Competing with others is a rat race against time. You are taught that competition is a good thing when you are competing against someone else. You are not taught however that it is just important if not more to learn to set your own bar and to learn to compete against the one person that matters most, yourself.  Setting your own personal goals and rewards sets you apart from the rest.  Yes, it’s important to know what your competition is doing and to strive to perform at a higher level.  What you need to focus on is where you want to go, what your highest aspiration is and to set your sights on competing against your own personal best.

Finding time to focus on you is a struggle considering you may be preoccupied by mounting bills, juggling family obligations, keeping connected to friends and figuring out how to network to find new or more meaningful employment. Focusing on you now must be your number one priority.  Life will distract you from your goal, that is a given. So will other people, whether intentionally or unintentionally.  It’s up to you to know when to set your mark and to reach for higher ground in order to stay ahead of your own career curve.

Making time to reward yourself, focus on your long as well as short term goals and to acknowledge your own greatness might seem like a waste of time.  It is the single most important action you can do for yourself especially during uncertain times and when you’ve already had your fair share of rejection, disappointment and job search frustration.

Learning to set your highest bar is like setting any other goal: when you reach it you need to push the limits even further the next time out.  Like setting a goal to lose weight, get out of debt, or attain “x” amount of dollars in your checking account, you need to set aggressive yet attainable career goals.

Your career curve checklist should look like this:

1) I made 20 calls this week and I’m going to do 30 next week;

2) I interviewed with 5 companies on my target list this week and I’m going to add 5 more next week;

3) I earned $10,000 last month freelancing, I’m going to earn $15,000 next month;

4) I billed $100 dollars an hour last project, I’m going to bill $125 dollars the next project:

5) I added 3 new clients in the first quarter, I’m going to add 5 new clients next quarter.

and so on…

Your career curve needs to be aggressive, attainable and you need to remember to reward yourself when you reach your milestone.  Staying focused on setting and competing against yourself keeps you sharp and alert to new opportunities and makes you less distracted or discouraged when life throws it’s own curve ball.

It’s not enough that you are taking all the necessary steps to ensure you are up-to-date, well informed and frankly “networking” your butt off to look for a job.  This time is unlike any other so you need to adopt an approach that is a little more like you are a contractor.  You need to blueprint your career path.  Like a builder laying the foundation for a house, you need to be very strategic about your approach when looking for a job.  Hanging out in coffee houses, meeting up with similarly unemployed friends and calling it “networking” is not going to help you no matter how many lattes you drink to convince yourself otherwise.  Mapping out your plan of action like an architect would in building a house, including where you would ideally work, what your office or work environment would look like, how you would dress, who your co-workers would be, if you would supervise anyone, what projects you would likely work on, etc. are some of the ways you can begin to pull the pieces together and create your ideal dream job house.

Creating your vision of what you want your house to be is as important if not more than going through meaningless actions we take to busy ourselves with the job process only to wonder why we are not getting any further along or getting stuck in jobs we really don’t want. If  you have a job, you worry about whether you are going to keep it and if you can hold onto it long enough to pay off your bills. Or, if you are looking for a job your are worried that you’ll never find one and you may be forced to take any job just to pay the bills.  We are all in the same boat no matter which side of it you happen to be sitting.  Worry is a part of the process but if you have an outline, a blueprint or a plan, you are less likely to get caught up in the worry and more likely to stay focused on the mission.

Building a job house is constructing and in some cases, deconstructing what you have or don’t have from what you really want.  Designing your career is about who you want to be and what you really want in life and then finding those opportunities and people that will help you get there.  Like constructing the design of your house, how big your garden will be, what color your kitchen tiles would be, and how you would arrange your bedroom, you need to pay as careful attention to the details that make up your job house in much the same way.

Being particular is being wise. Being selective about your work relationships and situations is key. Not settling for those that don’t advance your career goals is ultimately a waste of time and will cost you in the long run. We all need to make a living but there are a lucky few who don’t.  Try to build on what you’ve created whether you are graduating school or are embarking on a career change or you are looking for ways to broaden your skills. Building your job house is like building your dream house, you need a solid plan, a good contractor, the right materials, a budget, timeline and mostly, a vision of what you want and the rest will fall into place.

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What is a manifesto you might ask?  A manifesto is a document where you state your intention, your creed, your doctrine and  how you plan to map out and live the career you want.  Your career manifesto outlines your beliefs on how you feel about your career, what your thoughts are about how to get the career you want and it is usually formatted by a series of questions and answers which are your own personal manifesto. What are the governing principles behind your career goals?  What is it that makes you motivated enough to do what it takes to get the job you really want?  How do you view yourself against others and what do you think the world philosophy is about career, work, jobs and of course getting ahead.

Career goals and ambitions are fundamentally not very different than they were when our parents were growing up.  We believe that our careers are a means to a lifestyle we want.  However, the ways in which we go about achieving these goals are very different from the days our parents went about looking for work.  Your career manifesto must define your ambitions, your intent and your philosophy on what it is and what it will take to achieve your goals.  It’s not so much a “to do” list of actionable items such as, update my resume, get a list of references, join networking groups, as much as it is a very personal reflection on your intentions and beliefs about what your career means to you and the life you are attempting to build.

To illustrate, your career manifesto should start off with a mission statement of sorts which outlines your guiding values and ambitions such as:  ” The achievements of my career will be to accumulate and create a life long body of work that will define my talents, beliefs, contributions to a greater good where I can provide materially for myself and my family.”  Your manifesto should follow with statements of how you plan to achieve these goals and outline your fundamental belief system in a way that will help to motivate, focus and manifest your intentions to create the career you really want. Your manifesto is meant to define purpose and meaning to your career pursuits.

Here are a few examples of how you might craft your manifesto and use it as a road-map to help keep you on the path towards achieving your career goals:

1- There are no boundaries or limitations in my ability to earn substantial money doing what I am good at.

2- I am as deserving as anyone who continues to work hard, stay focused and contribute at a higher level.

3- I view competition as a means to excel and not to discourage me in my journey towards success.

4- Competition is good as it promotes everyone to work at a higher level and brings out the best in all.

5- When you embrace your limitations you limit your potential and you set yourself up for failure.

6- Greed is good. Success is empowering and losing is for losers. (Thank you Gordon Gecco!)

7- I can achieve anything I put my mind to and will overcome any challenge or obstacle in my path towards achieving my career goal of_______.

8- When I am working at my highest potential I create wonderful new opportunities for myself and I cannot lose.

9- I rely on my own talents and skills in order to move ahead and do not believe in becoming dependent on others for my success or my career advancement.

10-When I succeed all those around me will succeed.  We all win.

Your career manifesto should above all create your intentions, your beliefs about how you view your ability to succeed and truly define what your career means to you.  Try creating your own career manifesto and see if you can begin to define what is at the core and your fundamental belief systems so that you can harness the power that is within you.

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When you “make it work” you are basically moving your career from a vision to execution no matter the cost. Like a designer carving out the pattern for a dress, you to are creating the look, the feel and the belief that you can achieve anything from your original idea of who and what you aspire to be.  When you sketch out your goals, you begin to create a very clear picture of what you want your career to look like.  This process begins by realistically assessing your skills, your qualifications and experience and melding them into a form that will ultimately create the job vision you want to create. Sometimes your vision may be skewed by your lack of experience and you may get direction or feedback from someone you trust encouraging you to “make it work” because they see potential in what you are doing that you may have missed. Those are the times to pay attention to your own internal guidance system and choose whether the advise you receive is helpful, in line with your vision, or not at all what you aspire to create. Like the struggling fashion designer on the show, you have a choice whether you should follow your own vision or the advise of a mentor.  Either way, it’s up to you to stand behind your decision no matter what the outcome.  So, if you are writing a five-page resume and including things you did when you were back in high school as an example and you may wonder why no one is calling you for an interview, you may want to edit yourself and make it work to fit the audience you are selling yourself to for a job.

Your vision of yourself and how you approach your career goals may change ten times before you get it right, or you may be so clear about your vision of how to get your next job that you know exactly the next steps to follow in order to get there.  You may need to make adjustments along the way, like fitting a pattern to the form, and find what is missing or might need to be embellished in order to achieve the perfect result.  Finding your inner vision and executing it regardless of what others are doing around you is making it work in true Tim Gunn style.  It’s no secret that competition in the job market is fierce these days no matter what industry you are in, particularly when you find yourself up against the same job a hundred other people are going for as well. What you do differently to make it work for you and stand out is a key component in your ability to succeed and get ahead. Taking risks, pushing the envelope and thinking out of the box are all expressions you have heard put to use when helping job seekers find their way. Making it work is finding the ability to self-adjust and approach your job search when nothing else seems to work.

You may enjoy the competitive challenge or you may shrink away from it, but finding your voice, your vision and your career goal is like creating your own personal design no one can deny. Competition brings out the best and the worst in us whether the challenge is getting a job or winning a contest.  Finding creative solutions in your job quest depends on how creative you are willing to be and what you are willing to do to get the job you want. Knowing how to leverage your contacts to get an interview, or approaching the right person at the right time for a job, or changing your approach when you are not getting job offers, are necessary if you are going to make it work and be successful in winning. How you play the job game is important in getting the job you want.  Remember, if something isn’t working on your quest for the perfect job, you have to be ready and willing to “make it work” in order to win.

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It might seem that you can’t even fathom how you can venture back to the beginning and start all over again. But you can and you must.  When you reach rock bottom, and trust me we all have, it’s a time of renewal and an opportunity to shed light on what it is you really want.  Your temptation may be to run and hide, but life will seek you out no matter what rock you choose to hide under. Let’s face it, it’s never easy starting over. Looking back, clinging to the past even if it didn’t work, is much more comforting to us in times of trouble than figuring out the next game plan and how best to attack your career strategy.

When the job you want does not materialize or it does and we decide we no longer want it, it’s time to make a change.  Career change right now is one of the hardest areas anyone has to deal with. Since our economy is plagued with uncertainty and scarcity, the options left to us are limited and we are forced to create our own path and forge ahead or, in most cases, we are forced to cling to what we have even though we know it no longer works for us. That in and of itself is a scary proposition.  It takes a certain amount of foresight to know which path to choose and an even greater amount of courage to actually start moving in that direction. But trust me once you do you’ll never want to look back.

When you hit rock bottom it’s time to pick yourself up and get moving again.  Even if that movement is in circles, it’s okay, you need to pick up momentum and find your way out.  Finding temporary work, asking friends and family if you could work with them for awhile, even being brave enough to create your own work, are all steps in the right direction even if your ultimate goal is to find another job.  Hitting rock bottom doesn’t mean you’ve come to the proverbial end of the road.  It does imply you’ve come to the end of this road, but another one is just up ahead, if you only take the necessary steps to move towards it.

Starting over, beginning anew, making a fresh start are all encouraging expressions for what is a really scary prospect.  It doesn’t mean that you should fear the unknown, but it does mean that you should fear not knowing when it’s time to move on.  When something no longer works for you, whether you are in a job you can’t stand, a job transition that is going no where, or still trying to find your way, the prospects of moving forward into the unknown might be scary, but the fear of being stuck in the past is far more troublesome in the long run.

If you find yourself  at the end of this road and are about to embark on a new path, it’s okay to be afraid – we won’t think any less of you.  Just know that taking even one small step forward is a big enough start in a journey where the other foot will soon follow-remember, it’s got no where else to go.

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We all have a tendency to hold onto those things we have accumulated throughout our life long after we need them. And in an age where we are learning to value ourselves, this can sometimes refer to people, friends and jobs that no longer fit what we may need moving forward.  It’s okay to be a little self-centered when it comes to being selective and choosing wisely.  This applies to your friends, co-workers, career and anything you decide to align yourself with. Making the choice to surround yourself with supportive people who can help you is a nurturing and selfless act. Choosing to surround yourself with situations that help guide you in the right direction is an act worth pursuing.

When you simplify your life and clear out the unnecessary, you are making a conscious choice in declaring what you want vs. what you do not want.  By “keeping it simple” you allow yourself to focus on a short list of priorities that are truly important to you in reaching your goals.  When you rid yourself of the needless distractions that make up your life, or the people you may come to find are not truly your friend, you are doing something very bold and very special no matter how difficult the process may seem. When you simplify your job search you are not taking the easy way out.  It’s not necessary for you to throw yourself at every job opening hoping one will stick.  Try being selective, precise and simple in your focus and attention and apply for jobs and companies that seem right for you.  Applying for every job you see because you feel less productive if you don’t, is like hanging onto to a pair of old socks because you may need to wear them one day.  You will never wear those socks again so throw them out!

Your job search is no different.  If you’ve applied for the same job with the same company over and over again, you are getting stuck and you need to move on. It’s like anything that no longer works, recognize it, thank it for helping you become more aware and move on. It’s important to rid yourself of habits that no longer work as vital part of the cleansing process.  Habits are usually learned behaviors developed out of a need or lack of something else you want and believe you can’t have. When you stick to “bad” habits as a result, you limit your experience and willingness to try new things. Discerning your talents and skills appropriately and applying them to job openings or networking opportunities that may help you land your next job is a good way to simplify and to choose wisely.  Habits based in fear hold you back and prevent you from trying something new.  It’s not to say fear isn’t a good barometer in helping you choose which job or company is right for you.  Being confident in your ability to know the difference and to know what you like may not always be as simple, but making an effort towards that understanding is a good start.

Simplifying your job search is the act of choosing wisely in all cases. Learning the difference between what you want to attract in your life from what you are holding onto by force of habit or just because you don’t know when it’s time to let go.  It’s time to hit restart and make room in your life for something new and exciting to present itself. By keeping it simple and by clearing your past including people, places and things that no longer serve you is a good start towards a bright career and a prosperous future.

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It’s okay if you answered the latter.  Feeling uncertain about which direction you are heading has become somehow natural and familiar.  Not that you probably ever intended for that to be the case. Your career was something you may have either fell into after school, inherited from your family, received advanced degrees or spent years of training and experience.  Yet, here you are, staring down the same road as everyone else, regardless of how you got here.  This does not imply you are lame, misguided or even a little crazy.  What it does mean is that you are traveling down the path that was intended for you and only you.  That does not make this a right or wrong choice either, it just makes it your choice.

You are where you are whether you love it or hate it because it’s part of the process of your journey towards success. Your career choices are a reflection of that journey. You can change course anytime you like. You are in complete control of your career no matter how messy or treacherous that journey may seem.  Blaming yourself for not taking that promotion when it was offered to you or going back to school to get an advanced degree, or taking that extra job because it would help you pay the bills, is not going to help you feel blessed in your career choices.

Wondering what could have, would have or should have been part of your career journey is a wasted exercise meant for people sitting on a beach in a lounge chair with a banana daiquri in one hand and scratching their sun burnt head under their tattered straw hat with the other. Wasting time and remembering how you might have played out that promotion or corner office better is not going to help you move forward on the career that is waiting for you to show up and grab it.

We tend to forget all of the good things that happened along the career journey in favor of recalling past memories that could have been played out differently if we just did that one thing differently. Wasting precious time and energy focusing on the negative and burdensome thoughts we hold particularly when we are in a bad place because of the lack of interviews, job offers or job leads is not going to help you.  Remembering what made you get up in the morning to get to work early, the excitement of the new deal you closed, the boss you loved to work with, the co-workers you loved to interact with, all play a part in defining the moments of your career you should choose to focus on. So the next time you feel like your career is a mess, recall the times you felt truly blessed and maybe you’ll recreate the feeling over again.

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Your vision of your perfect job, your successful career, your ability to make money is not a far off pipe dream.  It might feel like it when you can’t seem to build enough traction to move yourself forward let alone your career.  It’s hard to find the trust in something that frankly has not delivered the results you were hoping for.  After all, how long do you have to wait to get your life back on track?  Why is it less than qualified people seem to be in a better position than you are in right now?

Believing in yourself at times like this really is the only course of action you need to take.  Visualizing all that is possible in your perfect world is a powerful motivator to force you to move in the right direction.  I heard recently where the actor Jim Carrey wrote himself a check for $20 million dollars, folded it and put it in his wallet and carried it with him everyday.  Ironically or not, he earned that exact amount of money for his second film. According to Jermaine, when Michael Jackson was growing up, he wrote on the mirror of his bedroom in big letters, that he would be the world’s number one music star.  Holding onto the vision no matter what it is has a powerful effect whether you realize it or not. Never mind worrying about everyone else and how they are doing, focus and trust that you are the number one priority in your job search and trust that doors and opportunities will open for you just when you think you’ve lost all hope.

Think of all the times when you thought, “This is it-I have no job leads, no interviews, no job offers-I’m going to fail!” Just when you thought it was over, bang, someone out of the blue calls you for an assignment, meeting, interview and you are on your way. Think of how often you have been in a place where you remember how good it use to be, where you were in your dream job, making great money and long for a chance to do it over again. So you think, maybe this time I won’t squander my money. Maybe this time I won’t take my job, boss, or position for granted.  Maybe this time. Well, pretend it is “this time” and think very intently on your situation and visualize clearly how you would do it differently if you had to do it over again.

Playing pretend with your goals and your career life is not such a waste of time as you might think. Focusing on yourself and what it is you truly want actually does help bring you closer to your goals even though you might not think so.  We are so busy worrying about lining up the next interview in hopes of a job offer, that we don’t give enough time to letting the process unfold.  Your actions are motivated by your desire and if your desire is to line up interviews, well that’s what you will get a lot of interviews.  If your desire is to find a job to pay the bills, that’s what you’ll get, a job to cover your bills. If your desire is to find a career where you will thrive and flourish and pays you very well, then that is what you will get- perfection.

Holding onto your vision of who and what you want to be when you grow up, whether it’s a recruiter who wants to be a fashion designer, or a sales executive who wants to be an animator or just following the career path you originally chose, will help you materialize your dreams quicker than any single action you could take. Remember affirming the positive aspects in your life is a lot more productive than feeding the negative thoughts that surface.  Go ahead, dream big and watch the doors fly open!

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The idea that we can be our own source of inspiration might be enough to make some of you break out into a sweat. But we need to be able to inspire ourselves, when frankly we can find little inspiration elsewhere.  When the “NO’s” start pouring in and the rejections turn into a daily ritual and you are not sure where the next opportunity will come from let alone an actual job offer, we need to seize these times and take stock that we really are tougher than we think.

How do you make jobspiration work for you?

1) Every time you receive a “NO” to something you really want, think of the alternative.  Creative thinking and problem solving is the key to inspiring yourself into a job and into a career that’s really right for you.  It not only keeps your energy flowing in the right direction, but you automatically inspire yourself with your creative problem solving capabilities.  ’Cause lets face it, if we are pushed up against a wall, we all know how to push back.

2) Be thoughtful about your approach to others and project how you want to be treated yourself.  No point in playing the blame game when a job offer does not come your way, or you can’t seem to even get your foot in the door for an interview.  Understand there is a time and a direction for everything, including where you’ll ultimately wind up.

3) Keep your options open.  Turn down no offer of employment, meeting, introduction, network, chance to connect on any level.  You never know where your next job offer will come from and these days, it’s not always the traditional approach that will land you your next job.  Think of spontaneity and being open to all possibilities.  Be flexible with yourself and offers will start materializing before you know it.

4) Treat yourself with respect.  Know you are important and deserving and will ultimately attract what you put out.  If you are focused, intent and know exactly what you want, you will get it.  Maybe not in the exact time frame you want, but you will get it nonetheless.

5) Nothing turns my engines on more than hearing words like, “No,” “Not Approved,” “You can’t.” I move into full throttle when obstacles are placed in my path.  Call it a natural fighter instinct, call it survival, we all have it we just need to know what buttons to press to turn it on.  When the road gets tough and road blocks appear to be falling from the sky, you can either run and hide, get hit in the head or run like hell to dodge an impact, moving yourself forward one leap at a time.

Giving yourself permission to be inspired, to allow yourself to tough it out and know that you will come out the other side stronger, wiser and gainfully employed, is all you need to get your jobspiration in full gear and go get the job you really want and you really deserve.

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Whether you are secure in your current work situation, or taking a break from your grueling job search, remember that now is the time to reflect on what it is you want and to develop the plans and strategies that will help you to succeed in the coming months. Making excuses that you are too busy, the holidays are upon us you have to much to do, is not productive and will set you behind schedule.  Now is the time to get to work, literally, on the one project that matters most, you.  Okay, if you are really into “To Do” lists, then here’s one that you might find helpful as you tackle your most important project this holiday season-you.

1-Make time to focus on the future.  Take an hour out of your day, preferably right after you wake up in the morning and are refreshed, to visualize your dream job, your dream house, how much money you’ll be making, the success of a professional project, how you look, feel, act.  Play this visualization game as often as you can and really start to feel and believe the future you are about to create.

2-Take time to nurture your physical self.  Whether it’s a long walk, a swim, a run or just stretching your body on the floor of your living room, make the healthy choice to take care of your body the way you do your mind and your soul.  No doubt whether you have a job or are looking for one, you are under a tremendous amount of stress. This is a time to unwind and physically allow the changes to occur.  You can help yourself along by just staying in touch with your physical self and doing things that feel good to you.

3-Make a list of your dream job.  Even if you are in one or are looking for one, take some time and write out what it is you are looking for and what you hope to find in your perfect work situation.  Focus on how your perfect job will make you feel and imagine your day and what you will be able to accomplish if you were truly happy and content in your everyday work life. Knowing what you specifically want is as much a part of finding the perfect job then preparing your resume or rehearsing for a job interview.

4- Make a list of contacts that could help you in your quest for the perfect job.  It might include people not in your immediate “professional” circle.  Think of those people in your life who are successful or who seem to embrace the life that you would like to live if you had the money, time and resources.  Write a a script on how you might ask them for help.  It might include, “I’ve always admired the way you manage your time and the way you seem to attract the right opportunities to you.  How would you suggest I develop those same skills? …”  Go ahead, ask for help, people actually do like extending themselves, or at the very least, they like to hear themselves talk!

5-Create a timeline.  After you have created your “To Do” list, make sure you can measure your success.  Put timelines next to each goal so that you can keep track of your progress towards finding the perfect job. This should not include unrealistic dates, like I’m going to find the perfect job by Monday. You should look to add realistic goals and timelines and not ones that add pressure or you won’t stick to. Remember you are in control and you can change your timelines any time you’d like.

Holidays are a time of reflection and for quieting and slowing down. When you are ready to embark on a big life change, like finding a new job or leaving an old one, you need to slow down almost to a halt before you can switch gears and make forward movement again.  This can be scary but think of the alternative, being stuck when another force comes charging towards you and forces you to change when you are not ready. Being prepared and making time for yourself in the midst of making time for everyone else is the single most important thing you can do for you.  Make the most out of the holidays and get to work on you.