Identify
three things you learned in this module about persistence and resiliency and
how you can use these to help meet your goals.
Hello, and welcome back to your second week of Professional Strategies.
Last week we focused on the principles of affirmations, visualization, goal setting, creating replacement pictures and self efficacy.
You did a number of exercises in learning how to create affirmations and the how to use affirmations, visualization and goal setting to create replacement pictures in order to enhance your self efficacy.
Your assignments were focused on using these tools in order for you to create a sense of what you need to do in
order to improve your self efficacy as you begin to:
Determine the job you would like
Determine where this job is located
Being persistent means believing in your ability to achieve your goal.
To do this, we must often ignore the naysayers and those who tell us that we cannot do it. Remember Lou Tice tells us to be careful who we listen to.
If you plan to graduate from college and get a job as an accountant, why would you allow your unemployed cousin who’s never been to school and bounces in and out of jail to tell you that you cannot achieve your goal?
Instead find people who have achieved their goals and spend time with them. Surround yourself with people who have achieved their own goals, because they will keep you both motivated and accountable to achieving your goals.
Resiliency Definition: (a) springing back; rebounding; (b) returning to the original form or position after being bent, compressed, or stretched; (c) recovering readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyant.
There will be setbacks in life. Things happen! But how you handle those setbacks are the important thing. When you have a setback, that is not the time to give up. Instead keep your eye on the prize and the horizon. Always focus on the big picture of your goals and what you need to achieve. If your plan is to be an accountant in five years, then that might not be the job you get today. You might not qualify for that job.
That might look like a setback now when you apply for and don’t get that job. But maybe you need to re-assess your goal and instead of applying for an accountant job, apply for a job as a book-keeper or an accounts payable clerk. That job is still in the field of accounting and can serve as a stepping stone to that great staff accountant job.
It’s important for you to see everything as a stepping stone and lesson to be learned.
The problem with worrying is that it robs your subconscious of the ability to realize it’s full potential and can actually make you ill because it makes you nervous, and insecure which is never a good thing.
So, stop worrying!
So let’s re-focus again on the idea of goal setting now that you’ve identified some things that will prevent you from achieving some of your goals. Last week, we discussed goal setting and we talked about SMART goals. Let’s watch this brief video on Goal Setting
Well first, let’s start with some affirmations about your search for the perfect job
I know how to target my job search.
I easily leverage my resources and contacts.
I am knowledgeable about tracking job leads.
I am knowledgeable about my work environment and the benefits given to me at my job.
Remember when you were a child and someone asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up? Often as children we would answer with the basic jobs we knew: doctor, lawyer, nurse, teacher, policeman, fireman. We listed the most common of jobs. However now that we are older, we are aware of the many types of jobs out there and it becomes quite a task to figure out exactly which job we want and more importantly what job is the best one for us.
It’s been said that if you do what you love, then you’ll never work a day in your life. If everyone in the world could do this, then everyone would be happy. Many people do a job because they are good at it or because they simply ended up there. You are in school right now studying to get a job, but within your chosen career, there may be a very specific job that you want or that you’d be best suited to do.
For example, there are thousands of jobs in the business field, from sales to marketing to advertising to logistics. The key is to find the job that is the best fit for you.
Many students going off to college take personality tests in order to see which career they should pursue based on their natural talents, skills and interests. That is always helpful.
What features/benefits are important to you in a job?
Many people do not think about the benefits and features of a job when they are looking for a job. Instead they focus only on the amount they are going to be paid. While this is important, it is also critical to look at other things such as
Health, Dental, Life, Vision, Pet and Long Term Care Insurance
Prescription Drug Coverage
401K plans
Tuition reimbursement for employees and relatives and or Professional Development programs
Vacation, Sick and PTO packages
Social Activities and Programs – some companies are very civic minded and involved in philanthropic activities which many employees like
Child Care and Afterschool Programs
Your Community and School Resources
Career services
Bulletins
Internet career sites
‘Help wanted’ signs
An industry contact
Your local newspaper
Map Your Community
Think of all the places you stop throughout the day (school, grocery store, Laundromat, daycare center, etc.)
List which places you think might have job leads
If you are making a walk in to a prospective job, it is important that you ‘look the part’ when you are doing the walk in. It is also important that the job you are seeking is one which accommodates walk in’s. If you are selling ‘services’ then this is applicable, such as salespeople who make visits to doctor’s offices, etc.
When you make your first contact by walk in, keep the following rules in mind:
Your attire should match the job for which you are planning to apply. Front desk personnel are always asked about the demeanor and behavior of interviewees. The impact you make on those persons are always lasting ones and thus should be positive ones.
Be polite and courteous in your dealings with everyone. Since you are new to the organization, you could very well be talking with a hiring manager and not know it.
Feel free to ask if there are currently any openings in the organization.
Ask if there is someone you can speak with. If they say ‘yes’ you are in luck and should proceed to talk with that person.
If you have a resume, ask if you may leave it.
Find out the name of the person whom you should contact for any further discussions about job openings in that organization.
Thank everyone you interact with.
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