Soul Searching

Candidates who are between work will often ask me.  How is the market?

It is a valid question and one that is usually asked so someone can gauge or estimate how quickly they will be able to find a new position. 

The job market across all industries is much more difficult to predict than it was even 5 years ago.  The answer for executives for most industries in the past used to be around 3 months, but that is no longer the case.    The market has changed and this is also combined with the fact that companies now take a much longer time to hire which means that candidates need to develop some patience and to ensure that they perform to their best in every interview and/or presentation.  It is essential to sharpen not only interview/presentation skills, but to also do some soul searching and really learn about themselves and to be able to clearly define themselves accurately in a concise manner.

I hear the term "soul searching" a lot but it is not often done correctly.  It is sometimes a 10 minute exercise of listing strengths and then the person moves onto trying to harvest their network.

You cannot teach someone how to soul search as it is a personal journey, but it involves asking one-self very difficult questions and assessing what really makes them happy which in turn will breed success.

By the end of the journey, someone who knows and can clearly state, who they are and what they want and want they want to leverage in terms of their skills and experience, is far more likely to perform well in an interview or in a presentation

Make sure to conduct proper soul searching before you hit your network, there is no point in wasting your warm leads before you are truly able to present yourself.

Farewell,

Mike