How to survive an exit interview

How to survive an exit interview by Michael Cheary So it’s official: you’ve decided to move on…You’ve handed in your resignation letter, you’ve worked through your notice period and you’ve cleared up all of your belongings ready for the big push.However, before you’re allowed out the door clutching that cardboard box full of priceless memories (the  photobooth picture from the Christmas party where everyones wearing comedy moustaches, your borderline-inappropriate mug, etc.), you have to do one last thing: the dreaded exit interview.To help you avoid any unnecessary awkwardness, here’s our comprehensive exit interview survival guide:RelaxAs nerve-wracking as it may seem making the long walk into the interviewer’s office, when you really think about it, there actually isn’t anything significant at stake.Remember, it’s an exit interview, not a job interview. And, no matter how awkward or emotional proceedings get*, they won’t make a difference when it comes to your new role. Once you’ ve handed in your notice, the hard part is essentially over. The pressure is officially off. You just need to embrace the process.So be cool, be calm and be collected. You know, like a cucumber. Because cucumbers never fail.Make a listThe absolute worst thing you can do at any exit interview is ad-lib.After all, there’s a fine line between being honest, and oversharing. Without the proper preparation performed well in advance, you could only be a few poorly worded questions away from losing your decorum (a.k.a. launching into ‘full-on rant mode’).To help stave off any temptation to provide a little too-much information, make a list of your pre-prepared answers to help jog your memory. Questions such as ‘what is your main reason for leaving’ and ‘what are the positives of your new role’ are likely to come up in some form, and a few minutes practice on each will certainly pay dividends.Lead with positivesOk, stay with us on this one. We are not asking you to lie.You migh t have disliked some, or maybe many elements of your job, but we’re pretty sure if you scratch beneath the surface you’ll find a few nice things to say somewhere underneath.It could be a hardworking co-worker, lacking the recognition they deserve. Or an element of the employee benefit scheme which initially attracted you to apply. Whatever it is, this is your only attempt to let someone (and/or anyone) know that they’re doing a good job. Take it.And if there aren’t any positives? See: smile and nod.Stick to the factsIf you do have any particular problems you wish to address, always use facts to back them up.Management issues? Point to a particular appraisal you were disappointed with. Lack of progression what’s troubling you? Give examples of how you were passed over for promotion, or not given appropriate opportunities for training.Without tangible examples, there’s nothing for your employer to act upon or learn from. Which, if anything, should be how you primarily view this opportunity.Unfortunately, even if you’re 100% convinced that Tim from accounts has ‘had it in for you from day one’, without anything to back your statement up, it’s unlikely to be taken particularly seriously.Ask about your own performanceYour exit interview shouldn’t be a one-way conversation. However, the ball is very much in your court.The beauty of an exit interview is that you get to choose exactly how worthwhile your own one is. You can either do all of the talking, and point out all of an organisations flaws without pausing for breath, or you can decide to listen and, maybe, even learn some of your own. It’s entirely up to you.If you’re good at taking constructive criticism, take the opportunity to see if there are any areas you can improve upon. It might just give you a few things to work on before reaching your new role.If you’re not good at taking constructive criticism, please feel free to completely disregard this point.Leave a lasting impressionN o matter what the circumstances are that prompted your decision to move on, don’t be bitter.If your first interview provides the first impression, your exit interview is undoubtedly the last. It’s far more endearing to be the person that left with grace and tact, than the person who went down in a blaze of glory, berating anyone and everyone they ever worked with.Wish everyone present well for the future, be positive and keep your reputation intact.Remember: you never know who you might need a reference from one day…*Always try not to get awkward and emotional  Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Interview Technique s Job interview tips Questions to ask at a job interview

Personal Branding Interview Scott Stratten - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Interview Scott Stratten - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke to Scott Stratten, who is the president of UnMarketing, and author of the upcoming book, UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging, which comes out in the fall. In this interview, Scott talks about the difference between marketing and engaging, gives some tips on engaging your audience, and more. How do you define marketing and how do you define engaging? Marketing has been about getting the word out of your product or service in front of as many people as you can, figuring if you can get it in front of enough people at once, someone will have the direct, immediate need for it and buy. Engaging is about building up the three pillars of relationships: Know, Like, Trust. Thats who people do business with by default. What are some ways to engage your audience? There are ways to do it in almost every way that you currently communicate. You can start conversations through your current customer database through email, even better lead them to a blog post where you can use threaded comments (those that allow replies attached to the original comment) and have an entire conversation. Using social media like Twitter and Facebook are also great, as long as you realize that social media doesnt change the fact that building relationships take time. Too many businesses think social media is a new way to peddle their crap. People are there for the most part for the interaction. Understand that before you jump in. Do you really think its impossible to unlearn marketing? Why? UnLearning anything is hard. Weve been conditioned to be hypocritical marketers and sellers. People hate receiving cold calls, but try to find better ways of doing it for their own businesses. Thats like learning how to get punched in the face better. It still sucks. The only way to change your way is to believe that business is built on relationships. If so, you have to make building them your business. You can still target and be efficient at it, but its tough to sell relationships to someone who wants to know an immediate and hard ROI. What is your Pull Stay method? Old marketing was all about Push Pray pushing your marketing message out and praying someone bought. Pull Stay is all about attracting your market towards you and then staying in front of them, so when they have the need to buy, youre the logical choice. The key here is top be able to control the stay part by getting them to sign-up for your newsletter, blog updates or follow you on Twitter. How has unmarketing impacted your life both personally and professionally? Over the past year and a half, just on Twitter alone, Ive met some of the most talented, funny, caring business owners Ive ever had the pleasure of knowing. I launched the blog, got a book deal, doubled revenue and have never had this type of network in my life, both personally and professionally, since they are one in the same for an entrepreneur like me. Scott Stratten is the president of UnMarketing. He is an expert in Viral, Social, and Authentic Marketing which he calls Un-Marketing. Over 50,000 people follow his daily rantings on Twitter and was voted one of the top influencers on the site with over 90 million users . His recent Tweet-a-thon raised over $16,000 for child hunger, in less than 12 hours. His book UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging is due to hit the shelves in the Fall of 2010 from Wiley Sons.His clients’ viral marketing videos have been viewed over 60 million times and has generated massive profits and lists. One of the movies was chosen by the Chicago Bears as their biggest motivator towards their Super Bowl run a few years ago, while another made their client over $5 million in 7 days. He recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Mashable.com, USA Today, CNN.com and Fast Company.

15 Highly Effective Tips for Personality Development

15 Highly Effective Tips for Personality Development Two things define your personality, the way you manage things when you have nothing, and the way you behave when you have everything ? George Bernard Shaw Are you tempted to boost your personal development skills? Personality depicts the qualities, behavior, attitude, perception, observance of a particular individual. A fusion of versatile characteristics makes up a personality. Your personality can either be a result of inherited traits from your parents at the time of your birth, however, most of it comes from within. The personality of a person is judged by the way you perceive, think and speak. Your social norms, values, education, and confidence defines your persona. Everyone admires to have a pleasant and impressive personality and a higher percentage of success depends on your personal attributes. According to a research by laureate (leading international network of quality, innovative institutions of higher education), success depends more on Personality then Intelligence. A good persona can make you undeniably attractive. If you are in a dire need to revamp your behavior, attitude and your lifestyle, then these highly effective tips can be the green signal for your journey. Author Bio:  Asma Niaz is an Academic writer at Zoe Talent Solutions who loves to write stellar content on various educational topics, programs, trainings and courses.   Zoetalentsolutions is the world’s premium place which offers a highly professional personal development courses to excel at your workplace.

Bouncing Back 7 Ways to Power Your Way Back

Bouncing Back 7 Ways to Power Your Way Back Women spend so much of life nurturing and giving to others that when they find themselves aloneâ€"because of an empty nest, the end of a marriage, or the death of a partnerâ€"they often struggle with feeling purposeless. The problems seem larger as we age and our natural resilience decreases.   Is there a way to overcome this sense of loss and move toward a life filled with connectedness, fulfillment and happiness? Patti Clark, author of This Way Up: Seven Tools for Unleashing Your Creative Self and Transforming Your Life    identifies seven key actions that women can take right now to move through this sense of loss and toward a life filled with more enthusiasm, creativity, and joy.  Ready to take on your life again?  Heres the syllabus for her course on getting back the life you deserve.  Its the real deal, and you can get your copy here. Get Creative! 7 things you can do right now: Journal â€" buy a journal you love the feel of and write in it every morning â€" externalize your internal process. Play with color â€" buy some colored pens or pastels and just play with the color, see which colors you are attracted to, don’t judge the outcome, don’t try to draw a stunning picture, just play with color. Doodle â€" get some pencils and doodle circles and lines and squiggles; get lost in the process, the end result doesn’t matter. Garden â€" play outside.   Go get your hands dirty, just dig for a while, plant a small herb garden, plant a flower, play in the dirt. Dance, move to music. No one to watch you or judge, just listen to a song you like and move, feel the music move through you. Cook, play with spices. Experiment, don’t follow a recipe, cook with some spices that smell good. Sew. Don’t try to make anything in particular, just play with putting fabrics together, enjoy the texture and color. Start Re-Wiring your brain â€" Pay attention to how and what you think 7 things you can do right now: Identify the thought process you’d like to transform and set the intention to   change it Observe/pay attention to what thoughts you want to change and why â€" what is the negative impact on your life Shift your focus when those negative thoughts arise Use your imagination â€" think about something positive, create a positive scenario Interrupt your thoughts and patterns when the negative thoughts arise. Create a specific plan and choose what to do instead of dwelling on the negative thoughts Look within for inspiration and support; practice meditation and visualization. Be Happy Now   specific steps toward well being 7 things you can do right now: Practice Resilience Resilience is the rapidity with which we recover from adversity; research shows that meditation improves our capacity for resilience. Focus on recovering â€" small steps forward every day. Look at your Outlook Refers to the ability to see the positive in others, the ability to savor positive experiences, the ability to see another human being as a human being who has innate basic goodness, the ability to say “She means well” and mean it. Where is your Attention â€" What do you generally pay attention to? Researchers found that people spend an average of 47 per cent of their waking life not paying attention to what they’re doing! Focus on what you’re doing right now â€" pay attention, savor the moment Practice Generosity Data shows us that when individuals engage in generous and altruistic behavior, they actually activate circuits in the brain that are key to fostering well-being.   Volunteer, help others Get Outside Garden play in the dirt and get your hands dirty; spend time on the beach, take a walk in the woods. Exercise â€" moving your body lifts your mood Surround yourself with happy people â€" who you hang out with matters Focus on Love and Love Yourself First 7 things you can do right now: Focus on your own needs. Practice saying ‘No’ to others and ‘Yes’ to yourself. Give your body the nurturing, rest, and comfort it needs. Prioritize time for yourself, time to do what you love, without judgment that it is a waste of time; and set boundaries to protect the time you have prioritized for yourself. Don’t keep blaming yourself for past mistakes, learn from them and let them go. Dream big! Dream without editing, without judgment, without feeling that you ‘don’t deserve it.’ Choose to spend time with people who put you up, not down. Read books and watch movies that make you feel good about yourself. Be Grateful for what you have now 7 things you can do right now: Start each day, before you get out of bed, by saying one thing that you are grateful for. Keep a Gratitude Journalâ€"Establish a daily practice in which you write down 3 things a day that you are thankful for Use Visual Remindersâ€"The two primary obstacles to gratefulness are forgetfulness and a lack of mindful awareness, so visual reminders can serve as cues to trigger thoughts of gratitude. Remember the Badâ€"Sometimes it is helpful to remember the hard times that you once experienced and how far you have come. Thank at least one person a day for something they have done. Practice gratitude consciously. Call someone once a week to thank them for something kind they have done. Make a conscious decision to practice gratitudeâ€"Research shows that making an oath to perform a behavior increases the likelihood that it will happen. Pay attention to your distractions 7 things you can do right now: Instead of hopping on to Facebook, (just a quick peak to see if anyone likes me today) UNHOOK â€" one of the best ways to get back in touch with your self is to give yourself a full day off unhooked. Give yourself a 24 hour no phone, no computer day. Journal, walk, draw, unhook! Instead of having just one more glass of wine… go for a walk at sunset instead of making 5:00 happy hour with wine, make it a happy half hour walk. Instead of watching TV, even when there is nothing on that you want to watch … try using an Adult coloring book â€" it’s creative, playful and proven to reduce stress Instead of shoving food any food â€" in your mouth … volunteer to feed others.   Practicing volunteering and service helping others is a great way to feel better about yourself. Instead of shopping, (one more pair of shoes will make me feel better) . . . take time to decide where you would really like to help the world, what problem touches you deeply, then donate that money to a good cause that will serve toward a solution that you will feel good about. Instead of getting insanely busy doing anything else but sitting still… just sit still and breathe. Time yourself â€" give yourself 10 minutes to watch clouds go by; to watch a sunset; or watch flames in a fire. Even exercise can be a way to avoid getting to know ourselves better… Instead of going out for another run, try sitting quietly and just breathing, and when the urge to jump up feels overwhelming, take another deep breath and just sit and feel where the discomfort is and sit through it. Inspiration is a soft whisper and a gentle nudge â€" learn to pay better attention when inspiration comes â€" and most importantly take action on the inspiration when it does come 7 things you can do right now: Wake up 5-10 minutes earlier than you normally do. Close you eyes and ask for any guidance for the day.   That quiet time just upon waking is prime time to access inspiration Allow yourself 10-15 minutes a day (longer is better) to get lost in the flow of something â€" doodling, playing an instrument, playing with clay, coloring (Zen Adult Coloring Books are great for this) â€" in this flow time inspiration often comes. Get quiet, look within for 10 minutes a day. This doesn’t have to be hard â€" it can be done by walking in nature, by sitting quietly watching a sunset, watching flames in a fire, or just closing your eyes and breathing. Ask yourself a question that you want guidance on then go for a walk and pay attention â€" perhaps you’ll meet someone on your walk or you’ll see something that gives you a flash of inspiration. Start every morning with an intention. Set the intention deliberately and then pay attention to anything during the day that happens around that intention. Take action on any inspiration that comes.   Learn to trust that small, still voice and then act on it. The more you listen for your inspiration and take action on it, the more you will trust it and it will become easier to take action on. Journal about any inspiration and action that you took before you go to bed. Ask for any guidance before you go to sleep. Journal in the morning about any insights from dreams or interesting thoughts upon waking. Bouncing Back : Theres a New Sunrise Awaiting! Images: Alone {Wheat}  Brain Jennifer Neiman  Sunrise Wyncliffe   Main Image  Blondinrikard Fröberg

How to Make a Simple Resume

How to Make a Simple ResumeYou may be asking yourself, 'How do I make a simple resume?' Have you ever wondered how other people can write a resume that has no problems whatsoever? Is there some secret or trick that you are missing out on? Hopefully I can answer all of your questions and show you exactly how to create a resume that doesn't have any trouble at all.The first thing you need to know about how to make a simple resume is that it is easier than you think. A resume is not some long and complex process that requires you to understand how all of the different systems work. There is nothing complicated about it at all. In fact, the only thing you need to know is the name of the person you want to contact. Simple, right?One of the reasons that the job hunting process seems to be so difficult is because it is complex things. If you can take it all down into an easy to understand form that everyone can understand, you will be much more successful. It's as simple as filling out the necessary information and making sure you don't miss anything.Now that you know this, the next step to making a simple resume is to get yourself a job. What I mean by this is that you need to make sure that your resume is up-to-date. This does not mean that you have to send it out in every single job ad. However, it does mean that you should have your resume on hand whenever it comes up.After you get your resume out for job search, there are many things that you should do to make sure that it gets picked up by the company. There are many simple things that you can do, but if you don't want to spend the time trying to figure them out yourself, then you can always hire a resume writer. Hiring a resume writer is usually the easiest way to go, but there are some advantages to it as well. First of all, you can avoid all of the hassles and the stress that hiring a professional would cause. In addition, you don't have to worry about doing things manually. All you have to do is tell them wh at type of resume you want and they will do the rest for you.Also, there is a higher chance that your resume will get you a job if you are a good writer. This is not the same as saying that you need to have a good resume and know how to use the proper grammar and spelling. There are many jobs that require a great resume and some don't. As long as you have a good understanding of what people are looking for, you will be able to provide a good resume.Now that you know the basics of how to make a simple resume, you should know that you don't have to pay someone to make one for you. This can be time consuming and is not worth it for most people, especially since most people know how to do it themselves.

How Prince Two Training Can Help Your Career - CareerAlley

How Prince Two Training Can Help Your Career - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. If youre a project manager, youre probably wondering you can do to stay ahead of the game and be the best in your field. There are a number of courses on the market promising to teach the skills and predicates required to be a great PM and of them, Prince Two is probably the most well-known. So what is Prince Two Training, and how can it help you? What is it? Prince2 is a project management methodology. Prince2 itself is an acronym for Projects in Controlled Environments, version 2. The training focusses on project management quality, and endeavours to teach experienced project managers how to successfully and consistently control and organise their projects in an efficient and effective manner. The methodology focusses on identifying clear and distinct project stages and setting achievable goals that will maximise project success. The training endeavours to teach project managers how to overcome issues such as problems making decisions and the efficient control of project resources such as time, staff and money. How does it work? The training (which was revised in 2009 after being first introduced in 1989) is fundamentally based on seven core principles, all of which are universally relatable to every project in every industry. The course advocates learning from experience using previous experience to help inform and manage new decision making processes and dissecting each project element into a stage. The seven principles are bolstered by seven themes, including quality, risk, change, progress, plans, and business case and organisation. What project management method does the training reflect? The methodology works primarily by splitting each element of a project into a specific and easily digestible stage. The stages benefit project managers by encouraging the set-up of key project documents that can be referred back to throughout the project and by emphasising the importance of organisation. The training has a fundamental outline for every project: Stage 1 involves starting up the project. This necessarily involves the publication of a project brief, and the allocation of roles to project team members. Stage 2 involves initiating the project with the aid of the project brief. Stage 3 focusses on directing the project. During this stage, the project manager is encouraged to think of ways of handling unforeseen circumstances, therefore providing a useful backdrop in the case of slip falls. Stage 4 is all about controlling stages; it emphasises the trainings core belief that projects should be broken down into elements and stages. Stage 5 is concerned with managing product delivery and ensuring all team members understand their roles and responsibilities and what is required in order for the project to be a success. Stage 6 focusses on the management of stage boundaries, and what should be done towards the end of a stage in preparation for another stage. The final stage stage 7 concerns closing a project. It concerns the release of resources for us in other endeavours and project evaluation. Prince 2 emphasis the need for stages, clear communication to avoid destabilising conflict that could jeopardise a project, and regular reviews to consistently improve project efficiency, effectiveness and success. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ Visit Joeys profile on Pinterest Job Search job title, keywords, company, location jobs by What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to launch your career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

Will You EVER Get Another Job - Jane Jackson Career

Will You EVER Get Another Job - Jane Jackson Career Looking for a job can be a challenging experience and there may be times when you wonder if you will ever be able to get a job again. You are not alone, this article I published back in November 2014 generated over 200K views and hundreds of comments on LinkedIn over the years and has helped many get back on track.Top Post on LInkedIn Pulse 29 Nov 2014*** November 2014: Well, this is very interesting. I posted a new post on LinkedIn last night (29 Nov 2014) and had 500 views in the first hour. When I woke up this morning it had got to over 27,000 views, over 300 likes and over 120 comments. Ive spent 2 hours answering as many of the comments as I can and am heartened that so many people found the article helpful. Yet I am saddened that so many people are also doing it so tough in the job search globally right now.*** Im now adding to this article on 3rd December 2014 as its been 4 days and the post has gone viral! It has received over 186,000 views and has generated over 480 comments . It stands at the No. 5 article of the week for the most views globally. Ive tried to answer as many of the comments as possible and must have spent about 4-5 hours in total just answering comments there is a global wave of frustrated job seekers who are desperate for some inspiration and guidance in order to be able to overcome the challenges of looking for a job. What have been YOUR experiences?***Its now 2019 and this post still generates interest and requests for help with over 800 comments to date:Heres the full article and I hope it helps you as much as its helped others:HOW TO GET A JOBDid you launch your job search activities with a burst of energy, set goals, seek support and launch your actions plan with lots of positive energy and hope? Did you get a lot of initial positive response from helpful friends, colleagues and business contacts, feel great about the process and then suddenly everything ground to a halt?Over the past 14 years coaching senior executives through their career transitions, I’ve found that even the most pro-active job seeker may experience a dip in activity at some stage. Even though this is quite normal, if the lull continues for more than a couple of weeks you will become discouraged. It’s now time to reassess each job search method and get creative.At the start of a job search campaign, people update their resume, register with a number of recruitment agencies, and make a list of companies to target and make contact with their network to gain referrals. Things may go along well, perhaps even a few interviews may be secured and then … nothing. People who seemed so enthusiastic at first don’t return calls or emails; suddenly there is a deadly silence. If this happens time and time again, insidiously doubt slithers into your mind and you start to question your ability to secure a new role.The momentum is lost. It’s easy to slip into catastrophic thinking at this stage if the months start to slip by and finances get t ighter and you have mouths to feed, a mortgage to pay off and multiple expenses.This experience is not unusual. Many job hunters find that getting moving initially is not that difficult however, as opportunities fall through and that initial list of contacts is exhausted, the search for work can move into a more difficult phase. Perhaps you have ‘hit the wall.’ Does this sound familiar to you?Sometimes the people you speak with initially create the mistaken impression that finding a new position will only take a few weeks, or that the process is easy. Perhaps you are interpreting the feedback you are receiving (calls that are not returned, lack of response from recruiters, positions that suddenly are placed ‘on hold’ or filled by internal applicants) as a measure of your marketability, or lack of it, and you start to make negative emotional judgments on yourself that are not correct. With that sort of thinking, even the most successful professional may question the very elem ents that made them a success in the previous career.You may feel like giving up. If you give up, you will not succeed. I remember a saying I once heard that only when it really gets dark can you see the stars.Step 1: BE REALISTICFirst of all, know that statistically a typical job search for a professional in middle management can take up to 3-4 months. More senior positions may take considerably longer. When finding work is not as easy as it seemed after your initial enthusiastic start, don’t assume the worst â€" get the facts. Base your actions on facts and evaluate what worked and what didn’t. Ask yourself if you are being too narrow in your search or if there is a piece of the puzzle you are omitting in the search process. Give yourself mini-breaks in your weekly routine to exercise, relax and enjoy the fresh air. Clear your head â€" learn how to meditate â€" it does help!Step 2: MAINTAIN YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM â€" Don’t be afraid to ask for helpStress can make you withdraw f rom friends, associates and family. Most people really do want to help however you need to let them know HOW they can help you. Talk to a friend or mentor, join a support group, or engage the support of a career coach for professional guidance. I’ve found that meetup.com is a very helpful site to find like-minded people who meet regularly to discuss their areas of interest or expertise (this is professional as well as social.)Step 3: SET A CLEAR PLAN AND STICK TO ITMake sure that you keep your resume updated with your relevant accomplishments, identify your transferrable skills and identify your personal and career values. Develop a marketing plan with realistic timeframes and realistic goals and objectives. If it doesn’t work, make adjustments; discuss them with a trusted associate who understands your job market and someone who understands the industry you are targeting.Step 4: TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR WORK HABITSMaintain regular work habits and full work weeks. Your job search is a FULL TIME JOB!Implement task planning, keep up-to-date records and record results and follow up activities. Networking statistically has proven to be the most effective way to find a job. Ensure you budget about 70-80% of your time meeting people in your relevant network and getting feedback on your strategy. Always try to gain referrals in order to obtain more advice and guidance. How many people will you meet each week? In my coaching experience I’ve found that those who spend the most amount of time setting up networking meetings every week are the ones who generate the most opportunities, new ideas and support … and leads for jobs!Step 5: CONSIDER ALTERNATIVESConsider what else you could do if your original goals don’t materialize. Should you consider short term or interim assignments where you can expand your experience without making a permanent commitment? This is an excellent way to demonstrate what you have to offer and expand upon your professional network. With a little luck and determination, a temporary assignment may turn into something more long-term. Think about alternative income streams â€" do you have an area of expertise that would lend itself into a consulting role? Think about expanding your skills â€" are you missing a key certification or qualification that could open more doors for you?Step 6: TARGET WHOM YOU WANT TO SPEND TIME WITHNot everyone you meet will be a positive, helpful influence. Give negativity a wide berth. Give yourself the chance to surround yourself with those who believe in you and are willing to share their experience and expertise. Positive attitudes are contagious. Winners focus on possibilities and positive outcomes.Step 7: MAINTAIN A REALISTIC and OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOKTalk to others who have experienced an extended job search. You will learn a lot about resilience from them. They have hit low points, assessed the situation, asked for support and made conscious decisions to adapt and move on. It may be diffi cult to believe it but things really do get better if you can take charge and keep at it. Remember that a winner never quits. Balance your time so that you are spending the right amount of time on the critical activities of each phase of your campaign.Be brave enough to acknowledge that your job search campaign has stalled and then be creative to get it moving again. Remember that you do not have to do this alone. Enlist the support of your friends and family, close ex-colleagues and all of those you respect. Sign up a ‘job search buddy’ who will keep you on track and accountable.In order to experience positive results you have to take positive action. Maintain records of your activity â€" set your own KPI’s and stick to them. Reward yourself each time you tick off a day’s worth of positive activity. If you still need more help, enlist the support of a qualified career coach. Having regular encouragement and objective guidance makes a world of difference.In one blog post its impossible to cover everything. If you need support, visit The Careers Academy Online Im there to support you and membership of the Academy gives you a wealth of career management and career transition support. Find out more here