Of course, you can make sure that your CV/resume is tailored to the job description; that the cover letter aligns with the company’s values; and that you know everything you possibly can about the organization prior to your interview. However, you have no control over the employer’s decision, the suitability and qualifications of the other candidates, the hiring budget, or even the overall state of the job market.

As an HR professional and recruiter with more than 20 years of experience working in an international environment, I have been part of many hiring decisions. And, frankly, the decision to hire one candidate over another often comes down to issues that are difficult to articulate and quantify.

So, what are the advantages of goal setting in your job search and how can you make this process work to your advantage?

While unemployed, it’s normal to feel out of your comfort zone, ruminate over uncertainty, and struggle with confidence. Setting goals is a proven, successful way to focus your mind and take control over your circumstances. Goals give us a sense of purpose and direction. Tied to this, even celebrating small successes is enough to reinforce your self-confidence and self-esteem.

That being said, it’s unhealthy to focus exclusively on goal attainment, in that you may struggle to relax and view non-goal related activities as a waste of time. It’s worth emphasizing that your well-being and mental health are just as important during a job search as they are at any other time in your life.

How, then, can goal setting work for you? Here are the seven steps that will help you to balance goal attainment with mental well-being:

• Be clear on what you want.

Having a clear vision of your end goal will help you to focus on the steps you need to take to make it happen. What type of job do you want and which organization do you want to work for? Which skills do you already possess and what areas can you improve upon?

• Set intermediate goals.

Working towards one big goal (e.g., “finding my dream job”) is too vague and lofty. Break it down into steps and milestones, so that you can align your day-to-day strategies with your overarching vision. What do you need to do tomorrow, next week, and next month to work towards your goal? Once you identify what needs to be done – complete with action items and deadlines – you can commit to making it happen and work towards it step-by-step.

• Find an accountability partner.

An “accountability partner” is someone you can talk to daily or weekly to share wins and navigate challenges. Choose someone that you know will give you an honest opinion, but will also be supportive. In this way, you can keep working through the weeds while remaining focused on your long-term goal.

• Track your progress.

A critical part of achieving your goals is tracking your progress along the way and reevaluating your methods, as needed. Ask yourself daily: “Am I still acting in line with my goal?” “What have I done today to move towards my goal?”

• Celebrate your successes.

Don’t wait until you’ve landed a job to congratulate yourself. Make sure you celebrate small successes along the way. Not only will this increase your self-confidence, it will motivate you to stay on track. If you’ve achieved your daily goal, reward yourself appropriately.

• Set realistic daily goals.

If you are not internally motivated or have trouble focusing, set realistic daily goals. I recommend identifying several that will move you towards your professional goals and others that will impact your well-being, like going for a walk in nature. Write the following day’s goals down the night before and number them in order of priority. Then, add one thing to the list that you’ve been putting off. Consult the list first thing in the morning and plan your day accordingly.

• Learn how to focus.

If you find it difficult to concentrate and are easily distracted, try setting a timer for 25 minutes and give your current task your full attention for the entire period. Then, take a 5-minute break before you resume the next 25-minute round. Once you get into a routine of dedicating time exclusively to what you want to achieve, you will accomplish your goals much more easily.

Coming full-circle, a job offer is often outside of your control. While you can certainly influence the process by doing all the right things, the final decision lies with someone else. These seven steps, which are based on proven goal-setting techniques, offer a reliable structure that will help you on your journey to success. Overall, I advise you to focus your efforts and emotional energy on what you can do, instead of things that are outside of your control.

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If we invest so much time and effort in complying with one European law change, why don’t we put similar energy into another urgent matter requiring a new law: employability of the over 50s in Switzerland?

Two years ago I wrote a blog entitled: “Unemployment rate in Switzerland: too old to work at 50” and the response amazed me. I had hit a nerve and I was and continue to be inundated with comments from people who identified with my comments or who were personally affected by the situation. This week, a documentary on Swiss television (SRF: ”Aussortiert und diskriminiert” ) reported on the same issue. It appears the situation continues to get worse, with no real hope in sight.

As a recruiter and career coach, I see first hand the devastating effect on careers, and indeed lives, that unemployment in the over 50s causes and it seems that there is no help at hand. As it is likely that the official retirement age will continue to rise, are we going to end up with people unemployed for twenty years or more? What can we do to fix the problem?

Recruiting in the UK recently, I was amazed at the difference. CVs did not have dates of birth on them, applicants only detailed the last ten years of their careers and it was impossible to discover their true age. Even face-to-face interviews didn’t offer more clarity. Of course, you can tell the difference between a 20-year old and a 40-year old, but if the person is “well maintained”, you have no idea if they have passed the dreaded 50-milestone until they are employed and have completed the onboarding documentation. And experience seemed to be valued in the UK, rather than seen as a sign to throw the application in the bin (metaphorically speaking, of course, as I believe that privacy policies state that we have to put it through the shredder)!

So, why is it so different in Switzerland? What can we do to bring our hiring practices in line with other countries? Nowadays some applicants don’t put their age on their CV, often to their detriment, as employers tend to presume that the candidate may be older than he/she wants you to believe. Even if you go through the interview stage without knowing the age, when you see the employment certificates from past employers, the age is clearly stated in the opening paragraph. In fact, the specimen employment certificate from the “Centre Patronal” clearly indicates the need to put the date of birth on the certificate.

If we want to support the over 50s and make use of their invaluable professional experience, let’s follow the lead of many countries and make it illegal to put the age on the CV, employment certificates and educational diplomas. And for all those school and employment certificates established over the last forty years, we should make it obligatory for candidates to “tippex” out the date of birth, or at least do the digital equivalent of this.

From a candidate’s point of view, make sure you fulfil your side of the bargain. In addition to keeping your skills up-to-date, be aware that appearance matters. I am definitely not calling for everyone to undergo cosmetic surgery to look younger but you should understand how personal grooming impacts your appearance and your employability. Think about what you can do now to ensure that you look fit and healthy at your next interview.

Of course, I am aware that the solution to this massive problem is far more complex than hiding your date of birth and getting fit. Other steps will involve educating decision-makers on the benefits of hiring the over 50s, and perhaps, more controversially, taking a fresh look at how certain benefits impact the hiring decision. Is the cost of hiring people of a certain age prohibitive to many companies? Will the over 50s have to forfeit their entitlement to the additional week’s vacation customary in some industries, or perhaps pension companies will have to review the structure of the contributions which make employing older people more expensive? All this will take a lot of time and debate. Progress will be slow.

So, let’s start with something simple. Make it illegal for the date of birth to appear on Swiss CVs, employment certificates and educational diplomas. If we are capable of putting all our efforts into complying with the European GDPR, we can definitely do something positive today for the employment market in Switzerland.

The post Unemployment rate in Switzerland: still too old to work at 50? appeared first on SC Career Transition.

With the end of the football season just around the corner, some footballers will be thinking seriously about retirement. Perhaps their contract is not going to be renewed, age is catching up with them or they just know that the time is right to hang up their boots for good.

Retirement from sport is challenging and even the most successful can struggle. David Beckham, whilst appearing to have slipped effortlessly into life after football in 2013, admitted in an interview on BBC’s Desert Island Discs earlier this year that he had also had doubts about the transition.

So how can you assist former athletes during this difficult time? A brand-new approach, grounded in neuroscience and psychology, is being used to help professional footballers, ice hockey players and other athletes move on to life after sport.

The SCOAP approach is usually applied to train business executives but I have incorporated its principles into my coaching programme to help sports stars avoid the end of the game blues. It is built on five basic human needs, which have to be fulfilled in order for a person to perform well and be emotionally fulfilled. They are: Self-esteem, Control, Orientation, Attachment and Pleasure. If an athlete or sportsperson fulfills these needs, his or her move into life after sports becomes much easier.

One of the reasons David Beckham’s transition was smoother than some of his counterparts is because the five SCOAP needs had been met.

TIPS for retiring athletes (or anyone facing retirement!) using the SCOAP approach:

1. Self-esteem: Separate the man/woman from the athlete

The first basic need of every retiring athlete is self-esteem, a sense of self-worth, value and appreciation, recognition and status.

For many athletes, self-esteem is closely linked to being an athlete or sports star. So, when they hang up their boots for the last time, everything that made them feel good about themselves disappears overnight.

Beckham’s self-esteem was never limited to what he did on the field. He soon became known for his other pursuits such as modeling, being ambassador to various global companies, as well as being a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and for his role as a family man.

Start looking long before retirement for other ways to boost your self-esteem. Don’t only rely on sport. Learn more about yourself and appreciate your strengths outside of sport to gain a balanced view of yourself.

2. Control: Don’t leave it all to fate

The second basic need is control.

We all want to feel that we have some degree of control over our lives and the ability to make our own free choices. If you’re forced to retire because of injury or age, you don’t have any control over that decision.

Beckham retired when he was at the top of the game, having just won the French league. It was his decision – even though he’s admitted that it hadn’t been an easy one.

Don’t leave it all to fate. Accept that you will have to retire at some point and start planning now.  It will give you a sense of direction and control when you leave. In fact, it has been shown that planning for career after sport actually improves your athletic performance.

3. Orientation: Know your values

When you retire as an athlete, you could end up feeling like you’ve lost your family – you’ve literally been kicked out of the locker room from one day to the next. Fans who once begged you for signatures, now don’t give you a second glance. Many athletes end up feeling lost and lonely.

How did Beckham fulfill his need for orientation? As a family man and UNICEF Ambassador he seems to have always had a good sense of how he could contribute and use his skills and former celeb status to connect him to the world.

Know what you want in life, your values and how you fit into the wider scheme of things. Seek new meaningful experiences.

4. Attachment: Don’t rely on hangers-on

As an athlete you’re connected to your team, your fans – you’re never alone. There is a real sense of ‘belonging’. However, when you retire – you’re no longer part of this group and unless you have a very supportive family and circle of friends, you’re likely to experience a real void.

Beckham has a supportive family and a wide circle of friends, who are not limited to the football world. Even though he admits to having felt the void, the blow would have been cushioned. Surround yourself with the right people and don’t rely on hangers-on and teammates to ensure that you don’t find yourself out on a limb.

5. Pleasure: Remember why you started playing sport

For many athletes nothing compares with that feeling of crossing the finishing line or scoring the winning goal.

And perhaps nothing ever will.

However, if you actively pursue other hobbies and interests from early on in your sports career, you’ve got a much better chance of finding pleasure again.

Also, accepting that you don’t have to stop practicing your choice of sport just because you’re forced to quit competing. You can still enjoy the game.

It is this mind shift that is difficult for many athletes.

Beckham learned to find pleasure watching his children play sport as well as pursuing other interests.

Take up a new sport or mentor others. Remember why you started sport in the first place. What else can you do that will give you enjoyment?
Not every sports star has the abilities, brand and financial security of David Beckham or tennis star Roger Federer. However, most retiring athletes can benefit from applying the SCOAP principles to their lives at an early stage to ensure their own transition is not a rocky one.

To find out how ready you are for retirement, visit www.careeraftersport.com and complete a short questionnaire.

Contact me to find out about my Career Transition Programme or how I can use the SCOAP approach to help you.

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