Kit Prendergast, PCC
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Category Archives: Your Time & Energy
Job Interviews: What To Do After
With a delicious sense of accomplishment, you leave the interview ready to celebrate making it through yet-another interview. It’s been exciting but also exhausting. And you’re ready to meet some friends for a glass of wine and tell them the story of how the interview went – especially if it’s for a position you really want.
But wait . . . there’s one more step to take. And that’s a short “performance-based” followup email and a handwritten thank you note. Sounds like a lot of work when you’re emotionally you’re ready to relax? Well, this extra step can (and often does) make the difference in how you are remembered and considered for the position.
Your Follow-Up Email Reinforces Impression
First, send a short email to the individual (or individuals) that interviewed you expressing your appreciation for the interview and covering these three points:
- Your understanding of the needs of the organization/priorities
- How you can bring unique value to the organization/ie. meet those needs
- Your confidence that you would be a good fit for the position & organization
And then don’t forget to express your interest in being hired. Amazing how many people never say that either in the interview or in the follow-up written correspondence. If you want the job, tell them!
Your Handwritten Note – Icing on the Cake
Second, sit down and write a short, short thank you note on a nice card saying simply thank you for the interview, you feel you would be a good fit and you’re looking forward to hearing from them soon. Just like our mothers used to make us do . . . it’s a habit that sets you apart from the pack. And that thank you note always brings a smile because so few people take the time to say a personal thanks.
And . . . think of this. If they offer the position to someone else who then turns it down (happens all the time) and they are looking at an alternate and they see your note sitting on their desk . . . we always want to stay in front of the decision makers continuing to build a positive relationship. Try it!
Fire & Ice Again in Northern Nevada
I’ve been writing about resiliency, hope and optimism in this blog weaving in real life stories. Here is another example of how our routine lives can suddenly be changed forever. Here’s what happened.
Fire . . . just when we thought Northern Nevada was through with its share of community crises another huge wild fire hit Reno last Thursday afternoon, January 19th. The winds were blowing at 80 miles an hour with gusts of over 100 miles an hour – not terribly unusual for our upper desert. But one accidental spark over in Washoe Valley was enough to begin a fire that burned 3,700 acres of rugged sagebrush; ranch land, horse pastures and 20+ houses.
As a wall of fire crested the ridge right above our local high school and just down from our house my husband and I zipped over to help our good friend, Yvonna Estep, evacuate her home. Within minutes Yvonna, along with all her neighbors, was packing up her dog, cats and personal belongings into her car as the police were going door to door enforcing the mandatory evacuation. We left a hastily scribbled note on the door saying the house had been evacuated – important for the final sweep. As for us there was no time to waste . . .
Ice . . . the irony was that it was snowing so hard on the Donner Summit that it was difficult for the California Interstate Fire Services to make it over the mountains to help Reno. After all, fire trucks usually don’t carry snow chains. I never heard the end of the story but I’m sure they finally made it – they always do.
So later that night, over a glass of wine, we huddled around the news to learn that temperatures had dropped and with the beginning of a snowstorm down here in the valley the fire was being contained. It took another full 24 hours for the highway between Reno and Carson City to be reopened up for local residents to return to their homes. When I drove through on Sunday morning the rebuilding had already begun.
This is our 5th major community crisis for Northern Nevada in as many months. We’ve been on national news too many times. But no doubt Nevada is resilient and will rebuild. That’s hope and optimism. And there’s truly never a dull moment in Northern Nevada.
“Resiliency” at Friday’s Beer Club
It’s Friday night at our regular beer club gathering and we’re having a lively conversation about a recent workshop I had given on “employee fatigue”. Several people were weighing in on the complexities of today’s work world and the resulting stress of trying to keep up in order to keep one’s job. Lots of ideas were being tossed out along with the rounds of beer.
I introduced the idea of teaching ourselves resiliency. One of our colleagues, who had had a tough day at work, questioned what resiliency really was – did it even exist? I assured him that yes, it does and what a gift it is for those that have it.
What is “Resiliency” Anyway?
Emotional resiliency is simply the ability to successfully respond and adapt to difficult life situations. Resiliency is a subtle, quiet quality that one might not notice or appreciate unless they are looking for it. Resilient people often don’t even know they possess that quality – it’s just the way they’ve learned to see and cope with life. Resiliency is actually a learned skill that improves with age, practice and experience.
Learning How to be Resilient
The best way to learn how to develop your own resiliency is to watch others. In my workshops, I ask people how they learned to be resilient. Almost always they say it came from watching someone close to themselves – maybe a parent, grandparent or someone in a mentor role. .They may have also learned by going through multiple tough times themselves. Additionally, they do these five things:
- Acknowledge the Reality & Move On
- Expect Change & Be Ready to Adapt
- Stay Connected with Others Everyday
- Learn From Past Experiences
- Find a Bigger Meaning & Purpose in Life
It sounds like alot. How does one do this? it takes self-awareness and the willingness to practice seeing and living life from a different perspective. And a key component is emotional optimism. A resilient person is an optimist person. See my next blog for my favorite tips on how to self-coach yourself to be more optimistic and therefore, more resilient over the long run.
Break the Habit of “Scrambling”
As January picks up speed, I’m committed to consciously use my time and energy even more carefully this coming year. As an extrovert, it’s easy for me to get involved in lots of activities and projects. But as I get older and a bit wiser, I realize that “less is more” when it comes to managing my time on a daily basis.
Leaders, managers and worker bees all do it . . . scrambling about to get multiple tasks done at work and even at home. It easily can become a habit – a behavior that we expect of ourselves and as a result, others expect from us as well. But the consequence is that nothing really gets done well. We make silly mistakes and waste precious energy redoing tasks because we weren’t paying enough attention or we “didn’t have time” to do it right the first time. Sound familiar?
“Scramble” Less to Get More Done
So here’s something to experiment with . . . simply slow down both your thinking and your actions. Catch yourself when you start to scramble and coach yourself to do or think of only one thing at a time. Concentrate. That’s often a big challenge because of all the noise in our lives. But when you do you will be pleasantly surprised by how much more effective you are. You actually get more done. And there is a ripple effect of feeling more in control, relaxed and focused. It’s a great feeling – try it!
A Tip for Connecting During the Holidays
As we all roll into this holiday season, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed with the addition of multiple holiday events, shopping, errands and bills on top of our everyday work and family routines. And it’s the expectations that we have of ourselves (especially women) that seem to be strongest at this time – all in the name of “tradition”.
But in the last couple of years, I’ve shifted some of these expectations of myself to something I truly enjoy – connecting with others. I do this all through the year but it becomes a top priority to reconnect with business colleagues for the couple of weeks leading up to Christmas Day. It doesn’t cost anything. It’s a lot more fun than shopping and paying bills. And it’s good business.
Set your intention to reach out to your favorite clients, customers or companies in the next couple of weeks. It can be for coffee, lunch or a simple chat on the phone. Yes, it can be through email or social media but nothing is better than your voice.
If you think you might be bothering someone, you may be pleasantly surprised that as it gets closer to Christmas Day there is often some down time in people’s work schedules – fewer meetings are scheduled, workloads ease off a bit and people can take time to catch their breath and talk to you.
A Quick Phone Call is Perfect
I’ve learned a lot about staying in contact from Ray LaFleur, a biking & running friend from our old days living in San Diego. Ray is a master at staying in contact with friends and colleagues. He calls every couple of months to just say “hi” and ask how work and the family are doing. It’s not more than a 5 minute call but it reconnects our families regularly.
So this holiday season I’ll do as Ray does . . . I will pick up the phone each day and call three people to just say hi and wish them Happy Holidays. I encourage you to do the same. Keep it simple and genuine. You’re not asking for anything. You are just reconnecting. People like to know that others are thinking of them. It’s a human need – to feel recognized and valued. I like it too – you can always give me a call as well!