Monthly Archives: January 2011

I Love Money

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Why do we work?  Why do we drive hard every day in a job we may love or hate?  Is it really for the money or is there something else that drives us.

I think money is only part of the “work prize”.  Money is wonderful.  I love money (not obsess about it) and what I can do when I have it.  It has helped me get out of debt.  It has helped me cut up my credit cards over 10 years ago and still survive.  It has helped me buy things and go places.  But more would be nice wouldn’t it?

I personally think that there can always be a need for more money.  Maybe some of the real wealthy people have gotten to where they don’t want anything more so no more money will help.  But for the rest of us there can always be more.  So probably more money is not one of life’s big answers.  There has to be more to it than that.

So I am on a quest to find out why do you work at the job you are at or want.  Making money is naturally the first answer but I am wondering what reason’s two and three are.  I think it might be tough for some people to answer it because they don’t think this way. 

Think about it and let me know what your number two and three answers are.

I will share some answers I hear and mine in a future post.

Let’s Get Started!

Jeff

Introductions For Winners

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Here are three simple rules for introducing yourself to someone else no matter if it is in an interview or on the street.  These three rules will help you make a great first impression.

Rule 1:  Be genuine – Don’t try to say the right things or carry the conversation or be someone you are not.  All these things will show someone you are hiding something.  You are who you are with all your flaws and strengths.  Be professional and be yourself.

Rule 2:  Practice – If you are socially a little uncomfortable no matter what situation you are in, practice in the mirror or by yourself.  Vision yourself having a great conversation and what it would look like and sound like.  Practice introductions, practice asking questions and practice how you might leave a conversation.  Practice will help you with any of the anxiety you feel.

Rule 3:  Smile – Nothing better than a good smile.  It can light up a room, light up a conversation and make others feel comfortable.  Many times social interactions and introductions are uncomfortable because both parties are a little nervous and then feed off each other.  Smiling might help alleviate the other person’s anxiety and will have a good effect on yours as well.

Let’s Get Started!

Jeff

Job Search Recipe

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Is there a recipe for an effective job search?  The answer to this question is both yes and no.  It can be complicated but I will try to summarize it into short principles.  A typical recipe includes measurements of ingredients.  Put them all together and “cook” and you get a wonderful dish…right?  How many of you cook?  If you are a good cook (or at least people think you are) does everything always turn out the way you think it will?  Sometimes yes and sometimes no.

But to say that every recipe will give the same result if used by any skilled cook is kind of foolish thinking.  I could find 10 different people who have different cooking skills.  Give them the same recipe and see what happens.  The results will be different I promise.  One might add something extra to it to make it what they prefer.  Another might follow it to a T and make a mistake.  Another might not even use that recipe and find one they like better.  There are all types of cooks and those who are skilled at cooking.

This cooking example resembles the job search experience.  There are main ingredients to a recipe and job searching which you need.  There are optional ones if you are experienced.  And there are multiple skill levels involved in how to job search.  You must practice job searching in order to get better at it just like cooking.  Practice one technique and see how it works for you.  If its effective, then duplicate it until you are blue in the face.  If it doesn’t work then try another one or tweak the first one until it works.  You will find the recipe that works for you but it might not come naturally. 

Get started practicing today.  Don’t delay.

Let’s Get Started!

Jeff

Watch Your Tone

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You don’t actually know how another person takes you when you speak, write or text.  You don’t.  You have no idea what they are thinking and they will probably not every tell you.  Your tone is important when you are job searching.  How you feel in your head and your heart will permeate your communications.

Are you feeling frustrated, scared, tired, confused…know the signs.  If you are feeling any of these things and you try to communicate you are going to say things wrong and people will take you wrong.  It will happen. 

Don’t let it happen.  Take lots of deep breaths when you sense one of your emotions are out of control.  Take a deep breath and reset your head.  You might still feel a little frustrated or scared but don’t let it show.  Try hard to push those feelings aside to get the job done. 

Your tone will make or break your chances of getting to the right person at the right time.  Keep it in check.  Take deep breaths.

Let’s Get Started!

Jeff

Dream With Me

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Do you ever let yourself dream big dreams?  What do you see yourself doing in those dreams?  Do you live the life of luxury?  Do you travel the globe?  Or do you dream of having no pressure in your life?  I love to dream.  I love to think about the future and what I will be doing or be a part of. 

I do believe dreaming is very healthy.  When I was growing up in the 70′s and 80′s we were given time to dream; to look out the window in the car or in my bedroom and dream about Star Wars or what I wanted to be when I grew up.  Letting our minds wander like that is very important.  So important that I think most people need a break from all the noise in their lives.  A break from their mobile phone, their computer, their activities and everything else. 

Get back to the basics.  Cut out the noise at least for two hours each day and see where your mind takes you.  Less noise = more exploration.  If you get calm today, you will stay calm tomorrow.

Let’s Get Started!

Jeff

An Hour A Day

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Have you ever made the excuse:  “I just don’t have time to do it”?  Have those words ever come off your lips and you know they are not necessarily true?  Yes I am sure you are busy.  I am sure you don’t have time to burn, right?

What is lost in the that statement of not having enough time is a more true aspect.  The real reason you don’t have time is that thing is not a priority for you.  Some people use the statement because they don’t want to discuss what they might be putting off or scared to do.  They use it as a brush off. 

I personally thing you can accomplish a lot more than you are if you just make whatever it is a priority.  A priority means you first make the decision to go after it.  Once you do, you will find the time to work on it.  Whether it is starting a business or finding a new job.  You can do it sooner than later if you just get your melon jazzed about it.

Dedicated an hour a day to your job search starting today.  If you are out of work then pick a different number such as four.  Dedicated a block of time each day and don’t let anything or anyone take it away from you.  Plan around it.  Plan for it.  And you will see results.

I am in the process of doing this myself.  I am trying to expand my business from online to local workshops in the Denver area.  They will be evenings and weekends.  My plan is to start April 1.  An hour a day between now and then is 74 hours.  I have a lot to do but now the deadline is here, I find myself finding a few minutes here and there to complete it as well. 

Let’s Get Started!

Jeff

Get Gutzy

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Gutzy means to dig deep and muster up the courage to overcome one of your fears.  It is important throughout your life to be able to make changes in your life.  These changes are not just little but big ones.

Gutzy also means go after jobs or careers that seem out of reach but that follow your desires.  Why not strive for the perfect job and find a way to get it.  Find a way by doing things no one else would do…being gutzy.

Let’s Get Started!

Jeff

Tired Of Excuses

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No more excuses from anyone about not being able to find a job.  Excuses are lame.  Excuses are wrong.  Excuses are ways to avoid what you don’t want to do. 

STOP MAKING EXCUSES.  Do I make myself clear?

Please think about this concept a little before you think I am just frustrated or irritated with you.  I am not.  I just want you to wake up from your woe is me slumber and get mad, serious or angry.  Once you grab hold of one of those emotions, you will win at this job search thing.

Let’s Get Started!

Jeff

Do What You Love…Really?

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Some people think this statement is kind of hokey.  Some people use this statement as their mantra.  I personally think this statement has a lot of weight to it.  I think the word “love” can make people who don’t feel good about what they are doing, disappointed and frustrated.  It is tough to love something like work.  Work is meant to be tough.  If it wasn’t tough it would probably be called relaxing, not work.

I think to truly love your work you need a few things:

1. Know what you don’t like in work.

2. Know what skills (daily tasks) come easy to you and which are tougher.

3. Have enough money to do a little better than survive.

With those three things, I think you can make a decision on what you “love” to do.  Loving what you do doesn’t always mean it will love you back.  Loving what you do does mean you see more positive things in your work than negative.  Negative things tend to drag you down.  Sometimes one or two negative things will really drag you down. 

Loving what you doesn’t mean falling in love.  Loving means for the long haul with all the ups and downs.

Let’s Get Started!

Jeff

How To Find Hiring Managers

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In this post I want to briefly explain how to locate email addresses for hiring managers at companies you are targeting for your job search.  Finding names of company hiring managers can be the easy part.  All you have to do is visit their website and locate their “About Us” page.  Here you will typically find a list of company directors and executives.  One of them is probably a hiring manager of a hiring manager you are looking for.  Another way to locate hiring managers is to google the job title (of a potential hiring manager) and include in the search @companywebsitename.com.  This will typically result in one or many names of hiring managers you can target.

You will have to tinker around with this technique because it won’t work every time.  Sometimes you will have to click on a google search result to actually find the potential hiring manager’s name.  Play around with it a while and let me know how it goes.  It does work to help you find hiring managers.

Let’s Get Started!

Jeff