I am in the application process for a coaching position that is like none other. They actually don’t outright reject you, but at each step of the process, you are asked for a number of items that someone reviews and gives you detailed feedback on. If your submission meets the level of work they are looking for, you move forward, if it doesn’t, you are asked to practice for a specific number of hours and then come back to continue the process. At first, I will admit, I was mad. I thought they had impossible standards that no one could live up to and almost started to write off the opportunity. We’ve probably all done that at some point in life and reacted with a “they didn’t want me so I don’t want them” when told we weren’t yet a match.
What I’m coming to learn is that in addition to the skills they evaluate, they are looking for coaches that live the practices that we are taught. In other words, through the application process, we are becoming the person they need in the role, before we get the job. You’ve probably heard quotes before like “dress for the job you want, not the job you have” or “show up as the person you want to become”. Usually when we hear that, our mind goes to the “how”. How do I learn that job, gain the knowledge, look like someone who already has it or have the skill before I do the job? The last time I got the “great work, but go work on these things” email, my inclination was to hit the books and try to learn my way out of it. Like I somehow have to be an expert in coaching overnight in order to continue the process.
But I think that’s missing the point. The secret is not in the “how”, it is in the “who”.
When I look at the ideal qualities for a coach, it’s things like resilience, self awareness, self confidence and curiosity. It’s the ability to manage your mindset while looking failure in the eye, over and over. It’s someone who doesn’t bring their insecurities into their clients’ sessions and comes with complete fascination for what is in the client’s brain without bringing along the baggage from their own life. And someone who knows the power of self coaching, having a deep awareness of their own beliefs and knowing exactly how to change those over time in order to achieve anything they want.
If you’re in the job hunt or want to be, the same could be said for any job. In order to be the best candidate, who is the person that’s going to fall to the top of the list? What qualities does a “no brainer” hire have? What qualities does someone who is completely killing it in that job have? How can you create those right where you are at?
I remember back to one specific job candidate that I interviewed years ago and still think about. She had the least amount of HR experience after switching careers, but the absolute strongest interview. The lack of experience did not deter her. She was not arrogant, but she came in confident that she could prove to be the best hire I had ever made. She articulated exactly how the soft skills she had honed in the previous years would be a perfect fit in HR. I went back and forth on the decision and ultimately decided we didn’t have the right environment for her because this role didn’t have a lot of room for mentorship. Thank goodness she didn’t allow that to be her end in HR. She kept trying and got hired at a much larger company that had the ability to nurture and build her skills and her HR career took off.
And the reason it took off, is the same reason why I’m able to keep going to bat with this coaching job. Neither of us made the rejection mean anything about us personally or our potential to do what we ultimately wanted. We both chose to keep swinging until we hit our home run, because sometimes it takes a few turns at bat. Yes, honing the skills is going to help, but the most impactful thing you will do is become the person who is capable of a home run.
Are you in the job search process and allowing rejection to affect the candidate you could be? I can help you cut through the mind drama and become the best candidate for the job of your dreams. Schedule an initial consultation here to find out how.