Here’s the the most important piece of advice I give all my clients working on finding their right work and finding satisfaction in their jobs: Respect yourself!
As a coach, I don’t typically give advice but if you learn nothing else from me or from visiting my website, remember these two words and ACT on them.
Respect yourself.
Be in integrity with your values.
Know what’s important to you.
Stand for yourself, speak for yourself and be authentic.
What that means is:
You show up at interviews prepared and professional, ready to communicate what makes you special and capable, what makes you the right fit for the position, what makes you different (and a better choice) than the other candidates. And you communicate clearly and proudly regardless of how unprepared, uninteresting, incompetent or inane the interviewer(s) are. Show respect for yourself and show them you mean business!
You show up at work ready to get a good day’s work done. You remember that you’re resourceful and capable, which means that you dig deep to figure out how to do things that are a stretch for you. And you’re also honest. If it’s too much or out of your job description, you say so (without bitterness) and you offer that you could get: a) training, b) a consultant, c) extra time to learn, or d) someone else in the organization to help out. You don’t say no flat out and you don’t say yes and set yourself up for excessive hours and possible failure.
You show up at work knowing what you have to offer and what makes you a good fit. Just as you would when you’re looking for work, affirm to yourself that you have the skills and qualities and acumen to do the job. Be conscious of how you’re using those skills. – and if you’re not, have respect for yourself and think about whether it’s time to find a job where you are a match and where you can shine cause you’ve got what they want and need.
You know that you’re not too old, too young, too slow, too scattered, too cranky, too scared, too imperfect to make a successful career move. You give yourself the time and space to explore what you have to offer and what gets your interest. You try things out, you volunteer, you take a class, you go on informational interviews so you can get a reality check. Maybe you are job ready and you don’t even know it!
You stop complaining and do something constructive. If you’re at a job and something isn’t working for you, don’t put energy into feeding the “what’s wrong” story. You don’t want to be a nattering nabob of negativism. You want to be in the land of can-do and let’s give it a try and let’s learn how to manage up or move on. And if you’re not in a job, then ask yourself, what is going to give me a sense of satisfaction and self-worth (because you have things to offer and your offer really can make a difference first and foremost in your own well-being and secondly in the well-being and profitability and contributions of a world full of fascinating enterprises).
You dust yourself off, wash your face, put on something that makes you feel sparkly and new, and you walk out the door surveying the scene and checking out what interests you. Get ready to find something that works for you.
If you don’t respect yourself, nobody gonna give a good two hoots about you, so say the Staple Singers. And you put on this great song, get on your groove and toot your horn!