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Stripe Changer News!
October 2009 | Second Edition
"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain."
- Vivian Greene
Recapture your strength
It is easy to succumb to the pressures of job search and lose sight of what makes you great. From that place, job hunting can be difficult at best. So recapture the magic and play to your strengths. Here’s how:
- Think about your proudest career accomplishment.
- Write it down. Be specific.
- Situation / Task: What was the situation or task at hand?
- Action: What action did you take? What was difficult or special about that?/li>
- Results: What were the results?
- Play the “so what” game: ask yourself “so why would a potential employer care about this?” “What would it mean to them?” and turn your story into one that will resonate with your next boss.
- Post this somewhere you can see it every day, and use it as your anchor so you can turn your doubt into confidence.
Struggling with this? Go ask someone who worked with you in the past what they think your greatest accomplishment was when they were working with you – and repeat the process of capturing it with the STAR method. Then find a champion (or two, or three) you can call when you need a reminder of what makes you great.
Ask Cat:
Send me your questions!
“I am having a hard time staying motivated. I fact, I am pretty discouraged. Any suggestions?”
First of all, honor those feeling and sit with them. Job hunting is really tough stuff. It is okay to feel discouraged. Then make a plan to take action to push through them. Here are my suggestions:
- Do something you really enjoy – on a regular basis. Get away from the strain of your search.
- Do the exercise above so you can stay in a place of strength.
- Find an “accountability partner” who will walk this path with you. Make a plan with that person and stick with it. Maybe you need a daily 10-minute check-in on three things: What you were going to do, what you did and what you’ll do tomorrow. Run through your list with your partner. Be honest. Don’t beat yourself up for not getting things done. Figure out what stood in your way, make a plan and then take action to get it done the next day. Perhaps weekly connection is enough. But make a commitment to hold each other accountable, and help each other stay motivated.
- Surround yourself with people who are “uppers” in your life and get rid of the downers … for now. Sometimes, those “downers” are people you love and care about. I get that. I also know that 1 negative person can suck the energy and confidence right out of you. So find the people who fill you up, and spend more time with them.
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