CareerHMO.com member, Lori sent me a link to a video this week that reinforced a concept I've long known, but never saw put into such interesting practice.
Click here » to watch how Volkswagen has challenged inventors to find ways to change human behavior for the better, by making the behavior more fun to do. (NOTE: Go straight to video #4 and watch the Piano Stairs first!)
The #1 Reason Job Search isn't Fun
I've been coaching people on their careers, particularly job search, for over a decade now. 100% of the people who come to me have the same perception: looking for work isn't fun. They dread it. They agonize over it. They feel defeated each time they get a rejection letter. Or worse, when they hear nothing at all. And yet, I know they are looking at it all wrong. In fact, the number one reason job search isn't fun is because we don't make it fun! We've all trained ourselves to believe it has to be a boring, demoralizing process. Not true! Finding work can actually be a blast - but only if you are willing to open yourself up to the idea it can be enjoyable.
Step 1: Focus on the Feel-good Activities
When embarking on a job search, the first step is NOT to spend hours putting your resume together. That's enough to make you want to give up. The first step is to do a validating self-discovery to remind you of your professional strengths and interests. You need to feel good about who you are as a professional and what you have to offer. In the same way we don't just head out for a night on the town in our pajamas without showering, we shouldn't jump into a job search without looking and feeling our best. For example, inside CareerHMO.com, we have you complete the Professional Strengths Profile and submit it to your career expert for review. Your expert then sends you feedback about your strengths and how you can leverage them in your job search. This process gets the member feeling more confident in their skills and abilities - and we all know a confident attitude is vital for convincing hiring managers we are the right person for the job.
Step 2: You Pick Where You Want to Work
It's amazing how many job seekers actually believe their only options for work are what's currently posted on job boards. My colleague, Dale Dauten, says anyone who is just responding to job postings on-line isn't job hunting, they are job wishing. I couldn't agree more. In CareerHMO.com, we have you create an Interview Bucket List where companies that impress you with what they do are put down for employment consideration, regardless of whether they have an open job posted. Why? Because all companies are looking for talent, irrespective of what they have open for jobs. And their definition of talent is someone who gets what they do and why they do it. So, if you put them on your list, you've already dramatically increased the chances you are a fit for their organization. How fun is that?!?
Step 3: Spend Time with People You Admire & Respect
It should come as no surprise to you if you have companies that really excite you on your Interview Bucket List, then you'd probably also be really excited about meeting people who work there. Most likely, you'd find it easy to ask them questions about their work and the company, right? And, you'd enjoy hearing about it, correct? Well, that's exactly what we teach you to do inside CareerHMO.com. Our Informational Interview Prep helps you secure and execute meetings with people at your dream companies, helping you start to network your way so you can learn what it will take to get hired. You'll find the process mentally stimulating in a way that will inspire you to want to network more. And since we know networking is how 80%+ of jobs are being gotten today, you'll be having fun while doing the single best job search technique you can be implementing.
Don't Believe Me? Then You Haven't Worked with Us!
Ask any of our CareerHMO.com members who have followed the steps above and worked with us by e-mail through the process. We laugh, cheer and get excited about every little advancement they make. We even make lemonade out of lemons (a.k.a. turn bad experiences into good ones). Which leads to my final point...
Finding Work Can Be Fun, But Only if You Do it With Somebody!
CareerHMO.com is an interactive community. It enables you to connect with others and provides you with an opportunity to make finding work fun by teaming up with peers, sharing your daily experiences, and participating in live sessions. We are open 24/7. Which means, you can jump inside and find someone to play job search with any time you want!
