Career Goddess: Emotional and Mental Rehearsal for Job Search Success

If you have been laid off from a job, downsized, fired, “let go”,  or otherwise removed from your last job, your feelings of anger, sadness, disbelief, frustration, denial, humiliation, lack of confidence, and emotional rawness are a natural result. The challenge you face when seeking your next job is to resolve those unproductive, negative emotions and stop them from sabotaging your job search.

Emotional and mental rehearsal prior to an interview can help you to imagine yourself successfully fielding even the most difficult questions. In addition, with guided visualization and the assistance of a trained facilitator, you can not only safely explore and put negative emotions on the backburner, but also exude more self-confidence and genuine positive attitude in all your job-search interactions.

Mental and emotional rehearsal is a reliable and oft-used technique by the best athletes in sports, as well as every other high-performance activity. For example:

Before the (Olympic) trials I was doing a lot of relaxing exercises and visualization. And I think that that helped me to get a feel of what it was gonna be like when I got there. I knew that I had done everything that I could to get ready for that meet, both physically and mentally. - Michael Phelps, Olympic record-breaking athlete

Visualization lets you concentrate on all the positive aspects of your game. - Curtis Strange, American top-rated golfer

I've discovered that numerous peak performers use the skill of mental rehearsal of visualization. They mentally run through important events before they happen. - Charles A. Garfield, American peak performance expert, researcher and trainer

See yourself confronting your fears in your mind's eye and handling those fears like a champ. - Les Brown, American motivational trainer, speaker and author

The Job-Loss Recovery Program, created by Dr. Lynn Joseph, has proven results. When Dr. Joseph conducted a study with dislocated white-collar workers using the guided visualization process, she found that 62% of the guided imagery group landed a job within 2 months, as compared to 12% of the control group (in the same timeframe) who did not engage in job-loss recovery guided visualization.

Guided visualization is as essential tool in any job seeker’s toolkit. That’s why I am so excited to have earned certification as a Job-Loss Recovery Program Facilitator, one of a select few in the first training program (10-hour interactive workshop).

Every communication and job-search action you engage in has the potential to fast-forward your success. Why not tap into that potential through guided imagery and mental rehearsal? Contact me to learn how you can improve your mental and emotional resilience though this proven visualization system.

via blog.careergoddess.com

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

Interview Questions – How Do I Make a Great FIRST Impression in the Interview? | EmploymentDigest.net

“You are the Message” is the title of the book by media guru Roger Ailes.

The same thing is true on the interview. Everything you say, everything you do, contributes to the overall impression you create on the interview.

How long does it take to create a first impression?

5 minutes? 2 minutes? 1 minute?

Nope, try 10 seconds. That’s how long it takes to create an initial impression. Most of the impression is subliminal. And, once that impression is created, it takes a lot to change it.

Many of you may know that over 90% of an impression is non-verbal. Your body language and your tone of voice. Less than 10% of the initial impression is based on what you say. So, you have spent hours preparing for your interview, hoping that what you say will land you the job. It might. The preparation is important. But, equally important is paying attention to what contributes to the 90% of the initial impression.

BODY LANGUAGE: The way you present yourself physically has the most to do with creating a positive impression. Things to watch:

1) The Way You Walk: Do you stride with confidence, shoulders back, eyes straight ahead? Or do you sort of shuffle with your head down? It matters.

2) Your Posture: Do you stand straight? Nothing conveys lack of self-confidence than bad posture. Slouching connotes insecurity. So, stand tall.

3) Handshake: Connect, shake hands firmly and look the person in the eye.

4: Facial Expression: Do you smile easily? Are you relaxed or are you clenching your jaw? It’s easy to spot stress in someones face.

TONE: Your tone of voice matters. In fact, tone of voice is almost 40% of how a first impression is created. So, make sure you don’t sound nervous, forced, or even worse, cocky or arrogant. Leave the sarcasm at home.

You’ll want to sound sincere, confident and sure. Don’t be sing-songy.

The best way to figure out whether your “tone” needs work is to do a mock interview with a friend and tape it. It can be video or audio. Or you can even practice and tape alone, by answering questions you think you might be asked. Listen to the tape when you are done. How do you sound? Flat? Inspired? Bored? Nervous? Tone conveys a lot. Sometimes all it takes is a little energy in your tone. Practice moving around when you speak and see how that changes your tone. In the interview, all it might take is leaning forward or pressing your heels into the ground, anything that might help you get some physical energy expressed. Experiment in the privacy of your home. Practice. Practice out loud. It might feel silly. That’s OK. Do it any way.

WORDS: The most ironic part is that statistically, words constitute only 7% of your initial impression. Yet, we stress and worry about the correct thing to say. I’m not suggesting that words are not important. It does matter what you say and how you express things, but just know that words are not the only thing. I encourage all my clients to practice answering possible questions BEFORE they get to the interview.

Pay attention to these three things — body language, tone, and words

– and you’ll be successful in creating that important first impression!

And if you enjoyed these interview tips, I invite you to download two FREE Interview Mini-Coaching sessions — to help you answer two of the toughest questions. Just go to http://www.TheVirtualCareerCoachBonus.com

You can listen online or receive MP3 files that you can download onto your iPod so that you can listen anytime. Each coaching session lasts about 15 minutes. And, it’s FREE! Enjoy.

From  Leslie Evans Thorne — The Virtual Career Coach

via employmentdigest.net

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

No One Bats a 1000!

If you’re a baseball fan, you know that even the best hitters in Major League Baseball actually get a hit significantly less than 40% of the time they step up to the plate. That obviously means they try, and fail, over 60% of the time!
Over a 60% failure rate! However, anyone that’s close to ‘only’ a 60% failure rate earns several million dollars per season!
Everyone knows… NO ONE bats a 1000!
Joe Mauer, last years best batter in the Major Leagues, averaged .365. That’s considered an extraordinary year. However, it still means that 63.5% of the time he got an ‘at bat’, he failed!

Whether you’re a baseball player, a sales person, an investor, an engineer, or in a job search… the same thing is true! You will not be successful in every call, or in every effort you make. Unfortunately, that’s not how most people approach their search.
Job seekers regularly hear that the vast majority of jobs are filled through ‘networking’. That means you have to actually connect with real people, make an introduction, and ask for referrals. Applying to positions online or some other way, and just waiting for a call are not likely to get results in today’s job market.
However, too many people make a phone call or send an email to someone new, get no response or no results, and become convinced that “networking doesn’t work for me.”
Setting expectations properly goes a long way to being able to continue on toward results. You’re not going to get a job lead or another networking referral from each person you talk to, perhaps not even from every 5 people you talk to. However, you may get a great name or lead from the 3rd, 5th, 6th, or 8th person you connect with. You’ll never get that name or lead though without getting to that 8th person. Persistence pays, and with each contact you make, you get better at your approach and your numbers improve.
Don’t get discouraged, slow down, or give up after a few ‘strikes’. Keep swinging away. The more you do, the closer you get to a base hit or a home run!
Remember, no one bats 1000!

Original Post No One Bats a 1000!

Add Context to Business Cards to Help Remember the Person

If you're great at taking business cards when they're handed to you but not so great at remembering who gave them to you, where, and what you were talking about, reader meep offers a simple but smart trick:

A friend told me about this excellent networking tip: when you get a business card, write where and when you met the person, along with important facts you may need later on the back. This way you can say, 'Oh, remember when we were [there] and you asked about [this]' as a conversation starter later on.

Despite what we may have expected, it turns out business card use is alive and well among Lifehacker readers, so this tip might come in particularly handy next time you're at an event where the business cards are flowing like wine. Got another method that helps you remember more about the person who handed you the card? Let's hear it in the comments.

'A friend told me about this excellent networking tip...'

Are you in control of your job search?

By Harry Urschel
Do you know where your resume has been presented?
Do you know who presented your resume?
Are you driving, or being taken for a ride?
Often, people think that the more their resume gets shown to a company, the better their chances of being considered. That can be true if done right, but often can backfire if handled poorly.
Unfortunately, many people handle it poorly. What should you, and what should you not do? Here are some points to consider.
Don’t submit more than once when a recruiter is involved! Although there may be times where it may make sense to submit a resume to a company multiple times for a position (more on that later), be careful when you’re using a recruiter.
Typically, a recruiter only collects a fee from their client company if they are able to present a candidate the company isn’t already aware of. Depending on the relationship the recruiter has with the client, there may be exceptions, however, as a rule they want to be sure they are the only one to present you. Sometimes, if a company receives a resume from two recruiters, they may reject you entirely because they don’t want to deal with a potential conflict as to which recruiter ought to receive the fee. Sometimes as well, the same result occurs if both you and a recruiter present your resume. The company doesn’t want to get into a debate as to whether they owe the recruiter a fee or not, so they’d rather simply throw it out.
Be sure when you speak to recruiters, that you specifically ask them not to present your resume to anyone else without your express permission. Unfortunately, there are some recruiters that will take a resume from their database and use it as bait with their clients to fish for potential interest, then call you only after they get a bite. That’s why it’s necessary to proactively ask them in advance to call you first. Then, it is imperative that you keep careful records of where your resume has gone and through whom. Also, if a recruiter calls you with an opportunity at a particular company, be sure to let them know if you’ve already presented your resume there yourself. Don’t double submit, or you may be the loser.
Don’t apply to too many jobs at one company! Over a period time, some companies may have several similar jobs posted that seem to somewhat fit your background. Particularly a very large company may have 10 or more related jobs posted at one time. If you apply to several of them, your resume may become tainted in their perception.
When I speak to internal recruiters or HR people at large companies, they regularly tell me they are turned off by a candidate when they see they applied to 10 or 12 different position over the last 6 months or so. Their perception is that the candidate has no real target as to what they want and simply continues to throw their resume at the wall hoping something will stick. That may or may not be true for any individual candidate, however, that perception that gets created will torpedo their chances of getting a call.
Choose the positions you apply to carefully, and limit the number of times you apply. It’s much more effective to pursue personal contacts within the organization and express your interest in particular positions to someone individually, than to keep clicking the ‘Apply’ button online.
Do present your resume multiple times through your own networking! There are times when getting your resume in front of a hiring manager multiple times can be a great asset.
Someone I know had targeted a particular company where he very much wanted to work. Over a period of weeks, he made a point to call, network, and get informational meetings with as many people as he could within the organization, whether they were related to the type of role he was pursuing or not. With each conversation, his knowledge of the organization grew. Each time, he went out of his way to present himself as professionally as possible. And each time, he worked at building a relationship with the people he met. When an appropriate opportunity did pop up at the company, five different people took his resume to the hiring manager, spoke well of him, and asked that he be considered. Although his resume didn’t seem to be an exact match to the position, the hiring manager did call him in for an interview because of the several referrals. He said “I don’t know if you’re a great fit for the role, but when I get five people encouraging me to talk to you, I certainly want to meet you.” Three weeks later he got the job!
Done well, presenting your resume multiple times can truly pay off.
Take control of your job search wheel! Make sure you know where your resume is going and where it’s been.

Are you in control of your job search?

Send a letter stating you are over qualified.

Send your resume and a cover letter which states “It’ll appear obvious from my resume that I’m over-qualified for the job you advertised, so let me tell you why you should interview me and consider “super-sizing” your opportunity”.

Write a bulleted list of 3-5 benefits you think they might be interested in. Close the letter saying something to the effect that “I am old enough to have already learned from my mistakes – so my experience is more cost effective than a more junior person. In a few months, or years, you’ll need to send them on training to upgrade their knowledge, whereas I come fully equipped to do the next job too.”


Point out any certificates or advanced training which
you already have that someone in that job might be expected to acquire.

Show you are already qualified to do the next position
too.

Point out any retraining allowances or incentives
employers might be eligible for if they hire a more seasoned person.


Compliments
of David Perry and Kevin Donlin

Send a letter stating you are over qualified

One big lesson from the Olympics for your job search!

Original Post Here [TheWiseJobSearch]

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There have been a few articles I’ve seen using the Olympics to make a point related to a job search. However, I believe there’s one point that’s been fascinating to me but lost in many of the other discussions.

One of the most amazing things to me as I watch these elite athletes compete for a hunk of precious metal, is how some perform at their peak when it matters most, and how others fail!
Think about that… in any sport you choose to examine, the top 3 to 5 contenders are pretty close to equal ability. You know that in their practices and training sessions they’ve achieved their ‘perfect’ performance many times over. They wouldn’t attempt a particular feat in competition if they didn’t believe they’ve mastered it in practice. Yet, when the moment comes, some nail it, and others crumble.

Certainly sometimes there are unfortunate circumstances beyond their control that cause them to fail. Perhaps a competitor crashes into them, a piece of equipment breaks, or some other fluke occurs and they can’t do a thing about it. However, most of the time when one of them fails it’s because of mistakes they made themselves. Pressure, lack of confidence, insufficient preparation, or carelessness caused them to perform far below their ability.

Often, job seekers do the same thing.

They have a marketable background in their career, they get an interview for the job of their dreams, and they perform poorly at the interview and don’t get the job. What happened?

Although, from time to time, there may be other reasons… I believe the biggest reason athletes falter and job seekers bomb an interview is a lack of enough preparation!

The amount of preparation needed will vary from one person to another, however, it’s virtually impossible to be ‘over prepared’. Evan Lysecek’s coach said that in all the years he had been coaching skaters, he never had anyone that worked as hard as Evan. He had to tell him to quit practicing on some days. When it came time to execute his routine for the medal he gave the performance of his life and won the gold.

Larry Bird, the hall-of-fame basketball great used to say he never had much natural ability for the game. However he could determine to work harder than anyone else. He figured that if the best players in the league were practicing 100 free throws a week, he would practice 1,000.

In an interview, a candidate that is well prepared stands out dramatically from all the others that give answers off the cuff.


Success = Opportunity + Preparation

Practice, practice, and more practice sets up a successful performance. Sufficient practice creates confidence. It helps you learn how to compensate for a slight misstep. It makes the performance become second nature and doesn’t require as much thought when it counts. It reduces pressure, tension, and stress because you know you’ve done it dozens of times before.

Preparation is so key. It’s something everyone can do, yet most people don’t prepare nearly enough. Even athletes at the Olympic level often only do enough to perform well. However, those that win the gold prepare enough to excel and to be the best.

In this market companies are interviewing more candidates than ever for an open position because they have so much more to choose from. If they interview 5, or 10 candidates, someone will have prepared, and practiced extensively prior to the meeting. Will you be one of them? Will you have prepared more thoroughly than the others did? Did you practice answers to tough questions enough times so that they come naturally to you, or only enough so that you know approximately how you will answer?

Most people prepare by simply thinking “If I’m asked this question, I’ll talk about ____.” A well prepared person writes out their answer, hones the answer to make it as concise and substantive as they can, practices it, hones it further, then practices it further. They practice it into a recorder and listen back to themselves. They practice it to a friend, or relative, or spouse and get feedback. They practice questions from their kids over dinner. They practice in front of a mirror.

Sounds like a lot of work! It is… but you may be competing for the job against someone else that has gone to those lengths. Will you?

Success = Opportunity + Preparation

How prepared will you be for your next interview?