How to be a Good Team Member
A lot of life is learning how to interact effectively with those around us. When it comes to the workplace, this ability to work cohesively with others is vital. Employers are looking for people who are ready to jump in, do their part, and support their team members. This skill doesn’t always come naturally to everyone, be it social anxiety, lack of self awareness, or being new to working in a team, it’s ok to need time to adjust. It is, however, important to know how to interact in a team setting.
So here is a list of things that make teamwork a bit easier:
Listen
It sounds simple and redundant, but oftentimes when we are nervous we can find ourselves speaking more. The problem with talking too much is that it doesn’t allow a whole lot of time to listen. When you’re working as a member of a team if you can’t all communicate well with each other problems will start showing themselves fast. When a member of your team is speaking, listen, ask questions, and take notes on what they say. It saves time to listen well because it allows conversations to be to the point and get their message across.
Take Responsibility
Everyone on a team has a job to do, whatever yours is, own it. If it’s under your delegation, do it to the best of your abilities, and if something goes wrong, own up to it. Messing up doesn’t have to be the reason tension develops between you and your teammates, take it as a chance to learn and let them know you know you messed up. If you need help, ask for it, and if you don’t understand something don’t let pride keep you from doing a good job. A team works best when every member knows their purpose and worth.
Respect
Recognize that everyone around you is there for a reason and has something to bring to the table that is useful. Respect is essential if you want there to be real camaraderie amongst your team. Treat everyone equally and don’t put yourself above them in your head. Take the time to get to know the individuals around you and appreciate them for who they are, not just what they do. If you enter into a team with the thinking that you’re better than everyone else you are already creating a distance between you and everyone else. This respect also goes for yourself too, respect yourself by making your voice heard and being confident in your belonging in the team.
The way you interact with others as a team says a lot about who you are, and people will notice when you are a true team player. Employers want to find people that are eager to join something bigger than themselves and excel, even after you have the job you have to live up to those promises.
Lead Well,
The Benefits of Understanding Your Weaknesses
The art of truly understanding yourself is one that takes time and, more importantly, self reflection. To step away from yourself and assess what you see can feel a bit intimidating but the benefits of knowing yourself far outweigh the discomfort of working to figure it out. One of the first steps to the job search is figuring out what it is you have to offer to the work force. And while strengths are vital things to understand and articulate about yourself-weaknesses are just as important, here are some key reasons why:
Common Interview Topic
There are specific questions that you can almost always count on being asked in an interview, one of them being “What would you say are your weaknesses?” This question can feel awkward because…you’re trying to sell yourself right? Why would you want to delve into what you’re not the best at doing? While this doubt and hesitation springs up from not having thought through all aspects of yourself as a worker-it’s never a great feeling mid interview to be at a loss of words. When you are asked this question, do you know what you’ll say?
Your weaknesses do not define the kind of worker you are, the way you own them and continue to work to improve does.
Self Reflection Leads to Growth
If you don’t know the weak spots in yourself, how can you improve? Recognizing your weaknesses and knowing exactly where they stem from allows you to work-not just around-but through them. If you don’t know where there’s a problem you could be wasting time in your ignorance. Someone unwilling to work to improve is someone who will continually disappoint not just those around them, but themselves.
Displays Emotional Intelligence
When you are hired into a position, you are meshed with a team that will now depend on you for specific things. Who you are as a person plays a large roll into how well you play with others. If you are oblivious to what you are like in a team working capacity, you’re likely going to step on a lot of toes. Don’t be the one on a team that doesn’t know when to ask for help. The way you understand your weaknesses as well as strengths says a lot about how you will interact with others which is a critical part of the hiring process from an interviewers point of view.
So, how can you figure out your weaknesses?
The Quiggle Assessment is designed to help you understand the kind of worker, leader, and team member you are. Through the use of Social psychology the test helps you to find out the specific Archetype you fall into and it doesn’t stop there! Once your Success Symbol is identified you are walked through your potential weak spots as well as your strengths and then taught how to articulate your strengths through the Power Pitch Generator. Don’t go into your next interview with anything less than utter confidence. Take the Quiggle Assessment today!
Lead Well,
5 Things Employers Look For
In today's competitive job market, knowing what it is employers want is vital knowledge to hold. Whether it be the wording of your resume, cover letter, or the interview itself it's imperative to understand what it is employers are looking for so that you can make yourself that person. Knowing what they want to see and understanding how you can uniquely fit into that give you the leg up over other candidates and allows you to enter the application process with confidence. Here is a list of five key factors employers are looking for right now:
1.The Ability to Communicate
The way you communicate with others typically is influenced by those you were raised around, your individual perspective, and your confidence. While these things are different for almost everyone, it's crucial to gain an understanding of what it looks like for you to communicate effectively. When you are on a team, if you can't communicate what you need, want, or are capable of doing, mistakes are bound to happen somewhere along the line. For this reason, learning to communicate effectively is crucial if you want to excel not just in your career, but life in general. If you don't know where to start in regards to communicating better, the best place to begin is in your ability to listen and understand. From there, take your time to speak and avoid talking just to fill an empty space in conversation. Make you words count and be concise with your communication.
2. Ability to Problem Solve
No job is going to be easy all the way through, you're going to run into challenges (likely a lot of them) and it's important to make it clear to employers that you know how to work through issues. Employers want to know that if things go wrong, you know how to step up and competently resolve the issue. When trying to get a job, make it clear that you have a history of working through problems and can handle the stress that comes with set backs.
3. The Ability to Work in a Team
Communication plays into this a little bit, but being able to work in a unit, not just by yourself, is crucial to employers. Nobody wants to hire someone who doesn't work well with others, and if you don't make it clear that you have experience working in a team it could be a red flag. Remember, you're filling a position, and you need the other people on your team in order to do it as best as you can. Let potential employers know the way that you work with others. This is something that The Quiggle Assessment can help you with, by identifying your Success Symbol you are then given in depth information regarding how your unique attributes work in a team.
4. An Eagerness to Work/Enthusiasm
There is no reason not to make it clear to your potential employer that you really do want this job. As an employer, it means a great deal to see applicants that are excited about the opportunity. When someone is excited they are more likely to do a better job than someone who isn't. Excitement often times lends itself to a desire to succeed. If the company is one that you believe in, let them know why! This also lends itself to you being better on a team because someone who wants to do well knows the immense value of teamwork.
5. Dedication
When you start something, do you finish it? When you set a goal, do you hit it? If you make a promise, can you follow through? The ability to follow through and a track record of doing so is something every employer wants to see in an applicant. Tell the employer the projects you've completed and the things that you're proud of. Let them know that you not only take pride in your work, but that your work is important enough to you to follow through with.
Conclusion
The phrase "Put your best foot forward" is often times a lot easier said than done, but that's why preparing before an interview is so important. It's another reason that we're so proud of the Quiggle Assessment because it helps you communicate to employers the way that you uniquely hold these 5 attributes. As you go into the interview process, just remember to answer every question thoughtfully and to take your time. Lastly, let them see you as the unique and valuable person you are not just a robot. Confidence comes from knowing yourself, knowing your worth, and knowing that you are capable of doing hard things.
Lead Well,
How to Find Your Passion
When you wake up every morning are you excited for your feet to hit the floor and your day to start? Recent studies have found that only 14% of American adults are living a life they enjoy-there is an epidemic of people living lives they don’t love and it’s heartbreaking. And while there are countless parts of life that are entirely out of our control-the joy we are capable of possessing in the day to day cannot be taken away if we don’t let it be. Joy is not dependent on circumstances but rather on the state of our hearts and minds. It can come from all kinds of places but one of the most consistent sources of it is found in the things you are passionate about.
Finding your passion is a vital part of the human experience and if you don’t know what it is yet you haven’t lost your chance to do so. The first step to living a life you love is to identify what it is that lights up your heart and learning how to welcome whatever that may be into your everyday life.
What is a passion?
The official definition of the word passion is “a strong and barely controllable emotion.” While this definition of the word most likely brings to mind a relationship with someone else-it can also be found right there inside of yourself. Your passion is yours for the discovering and when you figure out what it is you can start centering your life around it.
Questions to Ask to Help Recognize Your Passion
Dedicating yourself to discovering what it is that makes you excited in life lends itself to creating a life you love living-so let’s dive into how you can discover your passion for yourself.
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When you have time to yourself, what do you find yourself wanting to do?
The way you spend your time has the potential to say a lot about you since your time is one of the most valuable assets you have. Notice what it is throughout the day you find yourself wanting to do and try to find a common thread amongst those things. What is it that you daydream about doing? In your dream reality, how are you spending your time? From there, figure out how you can factor in some time throughout your day to do the things you want to be doing.
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What is something you can talk about non stop?
If you were sitting with a close friend and could talk about anything-what would you want to discuss? What do you find yourself rushing to speak about with others? What topics give you a lot to think and speak about? Where there is excitement there is oftentimes passion attached. If you can’t think of anything off the top of your head, ask around! Ask your friends what it is they may have noticed you bringing up a lot and take note of what they say.
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What topics do you enjoy learning more about?
In the age of the internet, falling down rabbit holes is a common occurrence amongst people with smartphones. Is there a topic you love diving into in particular? Is there something you feel enriched learning more about? What is a topic you learn about that you find yourself wanting to share with others?
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What do you want to be doing with your life?
Sadly, a lot of people have to sacrifice their dreams in order to live life and pay all the bills-but that doesn’t mean you can’t have your passion as a centerpiece in your life. Ask yourself what it is you wish you were doing and then try to find ways to incorporate it into your every day. Even if you can’t make it your full time job (yet) it can still be a vital part of your life.
When all is said and done, your passion is yours for the finding, no one can find it for you, and that’s actually a beautiful thing. Make it a priority to discover what it is that sets your soul on fire and then make it an intention to include it in your everyday life. From there, find a way to center your life around that passion more and more and watch your everyday become filled with joy.
You only get to do this thing called life once, don’t let it be anything other than something you love. Don’t let yourself be a part of the majority that doesn’t love their lives, fall in love with the attainable beauty found in the everyday.
Lead Well,
How to Act Like a Leader
No matter your job title, age, experience, or circumstance, there is always room for you to step up and lead. Your chance to lead is always there, you just have to take it. Leadership has less to do with your position and more to do with your attitude. You can start acting like a leader today and your life can start to change as your actions do. So then, how does a leader act? Here are a few attributes to strive for:
1. Carry Yourself with Confidence
Your posture speaks for you even when you aren’t thinking about it. When you walk into a room, is your head down? Are your shoulders turned in or slouched? Take a moment to step in front of a mirror without changing how you would normally stand, how are you carrying your body? Good posture, according to the Cleveland Clinic, “Involves training your body to stand, walk, sit, and lie so as to place the least strain on your muscles and ligaments.” So not only does good posture allow you to portray yourself with confidence, it’s also better for your body in the long run. Don’t hide yourself in the way you move, stand out and allow yourself to be seen with shoulders back, head held high, and even your core engaged.
2. Be Authentic
If no one can relate to you because you seem too perfect or too professional, it creates a distance between you and others that rarely leads to positive results. Relationships that are healthy can only stem from both parties being their authentic selves. If you want to lead, you have to be willing to be seen and known. A true leader is not perfect and in a high tower, they’re human and working right alongside their teams. No one wants to follow a robot-they want to follow someone who is authentic and real.
3. Take Responsibility
No matter where you stand in regards to the “workplace hierarchy” you should never be above doing certain tasks. If something clearly needs to be done and you’re in a room of people who are hesitating to take it-take it. Leaders hold more responsibility and if you’re looking to move up, you have to be willing to move more. Likewise, as a leader, you have to own up to any mistakes you make without making excuses or tossing out blame. Your failures say just as much about you as your successes, it all depends on how you handle it.
4. Align Your Actions with Your Words
It’s been said for ages, lead by example, and it couldn’t be more true. Be the worker that you want to see the rest of your team being. Respect doesn’t come with a job title, it’s earned through stepping up in the everyday and having others witness you do so. If you contradict your words with your actions your words instantly lose meaning to any who witness it. If you’re going to lead, lead well, and be the kind of leader you wish you had when you were first starting out. Even if you aren’t an “official” leader right now, live like you have eyes on you already and maintain your authenticity to the end.
5. Communicate Well
If you’re going to speak up, speak clearly, articulate confidently, and don’t let your voice shake. This obviously takes time to master, but a simple first step is working to eliminate “filler words” (ie. like, but, um, etc.) If you are delegating tasks, make sure that you make the objective clear and allow time for any questions. When you are able to articulate needs and goals well, your team has a better chance at fulfilling their duties and can be held accountable for doing so.
When all is said and done, leadership is a choice you have the power to make everyday. I created The Quiggle Assessment to help individuals discover the unique potential they hold to excel, grow, and lead. If you want to lead, it starts inside of yourself and flows out from you.
Lead well,
What the Quiggle Assessment Can Do For You
At the heart of The Quiggle Assessment is the desire to see people inspired by the abilities their unique attributes give them as leaders. I believe that the very things that set us apart also allow us to all work together and create incredible results. The Quiggle Assessment was designed so that you could get to know yourself better and leave with an understanding of how to showcase your strengths with authenticity. The job market is more competitive than ever before and on average 118 people are applying for the same job you are. The Quiggle Assessment gives you the tools you need to stand out, lead, and grow by giving you multiple insights such as:
Your Success Symbol
When you take The Quiggle Assessment you are sorted into one of the six archetypes including Creator, Director, Analyst, Guardian, Royal, and Adventurer. I decided to call it a Success Symbol because this is the unique way in which you shine and are capable of leading and being on a team. Each symbol has its own unique attributes and I have loved seeing people beam with pride over their symbols through the years. Once you have your success symbol, the rest of the assessment moves forward with specificity. But not without first telling you more about yourself/your symbol. The symbol can also be helpful in identifying what kinds of opportunities will allow you to excel as well as how you will interact with others based on their symbol. This leaves you with being stronger in your communicational skills as well.
Your Strengths
Once you have been given your Success Symbol we take you through a lesson of sorts pertaining to various aspects of yourself. One of the most helpful things we show you are the strengths you bring to the table. When we know our strengths we are able to know our worth. You have unique skills and experiences to bring to the table no matter what Symbol you are. I want to see people stepping up in their lives with a bold and authentic confidence that comes from knowing not just who you are-but what you are capable of. A lot of times people don’t even realize that they have certain strengths or they don’t find the ones they have to be valuable, this could not be further from the truth!
Potential Weak Spots
While the assessment chooses to focus primarily on your strengths it’s important to understand the potentially problematic patterns you could be falling into. When you know where you may be lacking you are better able to work and grow in those areas. On top of that, one of the most common questions people are asked in interviews is “What are some of your weaknesses.” The way you answer this question can actually be an advantage instead of a disadvantage. When we own our failures and short comings we are making it clear to those around us that we are on the path towards growth and betterment. After all, if you don’t know the problem is there, you could end up letting it grow into something bigger. After taking The Quiggle Assessment you will be made aware of the areas in your life that could use some growth. Remember, your weakness does not disqualify you if you don’t let it.
Your Power Pitch
Knowing how to speak on behalf of yourself and what you have to offer sets you apart in a crowd of applicants. That’s why during The Quiggle Assessment you will be guided through creating a Power Pitch using the unique attributes of your Success Symbol. Think of it as an ad lib for yourself! This pitch makes a perfect header on your resume or a far more interesting answer to the questions “So what do you do?” There is power in knowing who you are, what you do, and how you do it and I wanted to give that power to everyone who takes the test.
Your Success Story
Finally, after creating your power pitch, The Quiggle Assessment uses the same method to coach you through creating your Success Story. Your Success Story is unique to you-as it should be! It is essentially a longer form version of your power pitch and makes a great start to a cover letter or cold email. This part of the assessment always excites me to watch people go through, because I’ve gotten to see so many people carry themselves differently after creating it. You are allowed to take pride in who you are, and when you’re applying for a position up against countless other applicants you need to! It is one of my greatest honors to have had the chance to read and hear thousands of Success Stories. If you’re going to tell your story, The Quiggle Assessment helps you to do it well.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a student, employer, or applicant, The Quiggle Assessment is for you. Wherever you’re going in life, do so with authentic boldness and, should you decide to take the test, be sure to send us your Success Story so we can celebrate alongside with you.
Lead Well,
How to Boost Your Confidence
Part of the human experience is dealing with insecurity in one form or the other. While it’s normal to second guess certain things in your life, often times we see insecurity set up permanent residence in our minds. Insecurity gets in the way of most people taking the chances that could bring them to a new level in life. It stops them from pursuing relationships, careers, and opportunities. When you’re in the midst of insecurity it can truly be paralyzing and it often times feels hopeless to try and pull yourself out of it. While talk therapy is a wonderful option for solving this kind of problem, not everyone has the resources to go, so here a few things to keep in mind to potentially improve your confidence.
Where Does Insecurity Stem From?
While everyone is different, there are a lot of commonalities when it comes to causes for insecurity. When you are able to identify the specifics of your insecurities you are better able to tackle them.
- Rejection: everyone in life at some point has faced rejection and it rarely happens without leaving a sharp impact on you. It only takes feeling it once to fear it happening again in any other situation.
- Fear of Being Judged: Since everyone is different, a lot of times we tend to see our differences as weakness rather than just…differences. Insecurity often times tells us that we’re best off just hiding what we really think and who we really are. We don’t want to risk being isolated from those around us with our differences or being left out because we don’t agree. It is an entirely natural thing to be insecure about.
- Perfectionism: While being a perfectionist allows many to excel in various aspects of life, it also tends to lend itself to insecurity. If you are constantly expecting perfection of yourself, you will spend your life disappointed. Just because you can’t do something perfectly doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it or at least try. Often times you may even surprise yourself.
With each of these reasons being said, it’s important to understand that your reasons for feeling anxious or insecure are more than valid. You’re human, and insecurity is a natural part of that. So, how do we move forward? How do we work to build our confidence?
What You Can Do
Learn About Yourself
Self reflection is a powerful tool for overcoming insecurities. When you gain a better understanding of yourself, the things you love, what you think is right or wrong, and the strengths you possess, your footing gets stronger. No one knows you better than you do and no one can tell you who you are if you already know. There are a ton of different resources you can utilize to get to know yourself. From self guided journals to therapy, and even The Quiggle Assessment, it’s up to you how you want to go about this. Regardless of what you do choose to do, you have to dedicate yourself to it. Like any relationship, it takes intentionality and time. You’re in a relationship with yourself too, treat yourself how you’d treat your best friend.
Find a Way to Express Yourself
Finding something you love and find freedom in doing can be huge for your confidence. Be it a journal, hobby, sport, or the way you dress, self expression can be found anywhere. After you have learned about yourself, try finding ways to express or process your feelings, thoughts, and emotions. When done alone, this activity or hobby is a safe space for you. When you know how to confidently spend time alone, you’ll be more confident in groups. Ask yourself when you express yourself in some way, “do I sincerely love this?” And if the answer is yes, don’t let anyone else’s opinion take it away from you. If the answer is no, ask yourself why not? Be sincere with yourself and your passions-they’re yours-and the only one stopping you from living a life you love is yourself.
Embrace Your Humanity
No one has ever died without making a mistake, lots of mistakes actually. If you haven’t messed up in a while, you probably will at some point soon. That’s not meant to scare you, failure is inevitable at some point and when you accept that as a part of your experience in this life, you are taking a weight off your back. You're allowed to be human, with all the stipulations that comes with. It doesn’t matter if you mess up, it matters how you handle yourself when you do. Insecurity causes us to hide from our failures, confidence allows us to face them and know that they do not define us. It’s ok to not be perfect. It’s normal to be insecure at times. That doesn’t make you less than the person next to you because they too have made mistakes.
When all is said and done confidence is yours for the taking and it looks different on you than it does on someone else. If anything, you can hold on to the fact that you are not alone in having these kinds of emotions or thoughts. You are worth fighting for and standing up for, but it starts with you doing it for yourself. When you carry yourself with confidence doors open as a result.
That’s one of the reasons I created The Quiggle Assessment, because I want to see people embracing their individuality. The Assessment is made to help you know what your strengths are and how to articulate them to the world around you. If you’re interested in taking the test but have any questions, we would love to answer them for you.
Lead Well,
The Benefits of a Joyful Life
When all is said and done people won't remember you by the deadlines you hit, the projects you've finished, and the job title you held. At the end of the day when you get off of work and home to your family, what they care most about is who you are when you walk through the door. What good is a legacy if it's only made up of achievements? What good is a career if it's lacking in joy?
Your legacy doesn't rely on world shifting accomplishments but rather on the way people feel when you enter and leave a room. No one is going to stand up at your funeral one day and read your resume aloud, what is most memorable is the way you make others feel. A day spent in a state of joy is never wasted and a life built on joy has benefits you may not have ever thought about.
What is True Joy?
The official definition of joy according to Miriam Webster is "A feeling of great pleasure or happiness." This is not momentary waves of happiness that we're talking about, this is a mind set and intentionality that acts as a foundation in your life. True joy does not rely on circumstance, and while this doesn't mean that you are always happy, it does mean that you understand that the hard things don't last forever. Real and genuine joy can withstand the test of time and is the state of mind and being you return to when all is said and done. True joy doesn't mean a perfect life or job but rather one that is appreciated and experienced fully. It has nothing to prove to others but rather is a personal choice each of us makes every day of our lives. And lastly, it's contagious, when you live a life of joy people are inevitably drawn to you because your presence isn't draining when you're joyful, but rather it can feel invigorating for others to be around.
But what it is that joy has to offer? What are the benefits of choosing to be intentional about chasing it?
What Joy Does For You
When someone is happy and joyful in their everyday life their bodies are better off in the long haul in regards to sleep, diet, lower blood pressure, and stress. Some of those factors combined with others also point to a lesser likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease in the future.
But what about beyond the blatant health benefits? In your professional and personal life, being a person who is joyful improves your relationships not just with friends and family, but team members as well. When you are someone with a positive mindset and joyful attitude people not only respect you, but like you. As a leader, joy allows your team to perform at a higher level because your passion and joy will absolutely trickle down to them. Respect isn't given to you with a job title, it's earned through the way you treat others and live your life. No one wants to follow someone they don't feel good around, people want to be led by someone who excites them, joy is contagious and if you bring it to work everyday your team will start to adopt the same mindset. You are more likely to have new opportunities come your way when you live a life of joy as well because people are drawn to positivity meaning more doors open when you approach them with authentic and good intentions.
So this all sounds great...but how do we attain joy?
The tricky thing here is that joy is different for everyone, there isn't a simple cookie cutter method to becoming a joyful person but there are attributes of joyful people that you can look to in order to garner joy in your own life. So then, what are attributes of a joyful person?
1. They actively seek to find joy in the ordinary
Simply put, if you want to find joy, you have to look for it. The good news? Joy is rarely hiding, but rather waiting to be found. As you drive to work and are at a stop light, is the person in the car next to you singing along to a song you can't hear? Is there side walk chalk in your neighborhood you may not notice if you hadn't been looking? Being present in the moment allows you to find the joy in the simple things others may deem as ordinary. The truth is though that the ordinary is brimming with the capability of being magnificent-and joyful people will find it.
2. They accept the things they can't control and focus on what they can
This attribute is far easier said than done but that doesn't make it impossible. Control is something we all yearn for yet it's impossible to have everything in your life neatly tucked away and under it. Recognize the things you can't do anything about and allow yourself to focus on what you can control. What can you control? The way you treat people, the way you respond to a problem, and the state of being you choose to reside in regardless of circumstance.
3. They create moments in the everyday to look forward to
Be it a stop at your favorite coffee shop or a walk around an area you like, when you make plans like these you are giving yourself something to look forward to. The small things in life are just as important as the big things and when you live a life of joyful anticipation you're setting yourself up to be happier in the day to day. Set a reminder on your phone or write down a time in your planner to do something small that will spark joy in your day. Let yourself be excited about the everyday moments in your life.
4. They don't concern themselves with gossip
Drama is an alluring topic to most anyone, but does it really ever benefit you to be a part of or actively discuss? Joyful people keep a wide berth around topics of gossip and pettiness because they know that at the end of the day it does little if anything to edify their lives.
5. They give to others what they themselves want
It's the golden rule, "Treat others the way you want to be treated" and it is a sure fire way to brighten your own day by bringing light to the lives of others. Think about the things that you would love for others to do for you and then do them for the people around you. What you give to others will come back to you in one way or the other, be it them returning the favor or the joy of seeing someone else happy. A fast track to happiness is to bring it to others.
6. They don't stop chasing it
Joy, while it sounds fluffy and simple, is in reality anything but. If you want to be joyful you have to be intentional about it. You have to want to possess it, and you have to choose it everyday even when things feel anything but joy filled. You're allowed to have bad days, even weeks, but at the end of it all, where is your mind and heart returning to? You don't suddenly achieve joy one day and then always have it, you have to chase it and choose it everyday you wake up. Let joy become a habit and watch how your life shapes around it.
Conclusion
If you want to be happy no one can stop you. If you want to live a life filled with joy, there is not circumstance that can stand a chance. If you want to be a joyful person, it's up to you to decide that and chase it. Joy isn't hiding from you, it's waiting to be found. A legacy based in love and joy is the only kind truly worth having. If you want to lead in a way that truly impacts the people and world around you in a positive way, joy is the secret weapon.
Lead Well,
Should I Send a Thank You Note After An Interview?
On average there are around 118 people applying for the same job you are. Of those first 118 who send in a resume, the typical employer will pull in 6-10 candidates for the final interview. If you can make your resume stand out and get to that final interview phase, the end of the interview isn’t the last chance you have to leave an impression. In such a competitive job market, standing out is crucial.
Your job during the interview process is to make employers know that you are the one they want. They aren’t hiring a resume, they are hiring a person-that’s why letting yourself be seen and knowing how to be seen is so important. The Quiggle Assessment was created for you to know how to articulate to jobs who you are, and why they should want you.
The interview is when you have to shine and leave them with a good impression of who you are. However, the chance to make an impression doesn’t end when you walk out the door. Thank you cards or emails allow you to put your name back in their minds and show more of yourself. So, should you send them? Absolutely.
While emailing is by far easier, a hand written letter is not only more personal, but shows a level of thoughtfulness and initiative that goes beyond an email. The habit of sending thank you notes is one that mothers everywhere have worked to instill in their children but they often stop after the birthday parties do. A handwritten note shows not only gratitude but intentionality, two things that any employer would want to see from a potential candidate.
What should it say?
Since the purpose of a thank you note is to show gratitude, do just that. They could have chosen to interview any of the other applicants, but you made the cut-thank them for that. Take note during the interview of any topic discussed that you can mention, this shows an attentiveness to detail and intentionality that is admirable. The note doesn’t have to be long, but know that the more you show yourself the more they have to become familiar with. When you go above and beyond it says to a company that that is the kind of person you are. Mention what it is about the job that excites you and let them know you are thankful for their time.
How Should You Send It?
Obviously, snail mail isn’t always the most practical, so if you have a way of dropping the letter off at the office it may be ideal. Just because you can’t send a thank you hand written note doesn’t mean an email can’t be done well also. Be prompt with following up however as the decision for who to hire can be swift. Very often people don’t want to seem desperate, but it’s important to remember that desperation and desire are not one and the same. There is nothing wrong with making the things you want clear.
At the end of the day, gratitude goes a long way and there is nothing you have to lose in showing it.
Lead Well,
Is This the Right Job for You?
While in the midst of a job hunt it may not feel like it-but the truth is there are hundreds of jobs and career paths to aim yourself towards. There are jobs you never would have even thought existed but could be the perfect match for you. Knowing where to aim your attention in a job search allows you to put your best foot forward in chasing down the opportunity-but before you start running full speed, is this the right job for you?
If you’re going to want something, it’s important to really want it. When we have a strong desire our determination becomes an asset in chasing it down and making our dreams a reality. So how can you know if a job is a good fit for you?
Will this job mean a large life change such as moving or crazy hours?
Before you get too deep into the application process, ask yourself what you are willing to sacrifice for this opportunity. Do this early because when you decide that yes, this is something worth doing, you’re already setting your determination into action.
Is the challenge of it one you know you can accept and excel at?
A lot of times job postings include expectations if not short job descriptions. It’s important to take note of these and identify whether or not this is an occasion you can rise to. When asking this question of yourself, it’s important to be sure of your answer. If you truly think it’s outside your realm of capabilities-maybe it’s time to take a step back. However, if this is something you know you can do well, hold on tight to that. Let that confidence bleed through the rest of the application process from the way you write your resume to the way you speak on the phone. It isn’t about being confident so much as it is about portraying competency to your potential employer. Once you’ve answered this question, your mission is to find various ways to make it known that you are not just going to meet their expectations-but exceed them.
Does the opportunity excite you?
There is so much in this life that has the capability to excite us-and your work can and should be one of them. If you’re talking about this opportunity to a group of friends and feel yourself getting worked up (in a good way) that’s always a good sign. Where your excitement goes, your dedication and joy follows. If the idea of having this job does nothing for you, ask yourself about the direction you’re going in and decide if it’s maybe time to pivot. At the end of the day, you have this one brilliant life to live, make your day to day life a part of the brilliant ordinary. And if you can’t, it is never too late to find what sparks your passion.
When all is said and done, your life is in your hands and the way you choose to live it can either be done with intention or without. But the ladder is a lot less fulfilling. Chase what you want and let the things you don’t want slip away. Just remember that your life purpose is not to work, it’s to live and love.
Lead Well,