The Blue Dragon Theory
Perform any task long enough and you’ll
learn something. In 35 years of writing résumés, a parade of talent and crisis-mode
clients have passed through the door. Some are serious job seekers, while
others claim they’re “merely testing the employment waters.” The latter group is
hard to take seriously. Nonetheless, they all deserve my best effort.
If
called upon to predict who will succeed from those who will not, the controlling
factors seem to be the culmination of good habits, an effective résumé and
applied interviewing skills. In diagramming this, it would appear like this:
Note
that habits appear at the top in this
hierarchy. We are all prisoners to our bad habits. Remove anyone of these and a
job search can easily go south. While each of these are crucial,
habits—especially eating habits remain at the top. There are few exceptions (or anomalies) to this.[1]
There
are several reasons for placing eating habits at the top. You are not only what
you eat, but everything with which
the foods came in contact. More importantly, what you eat has a direct effect on your brain’s processing
ability. Additionally, whenever you lack a sense of wellbeing, this can be directly
traced back to poor eating habits. When you are unable to mentally process
information efficiently, or you don’t feel well, your ability to deliver a
stellar interviewing performance drops significantly. The outcomes rarely produce
good results.
When
this occurs, and the job search deteriorates, you fall victim to my Blue Dragon Theory. This occurs wherever
you wish for something that either cannot or will not happen because you are
not prepared to make it happen. Another way of stating this is when an
individual places all his or her wishes, wants and desires ahead of proper planning
and preparation. In reality, all you have is a head full of wishful thinking. In that regard, you
might just as well be seeking a Blue
Dragon position.
Allow
me to digress, and provide some insight into applied psychology as it relates
to job hunting. You may wish you had
a different job, or you might want a
better position. Those desires amount to wistful thinking until you activate a plan of action. The wishing part is
easy: Designing and implementing an action
plan is not.
Creating
an effective action plan requires an enormous amount of mental energy. Please
note, we have returned to square one—eating
habits. What you eat will determine the amount of mental energy you
possess. In other words, if you need better mental processing energy, change
what you eat!
Naturally,
if you are the only candidate, you do not have to concern yourself with this.
The likelihood of that happening is located somewhere between nil and slim. Likewise,
if you proceed on the assumption that you will be the only candidate, that too
amounts to wishful thinking.
What’s
a sound strategy? There is no cookie-cutter answer: Each individual faces a different
situation. The following 13 suggests are offered as a starting point.
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1
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Prepare a lean, complex low-carb grocery list of non-sugar food items that include few
processed foods.
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White sugar is unregulated poison that directly affects the brain. An organic
eating plan is best. Become a food-label reader.
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2
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Review all credit
files so that nothing conflicts with your next résumé.
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You have a legal right to challenge any errors or
misleading information in your credit files. Correcting credit file mistakes
is your responsibility.
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3
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Create an easy-read résumé that reflects your
talents, and is Internet portable.
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If not professionally prepared, be sure to write tight—preferably
in sound bytes, and limit use of bullets. Use graphics sparingly.
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4
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Set aside an interviewing wardrobe, and update /
contact each reference.
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Never send out unsolicited references. Present them
only when asked.
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5
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Set up an Indeed
job-search account customized to your job search.
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Indeed is one of the
better job-search engines, but there are others. Avoid posting your résumé on
the Internet—you may have to change something on short notice before a job
interview.
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6
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Prepare a portfolio of your work, along with
reference letters and extra résumés.
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Not all positions require a portfolio, but if you
can have work samples to show, it is generally considered a strong plus.
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7
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Research via Internet each potential employer.
Study before interviews.
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Know the companies before you walk through the
interviewing door.
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8
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Practice responding to the full range of
interviewing questions.
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Videotape your potential interviewing performance,
if possible. Hone answers to perfect your responses.
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9
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Prepare a short list of questions you plan to ask
interviewer(s).
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If you’ve researched the company, you should be
able to create at least three intelligent questions to ask.
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10
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Obtain names of all those who will be interviewing
you. Make a list.
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Knowing each individual by name gives you a
distinct advantage.
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11
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Research interviewers’ background if available on
Internet.
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Knowing the interviewers’ likes and interests
gives you a distinct interviewing advantage.
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12
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Show up for scheduled job interviews on time. Use
GPS or print map.
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Know where you’re going before you get there.
Having to call for directions and showing up late will not bode well.
Remember to leave cell phone in car or silence it. Print Checklist found at the top of my blog.
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13
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Follow-up with thank
you letters to each interviewer.
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This is rarely done, but it demonstrates the
extent of your professionalism.
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At
the risk of repeating myself, you are reminded that how you begin a job search will determine the final results. If you plan poorly, or
proceed with no plan at all, then expect to encounter great difficulty
somewhere during the journey.
Final
note: Planning skills are a left-brain function. For those who tend to be
right-brained (creative), planning and organizing can pose an extra challenge. Planning skills do not come naturally to these individuals. It is
suggested you use a checklist to monitor progress.