Terrylynn Smith

About Terrylynn Smith

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Tips for Nailing Remote Job Interviews

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In the weeks since the pandemic caused us all to shelter-in-place, I think we’ve all learned a LOT about how much technology can help us stay connected. The ability to tele-work has helped many companies stay in business, and even job interviews are now being conducted via video platforms like Zoom and Skype. If you happen to land a remote job interview, it can be intimidating at first, especially If you don’t have a lot of experience with videoconferencing. Plus, a video interview can feel quite different than an in-person interview, and there a few additional factors to think about.

Never fear—that’s why we’re here. If a potential employer asks you to interview online, here are some steps you need to ahead of time to make sure you put your best foot forward.

Install the Video App Beforehand

The employer will typically let you know which video platform they want to use for your interview. For our purposes, we’ll say it’s either Zoom or Skype since these are the most common, but there are others, as well. Whichever app they suggest, make sure you have it installed on your computer and test it out before the day of your interview. Zoom and Skype are both free to install, and you’ll need to set up a free account if you don’t have one yet. With Zoom, the employer will usually send a link via email that opens the app and logs you into the chat room automatically—but you’ll avoid potential disaster by making sure the app works before you click the link at interview time.

Create the Right Setting

When you go into an in-person interview, the setting is predetermined for you (i.e., the employer’s office or a conference room). With video conferencing—and this is important—you set your own backdrop. You don’t just need to think about what to wear (more on that in a minute)—you need to think about where you’ll sit, what is behind you and how you’ll look on camera. These factors will now all contribute to first impressions—not just how you dress!

Pick a place in your home or apartment that is pleasant and well-lit, with a backdrop that is relatively neutral and uncluttered. Be careful sitting next to open windows as the sunlight may cast an unintended shadow across your face—and if the window is behind you, you’ll be silhouetted. Position lighting so your gorgeous smile is easy to see!

Remove Visual and Audible Distractions

When setting your backdrop, you don’t necessarily have to have a plain, white wall—bookshelves and decorations are fine—just make sure there isn’t excessive clutter or gadgets in view that might draw the interviewer’s eyes away from you. Another factor that can be distracting is sound. When it’s interview time, make sure the room is quiet, free from the noise from kids, roommates, etc. Also, if you’re in a small room with bare walls, your voice might sound like you’re in a tunnel, and that can be distracting. At the very least, hang some blankets around the room (not in the camera view) to dampen the sound of your voice.

Prepare for the Interview Itself

Once you have set the stage, so to speak, your next task is to treat the interview almost exactly as if you were doing it in person. Prepare the same as you would for any other interview—research the company, anticipate what questions you might be asked, rehearse your answers, make a list of questions you’d like to ask—all the normal prep work you’d do otherwise. Your goal here is basically to make the same type of impression on the employer as if you were in the room with the interviewer. The more you prepare in this way, the closer you’ll be to that goal, even when interviewing remotely.

Do a Test Run (or Two)

The next way to prepare, especially if this is your first video interview, is to do a trial run. Ask a friend (or coach) to join you on Zoom or Skype to do a practice run-through of the interview. Start by opening the app and hopping on the call to make sure your audio and video work properly. (Too many video interviews have been bungled simply because the applicant didn’t bother to check the technology!)

Once you’re on the call, before you start the role-playing Q&A, take a good look at yourself and your backdrop to make sure you’re well-lit and there are no unwanted distractions behind you. During the Q&A, watch yourself on screen. Try to relax and act as normally as possible, as if the computer in front of you is the other person in the room. During the Q&A, record the session if possible so you can listen back for any unwanted echoes in the room, and also to check your responses. Avoid the temptation to get intimidated or self-conscious. If you see something that annoys you about how you look/act, you’ll typically make the adjustment naturally. (That’s the great thing about watching ourselves onscreen—it shows us things we don’t know are happening in the moment and gives us a chance to fix them.)

Dress for Success

And finally…dress for the interview exactly as you would if you were going into the office. There’s a running joke about dressing only from the waist up for remote interviews—don’t do it. First, you’ll have a lot more self-confidence if you dress the part; and second, if you have to get up for any reason, the illusion will be shattered.

If you need help with your job search or prepping for remote interviews, I’m here to assist—and as I mentioned before, if you became unemployed due to the pandemic, you may be eligible for free coaching from me. Just shoot me an email at terrylynn@giraffesconsulting.com and tell me your story, and I’ll get back to you to set up a free consultation.

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Coronavirus Update: Free Help for the Recently Unemployed

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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.

We will get through this…together.

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Job Hunting in the Time of Coronavirus

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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.)
  • Healthcare and pharmaceutical.
  • Communications industries (e.g., cellphone, cable, streaming services).
  • Data processing.
  • 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.

You can do this! Don’t give up!

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Book Excerpt: “What I Learned from the Giraffes”

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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.

© 2020 Terrylynn Smith. All rights reserved.

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!

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Learning from the Giraffes: A Special Announcement for 2020

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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.

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Personal Inventory: Setting Up for Success in the New Year (and Decade)

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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.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

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Navigating Change Gracefully

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“A change is gonna come.” – Sam Cooke

“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.

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Tips for Maintaining Your Job Search During the Holiday Season

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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.

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How Do You Define Success?

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“All successful people have a goal.”

Norman Vincent Peale

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)

From Merriam-Webster: “favorable or desired outcome.”

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.

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Learning to Be Present: 5 Steps to a Successful Day

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Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

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.

  1. Engage in one or more of the exercises I mentioned earlier—whatever feels the most comfortable to your mindset, lifestyle or belief system.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

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