Let’s don’t beat around the bush. The unemployment numbers from
the past couple of weeks haven’t been dismal; they are basically disastrous.
Here in NYC, especially, a massive number of people have been forced out of
work due to shutdowns related to the Coronavirus pandemic. And while this
situation may be temporary, the numbers don’t tell the real story if you’re one
of the ones trying to figure out how to make ends meet.
We need to pull together and help one another in times like
these. If you’ve suffered the loss of a job, or if you’re a gig worker whose
income has dried up due to COVID-19, I want to help. So until this crisis is
over, Giraffe’s Consulting is offering the following resources at no
charge.
Immediate Support: A
Free Webinar
In November 2017, I conducted a webinar called “Land the Job
You Want.” It’s basically a condensed version of the opening steps I take with
every new client. This
webinar is online and free to view, and it contains information that
can help you as you retool your job search for this “new normal.” You don’t
have to wait or sign up—just
go watch it.
Additional Support:
Free Career Coaching
You’re reading this correctly—for every person I can fit
into my schedule who has recently experienced a layoff, I am offering my career
coaching services at no charge. In this time of social distancing, I typically
conduct one-on-one sessions by phone, but I’m also preparing to do some group sessions
via Zoom. The goal here is to equip you with the tools you need to navigate a
successful job search in this “new normal.”
If you are interested in signing up for free coaching,
simply shoot me an email at terrylynn@giraffesconsulting.com
with a brief explanation of how this pandemic has affected your employment.
I’ll be back in touch with you soon to give you further instructions.
For most of us, if not all, the world is a much different
place than it was just a couple of weeks ago. It seems like the news about the
Coronavirus pandemic becomes more profound, disruptive and downright scary by
the day. Here in NYC, a huge percent of the workforce just got forced out of
work or furloughed due to the shutdown of most restaurants, theaters and
gathering places. If you’ve been recently “unemployed in the time of
Coronavirus”, or if your job hunting plans have been interrupted, you might be
tempted to buy into the despair—to throw up your hands and decide it’s useless.
But I’m here to tell you…don’t. Don’t despair. Don’t give
up.
Don’t.
The fact is, jobs are still out there, and because this
particular pandemic is happening in the digital age, we have more tools
available for a job search than people did the last time something like this
swept the earth. Here are some important tips to help you re-tool your job
search—even if you’re sheltering-in-place.
Re-think the Job
Market and Look in the Right Places
When unemployment numbers seem to be shooting up, it’s easy
to assume there are just no jobs available. But that isn’t true—the work is
still out there. The available jobs have simply shifted according to the
nation’s current priorities, and there are plenty of companies out there who
need good people now more than ever. You just need to know where to look. Some
examples of industries and job sectors to investigate:
Delivery
and order fulfillment companies. (Perfect example—as of the time of this
writing, Amazon just announced it is adding
100,000 new jobs to keep up with the increased demand from people
ordering from home.)
Logistics
companies.
Grocery
stores and pharmacies. (Especially those who deliver.)
Internet
and tech companies. (More people will be relying on the Internet and/or
have more time on their hands, and many tech jobs can be done from home.)
Research. (Especially
as it relates to Coronavirus.)
Any other
job where you could telecommute.
Bear in mind that companies in these sectors don’t just need
entry-level people; they need skilled professionals of many types, including
accountants, human resources, data analysts, sales reps…pretty much any role
that a company needs to fulfill its primary objectives. (In other words, don’t
assume Amazon won’t hire you for anything except to pack boxes. Send your
resume out!)
Move Your Job Search
Online
I’ve mentioned in times past that having an online presence
is important during a job search, but it shouldn’t replace in-person
networking. Scratch that—for now. During times of social distancing, you’re not
going to have the face-to-face opportunities you once had—either for networking
or for job interviews—and it’s not really safe to go to those, anyway. So for
the time being, work on ramping up your online efforts. Some quick tips:
Work on
developing a winning LinkedIn profile—along with profiles at other job
sites you use (e.g., Indeed).
Ramp up
social media engagement. Spend more time interacting with other
professionals who might refer you. Follow and engage companies you’d like to
work for.
Practice
interviewing via phone and video chat. The dynamics of online interviews
are a bit different than in-person, so it helps to get used to these outlets
ahead of time.
Navigating the Change
If you know me at all, you know my motto: Change happens—take control! What’s
happening in our world is a huge change—but those
who thrive during change are those who are willing to adapt. Yes, there are
more obstacles, and yes, your job search might not be as cut-and-dried as
before. And yes, life certainly offers
no guarantees. But if you’re willing to be fluid and adapt your methods with
the changing times, you’ll be in a much better position to find and land work
when it becomes available than the 20 other people around you who threw up
their hands and gave up.
In the meantime, if you want an extra boost with your job
search, I’m always here to help. Shoot me an email at terrylynn@giraffesconsulting.com.
The following is an
excerpt from my upcoming book, What I Learned from the Giraffes, due out this spring. Just to give you a
taste of what I’ve been working on. 🙂
***
When I was in high school, I went out for the cheerleading
squad. I was always very athletic as a kid, but growing up in Rochester, New
York in the sixties, there weren’t really a lot of opportunities for girls to
play school sports. Cheerleading was one of the few outlets girls had for being
physically active, so it felt like a good thing for me to do.
There was stiff competition among the girls for the few
slots on the team that were available. I wasn’t the prettiest girl in the
class. I was thin and lanky, and I was already at my full adult height of
five-foot seven, which was considered tall in those days. But being naturally
athletic, I could do all the tricks and jumps very easily, so it was hard to
turn me down.
I was so excited to come home and share the news with my
family that I’d made the squad. But when I made the announcement at the dinner
table that night, my father’s reaction stopped me cold.
In contrast to my mother’s outspokenness, my father was the
other kind of person—the “strong, silent” type, stoic, a man of few words.
Where my mother led with her personality, my father led by his quiet,
disciplined example, having first served in the army, then following his father
into the city fire department, where he eventually served as a battalion chief.
He could speak volumes with the expression on his face, and by a single glance
you could instantly tell if he was pleased with you or terribly disappointed.
I was accustomed to being the apple of my father’s eye. He
supported almost everything I did, and most of the time I could do no wrong in
his eyes. But when I shared my news about becoming a cheerleader, he looked
like he’d seen a ghost. In fact, he broke his typical silence. “Terry, I don’t
think that that’s appropriate behavior for you,” he said. “I don’t like the
idea of you jumping around in front of a lot of people yelling and screaming. I
don’t think it’s very ladylike.”
The noisy dinner conversation fell almost silent. I was
shocked, crushed and deeply embarrassed.
Of course, looking back at it now, I understand why my
father was upset. All he could envision in his mind was his little girl in short
skirts and tight sweaters, jumping around, showing maybe more than what you
should be showing to a stand full of people. But in that moment, it hadn’t even
occurred to me that there would be an issue.
I pled my case, explaining how there weren’t any other
sports for girls and what an achievement it was even to make the team. My
mother, ever the progressive thinker, also spoke up in my defense,
diplomatically pointing out how this might be a good thing for me. My father
was unmoved, so rather than continue the disagreement in front of the family,
Mom chose to pivot. “We’ll discuss it later,” she said, shooting a meaningful
glance my way. We went on with our dinner.
I joined the cheerleading squad, and my father never brought
it up again. He went to a couple of games, but that was about all the support
he could muster. I could tell he remained uncomfortable with my being a
cheerleader, even though he didn’t say no.
As it turned out, cheerleading couldn’t have been a better
fit for me—and in fact it ended up informing almost every job I took as an
adult. Cheerleading taught me how much I love working with people, interacting
with them, encouraging them. It also gave me some leadership and management
skills, the ability to guide people and projects. My career path eventually led
me into the world of human resources—starting as a trainer, then ultimately
working up to vice-president of HR for a respectable firm where I worked for
years. I got to work with people on a personal, emotional level, and I got to
be their advocate, their encourager.
Their cheerleader.
That was really the heart of it. Being a cheerleader
revealed the heart of who I was and what I wanted to be for people—an encourager. I get such a kick out of
helping people move closer to their goals. Even today, in my work as a career
coach, it’s basically the same thing. I’m still a cheerleader—just in a whole
different sort of way. It’s a perfect fit for me because I get to encourage,
inspire and motivate people every day.
Many years later, after I had become vice-president of HR, I
had a conversation with my father. “You know, Dad, after all this time, I can
now say confidently that being a cheerleader was really the foundation of my
professional success,” I told him.
“You’re absolutely right,” he said with a big smile.
I’ll keep you updated
on the book’s progress, including updates on the anticipated spring release. If
you’d like to be added to my email list for further updates about the book
release, shoot me an email at terrylynn@giraffesconsulting.com. More to come!
Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed the holiday season and
that you were able to sneak a little time for yourself to take a personal
inventory in preparation for the upcoming year.
Along that line…I almost never use this blog space for
announcements, but 2020 is shaping up to be a big one for Giraffes Consulting,
for me personally, and hopefully for my clients. I’ve kept this mostly under
wraps until now, but I’m close enough in the process that it’s time to let you
know: My first book is nearing completion and should be ready for release in
the first quarter of this year!
The book’s working title is What I Learned from the Giraffes, and it serves as
part-memoir/part-inspiration. In the book, I share a bit of my own personal and
professional journey, as well as some of the universal principles I’ve learned
along the way that now form the foundation of Giraffes Consulting—most
importantly, the principles of navigating
change.
It’s been a long time coming, but it feels like the timing
is perfect for this book. With all the upheaval and uncertainty so many of us
are facing in our world today, we need to be reminded now more than ever that change is a gift, and when we approach
change from a stance of confidence, we can take control of our future in ways
we never thought possible. This is certainly the approach I take with my career
coaching clients, but these principles extend far beyond finding a new job or
career. If you’re facing any kind of life change, whether it’s a change in job,
relationships, health or something else, I believe this book will help provide
some much-needed context—and hopefully, a bit of encouragement and inspiration,
as well.
In the weeks to come, I’ll be sharing a few excerpts from
the book here on the blog, and we’ll be planning a much-needed facelift for
this website coinciding with the book’s release. Watch for more announcements
to come!
In the meantime, if you need help navigating a career change
right now, you don’t have to wait for the book to come out—I’m here to help if
you need it. Shoot me an at terrylynn@giraffesconsulting.com,
or call me at 646-320-1126, and we’ll schedule a free 30-minute consultation.
The holiday season is also the end of the year, which makes
it a great time to reflect—to review our progress from the past year and set
ourselves up for success in the New Year. I don’t know about you, but this
year-end seems especially significant to me because it’s not just the end of a
year—it’s the end of a decade. For some, it’s just the turning of the
calendar, but it actually provides us an opportunity to “re-set” on a major
level—to think not just about what we want for 2020, but for the next ten
years, and how we might pursue those goals.
So whatever your particular holiday traditions are, I’d like to encourage you to take a little time for some “personal inventory” between now and the end of the year—take stock of your situation and where you are with your own goals in preparation for the new year and decade. I call it “personal inventory” because that’s really what it’s about. It’s taking stock of where you are, what you have, and what you still want to do, so by the time the calendar turns, you’ve taken a deep breath and you’re now mentally and emotionally prepared to jump into the next season with both feet.
What does taking personal inventory look like? It might be
different for everyone, but let me just share a step-by-step example of what it
might look like for you.
Take Stock of Your Goals from the Past Year
Hopefully, you set at least a few goals or milestones for
2019. How did you do with them? How many of those goals did you reach? Did some
of them get forgotten or fall by the wayside? This isn’t a time to self-judge,
but simply to give an honest accounting of how this past year played out for
you, and what you were able to achieve. Specifically, try writing down the
following:
List your successes from the past year. (You might be surprised at how many there are when you actually count them.)
List your disappointments. Again, without self-judgment, list the things that perhaps didn’t go your way this year. (Remember, this is just inventory—taking stock of your own assets and liabilities, so to speak.)
List your unmet goals from the year. Try to recount what happened in each situation. Did something go haywire? Did you lose focus? Did you just not give yourself enough time?
Re-evaluate your goals. Are there any unmet goals you’d like to take into the new year? Are there any that are no longer important to you?
Put the Year to Rest
Once you’ve taken time to reflect on the past year, it’s
time to close the chapter. Imagine yourself packing up all the events of the
year—successes as well as failures—into an imaginary box that represents 2019.
As you do, I recommend taking the following steps in your mind:
Take a moment to savor the successes. (Go
ahead—you deserve it!)
Take
a moment to mourn the losses (including any failures). Give yourself permission to grieve, to
feel sorry for yourself, just for a moment or two…then pack them in the box and
move on. This is especially important if you’ve had a difficult year or faced
some additional challenges.
If
you identified any goals you’d like to carry over into 2020, pull those out of
the box for next year.
Close
the box, lock it and put it away.
Look to the Next Year
Now that you’ve put the past to rest, it’s time to look
toward the future with a clean slate and the burdens lifted. Whatever
goal-setting habits you have personally, it’s time to put those to use. (If you
don’t have a goal-setting routine, check
out this blog for some guidance.) Write down your goals, then set up
some milestones and check points through the year to track your progress. Just
as you closed the box on last year, you’re opening the box on a new one.
Establish Successful Habits
Once you’ve identified your goals, you can begin making
plans for how you’re going to stay on track during the next year and beyond. If
you haven’t yet started practicing my 5
Steps to a Successful Day, the New Year is a great time to hit the
start button on it!
Whether you’ve had a good year or a disappointing
one…regardless if you’re ending 2019 strong or if you would have preferred a
different ending to the year…if you will take the time to conduct a personal
inventory like I’ve described, I’m confident you can find at least a bit of
internal closure so you can face the next year with hope and anticipation. If
you are ending 2019 between jobs or careers and you want some help getting on
track for 2020, I’m always here to help you reach those goals. Let’s have a
free half-hour consultation together to take an inventory together. Email me at
terrylynn@giraffesconsulting.com,
or call me at 646-320-1126.
“Change is the only constant in life.” –Heraclitus
Benjamin Franklin is famously quoted as saying, “There are
only two certainties in life—death and taxes.”
I don’t want to contradict the iconic Mr. Franklin…but the fact is, he was wrong on this point. Rather, he counted wrong. In my view, there are actually three certainties in life: Death, taxes…and change.
I want to drive this point home: Change is inevitable.
The reason I can say this so confidently (besides from my own experience) is
that our very lives on this earth are in constant motion—which means everything
is subject to change. Everything.
Think about the following:
We live on a rock that is hurtling through space
at over 66,000 miles an hour.
That rock is spinning as it travels, so we are
also spinning in circles at a rate of about 1000 miles per hour.
The spinning produces day and night, while our
orbit around the sun creates four seasons.
The weather is always changing—and now, thanks
in part to mankind’s abuse of the planet, the overall weather patterns are also
changing.
Every day on earth, billions of people are
interacting with each other’s lives, and every interaction creates a new
cause-and-effect scenario.
Even our bodies are a constant death and rebirth
of cells, to the point that you are made up of an entirely different set of
cells than you were 10 years ago. You are, quite literally, a different
physical being than you were in 2009. You have changed.
With all this motion and change happening around us, is it
any wonder that change is inevitable? It’s part of the very fabric of our
universe.
Sometimes change hurts; sometimes it feels great. Sometimes
we see it coming; sometimes it creeps up on us and takes us by surprise. Sometimes
we initiate change because we’re bored and stagnant. But one way or another,
change happens.
So what’s your point?
Here’s why I’m rambling on about this: People who struggle
most in life are the ones who are most resistant to change. The people who do
best in life are those who can anticipate change and embrace it as a gift,
rather than resisting it.
Let’s boil it down to one word: Flexibility. The key
to navigating change is being flexible.
New Yorkers will appreciate this example: If you’ve ever
ridden the subway here, you know that you’re likely going to experience some
jostling. Those trains rattle, squeak and lurch this way and that way as they
race through the tunnels. You never know when the train is going to lurch. If
you’re standing up and you’re not holding on to something, you’re probably
going to be thrown. The key to riding the subways is not to stand rigidly,
because if you do, you’ll probably come away with aches and strains, and maybe
even injury. After a while riding these trains, you learn how to be flexible
and loose—to let your body move with the train so you can more easily absorb
those unexpected jolts. You get used to the movement.
And that’s what I want to convey here: Change is simply
movement. The more flexible you are with the various movements of life, the
more you’ll get along with change when it comes.
Bringing It Home
Let’s look at another example, one that’s a bit more
specific: Changing jobs or careers. The average working adult these days will
change careers 5-7 times during the course of their lives. That means you work
at the same place for 30 years and retire, you’re now the exception to the
rule. Being between jobs can be challenging, even discouraging. It can make you
afraid. But in the big picture—it’s just change. And once again, your
key to navigating this change successfully is not to resist, but to adapt. Be
open to new possibilities, including ones you hadn’t thought of before.
This whole idea of embracing change is a cornerstone of my
practice. I got into career coaching because after a number of years as the
head of HR for a firm here in NYC, my company merged with another and my job
became redundant. I didn’t get laid off the next day, but I could see the
change was happening. I had to make a choice: I could brace myself, freeze up
and get fearful of my future, or I could remember the words of my late mother:
“When are you going to take control?” Rather than try to find another HR
position, I chose to use my people skills in another way—and Giraffes
Consulting was born. This is why I’m always repeating the mantra: “Change
happens. Take control!”
We all go through change, but that doesn’t mean you have to
go through it alone. If you’re facing the specific change of needing to find a
new job or career, I can help you hone some practical skills not only to help
you find the job you’re looking for, but to help you embrace the change and see
the possibilities. If you’d like some help, email me at terrylynn@giraffesconsulting.com,
or call me for a free consultation at 646-320-1126.
The holiday season may be “the most wonderful time of the
year”—but that doesn’t necessarily make it easy. For some, it’s a particularly
stressful time due to the pressures of family expectations, buying gifts and
fitting all those holiday parties into the schedule. If you’re in between jobs,
these pressures can be amplified. You might be telling yourself (as many others
do) that the holiday season is “down time” for employers, that no one is
hiring, no one is looking at your resume….blah, blah, blah.
People who really believe the holiday season is a “slow”
time of year haven’t paid attention to the traffic. Why do you suppose everyone
out there is so stressed? Everyone is
out doing stuff. Business is going on. And yes, employers are still hiring this
time of year.
My point? If you’re committed to the job search, the holiday
season is the time you don’t want to
slow down. If nothing else, you’ve got less competition because of all those
other people who stopped looking for work by making the same assumptions you
did! You may have to change your strategy up a little bit, but there’s no
reason the holidays have to put a damper on your job search. Here are some tips
to make the most of this time of year when looking for work.
Stay in the Moment
Many job seekers start disengaging mentally from the hunt
around Thanksgiving without even realizing it. Avoid this temptation; stay
engaged. Assume companies are still hiring, keep working your job leads, keep
scheduling those interviews. Remember, a lot of job seekers have left the
marketplace because they assumed the holidays were slow. If you stay in the
game when others drop out, your chances of getting hired are significantly
higher. It’s plain old mathematics.
Use Holiday Parties
as an Opportunity to Network
Yes, technically holiday parties aren’t the place to “talk
shop,” but if you listen to the conversations, chances are that’s exactly what people are doing—because
what else are they going to talk about? Be sensitive to the moment—you don’t
want to break the festive spirit by being overbearing—but it’s completely
appropriate to mention during your party conversations that you’re looking for
work. Networking happens all the time, even when people aren’t doing it on
purpose. Don’t miss the opportunities to network casually during these
parties—you never know what opportunities will turn up.
Expand Your Holiday
Card List
The holidays are a perfect excuse to “ping” potential
employers, networking contacts and recruiters with a holiday greeting. It’s a
great way to keep your name top-of-mind because holiday cards aren’t considered
invasive. They’re expected. Take
advantage of this opportunity to stay connected.
Make Use of Any Extra
Time
If you’re doing a job search while still employed somewhere
else, if you experience a slowdown at work, use that down time to your
advantage by scheduling more interviews and doing more online networking.
Again, don’t assume these places aren’t hiring; instead, consider the
possibility that other firms are also experiencing a slowdown, and therefore
they may actually have more time to talk to you!
Target Temp Jobs
Where Appropriate
Depending on what type of work you do, some firms actually
hire extra seasonal help over the holidays. If you get on as a seasonal
employee and work your heart out, you may be able to parlay that opportunity
into a permanent position after the holidays. Keep a sharp eye out for any
companies on your hot list that are hiring seasonally, and don’t disqualify
yourself from these opportunities.
Now, if you want
to take the holidays off from your job search, be my guest. There’s nothing
wrong with that. Just don’t use the
holiday season as an excuse not to try. With a bit of creative thinking,
you can carry on an effective job search any
time of year, including the holidays. If you want some extra help coming up
with a strategy, that’s why I’m here. Shoot me an email at terrylynn@giraffesconsulting.com,
or call me at 646-320-1126. We’ll set up a free 30-minute appointment to talk
about your goals.
In my previous post, I shared my 5 steps to take to have a
successful day. (If you haven’t read it yet—please
go and read it.) But there’s actually more to the story. You can’t really
declare a day to be “successful” if you haven’t yet defined success. Without
that understanding, how will you know if you’ve had a successful day—or in
fact, whether you’re achieving long-term success at all?
Wrong Assumptions About Success
When we talk about this or that person being “successful,”
what are we usually referring to? For most people, a successful person is one
who makes a lot of money, has a big house and a nice car, has a rewarding
career, and so on. But these aren’t markers of success in and of
themselves—they are only status symbols. They’re just things. If you’re chatting
at a party with a wealthy, high-powered attorney who flies to Europe every
other weekend with a Victoria’s Secret model on his arm, you might be inclined
to assume he is successful. But what if he really wanted to be a ballet
dancer and he went to law school only to satisfy the demands of his parents? Is
he truly successful?
Think about that for a moment…
Probably not.
See what I mean? Part of why we have a hard time defining
success is that we’re measuring it by symbols, rather than understanding
what success really means.
Success Is Much Simpler than We Think
This might seem like oversimplifying or even being too
obvious, but out of curiosity I decided to go to a respected source to find a
definition for “success:” the dictionary. Here are a couple of definitions I
found that make a lot of sense:
From dictionary.com:
“the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors; the accomplishment
of one’s goals.” (emphasis mine)
To me, these definitions reveal the heart behind any
success: When you set a goal and you achieve that goal, you have succeeded.
It’s really that simple. That’s why one of the five steps to a successful day
is to write down your goals for the day. If you don’t set a destination, how
will you know when you’ve arrived? Likewise, if you don’t set a goal, how will you
know if you succeeded?
I really like boiling down success to its basic
element. To me, a successful day is one in which I accomplish at least some
of what I set out to do that day. And because big successes are built on lots
of small ones, if I set daily goals that are in line with my larger goals,
every successful day adds to the momentum so that I have ongoing success. Does
that make sense?
Now, does that mean wealth is not a measure of
success? (Some of you clicked through and read the other dictionary
definitions…didn’t you?) Yes, I believe success can involve wealth—especially
IF achieving wealth was your goal. But sometimes we want and need other things
that are just as important, and even more so. If a person doesn’t have wealth
or status but is happy and fulfilled in everyday life, to me, that person is more
successful than the high-powered lawyer with the Victoria’s Secret model who
secretly wishes he were a ballet dancer.
Of course, these are just my ideas about success, and they
are how I approach my daily practice of the five steps. What’s more important
is how YOU define success. Do you have clearly defined goals for what you want,
both short-term and long-term? If you are currently seeking a new job or a
career change, are you looking for a job that is in line with your goals?
Part of my job as a career coach is to help my clients
understand what their own picture of success looks like, and to help them craft
goals to help them get there. I’m not interested in just helping people become
gainfully employed—I’m interested in helping them be fulfilled in the process,
based on what success means for them. If you need help clarifying your career
goals, I can certainly help. Shoot me an email at terrylynn@giraffesconsulting.com,
or call me at 646-320-1126 to set up a free 30-minute consultation.
Mindfulness isn’t difficult—we just need to remember to do it!” — Sharon Salzberg
These days, we hear a lot of talk about the importance of
“mindfulness” and being “present.” I think the reason we hear this is that most
people aren’t. (Present, that is.) In our hectic lifestyle which seems to get
more hectic by the day, it’s too easy to be lost in our thoughts. Our inner
problem-solving mechanisms are always hard at work on whatever crisis—real or
perceived—we seem to be facing. “Living in the moment” is becoming a lost
art—and yet it’s critically important to our quality of life as well as our
success. Mindfulness practices have been around for ages, but I think they’re
coming to the forefront now because we’re realizing how much we need them. We
need to re-learn how to be present.
This principle of being present holds true with a job search
as with anything else, from interviews to career networking. In fact, virtually
all networking experts stress that the key to success is being present
in the conversation, whether you’re networking in person, over the phone or
online.
What Does it Mean to be Present?
We all know it’s possible to be physically present but be
basically somewhere else in our heads. So when we talk about being present,
we’re talking about being focused mentally and emotionally on what is happening
around you. It’s about being in the moment. When you’re conversing with
someone, being present means not thinking about the past or worrying
about the future, or thinking about how bad you are at networking, etc. You are
calm, confident, relaxed and aware. Being truly present enables you to listen
and actually hear and understand what is being said. Power is in the
listening, not the speaking. You create trust, learn more about the person,
gain critical information about their business and discover how you might
support each other. When people feel heard, they are more willing to listen and
participate.
How Do You Learn to Be Present?
Simple: Practice! Take time to learn how to purposefully
achieve the “present state,” and pay attention to what being present feels
like. Over time, you learn to re-create the experience over and over again, and
eventually it becomes second nature.
Here are some useful tools I’ve found to practice
“present-ness”:
Mindfulness exercises—simple exercises that teach you
to be in the present moment. One of my favorite mindfulness exercises is a
simple deep breathing technique. Breathe in for four counts, hold for four
counts, breathe out for four counts, hold for four counts. Repeat the sequence
until you feel calm and relaxed. You will notice your heart rate drops, you are
centered and you are able to think more clearly.
Meditation practices. One of the most common and
popular practices is a guided visualization/imagery session where your guide
helps create mental pictures for the
purpose of relaxation, managing stress and improving your concentration and
focus. A great resource for guided meditation is the Headspace App.
Meditative Story. This is a relatively new podcast
experience created by Thrive Global in which you stop time, go on a journey and
allow yourself to be immersed in someone else’s story. It creates an empowering
opportunity to unplug, disconnect from the day-to-day stresses and drift to
another time and place. By connecting deeply to someone else’s story, you will
be able to reconnect with your own story and re- emerge restored and recharged.
You can find Meditative
Story wherever you get your podcasts.
There is some crossover and blending between all of these techniques,
but they’re all designed to create opportunities for you to reduce stress,
relax and improve your concentration and ability to focus so that you can make
a conscious choice rather than a knee jerk reaction to a stressful or challenging
situation.
My 5 Steps to a Successful Day
How can you incorporate the principle of being present into
your daily routine? I advise all my clients to go through the following steps
each morning to create and maintain a present state. I call them “5 Steps to a
Successful Day” because to me, being successful and being present
are basically synonymous. If you are present, you are successful. Here are the
steps.
Engage in one or more of the exercises I
mentioned earlier—whatever feels the most comfortable to your mindset,
lifestyle or belief system.
Read a short article or pick a quote that
will inspire and motivate you or help or reduce your stress. I recommend
creating a reference library of these articles and quotes so you can revisit
them.
Write down what you are grateful for. It
may be people, opportunities, experiences or past successes. In doing so,
you’re bringing the good things from the past into the present moment.
Write down your gifts, talent and the value
you bring. This exercise basically forces you to review your positive
traits in preparation for your day. It may seem repetitive at first, but you
will find your list evolving as you practice.
Write down your goals for the day. This
sets the stage for living in the present on purpose all day long.
Finally, I recommend keeping your daily entries in a journal
to monitor your activity and progress.
Consistency counts!!
Whatever your goals are for landing a new job or starting a
new career, I’m here to help. Send me an email at terrylynn@giraffesconsulting.com,
or call me at 646-320-1126 to set up a free 30-minute consultation. We can get
you there together.
I often find that my clients on both ends of the age
spectrum are the ones who are most self-conscious about their job search. On
one side, we’ve got high school and college graduates who are sometimes
intimidated the big wide workforce where everyone in the office is more
experienced (and by inference, more qualified). On the other, we’ve got
mid-lifers and older who aren’t quite ready for retirement, but who are
concerned about their relevance and are worried about being nudged out by the
younger set.
Well, there’s good news for everyone here. A recent
survey by Ricoh demonstrates that the whole generational divide in
the workplace is effectively a myth. In fact, with the graduating class of
2019, we’re just starting to see the first members of “Generation Z” (born
after 1996) entering the workforce, even while the baby boomers are taking
longer to retire. That means for the first time in our history, we have four
generations of adults occupying jobs in the same work force, even working
side by side!
Welcome to the multi-generational workplace.
You might assume this broad span of generations in the same
office would create conflict, but the Ricoh survey tells another story. It
turns out that overall, the generations actually like each other. 76
percent of workers said they enjoy working alongside colleagues of different
ages, and 71 percent believe the cross-generational workplace is an asset to
their company. What’s more, the four generations seem to have consistent values
when it comes to their careers. About 72 percent of those surveyed across all
generations said they believe in their company’s values and ideals.
So…what does this mean for you?
If we’re going to take this survey at face value, what it’s
telling us is that right now, like no other time in our history, no one
is “too young” or “too old” to have a meaningful career in today’s workplace. Sure,
there will be redundancies now and then, and sure, some companies will
gravitate to younger blood for fresh ideas. But companies also value
seasoning and experience, and fewer and fewer companies nowadays are favoring
one age bracket over another.
So if I can put it bluntly, if you want a job, you’re out of
excuses for not trying. You can’t say you’re too young/inexperienced or too old
to find a good job. There’s literally a good fit somewhere for everyone. You
just need a plan and a good strategy for finding it. (Fortunately, that’s where
I come in!)
No matter your age or experience level, if you’re ready to
find your place in the multi-generational workplace—and if you want some help
getting there—shoot me an email at terrylynn@giraffesconsulting.com,
or call me at 646-320-1126 to set up a free 30-minute consultation.
