The first secret to conducting a successful job search, or to get anything else you want, is inspiration. By inspiration, I mean you have a goal that is so exciting to you, you can feel it in your bones. This is not what people normally feel when they think about getting a new career. Some questions they typically ask themselves are, “What kind of job do I think I can get? Who is hiring right now? What skills do I have that are transferable?” These questions may come in handy later on, but the most successful searches start with a different question: “What would I really love to do?”

When you have a goal that inspires you, it will pull you forward toward your goal. It’s a lot easier to have energy and discipline when you’re excited about what you’re trying to accomplish. Not only will you have a clear vision of what you want to do, but you will authentically desire it. Have you ever applied for a job you really didn’t want? I see this all the time with my clients. They get called in for an interview, and one of two things usually happens. Either they “forget” about the appointment and miss their interview, or they say something really ridiculous during it. The part of you that has seemingly sabotaged your interview is what Martha Beck calls your Essential Self, and it will help you get what you really want even if it has to make you say something silly to an employer that is wrong for you. That is why it’s so important to go after work that you really do want. When you really want it, your Essential Self will most likely make you even more adept at interviewing than normal. You may find yourself feeling a great rapport with the interviewer, or easily coming up with the perfect answers to the questions you are asked.

Authentically desiring something also tends to bring external forces to your aid. Coincidences may occur at the exact time you need them. Opportunities will appear seemingly out of no where, although they may have been there all along and you are only now noticing them.

So, the first step to a successful job search is to sit down and figure out what you really want – what is most inspiring to you. Do not let Premature Practicality (a phrase coined by the great success coach Michael Neill) get in your way at this point. Let yourself dream up something fantastic. If you like words, you can journal about it or make a list of attributes you want your job to have. If you are visual, you can create a vision board from magazine clippings or even do a video on your computer. MindMovies.com has software for doing exactly that. If you prefer audio, speak your career desires into a recorder. Then, once you have your list, revisit it often during your job search to give yourself a shot of inspiration.

Stay tuned for Part 2.

To your success!
Allison

 

Filed under: Making the Switch