Land That Job
Module 6: Keep Sharp!

Hello and Welcome to the last module of Land that Job!

In this final module, I’m going to coach you in how to use your energy to the very best effect before you start your new job. I’m going to show you how to make every minute count. What you’ll be doing too is forming good career habits that will last you a lifetime and ensure that from now on you’re in the driving seat and taking your career where you want it to go.

Part One

There is no failure, only feedback

First, let’s have another reality check.

The probability is that no matter how good you are, you’ll receive some ‘rejections’. I say no matter how good you are because everyone who has ever interviewed will tell you of times when the quality of candidates was so good that they would have loved to have been able to offer more than one person the job.

Nevertheless, every so-called rejection you get is there for a purpose, so make sure you use each one. See any rejection you receive as an opportunity for feedback to help you improve. Most people when a rejection hits them go into denial (‘I didn’t want the job anyway’) or simply passively accept it and let their self-esteem take a beating.

Not you.

Reflect

First of all, after every interview you have, spend some time reflecting on how it went. What went well? Acknowledge those things – give yourself a pat on the back. What went not so well? Think about those things; how would you handle the situation better next time? What do you need to do now to make sure you do? Keep a note of what you’ve learned, ‘good’ questions interviewers asked, areas you need to work on.

Talk

Second, if you get a rejection, get on that phone. Talk to the person who interviewed you and ask them for some honest feedback about you. Find out what you need to work on. Find out your positives too – your qualities right now that get you ahead of the game. Aim to tease out an employer’s bird’s eye view of what you offer and what you can develop. Then go do it. Use every interview as preparation for the next.

Do you remember the story of Thomas Edison – the man who invented the first light bulb? Rumour has it that he made over 2000 experiments to perfect it. At the press conference to launch his new invention, a pushy journalist taunted:

‘Say, Mr Edison, how did it feel to fail to make a light bulb two thousand times?’

‘Young man,’ said Edison, ‘I didn’t fail to make a light bulb two thousand times; I merely found one thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine ways how NOT to make a light bulb.’

The way to avoid mistakes is to gain experience and the way to gain experience is to make mistakes.

Recognise that you can use every mistake to gain feedback and you’ll be able to turn every event to your advantage. You can harness your disappointment and turn it into a positive drive for feedback. Then turn this drive into action. From there it’s a short step to turn action into achievement and achievement into success. Get the mindset: there is no failure, only feedback.

Part Two

Grasp every opportunity

What are you going to do between this moment now and when you start your new job? There really is no time like the present. Stand back from your current situation and think about how you could make the present better – before you start that new job. Commit now to going the extra mile, putting in that extra bit of effort: in everything you do. It will pay dividends.

‘You have to work for something. If it’s handed to you, it’s not gonna last,’ Madonna said in 1987. Look where this attitude has got her – and where it’s still getting her today.

One of my clients, a 30-something graduate with a baby, started a programme of career coaching with me while she was still on maternity leave. She wanted to make sure that she used her leave time in the best possible way to get clear about what her next career steps were going to be. To work out what it was she really wanted to do. To make sure she gained the skills and positioned herself to get the job that would fulfil those wants.

Hats off to her!

Here is a lady who is going places, because she recognises a key fact – that we make our own opportunities. Opportunities are all around us, so long as our eyes and minds are open to see them.

  • If you’re working, how could you do your current job better?
  • What could you do now that will help your job, your company and help your own development? Look for the win – win, every time.
  • Once you’ve identified what you could do, how will you make sure it gets noticed? Afterall, you don’t want your hard work and extra effort to go unseen.
  • Make a point of ensuring that key people are aware of your capabilities and achievements.
  • Learn to manage your profile. Results speak, but you need to make sure the right people are listening!

Whatever your situation, keep on building your assets. Never stop. Most employers are giving their employees more and more responsibility so each employee has to do more, with fewer resources. Prepare yourself for that in the best way you can.

Part Three

Stay with the game

Let’s take a look at some of today’s trends; at key assets you can focus on developing.

  • Information and communication technology skills
    Love it or hate it, technology is here to stay, so keep yourself current.
  • Knowledge
    Companies speak of their intellectual capital because it’s so important; knowledge really is power.
  • An ability to embrace change..
    ..to support it, and initiate it. Caring enough to spot where improvements can be made and the attitude to follow through.
  • Commercial focus
    Know what really adds value.
  • The ability to build relationships across all levels
    This means with your peers, subordinates and superiors.
  • And let’s not forget customer focus
    Not by chance do leading motivation companies target customer service as one of their primary markets: it’s a bestseller.

    Posters with slogans like ‘Treat every customer as if your world revolves around them…it does’ sell so well because they send out crucial messages. Quality service is becoming an increasing differentiator amongst discerning customers, so do what you have to do now – and keep doing it – to make sure your skills and attitude match the demand.

Once you start that new job, remember: the scenery’s different, but you’re still you. So make sure that you’re the best ‘you’ that you can be.

Starting right now.

Action!

Actions of the Week

1. Make every interview count

Get feedback and then use it to do even better next time. (And remember, every person who interviews you is a potential contact to add to your network too.) Get the mindset, and apply it to every area of your life: failure is feedback.

2. Take responsibility for your own ongoing learning and development

Don’t wait for your employer to send you on training courses. Take the initiative. What do you need to know, what skills do you need to develop, what experience do you need? How will you make sure it happens? Own it. It’s your career and your life – you don’t want anyone else in control of it do you? Be prepared to invest in yourself

3. Wherever you are now, keep building your assets to meet market needs

Never stop doing this. Think about the future: what do you think the key developments and challenges will be in the next 3, 5, 10 years? How will you make yourself ready for them? Challenge yourself out of that comfort zone! Plan your strategy now and put that plan into action. Start today.

4. Learn from Everything

Mahatma Gandhi said, ‘Everything that happens to you is your teacher. The secret is to learn to sit at the feet of your own life and be taught by it.’ You can learn from everything. Make that a habit from now on.

5. Last but not least, keep a balance

A great job and a great career are vital building blocks for a happy, expressive life where you reach your full potential. But they’re not the only ones. Don’t forget all the others! Remember that a happy life is a full and rounded life, where you have love, friendship, fun…..what else makes your life happy? Think about that. And make sure you do what you need to do.

That’s it! The end of the course.

It’s been fantastic being with you. I hope you’ve enjoyed doing this course as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. If there’s one thing I’d like you to go away with, it’s this. You’re special. You’ve got talents, experience and knowledge that no-one else has. That’s your biggest asset: you.

So go strut your stuff! Good luck.