I want to tell you why I became a career coach.
In one of the periods when I was looking for work, I decided that I wasn’t going to keep waiting – for a call back, for an interview, for a job offer.
In a nutshell, I decided to take my power back.
There are so many aspects of a job search that can make you feel less than: you apply for jobs and never hear back. You look at postings hoping for something good. You wait a lot. Your resume gets screened out. You have to say the right key words. You have to know someone to get in the door. You have an interview to get screened out. You have to interview and make presentations. You generously give your talents and work for free. And then you might not hear back.
You can be a finalist for a job and never get a final answer.
You can nearly always feel that you lack something the employer is looking for.
And you wait a lot. You can experience a lot of rejection and radio silence.
Years ago, I learned how to take some of my power back. When I became a coach, I wanted to pay it forward. I decided to help others develop more agency and take their power back.
Here’s my story. In one of the times, I was looking for a job, I decided I was tired of waiting. I wanted to take action. I needed a way to build momentum. To get energized. To make things happen. To make contact.
I wanted to feel that I had some power.
I decided that I would make phone calls. Cold calls. Calls to people I wanted to work with (because they were famous or smart or accomplished). Calls to people that I thought were hiring (like a MacArthur Genius award winner… I figured she needed an assistant, or organizations that had just won a big grant). Calls to people who were doing work that I was interested in. Calls to people who had NOT interviewed me. Calls to people that I’d heard give a lecture or published an article.
Calls to people that I didn’t know.
During the height of my aggressive cold calling, I made three calls every day.
Three calls every day!
If you’re thinking that I enjoyed making the phone calls, you’re mistaken. Because I was coaching myself and committed to being brave, I would write affirmations every day (25 times) – I love making cold calls. I’m brave and outgoing. I am a gutsy job seeker. I love connecting with people…
I would repeat these affirmations as I dialed the phone. I would remind myself of my courage.
And of course, I would be ready for anything on those phone calls. I had a good, short introduction. I had good, smart questions. I had ideas for how to keep the conversation going and get referrals. I had my notepad ready to gather information.
I also had a mirror next to my desk. When I made my phone calls, I would face the mirror. I would smile at myself, maybe I’d wink. I would look kindly and encouragingly at myself. You go girl, I’d say with my eyes. You got this! You are charming and smart and delightful. Look at you!
I would especially smile when the person I was talking to was a dud. Maybe they were critical or full of advice. Maybe they were unhelpful. Maybe they were cold. A cold, cold call indeed.
What I want you to know about my cold calls is that I learned A LOT from making those calls. The cold calling helped warm me up to be a great networker and interviewee. The calls helped build my network. (and I still have connections to some of those people today, twenty years later)
More than anything, I learned that taking BOLD, repeated action made a real difference in my state my mind and body. I was excited and scared. Every time. And sometimes I ended the phone calls feeling exhilarated. Victorious. Proud of myself. Energized. Feeling capable. Feeling some agency.
I did make contacts that led to job opportunities. I did have conversations that made the job search more interesting. I did have more real leads and positive feedback than I would have had sitting in my room replying to postings.
I did feel empowered.
Cold calls might not be for you. But, if you are feeling tired of waiting or frustrated by a lack of energy in your job search or business building or retirement planning… ask yourself where you can take some action. What would feel exciting and a bit scary? What would help you step in and get energized? What would be stepping forward instead of waiting? What would help reinforce your sense of self-worth and capability?
It could be a phone call. It could be a networking event. It could be volunteering or taking a class or getting better at public speaking. It could be writing affirmations and saying them every day, or asking someone else for feedback about your presentation skills.
It just takes one step, or one phone call. And then another. And then smiling at yourself because you know you’re working hard.
You’re worth it!