Do You Know Why The Economy Does Not Matter For Your Job Search? (written by Career Expert, Pete Leibman)

It drives me CRAZY when people use the economy as an excuse for not being able to land their dream job (or any job).

You don’t need me to bombard you with stats about the recession.  The media has already done more than enough of that.  I’ll just say this.

Take a look at national unemployment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics over the last 50 years or so.  (This is also great reading material for insomniacs.)

You will see that unemployment has always fluctuated up and down with peaks in the 8-10% range (where it was in 2011) versus valleys in the 2-4 percent range.  Where will it be in the next few years?  Who knows?

More importantly, who cares? 

Let me state the obvious since so many people seem to be missing it.  How many jobs do you need to get? 

One job!  Not 100 jobs.  Not 25 jobs.  Not even 3 jobs.  You just need 1 job.  That’s it. 

There is absolutely nothing you could say that could convince me that you have a legitimate reason to be worried about getting hired due to a down economy.  I shared this philosophy with one of my mentors who encouraged me to tone down my stance for fear of offending some people, but I won’t.  The economy is only a problem if you think it’s a problem.  Don’t worry about unemployment statistics.  Don’t allow yourself to be brainwashed into a state of fear by the media. 

When I was a senior in college, unemployment was the highest it had been in 10 years.  I still landed my dream job even though I had never even had a full-time job before. 

Here is the truth: The economy does NOT matter when you know how to conduct a job search.  You just need one job.

P.S. To receive a FREE 25-page report on Job Search and Career Success Secrets for Students and Young Professionals, visit my web site at www.PeteLeibman.com. 

-Pete Leibman (Pete@DreamJobAcademy.com)

-Author of “I Got My Dream Job And So Can You!” (due out through AMACOM in spring 2012)

-Founder of Dream Job Academy

-Keynote Speaker for The Dream Job College Tour

-Creator of The Washington Wizards’ Sports Careers Day

Do you know why it’s easier to get your dream job than most other jobs? (written by Career Expert, Pete Leibman)

One reason I got a front-office job in the NBA at such a young age (while being rejected or ignored by other opportunities that had much less competition) is because of how badly I wanted the job in the NBA.  This burning desire oozed out of me when I was networking and when I was interviewing, and it made me a much more appealing candidate. 

On the other hand, when I applied to jobs I learned about through job boards or career fairs or on-campus recruiting (i.e. opportunities I had absolutely no interest in), it was incredibly difficult for me to sell myself in a compelling manner.  I had to fake my interest, and employers were not fooled.  In hindsight, I’m VERY thankful those organizations blew me off!  If they had hired me anyway, I would have ended up like most young professionals who hate their first job out of college.

Most people find job searches draining because they are going after the wrong jobs!  When you are going after your dream job, your job search can actually be enjoyable (crazy thought, huh?) because of how excited you will be by what is waiting for you at the end of the tunnel. 

You will be much more motivated during your job search if your goal is to get your “dream job” than if your goal is to get “a job.”  Your motivation will lead to a more resourceful, positive mindset than if you just do what everyone else does and aim low.  A better attitude will also make you more appealing as a job-seeker.

It is incredibly satisfying and empowering to go after your dreams with every ounce of your energy, and even more amazing when you reach your destination.  Sadly, few people ever experience this phenomenon because they don’t understand the relationship between desire, motivation, and performance.

If you ever find yourself lacking motivation (during your job search or your career), it’s probably because you are not aiming high enough.  Believe it or not, you are more likely to succeed when you aim high…

P.S. To receive a FREE 25-page report on Job Search and Career Success Secrets for Students and Young Professionals, visit my web site at www.PeteLeibman.com. 

-Pete Leibman (Pete@DreamJobAcademy.com)

-Author of “I Got My Dream Job And So Can You!” (due out through AMACOM in spring 2012)

-Founder of Dream Job Academy

-Keynote Speaker for The Dream Job College Tour

-Creator of The Washington Wizards’ Sports Careers Day

Do you know why doubters can HELP you achieve your dreams? (written by Career Expert, Pete Leibman)

Whenever you try to do something big or something for the first time, people will doubt you.  Do not be surprised when this happens.  This is the byproduct of most people aiming way too small with how they live their lives.  More specifically, there are 5 main reasons why people will doubt you can achieve your dreams:

• They think they are helping you.  This happens often with our family and closest friends.  As a student, one of my family members told me I should be “more realistic” when it came to my first job out of college.  Even though this bothered me, I knew her heart was in the right place.  She thought she was doing me a favor by not letting me get my hopes up only to be disappointed (since she thought I would fail).
• They don’t believe they could succeed. Another reason people will doubt you is because they don’t believe they could do what you are trying to achieve, either because they tried and gave up, or because they have never tried.  Several years ago, I went to lunch with a group of professional speakers who were much older than me.  During our meal, I shared my dream of publishing a book.  Immediately, the entire group shared their stories of being unable to get a publisher to offer them a book deal, and a few of them implied how “impossible” it would be for me to publish a book “at this stage of my career.”  Let me emphasize one point.  I was at lunch with a group of motivational speakers.  These people are supposed to inspire others for a living, and they were shooting down my dream!  Since I ultimately made it happen, I think this is actually pretty ironic and humorous.  Anyway, the message is this.  Most people (even some motivational speakers) have allowed life to beat them down.  Never allow someone else’s failures, insecurity, or lack of faith to dictate whether you believe your dreams are possible. 
• You are trying to succeed faster.  Other people might doubt you because they make the mistake of thinking that it’s not possible for someone else to get somewhere sooner than they did.  When I was a senior in college, I shared my dream of working in pro sports with a senior executive from a team in the NFL.  He had been unable to get a job in sports right after college, so he told me it would be “impossible” for me to do it.  He then suggested I get experience in another industry and consider applying for jobs in sports 5-10 years later.  (This is an example of one of the terrible pieces of advice given to me as a young professional.)
• They don’t like your dream. Don’t expect all of your friends or family members to be excited about your vision.  I don’t know your particular situation, so all I will say is that when you reach adulthood, it’s time to make your own decisions.  One of the biggest recipes for unhappiness is to bury your dreams in order to make other people happy.  As long as your dream does not hurt you or anyone else, then go after it with everything you have.   
• Some people actually don’t want you to succeed.  This is also known as being a “hater.”  Yes, this sounds jaded, but it’s true.  Some people incorrectly believe there is a finite supply of happiness or success available in the world.  As a result, they think that if you are happy or successful, it somehow makes it less likely for them to be.  The truth is that there is an infinite supply of success and happiness available to anyone willing to put in the necessary effort.

The overall message is this: do not expect everyone to support your dreams unconditionally.  Instead, use doubts or criticism as added motivation.  In a way, I got my first dream job (to become an NBA executive) and my second dream job (to become a published author) because people doubted me, not in spite of people doubting me.  I used doubts from other people to ignite my conviction that I would succeed.  Doubters made me want it more and gave me an “enemy” to fight against.  The challenges unleashed my competitive juices and my desire to win.  I learned at an early age that your ultimate success has nothing to do with what other people think about your dreams.  Your success or failure will be the result of how you respond to fear, what you tell yourself is possible, and the subsequent actions you are willing to take to make your dreams a reality. 

Have you ever used doubts from other people as extra motivation to achieve one of your dreams?  If so, please share below!

P.S. To receive a FREE 25-page report on Job Search and Career Success Secrets for Students and Young Professionals, visit my web site at www.PeteLeibman.com. 

-Pete Leibman (Pete@DreamJobAcademy.com)

-Author of “I Got My Dream Job And So Can You: The Blueprint For Career Success As A Young Professional” (due out through AMACOM in spring 2012)

-Founder of Dream Job Academy

-Keynote Speaker for The Dream Job College Tour

-Creator of The Washington Wizards’ Sports Careers Day

Do You Know This Secret for Career Success (written by Career Expert, Pete Leibman)

One of the greatest secrets for career success is your out-of-office life.

Most career books miss this altogether or barely address it.  Most employers will not care what you do in your free time (as long as you don’t do anything to embarrass them).  However, your life outside the office has a huge impact on your life inside the office.  Being proactive with your out-of-office life will make you happier and increase your performance at work.  I often wonder how much better my experience could have been with my dream job in the NBA, if I knew then what I know now about taking charge of the other areas of my life.

Make sure you are headed where you want to be in every area of your life, not just your career.  If not, determine what you need to change to get there and create a plan for making it happen.  Instead of just setting New Year’s Resolutions, look at your goals in monthly increments to make them more manageable.  Most importantly, spend 1-2 hours every weekend (all year long) reflecting on the previous week, planning the following week, and thinking about the overall direction of your life and your contribution to the world.  I could have enjoyed my twenties a lot more (and achieved even more professionally) if I had started this practice as a student. 

If you don’t think this weekly ritual is worth doing, what are you doing in your free time that is more important?!  Most people unfortunately spend more time worrying about the lives of their favorite celebrities or athletes than they do in planning their own lives.  As you get older, your values will also change.  Mine certainly have. 

If you don’t stop along the way to make sure you are headed in the right direction, you can end up far away from where you really want to be.

When was the last time you spent 1-2 hours to think about and map out your future?

 

P.S. To receive a FREE 25-page report on Job Search and Career Success Secrets for Students and Young Professionals, visit my web site at www.PeteLeibman.com. 

-Pete Leibman (Pete@DreamJobAcademy.com)

-Author of “I Got My Dream Job And So Can You: The Blueprint For Career Success As A Young Professional” (due out through AMACOM in spring 2012)

-Founder of Dream Job Academy

-Keynote Speaker for The Dream Job College Tour

-Creator of The Washington Wizards’ Sports Careers Day