they incorporate your three to five attributes?

d. Do you include stories?

8. Are you prepared to answer any questions that might be raised from your resume?

9. Have you thoroughly researched the company?

10. Have you researched the hiring manager and others in the company?

11. Do you have a list of questions you want to ask during the interview?

a. Do those questions show your curiosity and interest in ensuring the company, the job, and the manager are the right fit for you?

b. If asked, can you explain why you are asking each question and what answer you are looking for? For example, if you ask about the company culture, can you explain what type of culture you prefer?

12. Are you comfortable with silence?

13. Can you stay on message and not say more than necessary?

14. Do you have the proper clothes ready?

15. Will you remember to sit up straight, lean forward to show interest, maintain good eye contact, and smile?

16. Will you remember to listen carefully to what they tell you they are looking for and incorporate their description into your answers?

17. Can you keep the interview conversational, asking the interviewer(s) questions as you go along?

18. Do you have your research documentation, additional copies of your resume, your reference letters, your portfolio, and anything else you want to take with you to the interview neatly organized and ready to go?

19. Is there any reason they wouldn’t hire you? If so, resolve the issue and overcome any objections.

Now, you’re ready. Best of luck!

The other day I ran across a discussion on LinkedIn about a job seeker who was thinking about hiring someone to send out 8,000 résumés for her.  Whoa! That is just crazy on so many levels!  First of all, the job seeker probably isn’t even interested in working at 99 percent of those businesses.  Second of all, any résumé sent this way would have to be very generic, which would generate no interest whatsoever.  And lastly, if a company did respond to an unsolicited résumé that arrives by fax or email and isn’t personalized in any way, it is doubtful that it would be a company anyone would want to work for.

I hear people say that the job search is a numbers game, but that can be a very misleading statement.  The more résumés you submit, the more people you talk to, or the more LinkedIn connections you make will not necessarily result in more interviews and subsequently more job offers.  A productive job search needs to be targeted and planned out.  The successful job seeker will know exactly what type of job she is looking for and have a list of companies she is interested in.  She will focus her time and effort on making quality contacts and asking questions that will move her toward her goal.  She will spend her time building relationships with a manageable number of key people, not making brief contact with many.  She will have better luck conducting 20 informational interviews at companies that interest her than submitting 420 résumés through the job boards.

While it is true that the more times you practice networking, interviewing, and your job search techniques, the more comfortable you will be and the better you will become; please be careful how you interpret the “numbers game” statement.  Don’t fall for the scam of the résumé blast.  If you feel like you need help, spend your money on a good career coach who can help you focus your job search.  And when someone tells you that you absolutely must tell everyone you meet that you are out of work and looking because you never know where a job lead might come from, you can mostly ignore that advice.  Tell your hairdresser because hairdressers always have great information, but skip the teenager bagging your groceries and the tollbooth operator.  It’s really less about numbers and more about taking aim at a well-defined target.

Would your job search be different if you thought of yourself as self-employed?  I often talk with job seekers who perceive employers as having the upper hand and holding the power in the employer-employee relationship.  These job seekers seem to think they have to convince the employer they are worthy of being hired.  They are not nearly as discriminating about the employers they will work for as the employers are about whom they will hire.  When it comes to salary, they tend to think more in terms of getting as close to their previous salary as possible rather than thinking in terms of their market value.

So, how does the mindset of these employees differ from the mindset of someone who is self-employed?  Here are a few descriptors of those that tend to think of themselves as employees:

1.    They are applying for jobs they aren’t sure they’re qualified for but think they could learn if given the chance.  Or they are applying for jobs they know they are overqualified for.  They have thoughts, such as, I could do that or That would be an okay job.

2.    They aren’t familiar with the industry but are willing to learn it if they are hired.

3.    They need a job and/or benefits.  Although they won’t accept just anything, they aren’t too concerned about the specifics of the job and the company.

Here are some descriptors of someone who is self-employed:

1.    They know their qualifications and the benefits they have to offer their clients.  They have to know or their clients won’t buy.

2.    Even if they don’t know their clients’ industry, they know their clients’ needs and can clearly articulate how their skills and talents will fit and meet those needs regardless of the industry.

3.    They stay at the top of their game and seek out clients who will value their contributions.

Employment is – or at least should be – a partnership.  Employment is an exchange of value.  The employee contributes a service in exchange for pay.  The employer needs a high performing, reliable employee as much as the employee needs a salary and benefits.  Both parties have a lot at stake.

I encourage all employees to adopt the mindset of the self-employed.  Know and be confident in your abilities and the value you have to offer.  Know how your skills, talents, and experience will benefit the employer and be ready to tell them.  Choose your employer wisely, make sure they are worthy of your time, dedication, and hard work.

If you approach your job search with the mindset of someone who is self-employed, your résumé and cover letter will become marketing materials describing the benefits of your services for your potential client (the employer).  Your interviews become exchanges of information between equals looking for the right fit.  Your salary negotiation becomes a discussion about your true market value and return on investment.

Approach employers as a potential business partner.  Come to the table fully prepared to meet the employer’s needs and know what your services are worth.  This will accomplish a win-win situation for you both and a much happier future career.

You know you need to approach finding a job as a full time job but you find yourself distracted by other things that need your attention.  You keep telling yourself that you will get focused tomorrow or next week or, absolutely, you will get serious starting on Monday.  You want to get back to work, you need a job, and you can’t figure out why you aren’t motivated?

Often, lack of motivation is really lack of clarity.  Do you know exactly what type of work you want to do?  Do you have a list of companies you would like to work for?  If not, take some time to clearly define exactly what you want to do and where you want to do it.  Once you have identified your target, it will be much easier to map out the path to get there.  Get off the carousel today and start moving toward your future!

While other job seekers are looking for ways to go around the recruiter and get to the hiring manager, I suggest you follow the road less taken and build a relationship with the recruiter. Here are the why and the how:

1.    Hiring managers know about their open positions.  Recruiters (and HR personnel) know about a lot of open positions.  When you build a positive, give-and-take relationship with a recruiter, you have created a valuable connection to numerous positions.

2.    Recruiters also know other recruiters who have jobs, so the potential opportunities are far-reaching.  Additionally, the day-to-day job of a recruiter is to match people with jobs, whereas, a hiring manager only hires occasionally.  So, if one opportunity doesn’t work out, a recruiter may continue to find opportunities for you while a hiring manager may not be aware of any.

3.    Recruiters are successful when they find exceptional people to recommend to hiring managers.  So, be the exceptional job candidate they want to place.  Ask them what you can do to be their ideal job candidate.  Ask how you can make their job easier.

4.    Do not assume that the recruiter has limited knowledge about the job, the hiring manager, or the company.  Recruiters often have valuable information but job seekers never ask.

5.    Always treat recruiters with respect.  Ask for their advice and opinions.  Ask how you can help them.  Send a sincere thank you note.

6.    If a job opportunity doesn’t work out.  Tell the recruiter you understand that the job didn’t work out, ask if they still need job candidates, volunteer to go through your Rolodex to send them good candidates, and ask for feedback on how you can do better next time.

7.    Make sure that you have a clear, concise brand and description of the type of job you are seeking so the recruiter will know when to refer you.

If you follow these guidelines, chances are you will get the same message another job seeker received from a recruiter, “I hope you don’t mind, but I heard about a job and forwarded your résumé to the hiring manager.”

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