Last year I wrote about a job search vision statement. I want to take the same concept in a different direction… first, some background.
I’m an entrepreneur at heart. I love the idea of building and creating a business, company, value, etc. I anxiously await each edition of Inc Magazine that comes to me and I read it cover-to-cover. There are a lot of reasons I love the magazine, but there is one significant reason that I recently realized (or, re-realized): when reading the stories of entrepreneurs, and about companies who are to some degree successful, I feel like they are telling my story.
I’ve often thought I should take a well-written article… one I really connect with, and rewrite it so that it tells my story. From the early days to the days of “success” (whatever that is)… I’ll document what will happen as if it already happened.
Similar to a vision statement but different – with narrative and information that a reporter might gather and write.
Why don’t you take an hour or two and write your own job search story… not what you’ve been through but what you will go through. Perhaps something like this:
“After putting heart-and-soul into my company, my employer of 6 years, I was unceremoniously laid off, just days after Christmas. At least had a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Then, I found my family without an income, but with the same expenses. Not fun.
I spent the first few months stumbling through my job search and didn’t really make any progress until I started going to local network meetings for job seekers. I didn’t want to go, and didn’t think I had time, but I made myself go and found my job search did a 180. Considering I wasn’t getting anywhere, this was good!
During the next month I learned what I was doing wrong, started to learn some smarter job search strategies, and made some significant, meaningful contacts. I spent less time online and more time networking. That’s when my luck changed.
At one network meeting I met Mike, another IT professional, who was very well connected. We had lunch and were able to learn more about one another. I didn’t have much to offer him, it seemed, but he took me under his wing and mentored me. He also introduced me to the type of hiring managers I wanted to meet.
One introduction led to another and I found myself in an interview at a medium-sized company…”
That’s all I’m going to write… you should have a good idea of what I’m talking about. You can take it from there! Remember, you are painting your own picture… maybe it hasn’t happened yet but paint it, envision it, believe it can happen. And make sure the story has a delightful, happily-ever-after ending!
