I’m sure you’ve heard about the value of investing in an executive resume writer and/or job search coach to help you during your job search. This investment will certainly pay off in multiple ways, including improving your ability to fully leverage yourself in your industry of choice, making sure you are optimizing your skills and strengths amid the competition, and securing the highest quality interviews.
However, there are additional investments that lend themselves to rich and rewarding payoffs. Have you considered how your home, your health and your downtime activities play into the effectiveness of your job search?
Here are some examples:
- Investment in your health. Are you taking care of yourself? Have you been putting off your yearly physical, your trip to the dentist or your chiropractor? Do you invest in eating organic food? Do you get out for a few minutes each day for some exercise and fresh air? Your monetary investment to do this is relatively small, but your short- and long-term payoff is vital to keeping stress under control and your state of well-being.
- Investment in activities you enjoy. You have heard me say it before – investing in yourself by participating in activities you enjoy and that relax you are even MORE important during your job search and need to be INCREASED. Feel like you just don’t have the time? Look at where you spend your time during the day, then commit to cutting out ONE activity that you don’t absolutely need to be doing. Replace it with something you love to do, whether it’s spending time with your family, playing tennis, bike riding or reading a book. The more relaxed and balanced you are, the more energy and focus you will have to give your job search.
- Investment in your surroundings. Is your office or home a mess? Investment in a clean work and living space will add to your feeling of peace. I have a young child and know how hard it can be to keep things tidy! But each morning I clean my office so I can think clearly and be present and creative for my clients. In other words, your surroundings can mirror your mental outlook.
- Investment in your clarity. If you are struggling with your confidence and your self-worth regarding your job search, then grab a pen and paper and write out 30 valuable skills, strengths and traits that you can bring to your employer(s). Getting clear here will help you get in touch with how much you really do have to offer. We often devalue our professional worth, so this exercise will also serve to fill in the gaps if you are leaving out any critical points in your resume.
- Investment in “high-payoff” job search activities. Are you licking stamps and envelopes and running to the printer? Consider hiring someone to handle these entry level tasks for you during your job search so you can invest your time focusing on more high-payoff activities like targeting employers, following up with phone calls and preparing for interviews. You get so much more done with a little help! Your investment in hiring the teenager across the street (or your own, if you have one) will definitely kick your job search results into high gear.
So what can you invest in this week that will make you feel good, more balanced and less stressed?
