“Brownouts” – or loss of that fire in the belly – are sidelining star performers like yourself. Brownouts are so scary because they overtake you slowly and subtly. However, the effects can be catastrophic, both to your career and the results your company produces. That’s why influential business media, ranging from the Harvard Business Review to Inc., are publishing articles about how to identify this syndrome and pull out of the slump.

With classic burnout, motivation collapses. That is obvious. Soon enough you figure you better resign or are terminated. Likely you can’t even focus enough to put together a job search.

Signs of Disengagment

• That might start when visiting your company’s store. You simply don’t see the potential of staging special events such as fashion shows. Then you ignore that recommendation at a meeting back in headquarters.
  
  
• A few weeks later, you don’t accept an invitation to deliver a keynote speech on integrating retail channels.
  
  
• During a plane trip you watch a movie, not browse industry journals.
  
  
• Eventually, you are not excited when you wake up in the morning about what lies ahead at work. You used to play around with ideas for improving X or Y before you were even out of bed.

What’s putting out that fire in the belly?

The first step to getting your mojo back is fingering what’s triggering you to become less opportunistic. Here are the five major reasons:

A Disconnect with your superiors. At the top of the list could be the company Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Or if you are the CEO, it could be the Board of Directors. You sense you aren’t being heard.

Grandiose expectations. These usually involve the rewards you anticipate for pulling out all stops in getting the job done. You don’t assess your getting paid enough or promoted quickly enough.

Wrong job. Maybe you started out in a position that was the ideal fit for your talent and temperament. Then things changed through a restructuring or merger. Your current responsibilities don’t use your strengths.

Resentment. Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer found that those who resented an aspect of their work situation would be the ones unwilling to give their all.

Stress. If you have come to feel overwhelmed in your work situation, you are going to be preoccupied with your own state of being, not problem-solving for the company.

So much for causes. Now, here are the six ways back to returning to the wunderkind you had been.

Re-lighting the fire

1. Embrace that you’re heading into trouble. Resisting the reality that you’re browning out will just drain you more. No, you don’t have to “confess” this realization with superiors, colleagues or subordinates. It’s your business only.

2. Learn how to sell, or beef up the skills you have. Often when executives are asked what’s the critical skill for succeeding in organizations, they will answer: the ability to persuade, that is, sell your ideas. Selling effectively requires a total integration of belief in what you are pitching, the right argument, tone and language for the right audience, appropriate body language and facial expressions and timing. Role play, video your performance and have trusted colleagues critique.

3. Stay in the now. The ultra hard-charging world of tech is learning how to keep the focus in the present. The leadership recognized that’s how results happen. It’s a disaster to project into the future including expectations of product home runs and wealth. 

4. Give yourself permission to do something you love. At Yahoo, since Mayer is the boss she’s the one who gives permission to employees to do the one thing which is most important to them. It could be attending their children’s sports events or practicing for a marathon. That’s the key to preventing resentment. Since you’re the executive, it’s up to you to allow yourself to take the time for what really matters to you. That could be writing a book or taking a course in urban architecture.

5. Open yourself to a change of job. That might be to search within your company or outside it. In itself this kind of adventure could lift the brownout. After all, you are automatically appointing yourself Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of a search for exactly the next right opportunity for you. Putting yourself out there entails getting to know yourself as a professional all over again. What are your current strengths? What is your number-one edge? What unique value have you created in your present job?

6. Take an “energy audit.” What causes one professional to have a meltdown can energize another. Moreover, stress triggers are often petty. It could be too much text messages coming in. It’s up to you to audit how your energy is being consumed and ways you can conserve more of it. In their book “Making Conflict Work,” Peter T. Coleman and Robert Ferguson describe how to regain control over your life, both professional and personal.

Preventing brownouts

Now you know. No matter how talented and successful executives like yourself are, you can and do experience brownouts. With disruption as the norm, the workplace will continue to place new demands on you. The challenge is for you to frame them as motivators versus triggers to disengage. That gives you a fresh kind of competitive advantage.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

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Your third interview with the company included senior members of the executive team. You thought the position was yours. The polite telephone call you just received, that began in this manner, let you know otherwise. After you graciously respond and end the call, you are, frankly, stunned.

You did not get the job… what next?

Almost everyone interviews for jobs they do not get. Finding and achieving the position you want is an often painful process. At the executive level, the air is rarified and the competition is stiff.

No one is happy about missing the mark on a job they want. But along with disappointment and dismay, it is essential to mine the experience for hidden value.

Consider these thinking and action points if the position you want slips away:

8 Actions to take if you don’t get the job

1. Reflect on how you feel about it? 

Many career coaches and counselors wisely advise clients to feel the pain. Mourn the loss and consider the fear that attends failure. While you are there, take note of the gold buried in the muck. The sharp disappointment can be an enduring catalyst to get where you are going. Do not give your feelings short shrift. Find an activity to help you release the tension and then use what you’ve learned about yourself as you move forward.

2. Express gratitude

As a candidate for a C-level or other executive position, you know time and effort were spent during the recruiting process for the job you did not get. Pick up the telephone and call your contact within the company to express your gratitude and cement the contact. Send a note of thanks, and include a news item or other interesting piece to create a level of connection outside the missed job opportunity. Reframe the experience as an opportunity to expand your network, rather than diminish it.

3. Obtain an assessment

At the executive level, you may be working with a recruiter or coach. If realistic feedback on why the job was not offered is unavailable, conduct an honest evaluation of your job search plan. Assessment of the end-stage of the recruitment process differs from concern over resume style. Focus honestly on why you feel the job got away from you.

4. Focus on the opportunity before you

Rejection is hard not to take personally. Achieving a desired position is a step that leads your life in its next direction. But not getting the job does not leave you standing still. Many factors bear on the choice of candidates. If you did not get a particular position right now, accept that it is not the direction you are going at present. Use the situation as leverage to find a new, even better, direction. As you cut a different path, disappointment can work to energize your search, reveal the right job for you, and help you get the offer.

5. Narrow or broaden your search:

If you are repeatedly advancing to the interview stage without a final job offer, take a critical look at whether you should pursue more specialized or more generalized employment venues. A repetitive pattern of interviews without employment closure could be an overlooked disconnect between your background and the right boardroom for you.

6. Consider the ecosystem

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates job growth for top executives between 2012 and 2022 will roughly parallel the economy, at about 11 percent. A 2015 survey by Careerbuilder reports that approximately 36 percent of U.S. employers plan increases in their full-time staff. The economy is improving, and with it, the job market. The proliferation, analysis, and protection of big data are driving executive hires and the creation of new positions. Remap your job search plan to take advantage of executive opportunities on the developing corporate edge.

7. Revisit your personal brand

Online marketing is more than your digital footprint. It is the cohesive message you send through platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn. It is not likely that your personal brand led to your lack of a job offer after the interview phase, but it can help you land the next interview, and maybe a job. Refresh your online presence through an updated professional or community profile.

8. Ask for help

Research indicates many people fear to ask for help outside their tried-and-true circle of friends and associates. Reluctance to seek support, advice, and ideas outside a known network enforces homogeneity and reduces the likelihood of a novel outcome. Do your research, and locate a contact that could be an interesting informational interview. Reach out to an expert in your field, and ask for ideas and suggestions. Do not limit yourself to your known universe—create a new one.

The challenge of an executive job search is to be your own change agent. Use those higher-level skills to do what you do best—analyze, realize, plan and move forward toward success. Set-backs are part of the deal. Let them drive you to where you want to go.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

My simple motto always was, “Do the job you want, then you get it.” While this mantra worked well for me in my search firm industry, it did not work so easily when I was in corporate. There was never a good, consistent answer to these questions beyond the occasional personal mottos. Everyone around me seemed to have had some idea about how to advance career fast, but no one has really cracked it. That is until the last year when I met Bozi Dar and learned about his program called Career Acceleration Formula.

Who is Bozi? Bozi is a senior executive in a major Fortune 500 company who figured out a specific formula that helped him achieve staggering success and get promoted 6 times in 6 years, increasing his salary 15 times. Over the years, he’s been mentoring other ambitious professionals so they can achieve predictable career success as well, until he refined his approach into a 6-step formula he teaches today.

I had a chance to meet Bozi and speak with him over the phone and apart from witnessing his zest to help others advance their careers, I also realized that he has an incredible talent of seeing the success patterns where others see complexity, as well as an ability to turn these patterns into action and get results fast.

Today I’d like to share with you my personal review of the Career Acceleration Formula.

First, what is Career Acceleration Formula? It is a 6-module online video training, containing 36 short and actionable videos as well as specific worksheets and action steps. All you need to do is set aside some quiet time (best is to cover one module per week, so you have some time to process the learnings and implement the action steps), turn on your mobile, iPad or laptop, start a training and follow Bozi’s guidance.

Here is what you can find inside each module:

Module #1: Developing a Winning Mindset. Bozi gives a beautiful metaphor on the importance of mindset. Mindset is everything that’s going on in our “invisible world” (in other words, in our head) and it is formed of your thoughts, values, emotions and beliefs. Everything in this “invisible world” dictates what we do in the “visible world”, which is our actions. This also means that in order to advance your career fast, the first place to look and see what’s stopping you is your “invisible world”. Inside the Career Acceleration Formula, Bozi shares eight most common mindset blockers that, when addressed, can unlock the potential for your career success. My favourite one is “You are the product”, where he explains how and why you are viewed by the company you work for (and any other company) as a product and how you can leverage that knowledge to make yourself irreplaceable in your company and your industry.

Module #2: How to Find the Perfect Next Job. In this module, Bozi takes you through a detailed, step-by-step process in order to give you clarity on your perfect next job. Most people choose their job based on how it looks on their CV, completely missing the point. Perfect job, as Bozi explains inside the training, is the one that is in the right place/unit (typically high-growth or turn-around), that leverages your strengths and competitive advantage and finally feels good to you (that’s where intuition comes in). He even shows you innovative ways to test your assumptions and get 100% clarity on what your perfect next job should be. The process he developed for this module takes some work, but is easy to follow and will give you a piece of mind on your next career step.

Module #3: One Big Thing. Bozi defines “One Big Thing” as a unique project/initiative that you will choose to relentlessly focus on starting from today, get known for it inside the organization and which in return, will take you to your next job promotion. This also means that you will consciously deprioritize other, less important projects and learn how to negotiate time for One Big Thing with your boss. This goes against what most people do to advance their careers! Most people work hard and work on as many projects as possible, hoping that one of them will get them to the next level. One Big Thing is one of the most effective career advancement strategies I’ve seen in a while. At the same time, it is a very counterintuitive strategy and that is why Bozi gives a very specific guidance on how to identify your One Big Thing, then create a daily action plan to execute it, and finally how to name it, brand it, and talk about it for success. Here (as in many other places), the devil is in the details.

Module #4: Make Your Boss Work For You. When I originally saw the title of the module, I was puzzled – make my boss work for me?! After all, most people have problems getting their boss to even talk about the career advancement topic. However, after the first few lessons it became clear what Bozi means by that. Basically, if you have a clear boss management strategy, you will get to a point where your boss is actively working to get you a new job promotion. What’s even more interesting, Bozi developed a 4-step process that you can use to gently move your boss from one level of endorsement to the next one, gradually helping you get the next level job. I’ve never seen anyone in career space develop a process like this and I learned from Bozi that many of his students experience major career shifts just from applying this module alone.

Module #5: Grow Into You 2.0. This module is all about making sure that you are successful in your next job before you even start working there. For example, most people meet their hiring manager (who is actually their potential future boss) during the job interview. This is not optimal as it can be seen as cold-selling. Inside this module Bozi teaches you how to get in front of hiring manager way before the interview, demonstrate that you’ve got what it takes to get promoted and then turn the interview into a mere formality. Furthermore, he teaches you how to identify one skill/competency that you need for the next level job and how to develop it in the most natural (and accelerated) way. Finally, inside this module you will learn about one of the best kept secrets of fast-track executives which is how to access the “hidden job market” (according to the latest research, 85% of executive jobs are never publicly announced).

Module #6: How to Become The Key Person of Influence. Just when I thought that Career Acceleration Formula is a truly innovative, action packed training that delivers incredible value, and that the first five modules are already more than enough to get you promoted, I got surprised. In module 6, Bozi delivers brilliant strategies on how to get away from office politics, become a master of ethical influencing, network like a true pro and finally how to build influence outside of the walls of your company. True to his style, he demystifies each of the components and then shows you exactly how to do this in the context of job promotion. This module alone is worth the price of the whole training.

Finally, is there anything to improve inside Career Acceleration Formula? There is, actually two things.

First, it would be good to have some sort of a guidance on how to handle the job promotion interview. Bozi often says that for the students who follow the formula, the job promotion interview is a formality, however in my opinion, having guidance on this topic would make the training even more complete. I shared this feedback with Bozi and last time we talked he told me that he partnered with one of the top experts on this topic and has developed an extra chapter/bonus.

Second, I believe it would be very useful for students of Career Acceleration Formula to have some face-time with Bozi (or Skype time) and get exposed to his strategies directly from him. I know that this is challenging due to time constraints but hearing him teach live and being able to get your questions answered is an experience on its own.

That’s basically it, my full review of Career Acceleration Formula!

In a nutshell, if you are currently stuck in a job with no future, want to land a job promotion fast and learn insider secrets on how to predictably and consistently advance your career, than Career Acceleration Formula is for you. Bozi has been there, done that, cracked the career success formula and has figured out the way to make it work fast for everyone else. Click here to learn more about Bozi’s strategies.

Yours truly,
Lisa Rangel

P.S. I know from Bozi that the price of Career Acceleration Formula has been steadily going up since the launch last year (no wonder, as people get huge return on investment from this training) so if you are the right candidate for this training, I would suggest you hurry up and get on one of his introductory trainings as soon as possible http://chamres.com/Bozi-b. And yes, this is an affiliate link, but I rarely endorse other’s products and services and only do so when I have gone through it and know the information and training is solid.

Most things in life are a habit. Essentially we have to train ourselves to take certain actions each day until it becomes like second nature.

Networking is one of those job search actions that need to become a habit in order for it to be truly successful.

By making job search networking a habit, you not only increase your chances of finding a job, you’ll also start to feel like networking is more natural to you. Use these tips to help you create this new habit on your job search.

Call three contacts per day.

Calling three contacts per day, who are not part of your everyday dealings, expands your network and helps you touch base with your connections. The key point to emphasize that you need to call three contacts you do not already deal with on a daily basis.

Push yourself out of your comfort zone and contact people you don’t talk to as often. Look at co-workers you have not spoken with in 6 months. Vendors you dealt with at a previous employer. College roommates and friends that you have not chatted with in eons. Neighbors that moved away and you lost touch. By cultivating these relationships you expand your network and increase your chances of getting a referral, since you are reaching out when you do not need it, initially, so you come across more genuine if you every reach out and do need something.

Commit to having lunch outside of your office at least once a week.

You’re not going to make any new connections or build solid relationships if you eat lunch at your desk.

Instead, commit to having lunch outside of your office at least once a week. Invite contacts that are nearby, go to restaurants you know people in your field enjoy or reach out to local, relevant contacts on LinkedIn and suggest meeting in person over lunch.

When going to a conference or work trip, aim to connect with one new person who is not involved with the event.

How often do you go to a conference only to talk to the same people every time? Or, how often do you go only to talk to event organizers or sponsors in the expo hall?

None of these scenarios are a smart use of your time.

One way to ensure you’re meeting someone new is to contact someone who is in the area and is not involved with the conference in any way. You can use social media to find out who is nearby and ask them to meet during the time you are at the conference. Other ways to reach out to new contacts is to participate in any online networking activities sponsored by the conference to make connections before you get there. Tweet about the conference using the conference twitter hashtag. Look at the attendee list and connect with anyone beforehand and request a get-together over coffee while you are both there.

Develop a networking ritual.

If we create a ritual when cultivating a new habit then it increases the chances of us sticking to it. For example, one such ritual is to do the same thing at the same time every day.

This may look like reaching out to new contacts first thing when you walk into the office. Send emails on Monday to five contacts asking if they can join you for lunch over the next few weeks to have your requests for lunch appointments be taken care of early in the week.

You can also use calendar apps like Timeful to set reminders for yourself so you don’t forget.

Start simple.

One of the reasons people find it difficult to set new habits is because they set their sights too high. The reality is you can’t change your behavior overnight.

You can combat this by starting off with simple things. For example, are you having a hard time calling those three contacts? Use James Clear’s 2 minute rule to get you going. That means just find a way to get started in two minutes. In this case it may be finding a contact’s information on LinkedIn.

Don’t worry about results right away.

Another reason habits don’t stick is because people get hung up on the results and quit when they don’t see immediate benefits.

Rather than worrying about the payoff, just focus on creating the habit. The payoff will come in time if you manage to change your behavior.

It can take weeks if not months to find one high-talent placement. Candidates can sometimes feel lost among a sea of applicants. LinkedIn, job boards and other services expand the candidate pool but can make it difficult to get through the volume. Investing in high yield recruiting can be the answer. The executive recruiting firm J. Patrick and Associates knows  how to deliver exceptional talent while saving time and money.

Connection:  Executive Recruiters are connected to the talent you need to find. This connection allows your Executive Recruiters to search thousands of candidates for each and every hiring decision. By employing a reputable placement agency, you'll  know that important skills have been identified and  high numbers of quality candidates have been screened.  By the time your select candidates are in front of you, you'll know that they have been pulled from the best.

Confidence: The number one complaint we hear from hiring managers is that of confidence. Specifically, how does the hiring manager know, really know that a candidate will be worth the time and money to train? Once again, executive recruiting is the answer. Savvy recruiters leverage cutting edge search tools to your benefit. With an established, successful recruiting firm, you’ll interview the best talent possible.

Cost: The impact of a bad hire spreads throughout and organization. Working with a successful recruiter can help ensure these mistakes are minimized. In minutes, a professional recruiter can scan hundreds of records that would take an HR hiring manager days to find. A professional recruiter applies screening protocols ensuring that the best candidates are delivered to you. When it comes to placing top talent, using a proven recruiting agency will always be worth the investment.

The value of working with an Executive Recruiting agency is highlighted by a recent Information Security placement made by J. Patrick and Associates.

A global leader of application delivery and application security solutions for virtual and cloud data centers wanted to expand their engineering team. The position in question required the candidate to have deep technical experience across all facets of application delivery and application security solutions, as well as virtualization, Private / Hybrid Cloud and Software-Defined Networking (SDN), and their numerous applications in a variety of verticals. It would take some digging to find qualified candidates.

Beyond the technical requirements, the candidate also needed solution-selling experience and hands-on experience with the provider’s intricate products and solutions portfolio. He/she had to provide an initial presentation with customers and sales teams and perform the installation. The company interviewed dozens of candidates suggested by its recruiting firms but were unable to find a candidate that met all of the provider’s requirements. After nine months, the organization decided to explore another recruitment agency option.

That’s when J. Patrick & Associates became involved and executed multiple candidate searches in the Chicago area. The company identified Sales Engineers at the security solutions provider’s direct competitors. Then it turned to trusted industry referrals to further its search.

J. Patrick & Associates cold-called and thoroughly screened dozens of qualified professionals by using its database of over half a million candidates and a global Information Security referral network. J. Patrick's recruiters disqualified approximately 30 candidates for every one that moved on to the next phase, the technical screen.  The recruiters at J. Patrick successfully identified two qualified Sales Engineer candidates that met all of the client’s job requirements within a 30-day period.

The security solutions provider hired one of the Sales Engineer candidates, now a consistent top performer several years running. Since then, the company has retained J. Patrick & Associates as its primary recruiting firm. In the last year, J. Patrick & Associates has successfully placed more than 10 professionals in eight other positions with the organization and is currently working with the provider to fill 12 new Sales and Engineering positions.

Career advancement is generally thought of as an increase of skill or responsibility in the same role for which one was originally hired. Pursuing companies which support additional training and certification add value and supports career-advancement. In the AV/VTC/UC sectors, certifications such as CTS-i, CTS-d, CEIDA, Crestron DMC-D, and Extron are great when it comes to career-advancement over time.

Certifications build legitimacy as you advance in your career, but career development focuses on long-term professional development. If career advancements are the pages in a book, career developments are the chapters. Career development benchmarks include increased base-rate of pay, improved compensation packages, increased responsibility and the possibility of contributing to the long term direction of the company. Becoming an organizational decision maker is a hallmark of Career Development.

While discrete skills make up part of the career cycle, compensation packages and corporate culture engage the lifestyle needs of employees. Both specific skills and lifestyle needs are important.

Compensation packages vary between companies and the specific needs of employees. For example, the compensation package found attractive to a recent college-grad will look very different from the ideal compensation package sought after by an established professional.

The executive recruiters at J. Patrick & Associates have placed hundreds of candidates in the AV/VTC/UC sectors. We can help you find the kind of work and compensation packages that meet your needs.

Companies are stronger when talent is rewarded with the opportunity of career-advancement and the stability conferred by compensation packages with an eye towards career-development. Recognizing the interplay of these two factors can help you determine the next steps in your career. For more information on employment in the AV/TC and UC sectors, visit www.jpatrick.com/av-vtc/ or contact one of our sector specialists to see what J. Patrick & Associates can do for you.

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It doesn’t matter how far you’ve climbed up the ladder. Everyone hates to be asked the interview question, “So, tell me about yourself.” How a candidate reacts and answers this simple interview question can be extremely telling of a candidate’s viability for an executive role, so it’s important to bring your A game to this challenge.

While this popular interviewing question does pose a lot of potential land mines, you can avoid them by following some tips.

Focus on what makes you exceptional.

The key here is to be specific when describing what achievements and strengths you bring. Don’t be everything to everyone. Often times we want to impress people. This is especially true if a big job is on the line. This can lead to one big land mine: trying to be everything to everyone.

This is when you need to demonstrate what makes you different than other candidates. You can do so by focusing on the things that make you exceptional.

For instance, if you were vying for a VP position this would be a great time to mention steady promotions, your knack for conserving costs and your ability to satisfy business stakeholders.

Be confident in your ability to serve the company, but don’t get cocky.

There is a fine line between confidence and conceit, but you can feel when you’ve crossed it. One way to think of it is like this: confidence acknowledges that while you’re very good at what you do, your focus remains on service. Conceit, on the other hand, thinks it can do no wrong and has a more self-interested tone.

For example, if a recruiter hears “I can market anything” from a candidate in the running for a SVP of Marketing position, they probably won’t believe it. The hiring executive has been in business long enough to know that, while you may be a good marketer, you most probably cannot market anything.

Instead focus on what that particular company does and how your skills can help. Does the company sell software services? Then change your answer to something like “I am great at creating and executing marketing campaigns for software. Here’s an example from my work history…”

Answer with professional examples.

This is probably the biggest land mine area of an interview. If you respond to “Tell me about yourself” with ramblings from your personal life you’ve completely missed the point.

What the interviewer wants to know is who you are professionally. For example, are you a financial expert looking to fill the Chief Financial Officer position? What makes you qualified for the open position?

This is the interviewer’s way of opening the line of communication and getting what they need quickly. They want to know off the bat if your leadership skills are a right fit for the open position.

Initially when answering this question, stay away from the personal stuff. This isn’t to say that your personal traits aren’t worthy, it’s just not the right time or place to bring it up. Furthermore, if you start talking about your personal life the employer may wonder whether or not you’ll bring this into your work.

Keep it sweet, short and to the point.

Since this common interview question seems so informal sometimes people let their guard down when answering it. This leads to rambling.

Think of this question as the opportunity for a sales pitch. What makes an effective sales pitch? It’s short, sweet and simple.

You can avoid this land mind by forming a short narrative around the key points that differentiate you from other candidates. Write it out and practice it before the interview so you’re not caught off guard.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

If you are interested in working with Lisa Rangel, an accomplished executive resume writer, social media profile writer and job search consultant, to achieve social media exposure and interviews you want, sign up for an exploratory call now and learn about the Chameleon Resumes services that can help you land your next role.

If you have lost your job or you are just entering the workforce, you could be in for a long journey of job-hunting as you search for that perfect job. During this process, it is important that you take the necessary steps to manage your life and take care of yourself so you always look and feel your best when you do land an interview.

1. Be prepared for the long haul.

In today’s world you aren’t going to land a job in a week unless you are very, very lucky. In fact, you could be in for a long search for your next place of employment. While few studies have been done, some experts believe it can take approximately one month of job-hunting for every $10,000 of your expected salary. This time-frame can be changed, however, by many different factors including your location, the economy and much more. However, when job hunting, mentally prepare yourself for the extra time so you don’t get discouraged in your job hunt.

2. Be your own manager.

Just like if you were at work, you need a manager to be sure you stay on track. In this case, you will be your own manager for your job of finding a job. Set realistic goals for yourself and stick to them. For example, decide how many resumes you want to send each day and be sure you send exactly that many before you quit for the day.

3. Keep to a schedule.

It can be easy to let yourself slide while you are out of work. However, this can be dangerous to both your mental well-being as well as your job search efficiency. When you begin your job search, set a schedule of when you will be doing the work of applying for jobs. Consider this your work schedule and be sure you stick to it. This will help keep you on a regular schedule, which will increase your overall happiness and satisfaction and help you be more productive.

4. Exercise regularly.

Exercise has been shown to help increase not only your physical health but your mental health as well. You will be sharper and you will have more energy so you can get more done and craft the perfect resumes and cover letters to send to prospective employers.

5. Set aside time for family.

Just because you are job hunting doesn’t mean you don’t have time for your family. Your friends and family can provide you the support you need while you work and can help lift you up and recharge your batteries while you continue the often difficult task of finding a job.

6. Groom yourself as if you had an interview today.

Now is not the time to become a hermit. While you might not have somewhere to go everyday, you still should take the time to properly groom yourself each day. Treat each day like an interview day and try to look your best. This will help increase your confidence and happiness, as you feel good about yourself while you look for work.

7. Don’t let the negative feelings takeover.

When looking for work, you will often be rejected over and over again. This long string of rejection can often leave you feeling stressed and discouraged. These types of negative feelings must be ignored as you continue on your job search. Remaining positive is key to good overall health and will help you motivate yourself to find the perfect job.

8. Invest in yourself.

Just because you are out of work doesn’t mean life has to stop. In fact it is a good opportunity for you to invest in yourself. You will undoubtedly have a little extra time on your hands while you are out of work making it the perfect time to do a few things for yourself. This doesn’t mean pamper yourself with frivolous luxuries you probably can’t afford. Instead try taking a class or learning a new skill. This will keep your mind active and help you further develop your set of skills while also improving your mental health at the same time. It could even make you a more attractive prospect to a potential employer.

Looking for a new job can be a daunting task especially if you are currently out of work. Remember, don’t give up even if you have been rejected. Stay positive and follow these steps to take care of yourself so you have the confidence you need to tackle your next interview with relative ease.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

If you are interested in working with Lisa Rangel, an accomplished executive resume writer, social media profile writer and job search consultant, to achieve social media exposure and interviews you want, sign up for an exploratory call now and learn about the Chameleon Resumes services that can help you land your next role.

The challenges of introverts in the work force have been well documented in research studies, articles and surveys. After all, it would seem that in order to succeed in your career you would need to be an extravert.

One such challenge many introverts face is that of showing passion during a job interview. In particular, it can be difficult for an introvert to talk about themselves or think on their feet because by nature they take their time to really listen and are more deliberate about responses.

So how can an introvert overcome this challenge to show passion and enthusiasm?

Realize that being an introvert isn’t a weakness.

First, it should be noted that just because you’re an introvert doesn’t mean you have a weakness. This is only a common misconception because people don’t yet fully understand that introversion is a temperament, not a personality trait.

Besides, wanting to listen carefully and plan your response accordingly is actually a good thing. It only presents a challenge because an introvert may have to express themselves differently than an extravert in order to get the same point across.

By being aware of this challenge, and being aware that introversion isn’t really a weakness, you can work with it instead of against it.

Talk about things you’ve actually done in detail.

As an introverted person, I would always hear that I wasn’t passionate about the job during performance reviews. Because I knew I was an introvert I would go out of my way to talk in detail about the actions I took. As soon as I started doing this my passion and enthusiasm came through my descriptive story telling.

It’s much easier for an introvert to market themselves and show passion if they can talk about things they’ve already done. That way it’s not bragging, they’re just presenting the facts.

If this still seems like a stretch you can also use the STAR and CAR formulas to help you craft your stories.

Think of the interview as a conversation.

At it’s most basic level, a job interview is nothing more than a conversation between two people to see if they can help each other out.

If an introvert can see a job interview as a conversation between two people, instead of having all the attention on them, then they are more comfortable.

Two strengths to keep in mind here are that introverts are great at creating one-on-one connections and they are genuinely interested in other people. If they can tap into that during the job interview they’ll relax and be better able to show their enthusiasm for the job.

You can do this by expressing your interest in the other person and the job at hand from a perspective of wanting to learn more and better understand the job (yet another strength of an introvert).

Listen carefully for opportunities to express your passion.

Introverts are actually very passionate when given the opportunity to talk about something they love. Use your superior listening skills to find instances where you can talk about your interests in relation to the job.

Better yet, you can come up with ways to steer the conversation toward your interests, such as by asking your interviewer questions.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

We’ve recently talked about How to Qualify & Apply Free Job Search Advice to Your Situation. While most of it is written with good intentions, not all of it should be taken into account.

One such example is when blogs and articles talk about common “rules” you should follow on your resume in order to get an executive position. You know which rules we’re talking about – keep it to one page, stretch the dates of employment if you were without work, leave out certain jobs, etc.

While these rules may work for some people, sometimes executives need to break them in order to get ahead. Read on to find out why.

Rule #1: Keep it to one page.

The idea behind the one page resume is that hiring managers and recruiters need to be able to glance at your work history quickly.

The hard truth is that even if your resume is only one page there’s no guarantee they’ll actually read it.

Instead of worrying about page count, try keeping your reader focused in 5 to 10 second increments so they keep scrolling down to read more. If it ends up being more than one page so be it.

Rule #2: Stretch your employment dates to avoid gaps.

This may have worked before the age of Google, but nowadays anyone can find out your work history with a simple internet search. In case you’re wondering, yes, recruiters are Must Use Social Media in Your Job Search.

And even if your entire life isn’t found online, background check technology can dig a lot deeper than it used to.

The reality is it’s gotten a lot harder to fudge dates and get away with it. So in order to avoid looking like you lied on your resume, you’re better off telling the entire truth.

The same concept applied for leaving out certain jobs. You may not want to do that depending on how relevant or recent the positions are. If you’re concerned about looking overqualified you can use a Previous Positions Held section in your resume.

Rule #3: Have an objective.

Objectives, at least in so far as using them to tell a company why you want the job, are about as outdated as acid wash jeans.

Companies really do not care about what they can do for you. What they do care about is what you can do for them.

With that being said, make the first part of your resume about showcasing your skill set and expertise in a way that will positively impact the company.

For example, if you are a Chief Marketing Officer you could write something along the lines of “Drives business volume through new product creation, innovative branding, effective merchandising and expansive communication distribution to increase profit growth.”  

Rule #4: Use an abundance of keywords so recruiters can find you.

There is nothing more irritating than reading a resume where the writer clearly did some keyword stuffing (except maybe having an objective). It’s the oldest trick in the online job hunting book, and it could actually do you more harm than good.

Are keywords important? Yes. But they must be used properly in order to make an impact.

Overusing them can actually make it more difficult to find you as new search engine algorithms get smarter about penalizing pages that cheat on SEO. Furthermore, even if a recruiter did manage to find your resume, it may not read very well. At the end of the day you are still writing a resume for a human.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer