Showing confidence is the number one characteristic of a great sales person. A job interview is, in essence, a sales meeting. You are selling yourself. So, in order to ace an interview, show confidence in your ability to do that job better than anyone else.
Some people have had the benefit of parents who instilled confidence in them from their first word or step, and throughout their lifetime. Others have not had this experience. So, how do you increase or build self confidence to ensure you nail that job interview?
First, apply for jobs you feel you are qualified for and interested in. That sounds so rudimentary, but many job seekers are blasting out their resumes out of desperation, for job postings that they have no related experience or education! Doing this is sure to break down your confidence when you do not get many responses back, or when you struggle to sell your ability to do the job in an interview.
Secondly, start taking some risks. If possible, take a small risk every day; doing something outside of your comfort zone. Start with easy risks, like talking to someone in a lineup, about anything, even the high price of oil or the weather! Then, each day, add a little more risk; take a drive to the mountains by yourself, spend 50 dollars on something outrageous, or volunteer for a cause and follow through on that commitment! All baby risks, but even these risks will help build confidence over time.
Next on the confidence building ladder is to have a difficult conversation with someone, apologizing for something in the past, maybe admitting fault or opening up about your feelings. Doing any of these things shows humility and will absolutely build confidence once the conversation is complete. Next, make a list of accomplishments; go way back in time if that’s what is needed, but write the biggest list you can think of. This list can be a mishmash of things, from elementary school to today, from tiny items (wrote an essay on elephants) to big stuff (bought a house, raised a family). The confidence builder will come when you share this list with someone who cares about you. Let this other person tell you how great you are, how smart you are, how risky that was, and how thoughtful you were! Take it all in, and realize how great you truly are!
Lastly, put a sticky note on your morning mirror with a few words that resonate with you; positive words that you have heard or that you know to be true about you. Only you can choose these words and only you will see them in the morning when you brush your teeth. These words should make you smile; you should look at yourself in the mirror and see how true these words are. Alas, confidence raised, you will be ready to sell yourself in that job interview. Walk in tall with a firm handshake and fabulous eye contact, because YOU are the best person for the job!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Spring is here, people!
Spring it on baby! Tiny patches of green grass, clear roads, and blue sky. Thank goodness we can finally celebrate the beginning of spring with above zero temperatures.
People can start to lighten up now, attitudes will improve and faces will brighten up as this weekend kicks off the beginning of our best season. We can start to enjoy the outdoors, go for walks on our lunch breaks, and soon even sit on a patio with the sun on our face. Vitamin D will be injected naturally from now until Halloween, I hope. We can start to shed our many layers of clothing. Take off the toques, mittens, boots, scarves, and parkas, and pack them away until the fall.
Clean up those vehicles, inside and out, wash those coats, and put away the snowboards. At work, take a day this week to clean up your workspace. Move stuff around if you can, and wipe down the grime of flu season and frost bite weather. Clean keyboards and phones, and wipe down desktops, drawers and handles.
Take a look around your space, both at home and at work, and find a way to add some colour to something. Place a bouquet of fresh live colourful flowers within eye line of your computer screen, or maybe within someone else’s. Bring a favourite photo from home, of something, someplace, or someone you love, and place it front and centre in your workspace. From cubicles to cash registers, store counters to dashboards, wallets to walls, there is always somewhere to put something of meaning. Take down a picture that is blah and put something special in its place. If you work somewhere where you cannot clean and you cannot put anything anywhere, then put something small in your pocket, locker, or home office. Put a new screen saver on your computer!
No need to buy anything, it is springtime; we all have stuff, so bring something to work from somewhere else. If you are lucky enough to work in a place with windows, wipe them down, take a moment to breathe, and look into the sky. Grey is on the way out, and bright blue skies and yellow sun is in.
And while you’re at it, why not brighten up your wardrobe as well; wear a bright tie or purple shirt, some flowery shoes or even a coral sweater! This was one of the longest, coldest and greyest winters I can remember, so let’s band together and celebrate spring, finally!
Clean up, brighten up, shed the unnecessary items, and pack them away for the next six months. Enjoy every minute of spring, at home and at work!
People can start to lighten up now, attitudes will improve and faces will brighten up as this weekend kicks off the beginning of our best season. We can start to enjoy the outdoors, go for walks on our lunch breaks, and soon even sit on a patio with the sun on our face. Vitamin D will be injected naturally from now until Halloween, I hope. We can start to shed our many layers of clothing. Take off the toques, mittens, boots, scarves, and parkas, and pack them away until the fall.
Clean up those vehicles, inside and out, wash those coats, and put away the snowboards. At work, take a day this week to clean up your workspace. Move stuff around if you can, and wipe down the grime of flu season and frost bite weather. Clean keyboards and phones, and wipe down desktops, drawers and handles.
Take a look around your space, both at home and at work, and find a way to add some colour to something. Place a bouquet of fresh live colourful flowers within eye line of your computer screen, or maybe within someone else’s. Bring a favourite photo from home, of something, someplace, or someone you love, and place it front and centre in your workspace. From cubicles to cash registers, store counters to dashboards, wallets to walls, there is always somewhere to put something of meaning. Take down a picture that is blah and put something special in its place. If you work somewhere where you cannot clean and you cannot put anything anywhere, then put something small in your pocket, locker, or home office. Put a new screen saver on your computer!
No need to buy anything, it is springtime; we all have stuff, so bring something to work from somewhere else. If you are lucky enough to work in a place with windows, wipe them down, take a moment to breathe, and look into the sky. Grey is on the way out, and bright blue skies and yellow sun is in.
And while you’re at it, why not brighten up your wardrobe as well; wear a bright tie or purple shirt, some flowery shoes or even a coral sweater! This was one of the longest, coldest and greyest winters I can remember, so let’s band together and celebrate spring, finally!
Clean up, brighten up, shed the unnecessary items, and pack them away for the next six months. Enjoy every minute of spring, at home and at work!
Monday, March 14, 2011
How come there was no recession in Disneyland?
When money is tight and employees are losing their jobs, shouldn’t people be choosing needs over wants? Reality is, when it comes down to life choices, most of us sacrifice what we truly need in order to get what we really want.
We humans are very clever when it comes to finding ways to get what we want, no matter the circumstance. Smokers find a way to buy tobacco regardless of how much they have to cut out other things. Sure, smoking is considered an addiction and addicts will beg, borrow, or steal to feed their bad habits. But aside from addictions, we still find ingenious ways to do or get what we want. California has a very high level of state unemployment, mass amounts of debt, and an incredibly high poverty versus wealth ratio, and yet, Disneyland is packed!
Are people making sacrifices now that we are coming out of the economic downturn? Sure, a little. We may not go to Disneyland for a week; we may only go for a few days! We may choose to take a job that requires us to work harder than we want or take a buck an hour less than we feel we deserve but, relatively speaking, we do not give up much. We had it once, we will have it again is the thought process here.
We had a couple of tough years but most of us managed to still cater to our many wants. We want what we want, when we want it. If we want to buy a home, we do, maybe one that is not quite as big as we thought we wanted, but if we want it bad enough, we find a way to make it happen. If we want to change jobs, we do! If we want to go somewhere, we do! We are Canadian; we are welcome everywhere.
It is pretty crazy that our society never really has to give up anything, regardless of what is going on around us, what the facts tell us, or what the media is saying. We are a free nation in its truest form and we should realize just how lucky we are. We do choose our jobs, our lifestyles, how we spend our time and with whom.
Disneyland is packed in any economy because it is the happiest place on earth, or so they say! Why would we want to give that up for something we need more?
We humans are very clever when it comes to finding ways to get what we want, no matter the circumstance. Smokers find a way to buy tobacco regardless of how much they have to cut out other things. Sure, smoking is considered an addiction and addicts will beg, borrow, or steal to feed their bad habits. But aside from addictions, we still find ingenious ways to do or get what we want. California has a very high level of state unemployment, mass amounts of debt, and an incredibly high poverty versus wealth ratio, and yet, Disneyland is packed!
Are people making sacrifices now that we are coming out of the economic downturn? Sure, a little. We may not go to Disneyland for a week; we may only go for a few days! We may choose to take a job that requires us to work harder than we want or take a buck an hour less than we feel we deserve but, relatively speaking, we do not give up much. We had it once, we will have it again is the thought process here.
We had a couple of tough years but most of us managed to still cater to our many wants. We want what we want, when we want it. If we want to buy a home, we do, maybe one that is not quite as big as we thought we wanted, but if we want it bad enough, we find a way to make it happen. If we want to change jobs, we do! If we want to go somewhere, we do! We are Canadian; we are welcome everywhere.
It is pretty crazy that our society never really has to give up anything, regardless of what is going on around us, what the facts tell us, or what the media is saying. We are a free nation in its truest form and we should realize just how lucky we are. We do choose our jobs, our lifestyles, how we spend our time and with whom.
Disneyland is packed in any economy because it is the happiest place on earth, or so they say! Why would we want to give that up for something we need more?
Monday, March 7, 2011
When dancing through life is no longer an option.
I met a woman who loves to dance. She danced her whole life, as a job, for pleasure, and for activity. She danced many years for the ballet, she was dancing when she met her husband, she danced while raising her children, and she continued to dance once her children had grown up and were off living their own lives. But now, after so many years of dance, this woman is quite mature and her back is ruined. She finally had no choice but to hang up her dancing shoes.
She told me that she is looking for some new type of work, so she will continue to earn an income and more importantly feel valued by society. You hear time and time again that you should do what you love and the money will come. But what do we do if we are no longer physically able to do what we love? What if our bodies’ give out before our minds and we cannot afford to retire?
Sports figures know at the beginning of their careers that their dream job could end at any moment if they were to suffer any major physical injuries. They also know that eventually their bodies will begin to breakdown and they will no longer be able to do what they love. But people in many other careers, including trades, drivers, movers, or any physical workers, may not plan for a complete change of career later in life due to physical hardship. People don't like to talk about feeling weak, unprepared or unsure, but this is a major issue.
Doing what you love can take you a long way, but being able to adapt when the body says no more is even more important. Perhaps teaching others your skills and sharing your knowledge is an option. Just make sure to have some kind of backup plan. It’s important to keep up with other skills and maintain your networks outside of just one area of expertise. If the time comes that you have no choice but to change careers, you want to be prepared.
Living an entire life of dancing does sound pretty fantastic. I told this woman to try and find a way to share her knowledge, experience, and life stories of dance. I am sure there are people out there who would pay for that.
She told me that she is looking for some new type of work, so she will continue to earn an income and more importantly feel valued by society. You hear time and time again that you should do what you love and the money will come. But what do we do if we are no longer physically able to do what we love? What if our bodies’ give out before our minds and we cannot afford to retire?
Sports figures know at the beginning of their careers that their dream job could end at any moment if they were to suffer any major physical injuries. They also know that eventually their bodies will begin to breakdown and they will no longer be able to do what they love. But people in many other careers, including trades, drivers, movers, or any physical workers, may not plan for a complete change of career later in life due to physical hardship. People don't like to talk about feeling weak, unprepared or unsure, but this is a major issue.
Doing what you love can take you a long way, but being able to adapt when the body says no more is even more important. Perhaps teaching others your skills and sharing your knowledge is an option. Just make sure to have some kind of backup plan. It’s important to keep up with other skills and maintain your networks outside of just one area of expertise. If the time comes that you have no choice but to change careers, you want to be prepared.
Living an entire life of dancing does sound pretty fantastic. I told this woman to try and find a way to share her knowledge, experience, and life stories of dance. I am sure there are people out there who would pay for that.
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