As a new year beckons, it’s time for new hopes and resolutions, and it’s time to let the struggles and disappointments of the old year just float away.  If you are seeking a new job, it is time to hatch your campaign plans and try new approaches with a fresh eye, renewed energy and passionate commitment. 

Looking for a job is no half-hearted affair – it is an adventure, a journey, a voyage of exploration. Therefore, let’s look at both your job search mindset and at the practical steps required to be successful in the search.

Do you remember Nicholas from earlier posts?  His job search was not going too well.  Let’s get an update, and see if he can turn things around.

Nicholas traveled a long way to be with his family this Christmas.  He hoped he would arrive with success stories, a burgeoning career and a bright future assured.  Alas, his heart was heavy.  His dinner table stories were about anything but work as his contract position is coming to an end, and his well-laid plans to create a seamless transition to a full-time, permanent job have come to nothing.  He tried hard to think about that for which he was grateful and to keep his job search woes in perspective.  But, the worries constantly tugged at him.  Luck was not on his side this year, the economic recovery seems elusive and he made his fair share of mistakes along the way.

We don’t want to dwell on the negative, but let’s learn from some of the things he shouldn’t have done so next year he can recalibrate and set himself up for success:

• He put all of his eggs in one basket.  All hopes were focused on a single opportunity.  Yes, he networked successfully into one organization, and he had a friendly insider guide him on his way, but the job did not materialize. Perhaps he felt over-confident persuading himself that the job was destined for him.  But, by not keeping up an active job search strategy while interviewing with his primary target, he lost time and made himself vulnerable when his only prospect fizzled.
• There are many possible reasons why the company did not follow through or hire him, and he probably will never know why he was not made an offer, but he learned one bitter lesson.  Out of enthusiasm and zeal to please, Nicholas introduced a friend to the company while he himself was in process with them.  Somehow, the two candidates were linked by those participating in the company’s selection process, so, when the friend’s interview went badly, Nicholas’s standing also diminished.  Although he and his friend were not presenting themselves as a “package” or a team, they sank together.  He should have either waited until he was safely inside the company before introducing a friend, or he should have been more clear in his understanding of his friend’s strengths and weaknesses before risking his own social capital.
• He was attracted by superficial aspects of the job, like prestige and pay, and did not develop a deep understanding of the cultural fit between himself and the organization.  The various missteps and misunderstandings along the way – botched interviews, missed signals, a stuttering process – were all deeper signs that this was never going to be a good fit.  But, Nicholas wanted the job so much that he seemed unwilling to notice the red lights flashing danger, beware.  If he had taken the time to get very clear about his values, his best skills, and the kind of environment in which he will flourish, he might have rejected the company before they rejected him.  To better position himself in the future, he must decide not to compromise his vision of what is right for him and refuse to get seduced by flashy titles or superficially attractive opportunities. He must, instead, do the painstaking work of learning about the organizational culture and the likely constraints and opportunities of the role. In doing so, he is bound to be more successful in the long run – as well as significantly happier.  It may not seem that way to him right now, but he was probably saved from a potentially miserable work experience.

We wish Nicholas – and you – luck, fortitude and success for the New Year.

Fredia Woolf , founder of Woolf Consulting, helps people to manage change and achieve positive results for their careers, teams and organizations.  As an organizational consultant and leadership coach, she works with clients to increase their effectiveness and impact, to manage transitions successfully, and to define and create a leadership legacy. She can be reached at fwoolf@woolfconsulting.com.

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Last updated on January 30th, 2010 at 08:57 am