Follow Your Energy!

Trying to figure out what’s next for you?  Feeling burnt out from the last career, but unsure of a new direction? Watch your energy level.

• Do what gives you energy and avoid activities that sap your energy.
• Be with people who give you energy and avoid people who sap your energy.
• Be in environments that give you energy and avoid environments that sap your energy.
• Read, watch and listen to things that give you energy and avoid those that sap your energy.

You get the idea.  But many of us go on auto-pilot, just trying to make it through the day, especially if you don’t like what you do.

So  turn on your inner observer and notice when you get a burst of energy – and record want caused it. Also note what is particularly energy-sapping – and record it. 

Give yourself a couple of months to record the spikes and dips in energy, then go back and look for patterns. 

If you’re not getting any (or enough) bursts of energy, it’s time to move outside your environment and look for new things to do, new contacts, new topics to read and explore.

The energy you exude affects the impression you create. It is what attracts people and opportunities to you.  Positive energy attracts. Negative energy repels. 

Be curious.  Find and follow where you’re in “flow” and bask in the positive energy that you create.

What are Your Deal-Breakers?

The last blog was about others’ impressions of you.  Now it’s your turn.  Form and record your impressions of the company, the people and the job when you’re interviewing and make sure there are no deal-breakers.

Once again, my thanks to the attendees of the St. Philip’s in the Hills, Tucson Career Transition Group for brainstorming a great list.  Here are a few that may surprise you – and get you thinking about what you really need for a good fit:

• Does the company trust it’s employees or are you micro managed?
• Do they welcome new ideas?
• Are you expected to join the football pool, go out for drinks regularly, contribute to a cause or political action committee?
• Where are they in the product life cycle?  Do they continue to come out with new products?
• Is there a high turnover rate?  Why do people leave?
• What’s really required in terms of hours, overtime and responding to calls and emails from home or on vacation?

How do you find the answer to these questions? 

1. Research online beyond their website. Google the company, products, key executives and anyone you interview with.
2. Try the product, if practical.
3. Ask your market research team (also known as your network).
4. Ask good questions at the interview.

Feel free to share other dealbreakers in the comments section!

Your career is a big part of  your self-image.  Do the research. Get the questions answered.  Make an informed decision based on more than a few hours with a handful of people. 

 This is a decision for how you spend many hours of the day for many years!

Make a Great First Impression

First impressions are made in SECONDS!!  What is the key to making a great first impression?

Positive energy (not excessive energy) is key.  Energy needs to come across in your walk, your voice, your enthusiasm for the job, and your interest in the people you meet.

In the job market, good fit is critial to the hiring decison.  (And lack of fit is the reason most often stated for letting someone go, or leaving a position).

Every encounter makes an impression.  Here are a few things to consider:

• Voice
• Handshake
• Dress
• Hair cut
• Car
• Posture
• Phone Message
• Email address

Job seekers are sometime scared, nervous, even mildly depressed.  I hear this in a weak voice; see it in poor posture or a nervous movement, sense it in a weak or unsure answer to an interview question.

YOU are in charge of the impression you create.  Find a few adjectives that you use to describe yourself when you are at your best and most comfortable. As you prepare to  leave the house (or before you pick up the phone), remind yourself of your image, dress and  be prepared to act reflecting that image, and go forth with energy!