How do you re-energize yourself when you’re hitting that job search wall?

When I was a senior in college, I decided to run the Los Angeles Marathon.  I ran fairly regularly, did my weekend 20-mile training runs, and followed a workout and diet pretty religiously.  Race day was fast approaching.  I felt like I was ready.  I was wearing my favorite shorts, t-shirt and sweatshirt.  Walkman in hand (remember those pre-iPod days?), the gun sounded, and off I went, .2 miles into a 26.2 mile race.  I had set some goals for my split times and was meeting them with ease – on track to complete the race in about 3 ½ hours.  Things were going smoothly.  Right up to mile 22, I was just sailing through, feeling great.  Then all of a sudden, it hit me.  Or rather I hit it.  The wall.  The infamous wall.  As much as I’d heard about this so-called wall – that feeling of elation followed immediately of desperation, and the inability to go on – I never really could grasp the concept until it happened to me.  And now I get it.  And it’s a feeling like nothing I’d ever experienced.  And hadn’t since.  Until, I found myself in a longer-than-anticipated job search.

One week, you’re headed down the path.  And things are going great.  The next, all of your prospects have seemingly dried up and you’ve hit the proverbial wall.  Welcome to the marathon of today’s job search.  How do you recover?  How do you power through and finish the race?  How do you re-energize yourself when your body is tired and your mind is in agreement?

Some say in a marathon, the physical effort is tremendous, but it’s the mental effort that will carry you across the finish line.  And the same holds true for job search.

Here are some tips to help you re-energize a stagnant or wall-induced job search.

Venture down a new path.  Look at some other industries and see what might be exciting.  Get networked in those industries.  Talk to people.  Find out who’s who.  Figure out whether this is an industry in which you want to be a part.  Don’t be so focused on the fact that you have to find a job tomorrow.  How many opportunities are you going to miss out on because you took a little detour?  In today’s economy, probably not many.  How many new opportunities will you identify because you decided to venture down another path?  You just might be pleasantly surprised!

Venture down your current path – with a twist.  I was talking to Fred today.  He’s focused on Biotechnology.  He knows a lot of people in this area.  Too many people perhaps?  His challenge is that he’s talked to everyone he knows, and doesn’t know what to do now.  Fred needs to re-invigorate his search.  Part of me thinks…Hey Fred, Biotechnology is a BIG industry.  What are the segments within Biotech?  A quick google search and I found 9 segments within Biotech.  Breaking these down further, I found another 54 sub-segments that Fred could investigate.   Fred needs to take a look at those sub-segments he’s already familiar with…and start to tackle the other ones.  Because he’s a “Biotech” guy, he’ll have a better chance of transitioning into one of those sub-segments than someone who has no background in Biotech.

Get some help.  If you’re doing your job search alone, you are missing out.  Call on fellow job seekers for help.  If you have the benefit of outplacement, go to the office and spend time with others.  Attend the presentations.  Participate in the Work Teams.  If you’re not part of a Work Team (also called Accountability Teams), then find one and join it.  If you can’t find one, get some fellow job seekers and create your own.  And I’m not talking about getting together for a pity party.  I’m talking real work teams – people who can and will hold you accountable for your job search.  Whatever you do, don’t try to do this job search alone!  This is not an independent study and you get no extra credit for doing all of the work yourself!

Sometimes you need to take a break, and get some balance in your life.  Your job search should not be a 24/7 endeavor.  Just like the people who work all of the time are a little boring.  So are the people who job-search all of the time.

I remember Tony’s search.  Tony was in no rush to find a job.  He had a great severance package and wanted to take his time.  He golfed.  He vacationed.  He went to dinner parties.  And in between all of that, Tony had more interesting opportunities come his way than anyone I knew.

Here are some other things you might want to do…to get a little balance in your life.

Get a hobby.  About a year into my search, I was watching a figure skating championship on television, and made a decision.  I want to do that.  I want to skate through the ice – feeling free and undaunted.  Never mind that I hadn’t taken an ice skating lesson in 30 years.  I found a place that had lessons for adults and signed up.  Once a week for ten weeks, I got on that ice and didn’t think once about my job search.  And I did it.  I did that ½ axle without falling down!  I also met some very nice people who were encouraging, and much better than me on the ice!

Brush up on a language.  Did that single year of high school French class just not do the trick for you?  Forget Rosetta Stone.  Go to your local community college and take a class with others.  Plan a dinner at a great French restaurant for everyone to go – and speak only French!

Volunteer.  Grab your hammer and head over to the local Habitat for Humanity.  Volunteer to work on the next project this weekend.  You’ll meet some people, and be part of a team.

Take a class.  About a year into my search, my mom invited me to a Bible class.  I told her I had no intention of hanging out with a bunch of Bible thumpers.  But, as she so accurately pointed out, I had nothing else to do.  Guilty as charged, I met her at the Bible class the following day.  For the next two hours, I was on the edge of my seat – mesmerized by the teacher.  Kevin was part historian, part geographer, part religion teacher and part comedian.  Who knew the Bible could be so fascinating?!  I went back week after week.  And seven years later, I ended up finishing the entire Bible.  I often look back at my job search and know that had I not been in it, I would have never taken the time to go through this class.  As I look back at all of the things I’ve accomplished both work-wise and personally, this stands alone as number one.  And I have being out of work for 2 years (and 3 days) to thank!

Don’t let the marathon of today’s job search wear you out.  Having that balance and re-energizing yourself when you need it will give you the endurance to finish the race victoriously.

And whatever happened with the marathon?  Those last 4.2 miles were all in my mind.  The physical body gave out, and it took every amount of mental strength I could muster.  I talked myself into the fact that I could run four miles with ease.  Three miles, that’s nothing.  Two miles, who couldn’t do that?  One mile, I was running that when I was eight.  And with the finish line in sight, and the motivation from the crowds of people lined up along the course – clapping and screaming “You can do it.  Keep going.  You’re almost there.”  I did it.  I crossed that finish line.  And I have the medal to remind me that many things in life are challenging.  And the combination of being strong both physically and mentally, along with support from others will get you through virtually anything.

How to be the number one pick on NFL Draft Day!

Today is a really exciting day for me.  Yep, that’s right.  It’s Draft Day for the National Football League.  And to me, that only means one thing.  Football season (my favorite time of the year) is just around the corner!  Few stages exist where landing a job is such a public act.  I can’t think of too many others, except for maybe our presidential election, oh, and American Idol.

Much goes into selecting the right person for the team.  Coaches (and sometimes management) evaluate the team, find the holes (the same ones the opponents found in the previous season!), and look for individuals who would be both a fit for the position as well as a fit within the organization.  Rarely is it a highly strategic decision (although I’m certain some would disagree with me).  And often times, all of the work going into the selection might be hastily disregarded because a player they didn’t think would be available still is (e.g., the AZ Cardinals and Matt Leinart a few years back).

When you think about it, it’s not unlike other companies.  A company will evaluate its current need and make a tactical decision to hire someone.  It is very rare anymore to find a company that makes strategic hires the majority of the time (meaning…”we want you on the team and we’ll figure out where later”).  And, over the lifespan of a company, needs change.  One day, they might be looking for someone to expand the business rapidly.  The next, they’re looking for a turnaround expert (because the predecessor expanded too quickly?).  Either way, what you need to think about in your job search is, what do I bring to the table?  Where do I fit in?  And then align that with the companies that require your kind of expertise.

Just because you’re a great business developer doesn’t mean the company needs your skills.  Recently, Andrew came to one of our Executives Network meetings.  He knows how to sell.  His problem is that his company doesn’t know how to deliver.  Right now, they don’t need Andrew.  They need an operations specialist who can get the business to deliver on what Andrew sold.  The most important thing for Andrew – as he looks for his next position – is to evaluate the company’s operations and ensure they are equipped to deliver.  Otherwise, he’ll end up where he is today…looking for a job.

In an economy like this, companies are looking for tactical hires.  Filling a role for where they are in the lifecycle of the company.  Sometimes they’re expanding.  Sometimes they’re contracting.  Sometimes they’re on a marketing roll.  Sometimes they’re on a layoff roll.

As you evaluate which companies you want to work for, take a close look at which stage the company is in.  Determine not only if this is the right company for you, but is the company in the right stage of its lifecycle for you?  Sometimes a company that wasn’t a fit a few years back is a perfect fit now.  And sometimes a company that isn’t a fit today just might be ready for you in a couple years.  Doing your homework here could make the difference between a lot of companies interested in you…and none interested in you.

Gotta run!  Let’s see what the Lions do to in an effort to dodge another 0-16 season (and being that silver bullet brings a lot of pressure.  Matt, are you up for it?).

How much of the conversation are you missing because you’re doing all of the talking?

My dad was in the hospital recently.  He was having chest pains, so my mom called 911.  When the paramedics arrived, they started to ask him some questions.  But oh so quickly, Dad interrupted.  “Hey, do you know Willie?”  Willie is the Fire Chief.  Turns out they work for him.  “What about Mark?” Mark is their immediate boss.  Look at that, in the midst of crisis, Dad was making conversation – finding common bonds.  Doing some networking.  I think Dad got a little extra attention that day.

Fast forward to the hospital.  We’re in with my dad waiting to hear from the doctor.  As a general rule, my dad never seems to know what’s wrong with him or what they’re going to do.  And now I know why.  Right when the doctor is about to share some very important information, Dad interrupts with some very important questions.   “Did you get a chance to see the game last night?  Are you a golfer?  Darly sure is a great nurse, isn’t she?  Do you know Vanessa – over in Telemetry?  She’s really something!”  And that’s when it occurred to me.  How much is Dad missing because he is too busy talking and not busy listening?

This got me thinking about people who are out there networking.  You might be having a conversation with somebody, and just when they’re about to share some really important information, you interrupt with something you’re just dying to say.  By saying it, you take the conversation to another direction and now you’ll never know what it was they were going to tell you.  It could have been a possible connection.  It could have been a lead.  It could have resulted in some real revenue.  But instead, you just had to talk.

I was meeting with someone recently about some technology I’m trying to build.  As he was talking, I found myself about to interrupt him – multiple times.  It was that start/stop feeling of waiting for an opening so I could say something.  Kind of like when you were little, playing jump rope.  You keep waiting your turn, and if you’re not perfectly timed, you’ll end up getting tangled in the rope.  The anticipation of getting your timing just right forces you to think more about you and what you need to say, than listening to them and finding out what you need to hear.

In hindsight, what I should have done was jotted something down to remember the question or statement, and then continued listening.  But instead, I probably got tangled in the rope a few times.

People do this all of the time.  They talk and talk and then talk some more.  But to be a good conversationalist (and therefore, a good networker) you need to listen, listen and then listen some more.  And just because you’re not talking doesn’t mean you’re actually listening.

Try practicing this next time you’re in a conversation.  Let the other person talk.  And then let them talk some more.  And then, let them talk even more.  You’ll be amazed how much information you walk away with.  And don’t worry that you didn’t get to say everything you felt you needed to at the time.  You can schedule a networking meeting with yourself…and do all of the talking!

And what am I going to do with my dad?  I tell you what I’m going to do.  From now on, I’m going with him to every doctor’s appointment he has…so we can find out more than just his doctor’s golf handicap.

With skills like yours, why would anybody want to hire you?

I was having a conversation the other day with someone from IBM.  They just announced some layoffs, and it was going to affect a few thousand people…this time.  As we contemplated the people who would be left without a desk, we got to talking about how so many people leave a company, and are basically unprepared to work for another company.  I mean…they know nothing that’s of any relevance to anyone else.

Perhaps you got soft working at a company for 20 years.  Perhaps you didn’t keep up with new technologies.  Perhaps you let your skills slide a little bit.  Perhaps you didn’t interact with people from other businesses.  Perhaps all you did was work.  Whatever the reason, I have to ask you.  Why do you think you’re going to be relevant to anyone else?

I was talking to Nancy.  She has an interview with a weight management company.  She’s really excited about it.  I asked her how she was preparing for the interview.  She said she studied up on the company.  What about the competitors?  What about the suppliers?  What about potential new markets?  What about key influencers?  I tell you what, if I was going to interview with a weight management company, you know what I’d do.  I’d go meet with everybody and anybody in that industry.  Competitors.  Doctors.  Nutritionist.  Schools.  Associations (American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association).  Overeaters Anonymous.  McDonalds (to see what they’re doing to help cure obesity in this country – because the whole TransFat thing is simply not enough). Gastric Bypass Clinics.  Fitness Centers.  Pharmaceutical Firms.  Health Food Stores.  Online Weight tracking systems.  The people who invented the BodyBug.  Nike.  Anybody and everybody who focuses on weight.  Heck, I’d probably call Oprah.

What would I learn?  I don’t know yet.  That’s why I’m talking to them.  And I bet I’ll walk away from the conversation knowing more than I did before I got there.  I want to find out what’s going on.  Who’s doing what?  Any interesting trends (other than we’re getting fatter) going on?  Any breakthroughs?  What I want to do is gather enough data, so when I’m in that interview with the weight management company, it’s obvious I know the industry.  I’m asking all the right questions.  I’m up on the trends.  I’m up on the issues.  I’m familiar with the players.  I know people.  I’m relevant.

It reminds me of a time when I did a presentation for a commercial insurance brokerage.  I didn’t know much about the inner workings of the business.  But, I figured other people who’d been in that industry did.  I called competitors (thanks LinkedIn!) and asked people for a few minutes of their time.  They gave me more than a few.  I called customers and asked how they made insurance decisions.  I called suppliers and found out how they perceived this company – relative to others they did business with.  I spoke to previous employees to find out their experience.  And I repeated this in a few markets…so I’d have a good handle on any regional differences.  I did my research.

By the time I went in for my presentation, I knew their business – as good as an outsider could.  I knew what they did well.  I knew what they did poorly.  I knew their reputation.  I knew why they won deals…and lost them.  I knew why people left.  I used specific examples – like only an insider would understand.  And my presentation was well received.  Because it was relevant.  I was relevant.

I know a lot of people who are looking to get into the Alternative Energy industry.  What they’re doing is applying for positions and trying to meet people in these firms so they can get an interview.  What about taking a class?  What about attending a conference?  What about reading books and magazines on the subject?  What about talking to people already in the industry?  And I don’t necessarily mean people working at the company you want to work for.  I mean everybody else.  I mean every solar panel manufacturer.  Why don’t you call the solar panel installer and have them come to your house and quote you on installing solar panels (let’s hope you don’t live on the 5th floor of a 10-story hi-rise!).  What about the local university?  Who’s involved in alternative energy there?   Talk to some scientists.  Talk to some analysts.  Talk to a car manufacturer.  Talk to someone who works for the utility company.  Talk to someone who works for the city, the state, the country.  Talk to a reporter who just did an article about the industry.  Talk to everybody!  And really find out what’s going on.  And really know what’s going on.  And then, you’ll be relevant.  So when you are finally talking to someone at a company you really want to work for, you’ve already done your research.  You’re already knowledgeable.  And perhaps, you’ll find that you’re extremely relevant.

I remember when I was looking for a VP of Marketing role.  I often think back during that time and ask myself what I could’ve done differently.  And I know exactly what I could’ve done.  I could’ve gotten more relevant.  I was good at my job, but I wasn’t on the cutting edge.  If I were to do it all over again, I would’ve taken that extra time on my hands (that two years of extra time!) and gotten really smart on the up and coming technologies in marketing.  At that time it was search engine optimization.  If I had taken that time to build my skills and become a VP of Marketing with an SEO specialty, I know I would’ve landed a great position.  I know there would’ve been opportunities even in a down market.  But, I didn’t think about that until it was two years too late (and I was already down the path toward a  new career in a new industry).

Think about your functional area and what’s on the cutting edge.  And learn that skill.  And become more relevant than any of your competition.

Maybe you’re like my college friend, Carl.  Carl liked to refer to himself as “Mr. Do the Minimal.”  He was a solid C-player.  Guess what?  In a market like today’s, C-players don’t get hired.  You need to bring your A-game.  You need to have real skills.  And you need to have real relevance.

Maybe you were one of the thousands of people who got laid off last week.  Why don’t you take all of this extra time on your hands and get relevant.  Get relevant by industry.  Get relevant by technology.  Get relevant by functional area.  Whatever you do, get relevant!  And you just might find that what you’ve done for the past 5 – 10 years is less relevant than what you’re about to do for the next 5 – 10 weeks!

Are you really taking your job search seriously?

I went to London recently.  My first night there, I attended a going away party – complete with champagne, cake and parting gifts – for someone who was leaving the company where my friend works.  I can’t remember the last time I attended a going away party.  Do we have these anymore?  I thought companies just got rid of people, let them put some personal belongings in a cardboard box and escorted them to the door – just before grabbing their access badge.

The headlines in London were similar to the U.S.  Except they use the horrible term “made redundant.”  I’ll take being “riffed” or “downsized” over being “redundant” any day of the week…unless of course, it includes the champagne, cake and parting gifts…in which case I just might be forced to reconsider.

Either way, it got me thinking how we say goodbye to our company and our colleagues.  The farewells are in haste.  We gather our belongings.  We rush out of there.  And then what?

Where’s the training for this particular moment?  For this particular situation?  If you’ve been fortunate all of your life, you’ve never had to look for a job.  You now find that you’re in no way equipped to embark on a job search.  You’ve never been taught to do this.  You don’t have the first clue as to where to begin.  And you get frustrated when, after a couple days, a couple weeks, a couple months, you still haven’t found anything.

And to tell you the truth, it’s hard for me to have a lot of sympathy for you, because quite honestly, I don’t think you’re trying very hard.  I don’t think you’re really taking this job search serious.  I don’t think you’re creating a plan and implementing it.  I think you think it’s going to be easy.  I think you think that someone will magically call you and offer you a job.  I think you think that “while it might be hard for others, it should be pretty easy for me…because it always has been.”  I think you need to face reality. 

You’re never going to find a job without having a conversation.  You’re never going to find a job without actually meeting someone.  You’re never going to find an opportunity by sitting in your house and “networking electronically” – which someone recently told me today that’s the way they’re going about their job search – to which I just thought:  Is that the way you’d go about doing your job?  Sit at your desk all day?  Hide behind a computer sending emails all day?  Who’d want to hire you?

So what are you really doing to take this job search seriously?  Do you have a plan?  Are you getting out of your house and meeting people?  Are you having interesting conversations?  Are you finding out which companies are interesting – and who’s expanding in areas where you might provide value?  Are you really making an effort?  Are you approaching your job search like you would a job?  With an actual plan, follow up, and accountability?  Perhaps if you did, you might find that job sooner than expected.  And then uncork the champagne…because that’s certainly something worth celebrating!