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Make the most of your time
28 September 2013
Job search exercises are always a challenge. There are many variables involved that we do not have control over, for example, the state of the job market, competition from other job seekers, personal chemistry between you and the interviewer/s, etc. It is always wise to begin with the end in mind – what would be our ideal role look like? What are the top three factors that ideally must be present/available in our next job? Preparation is the key. Preparation not only allows us to respond professionally to interview questions but equally important, it allows us to have confidence. If you are able to project confidence during the interview, you cannot but perform at your best.
However, such is the world we live in. In addition to preparation, having confidence, and adopting a positive mind set (also very important), we may still not be able to experience success in our job search. What should we do then? Giving up is not an option as we need the income to put food on the table perhaps, or pay our mortgage, car loan, etc. Here are a couple of suggestions for you.
Mind-set
Easier said then done in most cases, but it is imperative for you to continue adopting a positive mind-set. Perhaps that elusive next job is not in hand because of one, or several of the variable factors I highlighted above. If companies are not hiring, they are not hiring. Period. There is nothing we can do about it. If the economic situation is poor – it is something that we cannot do something about. Leave these be. Continue focusing on activities that are within your control e.g. persist in putting in the applications, continue doing your networking, etc. Resist the tendency to dwell into the territory of negative-thoughts – it could well be a slippery slope that you find difficult to climb back up again. At the extreme case, it could lead to a mild depression.
Instead, continue doing things that make you feel good, that gives you a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. If you are into jogging, try to better yourself in terms of timing and/or distance covered. If you golf, try to reduce your handicap. Small, and seemingly inconsequential accomplishments can go a long way towards maintaining a positive mindset.
Volunteer
Much as we know that many of the not-for-profit organizations are already quite well supported, there will always be something else we can do – to make that small difference, to touch that one more person. Do you know we have at least one soup kitchen here in Singapore? My dear niece, Kim, spent one of her Sundays cutting vegetables to feed the needy. Not your cup of tea? How about spending some quality time chatting with a senior citizen at a Home? Don’t fancy that too? Well, how about being a volunteer at a after-school centre? Jane, my dear wife volunteers her time coaching children who has to remain behind in the school as their parents are working. She finds it pretty fulfilling – much as she is usually ‘not welcomed’ by her students – the greeting her students usually accord her : "Huh, you again?”
Learn
Learning is a life-long journey, not a destination. You are spoilt for choices – you can learn something useful to your career, or just learn something fun, or simply for the sake of self-actualization. Learn to make ice-cream or bake, learn to paint, learn to write poetry, etc, the list is endless. The key thing is the psychological positive-ness of learning. No learning can be useless or bad – if may just be for the sake of knowledge-acquisition, and you may not be able to apply the learning. One of the key strategies of effective networking is arming yourself with knowledge – no need for you to be an expert – but adequate knowledge for you to contribute to cocktail conversations.
Read
This is important enough for me to decide on a separate heading. Most of us are gifted with eyes that can see, and the ability to read. However, there has been countless times when people tell me they do not have time to read. How ironic, and sad. Knowledge is power – in a good sense. There are many options – the library, the book shops, the internet, etc. If you are already into the habit of reading, read more. If you ‘do not have the time’ – now you do not have an excuse. Read voraciously – stuff that appeals to you, subject matters that you always wanted to know a little more – whatever, it is, just read. I have reading materials all over my apartment – in the living room, in the toilet, by the bedside, and yes, also in the car. I finished reading Dan Brown’s Inferno (nearly 500 pages) during a business trip to Hong Kong and Taipei – I read it during the flights, at the airport, at the dining table, and yes, also in the toilet.
Relax
Most of us work hard, sometimes too hard. We travel on company’s business, and in the process, spend time away from the family and loved ones. When you are in career transition mode, try to learn to appreciate the break. In-between time spent on your job search, catch up with friends, and maybe even your spouse and children. Catch a movie in the afternoon, enjoy a leisurely-paced lunch, or even spend the day at the beach. Tell yourself that you will enjoy this period of leisure and that you will no longer be able to do this when you resume work. A contact of mine so enjoyed the car conversations ferrying his children to and from school that he almost did not want to return to work! Such experiences will become treasured memories when you start your new career.
Article by Paul Heng, a career coach with NeXT Career Consulting Group, Asia
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