The HR Mentor

#6 - How to Deal with Rejection in your Job Search

At some point in your job search you will face rejection. This is a normal part of the process. But for some of you this may feel devastating and cause you to give up or get down on yourself. In this episode, Melanie offers five suggestions on how you can deal with the inevitable rejection you will face in your job search and share a personal rejection story and what she learned from it.
 
Here are five tips for dealing with rejection:
Re-frame your rejection
Take responsibility (for your effort and action)
Ask for feedback
Take action
Be aware of your limiting beliefs
Here is a summary of the episode:
[01:20] - At some point in your work or life you will face someone who doesn't love what you create or do, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it anyway. Someone might love it or benefit from it.
[03:10] - Fear of rejection holds many of us back. For many of us, acceptance of the fact that not everyone will love
[03:53] - Jack Canfield and his partner had to pitch Chicken Soup for the Soul to over 150 publishers before they got a 'yes!'
[05:00] - There is value in getting feedback from others. It helps you improve what you are offering and presenting yourself and reminds you how much you want what it is you want.
[06:15] - Here are five suggestions on how you can overcome rejection in your job search.
[06:25] - Melanie talks about the first suggestion; which is to re-frame your rejection. Consider a "no" from a job competition as a "not yet" for this company or role and look at this response as feedback on what you presented rather than a rejection of you as a person. You may not be right for this role at this time, but that doesn't make you wrong as a person.
[07:54] - The second suggestion is to take responsibility. Ask yourself could you have done anything differently in the process. Did you prepare as well as you could? Did you practice? Be honest.
[08:58] - The third suggestion is to ask for feedback. Some employers won't do this, but it's invaluable if you can get it. And, it never hurts to ask!
[09:56] - The fourth suggestion is to take action. Get busy and move on to the next great opportunity. Don't let one "no" keep you from the next "yes."
[11:00] - The final suggestion is to be aware of your limiting beliefs. If you are not sure how to do this, check out Episode 2 and download the worksheet to work through your limiting beliefs.
[13:22] - Melanie shares a quick story about her most devastating job search rejection and why it was so upsetting. 
[17:25] - Not every job is going to be the right one, but if you follow these suggestions and stay persistent you will find the right one for you right now.
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#5 - Be Prepared and Ace the Interview

You can't always control what the Universe throws at you, but when it comes to your job search, one of the things you can control is how well-prepared you are for your interview. The interview remains the most heavily weighted selection method for most organizations and in some cases, the only method, so it's even more important that you are ready to shine when the opportunity comes.
 
In this episode Melanie walks you through two stages of preparation:
Research
Practice
Here is a summary of the show:
[2:11] - Melanie shares some sage advice from Jack Canfield about how to approach unprecedented circumstances like COVID-19.
[3:07] - We can't control what other people do, we can only control ourselves and our own behaviour.
[4:54] - You can control how prepared you are for the interview.
[5:52] - The purpose of your resume and application is not to get the job, the purpose of these materials is to get the interview. The interview (and selection process) get you the job.
[7:08] - Now that you have the interview it is time to kick your efforts into high gear and to prepare yourself for this important conversation.
[7:47] - There are two stages to preparing for the interview; research and practice. Melanie talks about a worksheet you can download to work through as you listen to this episode. You can find it here or by using the link at the bottom of the page.
[8:32] - The first thing you research is the role you are interviewing for. Get crystal clear on the requirements for the role and how they align with what you offer and where you add value. Then explore where you are not perfectly aligned. Do you have transferrable skills that would address these? Are any of the requirements critical or 'must have' requirements? Make note of these.
[10:52] - You also want to know if this is a new role if possible. This helps you prepare for interview questions about how you would approach this. You may also want to find out why someone left the position.
[11:45] - The second thing you want to research is the organization and the department if possible. Check out their webpage; become aware of their history, their vision, mission, purpose and values. Is their alignment to your values? Not sure what your values are? Listen to Episode 3 and I will walk you through it!
[13:18] - It is also helpful to know what type of businesses this is. It can give you some hints as to the type of structure the organization has and possibly the type of interview process you are participating in. Unionized positions often require that external candidates meet ALL the stated job requirements, so be prepared to speak to this. The organizational chart also provides clues.
[15:46] - Researching company social media is very helpful. You can learn about their culture, values and how their employees and customers feel about the organization.
[16:50] - The third piece of research is company reviews. Check out Glassdoor, Indeed and customer reviews on Google or other review sites.
[18:34] - The fourth thing you want to research and prepare are a set of possible interview questions and answers. This is a bit of work, but definitely worth your time. Put your recruiter hat on and consider what you would want to ask if you were hiring for this job and interviewing you as a candidate. Melanie gives you an example of a behavioural interview question as well as some topics you might expect to be asked about. The worksheet also helps you work through this step by step!
[26:00] - Melanie summarizes all the information you want to research before the interview.
[26:49] - Now it's time to practice! The first thing you want to practice is answering your interview questions. Melanie gives you a few options to make sure that you feel incredibly comfortable answering the possible questions your prepared. She also shares a personal example of how this process helped her land a job she really wanted.
[30:48] - The next thing to practice is your interview outfit!
[32:27] - The last thing you want to be prepared for is your references. You need at least three references (2 work related - ideally a supervisor). Make sure your references are contacted and prepped in advance of your interview.
[34:01] - Melanie summarizes the three things you want to practice; your interview questions, your outfit and your references.
Helpful links for this episode:
Download the Ace the Interview Worksheet now!
Listen to Episode 3: How Your Values Impact your Career and Job Search
Get The HR Interview Guide today and learn how to answer some of the most common HR Interview questions. 
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#4: Market Yourself for Job Search Success

In this episode, Melanie discusses strategies to help market yourself as a candidate for roles that are aligned with your values and your strengths, experiences and accomplishments. She introduces you to the idea that you are the "product" of your job search and that viewing your job search from a marketing perspective can improve your results.
 
To help you translate these ideas into action, Melanie explains her 3-P approach to market yourself.
 
They are:
Product (you) which includes knowing yourself and preparing a Personal Brand Statement
Presence (how you appear online)
Promotion (how you get noticed in your industry and by potential employers)
Here is a summary of the full episode:
[00:30] Why a marketing approach is important and what to expect in this episode.
[01:56] Melanie reviews the 4 P's of marketing and how these concepts are used in recruitment.
[03:37] Here she explain the 3 P's to market yourself for a successful job search.
[04:50] The first P is Product (you). You need to know your product really well and then develop a Personal Brand. There are two steps (oops I said 3) to understand your product. 1. Know your product (what you offer) 2. Develop your Personal Brand Statement.
[10:11] Writing a Personal Brand Statement is the second part of getting clear on your product. This is broken down into 3 parts: 1. What is my value? 2. Who is my target audience (employer/industry)? 3. What is your unique selling point?
[13:42] The second P is Presence. Establishing a new presence as a professional is very critical. There are four main aspects to consider with your online presence. 1. Your email address 2. Social media profiles/photos 3. LinkedIn profile (here is a link to my profile!), headline and tag line 4. Personal social media accounts.
[20:51] The third P is to Promote Yourself. To promote yourself effectively you should be active on these sites. Follow relevant industry pages or sites. Like, comment and share their posts. Connect 1 to 1 with organizations you are interested in. Networking is a powerful way to promote yourself. Informational interviews are also a helpful way to market yourself and collect information about the organization. Volunteering is another great way to promote yourself.
[24:40] Another strategy is writing articles for associations or your alumni magazine to promote yourself. Finding a mentor is a great way to promote yourself. Here Melanie shares her own experience with finding a future role through my own HR Mentor. Staying in touch with your classmates to former classmates is also a good strategy. These classmates become your future network. Make sure this is a reciprocal relationship. The best way to get people to help you is to help them first! Nurture your connections.
[28:03] Melanie summarizes her 3 P's; Product, Presence and Promote Yourself.
Resources in this episode:
Find my LinkedIn profile here. Feel free to add me as a connection!
Develop Your Personal Brand Worksheet
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#3: How Your Values Impact Your Career and Job Search

In this episode, Melanie talks about your core values and how knowing and understanding these guiding beliefs can assist you in your career and job search.
 
Melanie shares a definition of values and provide examples of how values might impact your decision making. She also walks you through a short exercise to help you identify your values and wraps up with a list of four ways your values can help you with career and job search decisions.
 
These are the 4 ways your values can have an impact:
Help you identify roles or jobs that will be the most satisfying.
Help you decide which organizations or industries to pursue.
Help you promote yourself during the selection process.
Help you understand why you may be feeling disconnected at work.
Below is a summary of the episode:
 
[01:51] Melanie begins with a definition of values and how they appear through action.
[02:52] Living to our values can be challenging, but in the long-term living against values can cause dissatisfaction.
[03:35] Using an example, Melanie illustrates how values can conflict and how living out of sync with your values can have a negative impact on your life.
[06:10] Two important take-a-ways. Thinking about and identifying your values is worthwhile and living in accordance with your values can be difficult and takes courage.
[06:45] Don't know your values? Don't worry. Here is a process with some validation exercises to help you figure this out. It all begins with the Identifying Your Values Worksheet which you can find here.
[09:10] There are four key ways that values can have an impact. This is primarily evident through the decisions you make throughout your career or during your job search.
[09:50] Values can help you identify the types of roles and jobs you will find satisfying.
[10:41] Even if you don't know everything about an organization or role, you can take steps to learn more so that you can make a more values based decision.
[10:48] We can't always work in values-aligned roles. Security of home and food may take precedence.
[11:48] I share an example of how my core value Impact, resulted in my changing roles.
[14:11] Values will help you determine which organizations or industries are a better match for you.
[15:15] You can find lots of information about organizations and industries online or through social media. It is also great to ask values related questions during the recruitment and selection processes.
[16:52] The third way values have an impact is as a tool to help you promote yourself during the recruitment and selection process.
[17:39] The fourth and final way values have an impact is by providing clues as to why you might not be happy in your current role. Melanie also talk about how leaders can recognize that a values disconnect could be the reason their employees are not performing at their best.
[22:15] Melanie summarizes the episode. Knowing your values is important for your career satisfaction and long-term happiness.
Download the Identifying Your Core Values Worksheet here.
 
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#2: 3 Steps to Shift Your Limiting Beliefs and Improve Your Job Search

June 24, 2020
 
In this episode, Melanie explains what limiting beliefs are and how your limiting beliefs could be affecting your success with your job search or career transition.
 
You will learn 3 easy steps to help you shift your limiting beliefs and improve your chance or achieving your goals. Not only with your job search, but also in any area of your life you would like to improve.
 
Here is a quick summary of the 3 steps:
Identify your limiting beliefs
Reframe your limiting beliefs
Repeat and reinforce your new beliefs
Here is a summary of the episode:
[00:56] Limiting beliefs are formed from thoughts we keep thinking about ourselves or a particular situation. They are formed from passed experiences or patterns of behaviour.
[01:26] Melanie shares an example of a limiting belief that affected her early in life.
[02:04] Melanie shares an example of a limiting belief that might be formed during your job search or career transition.
[03:03] The three steps are; identify your limiting beliefs, reframe your limiting beliefs, and repeat and reinforce your new supportive beliefs.
[03:19] Melanie explains how you can identify your limiting beliefs. Think about applying for a job or imagine the last time you applied for a job or attended an interview. Ask yourself, what were the thoughts you were having. Write these down. Some examples of these thoughts might be; "this is a long-shot, I don't have a chance" or "I'm not fully qualified for this job so no one is going to call me back."
[04:58] So how do you know if they are limiting beliefs? The easiest way to tell, is to think about your belief and write down how it makes you feel. If it makes you feel fearful, worried, overwhelmed or any other negative feeling would be considered limiting beliefs. They don't support the goal you want to achieve.
[07:15] Step two is to reframe your limiting beliefs. Start by writing down how you would rather feel. Then identify a more supportive belief that connects to that feeling.
[09:47] Step three is to repeat and reinforce your new supportive beliefs. This is all about making your belief stick. So that it becomes who you are and what you believe. This takes 30 days of consistent action. Melanie shares some simple and fun options and ideas to help you do this.
[12:43] Melanie recaps the three steps to shift your limiting beliefs.
[14:13] A job search is more like a marathon than a sprint. Don't give up on yourself. It takes time! Rejection is part of the process.
[15:04] Melanie has a handy worksheet to help guide you through these steps! Download it at the link below!
Download the 3-Steps to Shift Your Limiting Beliefs Worksheet Here!
 
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#1: Why you need an HR Mentor

In this introductory episode, Melanie explains why she started this podcast and what you can expect as a listener. She also shares what she believes is both exciting and challenging about an HR Career.
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