Many people view failure as… well… failure.  You need to change the way you view failure.

Failure – fail·ure, fālyər – a lack of success

First notice that it does not say that YOU are a failure.   Secondly notice that it did NOT say your will never succeed.  You just did not succeed THIS time.  If you think it means that you are a failure then you are listening to the enemy.

You must look at failure as an opportunity to find out how and why something did not work.  What is not working in your job search?  If you are not offered a position try to figure out why.  The final answer might be elusive or it might be a combination of small things that made the company believe you would not be successful there.  Or maybe there was someone who the company felt would be a better match.  Break the job search process down to steps to identify the issues…

Not getting phone calls

It is probably your resume or you are applying for jobs you are not qualified for or you are just not getting your information in front of the right people.  Ask others to look at your resume and give them samples of the jobs you are applying for, do they match?  Is your resume easy to read?  Are you networking at the companies you are apply with?

Getting phone calls but no face to face interviews

How is your phone demeanor?  Are you following up quickly?  Are you not showing your desire for the position?  What questions are they asking?

Getting interviews but no offers

Are you arriving a little early?  Are you prepared for the interviews?  Are you asking “good” questions?  How are your non-verbal skills?  Are you dressing for success?  What questions are they asking and what are your answers?

Believe me, I know this process is frustrating.  But during the times I have been in a job search I usually know when and why I do not get calls, interviews or offers.  But to figure it out it usually takes being very honest with yourself and a good bit of self-awareness.  It also helps if you have people in your life that will be honest with you.  Few of us do.

If you are afraid of failure, you don’t deserve to be successful.
Charles Barkley

I about fell out when I heard someone ask “What are you guys doing?  You’re just donkeying around over here.”  I asked “we are doing what?!”  He said “you all are just hee-hawing over here and you ain’t getting jack-$#!+ done.”  I died laughing, then I got to work.

Don’t be a donkey

If I am real honest with myself I am sometimes a donkey.  I don’t mean I am being an ass (although I have been told I do that too) but how many times do I talk big only to not follow through on things.  More times than I like to admit.  So how do you stop all this hee-hawing?

Focus

If I do not work at it I will be busy all day and not get anything done.  Usually it is because I lack focus.  Sure I make a list of things I want to accomplish but do I check back with the list or do I let the day run me?

Journal

I have written about journaling before.  It is not the dear diary that I use to think of but rather mindfulness.  It helps me set my priorities for the day and week.  It also helps me focus on what is important.  I took the lead from the five minute journal the Tim Ferriss talks about and I have added some God stuff 🙂  I also took an idea from QOD, I take time at the end of each day to write down ideas.

Do at least one thing…

That gets you excited!  It may be listening to music, watching funny AFV clips, playing a video game, reading your kid a story, whatever it takes to make you smile.  Let’s admit it, looking for a job sucks.  It is like asking a bunch of people out on dates only to have most of them totally ignore you.

Small bites

Break those big goals down!  If you keep thinking “I’ve got to find a job” you are going to psych yourself out.  If you feel overwhelmed pick a place and get started.  Start building some momentum.  If you feel out of control start by picking something you can control. The main thing is to start by doing something!

Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.
Francis of Assisi

I mentioned Tuesday that journaling can keep you focused, track wins and help you in your job search.  The idea came from Tim Ferriss @tferriss and the Five Minute Journal.

A Journal <> Diary

When I first heard the word “journaling” I had images of the little diaries that kids had in the 1900’s with a little lock on them.  Journaling is different… it is for grown ups 🙂  But seriously, it is different in some ways and the same in others.  Journaling enables requires you to focus on what you want to do and what you have done.  Very rarely these days do we take the time to plan what we want to do, celebrate the wins or learn from our misses.

I am working on a job search journal that will be downloadable for free from my website that should launch in February:

Here are the areas I think a job seeker needs to journal about and focus on:

• Goals for the week; Jobs applied for, New contacts, Follow ups, Power-Ups and New prospects.
• Today I want to…
• What would make today great?
• What could I have done better in my job search today?
• What did I do well in my job search today?
• Ideas from today
• Three new things I learned today.

I am also throwing some personal and spiritual things in as a job search is about you as a whole person, not just the poser that you are at work.  Journaling should help you focus in the morning and then review your day at night.

If you are reading this and you have some other ideas on what to journal about, let me know.  Just keep in mind, it should take less than 10 minutes.

You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.
Winston Churchill

I am in the middle of listening to a follow up podcast from Chris Sacca on the Tim Ferriss podcast.  Chris @sacca talks about “getting down to business” at the 14 minute mark.  This also rings true in the job search.  Caution for those with sensitive ears, there is some big boy language.  How often do you get sidetracked or distracted from your job search?  I bet a lot.

First, the reasons behind it…  I have not met anyone that likes the process of looking for a job.  It is like cold calling for sales people or looking for a first date with someone.  Yes, sometimes the hunt can be fun but that is once you find the tracks or you find the person you want to ask out.  Looking for the tracks or looking for that person, not so much.

Secondly, it does not feel productive.  You are probably looking at the entire elephant that you need to eat.  AKA finding THE JOB.  Notice I say, THE job not A job.  If you only have the job offer as your only goal that finish line may be weeks or months off and makes the day to day toil of the job search tough to endure.  You need to knock that goal into smaller pieces.  You need to start doing a job search journal to track your goals.  More on that later this week.

Thirdly, we are wired for distraction these days.  You need to figure out how you work and focus best.  Some people need a quite place.  You may need noise cancelling headphones or ear plugs.  Or as Chris Sacca does, play one song on repeat to help you focus on your task at hand.

On to the solutions…

Create digital space

You need to turn off all digital distractions.  Chris Sacca @sacca suggests a software solution: Rescue Time @rescuetime.  It helps by not only preventing some distractions but it helps by tracking where your time is spent so you know where to INVEST your time.  Chris goes on to say that you need to turn off the notifications on your phone and other devices while you focus.

Are you on offense or defense?

Offense is when you are doing things that you assign yourself.  Defense is when you are doing things to please others.  Offense is what you GET to do and defense is what you HAVE to do.  It may just be as simple as making that mental shift from what you MUST do to what you CAN do.  Who is writing your to-do list?  Yes, it is a good idea to check the job boards but all the signs point to the fact that job boards may be one of the least effective uses of your time.  That is not to say don’t use them, just plan your time and set a limit.

Playing offense is tougher.

You can’t win by just playing defense, you must get some points on the board.  But guess what?  Offense it tougher and takes more planning.  Defense is primarily reactionary.  You need to not only plan and set your goals but you need to plan the execution.  HOW are you going to get it done?  What are your priorities?  Are you waiting on jobs to come open or are you seeking out opportunities?  What are you doing to make things happen?

So take a few minutes today and ask yourself… “am I playing defense or offense in my job search?”

Standing on the defensive indicates insufficient strength; attacking, a superabundance of strength.
Sun Tzu, The Art of War

I have said it before and I will say it again… the job search is often times like dating.  It is this crazy stupid game that you must play to get what you want.

Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

I could write about how you SHOULD be patiently persistent or what MIGHT work but I would rather tell you a story about someone that did an AWESOME job of being patiently persistent in their job search…

I appreciate you following up with me but…

I was over Washington State recruiting for the largest recruiter of recent college grads in the US.  One big issue was that a lot of people moved to Seattle for one rainy season and then they would leave.  It only rains 10 months a year!  So we very wary of transplants.  The positions in question were heavy in sales and customer service.  One applicant was currently living in Chicago and had never worked in sales or customer service, so I shot them down based on their resume/application without ever talking to them.  Side note… I have always done my best to respond to EVERY applicant.

The candidate emails me back a day later thanking me for letting them know that I was no longer pursuing them as a candidate.  They then laid out why they wanted to work for us and asked if I would consider them again.  The email was well thought out.  It also showed they had done their research on the position and the company.  So I set up a phone interview.

They were nice and seemed very interested in the position, career path and the company.  But still… no customer service, no sales and they were moving to Seattle.  No go.  I once again notified the candidate that we were not pursuing them further.  Once again, they followed up.  This time by phone.

They let me know that they would be in Seattle for a week, looking for a place to live.  The applicant asked if I would meet with them for a face to face interview while they were in town.  They said they understood my concern about their lack of experience but that they really did want the position and they would be successful in our environment.  I acquiesced.

At the end of the face to face the candidate asked the question I love… “Do you feel I am a good match for the position and the company?  Also, do you feel the position and the company are a good match for me?”  I was honest with them.  I told them that I did not feel they would be successful since they had never worked with customers and did not have prior sales experience.  But they persisted.  The applicant was professionally persistent.  I told them that I would send them on to the next interviews (two more) but I doubted they would be hired.

I was wrong.  We hired them and they were right, they did a great job.  Without their patient professional persistence we would have missed out on a great employee and they would have missed out on what became the beginning to a fantastic career.

It is up to you, not the recruiter.

As a recruiter it is my job to attract and screen potential candidates.  Did you notice that I used both the word applicant and candidate in the story?  An applicant is someone who applies, a candidate is being considered for the position.  Are you going to be an applicant or a candidate?

Al

A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence.
Jim Watkins

I talk to a lot of candidates and I hear their frustration.  I know it sucks looking for a job.  Guess what?  It sucks looking for employees too.  For those of us that are in recruiting for the right reasons it is painful.  I truly want to find someone for each position that will be happy and successful in that position.  I want each employee to be excited about coming to work AND I want them to positively impact our customers, their coworkers and our bottom line.  But sometimes I need some convincing that you will do that.

Knowledge, skill and ability tells me you CAN do it.  Drive tells me you WILL do it.

Looking at a resume primarily tells me about your KSAs; knowledge, skills and abilities.  Remember, that is CAN you do the job.  Yes, it can also tell me a little bit more but primarily it just tells me what you have done in the past.  A resume SUCKS at telling me about your potential.  I think your PASSION and DRIVE tell me about your potential.  Sure, your resume can TELL me what you are passionate about, but guess what?  Some people lie on their resume.  I know, I know, not you… it is those OTHER people ruining it for you.  I need you to SHOW me your passion and drive.

It is notable to mention that without a good resume you often times do not get a chance to show your passion and drive so don’t skip the basics.  Your resume, Facebook page, website or tweets ARE you until we meet you, so be sure they ALL reflect the best you.

You talk the talk but do you walk the walk?

So, what do I mean when I say passion and drive?  I want a candidate that WANTS the position.  I often ask candidates “Why do you want this position and to work for us?”  One of my biggest turn-offs in is when they answer “I have done it before” or “I know I can do it” or “I like your benefits package.”  You may be thinking “What’s wrong with those answers?”  Let’s change your perspective…

What if someone asks you out on a date and you ask them “Why do you want to go out with me?”  To which they answer one of the following:

1. I like girls and you are a girl.
2. I need to take a date to a wedding and I figured you would say yes.
3. I know you make a lot of money and I like money.

Not getting the warm fuzzies?  Neither is the recruiter or hiring manager.  We want to hear your passion is for what the position entails.  I want to hear your desire for the position.  If you are applying for a position in customer service tell me about how you like the challenge of defusing an upset customer.  Or if the position is in management that you like finding out what makes your people tick and how to help them realize their potential.

But what about before you even talk to someone?  How do you get their attention?  How do you SHOW them your drive and passion?  I will talk about this on Wednesday…

You must be patiently persistent.

Al

Ambition is the path to success.  Persistence is the vehicle your arrive in.
Bill Bradley