Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Job Search Experience (continued)

· Getting all my ducks in a row. This was the simultaneously the hardest and easiest part for me. I relied heavily on mentors and friends to help me put these pieces together. In hind sight I probably should have used my University Career Center, but hey, hind sight is 20/20, right? The two biggest items for this were:

o Resume. I had an old resume I had used to apply to grad school and severely underestimated the time it took to add to it and spruce it up quite a bit. Once I had what I thought was the best resume ever, I had it looked over by close friends who promptly tore it to shreds. This was very hard for me and it took me awhile before I let anyone else look at it. Eventually I got my head around the fact that they were simply trying to help me make it the best possible and that it really was helpful to have several different sets of eyes on it.

   Cover letter. I didn’t write one of these until I found a job I actually applied for. This was probably a mistake as my first one was absolutely atrocious. Needless to say I did not get invited for an interview with that one. If I had it to do over again, I would have written some practice ones for jobs I was just looking at for research. After the second cover letter, I started to get the hang of it. I began printing off the job description and writing down an example of something I had done that either fulfilled the requirements or demonstrated a similar skill set. This helped tremendously in figuring out where to start and what to highlight.

This phase of the process started in August of 2010 (I graduated in May 2011). It continued all the way through the fall semester. Some of my classmates waited to start this process in the Spring and for most of them, it worked out one way or another, but those of us who started in the Fall had an easier time exploring more possibilities and were more prepared to take any opportunities that crossed our paths. By Winter Break I felt ready to get out there and by the time the Spring semester started I was in the thick of a whole new phase of the search.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Rachel's Job Search Phase I (cont)

·         Identifying what was important to me. My search was structured around my husband’s education, which meant, specifically in the Wichita area. But beyond location, I had to figure out what I wanted to do. Breaking that down into smaller categories was very helpful. Specifically, doing the Flower Exercise from the book What Color Is Your Parachute helped me list out my preferences free from job titles which helped me keep an open mind while searching.

·         Training myself to think in transferable skill sets. Again, What Color Is Your Parachute led me through some very helpful exercises in identifying these groupings and then thinking about different types of jobs I could use them in. I also took the StrengthsQuest (also called the StrengthsFinder) assessment which helped me focus in on what I was really good at. This also ended up being very beneficial when I got to the interview part of the process. But the details of that are for another day.

·         Figuring out where to search. I knew I had to search in the Wichita area, and I knew that my first preference would be to work at a University so I found all of the schools in the area. I then bookmarked the Human Resources website for each school and started checking them every other day for positions. Some of my friends used job posting boards like higheredjobs.com or careerbuilder.com but because I knew I was geographically restricted, at this early point in my search, these didn’t make much sense for me. Later I expanded my search but this was my starting place.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Job Search Continued From 11 21 11

Phase 1: Accepting Reality and Preparing (Sheer Terror)

I remember the first day of the capstone course of my master’s program. Our professor asked us to line up according to stress level in relation to how we felt about finding a job after graduation. As my classmates slowly made their way to varying places along the wall of stress, I made a B-line straight to the “can’t even articulate how anxious” end of the line.

We all struggled with getting started. Some of us felt limited by geography because of a significant other; others had no restrictions and had a hard time finding a place to start. Some of us were so concerned about landing something, anything, we were ready to take the first job no matter what it was. Others had such high expectations that they could have been offered the university president’s job and they would have turned it down because the benefits weren’t exactly what they wanted. None of us knew how salaries worked or who to address cover letters to or how to sell our experiences without overstating our abilities.

Although this stage was initially very overwhelming, once I got past the fear, this was actually the easiest part for me because it had the most pieces that I could control. I also realized that the best way to deal with all these questions was to ask. At the time I was enrolled in a Career Development class which was immensely helpful because it helped me develop not only the “props” of a job search but also forced me to do some really beneficial reflection as well. For me, the process went something like this: (to be continued tomorrow -- check back to see Rachel's process)


Monday, November 21, 2011

Story of a Job Search by Rachel Gibson

Thought it might be both helpful and interesting for you to read of someone else's job search. Helpful in terms of ideas that might be useful to you. And, interesting in terms of a "misery loves company" sort of perspective.

What follows is an introduction to part one of a series of notes I will share with you from the recent job search conducted by Rachel Gibson, our newest Career Counselor.

"I’m a planner. I attempt to anticipate and organize everything. From the minute to minute details of a vacation schedule to the color coded hangers in my closet, I like to coordinate every detail. Naturally, the thought of embarking on my very first long, confusing, overwhelming job search in which I had no control, terrified me. Although, now sitting a little more comfortably from the other side with a job, I realized I gained a lot more than just a job through the ups and downs of the process. 

As I quickly learned from talking to my classmates, every person’s experience is very different and no matter how many people are going through the same thing, there are those times where it feels like you are the only one in the world struggling. People find jobs in different ways, usually in ways that relate to their personality. Some people find jobs through connections, some through relentless determination, some through impeccable organization and planning, but all with a little bit of luck. The most important advice I could give would be to set up yourself up so that when you do find yourself in a lucky situation, you can take advantage of it. This was my experience. It is definitely by no means the “right” way to do things but I hope it gives you some ideas. At the very least I hope it gives you some comfort to know someone’ else’s process, complete with its ups and downs."

Check back in tomorrow for Phase 1 of Rachel's job search.

~jan


Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Time Management

Every morning, I engage in a ritual that I have evolved over the years. This adds immeasurably to the quality of my day, and to my productivity, as well. 

Would you like to experience your own expansion of possibilities? Here are some of my favorite ideas and tips. 

A morning ritual is a special promise you make to yourself – and keep. You commit to open your day using your best energies. What you do can create a bridge between your essential self and whatever demands you will confront as your day unfolds. 

So it's most valuable to create a morning ritual that infuses you with well-being and helps guide you when things get rocky.

Of course, your ritual will be unique to you.  

The following sentence completion exercise will help you identify your individual needs and preferences. Then, you can create a ritual that enriches you in any number of ways: 

1. "The hardest thing about getting up is ________."  

    Morning rituals help you journey from fast asleep to wide awake.  Transition rituals might include selecting the ideal music to rouse you, gentle yoga stretches, a sizzling dance video, or simply a quiet moment with a fragrant cup of tea or coffee.     

2. "My day always goes better when I start it by ________." 

    Morning rituals help you correct your course if you "get up on the wrong side of bed."  Try time-honored favorites like allowing unedited thoughts to take shape as you journal, flowing with T'ai Chi, connecting with your animal companion, or reading something uplifting.  

3. "If I had 10 more minutes in the morning, I'd use it to _____________."  

    Morning rituals send you prepared into your day. Pastimes like writing your intentions for the day, updating your To-Do list, assembling your evening meal in a crock-pot, or firming up tentative plans can each help ground and center you.  

Can you find those ten minutes somewhere? Anywhere? Good! Try incorporating just one activity and see how it adds to your day. 

Do you wonder what the difference is between a ritual and a routine? 

Sometimes, it's simply the level of mindfulness you bring to the moment. Routines can often feel rushed or monotonous – they get you through one part of the day on your way to the next chapter. Rituals, on the other hand, send down roots this instant. And your inner wellsprings nourish you.  

Honoring what you do honors who you are. So you imbue your activities with meaning. When you engage in rituals mindfully, you fully occupy the moment. And time expands.  

This is no small achievement! You genuinely appreciate more moments by focusing your attention and intention upon your movements, moment by moment. Why not maximize this potential when you first greet the day?

Finally, morning rituals can prepare you to respond to upcoming challenges with proactive presence. Experiment and note the results. You may very well enjoy enhanced health, focus and gratitude!

TIP: Keep your morning ritual fresh and appealing to ensure its success. 

Ritual does not mean rote. Ensure that your new ritual meets your changing needs. Energize your activities with variations that engage you and stimulate you. Remember that rituals can do much more than anchor your upcoming day with a meaningful new morning tradition. A morning ritual can deepen your receptivity to the unexpected, as well.    

ACTION STEP: 

Before bedtime, consider how well your ritual served you.  

Did it help orient you, balance your energies, inspire you or focus you?  Are there portions of your ritual you rush through or skip altogether? Throw away any "shoulds" and rework your ritual until it regenerates your enthusiasm and commitment. Keep in mind which challenges stretch you and which ones generate strain. Go for the stretch! 

EXPLORATION: 

Your day may challenge you to flex where you wanted to stay focused, and to focus where you'd hoped to relax.

When your morning ritual includes pastimes like memorizing favorite quotations, you plant in your imagination special phrases that may serve as mantras. And when you move your energy with pleasurable activity during your morning ceremony, you may feel more sure-footed in any number of ways when new challenges come knocking.  

See how far-sighted you can be, even when you look within!


"Used with permission from Paula Eder, Ph.D., The Time Finder Expert.  Paula is an internationally-known coach and published author who mentors spirit-driven entrepreneurs and small business owners, from the inside out, to align their core values and energy with their time choices and behaviors so that they make more money, create more freedom, and find more time.