Bouncing Back From Life’s Difficulties

Personal resilience is our ability to use our strengths and rebound when life throws us a curveball.   Recently I came across the American Psychological Association’s tips on maintaining personal resilience.  The advice offered is invaluable for all of us, no matter how good we believe our coping skills are.  The suggestions are packed with down-to-earth wisdom.

1. Make connections

Your support system of family and friends contribute to your sense of wellbeing.  They offer hope when the going gets tough.

2. Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable

Bad things do happen, but so do solutions and positive outcomes.

3. Accept that change is inevitable

Life is not static and circumstances change.

4. Move toward your goals

Develop an action plan and devote time every day that moves you closer to your goals.

5. Take decisive actions

Start with what you know you can achieve and even the smallest accomplishment will be uplifting.

6.Look for opportunities for self-discovery

These are the experiences where we force ourselves to be brave and try out uncharted territory.  We all have hidden strengths, and how we react to setbacks helps us develop greater confidence in ourselves.

7. Nurture a positive view of your self

You have heard of the expression “you’re your own worst enemy”. This is the opposite approach.  Trust your instincts and your ability to solve your problems.

8. Keep things in perspective

Look at difficult events in the long term and avoid blowing the event out of proportion. 

9. Maintain a hopeful outlook

The glass is on its way to being full. Focus on want you want, rather than what you fear.

10. Take care of yourself

Adopt a holistic view of maintaining good health: eat well, exercise, spend time with family and friends, and don’t forget to have fun.

Your New Best Friend: Informational Interviews

The most frequent comment I hear from people regarding networking is that they don’t like to do it.  Most have heard that it’s the most effective way to find a job, but because they’re not comfortable networking, they spend most of there time applying for jobs online and not getting results.

Without a doubt it can be uncomfortable asking people for job leads. But asking people for career advice, specific information on a profession or industry is another way to open the door for developing effective networking contacts. This type of networking is called informational interviewing. 

The benefit of this approach is that it’s a way of approaching people without putting them on the spot to provide job leads.  People like being helpful and asking for advice is a means of gathering career-related information with people who can and will alert you to future job opportunities.

Here are several steps to follow to help you prepare for informational interviews confidence and success.

1. If you are meeting with someone you don’t know, research the person before the meeting. Google and LinkedIn are excellent resources.
2. Be prepared to briefly introduce yourself professionally.  Summarize your strengths, a few past accomplishments and your overall experience.  This answers the question “Tell me about yourself” and should take no longer then 30 seconds to one minute.
3. Prepare the questions that you want to ask during the meeting. Appropriate areas are: information about your target companies, preferred skills, education and experience, the work  culture and current industry trends.
4. Ask for referrals to other people who may have information and knowledge to help in your job search.
5. Share job related information that you have come across.
6. Always send a thank you note and comment on how the meeting was helpful to you.

The ABC’s of Resilient Career Management: Becoming Career Resilient

Assess Yourself and Your Professional Environment

It’s time to acquire an entrepreneurial mindset and to begin thinking of your career as your business.  In order to stay marketable this may require becoming proactive in new ways, thinking outside “your” box, and keeping up with the trends and emerging opportunities in your industry to showcase your talents.

Begin by asking:

• What are the skills and attributes in top demand for your profession?
• What are the skills and talents that make you distinctive?
• What are the major trends currently affecting your current job position?
• What industry changes do you need to anticipate in the future?
• What new skills are required to be successful in your current position?
• What skills might be required in the future?
• What are the hot issues in my profession that I need to address to remain competitive?

Build Your Brand

The key product in your business is YOU.  Your job is to effectively market yourself to create a demand for what you have to offer.  So the question is “how do you market the brand ‘you’ in new ways?” 

First you need to come up with your personal pitch. Ask yourself what it is that you offer that is different than your competitors? What is your professional value proposition?

If you can’t think of what distinguishes you, start out by writing your own personal mission statement.  What are you passionate about?  What is your personal definition of success? 

• What is your most noteworthy personal trait?
• What have you done recently to make yourself stand out?
• What would colleagues say about you?
• What are the capabilities that you would like to use more fully?
• What are the gaps in your skills that you need to address?

Cultivate New Contacts

Networking is essential to your self-marketing strategy.  Using your expertise, interests and knowledge in activities that draw on your capabilities in new ways will increase your marketing options and boost your visibility professionally with colleagues and employers. 

Some possible examples:

• Get involved with professional organizations – work on committees, run for office.
• Volunteer to write articles for professional magazines, online sites and blogs.
• Investigate opportunities to speak on professional panels, on podcasts and online interview shows.
• Create and market your own podcast or blog.

These kinds of activities will boost your professional visibility, showcase your talents, expand your network, and re-energize your career.  You’ll get credit for being an expert, increase ways to be a valuable contributor and enhance your professional standing.