”If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less-than-excellent work.” –Thomas J. Watson
”If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.” –Colin Powell
“Whatever your discipline, become a student of excellence in all things. Take every opportunity to observe people who manifest the qualities of mastery. These models of excellence will inspire you and guide you toward the fulfillment of your highest potential.” –Michael Gelb and Tony Buzan
Don’t confuse having a career with having a life. — Hillary Clinton
Successful business people don’t get ahead by wishing they had someone else’s job title, corner office, company car, or market share. They get ahead the mundane way, by doing more and doing it better. Envy is a monster with a gluttonous appetite. And it’s never satisfied. Pursue your goals, not someone else’s goals. — James Dale
There’s much more to the job seeking process than making sure your resume is as good as possible. So how can you ensure your job search is successful?
We all know the things we’re supposed to do to help us get a job: have a great resume, include the right buzzwords in our cover letters, use the right body language in interviews etc. But none of this is much use if it isn’t under-pinned with the right mindset.
Promotion and marketing
Go into a job interview over-confident or under-confident and you’re never going to cut the mustard in the eyes of your potential employer, no matter how good your initial approach has been. Preparing for job interviews (and even job searches) means learning how to properly market yourself to potential new employers. It’s crucial you believe in your skills and abilities so you can effectively present yourself in the best light during the interview. So you need to approach selling yourself like any good marketer or sales person would approach selling their product.
Questions, questions
We’ve set out some basic questions you can ask yourself. This will help you understand how to effectively market yourself.
What are you trying to achieve?
Consider what it is you’re actually trying to achieve. Obviously the final aim is to get a job, but how do you get there? Well, confidence is the key, but don’t overdo it. Of course your product may not be perfect, but no product is. You need to learn to look past any weaknesses for now. To develop the right job interview mindset, focus on your strengths. Think about what makes you unique, in terms of your qualities and accomplishments.
It may sound a little new-agey for some, but visualising yourself in a role – whether it’s a store manager or a chief financial officer – can really help you to focus on what you can bring to the position or contribute to the job. However small you start with this process, it’s an essential part of building your confidence so you can move forward in your job search.
Make sure you’re realistic with this one though. Imagining yourself in a position is not about taking flights of fantasy, it’s about helping you to focus on your personal merits and why you’re the ideal candidate. You need to be able to close the deal, but you’re never going to do that unless your objectives are built on solid foundations of realistic expectation.
What are you trying to sell?
This pretty much carries on from the above question, but takes things a bit further. Look at yourself honestly and ask why you want the job or the move that you’re focusing on. This is a very useful question to ask yourself, as there’s a very strong likelihood you’ll be asked the same thing if you get as far as the interview.
There are, no right or wrong answers here, but you still need to be prepared. This will help focus your attention on projecting yourself in the right way, and when it comes down to it, being able to answer that question effectively.
Who’s your audience?
You now know who you are and what you’re trying to achieve, the next step is to understand the people you’re actually talking to. We all know about tailoring our resumes, cover letters and interview answers to the recruiter in question, but to do this we need to really understand what they are looking for.
This means doing your research. Obviously the job spec will hold a lot of these answers for you, but you can take this a step further by researching the company, putting yourself in their position and considering what they would want to hear.
You need to present your skills and experience (and search objectives if you’re applying to a recruiter) in the best possible light. These should be carefully thought out in advance and must be realistic. If you’re applying for a job in an industry you have no experience in, you’ll need to explain how your skills are transferable. If you’re working with a recruiter you might consider asking their opinion as to the feasibility of your goals.
How can you be more proactive?
The great thing about this process is it can also be effectively applied to making your job searching much more proactive. If you know the job you want, the strengths you can bring to that position, as well as understanding the people you are talking to, you’re perfectly placed to push yourself to companies before they even know they need you.
To do this, target a few companies you feel could benefit from your skills and send out applications to them. As with any sort of cold call like this you need to follow your application up with a phone call. But be prepared, this can be a tough process, but it’s incredibly rewarding if you’re successful.
To make the process as potentially rewarding as you can, keep an eye on the jobs market. Applying to a company that’s actively recruiting – even if it is in different areas – is reducing the chances of you being flatly turned down.
Does your boss experience mood swings on a regular basis? Does he or she suddenly become irritable, negative, or isolated for no apparent reason? This isn’t uncommon, especially in a demanding, high-stress environment—but moody bosses can be hugely difficult to work with.
Watch for patterns.
Since spiking your boss’s coffee with mood-altering pharmaceuticals is not a legal option, watch for patterns, for example timing and triggers; start to become aware of the storm coming; and avoid over-reacting yourself.
If you’re having trouble determining their pattern, open start a communication between yourself and your boss’s administrative assistant if they have one. Anyone that is closest to your boss may have the most effective reading of the present temperature—and the long-term forecast. Offer to simply help out your boss’s assistant when you can, to exhibit sincere gratitude for the tip-offs you get.
Limit your interactions if their mood is rubbing off on you.
Many factors connected with moodiness are out of your control and it’s very hard to avoid some emotional contagion. So if you’re able to, limit your exposure to their mood swings hoping that this is just a temporary issue.
Keep your cool.
In the event that you can’t steer clear of the boss, whatever you do don’t inadvertently mimic this management style to other co-workers. Whenever your boss’s mood pendulum swings to the negative, you be a sea of calm. Remind yourself that he’ll get back to center eventually. Show a calm, in-control demeanor yourself. Lighten things up through humor and distraction.
Make sure it’s not you.
Don’t assume it’s only them. Be sure to also reflect on your own mood and performance. Have you been upbeat yourself? Are you currently meeting expectations? Some bosses may be moody towards employees they’re not performing to their standards, although the boss may not have communicated things clearly. So be proactive and figure things out for yourself.
Don’t take it personally.
If it’s an unexpected situation (and you’ve determined it’s not only you that they’re moody with), develop a method to bypass your boss’s bad mood. Take a walk, look at a well liked photograph, call a buddy, and move on. If the moodiness is chronic, either create time to talk about the problem directly with your boss–it could be that he or she is not aware of the impact their behavior–or if that’s not practical, speak with a reliable colleague or supervisor about what you are able to do to handle the situation professionally.
Document their behavior.
Moodiness can turn vengeful, should your boss’s situation go from bad to worse. So protect yourself by documenting their behavior, your work, and projects. One day you might be in a position where you will need to explain what has been going on, and without documentation, your words may fall flat.
Don’t trigger mood swings.
When you determine your boss’s mood triggers, don’t add fuel to the fire just to meet a deadline or get something done. If a tight turnaround time or if hearing bad news with no solution sends your boss’s demeanor in to a nose-dive, take notice, be patient and more strategic.
Pick meeting times carefully.
Figure out the best time to chat or check in with your boss. Approaching your boss near the end of a sales quarter may not be wise, if they are often stressed during that period of time with trying to meet the sales goals. Ask or determine the right time to interact with them, so you avoid times when they might be moody.
Don’t confront the boss during a mood swing.
This is no time for a street fight. If your Darth Vader boss has swung to the dark side, don’t go on the offense with ‘Why are you suddenly so angry?’ If you have a good relationship with your boss, and all hell seems to have broken loose, you can certainly inquire about what’s wrong. But if it’s the all too common subtle mood swings, getting in the boss’s face is likely ill-fated. Better to stay out of the way until the clouds blow over, so you’re not a target.
If the problem persists, discuss it with your boss at the right time.
If the mood swings become a problem and starts to affect your work—don’t just complain to your colleagues and the higher ups; talk to the boss. While a persistent moody boss can be exasperating, you won’t make matters better by complaining to senior management, or even making an off-handed joke about it. Chances are it will circle back to your boss. Then you can watch a bad mood turn into a loud fireworks display.
Instead, find the right time to sit down with your boss to discuss what’s going on. You can’t be your manager’s therapist, but you can offer emotional support if you have a solid, open relationship. If you have a strong foundation of mutual trust, you can become a business confidante, as long as it doesn’t interfere with your work. Your boss will learn to place greater trust and reliance on you. A system of reciprocal support can benefit you in your job and career.”
When moody mayhem strikes, use your own emotional intelligence to read between the lines. By asking non-threatening questions, or knowing how to put your boss at ease, you’re likely to at least see that wild behavioral fluctuations have little to do with you. Then you can be part of an objective solution. Your office-mates will appreciate it, too.
Figure out the best time to chat or check in with your boss. Approaching your boss near the end of a sales quarter may not be wise, if they are often stressed during that period of time with trying to meet the sales goals. Ask or determine the right time to interact with them, so you avoid times when they might be moody.
Ultra successful people delight themselves by blowing their personal goals out of the water. They succeed along many different dimensions of life—their friendships, their physical and mental health, their families, and their jobs (which they are not only good at but also enjoy).
Talentsmart has conducted research with more than a million people, and we’ve found that ultra successful people have a lot in common. In particular, 90% of them are skilled at managing their emotions in order to stay focused, calm, and productive.
These super successful folks have high emotional intelligence (EQ), a quality that’s critical to achieving your dreams.
While I’ve run across numerous effective strategies that ultra successful people employ to reach their goals, what follows are twelve of the best. Some of these may seem obvious, but the real challenge lies in recognizing when you need to use them and having the wherewithal to actually do so.
- They’re Composed
Ultra successful people are composed because they constantly monitor their emotions, they understand them, and they use this knowledge in the moment to react to challenging situations with self-control. When things go downhill, they are persistently calm and frustratingly content (frustrating to those who aren’t, at least). They know that no matter how good or bad things get, everything changes with time. All they can do is adapt and adjust to stay happy and in control.
- They’re Knowledgeable
Super successful people know more than others do because they’re constantly working to increase their self-awareness. They vow constant growth. Whenever they have a spare moment, they fill it with self-education. They don’t do this because it’s “the right thing to do”; they do it because it’s their passion. They’re always looking for opportunities to improve and new things to learn about themselves and the world around them. Instead of succumbing to their fear of looking stupid, truly exceptional people just ask the questions on their mind, because they would rather learn something new than appear smart.
- They’re Deliberate
Ultra successful people reach decisions by thinking things out, seeking advice from others, and sleeping on it. They know that (as studies show) impulsively relying too much on gut-instinct is ineffective and misleading. Being able to slow down and logically think things through makes all the difference.
- They Speak with Certainty
It’s rare to hear super successful people utter things like “Um,” “I’m not sure,” and “I think.” Successful people speak assertively because they know that it’s difficult to get people to listen to you if you can’t deliver your ideas with conviction.
- They Use Positive Body Language
Becoming cognizant of your gestures, expressions, and tone of voice (and making certain they’re positive) draws people to you like ants to a picnic. Using an enthusiastic tone, uncrossing your arms, maintaining eye contact, and leaning towards the person who’s speaking are all forms of positive body language that super successful people use to draw others in. Positive body language makes all the difference in a conversation because how you say something can be more important than what you say.
- They Leave a Strong First Impression
Research shows that most people decide whether or not they like you within the first seven seconds of meeting you. They then spend the rest of the conversation internally justifying their initial reaction. This may sound terrifying, but by knowing this, you can take advantage of it to make huge gains in how people respond to you. First impressions are tied intimately to positive body language. A strong posture, a firm handshake, a smile, and open shoulders help ensure that your first impression is a good one.
- They Seek Out Small Victories
Successful people like to challenge themselves and compete, even when their efforts yield only small victories. Small victories build new androgen receptors in the areas of the brain responsible for reward and motivation. The increase in androgen receptors increases the influence of testosterone, which further increases their confidence and eagerness to tackle future challenges. When you achieve a series of small victories, the boost in your confidence can last for months.
- They’re Fearless
Fear is nothing more than a lingering emotion that’s fueled by your imagination. Danger is real. It’s the uncomfortable rush of adrenaline you get when you almost step in front of a bus. Fear is a choice. Exceptional people know this better than anyone does, so they flip fear on its head. Instead of letting fear take over, they are addicted to the euphoric feeling they get from conquering their fears.
- They’re Graceful
Graceful people are the perfect combination of strong and gentle. They don’t resort to intimidation, anger, or manipulation to get a point across because their gentle, self-assured nature gets the job done. The word gentle often carries a negative connotation (especially in the workplace), but in reality, it’s the gentleness of being graceful that gives ultra successful people their power. They’re approachable, likeable, and easy to get along with—all qualities that make people highly amenable to their ideas.
- They’re Honest
Super successful people trust that honesty and integrity, though painful at times, always work out for the best in the long run. They know that honesty allows for genuine connections with people in a way that dishonesty can’t and that lying always comes back to bite you in the end. In fact, a Notre Dame study showed that people who often lied experienced more mental health problems than their more honest counterparts.
- They’re Grateful
Ultra successful people know that it took a lot of ambition, passion, and hard work to get where they are in life. They also know that their mentors, colleagues, families, and friends all played a huge role in their success. Instead of basking in the glory of achievement, super successful people recognize others for the wonderful things they’ve done for them.
- They’re Appreciative
Truly exceptional people are able to achieve so much because they know the importance of slowing down and appreciating everything they already have. They know that a huge amount of their positivity, grit, and motivation comes from their ability to stay grounded and appreciate the opportunities that life has given them thus far.
Bringing It All Together
These habits can make any of us more successful if we use them every day. Give them a try and see where they take you.
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Don’t be afraid to promote yourself. My clients have informed me that the hardest part of resume writing is expressing what they do, and what they have achieved on paper. My advice to them is to brainstorm. Sit down and think about what they have accomplished. Think about any education obtained, professional accomplishments and even volunteer work performed. All of these things can be invaluable to a potential employer.
You work hard, you have gained experience that makes you a valuable commodity to an employer.