Get the PERKs!

Before you start job-hunting, here are some tips that will get you all the PERKS and job satisfaction to boot!

P – Purpose and Passion
You’ve got an engineering degree from a prestigious university… stop, before you start writing in job applications for positions that requires your academic qualifications! You don’t want to waste more precious years in a job that is not your passion; there are enough people out there who hate their jobs so they don’t need you to join their club.

So before you embark on this journey of getting the perfect job, may I suggest that you get real clear on what you really want for your life, what you don’t want and what you have settled for. Ask yourself, are you on track to live the best life you possibly could?

In this fast-paced world where we are surrounded by big bucks advertising, it’s not easy to clear our minds of the “stuff” that’s not really important to us and make out what we really want for ourselves. We are surrounded by other people’s ideas of what to strive for in life – smart advertising executives, our parents, friends and peers.

This has been, and still remains, the perpetual question that has followed many individuals through time immemorial: What do I really want? Do I want to be rich? Or do I just want to be happy? Do I want to achieve greatness? Or am I contented just being? And the list goes on.

Certainly it’s not gong to be an easy process to answer these very perplexing question. People have been known to pay a fortune and some have spent many years while others have literally gone to the ends of the world to search for their purpose, their whole reason for being. So I’m certainly not going to purport that you will your purpose just by reading this one chapter of my book, but what I do hope is that it will start you on the journey to searching for it!
The first thing we must realize is there’s no right or wrong answer. We may very likely not even find the answer! But the very process of asking the question and seeking the answer is a great start.

E - Evolve
Once you know what you want for your life, you have to then evolve – grow, develop, expand – yourself so you can emerge into whom you want to be. As it’s often been said – awareness before change (ABC). Once you know what you want, then it’s simply a matter of determining where, if at all, you fall short and then, work out a plan how to bridge that gap. Sounds simple enough, right? The one thing you do need is: D - determination.
Whatever the adversity or obstacles you believe faces you now – believe you me, other achievers have been there before and overcome them. So can you. I’ve met some pretty incredible people in my life that have convinced me that we can achieve whatever we want, if we set our minds to it. One such person was trainer and author John Foppe, born without arms. I had breakfast with this amazing guy some years back, and listening to his story as I watched him enjoy his Eggs Benedict with his feet, waving one foot around to emphasize a point… I knew challenges can only exist in our minds.
John had a mentor who saw his potential and gave him the opportunity to rise above his disability – the legendary Zig Ziglar. Get yourself a mentor in the field you want to excel in; you’ll be surprised, all you need to do is pluck up the courage and ask!

R - Resources
“Remove the limit of your limited resources and multiply your potential – infinitely!”

One thing we must realize – in order to move forward, it’s not just about what we know but who we know. We do not live on island by ourselves – we need the help of others who may have skills and talents we do not possess.

The questions you need to constantly ask yourself are:
 What are the resources you need?
 Who can help you?
 How do you identify and recruit the right resources – mentors, coaches, partners, outside experts, etc.

I was very fortunate when I first started working as an editor – there was this trainer/author Tom Barry who came to me and offered to be my mentor. Of course I said, yes, please! He was a real inspiration to me. Subsequently, I had the wonderful opportunity to learn from and work with great trainers/authors like Chin Ning Chu, author of bestseller “Thick Face. Black Heart”, motivational guru Zig Ziglar, and of course Robert Kiyosaki, who acknowledged me in his book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”.
Yes, simply believe you can attract the resources that you need, and you will.

K – Knock them out!
Now, you have sorted out your mind, you just have to go out and that interview so you can knock the socks out of them! Who else would they give the job to but YOU?
Knockout techniques you need to develop – how to dress for Maximum Business Impact (MBI, a term coined by a friend of mine); how to impress them with your savvy communication skills and confidence; how to network effectively so you can be at the right place at the right time.
So, if you have a dream, give it a chance to happen!

To register for the “Get the PERKs” workshop for fresh graduates, call Sam at 6336 6281 or sms PERK to 8228 8938 or email jessica@imagecoach.com.sg. Website: http://www.imagecoach.com.sg