Keeping a Journal During a Job Search
Sunday evening—or maybe it was early Monday morning—I was browsing channels on my radio (I don’t have a TV, my PC was turned off, and audio files are too large for my Palm Centro) and stopped when to listen to a business report on the benefits of keeping a journal in a job search. This interested me because the reporter (whose name I thought was Steve Greenberg but am not certain) mentioned that there is research to validate this statement. Doing a quick search on the website of WCBS NEWSRADIO and a general search of the web, I couldn’t find the audio of the report or a reference to the research. If you know of any, please let me know. I’ll continue to search and let you know as well.
The topic was so close to my own way of processing stressful situations, that I remember the essence of what was reported. That is, job seekers who keep a journal are in better emotional shape for the next interview than those who do not keep a journal. There could have been a statement that the research showed those who keep a journal are more likely to land a job offer. That would make sense but I’m not certain about that fact.
What I do know is that journal writing is a helpful tool to process emotions. If you are able to “debrief” an interview while being 100% candid and honest about your strengths and challenges, chances are that the next interview will be a better one. You’ve taken the time to reflect on what you did well and what you did not so well. Possibly, you are more honest with yourself writing in a journal than you could have been having a conversation with a significant other or a good friend. A journal doesn’t judge or hold accountable. That blank piece of paper you fill up is for you and feedback is what you, not a journal, generates.
Journal writing is a tool that can aid in recording sentences that you can practice for your next interview at the same company (think positive) or for a first interview at another company. Jotting down small talk or ice breakers (”What a great day” or “Snowing again! When is this going to stop? Do you know it snowed in Dallas?”) or key phrases you want to include in a conversation (”I’m a multi-tasker” or “Focus is a key to productivity”) can reinforce what you want to practice when meeting someone new in their office—or when networking at a professional meeting.
What would be helpful as well is to write out what the interviewer asked you specifically and how they asked the questions. That is, was their wording “canned” or did it seem targeted to you as a potential candidate whose resume they had read thoroughly? Were they fully present for you or did they toss questions your way while looking at their computer screen or checking their IPhone messages? Writing about how you could interject their activities into a positive statement can be wonderful preparation for your next encounter with a distracted interviewer. What do I mean by a positive statement? “You’re great at multi-tasking. That’s a great skill and one I’m certain to learn when I am working in your area/on your team/in the company to be as efficient as possible.” That could make the interviewer blush that he was noticed multi-tasking or that she was caught checking e-mails to confirm her next interview.
Although I will continue searching for this research, I feel comfortable posting this entry on my blog because the information is solid and helpful to those looking to ace a job interview. My own journals date back to the time I was a junior at the University of California at Berkeley about— well, a long time ago. Through the years, okay decades, I’ve taught journal writing to students in adult education courses and to individuals. To this day, I still go to my journal to write about a coaching or consulting client, letting my creativity flow so that I can come up with new ideas to reduce their obstacles blocking optimum performance or break down challenges executives are facing with behavior in the organization. If you’re interested in learning how to make the most of your journal writing during a job search or preparing to pitch a client, contact me at leigh@ltr-nyc.com for a free half-hour consultation.