Susan Bernstein

I am not a fan of looking for a job online.

Please don't ask me which websites to check out to find job listings.

Why?

Because you are unique.  A treasure.  An original.  And searching for a job on the internet is a sure-fire recipe for getting lost in the crowd.  

Besides, searching for a job online keeps you indoors all day, or at least connected to a computer. Hello?  Don't you think it'd be better to actually be out there with real-live human beings? 

I know, that's scarier.

Well, if you ARE going to spend your time online, how about a proactive approach?  In other words, what if you actually promoted yourself.  Strutted your stuff.  Enticed employers come to you, rather than you out there looking for them.

So, I'm recommending THE BEST article I've seen on using social media in your job search.  It's 7 Secrets to Getting Your Next Job Using Social Media, written by Dan Schwabel.

When I read Dan's posting, I knew I'd found a kindred soul.  The days of sending resumes and cover letters is fading fast.  Hallelujah!  We need ways to stand out, not be vanilla. If I read one more resume where the dear job seeker calls himself a "seasoned professional," I WILL get out the salt and pepper and send it by mail to said job seeker.

Dan makes an enormously important point when he suggests that those looking for work conduct a "people search" not" a "job search."  Yes!  That's why I tell people not to get themselves on LinkedIn and start talking to people at the companies they love.  People. 

Dan also suggests that you promote yourself.  With a blog.  On a subject related to the work you want (no, not about your latest pub crawl).  I've been telling my peeps that for a long time.  I know, I know, it takes time to write a blog.  But you know what?  It's "on purpose" for your job search people search, because you'll get clearer about your ideas around your area of interest.  Writing has a way of making you get clear.  Amazing.

I won't give away the rest of Dan's ideas.  They are brilliant.  And edgy, if you've been living in the old world, trying to go about job search in the same old vanilla way.

Oh, please, get me some spumoni! 

And if you're ready to approach job search in a kick-butt, strategic way, check out my 12-week Job Search Gym group coaching program that starts February 4, on Wednesday evenings.  It's a great way to get "over the hump" while you look for (or promote yourself for) your new work.   I'll help you build your confidence, so you can stand out in the job search process.  And yes, we'll cover promoting yourself.  Sign up for a free preview call either January 7 or January 14.

Searchingly yours,
Susan

Dr. Susan Bernstein
Job Search Coach & Founder
The Job Search Gym
www.JobSearchGym.com

OK, we're finally at idea #10 for keeping you positive & motivated in your job search....

Idea #10:  Move it!

It's really easy to get caught at your desk all day, when you're looking for work (well, if you're not raiding the refrigerator, which is a common diversion).  If you spend most of the day sitting, not moving, it's hard to feel momentum.

So, my advice...spend time each day moving, especially when you feel "stuck." Research shows that moving your body can put you in a good frame of mind.  Why? Movement also increases the flow of oxygen to your brain, which elevates concentration while decreasing stress. 

To do:  Take a break each hour, for 5-10 minutes and put yourself in motion.  Some ideas:

• Take a walk around the block
• Do some jumping jacks (that will get your heart pumping, and the adrenaline, too!)
• Shake it up as I've suggested before
• Climb some stairs
• Yoga at your desk (thanks to the Alberta Centre for Active Living)
• Get up and boogie -- do some freeform dance

You might also try adding music to your movement.  Why? 

Because music can also help you to manage your stress levels.  Music helps your brain regulate serotonin, endorphins, and dopamine, chemicals essential for your mental well-being. 

To do:  If you're just listening to music for stress relief, without movement, I highly recommend Mozart.  I love to leave that on in the background when I'm working.  Keeps me upbeat, and it can work for you, too. 

When we move, we change.  So, if you're feeling depressed, stuck, blocked, foggy, confused, or any other state that doesn't serve your job search...get a move on!

Share with us YOUR practices for staying positive & motivated in your job search.  What works for YOU?

12/29/08 Addendum:  Hey, take a look at what Denver Jobs Examiner Andrew Hudson writes about exercise for job seekers. Great info! 

Helping you move through your job search with ease,

Susan

Dr. Susan Bernstein
Job Search Coach & Founder
The Job Search Gym
www.JobSearchGym.com

I just bought a new Flip Mino HD video and with the help of my friend (and great financial planner), Celeste Mirassou, we shot a quick holiday video for you.

You see, I don't want you to get caught in the doom and gloom of things like foreclosures, financial losses, and layoffs.

It's time for a message of hope.

I hope you enjoy this very simple message, home-spun, low-tech, and authentically from my heart.

How this message makes you feel?  What does it inspire you to do or express in 2009?  Go ahead, express yourself!  Post a comment with your thoughts and impressions.

Celebrating your divine spark,
Susan

Dr. Susan Bernstein
Coach, Speaker & Author
www.WorkFromWithin.com
Work From Within, LLC

How's your job search going today?

I'm here with yet another one of my out-of-the-box ideas about how to stay positive and motivated in your job search.  In my last post, I suggested that you CELEBRATE!  Yep, little milestones, like finishing a cover letter.  Or making a phone call to someone who seems like a "rock star" in your mind, who intimidates you.  You can even celebrate things that might seem insignificant, like organizing your daily to-do list.

Today, I have cooked up yet another way to boost your attitude while you look for a job.

Idea #9:  Envision yourself already in the job.  And, as a bonus, make a list of the things you're looking forward to in your new job.

Most job seekers don't get passionately connected to a positive future.  That's sad.  And it's a lost opportunity to feel fired up each day as they look for a new job.

As a career coach, I see too many job seekers just "go through the motions."  Many candidates, even when they get to interviews, strive only to "get" the job.  Most never take the time to imagine daily life on the job.  They have a foggy picture of what it will feel like to actually be selected for the job, let alone actually being in the job.  And that makes their job search pretty disconnected from actually getting a job.

I've noticed that when I help my clients to envision themselves already in the job, they feel really positive and motivated.  I invite them to fully engage their imaginations and see themselves at work.  In the setting.  With their colleagues.  Doing the job. 

I invite you to do the same.  Close your eyes and start imagining yourself fully on the job, in as much detail as possible.  Spend at least five minutes a day in this envisioning process. 

This is not about being a fortune teller and trying to predict whether the office really looks they way they imagined or their co-workers really are all tall and skinny, or whether they'll be making phone calls all day long.  Nope.

It's about allowing yourself to immerse yourself in the job.  Indulging in the fantasy of it.

Why would you want to do that?

FIrst, because one day, you'll actually HAVE a new job.  Until then, by envisioning the work and allowing yourself to "feel it in your bones," you're training your nervous system to feel adjusted to work. 

Second, when you find the work, you'll know it's a fit.  And when you actually start working, it will feel less foreign and more natural.  And, this envisioning technique also helps you to connect more with interviewers, so that you're better equipped to tell them how you'll handle the job. 

So, Dear Job Seeker, in your mind, congratulate yourself on landing the job right now.  And then vividly imagine yourself working -- see the people, the environment, the activities -- all of it in as much detail as possible.  Feel that new job in your bones.  And have fun with your new job.  See what happens when you allow yourself to indulge in this. 

This idea just might land you the job.  I'm not kidding.  I've seen my clients manifest amazing jobs with this techique. 

And, as always, post a comment here and let us know what you discover from this way to stay positive and motivated in your job search, Idea #9.

OH! One more thing.  The next Job Search Gym 10-week group coaching program starts February 4.  If you're needing support in finding a job, including individual 1-on-1 assistance, check out how easy and fun it can be to learn new strategic skills that help you connect with employers and promote yourself more naturally.  And I'd love you to join one of our free teleclass preview calls on January 7 or January 21!

Envisioning your success,
Susan

Dr. Susan Bernstein
Job Search Coach & Founder
The Job Search Gym
www.JobSearchGym.com

Hey everyone!

It's getting super close to Christmas and New Years, so this next idea for staying positive and motivated in your job search is totally appropriate...

Celebrate!

Yes, that's today's recommendation. 

You see, I find that instead of celebration, job seekers often engage in self-condemnation.  Simply put, people lose energy and motivation because they're beating themselves up.  Saying negative things to themselves.  They tell themselves all about what they did WRONG.  Not much fun, eh?  We looked at this phenomenon in Idea #7, Befriend the Demons. 

I would contend that most people who are looking for work are not tracking their successes.  They're overfocused on what's NOT working, rather than what's GOING WELL.

We often don't allow ourselves to celebrate until we achieve our result.  You know.  Like the J-O-B.  "I want the JOB, damn it!" you say, "And I won't celebrate until I have it!"

Geez.  How about celebrating some milestones along the way?  Otherwise, you're holding out for the big win, and what's motivating you to take each step?

I want to recommend that you make a plan for each day of your job search, so that you know what you'll be doing...you'll have milestones along the way.  I wrote about how to create this type of job search plan back in April of last year, and invite you to see how you can "begin with the end in mind" as you create your job search success.

For each milestone, set up a little celebration.  So, you made that difficult call -- celebrate!  You finished writing the cover letter -- yep, celebration again!  Hey, you got a call back from someone at an ideal company -- C-E-L-B-R-A-T-E!

How will YOU celebrate?  Maybe you'll take a walk around the block.  Perhaps you'll pick up the phone and calling a friend.  If you're feeling good about yourself and your physique, you might choose a scoop of ice cream. 

The point is, instead of falling into negativity, I invite you to rise up and celebrate every little win.  Did you know that the word "celebrate" comes from a Latin phrase meaning "assemble to honor"?  Well, I invite you to notice how much better the whole job search process feels when you honor yourself!

As always, I'd love to hear how this idea works for you.  Please do share your feedback.

OH!  And I want to celebrate myself!  Today, I finished getting the next Job Search Gym program set up.  It's going to be 10 Wednesday evenings, from 6-7 pm, from February 4 to April 22, 2009 (two weeks off during the program).  For more information, visit the Job Search Gym!

Celebrating your success,

Susan

Susan Bernstein, MBA PhD
Job Search Coach & Founder
The Job Search Gym
www.JobSearchGym.com

Hey, all you amazing job seekers!

It takes a TON of energy to look for a job.  I think a big part of the effort comes in the psychological aspects of moving ahead through the uncertainty.  You don't know exactly when you'll find a job.  You don't know exactly what that job is.  And you don't know exactly how you'll land it, nor who will help you to get it. 

Ah, the adventure of uncertainty.  It's a heroic journey, for sure, particularly battling the inner demons that roar with negative messages like "You'll NEVER get a job," and "Who do YOU think YOU are to pursue a great job like THAT?"

Wouldn't you love to combat those nasty inner demons, the ones who say all sorts of awful things to you?

Well, that's why today's idea, #7, for staying positive and motivated in your job search is:  Befriend the demons.

YOU, THE JOB SEEKER:  Excuse me?  Make friends with the icky voices in my head? 

ME, THE JOB SEARCH COACH:  Yes, I'm telling you something totally counter-intuitive.

YOU, THE JOB SEEKER:  Weren't you going to tell me to SLAY the demons?  I mean, c'mon, I want them gone, vamoose, hit the road, Jack! 

Do you mean that when I tell myself awful things like "You are the WORST candidate ever for this job," that I'm supposed to be happy?

ME, THE JOB SEARCH COACH:  No, no, I'm not telling you to be happy.  But I'm advising you, first of all, to treat that voice in your head as a friend.  Not necessarily a good friend, your best buddy, but as a new friend.  Second, I encourage you to get curious about this friend, so you can actually find out how to make this demon voice disappear. 

YOU, THE JOB SEEKER:  OK.  I'm not totally following you, but I like the idea that we'll make this demon disappear.  Tell me more.

ME, THE JOB SEARCH COACH:  OK, so what I'm suggesting is that you consider that voice-in-your-head like a character, and give it a name.  And imagine what it would look like.  This is just for fun, but really, take some time to sense a bit about this demon.

YOU, THE JOB SEEKER:  OK, well my demon is like 20 feet tall, green, and slimy.  And it's slimy and mean towards me.  It talks to me in an angry voice, sort of like my father would when I was a naughty child, but much louder and angrier. 

ME, THE JOB SEARCH COACH:  Great!  Now, it helps if you give your character a name.

YOU, THE JOB SEEKER:  Ultra-Angry Arnold.

ME, THE JOB SEARCH COACH:  OK.  Super.  Ultra-Angry Arnold it is.  Now, you want to imagine siding up to Ultra-Angry Arnold and asking him a few questions.

YOU, THE JOB SEEKER:  This is kind of weird. 

ME, THE JOB SEARCH COACH:  I know.  Hang in there with me.  So, now, you want to ask your demon, Ultra-Angry Arnold, a few questions.  Starting with:
* What are you doing here?
* Why do you hang around me?
* What role do you serve in my life?
* What do you want from me?
* What do you really actually NEED from me?*

YOU, THE JOB SEEKER:  So, what does this do?

ME, THE JOB SEARCH COACH:  Try it out.  You'll see for yourself.  Each person is different.

(some time passes...Job Seeker tries asking Ultra-Angry Arnold a few questions, in his imagination, of course).

YOU, THE JOB SEEKER:  Huh.  I discovered that Ultra-Angry Arnold really is afraid I'll never get a job, and he tries to serve me by yelling at me.

ME, THE JOB SEARCH COACH:  And do you feel good when he yells at you.

YOU, THE JOB SEEKER:  Duh...no! 

ME, THE JOB SEARCH COACH:  So, when he does that, you can talk to that "voice" or that "character" and tell him to take a hike!  Just noticing that this is a different facet of yourself, not the best part of yourself, that's key! 

YOU, THE JOB SEEKER:  Oh, you're telling me not to believe the negative voices in my head.

ME, THE JOB SEARCH COACH:  Exactly.  You can't believe everything you think.

So, Dear Job Seekers, the lesson here:  Don't believe everything you think.  Especially the negative stuff.

Hey, if you like this technique for staying positive & motivated, drop us a line.  And if you hate this technique, drop us a line.  It'd be great to hear your thoughts!  Good ones and bad!  : ) 

Happily yours,

Susan

Dr. Susan Bernstein
Job Search Coach & Founder
The Job Search Gym
www.JobSearchGym.com

PS - if you want more on this, check out the Voice Dialogue work of Drs. Hal & Sidra Stone. 

Hope you're enjoying the first five ideas for staying positive and motivated in your job search:
#1:  Smile
#2:  Buddy up
#3:  Immerse yourself in your positive past
#4:  Turn off your TV
#5:  Collage

So, now, it's time for idea #6.  This one might shake things up a bit in your world...

Imagine that you're having a tough day of looking for work.  (Maybe you don't have to imagine it...maybe you're living it, right now).  You're drawing a blank when you go to write a resume.  It's been weeks since you've had an interview.  You can't seem to generate any more ideas of where to look for a job.  And to top it off, no one seems to be getting back to you on email or by phone and you're in a panic.  Aaak!

You're having a crisis of confidence.

What do you do now, Dear Job Seeker?

Idea #6:  Shake it up, baby!

This is a wild idea, but it's often an effective way to get out of a rut.  My advice is to simply and literally shake.  Yep. 

Have you ever seen a dog get out of the water?  It doesn't just sit around soaking wet.  The dog shakes itself off.  Or, in the wild, if an animal is hit, it "plays dead," and then gets up, shakes itself off, and moves on. 

My father used to sing a little ditty to my brother and I when we'd stall out or feel like we'd failed.  He'd tell us, "Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again." 

Well, instead of dusting off, I want to encourage you to "shake yourself out." 

Indigenous tribes have known for centuries that movement is a form of medicine.  In somatic psychology, the branch of psychology I studied, it's understood that when we move, we change.  Well, specifically, the movement of shaking our bodies can be truly healing, according to Dr. Bradford Keeney, author of Shaking Medicine, who studied African and other tribal cultures and their practices of shaking.

Don't worry, you don't need to go to Africa to use idea #6! 

How do you use this shaking practice?

First, notice when you're feeling really angry or upset or peeved.  Or basically experiencing any emotion or state that's blocking you from doing your job search. 

Second, start with an arm, and start moving it up and down rhythmically, imagining a slow beat, like a metronome, imagining that any any bad emotions or blockages are leaving as you shake them off or out of your body.  Within a minute or two, you'll find that your arm moves almost impulsively, finding its own rhythm, like an internal beat.  That's great.  You want to foster or allow for this kind of innately created movement, instead of trying to hold to an external beat.  Over time, allow your head, your chest, your rear, your belly, and your legs and feet to get involved. 

Third, give yourself five to twenty minutes to just shake out, imagining your shaking off any bad energy, bad vibes, crummy memories, or unneeded energy.  Ideally, you'll stand up to do this shaking, but you can do a decent amount of movement even if seated.

Of course, you're more likely to want to "shake off" any bad emotions when you're alone.  Otherwise, your friends and family might just think you're a little nuts.  Unfortunately, in our Western culture, we're not too accustomed to movement.  But think of runners and dancers.  They get so into their movement that it's almost like a trance.  They fall into a different state of mind.  You can get that same change of mental state from shaking.

I've even shaken off negative emotions in the middle of meetings.  Instead of shaking my whole body, I just shake out my hand under a conference table.  I do the movement discreetly, of course, so it doesn't look like I'm having a spasm or anything, you know!  

So, I know this is a very non-conventional technique.  But, Einstein said, you can't solve a problem in the same consciousness in which you created the problem.  So, this innovative technique just might do the trick to getting you unstuck in your job search.

Let us know how this goes for you!

Shake it up, baby!

Susan

Dr. Susan Bernstein
Job Search Coach & Founder
The Job Search Gym
www.JobSearchGym.com

One of my favorite ways to create a positive mood is to have something to imagine.  Something to literally LOOK FORWARD and see.

So, how can you make your job search more positive?

Collage.  A job search success collage.

Yep, this is an out-of-the box suggestion for most people. 

My idea #5 for staying positive and motivated in your job search is to create a collage, also known as a vision board. 

See, when you create a collage, you can put something in front of you to look forward to!  In this case, you'd make a picture of what you're seeking in a job.  That way, you'll have visual images to look at every day, so your mind can focus on what you desire.  Looking at those images can stir you and move you, internally, to pursue what you want externally.

So, how do you create a successful job search collage?

First, gather some magazines.  You can ask your friends for your old ones. 

Second, go through the images and start pulling out ones that feel positive and uplifting.  Images that inspire the feelings of a great workplace, camraderie, dynamic work, the chance for growth, or whatever else is important to you.

Do this quickly, intuitively.  If an image "speaks" to you, and captures your energy and attention, just cut it out of the magazine.  Try not to "think" too much.  Just trust your intuition.

You can also cut out words and phrases, but try to collect more images.  As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words!

Third, get a big piece of tagboard.  You'll want to paste the images onto the tagboard.  Have fun with this.  Be playful.  Don't worry about making it too "pretty," but do feel free to be creative. 

Finally, hang your finished picture somewhere prominent, where you'll look at it every day.  You might meditate on the images, looking at them and letting them guide each day of job searching.  Let the images work on your subconscious and encourage you as you spend each day calling, visiting, interviewing, writing, or whatever you're doing in your job search.

I'd love to see your job search success collage!  So take a photo and images to me at info AT jobsearchgym.com.  Let me know if I can post the image to share it, as that can encourage others.  And, of course, I encourage you to write back and tell me how this technique works for you.

Picturing your success,

Susan

Dr. Susan Bernstein
Job Search Coach & Founder
The Job Search Gym
www.JobSearchGym.com

Look, I know that people are losing their jobs.  I'd have to be living under the proverbial rock to be unaware of the layoffs and other unfortunate circumstances that are facing many American workers.  But it's really upsetting to me when they get stuck believing that the world is now all gloom and doom and there's no hope.  It breaks my heart when people who happen to have lost their jobs feel as though this is a permanent condition.  It's not. 

I know, and trust, that people will find work again, and I even help them to do that, through the Job Search Gym.  But I also really feel for people who are so desperate to find a job that they get down on themselves when they don't have one.   Our society values work so much that it's like a commodity.  We trade it in social capital.  Like when you go to a party, and you meet someone for the first time, and the inevitable starting question is, "What do you do?"  Of course, what they're fishing for is your profession.

From my vantage point, our society places too little value on our character, our hobbies, our convictions, our authenticity, and too much on the mechanistic, "So, what do you do to pay the bills?"  Then, the lines get drawn between two types of work.  Unfortunately, the most common view of work is work that's done, usually in a numbed-out, dissatisfied tone, to simply "make ends meet." But there's another type of work:  Work that's actually a livelihood, a passion, a joyous expression of the soul. 

And, it's all-too-common to expect that if you're doing the latter type of work, the really meaingful type, then, well, of course, you can't make a living doing it, right? 

Hah!  That's a belief that's getting in the way, the belief that artists must be starving folks.  It's an old mythology that must be put to rest.  It's simply not true.  I have a new friend, Pam Morris, who is living, breathing proof that following your passion can lead to riches, both spiritual and material.  Pam creates some of the most amazing, magnificent lighting the world has ever seen.  Was she born a light designer?  No, she trained herself.  Recently, she told me that whatever she's needed to learn, she's gone and figured out.  She just followed her energy, her spirit, her inner direction.  For sure, Pam is one of the most creative, gifted, caring people I know.  And she never believed she'd be poor.  She just kept following her heart.  Full-filled.  Totally filled full, with light (literal and figurative) and spirit -- that's Pam.

Fortunately, I do know that there are unemployed people who are still fulfilled doing whatever they do outside of the job.  That might including being with family, taking hikes, preparing dinner, volunteering at a homeless shelter.  By contrast, there are unemployed people who feel an inner emptiness because they don't have a job to fill up their life.  They feel stripped of their dignity, because they've so closely identified themselves with their work. 

I love author Alex Pattakos' (who was deeply influenced by his mentor, Viktor Frankl, a survivor of four Nazi concentration camps) invitation to gain perspective on the lack of employment by looking at ourselves from a distance.  He boldly asserts that "the fact that we do not have work in the form of a paid job does not mean that life itself has no meaning for us." 

Pattakos goes on to say that "our attitude toward any situation, including unemployment and other major life challenges, frames our ability and willingness to respond in a responsible manner." 

So, what attitude are you choosing in your job search?  Are you choosing to see yourself as a downtrodden, unlikeable, unemployable person?  If you are, I invite you to take Pattakos' advice to use humor and "self-detach," to see yourself from a distance.  

In The Doctor and the Soul, Viktor Frankl writes about an advertisement in the newspaper classified section, "Unemployed. Brilliant mind offers its services completely free; the survival of the body must be provided for by adequate salary."  It's got a funny tone, right?   It's what most of us want...to put our minds to work, and please feed our bodies.

So, how about your own circumstances, dear Job Seeker?  How about having a little levity, and standing in a future moment, looking back at yourself, giving yourself wisdom?

Wishing you the gift of perspective,
Susan

Dr. Susan Bernstein
Job Search Coach & Founder
The Job Search Gym
www.JobSearchGym.com