Finding Green

#IntentionalPositivity: FINDING GREEN

As the new season rolls in, you might be considering some spring cleaning! How will that look for your career? Does your résumé need sprucing up with the promise of new jobs in our local economy? If so, how can you market what’s most important on the résumé, and in your career search, for that matter?

Start by focusing on your joy—your passion! Do you get joy by helping others? Do you wake up refreshed and renewed with excitement about tackling a new computer project? Or are you just as happy making sales calls on prospective clients?

Whatever drives your career, be sure that the passion translates into money (GREEN) for your bank account. Here are some quick ways to stay focused on the heart of the matter, turning your passion into green:

Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If you want to find great employers, be a great employee; if you want to find great references, you need to BE a great reference for others. Interestingly, our human hearts contain the largest concentration of gold in the body. So, abiding by the golden rule will have permanent and long-lasting benefits you can draw upon throughout life.

Remember to thank those who have helped you along the way. Stay in touch. Find out birthdays or job anniversaries of others, and let them know you are thinking about them. Both Facebook and LinkedIn have automatic ways to help you remember this important information. Use it to your advantage, as you soar to connection success.

Earn the trust of others. This can be accomplished by doing a memorable job, by thoughtfully following up after a project has been completed, or by taking some personal time to do the “and then some” in your work and in your life. Trust me, others are ALWAYS watching you.

Engage in something that scares you to death. Set a goal to do something you’ve possibly feared but that (in the long run) will make your life easier. If learning a new software program scares you to death, maybe that’s the exact reason you should embrace the challenge. Take baby steps. Start small. Grow bigger as you gain more confidence.

No doesn’t necessarily mean NO. It can mean NOT NOW. In business, just as in life, timing is everything. Respect someone’s answer for the moment. Remember to gently follow up between 5 and 12 times to potentially get a YES. Even a MAYBE will move you into a positive direction.