Success Tweet: Focus on what you are becoming. This helps you believe in yourself and builds your confidence. Confidence is important to your success.
I love the idea of “becoming.”
It’s really a positive concept, and it’s similar to a couple of the ideas in The Optimist Creed. The sixth point of The Optimist Creed says, “Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.” The ninth point says, “Give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.”
Tweet 41 in Success Tweets and points six and nine in The Optimist Creed reinforce one of my career success coach points – success is a journey, not a destination. Keep moving forward in your life and you’ll succeed.
I’m going to be 60 this year and I keep learning, growing, and moving forward. To celebrate my 60th birthday, I will be releasing three new books and a home study course on life and career success this year. I am becoming a better career success coach because of my writing and my blogging. But I’m nothing compared to Peter Drucker. He wrote 39 books in his long and distinguished life and career – two thirds of them were written after he was 65 years old.
“Becoming” is not a function of age. It’s a function of your willingness to look ahead and see the opportunities life brings your way – and then to act on them. Take it from a career success coach. When you focus on what you are becoming, you will be building the life and career success you want and deserve. Keep becoming and you will succeed. I guarantee it.
I like the idea of “becoming” so much because it gets at the idea all of us can always become something more, no matter our age, or our previous successes or failures. There is always more to do, more to accomplish, a way to become more remarkable.
Becoming and thinking go hand in hand. Your thoughts determine what you will become. It’s true -- you become what you think about most. That means that the quantity and quality of the life and career success you will achieve will be in direct proportion to the size of your thoughts. If you allow your mind to be dominated by trivial matters, your achievements are likely to be unimportant.
If you discipline yourself to think about things important to your life and career success, you will achieve great things. Take my career advice; keep up with what’s new in your field and with what’s going on in the world.
Create a list of good ideas that you can use anytime you are searching for a creative solution to a problem. Remember, people with small minds think and talk about other people. People with medium sized minds think and talk about things. People with great minds think and talk about ideas.
The common sense career success coach point here is simple. Build your life and career success by focusing on what you are becoming. Career success is a journey, not a destination. Treat it that way.
Use the career advice in Tweet 41 in Success Tweets, “Focus on what you are becoming. This helps you believe in yourself and builds your confidence. Confidence is important to your success.”
Commit to taking personal responsibility for your life and career. Set high goals, then do whatever it takes to meet or exceed them. React positively to the setbacks, problems and negative people and events in your life. Keep at it. Don’t let a day when you come back empty handed in your quest for building a remarkable life and career get you down. Get up the next day with optimism in your heart, focused on what you are becoming and keep working.
If you would like a copy of The Optimist Creed to frame and hang in your office, go here and enter your name and e-mail address.
Building career success image from Shutterstock
Bigstock
Finding a job during the holidays is no easy task. You have to navigate vacations, slow hiring processes, and increased competition. Yet with the right strategy, it can be done.
This time of year offers special opportunities for job seekers. Holiday networking events, for example, can be great chances to meet professionals you might not encounter otherwise. Additionally, some employers are still eager to fill positions before budgets reset or headcount is finalized in the new year, making it a prime time to stand out with a strategic approach.
Here are five ways you can stand out from the competition this holiday season and find a job before the end of the year.
1. Showcase The Right Skills On Your Resume
Bigstock
When updating your resume, focus on aligning your experience with the specific demands of the industry. Go beyond just listing responsibilities; dig into job descriptions to identify the core skills that consistently appear for your target roles. By tailoring your resume with these keywords, you not only capture the attention of hiring managers but also boost your chances of passing applicant tracking systems (ATS), which are often programmed to scan for these key terms. It's all about keywords!
During the holiday season, hiring managers are often managing tight timelines and high demands, making it crucial for candidates to demonstrate that they’re ready to hit the ground running. Highlighting industry-relevant skills shows you're not only familiar with the landscape but also equipped to make an immediate impact. Be sure to include examples of how you've leveraged these core strengths in previous roles to support team goals or tackle challenges (aka quantify your work experience). The holidays are hectic, so share with the potential employer how you'll be a positive addition to the team by leveraging your strengths and emphasizing your value as a business-of-one.
2. Dress The Part
Bigstock
Don't underestimate the power of a great first impression. Dress for the interview in professional attire. Even if the job description mentions a casual dress code, such as jeans and a sweatshirt, it’s essential to show respect for the employer by dressing in a way that demonstrates your commitment to making a positive impression. Wearing attire that reflects your professionalism shows you care about how you're perceived and the impression you leave on others.
Not sure what to wear? We recommend dressing conservatively in clothing one level above what the current employees at the company are wearing. You want to look professional, but not like you don't fit in with the workplace culture.
3. Show Your Connection To The Company
Bigstock
Employers like to hire candidates who have a passion for what they do. Why? Because when people are passionate about their work, that enthusiasm often translates into a higher level of commitment, creativity, and productivity. This intrinsic motivation can lead to consistently strong performance and a positive impact on the team and company as a whole.
In your disruptive cover letter (and during your job interview), demonstrate how and why you admire the company. Highlight what you love most about their products and services. Give examples of how you have personally used them in your own life with success. The more you can show them you understand and respect the business, the more likely you'll impress the hiring manager and move forward in the interview process.
4. Demonstrate Your Value
Bigstock
It's important to remember that you're a business-of-one, and you're trying to sell the service you provide as a business-of-one to employers (the customers who will be paying you for the service).
To find a job during the holidays, you must adequately demonstrate your value as a business-of-one and highlight your strengths and the specific benefits you bring as a potential employee throughout the hiring process. How do you do this? Well, make sure to quantify your work experience on your resume. Use numbers to showcase your accomplishments. Clearly state how you'll make or save the company money with your employment. Do this, and you'll easily become one of the top candidates for the position.
5. Express Gratitude
Bigstock
The holidays are busy for everyone. When you're applying for jobs during the holiday season, keep gratitude in mind. This positive mindset not only helps you stay resilient but also shines through in your applications and interviews, leaving a memorable impression on potential employers.
After every job interview, always send a thank-you note. It's just the polite thing to do, and you'll score more points with the hiring manager. Even if you get rejected, or never hear back about a position, make sure you send an email thanking the employer for the opportunity and wish them the best of luck with finding the right job candidate.
Don't be bitter. Be gracious. You never know what will happen in the future. You might want to apply for another job at the company down the line. So, don't let your frustration get the best of you. Remember: If you get rejected, they didn't say, "No, not ever." They just said, "No, not today."
A successful holiday job search depends on a solid strategy. Follow the guidelines above and land a job this holiday season!
Need more help with your job search?
Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
Read moreShow less