Land That Job
Module 1: Can You Think From a New Perspective?

Meet Your Coach: Sue Clarke

Whatever your experience so far with job hunting, whether you’re a novice or an old hand, or somewhere in between, this course is for you. However prepared you think you are for job hunting, there’s always room for improvement.

Over the next 6 modules I’m going to coach you to develop a fresh and focused approach to landing the job you want.

  • You’ll learn to show yourself off in the best possible light to potential employers.
  • You’ll develop more confidence and energy.
  • You’ll learn tips and techniques to get the best out of you.
  • And you’ll have fun and make friends along the way!

So, enough talk – it’s time for action!

Recommendation

While all the material in this course is available to you right now, I strongly suggest that you complete each of the modules in order. Each module includes a number of exercises (“Actions of the week”) that require you to do some work!

You will get most benefit from the course by taking your time and completing all the exercises before moving forward to the next module.

Part One

The ability to see things from another perspective is a terrific talent.

You already do this quite naturally with your friends. When a friend is talking to you about how they’re feeling, for instance, you understand, you empathise; you see things from their point of view. Successful people do this all the time in every situation – they seek to understand first, to be understood later. And this is the very first thing you must do now – seek to understand, to see things from another perspective.

David’s Story

I’ll always remember the first coaching session I had with a client of mine called David, a middle manager who was becoming increasingly frustrated at the number of rejections he was receiving for jobs he’d applied for.

Speaking with David, it was quickly apparent that he was a highly intelligent and capable individual, and conscientious to boot. He then explained to me that he was looking to ‘downshift’ – to leave behind him the stressful world of corporate management for a position with less pressure and responsibility in order to develop more quality time for himself and his family. Although he was applying for jobs where there was no doubt his skills and experience should have got him an interview, when I spoke to him he had received no invitations for interviews at all.

The mystery of why David was receiving so many rejections became apparent when I looked at his CV.

He was still presenting himself as a corporate middle manager. He thought that by doing so it would make him more attractive to employers – here was someone with a lot more than the job required; what a catch for them. Had he taken a step back, and put himself in the employer’s shoes, he might have thought about the situation differently. So, in that first coaching session, this is what we did.

It didn’t take long at all for David to re-think his position from the employer’s perspective and understand the scepticism that his CV was being met with. Why did he want this job when he was obviously capable of so much more? How long would he stay? What was he really after…?

We spent the coaching session revising his CV with these thoughts in mind, taking care to make sure that the skills and experience his CV highlighted matched what the employer wanted. David only needed that one coaching session – within weeks he had landed a job that perfectly matched what he was looking for.

I’ve chosen this very simple story to illustrate what happens if you fail to appreciate, right from the start, how crucial it is to step back and view your situation from the employer’s perspective.

Part Two

Step into another pair of shoes

Imagine for a moment that you’re the boss – you’re the person who is looking for the ideal candidate to fill the role you have in your team. Imagine taking yourself out of your own shoes, and stepping into theirs.

So, now you’re the boss. As the boss, what are you looking for? What sort of skills do you want the person working for you to have? They must be competent – of course. Able to get results, solve real problems in real ways, someone who is up and running in the shortest possible time. Potential to develop? Naturally. The aptitude for life-long learning is a given in today’s career environment, as is the ability to take initiative, have a go, move beyond your comfort zone.

What sort of person are you looking for? Someone who will fit in, who will be a great team-player, and also willing and able to work on their own? Yes. Someone who will be easy to manage? Absolutely. Someone who is thoughtful, who makes a personal contribution, a difference – someone you’ll like, respect, value? I should think so. A good attitude and the ability to get on with people cannot be underestimated.

Let’s explore this some more.

Part Three

What questions, as the boss, would you like to ask your ideal candidate?

  • How do you handle pressure, conflict, roadblocks?
  • How do you respond when things don’t go your way?
  • How do you persuade others to do things they don’t want to do?
  • Can you handle change positively?
  • How do you respond when you don’t agree with the changes?
  • How well do you deal with difficult people, including ‘political animals’ and people who want to give the least they can?
  • Are you self-motivated, a self-starter?
  • Will you be a conscientious and flexible partner in the company?
  • Are you enthusiastic, positive, ‘can do’?

Now think about what sort of fears you may have as that boss.

  • What if you recruit the wrong person for the job? Someone who isn’t up to what the job demands, who will be a job’s worth type, only doing the absolute minimum they can get away with, who won’t get along with their co-workers?
  • Horror of horrors, what if you recruit someone who will be a discredit to you and your team?

What else? As the boss, what other questions would be in your mind before you start reading the stack of CVs in front of you, before you start interviewing potential candidates? Get yourself fairly and squarely in the boss’s shoes and see the situation from their perspective.

Part Four

How well do you shape up?

Next, think about you.

  • On a scale of 1 -10, how employable are you?
  • How do you shape up to these expectations you’ve now set yourself?
  • What skills do you have to offer?
  • What examples of using and getting results with those skills can you demonstrate?
  • What sort of person are you?
  • How can you illustrate your great attitude and people power to a potential employer?
  • Would you recruit you?

Employers want to recruit. The last thing they want is a position that sits empty not getting done with an extra burden on everyone else in the team while it does so.

Our task, in this course, is to develop and present you in a way that will show them that you’ve got exactly what they want. That you’re the perfect candidate.

Action!

Actions of the Week

1. What do Employers Want?

Write down all the things you can think of that a potential employer might be looking for. Ask your family and friends for their thoughts too. Scan job adverts and notice the type of words that employers are using to describe who they are looking for. Spend time imagining yourself in the employer’s shoes and understanding the world from their perspective.

2. Put the searchlight on yourself.

Who are you? What do you have to offer? I guarantee that you have a lot more going for you that you think. Don’t invalidate yourself for what you’re not – appreciate yourself for what you are. 

3. Commit now to landing a job that will make full use of your skills, interests and motivations.

Not for you the defeatist mentality that says work is what you do 9-5, life is what you do the rest of the time. From now on, decide to ramp up your attitude, to expect more from yourself – take responsibility for the quality of your life at work.

4. Take a reality check.

Where can you improve? What skills can you develop? Assess your attitude at work right now – on a scale of 1-10, how do you score yourself in terms of your ability to get on with other people, make a positive difference, go the extra mile? How can you up your rating to 10? And remember, repeating something makes it a habit. It’s never too late to form good habits.

Start now.

Walk your talk. Get focused. Be that perfect candidate. Don’t wait until you’ve landed your next job. Use the time and opportunities you have now.  Do thoughtful things that make your colleagues see you anew.

5. Don’t follow the whingers

Don’t waste an iota of mental energy on negativity or complaining.

Take control and focus your energy on improving things.  Stand out from the crowd. Forge your own path. That’s what the perfect candidate does.

  • Your job’s boring?
    Great! Get creative and think of ways to make your job more interesting.
  • Your boss is awful?
    Wonderful! You have a terrific opportunity to cultivate your personal skills in handling your boss.
  • You haven’t actually got a job at the moment?
    Great again. Just think – you have all that time to develop yourself! Doing this course is an excellent start; how else will you choose to spend your time to make sure you’re getting the most from each day?

Brilliant! You’ve taken the first bold steps on your exciting journey.

Next week we’re going to look more closely at who you are and what you have to offer. We’re going to uncover what’s special about you, and how you can present it in a way that grabs the limelight – by creating a winning CV. Until then, walk your talk and have a great week!