Many people talk about “information overload” and “decision fatigue” when it comes to how to conduct your job search, or write your resume, or develop your LinkedIn Profile…or answer those challenging interview questions. THE Careerpilot believes there’s another side to the coin… Receiving options is actually motivational and liberating, with the right mindset. Asking for someone else’s advice isn’t about getting the right answer out of them. Rather, it’s about adding perspective to your view so you can choose the right answer for you.
So, how can you ensure another ‘second opinion’ doesn’t cloud your judgement?
NEXT Session: Thursday, November 8th @8:45 AM… Closing The Deal I: Interview STRATEGIES, including MoneySpeak and PRE-Offer negotiation.
First and foremost, understand that your ‘core personality,’ defined by your unique strengths, skills, interests, preferences, and values (Step#1: ASSESSMENT), drives your “gut feel” on matters of choice. TRUST that!
In THE Careerpilot’s 12-Step M.A.P. for career transition, Steps #1 and #2 are in place for one simple reason: If you don’t have a grip on what you want to do next in your career, work toward giving yourself that grip! Your core personality should be represented in your offer criteria BEFORE development of your Personal Marketing collateral materials, like your resume!
If you cannot connect your motivated skills and strengths to supportive and confirming episodes from your actual experience, you should be utilizing your first wave of implementing your Personal Marketing Plan (Step#9) to identify and resolve this vital issue.
Only then will it become effective to proceed with Step#3 in the development and practice of your collective communication strategies (keywords) in the design of your collateral materials, both verbal and written. Remember: Perfect practice makes PERFECT!
And that brings us to Step#4, once you are satisfied with a market-ready resume, share it with your references, coaching them to be in sync with your communication strategies. Your references should know you well, better than any other editorial resource available to you. Consider these two things before reaching out:
- ALWAYS respect the time management of the person you’re interacting with
- Instead of seeking JOB help… consider a very different acronym: AIR… you should be seeking Advice, Information, and/or a R
When asked, your contact may throw ideas out there for the kind of job you should have, the kind of path you should take, the kind of responsibilities you should own, or the kinds of decisions you should make. You can let it overwhelm you, or you can pick and choose what you want to factor in, and let everything else fall to the wayside…
This is an over-simplification, but it’s truly that simple. Once you see others’ advice as something you can take rather than something you have to take, the pressures off, and you can make decisions that align with your values.
This also frees you up to make the more challenging decisions based on cumulative feedback that you have heard and listened to from the job market… how to conduct your job search, or write your resume, or develop your LinkedIn Profile…or answer those challenging interview questions. The more collective ‘advice and information,’ the better!
Remember, too, that the traditional marketplace’s over-reliance and obsession with keywords is what drives your dynamic need for feedback on your resume. Besides, you should be constantly tweaking your market-ready resume to stay in sync with actual job descriptions and other opportunities.
Learn to embrace the OTHER job market!
MYCAREERpilot 