Personal growth

4 posts

You've probably heard the term best fit or ideal candidate quite a bit if you've been applying for new jobs, submitting college applications, or simply sifting through your long-term career goals. Employers know who they want, and usually what they want, in the hiring process. However, sometimes that's not always clear on the other end and candidates can find themselves with many mixed messages.

Aspiring to be the perfect fit for a new position is a job in itself. After all, nobody's perfect, and everyone is unique. But what do you do when you've received the infamous rejection email for the umpteenth time? How will you possibly bounce back from not being the best fit after nailing the first or second interview, time and time again?

Here are a few ways to grow as a candidate and own not being the ideal fit:

Avoid Displacing Anger

Man gets mad after receiving a rejection email for a job he applied for

If you can't express appreciation or thanks to the hiring manager after receiving the job rejection, then you need to take a step back and go for a walk.

Never communicate with a recruiter, hiring manager, or anyone else in the hiring process while under the influence of anger. You may say something that could damage your reputation and cripple your career. It's okay to feel hurt after putting in time for an opportunity you really wanted, but save those emotional feelings for close friends or family.

Learn About The "Ideal Candidate"

Woman on laptop reads a letter of feedback from a hiring manager

Following the job rejection, it's okay to ask the hiring manager for some feedback about what you were lacking as a candidate, and how you can improve for future job opportunities.

When asking a hiring manager for feedback, it's important to be professional and not too pushy about it. If they don't respond, or decline to respond, just let it go. Not everyone is comfortable with or has time to give feedback.

However, if they do provide feedback, the information could be invaluable.

Not only is it good to know who you're competing against, but it's also good to assess what other candidates have in common, and what traits your dream company looks for in candidates. Why? Because you'll be able to better understand if you fit in.

For example, if you have a hard time taking charge of tasks on your own but find yourself applying for jobs that offer little structure or support, you might not be the ideal candidate for the job.

Don't Let Rejection Stunt Your Growth

Let's say you didn't get the design job of your dreams despite having a portfolio with years of obvious hard work. So what? Use rejection as a way to perfect your skills and toughen your skin. Maybe you were just one year shy of the necessary job requirements, or maybe your skill set needs some fine-tuning.

This is all perfectly okay. Sometimes we don't get the things we want because we're not ready. Remember, the company isn't saying "No, not ever." They're actually saying "No, not today." You could re-apply to the same company later on and get the job. It's important to keep the lines of communication open.

Don't let your job search get in the way of your personal growth. There are always opportunities available for professional development and upskillingâyou just always have to be open to those opportunities.

Just because you weren't the ideal candidate initially, doesn't mean you won't be in the future.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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What To Do When You’re Not The …

Coaching For Growth: Lessons Learned On The Path To Self-Transformation

Understanding one's stage of self-awareness development as an executive coach who facilitates leaders to practice conscious leadership is crucial. My own developmental journey emphasized the need to pay attention to how my beliefs and assumptions enabled my effectiveness in varied contexts and interactions.

I realized the importance of aligning my developmental stage with my role and goals. As a learning practitioner, it was clear to me that unless I became able to make sense of my own way of being and acting at a level essential for enabling others to transform, I would not be acting with a high degree of integrity. Nor would I be effective.

What provoked the realization that I was stuck in a level of mindset that was not going to serve me was my encounter with one of the leaders of consultancy that I was seeking to join.

My Pivotal Moment

Soft skills, growth, development concept

During an interview, the company director asked me, "What are your strengths?" Proudly, I responded, "According to my StrengthsFinder, my strengths are Activator, Communication, Connectedness, Woo, and Positivity." I believed I was showcasing my expertise. However, my ego took a hit when the director responded, "I don't want you to define yourself by an instrument. I want to know your essence, who you are."

My Transformation Journey

Growth, development, self-transformation concept

Despite the rocky start, I was hired. At the beginning of our professional relationship, the director played the bad cop, challenging my tendency to act as the subject matter expert. He aimed to unveil my authentic self, and this feedback served as a wake-up call for me to reflect on who I truly was.

At this point, I needed a framework that I could understand that would help me find my way to what many call a âlater stage of meaning-making.â Enter Robert Kegan's five stages of adult development, a framework that, despite my conceptual understanding, revealed a disparity between my self-assessment and reality. Believing I was at a stage referred to as Self-Authoring Mind focused on what I could create of value according to my own standards, I discovered I was operating from the perspective of Socialized Mind, which draws self-esteem and orientation based on how others would judge me.

I engaged the support of an executive coach, driven by my eagerness to learn, enabling a breakthrough that helped me transition from a Socialized Mind to Self-Authoring Mind. I was able to free myself from always needing to know the answers, to be more comfortable with the ambiguity of not knowing, and to be more collaboratively accepting of othersâ perspectives.

Power Of Coaching In My Journey

This experience highlighted the power of coaching that fosters self-awareness and transformation. I acknowledged that I wouldn't have progressed to higher stages without my coach's guidance. This personal evolution equipped me with the wisdom to help others grow.

Another resource, Jennifer Garvey Berger's book Changing on the Job: Developing Leaders for a Complex World, deepened my understanding of transformation. It guided me on how to assist others in identifying their level of development and fostering corresponding growth.

My journey underscored the importance of self-awareness, coaching, and aligning developmental stages with professional roles. This experience fueled my passion for enabling others to navigate their transformative journeys.

Your Journey

Growth, professional development concept

As you reflect on my journey of self-discovery and professional growth, consider your own path. What stage of development are you in, and where do you feel called to be to lead more effectively? Are you ready to embrace the transformative power of coaching, self-reflection, and continuous learning?

If you're ready to unlock your full potential, take the first step today. Seek a coach, explore relevant literature, and commit to your own evolution. Remember, the journey to self-awareness and authentic leadership is ongoingâembrace it and you will empower yourself to inspire meaningful change in both your professional and personal spheres. Your transformative journey awaits!

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Coaching For Growth: Lessons Learned On The …

How To Take Advantage Of Online Career Skills Courses

There are a host of online courses available to help people level up in their careers or learn new skills entirely. But, to fully take advantage of online courses, you need to have your priorities in order and know exactly what you want to accomplish.

Some courses are offered for free, but there are also many that cost money. As you review available online courses and determine the ones worth taking, you may have to consider both finances and time constraints. Consider these four categories when choosing online courses:

Seeking Online Courses For Career Growth

Young businesswoman takes an online course to learn new career skills

Online courses that can help professionals do their job better are among the most valuable courses that you could take.

It's easy to work in a role for a long time, but not grow in it. You can't let that happen! If your career isn't growing, it's dying.

In order to make yourself an indispensable employee, it's important to keep up with industry trends and constantly take inventory of the skills you need to do your job exceptionally well. Some companies will even pay for their employees to take courses or certification programs if the employee can prove it will help them do their job better and ultimately benefit the company.

As far as choosing the right online courses, it helps to write out the specific areas where you're looking to upskill, and then research which courses check off the most boxes. LinkedIn Learning has a diverse course selection and the website Coursera has an extensive library of courses.

Beyond doing your job better and making yourself an indispensable employee, there's a certain sense of satisfaction that comes with always trying to get better.

Gaining Skills To Make A Career Change

Young professional takes an online course on her laptop in hopes of changing careers

Breaking into a new industry as a result of a career change or layoff is never easy. One of the first major steps a person has to do is an assessment of professional skills. This is where professionals determine what skills they have that are transferable to the new industry, and what skills they're lacking.

For example, a journalist looking to make a transition into marketing has important communication and writing skills that will transfer well into the industry, but would probably benefit greatly from a course or certification program in online marketing.

Just because a professional completes a course or certification doesn't mean they're qualified for the new industry. But, it may put them in a better position to secure a job interview, and it at least shows potential employers a willingness to learn.

If you were laid off and are unsure about your next career move, Work It Daily has free career quizzes that could point you in the right direction.

Gaining Extra Skills To Be A More Well-Rounded Professional

Man wearing headphones takes online career courses on his laptop at work

Taking courses to gain extra skill sets or to pursue an additional passion is a very advantageous position for professionals.

We all have interests beyond our careers, and sometimes our careers turn us on to additional interests. For example, a doctor with a passion for graphic design may take courses about how to develop a freelance business on the side.

Others may take courses to help transition into a new position at their workplace or climb the ladder at the company.

One of the best steps any professional can do is to get ahead of the curve and anticipate skills that they may need in the future. Taking this type of initiative will not only impress your employer but may also help you learn more about yourself as a professional to either excel at your current career or chart a new career course.

Taking Courses For Personal Enjoyment

Man and woman use laptop together to take online career courses

Not every online course that you take has to be career-related. Sometimes it's good to just take a course for fun or personal satisfaction. The number of courses available online runs the gamut. You can learn a new language, sit in on online lectures from university professors, discover basic life hacks, and hear from prominent people about their success stories.

Expanding your knowledge base can make you a more well-rounded and happier person. This translates well into all aspects of your life.

Online career courses are only a piece of the puzzle. The path to true career growth is putting together a plan for success, and Work It Daily can help!

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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How To Take Advantage Of Online Career …

"Learn from failure." You've probably heard that from countless articles, stories, and books. This article is to drive home some key points about learning from failure. Lessons you probably are very familiar with but need reminders about. Or, if you are new to this thing called "failure," then it will serve as a springboard to better success (I hope).

You hear stories about failure. You hear stories about success. Everyone hears how failure is the mother of all successes. Yet, you are still fearful of failure as if it is a black mark that will appear on your report card of life if you do happen to fail. And fail you will if you are like the rest of us mere mortals. Does that mean you stop trying?

Here are some tips for learning from failure:

1. Take The Risk And Pay the Price

Work colleagues discuss possible failures

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. You have to be willing to take the risk venture beyond your comfort zone regardless of what area you are in to gain some form of success. Think about the entrepreneurs, scientists, leaders, and businesses that took the path less trodden and how they were rewarded handsomely. If you are willing to pay the price with the risk you take, then the returns may just surprise you. "But, what if I fail?" you ask.

2. Know It’s Okay To Fail (Really)

Yes, it’s okay to fail. The adage we learn from failure is true. Be open with your mind, eyes, and ears. The lessons are there for you to understand and do better next time. Think about what you have done right, what you can do better, and what you should stop doing. That is one of the easiest ways to analyze how to learn from failure.

One side point: in cases like these, I dislike using the word "failure." "Setback" is my preferred word.

3. Realize Experience Is The Best Teacher

Team celebrates success after many failures

Think about this: if you do not fail in any of your endeavors, how do you learn to be better? How do you become wiser? People say experience is the best teacher. If you accept that to be true then you need to accept failure as one of the many lessons you gain from experience. So, you get to learn from failure. It’s that simple. Think about failures as lessons in the journey of life.

4. Allow Yourself The Freedom To Fail

Coworkers discuss successes and failures

Allow yourself the freedom to fail if you want to learn from failure. When you are too cautious, you do not allow yourself to take any risks. If you are safe all the time, then you are not giving yourself the opportunity to learn from failure. Give yourself the freedom to fail and see how the lessons of success open up for you.

5. Let The Fear Of Failure Help You Succeed

The fear of failure may not necessarily be a bad thing, as it can propel you to succeed. Some people use it as a motivating factor to ensure they succeed. As long as you do not get paralyzed into inaction and limit your appetite for taking risks, I believe the fear of failure as a propelling factor can be of good use.

6. Welcome Failure

There can be no success without failure. You should welcome failure as an opportunity to learn and you will learn from failure. The fees for learning from failure may seem too high sometimes, but in the long run, you will somehow discover it a worthwhile price to pay.

Ready to learn from failure so you can find career success?

Check out Work It Daily and all of our career resources. We'll help you feel empowered in your career so you can bounce back from failure and get on the road to success!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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