Think of Your Job Search Like a Garden: Plant, Nurture, Grow!

“The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit. Be patient and stay the course.”
—Fabienne Fredrickson

Hi Audie,

Welcome to Fall and the beginning of the 4th quarter of 2020. I’m sure that sentence brings up a mixed set of feelings. On one hand, it’s hard to believe we’re three months away from 2021 – where has the time gone?! On the other hand, we’re three months away from 2021 – YES! What a year and I can’t wait until 2020 is over!

This month’s featured article offers tips, strategies  and mindset shifts on how to stay focused, productive and energized to keep moving forward in your job search. As always, I welcome your feedback and suggestions for topics that would be valuable to you in future newsletters.

Stay safe and healthy … and enjoy your October!  

Warm regards,

P.S. I invite you to share my newsletter with anyone you feel could benefit from receiving valuable content and insights specific to mid- to senior-level executive job seekers/career changers. 

P.P.S. To learn more about Your Call To Action and how I help my clients go from being frustrated, burned out, stuck in a toxic environment or worried about being downsized, to feeling excited, valued and re-energized at work (and in their life) again, take a look around my website.

Think of Your Job Search Like a Garden: Plant, Nurture, Grow!

Having been in corporate sales for most of my career, I developed a mindset and ‘reality check’ so I could consistently do what was necessary to secure new corporate clients. When I started in a new position, I was often beginning from 'ground zero' with lofty sales quotas to achieve. To begin building my foundation (pipeline), I networked and prospected (outreach via phone, email or LinkedIn) to targeted companies to secure initial conversations via phone or in-person meetings. Due to the nature and complexity of the products/services I sold, they often had long sales cycles, there were relationships to build with multiple key stakeholders, information to gather, and numerous steps along the way before being awarded the business.  

In order to stay motivated and consistently build/maintain a solid pipeline of opportunities, I had favorite phrases I would say or remind myself that kept me energized, motivated and my eye on my goals (securing long-term happy clients, exceeding my annual quota, and earning healthy commission checks).  

I see many similarities between selling high ticket/long sales cycle products/services and executing an executive level job search. I’d like to share some tips and ways to stay focused, productive and encouraged along the way.

“Think of your job search like a garden: you need to plant seeds, water them and then watch them blossom and grow!” 
—Audie Fridstein

The key to an effective executive job search campaign is to consistently be networking, contacting and establishing relationships with Headhunters, and proactively reaching out to targeted companies. The initial conversations are similar to planting seeds – letting people know you’re in the market and what you’re looking to do next, seeking their advice or asking for introductions to specific people, and seeing how you can be of help to them.

From these conversations, you want to be sure to follow through on any introductions or referrals, while also making sure you circle back with updates from time to time. Similarly, as you begin having interviews, you’ll want to follow up accordingly to reiterate your interest in the role, find out the status, etc. You’re nurturing the relationships, which is similar to watering them in my analogy above. 

If you’re consistent with these activities, your garden will start to blossom and grow! You’ll start gaining traction at companies, you’ll be interviewing and moving through multiple job opportunities at the same time … and you’ll start receiving offers.  

What's so wonderful about the job search process is you never know what the next call you make or the next person you’re introduced to will lead to!  Time and time again I’ll speak with clients who feel like they’re not making progress (they usually are!) or things are quiet – I'll reassure them it's not unusual and encourage them to stay the course.  Next thing you know, their ‘luck’ turns and they are having interviews and gaining traction in their search. This happened often when I was in corporate sales, and it happens with job search.  

The moral of the story: be consistent with networking, building relationships with Headhunters and proactively reaching out to companies on your target lists … and your search will blossom!

“Think of your job search as a marathon, not a sprint.” 
—Audie Fridstein

A number of my clients have shared how surprised they are with how long it’s taking them to land a new position. Many of these clients are/were with their employer for 15+ years, some even 20-25 years or more. Times definitely have changed since they last looked for a position outside their company. While no one has a crystal ball, I try to set their expectations that it could take a minimum of 6-9 months to find the right opportunity … especially now during the pandemic.

It’s not unusual for someone to land a position within a few months; however, generally speaking, the more experienced you are and the higher the position you're seeking, the more time it could take due to fewer openings and increased competition at this level. The good news is I'm seeing an uptick of companies who are actively hiring or creating new positions for my clients ... and many of them are receiving multiple solid offers. 

Tip: If you think of your search as a marathon, it helps to minimize (unrealistic) expectations that your search "should" be short and quick. Similarly, it’s also important to be sure you pace yourself and manage your energy levels and mindset. (Trust me on this – I’ve walked marathons and it took 7-8 hours. Beyond 4 or 5 hours, it’s much more about mental stamina than physical!)

If you're looking to make a job/career change, it’s important to have a clear picture of what you’re looking to do next, the company environment and culture you thrive in, the type of manager you work best under, etc. If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there?

Here’s a great resource “Your Critical FIRST STEP to Landing a New Job/Career that Re-energizes You” to help you gain clarity, so you’re focused on the right opportunities to pursue, you ask the right questions throughout the interview process and can then determine if offers that come in are the right fit for you … giving you the ability to make a well-informed decision.   

If you are a mid- to senior-level executive and motivated to find your next opportunity (or know someone who is), I'd love to speak with you to better understand your situation, what you're looking to do, and see how I can be of help.

Book your complimentary 40-minute Strategy Session here.

I often speak of the value of hiring coaches to help one excel in various aspects of one’s personal and professional life. I can’t recall a time in our recent history when there was so much unease going on in our lives  — we’re juggling more responsibilities (personally and professionally), worrying about COVID-19 and other pressing issues, and experiencing higher stress levels than normal. If this is *you*, I encourage you to read on…

I’m pleased to introduce you to my good friend and colleague, Dr. Doni Landefeld, a Leadership and EQ-i Certified Coach, and invite you to consider participating in her upcoming program 3 Critical Skills to Step Beyond the Chaos For Your Maximum Impact, a 6-week Virtual Program with coaching support.

Begins on Thursday, October 22nd, at 4 pm Eastern, concluding in December

Investment:  $1997 Just $497 (special one-time offer)

More information/registration here: https://bit.ly/2FQkRnU  

Questions?  Please email [email protected] or call 239-540-1219

More About Doni...

For more than 20 years, Dr. Doni Landefeld has helped leaders transform their performance, initially in academic institutions as an Academic Dean and more recently as a coach consultant and owner of Metamorphosis Coaching. She is creator and author of Lead Yourself First: 30 Practices to Strategically Help All Leaders.

Prior to launching Your Call To Action in 2015, Audie spent over 30 years in technology sales and sales leadership roles working with C-Level and other key stakeholders at Fortune 1000 companies utilizing a consultative and value-based approach to addressing her clients' needs.

Due to the evolving nature of the technology industry, it was common to change companies due to M&A, new leadership coming in and bringing their own team, corporate restructurings, or as a way to advance one's career. Audie became very proficient — and successful — in landing multiple offers each time, and was frequently complimented on how she stood out (in a good way!) from other candidates throughout the interview process.

She leverages her business acumen, consultative and value-based approach to sales, and professional coach training (ICF Certified) in working with clients and delivering her proven methodology, strategies and tips for successfully landing a new position (after all, one needs to sell oneself, right?).

Audie is intuitive, nurturing, and compassionate yet firm—all of the qualities you should want in a coach. She is your accountability partner with a focus on helping you get real results ... and you’ll also have fun along the way!

Want to learn more? Click here to book a Complimentary Strategy Session.