If you want a new job for Christmas, you’re not alone. It’s that time of the year when we reflect on the many important things in our lives. Work is one very important thing that many people want to change.
Last year at this time I offered a Christmas wish for a better world of work. Well, no wishes this year, just 5 steps you can take today to get a new job for Christmas. But first, a little story.
Twenty dollars that changed my life
Six years ago, I enrolled in a graduate program in executive coaching. A lot has happened since then, but that program marked the beginning of my journey to create a better world of work for ourselves and for future generations.
At the end of the program, each one of us had to write a letter to our future selves that we would open one year later. Here’s what I wrote:
“Congratulations on how far you have travelled since completing the program. You’re now contributing to wellbeing by offering an engaging and accessible perspective on leadership, the purpose of work, and finding peace and meaning in the second half of life.”
I put twenty dollars in the envelope and signed-off with “Go buy yourself a beer. You deserve it.”
A year after I finished the program, I opened that letter and bought myself that beer because everything in the letter had happened. Back then, I knew what I wanted to create and I got what I created.
New job for Christmas in five easy steps
The following steps are based on a career development theory called planned happenstance and on being open to the possibility that there is such a thing as a self-fulfilling prophecy. Dr. John Krumboltz of Stanford University developed planned happenstance, and I often recommend his very accessible book, Luck is No Accident, that details his approach.
First, a little arts and crafts
Box, paper and envelopes
At least 5 days before Christmas (hurry, Santa Claus is coming to town), find a box (about the size of a shoe box), four letter-size envelopes and four sheets of letter-sized paper.
Now, here’s where it gets complicated. Thinking caps on. Take one sheet of paper and divide it into 16 squares.
HINT: Fold it in half, then fold the folded paper in half again, and again, and again. Unfold the paper completely and you should have 16, equally sized squares.
First envelope
Now, cut along your fold lines to create 16 little squares of paper. Number each square 1 through 16, and below each number on each square write, “S. I. K.,” for someone I know. Lastly, put all 16 squares in an envelope and label the envelope, “Someone I Know,” do not seal the envelope, then put the envelope in the box.
Second envelope
Next, cut another piece of paper into 16 squares. Again, number the squares 1 through 16, but this time on the squares write, “L. S. N.,” for Learn Something New. Put all 16 squares in another envelope and label the envelope, “Learn Something New,” do not seal the envelope, then put the envelope in the box.
Third envelope
Last paper cutting task. Number the squares 1 through 16, and this time write, “T. 2. N.,” for Talk to Someone New. Put all 16 squares in an envelope and label the envelope, “Talk to Someone New,” do not seal the envelope, then put the envelope in the box.
Letter to yourself
Lastly, on the last sheet of paper, write a letter to yourself, like I did, but write this,
“Congratulations, it is now 16 weeks or less since you gave yourself a new job for Christmas. Whether you already have that new job, or if you’re well on your way to getting it, you have done so much and have so much to be proud of. Celebrate your success by {write whatever you like here}.”
Label the envelope, “Open when all other envelopes are empty or when you get a new job, whichever comes first.” Put the letter in the envelope, seal the envelope and put it in the box.
Giving yourself the gift of a new job for Christmas in five steps
Close the box. Wrap the box. Put it under your Christmas tree or in a prominent location if you’re not a Christmas tree person. But, because you know what’s in it, there’s no sense opening it on Christmas morning. Instead, open it first thing in the morning on Wednesday, January 2nd:
Step1: Talking to someone you know
Before the end of Sunday, January 7th, talk to someone you know about your mission to find a new job. You can tell them the kind of job you’re looking for and ask them if they know anyone who can help you or provide any feedback. Once you’ve done that, remove the square labeled, “1, S. I. K.” from the envelope labeled Someone I Know.
Step 2: Learning something new
Before the end of Sunday, January 7th, learn something new about the job you’re looking for. You can look-up something on the web, or you can ask someone a question. Whatever you do, just make sure that you know a little more about that new job than you did before. Once you’ve done that, remove the square labeled, “1, L. S. N.” from the envelope labeled Learn Something New.
Step 3: Talking to someone you don’t know
Now, your most difficult task. Before the end of Sunday, January 7th, talk to someone you don’t know about your mission to find a new job. This can be a career coach, someone you meet at a networking event, friend of a friend, or even someone you sit beside on the bus. Once you’ve done that, remove the square labeled, “1, T. 2. N.” from the envelope labeled Talk to Someone New.
Step 4: Doing steps 1 through 3 for 16 weeks
Starting on Monday, January 8th, do everything in steps 1 through 3 above before the end of week 2 on Sunday, January 13th. Remember to pick a different person that you know, and a different someone new, each time. When you’re done, remove the week 2 squares from their envelopes. Keep repeating these steps each week until all the envelopes are empty.
Step 5: Keep doing all your usual job hunting stuff
While you’re doing everything in steps 1 through 3 above, keep doing all the other things we do when we’re looking for a new job: checking the websites of the companies we want to work for, applying and, hopefully, interviewing.
Why do steps 1 through 3?
Research on Krumboltz’s career development theory, planned happenstance, shows that our career paths are influenced more by chance events than by our careful planning. Krumboltz asks us to create opportunities for fortuitous, chance events to happen. By engaging with people we already know, meeting new people, and learning new things, we are creating opportunities for yet unknown, positive things to happen.
Celebrate your gift to yourself
At the end of week 16, or when you get that new job, open the letter to yourself. Also, please contact me on LinkedIn, Twitter or through WorkFeelsGood.com, and tell me about your new job or the exciting journey you’re on to get it.
