The End is Near . . . of 2008

The End is Near…of 2008!

 

You hear it everywhere: “This year sucks.”  “Things are really bad.”  “I want to just get this year over with.”  Given the economic issues, two wars and our own individual challenges, these comments make sense.  But how do you bring closure to a bad year or a bad event?

 

 Losing a job is a personal thing.  It may occur for many valid reasons but the end event is personal.  We get caught up in our work, in the activities and relationships.  When we are separated from our work there is a gap.  There is a something missing in us.  We feel something has been taken from us.  Dealing with that loss takes time and effort.  But, it is important to deal with it and to get closure.

 

So if 2008 wasn’t your best career year here are some ways to get closure and move on to better things in 2009:

 

• Self-evaluation: Take an hour or two to do a thorough evaluation of your work and career.  What did you do well in 2008?  What results did you produce?  What were your successes?  What new skills did you learn or new experiences did you gain?  On the other side of the page, what failures or setbacks did you see in 2008?  What did you learn from them?  What would you differently?  Review the results, give yourself a grade.  Sign your name under the grade and date it.  Sit back, accept the grade and then put away the evaluation.  It is complete and time to move on.
• Set your goals for 2009:  Identify three key goals for 2009 in the areas of results/outcomes, new experiences and learning.  Next, identify specific steps that you will take to achieve these goals.  Finally, select the timeframe for accomplishing each goal and then state checkpoints along the year to use in reviewing progress and tweaking your plan.
• Stay fit:  Exercise and sleep give you energy.  If you aren’t happy with your health or energy take action on it.  Companies want people who work at a fast pace and with a sense of urgency.  Make sure you have the wellness behaviors that will help you succeed in the years ahead.
• Struggling with your progress?  Talk with people you trust.  Get feedback.  If something isn’t working be ready to try something else.  Volunteer for a new project or assignment.  Define your career don’t let your work define you.

Finally, let me suggest the importance of rituals in gaining closure.  A ritual can be a small dramatic event that brings larger meaning to a situation.  A decade ago, I felt that I had a horrible year in my career.  Everything and everyone was a pain to deal with and there were few successes.  However, the effort was there and I had at least had some success in preventing things from being even worse.   On the last workday of the year I took my pocket calendar out to the parking garage, lit a match and burned it.  I said:  “That’s done.  It has been a bad year but it is over.  I move on.”  There was satisfaction in the feeling of closing the book on the year and it produced a sense of peace that I had done my best and was now ready to turn the page.

 

We hope that you find closure to your struggles this year and you approach 2009 with purpose and confidence.  We wish you success in achieving your goals in the coming year.

 

Kevin Pallardy

Executive Coach

Managing Partner of SSP BPI Group

 

Social Networking & Your Job Search

Ever heard of Linked in? How about Face Book? If you don’t know about these sites, you might be seriously shortchanging your web-based search efforts. These social networking sites are nearly essential in today’s job market.

Okay – to the overall economic news. There are some serious predictions available on the web stating that the economy is likely to recover nicely in the second half of 2009. That’s the good news. Some of these same predictions, however, are indicating that job growth may lag well behind a broader economic recovery. If true, this means we’re heading back to the “jobless” sort of recovery we saw after the 2001 slow down. Which makes your current search efforts even more important and immediate.

Job searching is never easy, and if we actually see a “jobless” recovery, it won’t get a lot easier next year. So, it’s time to make sure you’re up to speed on every tool available to you related to making connections and building out a network. That’s where sites like Linked In and Facebook come into play. I have to confess, I know very little about using Facebook. My teenagers use the heck out of it, and it’s CLEARLY their communication means of choice – aside from their cell phones. So I have a predisposition to view Facebook – for all of its great qualities – as more of a student oriented networking site. That said, I recommend using Facebook – especially for younger people in search or career development mode – with the following cautions:

• Effective job searching requires making a professional presentation of your qualifications. Make sure your Facebook page has been carefully edited and cleaned up to remove ANYTHING that could be construed as “unprofessional.” That means carefully choosing images to be displayed (get rid of that funny photo of you doing a keg stand at last year’s freshmen olympics), and ensuring the language on your page is not offensive and/or obscene.
• Edit your profile to project a serious person in search of a serious job. So you should drop the funny stuff, and remember older people or people who do not share your sensibilities might be making important decisions about you future based upon what they find at Facebook.
• Carefully manage your security settings. And this also means protecting your password. Make the part of your page PUBLIC that you might want college admission officials or hiring managers to view. Hide the rest. Truthfully – I’d delete the rest, but if you are confident you can manage your page security, you can do it, but do so at your own peril.

I know more about Linked In (I’m a user and big fan of the site). It’s especially critical in today’s highly competitive market, to use every tool at your disposal to broaden your network. Linked In (and there are other sites out there, too) can help you do that. Here are a few quick tips:

• Profile – make sure your profile looks professional and contains quality information about your accomplishments. Also – make sure you are hitting KEYWORDS that recruiters and prospective employers might be using as they look for candidates.
• Work History – Treat this like you would a effective resume. Make your history accomplishment focused.
• Groups – This is  a great way to connect with other people with shared interests.
• Contacts from E-Mail – Take a few minutes and download all of your contacts from your e-mail account. You might be surprised to see who is on Linked In.

Linked In also has a great internal blog, an there are some great articles there that offer a lot more detailed advice on using the site. Explore these resources!

You don’t need me to tell you it’s a tough job market, so don’t leave great, free resources unused. If you’re not on a social networking site – get on an age appropriate one as soon as you can. If you are on one, ask your self whether you are using the site to its full advantage. If you are not – do so. What are you waiting for?

Job Searching During the Holidays in a Tough Economy

Reading the news on a daily basis can be a real drag on the holiday spirit and mood. And that’s especially true if your looking for a new job. So – what can you REALLY do to keep some momentum going in your search?

1. Stay in touch. While it may be true that there will be few actual hiring decisions made before December 31st, it’s also true that this is a terrific time of year to connect and reconnect with friends, colleagues and business associates. But remember – it’s a stressful time for a lot of people, and don’t make your efforts to connect about you and your search. Reach out as a friend might and ask how your contact is doing. It might even be a good idea to let them know you’re thinking about them and hope to touch base after the holiday season. A brief note indicating real concern about others can go a long ways towards making sure your networking efforts are primed to deliver results after January 1st. Remember, at it’s most fundamental core, a job search is a human interactive process. So take this time of year to really make it human and touch base with people that way.
2. Take care of yourself. How many times have you seen this piece of advice? Quite a bit, I’m sure. But it’s still really good advice. Exercise, don’t over eat, rest and find constructive ways to spend your time. it’s a tough time of year, but don’t let yourself get caught up in a spiral of negativity. Take affirmative steps to keep a positive attitude and find some time to treat yourself well.
3. Re-evaluate your search. You’ve had lots of networking meetings and applied for lots of jobs, but nothing is working. Maybe the market is telling you something. Maybe your resume isn’t telling your story very well. Maybe you’re targeting jobs that don’t match your qualifications and background. Maybe you aren’t engaged in effective networking or follow-up activities. Maybe you’re relying too much on the Internet. Who knows, but this is a good time to take a step back, and look at what’s been working and what hasn’t been working. If your search is not going as well as you’d like, make some changes.

Like I said, this is a tough time of year to be looking for work. But work IS out there. I’m seeing clients land jobs – good jobs – all over the US. Searches are taking longer, and jobs are not always posted and they are not always with large companies. But there are jobs to be had. So keep your head up, enjoy the holidays as much as possible, and good luck in January.