Labor Day has me thinking of my worst job

When I was seventeen years old, my sister and I both landed jobs working in a turkey factory. Yep, that's right, a turkey factory! We drove 60 miles one way for our less than glamorous jobs. Each morning we put on rubber boots, a hairnet, white apron, rubber gloves, and safety glasses and worked in frigid conditions. My job was at the end of line and required scooping out who knows what from turkey carcasses. My sister and I realized very quickly that this wasn't the career for us. Four days later we quit!

How about you? What was your worst job?

Is your mindset getting in the way of your success?

It's amazing how powerful your mindset can be and what impact it can have on whether you reach your goals or not. Have you taken time to uncover any limiting beliefs that may be getting in your way of true success? You may not even be aware of some of those beliefs, but you can be sure they are stopping you from achieving what you say you want in your career or life. Below are some questions to ask yourself and tips to move from limiting to limitless.

1. It starts with awareness. Identify your self-talk. What negative thoughts are you saying to yourself, about yourself? When considering going after a promotion, do you say to yourself, "I'll never be considered." or "I'm not smart enough."

2. Next, how do you act out those negative thoughts? Do they keep you from going after that promotion? Do they stop you from learning new skills to be marketable for that promotion?

3. What feelings come up when you think those thoughts and act (or don't act) on them? Do you tell yourself, "I'm not good enough?"

4. Next, write down your "bully" beliefs and then next to them, write down your "buoyant" beliefs [positive beliefs] about what you can do. Using the example in #1: Bully belief: "I'm not smart enough." Buoyant belief: "I am smart and I am continually gaining new skills to make me more marketable."

5. Finally, brainstorm options for action, then prioritize, and commit to the best options that align with your goal. For example, I will join Toastmasters to improve my speaking, listening, and leadership skills. I will take a self-assessment to uncover my preferred leadership style to learn more about myself.

It's important to manage your mindset whether you're in a job search, want to advance in your career, or simply be more satisfied and successful in your current job.

Want to become a career conqueror? Sign up for my free teleclass "Top 3 Myths of Career Success & 10 Keys to Becoming a Career Conqueror."

Use professional associations to expand your career and network

I recently spoke at a conference for HR professionals who are relatively new to their career. I was so impressed by their desire to grow professionally. During the day, participants had the opportunity to listen to a panel of successful seasoned HR professionals share their career journey and provide words of wisdom. Three career coaches, of which I was one, delivered presentations designed to help participants effectively manage their career. My presentation "10 Keys to Becoming a Career Conqueror" included the importance of having a vision for your career, identifying and capitalizing on your personal brand, and expanding your network. After the conference, many of the participants reached out to connect with me on LinkedIn. It's vital to build and maintain your network now and throughout your career. It's also important to consider who you want in your network and seek ways to connect with them, both online and offline.

If you're just starting out in your career or want to make sure you stay on track, what professional associations do you need to join? It's important to stay current with your current field, and if you're just starting out or want to change careers or industries, it's important to learn more about that particular field or industry. Remember, you need to take charge of your own career!

Don't miss my upcoming teleclass, "Top 3 Myths of Career Success & 10 Keys to Becoming a Career Conqueror." Also, grab a copy of my free eBook, Get a Job, Keep a Job, or Move Up- faster!

Tips to Keep Your Network Alive

Reach out to one contact per day. Rather than thinking WIIFM (what’s in it for me), what can you do to help your contacts? What value can you bring to your network contacts? Not sure? Ask! And, what are some activities you can do to keep your network alive? Try out the following:

·         Schedule coffee or lunch

·        Find natural touch points, e.g., birthday or holiday

·         Email a link to an article or website they find of interest

·         Create a status update on LinkedIn

·         “Like” or comment on a contact’s status update

·         Endorse a contact on LinkedIn

·        Write a recommendation for a contact on LinkedIn

·         Post or respond to a question for a group on LinkedIn

·         Invite a contact to join you at an upcoming conference

·         Connect someone to another person

Add value to you contacts. When you meet someone new, find out what they could use help with. If you know someone in your network that can help a new connection with a problem, go ahead and provide an introduction.  

Create a networking fund. Automatically set aside a small amount of money that will pay for coffees, lunches, etc.

Set a Networking Goal

Whether you're in a job search, advance to the next level, or simply manage your career effectively, it's important to network!

When you attend a networking event, go with a goal in mind. Your goal could be to meet 3 new people and reconnect with 3 people you already know. Having a goal will help you feel like you accomplished something- and you did! When you make new contacts, be sure to send them an invitation to connect on LinkedIn.  

Keep in mind that it takes time to develop, nurture, and expand your relationships. According to Thom Singer, author of “Some Assembly Required: How to Make, Grow, and Keep Your Business Relationships,” it takes 7-10 meaningful interactions to create an effective networking relationship.” Many people don't like networking because they feel like they're doing all of the taking, especially if they're in a job search. One way to get around that is to think about how you can help the other person. Ask that person if there is someone you can introduce him or her to or what they may need help with. 

 

 

Create a Networking Plan

To ensure you get the results you want from networking, create a plan. Some things to consider:
1) What are your current career goals? Are you in job search mode or career management mode? Or perhaps you’re seeking to advance to the next level?

2) What information are you seeking at this time? Is it connections within your target field, industry, or company? Are you trying to make connections with industry or thought leaders? Are you gathering information about a specific company, industry, or field?

3) What venues can you tap into to gather this information? Is it a professional association, a job transition group, or maybe a Chamber of Commerce event?

4) What are your weekly, monthly, and quarterly networking goals? Spend some time figuring out how many networking events you want to attend each week and how many 1:1’s you want to do. The amount will depend on your current career goals.

Remember, it's important to network whether you're in a job search, want to advance to the next level, or simply manage your career effectively.

Grab a copy of my free eBook, "Get a Job, Keep a Job, or Move Up- faster!"

 

Creating a System for Networking Contacts

Having a drawer full of business cards can be overwhelming. Create a system that will help you maintain regular contact with your network. Microsoft Outlook, Excel, or JibberJobber are just a few programs that you can use.  How do your contacts prefer to stay in contact? If you’re not sure, ask. Some folks may prefer email, while others may like a phone call or a thoughtful card. Add that information into your contact management system. Be sure to add a reminder to follow-up with your contacts on a specified date.

And what ever system you use, make sure to “circle back” to the person who introduced you. You will be amazed by the feedback you get when you call or email someone saying something like “I really enjoyed meeting your friend Jane Doe the other day. She was very helpful. Thanks again and let me know how I can help you.”        

Grab a copy of my free eBook, Get a Job, Keep a Job, or Move Up- faster!                              

Prioritizing Your Networking Contacts

          

 Managing your contacts can be overwhelming. You may want to consider prioritizing your contacts into “A’s”, “B’s”, or “C’s” according to the level of influence they may have on your job search or your career. You’ll want key influencers on your “A” list. This could include recruiters, hiring managers, industry leaders, and well-connected former co-workers in your field. Keep in contact with your “A’s” more frequently than those in the other categories.

Your “B” list can include family and friends, and professionals such as your hairstylist, doctor, and dentist, etc. The latter come in contact with a large number of people on a regular basis. You will naturally be in somewhat regular contact with your immediate family and close friends. Your contact with your hairstylist will typically be every 4-8 weeks, and your doctor and dentist at least annually, if not more often.

Your “C” list may include those professionals and others that you meet through networking events and other activities. They may not have much influence for you in your career. You may not decide to keep in contact with these folks.

Which phase of the job search or which phase of your career will determine the frequency of contact with each group. And, you may find that some contacts may shift from “A” to “B” etc., depending on your needs.

In my next blog post, I will share tips on creating a system to manage your contacts.

Grab a copy of my free eBook, "Get a Job, Keep a Job, or Move Up- faster!"