Results and Next Steps

So you now find yourself in a bit of a dilemma. Thus far you have relied on your reputation, managed your network and prepared yourself for the interview. One problem.  You have not been called to come in for an interview.  The stress starts to mount, the pressure feels at times overwhelming and you begin to think that what you are doing is the wrong approach.  Something's not working.  It's time to regroup.

In situations like this I typically put on my creative hat and begin to ask questions.  What's been working thus far?  What am I not doing that I could be doing?  Am I exploring all my options?  Are there people I can contact with whom I can brainstorm?  How can I continue to move forward? 

Questions like these are important to ask because they often trigger a thought, gut feeling or action to consider.  In my questioning this past week two actions resulted.  For one, I scheduled a meeting with one of my colleagues/coaches so that we could do idea sharing and exploring.  That meeting triggered some additional action steps that I had not previously considered.  The other idea I had led me to research connections my current contacts might have within organizations I am pursuing.  The results of these two actions enabled me to find a connection who I have subsequently reached out to for help. The more you work at it, the more you can develop new paths and directions to pursue.

Fortunately, my hard work, persistence, patience and a little luck are beginning to pay off.  I had an interview with executive leadership at one organization last week and I have anoher scheduled in two weeks.  In a matter of days, what was looking pretty bleak has turned into a situation which is moving in the right direction. I am thankful to my network for helping me, I am grateful for the family and friends who extend an encouraging word and for my colleagues who genuinely want to see me succeed in this process.

Speaking of thanks, next week we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the US.  It is a very special day for my family and I so my blog will not be published until the week of November 28th.  I wish all of you all the blessings that this Thanksgiving Day will bring to you and your families and I thank God for providing me with a loving family, caring friends and new opportunities in the weeks ahead.