You probably know what I’m talking about.

You’re working on a project and you find yourself writing the same sentences or listing the same ideas over and over and over again.

Or you’re reading a book and you find that you’ve read the same paragraph 13 times and you have no idea what the words told you.

Or you’re working on a home or garden project and you find yourself wandering through the rooms or the rose bushes, and nothing is getting accomplished.

You’re moving…but you aren’t getting anywhere.  It’s like you’re walking on a treadmill without changing locations, and you can’t get off.

The same thing happens in a job search.  (Especially if you haven’t received any encouraging news from employers recently.)  You’re doing “stuff” but it’s busy work.

It’s time to get some traction.

Best place to start? Get some focus. Decide to do three things today that will get you closer to your new job.  Add a measurement to your tasks—how long or how many.

For example:

• Call three people in your network and thank them for their help and support in the past.  (This keeps your name and job search in front of them.)
• Spend 1 hour researching a company you’re interested in working for.  Put your notes in the file folder you’ve created for that company.
• Pick one friend who is also unemployed and list three people you can connect her with.  Give her a call and share the connctions with her.

Although I’m not someone known for an extreme exercise commitment, I’m smart enough to know that how we feel physically makes a big difference in our attitude. Re-energize your body.  Take a long brisk walk or run to get rid of that sluggish feeling.  Eat just fruits and vegetables for  one meal—stay away from the sugar.  Or take a nap!

The best way to move from treadmill to traction is to do something intentionally.  Stop the machine. Step off.  Do something that moves you to a different place.

Your job search is a journey. Different stops along the way.  Don’t stay too long on the treadmill. There are better ways to get you to your destination.

What’s one action you can take today to move from treadmill to traction?

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It’s Monday.  The beginning of a new week.

For some, rolling out of bed is energizing—excited about work, meeting goals, and getting good stuff done.  Others face the day/week with a bit more disgruntled attitude.  “Another day of the same old, same old.”

Job seekers, your attitude and the choices you make this morning will influence your job search success.

You have two options:

1. “I’m going to plan my work and work my plan.  I will make connections that get me closer to finding the right job.”
2. “No one’s hiring; it doesn’t matter what I do.  There just aren’t jobs out there. Why bother.”

Looking for a new job certainly brings its share of discouragement and frustration.  No doubt about that.  And…employers are hiring.  People are finding jobs.  Now is not the time to quit.

Your attitude, the choices you make on how you will spend today, will either get you closer to the new job, or they will move you further away from greater economic stability.

Even if you’re frustrated and discouraged, choose to do one thing today that will make a positive impact on your job search.  Just one thing.  And then tomorrow morning, get up and choose to do one more thing.  These “one things” will build on each other.

It’s a new day.  Choose to do one thing today that will make you feel good about yourself.  Just one thing. It will make a difference.

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There are two things you can control during your job search: your emotions and your strategy.

In the last postings, we looked at ways to keep your head in the game when the rules don’t seem fair, and how to move through the highs and lows of looking for a job.

Now let’s consider a few strategic moves that are most likely to get you that interview.

1. Create your strategy.  This requires putting your plan on paper.  It’s easy to keep ideas in our head.  But it’s difficult to put those thoughts into action without first writing them down.  Putting those ideas on paper gives them clarity and power.  You may find My Weekly Plan for Success to be a helpful tool in creating your strategy.

 2. Review your strategy.  If you aren’t getting call-backs or interviews, then do something different.  How are you spending your time?  Be honest.  Are you really spending 4-5 hours each day setting appointments and talking to people?  Or are those 4-5 hours spent leaving messages and updating your database?  If your strategy isn’t working, create a new strategy.

3.  Review your resume.  To get the interview, you need to be noticed.  Two ways to do this: through a networking connection or a really sharp resume.  So take another look at your resume.  I know.  I can hear your moans.  You are SOOO over your resume, right?  Then ask someone else to look at it.  Ideally, a professional.  Someone with expertise—an HR professional, recruiter, industry expert.  Get a fresh perspective.  (A good question to ask: is your resume documenting your work history or selling your accomplishments?)

 You may have seen Career Builders’ blog, TheWorkBuzz.com.  Check it out for some more helpful ideas on making sure your resume stands out.

Your emotions and your strategy.  Two critical components of your job search.  And two things you can control.

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Do you remember riding the roller coaster at the fair when you were younger?  The faster, the better.  And if you felt like throwing up when it was all over, you knew you’d gotten your money’s worth.  It just didn’t get any better than that, right? 

The ride usually began with a slow, bumpy, upward crawl at a 90 degree angle (I called it the “death march”).  You didn’t question whether the rickety wooden planks would keep your car on the tracks.  You just kept waiting for the inevitable sudden drop in altitude.  And then you felt it.  The plunge left your heart and stomach at the top of the loop while your body pitched forward.  As a symbol of your bravery you raised your arms in the air and celebrated being alive.  The twists, the turns, the spirals, the ups, the downs. 

Half the time you wondered if you were going to die, and the rest of the time you believed you were going to die! 

Your emotions during this job-search transition are going to feel the same way.  You should expect to experience anger, shock, disappointment, resentment, and acceptance.  It is normal to go through “the blues,” depression, high energy, low energy, and anxiety.  So what do you do about these ups and downs?  You move up and down!  And eventually you find the way that works for you to regain some of your equilibrium. 

A word of advice?  Deal with your emotions.  Stuffing them won’t get you anywhere.  Ignoring them will either a) make you physically sick with stress-related illnesses, or b) cause you to “lose it” at the wrong time with the wrong person (like during an interview).  Your responsibility is to identify what’s going on in your head and your heart, and figure out how to move to a better place.

You may have lost control of your employment when they decided to eliminate your position or send it overseas.  But you have not lost control of how you choose to respond to your situation. 

Emotions are part of being human.  Talk to someone about your ups and downs.  Believe me.  People will admire you for your courage in naming the elephant on the table, and they will ask how they can help get that elephant out of the living room.

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For most job seekers, the numbers just don’t make sense.

The ratio of resumes sent to interviews received looks like the Leaning Tower of Pisa…just before it hits the ground.

The bad news?  This is typical.

The good news?  This is typical.

So what do you do?  You focus on what you can control: your emotions and your strategy.

First things first.  Remember that you choose how you think about your situation.  Your thinking influences your emotions; your emotions influence your behavior.  So it all starts in your head.

Here are three suggestions for keeping your mind in the game when the rules don’t seem fair:

1. Focus on your activities, not their responses.  Set your weekly goals for networking contacts, follow-ups, research activities, informational interviews, etc.  Remember that the more people you have a strategic conversation with, the closer you get to your next job.

 2. Fill your mind with positive thinking.  This works.  If you choose to focus on your discouragement, the hurt, and your frustration, your energy will decrease, you won’t be sharp in conversations or when writing cover letters, and you will find yourself getting lazy.  (These do not contribute to finding a job!)  Read good books, pray, meditate, create affirmations that keep your thinking focused, etc. 

 3. Give yourself one more hour to sit in your pain, and then move on.  Sixty minutes.  No more.  Make the choice.  Identify your hurts and frustrations—vent with a trusted friend, make a list in a notebook, and then discard of the thinking/emotions that are holding you back.  Start over.

The Wall Street Journal has been following out-of-work professionals as they move through their transition.  You may see yourself in the posting by John Brownrigg—he found a job after 16 months of unemployment.

It’s been several years since James Allen wrote As a Man Thinketh.  This classic best-seller reminds us of the influence our thinking has on our reality.  Millions of readers have found value in this short book’s message; I suggest adding it to your library.

In Part 2, we’ll compare your job search to The Wild Thing at the local amusement park.  And then we’ll take a closer look at a few things you can do to keep control of your strategy.

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It’s early February. 

Forty days ago you were ready to hit the ground running.  Your next job was just round the corner.  You were refreshed, re-energized, and making things happen.  It was a new year, a new you, with a new job in sight.  Nothing was holding you back.

Now you’re wondering what happened to your enthusiasm and commitment.  The rejection letters are still coming.  No interviews on the calendar.  And even your dog is tired of having you around the house.

Here are three things you can do today to re-engage in this job of finding a job.

1)      Do an honest evaluation of how you spent your time the last two weeks.  Re-create your schedule.  Were you really talking to people?  Or were you getting ready to talk to people?  If you were your boss, would you give yourself a bonus for extra effort or would you be contemplating your demotion.

2)      Take another look at your resume.  Better yet, ask an expert to take a look at it.  Your eyes probably glaze over every time you see it—you’ve looked at it so much, and have worked so hard on it.  Is it marketing you?  Is it identifying your strengths—selling your accomplishments?  Do you stand out?

3)      Create an aggressive job search strategy for the next two weeks.  Kick it up a notch.  YOU own your job search. 

Focus on Job Opportunities.  Revisit your target market list.  Don’t have one?  Create one.  Follow-up on resumes…professionally.  Practice interviewing.

Develop professionally.  Read your industry’s latest trade journal—or even your local paper.  Find something interesting and make a note of it.  Take the computer classes that will help you get that next job.

Network.  Double the number of people you’re talking with/meeting with every day.  Step away from the computer and get visible.  Attend meetings.  Be the person who connects others.  Help someone else.

Go fishing.  Schedule time to breathe.  Block out time for an activity you enjoy that will re-energize you.

Click here for a Weekly Plan for Success template that will help you focus on the activities that get you closer to a job.

When you’re in a rut, step back and review what you’re doing.  Then do something different.

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Success in business depends greatly on your ability to connect with people.  Whether you are looking for a job or you are building business relationships, you want to be able to tell people who you are and what you do (or what you are looking for).

This is where the “elevator speech” becomes part of the conversation.

You’ve been told of its importance, and you’ve been sold on its benefits.  Good.  How about rethinking how you use that elevator speech?

Amy Lindgren is one of my favorite career strategists.  Her article in our local St. Paul Pioneer Press newspaper last Sunday shed some good light on how to more effectively use this tool.

Two take-aways from her article:

1)      The relationship comes first.  Don’t use your introduction as a platform presentation.  Get to know the other person and share your story as part of developing a new relationship.

2)      Memorizing your elevator speech makes it sound…memorized.  Know the points you want to make and wind them into your conversation.  Use your introduction to guide the conversation.

I’d encourage you to read Amy’s article. (She also had excellent suggestions on the use of emails during your job search.) 

Your networking should be all about building and nurturing relationships.  Always ask: what can I do for you to move your career or business forward?

Businesses are built on relationships.  Not elevator speeches.

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I have been listening to Jim Rohn this week as I drive between appointments.  His program called “The Power of Ambition” includes a CD on self-discipline.  I’ve listened to it twice in just as many days.  What wisdom.  (If you aren’t familiar with Jim Rohn, please take a few minutes to learn more about him.  Although his time on earth recently ended, he leaves us with a rich legacy of business philosophy that can change your life.)

“Disciplined” is not the first word I use to describe myself.  But it is becoming clearer and clearer to me that the habits I create from being disciplined determine my progress in reaching my goals.

If I consistently make the decision to eat healthier food and exercise more regularly—and then act on that decision—I will be healthier and more fit.

If I consistently make the decision to think before I speak—and then act on that decision—my words will be more gracious.

If I consistently make the decision to set daily goals—and then act on that decision—I will get closer to achieving those goals.

Mr. Rohn describes consistent self discipline as “applying what you know.”  “Procrastination says, ‘Get it done.’ Discipline says, ‘Do it now.’”

Apply these thoughts to your goals or your job search.

What disciplines have you incorporated into your daily routine?  Are you just moving through busy activities, spending too much time in front of the online job postings or worrying about your unemployment?  Or are you creating your job search plan and then executing your plan by applying what you know you should do?

What’s one thing you can do today that will move you closer to your goal?  Do it now.

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What is it about the job interview that creates the cotton mouth experience and kicks our sweat glands into working overtime?

Since there are very few job searches that skip the all-important interview, it’s best to plan, prepare, and practice for this critical question and answer session.

Here are ten tips for acing your interview:

 1.      Identify your accomplishments.  Focus on results.  The interviewer doesn’t need to know about your job description–she needs to know what you accomplished in those responsibilities.

2.      Focus on the organization’s needs.  Make the conversation about them, and how you can solve their problems.  This isn’t about the fact that the commute would be easy for you.

3.      Tell your stories.  Give examples of how you did your work.  Use the PAR model: what was the Problem?  the Action you took? and the Results.

4.      Do your homework.  Learn about the organization.  Has it been in the news lately?  Reorganization?  New leadership?  New products?  Research it.  Do your own SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) as you prepare so you sound knowledgeable and prepared.

5.      Breathe.  When you get nervous, it’s easy to forgot to breathe!  If your hands start sweating more than usual and things are starting to swirl around you, just take a deep breath.  Relax your shoulders.  Refocus on the question.

6.      Listen carefully.  Make sure you understand the questions.  Ask for clarification if you don’t.  Listen for the opportunity to share an example of your work that tells them you can do what they need done.

7.      Make the connection between their needs and your skills.  This is all about them.  They have a need–you can meet that need.  Make it easy for the interviewer to see how you can be the solution to their problems. 

8.      Practice, practice, practice.  Always.

9.      Know yourself.  The questions are about you and your experience, and nobody knows you better than you!  Your preparation and practice will help you remember all the skills and experience you have to offer.

10.    Be yourself.  The interviewer wants to make a connection with you.  Let your professional personality come through.  Smile, laugh, engage.

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An interview is a lot like Show and Tell in grade school. 

As a child you are excited to share how you got your hamster named Freddie back in the cage after the door was left open, or what happened when your little sister got sick at the dinner table the night before, or you proudly present the clay cup you made at summer camp.

You are showing and telling about things important to you.  The same thing should happen during an interview.

Your portfolio of accomplishments, discussed in the last post, provides examples of your work.  Instead of the clay cup you made at summer camp, you’re showing samples of your writing or designs you created.

And the interview is all about telling, right?  Hiring managers want to know that you’ve done the work they need done, and that you did it well. Their questions focus on that.  So tell them about your work successes.

Here’s a great model to use to describe your experiences:  PAR.

Problem.  What was the problem you faced?  You don’t need to provide all the details, just share enough to provide a context for the action you took to fix/finish/improve/etc. an issue.

Action.  What action did you take?  Be specific about what you did and what you said.  Use “I” when describing your action.

Result.  What happened after you took action?  What was better?  How were things different?

No one else at the interview will be singing your praises.  It’s up to you to tell them you can do the job they’re hiring for. 

Show and tell. 

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