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What’s Keeping Me Up at Night During This Job Search?

It’s about two months into my hunt for a new professional home. Kicking my job search into high gear has been an intense start-up process. Fortunately, there is a substantial variety of tools for all types of job seekers. Nonetheless, these thoughts cross my mind every night: "Will I ever find another job again?" or "What if there's no real fit for me at local companies, and I'll have to pull up stakes and move several states away?" or "How much more to the bone can I live without jeopardizing my well-being or that of my two young sons?” After all, I am 100% responsible for them. So lots and lots of "what-ifs" along those lines run through my mind.

 

On the more positive side, I also have thoughts attached to various promising job possibilities, interviews and networking moments. For example, if this one particular likely job application and its interviews come through to a job offer, what will it mean to my altered professional life? The permutations cover thoughts such as longer commuting time, having to possibly engage an additional part-time sitter, more expenses associated with a long commute, etc., etc. Then I sit back and say, "Whoa, Jane, just take one day at a time and cross those bridges when you get there."

 

I’ve also heard on the radio that some firms are rehiring many of the same folks they let go in past months or last year. They’ve discovered they laid off the folks with experience (and larger paychecks), giving up the expertise to remain financially competitive. So now another thought that keeps me awake is the possibility I could be rehired by my former employer. Is it better to go back with the devil you know rather than the one you don't? Or should I just never look back and seize this opportunity to move forward in my professional life? So many folks have said to me that there is certainly something better awaiting me, and they say it with great confidence.

 

Most of these anxious ideas running around in my head come at the end of a long job-hunting day, whereby it is not clearly evident I am making progress. Despite my best efforts of tracking all conversations, networking opportunities, linking into new contact points and going on interviews, I still sometimes get bogged down by my worries. My gut instinct to squash those worries before bed is to become physically active in cleaning my house. I can’t go out for a late-night run, which would be my preference, since I can’t leave my sons alone in the house.

 

Recently, I've been encouraged by a wise gentleman who tells me that while the job quest progress may not be self-evident right now, it will all gel together in a most surprising way when I least expect it. Meanwhile, I just keep trying to direct my thoughts in a positive direction despite the late-night worries and strive to run all other things in my life in the same direction to a happy end.

 

What is your key worry that prevents you from getting fitful sleep at night while unemployed?

Why the Motivational and Inspirational Thoughts Have Been So Effective and A MAJOR Announcement for ONLY Newsletter Subscribers in 2 Weeks

I wanted to take this time to let RSS subscribers (those who have just subscribed to the blog feed, not the email newsletter) know that they’re missing out on the M.I.T’s (motivational and inspirational thoughts) I send out in my email newsletter.

I send these thoughts out daily from Monday – Friday to thousands of email inboxes around the world and the topic and format of it varies on any given day.

Some days, it’s just an idea to think about to start your day, other days a specific strategy to implement, other days a realization to ponder, still other days, an inspirational story.

They’re NOT your typical cut and paste quotes of “Just do it!” like other motivational newsletters.

They’re written in my own unique way that you can’t really appreciate until you start receiving them in your email inbox.

You never really know what you’re going to get on any given day which I think is part of its appeal as it makes people want to open and read it but what you can guarantee is that it will be something motivational and inspirational and help you slowly help improve your mind by nourishing it with rich mental protein.

The results of it have been phenomenal.

If you go to my main site and scroll down on any given article, you’ll see the rotating box of testimonials along with the newsletter sign up box that displays a small sample of what people have been saying about the newsletter.

I highly recommend you take some time to read through them. Most of the testimonials were very long and I had to cut out a lot of words so they would fit in the box. You’ll see the success that people have had by receiving these M.I.T’s and you’ll also notice something interesting as well – that people have testified that on some days, they got the EXACT M.I.T. they needed that day.

So what’s the secret behind its success?

Why have the M.I.T’s been FAR MORE effective than plunking down thousands of dollars for a 3 day self improvement seminar to only get pumped up for those 3 days and then to revert back to your old self after a couple of weeks?

The answer is very, very, very, simple and so, so, so effective.

It’s because of CONSISTENCY.

That’s it.

There is NO OTHER self improvement tool out there like these M.I.T’s that CONSISTENTLY provide you with RICH mental protein to change your beliefs, your mindset, the way you perceive the world, the actions you take, etc.

It’s the ONLY thing of its kind out there.

Most people don’t take the proactive approach to do this – to feed their mind everyday with rich mental protein.

The M.I.T’s do it for you – they make it EASY – it’s right there sitting in your inbox in the morning. All you have to do is read it, think about it, and apply it.

It may not sound like much – but just do it for a month.

I guarantee you will begin to see results with it,

Add to that, at the end of each M.I.T,, you will see a link either to a current article of the day or a brand new one – that way, it’s easy to read all the articles on this site, one day at a time.

This is where this service is FAR MORE SUPERIOR than any seminar, any book, any tape, you read and plunk down money for because with all that other stuff, it just wears off.

EXCEPT THIS.

Some people might think that it’s too much given that this newsletter gets sent out 5 days a week, Monday – Friday.

“Oh no! It’s too much email.” they say.

But they forget that one important concept – CONSISTENCY.

You see, those people who aren’t willing to do this, who aren’t willing to take advantage of this FREE service – they don’t have what it takes.

They really don’t and I pity them for it, especially because it’s SO EASY as I practically do everything for them, including delivering everything to their doorstep.

Think about it.

They do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING except check their email and read it. The actual M.I.T is only a couple sentences, at most a couple of paragraphs. It will only take them a couple minutes each day. It sets their mind right for the day. Implants helpful beliefs. Improves their mindset. Helps them think more positively. Helps them take more action toward their goal. Helps them make breakthrough realizations. Expands their comfort zone and the list of benefits go on and on and on.

But no.

Spending 1 -2 minutes a day reading an email 5 days a week – that’s too much for them.

Let me ask those people a question.

Does Tiger Woods practice golf once a week or once a month?

Do people who want to lose weight only exercise once a week or once a month?

Does anybody ever really get good at anything or make SIGNIFICANT LASTING CHANGE in their lives without doing something CONSISTENTLY?

You see – those people who don’t want to sign up – they don’t realize they’re trapped in their current level of thinking.

I even wrote an actual M.I.T about this concept that describes it in more detail:

“It’s VERY easy to shoot ourselves in the foot when it comes to trying new things that might help us.

Here’s a simple example to illustrate.

Let’s say a person is at a level 6 right now (with level 10 being where they want to be).

There’s this new book that comes out that has some information that might help this person.

But this person scoffs at it and writes it off thinking that there’s nothing that will benefit him there.

Here’s the problem.

That’s level 6 talking.

That’s level 6 thinking.

That’s level 6 action.

As a result, he’s created a prison for himself where he can never get to the next level.

Don’t fall for the same trap.

If you want to improve, you’re going to have to open up and try new things.

Otherwise, you’re always going to be trapped at your current level of thinking.”

I’ve done EVERYTHING I CAN ON MY END when it comes to this newsletter.

I spent my own money for the service that allows me to send all these emails to thousands of people in over 120 countries around the world. I spend time daily thinking about what the message is I want to send for the next day. I spend time crafting it, honing it, really making it sound right so that people get the message it’s trying to impart and they apply it. I select an article of the day as well and include the link and I format everything in one nice email and then send it.

The people who have signed up and read it Monday through Friday – they are the one’s whose lives have improved.

They are the ones who are moving up a level, not the ones who scoff at this idea and think it won’t help, who are only trapped at their current level of thinking.

And ultimately, they are the ones who will have made LASTING change.

Simply put, if you’re not consistent, your success will be NON EXISTENT.

So if you haven’t signed up for the newsletter, do so today by clicking here so you can start reaping the many benefits of the M.I.Ts like thousands of others have around the world.

And did I mention that it’s ABSOLUTELY FREE?

AND that it comes with a FREE ecourse on how you can maximize the power of your mind (which when you read, will help you appreciate the M.I.T’s that much more)

I can’t make it any easier for people to take advantage of this FREE service that has changed so many lives around the world.

Also, there’s another reason to sign up because in 2 weeks, I am going to have a MAJOR announcement for ONLY subscribers to the newsletter (as it will only affect them) that will help them in more ways than the current M.I.T’s, the articles, and dare I say the books too on this site (yes, even the books, yes, even The Hidden Secret in Think and Grow Rich). Yes it will be THAT good and in my opinion, one of THE MOST helpful things on this site and I can’t wait to announce it.

You definitely don’t want to miss out on it so sign up today .

P.S. – I’ve closed comments to prevent any questions or speculation about the announcement. I don’t want to get sucked into giving away any clues as I want it to be a VERY pleasant and total surprise!


Getting Back in the Interviewing Groove

Lo and behold, during the final stages of planning our mini-vacation to Chicago, I received a call to a much-desired interview with a local subsidiary of a multinational firm. The position is aligned with my marketing skills and, at the outset, looks like a good fit. The resume did its job and opened up the door for this first conversation with this firm. Now I’ll have to dust off my interview savvy from 9-plus years ago and weave in some of the new learnings to insure the next steps happen with this firm.


You may have heard the old joke: “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?”


“Practice, practice, practice!”


And the same applies with interviewing. I’ve decided I need the practice in order to be comfortable answering new, challenging types of questions I hadn’t encountered years ago. Fortunately, one of my running buddies knows an actively employed HR person who is doing some volunteering at a local community center. So he’ll connect me with her, and I’ll see if she is willing to spend a half hour conducting a mock interview. Of course, I’ll read up on potential questions and practice in front of a mirror, but having this HR person’s perspective shall be immensely helpful. As they say, you never know who knows who, and I openly talk about my job search steps every time I meet with my running buddies.


Preparing for the interview is part of getting my groove back. Part of that preparation includes researching the firm -- beyond what is posted on the company Web site. Often the local library has a business section or even a business librarian who can cull out relevant articles in the papers and other media. I’ve also been told that the local unemployment office has resources either on site or at the state level to do this type of research on your behalf.


Once I’ve done my homework about the firm, I need to draw up my list of questions. It is critical to learn more about a firm that might be your next potential employer for many many years. The first interview is all about the fit; after all, since you’ve got the interview, it most likely has been determined that you have either all or most of the skills to do the job. HR or the hiring manager has chosen you based on your resume to be one of the top candidates, given how time-consuming interviewing can be for everyone involved. So the fit check, both by the people interviewing you as well as you them, is critical for moving on to the next steps, whether it be a second interview or an offer. Having prepared questions on my end indicates a desire to be part of the corporate fit.


Lastly, I need to do an inventory of how I will present myself in person with respect to attire, accessories and being pulled together. At the initial interview, nobody needs to see that I am a mother of two very active, small boys. I’ll need to be sure my interview bag is clean of any children’s toys or papers. While it is very sweet and endearing to find a surprise toy or love note drawing from my boys in my bag (on most days, the little boy wonders do sneak something in), it would be an awkward pause in the beginning steps of an interview conversation to pull out a scribbled drawing rather than a clean notebook. Maybe this would be a funny scene in a sitcom, but not in real life. Just like getting back in the dating scene after a divorce, you don’t wish to scare away a potential love of your life -- or the right employer.


How have you geared up for interviewing again? Any funny, yet important lessons learned to share with your unemployed compatriots?

Getting Back in the Interviewing Groove

Lo and behold, during the final stages of planning our mini-vacation to Chicago, I received a call to a much-desired interview with a local subsidiary of a multinational firm. The position is aligned with my marketing skills and, at the outset, looks like a good fit. The resume did its job and opened up the door for this first conversation with this firm. Now I’ll have to dust off my interview savvy from 9-plus years ago and weave in some of the new learnings to insure the next steps happen with this firm.


You may have heard the old joke: “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?”


“Practice, practice, practice!”


And the same applies with interviewing. I’ve decided I need the practice in order to be comfortable answering new, challenging types of questions I hadn’t encountered years ago. Fortunately, one of my running buddies knows an actively employed HR person who is doing some volunteering at a local community center. So he’ll connect me with her, and I’ll see if she is willing to spend a half hour conducting a mock interview. Of course, I’ll read up on potential questions and practice in front of a mirror, but having this HR person’s perspective shall be immensely helpful. As they say, you never know who knows who, and I openly talk about my job search steps every time I meet with my running buddies.


Preparing for the interview is part of getting my groove back. Part of that preparation includes researching the firm -- beyond what is posted on the company Web site. Often the local library has a business section or even a business librarian who can cull out relevant articles in the papers and other media. I’ve also been told that the local unemployment office has resources either on site or at the state level to do this type of research on your behalf.


Once I’ve done my homework about the firm, I need to draw up my list of questions. It is critical to learn more about a firm that might be your next potential employer for many many years. The first interview is all about the fit; after all, since you’ve got the interview, it most likely has been determined that you have either all or most of the skills to do the job. HR or the hiring manager has chosen you based on your resume to be one of the top candidates, given how time-consuming interviewing can be for everyone involved. So the fit check, both by the people interviewing you as well as you them, is critical for moving on to the next steps, whether it be a second interview or an offer. Having prepared questions on my end indicates a desire to be part of the corporate fit.


Lastly, I need to do an inventory of how I will present myself in person with respect to attire, accessories and being pulled together. At the initial interview, nobody needs to see that I am a mother of two very active, small boys. I’ll need to be sure my interview bag is clean of any children’s toys or papers. While it is very sweet and endearing to find a surprise toy or love note drawing from my boys in my bag (on most days, the little boy wonders do sneak something in), it would be an awkward pause in the beginning steps of an interview conversation to pull out a scribbled drawing rather than a clean notebook. Maybe this would be a funny scene in a sitcom, but not in real life. Just like getting back in the dating scene after a divorce, you don’t wish to scare away a potential love of your life -- or the right employer.


How have you geared up for interviewing again? Any funny, yet important lessons learned to share with your unemployed compatriots?

Don’t Fall Into the Trap of Always Looking for the “Home Run Shot”

This is a trap most people will fall for and be able to relate to as well.

In the pursuit of any worthy endeavor, we always tend to look for that ONE knockout punch, that ONE home run shot, where we can just do that ONE thing and accomplish our objective.

The efficiency of it is what lures us in.

But the hidden trap people will always fall into is this:

While looking for that one “home run shot”, they neglect to consistently apply the small strategies that will also help them to accomplish their objective.

That’s where all the work is done and most likely, there’s where you find the path TO that one knockout punch, that one home run shot.

Here’s a simple example to illustrate.

Six pack abs is something some people would love to have.

But they don’t want to do what’s necessary to do it.

They want to look for that one “the home run shot” – whether it’s take this magic pill and you’ll get your six pack or wear this lap band on your waist while you watch TV and watch it give you a six pack.

All futile attempts as we all know.

But what if instead of looking for and pursuing that one home run shot, a person consistently applied some small strategies to help them get to their objective.

What if they walked for 30 minutes a day, did 1 hour of fun cardio (kickboxing, dance, boxing, etc), and kept a sensible low fat diet?.

If they applied those small strategies, they would be able to reduce their body fat, hence making their “six pack” visible as they got rid of the fat covering it up in the first place.

But people don’t do that.

They don’t like applying small strategies consistently.

They like to look for the home run shot and rationalize it by saying the time and effort spent to find it is worth it because all they have to do is hit it.

The problem is that it will take them a long, long time to find it (if it even exists) and even if they do find it, it may not be enough.

They could’ve spent all that time and energy on applying small strategies consistently and making REAL progress.

It’s also one of the main reasons why people don’t apply the advice they hear all the time - write down your goals, take action, save 10% of your income – if they did that consistently, you’re going to see a HUGE difference between someone who ignores all that and spends ALL their time and effort looking for that ONE home run shot rather than apply all the small strategies consistently.

There’s another reason that exacerbates this kind of behavior.

Companies know that people inherently look for the easy way out, that home run shot, so they base their marketing on that accordingly.

And people fall for it.

When one home run shot doesn’t work, they move on to the next on and the next, never really making any tangible REAL progress.

Contrast that with what REALLY works - what people don’t want to hear – the consistent application of small strategies and you’ll see the difference.

Imagine a baseball game where each and every player at bat tried to hit a home run.

They swing for the fences on every pitch.

The result wouldn’t be very pretty.

Maybe you would hit one home run once in a while, but nothing really consistent.

After a while, after seeing no results, it’s easy for the team to get dejected, to not even try.

But what if you got some singles in, some doubles, and the bases got loaded?

Even though you hit a single, you score a run.

And can you imagine if you hit a home run then?

You get 4 runs instead of just 1 had you hit it with no bases loaded.

The EXACT same home run hit, yet two vastly different results – all because one team consistently did all the small strategies while looking for the big home run shot while the other team just solely looked for the big home run shot.

There’s another side to the consistent application of small strategies that most people don’t see too – the momentum shifts in your favor. The other team gets nervous when all the bases are loaded, there’s electricity and excitement in the air – the possibility of hitting a grand slam becomes palpable, it’s within your grasp and in essence, the odds begin to stack in your favor WHEN you take the time to apply the small strategies consistently.

Don’t get caught up in looking for the home run to the point where that’s where you spend all your time.

Consistently apply the small strategies that will help you get to your goal – that’s what works and that’s what will help you find the “home run shot” and to hit it.

And when you do, it will make the results THAT MUCH sweeter.


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