Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM
You have probably heard the term “Practice Makes Perfect”! That term is commonly associated with athletes and musicians. They practice to get perfect, to become #1 in their profession and continue to practice to stay there. They get in and stay in the HABIT of practicing.
Regarding a JOB SEARCH, I don’t know anyone that makes it a profession. I do know many that are in job search mode though. The ones with the greatest success get in the HABIT of doing the things that need to be done and continue to do them until they achieve their objective, getting a new position. They get into a habit. They practice to become highly effective in their quest to attain their objective.
This does not imply getting into the habit of doing just anything, the wrong things, or, working without a plan. Everyone should know that PROPER PLANNING PREVENTS POOR PERFORMANCE. With all the elements in place that constitute a good job search plan and being in the habit of exercising that plan, you will be much more effective during the whole process and get a better result.
Let’s recall the fundamental steps in the JOB SEARCH process:
1. Determine you objective
2. Develop your resume, cover letter and presentation(s)
3. Post your resume
4. Conduct search, create search wizard
5. Research your targets
6. Contact your targets
7. Develop your network
Dr. Stephen R. Covey wrote a book entitled “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. The book was about habits and when practiced, how they make people more effective. Although written 15 years ago, its message still applies to this day. Getting into a habit mode when conducting a job search, to have a plan and do the things that need to be done, will make you more effective in the quest for your next position.
HABIT 1 is about being PROACTIVE
As in any number of situations in your life where you are or should be proactive, being reactive puts you in second place, or, first loser. You design your personal life, as well as your professional life. Every situation provides you with choices and you chose how to deal with them. Taking responsibility through proactivity will get you to do different things to get different results when you are not getting the results you are looking for. You embrace the positive and expel the negative. You chose to control your environment and not allow yourself to be affected by it. You will have greater power when taking control of your environment. Taking control is doing something about it. To influence you speak in the positive I can, will, do. You focus your efforts on what you can control choosing to be in a Sphere of Influence instead of a Center of Concern. Being proactive you will determine the areas to focus on that will keep you in the Sphere of Influence and on track to a more effective result in your job search. You chose your behavior, be PROACTIVE! Something to remember; there are people who make things happen, people who want things to happen and people who wondered what happened! Which one are you?
HABIT 2 is about the END IN MIND (the GOAL)
Being all you can be is “what” you should want to be. What and “where” you want to be should be part of your goal. When victories come at the expense of things far more valuable, are they truly victories or, steps on the stairway to the ultimate prize? If you are not headed up the stairs you want to be on, to where you want to be, this is less a victory than a climb to dissatisfaction. Visualize what you want and where you want to be 5, 10 or 20 years out. Have a mental image to create a physical image. Visualize whom you are, what you want and how you are going to get there. Think about how you will win friends, influence people and overpower the people and circumstances that will shape your future. Develop a personal mission statement, as companies develop business mission statements, to be your goals and to help you keep your eye on the prize. Keep the END IN MIND. Re-affirm who you are, your goals, focus on those goals and elevate yourself up the stairway to success. If you conceive it, and you believe it, you will achieve it.
HABIT 3 is about putting FIRST THINGS FIRST (the PRIORITIES)
Time management is very helpful in putting first things first, or setting and working the priorities. It will also help you with having a balanced existence, a quality of life balance. Being proactive and having goals come together here. It’s about life management, your purpose, your values, your roles and your priorities. Priorities are the things that are most important to you and when putting first things first you are organizing and managing your time according to what’s most important to you. Practicing the A, B, C time management methodology will help in the organization of your priorities. Put FIRST THINGS FIRST, set your priorities, focus on them and you will be more effective in getting to your goal.
HABIT 4 is about THINKING WIN-WIN
Negotiation results in both parties winning. There are concessions from both sides, whatever they may be, and the result is an agreement, WIN-WIN! The human interaction and collaboration is a win for both parties. It is not an I win, you lose, if you win, I lose scenario. That ends up being a zero-sum game. WIN-WIN is cooperative, having the frame of mind and heart that seeks mutual benefit, solutions that are mutually beneficial and satisfying. Approaching life’s issues with a WIN-WIN attitude displays vital character traits:
1. INTEGRITY: sticking with feelings, values and commitments
2. MATURITY: expression of ideas, feelings with courage and conviction and consideration for ideas and
feelings of others
3. MENTALITY: the belief of abundance, plenty to go around
Many think you’re nice or you’re tough, either or. With WIN-WIN, both either and or are required balance between courage and consideration. You need to be empathic as well as confident. You need to be considerate and sensitive as well as brave. To achieve balance is the essence of maturity and fundamental to WIN-WIN. This is all about you and life around you. It’s about your INTEGRITY, MATURITY and your MENTALITY. It’s about you attaining balance with the attitude to succeed, to WIN-WIN.
HABIT 5 is about SEEKING FIRST TO UNDERSTAND, THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD
Communication is the most important skill we have. If you don’t communicate well, you will have trouble being understood. Listening is an integral part of the communication process. If you are not a good listener, you will have trouble understanding. You need to understand if you expect to be understood. Many seek first to be understood and get their point across. When it comes to listening, many pretend to listen selectively hearing only certain parts of the conversation or attentively focusing on the words being said while missing the meaning entirely. They listen while preparing a reply, comment or answer in their mind before they fully understand what is being said. Referencing what is heard through their “life experience” they measure it up and consequently decide prematurely how to respond or answer a question before the other person finishes communicating. The cart starts getting ahead of the horse here. Your chances of giving an intelligent response or answer after listening poorly are slim. Because of how we process communication we tend to respond by:
1. EVALUATING: we judge and then either agree or disagree
2. PROBING: we ask questions from our own frame of reference
3. ADVISING: we give counsel, advice and solutions to problems
4. INTERPRETING: we analyze others motives and behaviors based on our own experiences
Sometimes “life experience” responses are appropriate, such as, when specifically asked for help from your point of view. Regardless of how you communicate, you should understand that if you are a poor listener you probably are a less than stellar communicator. Don’t let the cart get before the horse, listen to UNDERSTAND and communicate to be UNDERSTOOD.
HABIT 6 is about SYNERGY
Synergy is achieved through collaboration, putting heads together, and, interaction. This is the habit of creative cooperation, teamwork with open mindedness and finding new solutions to old problems. It’s the process where people bring all their personal experience and expertise together for the team to learn from. They discover things they are less likely to discover on their own. It is the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. When people interact they’re open to each other’s influence and begin to gain new insight. Capability to invent new approaches increases exponentially because of difference. Valuing difference drives synergy. Many mistake uniformity for unity and sameness for oneness. Differences should be seen as strengths and not weaknesses. Ever talk to someone where something is said that helps you solve a problem, complete a project, make something more efficient? SYNERGIZE yourself and collaborate your way to success putting heads together; network.
HABIT 7 is about SHARPENING THE SAW
You are your greatest asset. You should be sharpening your skills and preserving and enhancing that asset, YOU! Invest in yourself and hone yourself through self-improvement to make a better you. If you are not investing in yourself, you are doing yourself an injustice. Through self-improvement you are developing a balanced self-renewal program, a reinvention of a better you. Key elements in self are:
1. PHYSICAL: eating, exercising, rest
2. SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL: having social and meaningful relations with others
3. MENTAL: learning, reading, writing and teaching
4. SPIRTUAL: spending time in nature, expanding spiritual self through mediation, music, art, prayer and
service
You create growth and change in your life. Working the habits will increase your capacity to produce and handle challenges around you. Through renewal, your body will remain strong. Your mind will be sharp, your emotions healthy, the spirit sensitive and your person generous. Feeling good about one’s self doesn’t just happen. You need to take time for renewing yourself to live a balanced life. Renew yourself through relaxation, practice the spiritual and mental elements and know what your well being requires. Experience the vibrancy and energy. Practice and experience the benefits of good health and exercise. Revitalize yourself to peace and harmony. Expel apathy before your get up and go has got up and gone. Watch for that new opportunity for renewal each day and recharge yourself. It takes desire, knowledge and skill. That can only come from YOU!
So, when traversing your way through your job search and working the fundamentals of:
1. Determine you objective
2. Develop your resume, cover letter and presentation(s)
3. Post your resume
4. Conduct search, create search wizard
5. Research your targets
6. Contact your targets
7. Develop your network
You should be developing and incorporating:
HABIT 1; be PROACTIVE
HABIT 2; keep the END IN MIND (the GOAL)
HABIT 3: put FIRST THINGS FIRST (the PRIORITIES)
HABIT 4: THINK WIN-WIN
HABIT 5: SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND, THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD
HABIT 6: SYNERGIZE
HABIT 7: SHARPEN THE SAW
“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Dr. Stephen R. Covey
The definition of INSANITY is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. If you keep getting the same results with what you are doing and you are looking for a different result, then you need to change the way or what you are doing. Are you in the HABIT or just wandering around in your JOB SEARCH? Only you know the truth. Recognize, initiate and implement the change you need to change things. Get in the habit of doing what it takes to affect change. Embrace it; you will be glad you did.
Remember, the more dedicated and committed to habit formulation when conducting a JOB SEARCH, as well as other aspects of your life, the greater your chances for better and more successful outcomes.
To view more on the elements of a JOB SEARCH, the practical application of those elements, the how to and the tips, view the other BLOG’s on all topics JOB SEARCH at
http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com/
You won’t be disappointed.
If you like what you see and find value in this information, reference my other BLOG’s, become a FOLLOWER and BOOKMARK this site as a favorite to COME BACK often.
ALSO, TELL A FRIEND! I encourage you to do so.
I welcome comment and if you wish to have a specific subject addressed let me know in the comments section or email me at
rsc@infoexchangegroup.com
Now go out, get in the HABIT and SEIZE the DAY!
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